Exclusive Jeff Willet and Skip La Cour Podcast Series starts today!

Skip La Cour and I have joined for an exclusive podcast series that starts today at 10 AM EST.

Listen in on our candid conversation about a variety of topics including our thoughts on steroids, pro-hormones, our personal bodybuilding origins and our thoughts on the sport of bodybuilding as it stands today.
Hope you enjoy!

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

Learn From the Best

In many ways it seems like only yesterday when I made my way to the gym for the first time and my love affair with bodybuilding began. I loved everything about it, especially the possibility of one day becoming a great competitor.

When I started out I was probably as naive as I was passionate. Naive about certain aspects of the sport, both good and bad. I didn’t know about supplements, nutrient timing, Max-OT or Max-OT cardio. I also didn’t know about the use of performance enhancing drugs in the various levels of the sport.

I remember when I first became aware that many top guys in the sport were using steroids. It was like finding out there wasn’t a Santa Claus. It disappointed me but didn’t discourage me. Thankfully I had a strong belief in myself and found role models that helped me stay true to my dreams and I continued going for the coveted IFBB pro card "my way."

I’m not here to preach, I never have been. To each his own and how you choose to go about bodybuilding is your decision, however don’t make that decision because you think you can’t be outstanding if you stay drug free. I am here to tell you that you can achieve great things training naturally and to make your quest easier there are blueprints for success you can follow.

Take a close look at accomplished bodybuilders who train drug free and learn from them. That’s exactly what I did and what I strongly prescribe to you. For example, I remember after the 1998 Team Universe I knew I needed guidance. I wasn’t afraid to seek out help and decided to go to the best. I just witnessed Skip La Cour come back from disappointment in 1997 to smoke everyone and set a new standard for conditioning at that show, so who better to learn from I thought. I modeled a lot of what I did after Skip’s approach. I didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. I didn’t look at Skip and think “he’s better than me so he must be cheating.” I looked at him as someone who has achieved great things and someone I could learn from because he was obviously doing something right.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people missing the boat in my opinion. Rather than learning from the best natural guys they accuse them of cheating and assume they are lying about their methods. You can't have this type of limiting mindset and expect to achieve outstanding results.

If you open your mind and learn from the best, you can unlock your full potential.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Great Podcast Interview

I was recently the special guest on BEYOND DIET Podcast and had a very interesting interview that is now available.

We touched on a variety of topics including Max-OT principles and my basic nutrition philosophy. We also got into some personal stuff as I discuss my bodybuilding origins, the decision to remain drug free and I share some special advice for those who want to achieve an outstanding drug free physique.

Check it out for lots of great information and stay tuned for the entire broadcast to hear about an exclusive offer just for BEYOND DIET listeners!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Drug Free Competitor Tip of the Day

Don't try to rely on some last minute technique like carb loading to make you look great onstage. If you are not already in great shape by the day of the contest there are no last minute tricks you can do to make you shredded.

Your performance is determined by your actions in the months and months leading up to the contest and how intelligent and consistent you are with your daily execution.

First time competitors shouldn't worry about the scale and shouldn't worry about any fancy "tricks" like they may read from the pros in the magazines. Instead, the focus should be on getting as lean as possible while still building and maintaining your hard earned muscle. This is accomplished by continual execution of a smart plan for many months leading up to your contest.

I touch on these points and other FAQ about contest preparation in my new DVD "Posing to Win."

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com
www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com

Drug Free Competitor Tips of the Day

When getting ready for a contest and focusing on maximum fat burning don't forget to keep a strong muscle building component to your plan. Too many drug free bodybuilders fail to keep some important things in place when dieting for a show and it causes them to lose too much hard earned muscle.

1. Continue to train heavy with the Max-OT principles. Do not switch to high rep training in an attempt to "bring out the separation." Heavy weights will continue to create a stimulus for muscle growth.

2. Keep cardio short and intense - Max-OT style. 16-20 minutes maximum at high intensity. Do not do long duration cardio and don't do any cardio on an empty stomach. That is a great recipe for muscle wasting.

3. Maintain smart nutrient timing and nutrient ratios. This means do not simply cut out carbs. You need carbohydrates, you just need to select and time them intelligently.

Keeping these three basic points in mind will help set you up to build muscle throughout your pre-contest preparation.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Drug Free Muscle Building Tip of the Day.

It is true when using the Max-OT principles you are striving for a continual progression of overload. That means once you complete 6 "good" reps with any given movement it is time to increase your weights by the smallest increment available. The key phrase in that last sentence is "good reps."

What do I mean by 6 good reps? That means you are in control of the weight for all 6 reps and require no assistance from a spotter to complete the set. If you are sloppy or really struggle to get 6 reps it is not a good idea to move up in weight just yet.

If you get too ahead of yourself with weight selection you will begin to sacrifice too much form and control. This will lead to more potential for injury and a greater likelihood of plateauing with your weights.

When you are training with the Max-OT principles you want to use the best balance of loose form and maximal weight, being careful not to expense one for the other. Remember that loose form doesn't mean sloppy or out of control it simply means allowing your body to move naturally through the exercise rather than being too strict or rigid. You can get a great visual example of exactly what I mean by loose form while under control in my training DVDs.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Drug free muscle building tip of the day.

If you do nothing else all day from a supplement or nutritional standpoint make sure you at least follow your workouts with a whey isolate and carbohydrate drink mix. (My favorite mix is AST Sports Science VP2 Whey Isolate, Micronized Creatine, GL3 L-Glutamine and a liquid carbohydrate like DGC.)

The post workout time period is the most important time of the day to supply vital muscle building nutrients to your system. Your body is in a state created by your intense workout where nutrient uptake capabilities are at there greatest. It is well documented that a post workout drink with VP2 Whey Isolate and a carbohydrate mix will "flip the anabolic switch" and accelerate muscle recovery.

Make sure not to skimp on your protein choice either. To ensure you get a quality protein it is worth the extra investment. Cheap/lower quality protein supplements simply will not give you the best results. After busting your butt in the gym why settle for a cheap/low quality protein? There is no question in my mind that VP2 Whey Isolate is the best one out there and has been the corner stone of my nutrition for the past 11 years.

To help support this point I have a great example. In our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy" there are two different phases of Stuart's transformation. In the first phase we simply focus on Max-OT and Max-OT cardio with not much attention to nutrition. The idea was to get Stu acclimated to the training methods to encourage some initial strength and muscle gains before we really hammered the diet. The only real nutritional practice I had him implement was making sure he bracketed his workouts (before and after) with VP2 Whey Isolate/Micronized Creatine/GL3 L-Glutamine and DGC.

The simple combination of Max-OT training, Max-OT cardio and bracketing his workouts enabled him to show an increase in lean muscle mass and a decrease in body fat over a period of about 18 weeks. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me but his progress is detailed in the film by carefully administered bod pod measurements.

Granted, Stu's physical transformation was no where near what it ended up like after phase 2 of the film where we added strict attention to diet for 6 months, however, it does show that smart training with the Max-OT principles and this simple supplementation strategy can help you improve your body even if you don't pay much attention to anything else.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Keep it simple.

A lot of times I think drug free bodybuilders are "missing the dollars to pick up the pennies". (Paul Delia, creator of Max-OT, told me that saying years ago and I loved it so I've used it ever since!) Or in other words, they over analyze things when it comes to their workouts and thus waste a lot of mental energy and many times even impede results by implementing less efficient methods or not fully executing all the Max-OT principles.

The actual muscle building process is pretty simple and can always be traced back to the elementary pattern of stimulus and response. The muscle is stimulated to grow by heavy overload and the degree of response is then dictated by nutritional support and rest (recovery). When this cycle of stimulus and response happens over and over for months on end the muscle building magic happens but in order for the magic to happen you need to do a couple things.

One: Focus on heavy basic lifts (Max-OT style). Strive for continual overload by working to better your numbers each workout. This pattern of continual overload done over time will be the best catalyst for muscle growth.

Two: Be meticulous with nutrition, particularly in the 3 hour post workout time period. The more consistent you are with your nutrition day in and day out, the better your results will be. Great workouts with poor nutrition will equal mediocre results at best.

Don't be too analytical and over-complicate things. Keep the workouts simple. Basic lifts, heavy weight and hard work with the Max-OT principles will set you up for the best drug free gains. The rest will come down to nutrition and how good your habits are when you leave the gym.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com
www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com

Competitor Tip of the Day

A lot of drug free bodybuilders worry about timing their condition and peaking on the day of a show. They are often concerned about losing too much muscle and as a result they end up smooth and shy of great contest shape the day of the show. They are hoping that some last minute carb loading or sodium manipulation trick is going to make them appear shredded and rock hard. Then when they look smooth onstage you often hear them say they missed their peak or their carbs spilled over when the reality is they simply weren't lean enough to begin with.

Don't worry about losing muscle, don't worry about peaking too soon and don't waste your time studying what manipulation trick you are going to use the last couple days before your show. Instead be meticulous with your diet for 6 months prior to the contest. Hammer post workout nutrient timing, be focused on heavy Max-OT style training and work your butt off with short and intense Max-OT style cardio. (You won't have to worry about losing muscle when you follow these proven training methods and nutritional practices.)

You can not be too lean for a show and it is better to be "ready" earlier than later. For example, if you look great 3 weeks before the show you are only going to look better come the day of the contest if you keep executing and driving to get leaner. That being said, take advantage of every day you have during your pre-contest preparation with great execution morning to night.

If you are very very lean come the day of the show then some slight manipulation of sodium/potassium, water and carbohydrates may enhance your appearance onstage but remember if you are not super lean it won't matter anyway. If you are counting on some trick to make you appear razor sharp then you are barking up the wrong tree.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

More thoughts on Max-OT/Over training.

I recently had another question posed about Max-OT verses other higher volume methods. This person is confused and wanted some assurance from me on the benefits of Max-OT. I thought I would share parts of the question and my answer as it is fairly common one and you may find it helpful.

Q: "....I think it's because I don't see anyone else train this way (Max-OT) but they all look really good so mentally I'm tempted to deviate. Another reason is that I was listening to natural bodybuilding radio show and there was a guest a on there who's a natural pro. He was talking about how high volume is the only thing that got his legs to grow....He also said he doesn't believe in over training but undereating and undertraining. I'm confused now cause I don't know what to believe..."


A: I couldn't disagree more with the statement that there is no such thing as over training. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes most natural bodybuilders make as well as the average person who is trying to change their body. They do too much. Too many sets, too many reps.

Over eating is a big mistake too. Too many calories, even if they are "good" calories will lead to fat gain and gaining fat has no positive effect on gaining muscle.

I believe Max-OT style training is the most effective method based on my own 20 year study with myself as the primary test subject as well as countless others I've instructed both directly and indirectly. Not just bodybuilders either. Take a look at what Stu achieved in our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy". His outstanding results were achieved by using the Max-OT principles of weights and cardio plus very smart nutritional practices. The same exact methods I followed over the last several years.

I've always said you can train other ways and achieve results. I trained more "traditional" by bodybuilding standards when I was a teen and through my early 20's and I did very well. However, the most productive years of my 12 year competitive career by far were after I adopted the Max-OT principles. I went from being a very good bodybuilder to becoming an outstanding bodybuilder that was good enough to place 4th in the light hvy division of the NPC USA and earn an IFBB Pro Card as a completely drug free competitor. Not many can make that claim.

In the end it is not my job to convince anyone. My job is to provide the information I feel will help people most. I have strong opinions based on 20 years of experience and my climb to the IFBB Pro ranks as a life time natural.

Follow what makes most sense to you. What ever you choose, you need to believe what you are following and not question so you can give it 100% every day.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Steroid free bodybuilding 101 - More is not better.

The steroid free bodybuilder needs to avoid the more is better mentality when it comes to set and rep volume as well as workout frequency. Over training is one of muscle buildings biggest enemies.

I see it all the time. The guy who wants bigger biceps going from exercise to exercise, rep after rep, set after set to exhaustion. The total workout time for that one body part is more than double one of my workouts for 2 body parts! This marathon approach is muscle building suicide.

One must remember when building muscle you need to stimulate growth by training a body part with heavy weights and basic lifts, Max-OT style. Then, as I like to say, the magic happens when you leave the gym and the muscle is allowed to recover and respond to the stimulus you created in the gym with all your hard work. Recovery is then maximized with proper nutrition and supplementation along with adequate rest between muscle specific workouts.

If you are drug free and going overboard with frequency you will not maximize your muscle building potential.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Keep it heavy and basic for greater muscle separation.

Even when you are striving for maximum hardness and muscle separation it is important to keep the weight training heavy and basic.

Don't fall prey to the notion that high rep training will some how etch in muscle detail or my favorite, "high reps will bring out striations." Neither of these is accurate.

Heavy basic lifts done Max-OT style will set things up so you continue to build or at minimum maintain muscle while smart and strict dieting along with intense cardio will melt away body fat and reveal the separation you desire.

Take hamstrings for example. Many times you see people doing all these isolation leg curl movements with high reps in the hopes they are going to achieve greater separation and detail. Early in my career I did the same thing. I always had a problem getting my legs to look hard and separated. I did countless leg extensions, leg curls, different glute exercises and still my legs never looked as separated as I had hoped. I achieved the greatest separation and development in my hamstrings towards the end of my career with stiff leg deadlifts as the only direct hamstring exercise that I did and I never went above 6 reps. It was the diet and cardio performed intelligently over a long period of time that produced the extreme hardness and separation.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Compound vs. Isolation Exercises

I follow the Max-OT principles as detailed in my training DVD's and you'll see that the workouts are centered on basic compound movements and that I stay away from isolation exercises.

Compound movements are those that involve multi joints/multi muscles and allow you to achieve greater overload over a more natural range of motion as compared their isolation counterparts.

We could investigate any number of examples but let's look at biceps. Always choose movements like barbell and dumbbell curls over concentration curls or preacher curls. Barbell/dumbbell curls will allow you to handle more weight and thus achieve more muscle growth stimulation.

Isolation exercises can make for good photography so you may come across photos of me like the one pictured here (taken by Jason Mathas the day after the 2003 USA's in Las Vegas) but that doesn't mean I sneak them into my workout when no one is watching. I don't.

If you are striving for maximum steroid free results, stick with basic compound movements and leave isolation exercises for photos!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

The Great Pro Hormone Debate

Of all the raging debates out there about my drug free status, one of the silliest to me involves the issue of pro hormones.

I took pro hormones for a period of time in the early 2000’s. Anyone who actually read along with my training journals on the AST Sports Science web site knows they ranked at the bottom of my supplement list as far as importance.

I added them to my supplement arsenal because I felt if they helped my results by a few percent it would be smart to include them considering I was competing to be number one against the world’s best drug free bodybuilders. At that level of competition I figured a few percent might actually make a difference. I never believed they would have drug like effects and guess what…..they didn’t.

I didn’t touch a pro hormone until after 1999. By that time I had already won multiple state titles, took 5th at the NPC Teen Nationals (behind the likes of some very big names currently competing at the highest level of the IFBB) AND won the 1999 Team Universe Light Hvy Weight division. If my physique was made by pro hormones than how do you explain my success prior to taking any? And as a side note, I wasn’t even taking any for much of the last year (2003) which was my best year ever.

By personal experience I didn’t notice much of a difference when taking pro hormones verses not taking them. By far the most effective supplements for me were VP2 Whey Isolate, GL3 L-Glutamine, Micronized Creatine (Creatine HSC) and at the time Ny-Tro PRO 40. Pro hormones were way down on that list. In fact, I always got a kick out of the people whose first question about supplementation would be which pro hormones to “stack.” I would always tell them to spend most of their supplement budget on protein first, then creatine and glutamine and never replace one of those foundational supplements with a pro hormone. That tells you what I felt about their overall importance in a supplement plan.

In hind sight I wish I would have never taken any because they didn’t make a big difference and it opened the door just a crack for the haters to latch on to something to try to diminish my success and tarnish my drug free status.

If you think for one second that my success was based on pro hormone usage then you are severely uninformed.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Steroid free bodybuilding 101 - Schedule time off.

Over training is one of the biggest enemies of the steroid free bodybuilder. More is not better when it comes to frequency or duration of workouts. It is very important to maximize recovery by following a smart plan and for my money there is no plan smarter or more effective for a natural training athlete than Max-OT.

One of the Max-OT principles is to take one week off of training every 8-10 weeks. This week off is important for long term gains. It helps you recover both physically and mentally from several weeks straight of intense workouts.

Too many people fear taking any time off because they think they are going to shrink over night. That is not going to happen. Muscle doesn't build that quickly and it doesn't go away that quickly either. If you train consistently week in and week out then a strategic week off should be part of your plan and plays an important role in your long term success.

Remember you are actually recovering and growing on your week off, especially if you focus on great nutrition. Make sure you keep feeding your muscles quality protein consistently each day and you will return to the gym with renewed hunger and greater intensity for the next 8 weeks.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

The keys to awesome abs!

People are still brainwashed to believe that you have to do millions of crunches to have a great mid section. You see it on TV all the time with the latest and greatest ab busting machine and that only perpetuates the problem.

Let me say it again.....YOU CAN NOT SPOT REDUCE FAT. You could do millions of crunches and never see chiseled abdominals.

Having great abs has a simple formula and the two primary variables in that formula for achieving the desired look are cardio and diet. That is right - cardio and diet are the keys NOT crunches.

In our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy" Stuart MacDonald goes from a 44 inch waist to a ripped and shredded contest ready set of abs and a lean 27 inch waist by doing abs directly only 1 time per week with resistance. Let me repeat....44 inch waist to 27 inch waist and did not do high rep abdominal training. (On a side note, do not forget with heavy Max-OT training abs and core muscles are worked daily as stabilizers during free weight compound movements. This also supports the idea that you should not be directly training your abs multiple times a week.)

The key to Stu obtaining awesome abs was his attention to diet over a 6 month span and short and intense cardiovascular activity done on a daily basis.

Abdominals were one of my strongest body parts that rivaled anyone on stage whether they were steroid free or not. My abs got better every year because of Max-OT style training which included training abs directly with resistance only once per week. Diet and cardio did the rest.

You have to treat abdominals like any other muscle. You need to build them with resistance and then melt away the body fat with cardio and diet to reveal the coveted 6 pack.

The sooner you can get the notion out of your head that you need to do hundreds of crunches to get a ripped mid section the sooner you will be on your way to achieving awesome abs!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Mental Demands of Steroid Free Bodybuilding

I've often compared it to a guy who walks across hot coals. In order to achieve outstanding condition you have to get your mind in a place that takes your body beyond where it comfortably wants to go.

When you are training drug free and striving to get "bodybuilding lean" you really have to dig deep as I explain in this clip from "I Want to Look Like That Guy".



By the time I reached the top of my career and won my IFBB pro card I had been competing for 13 years and became a master at willing myself to get into "drug-like" condition. This was more of a mental battle than a physical one. Especially the last 8 weeks or so of contest preparation which spanned a total of 6 months. That's right, my pre-contest prep would last for 6 months! That's half the year on a strict diet with no wavering.

Just like I touch on in the clip, to be healthy and fit is a total different animal than being "bodybuilding lean" or "photography lean".

We show in the movie that if you want to achieve the level of leanness you see onstage or in magazine photos you have to be willing to sacrifice and go beyond what is comfortable and natural for your body. Being a master of your mind set is the only way you will succeed.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Steroid free bodybuilding 101 - Believe. Achieve.

I am often disappointed by the attitude of natural bodybuilders. They come out of the gate with a limiting mind set that blocks their full potential.

I can't tell you how many times over the years people assume that the top drug free guys/girls are lying and cheating just because we've achieved a level of development and conditioning that exceeds what they've been taught to believe is possible or what they themselves have been able to achieve.

If I would have taken that mind set, I would have never achieved IFBB pro status, let alone win 3 Team Universe titles.....period.

I wrote an entry a few days ago about picking your role models carefully. That is exactly what I did.

I chose Skip LaCour because when I was trying to make it to my goal of being Team Universe champion and ultimately IFBB Pro he was at the competitive level that I wanted to reach. Skip kicked everyones butt at the 1998 Team Universe, including mine so I went home and went back to the drawing board. I did not assume Skip was cheating just because he was better than me. Instead I decided to learn from him. It was an obvious choice to me. Apparently he must know some things that I don't based on his level of success. So I contacted Skip, invested in a phone consultation and ultimately that proved to be a turning point that elevated me to elite natural bodybuilding status.

When I took 4th at the 2003 USA championships (a non-drug tested show) that sealed it in many peoples minds that there was no way I was drug free. That was said to be one of the most competitive Light Heavy divisions in USA history. The only 3 guys that placed ahead of me (in a class that had more than 25 guys) all went on to earn IFBB pro status and all 3 went on to qualify to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest. And the person who placed 5th behind me was 2nd at the USA the year before and also went on to earn pro status. Not bad company if you ask me. That is why 4th place at the 2003 USA is my proudest competitive accomplishment. My Team Universe wins are all very special but the top 5 USA finish was a personal victory of sorts that proved in my mind that I could compete with the best of the best. I had always wanted to be one of the top bodybuilders in the country natural or otherwise and that night I became just that! (Photo posted is from the 2003 NPC USA Championships)

Anyway....I've read people say that there is no way I could have done that and be steroid free....."You mean to tell me I am supposed to believe that Willet is that good that he could beat out guys who are taking steroids and place in that line-up??.....There is no way, that is impossible!"

Improbable - yes.....Impossible, obviously not because I did it.

I will never forget the Monday after the USA contest when I was back in Colorado I walked into Paul's office (Paul Delia - President of AST Sports Science) and he told me that few people will ever comprehend the magnitude of what I had just achieved in Las Vegas by taking 4th place as a life-time drug free bodybuilder. Paul was right. Few people ever will. Too many just can't open their mind to the possibility that with the right mix of intelligence, hard work, discipline, tenacity, persistence and god given ability that such a feat is possible.

If I had not believed, I would have not achieved. I believed people better than me - like Skip - and I learned from them. I believed in people who knew more than me - like Paul - and I learned from him. I could have had the same exact genetic potential but if my mind would not have been open to learn and execute I would never have achieved the same level of success.

Never let someone else tell you what is and isn't possible. How do they know anyway! Learn from those who've been there because you have to believe to achieve!

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Steroid free bodybuilding 101 - Choose role models carefully.

Make sure you are getting advice from sources relevant to how you are training.

If you are drug free then you should be listening to those who have accomplished great success without steroids.

I've said it a million times and I'll say it a million more.....you can achieve great things without drugs but you have to be smarter about how you go about things. You can't afford to make the common mistakes such as over-training. You have to maximize all parts of the equation: training, cardio and nutrition and you have to do so day in and day out. You must take advantage of each day by executing a smart plan to the best of your ability. The more great days of execution you string together, the more outstanding your results will be.

However you choose to go about your quest for your ideal physique is a personal decision. If you choose to stay drug free then pick your role models carefully and remember most of the articles about training and diet in the popular magazines are NOT written from a steroid free point of view.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

OK, I have to respond.....

I have to admit that over the years I look at bodybuilding boards from time to time just to see the latest chatter involving my name. After all it is my name and I am human so of coarse curiosity does get the best of me some times.

It's always been against my better judgement to waste time responding to people on forums who want to spew negative, uninformed insults at me. I figure it is a battle I can't win and I don't want to lower myself to their level. I try to be above it and understand that these people are coming from a place of negativity which probably stems from their own inability to achieve what they really want. So instead of looking to someone who is more accomplished then they are for inspiration or information, they would rather attack them.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Not everyone has to like my physique and I am fine with that. After all I devoted my lift to a sport that the entire premise is to be judged on your weaknesses. BUT what I do not understand is why people take on personal attacks towards me when they have never even talked to me for 1 minute. Many of the posts I have read over the years, even as recent as this morning, become very personal attacks which have nothing at all to do with my physique.

For example.....I was looking at a board to see some chatter about our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy". None of these people had actually seen the film but were all making their judgements based on a 2 minute trailer. One of the discussions quickly turned to me, "the trainer", and the direct quote was.....

........"The trainer is also a joke. He knows nothing on coaching and getting people motivated. Telling someone you're disappointed is an instant motivation kill. He needs to take some exercise and sport psychology classes if he wants to be taken seriously. At this point, he's just a jackass."

Now seriously. From a 2 minute trailer this person was able to surmise that I am a jackass and a joke?

I am not going to list my accomplishments as I feel they speak for themselves and I am not going to list my educational background either. It is all out there if someone really wanted to take the time to find out. Normally I would not even dignify this quote with a response but this morning is different. This morning I am going to talk about it for the simple fact that I can and it makes me feel better!

I've read a lot of crap written about me over the years and for the most part I always sat quiet. I've been called pretty much every name in the book.....liar, cheater, fraud, fake, etc etc and now I can add jackass to that list....too funny. I've been accused of taking all kinds of drugs even to the point of anonymous (of course) people claiming to have either sold me stuff or actually seen me taking stuff. That is just ridiculous but if I said it never bothered me that would be a lie. To insult my physique is one thing, to question my integrity and character is completely different.

See, what people sometimes fail to realize is that I am a human being.

So the next time you want to call me a name, attack my character, question my qualifications or insult my intelligence maybe you should think twice. Maybe you should list everything you've accomplished in the bodybuilding/fitness arena and list everything I've accomplished and compare the two. You might just figure out that maybe I know a thing or two about what I am talking about. Maybe you should take the time to do a little research about me before you open your mouth.

Believe. Achieve.