Q.
- Chris, you have reached almost a legendary status among natural
bodybuilders for your incredible definition and muscularity. Let's
talk about your diet first. Would you describe yourself as someone
who has a very fast metabolism and finds it easy to get ripped? Were
you always thin before you began weight training?
A.
- I was always the type of person who had a hard time gaining any
weight. I have a fairly high metabolism, so it is very difficult for
me to keep weight on. There's a big difference between getting ripped
and just looking skinny. I need to constantly eat every 2-21/2 hours
just to keep my weight up.
Q.
- Many bodybuilders believe in bulking up in between competitions.
Do you usually follow this practice or do you stay lean in the off
season? How heavy did you get this year in preparation for the 2002
Team Universe? Do you keep check of your bodyfat during the off season
by weighing yourself, measuring your waist or determining your bodyfat
percentage? If so, how often do you do this?
A.
- I am very disciplined about nutrition. I never let my body weight
go over 15lbs.-20lbs. of competition weight. I eat lots of clean foods
year round only to take a break from my diet only on Sundays or special
occasions. For the 2003 TU, my bodyweight was 182lbs before I started
my diet. I competed at 162lbs.
Q.
- How long before the competition do you begin your diet? How does
this pre-contest diet differ from your off-season diet? What about
the specifics: How many calories, grams of protein, carbs and fats
does your pre-contest diet consist of? Do you vary your diet from
day to day or is it exactly the same each day?
A.
- I usually diet 12-14 weeks. This gives me enough time to chisel
a granite hard physique for show time. Dieting is not that hard for
me. I will eat the same foods as in the off-season but just take out
that cheat day on Sundays, manipulate my carbs and do cardio, that's
it. High protein, moderate carbs and low fats- basic!
Q.
- Chris, you've been competing since you were a teenager and you are
now 38 years old. Has your metabolism changed as you've gotten older?
Do you gain fat easier and is it harder to get ripped for a competition
now than it was in 1998?
A.
- At the age of 38, I feel as though I'm in my prime. Muscle maturity
after 23 years of busting my ass in the gym and being totally dedicated
to my nutrition is now paying off. It seems easier now getting ready
for a show then in the past- maybe because my body is fresh after
a 5 year layoff.
Q.
- Water intake is crucial for a bodybuilder who is dieting. How much
water do you consume on a daily basis? Does this amount increase from
the off season to pre-contest? Do you drink distilled water, spring
water or some other kind?
A.
-
I consume 2-21/2 gallons a day of spring water. Everyone knows how
important it is to stay hydrated. I NEVER substitute water for Crystal
Lite/coffee/tea/diet pop.
Q.
-
When you are dieting for a competition, how do you monitor your progress
so you know you are on track? Do you go by objective methods such
as the tape measure, bodyfat percentage and the scale or do you rely
solely on the mirror?
A.
- I monitor my progress basically by the mirror. I also have great
training partners and a posing coach that will never blow smoke up
my ass by telling me I look great when I don't.
Q.
-
Chris, you made great progress between your last competition in 1998
and the 2003 Team Universe. I believe you were at least 8 pounds heavier
and just as ripped. To what do you attribute this gain in muscle?
Was it heavier training, more calories or just the five year layoff
between competitions?
A.
-
The 5 year layoff was the best I could have done for my body. I competed
2-3 times per year for the last 20 years, so it was time to let my
body rest and grow. I put on a solid 8 pounds of muscle in that 5
year period. That may sound like a little, but hey I'm totally natural
buddy. Gut wrenching workouts, solid nutrition, recuperation and mental
focus got me back into winning form and another spot on the US team,
this time as a welterweight.
Q.
- Let's talk about your training. How many days a week do you train
during the off-season? How do you split your bodyparts? Do believe
in training very heavy or more moderate?
A.
- 4 days a week in the offseason works well for me. I will bump that
up to 5 day rotation only 14 weeks out form contest. Offseason it's-
Monday: Back Attack, Wednesday: Chest/Triceps, Friday: Legs, Saturday:
Shoulders/ Biceps.....Calves and Abs every other day. 8 heavy reps
for all sets except warm ups and 15 heavy reps for all sets for legs.
No frills just in the trenches hard work.
Q.
- Chris, you have some of most incredible arms ever seen on a bodybuilding
stage. When you hit a pose from the rear, your arms are completely
developed, from the forearms to the biceps and triceps and all the
way up to the deltoid. Can you share with us your biceps, triceps
and forearm workouts that you used to develop those huge guns of yours?
A.
- Guns are my specialty. I have incredible peaks to my biceps and
full belly triceps to match. It may not be as impressive as Lee Priest,
but it'll do for now. Again nothing fancy - three movements for both
bi's and tri's with three sets of each movement. I love standing barbell
curl with a straight bar, incline dumbbell curls, and preacher curls
for biceps. For triceps it's skull crushers, cable pushdowns and two
hand overhead db extensions. Forearms are a must too. Wrist curls
off a bench and hammer curls will do the trick. And don't forget to
pose, pose and pose for the detail.
Q.
- I was also really impressed with your leg development. What exercises
do you focus on to build the legs? Do you rely on the leg press or
do you feel that squats are absolutely essential in building the quads?
Do you go very heavy with low reps or do you use higher repetitions?
A.
- Legs- Heavy front squats does it for me. It gives me that outer
sweep on my quads to create that illusion of big legs. It's a ball
busting exercise, but it's one of my favorites. I will go all the
way up to 315lbs for eights. If it works for Mr. O, it'll work for
me. Lunges and stiff legged deads was the meat of my hamstring work.
Q.
- What bodypart(s) have been the most difficult to develop? How have
you overcome these weak points to develop the symmetrical physique
that you now display?
A.
- I would like to say every bodypart is a weakness for me, that's
how I approach building a symmetrical physique. I pound each bodypart
hard and intense knowing that everything needs to be bigger and harder.
I would say that I could make much more improvements on my upper pecs
and abdominal area.
Q.
- Did you have any serious injuries that you had to overcome over
the years? How do you avoid injuries during your training? Do you
practice any rehab methods such as deep tissue massage, stretching,
yoga, etc?
A.
- Knock on wood, I've been pretty lucky up to this point
with injuries- no serious injuries that have kept me out of the game.
I take good care of my body with deep tissue massages every Thursday(Rest
Day From Weights) and also stretch a lot during and after workouts.
Q.
- Chris, how about cardio? Do you use cardio in the off season to
stay lean or only pre-contest? How much cardio do you do when getting
ready to compete? What type of cardio do you practice? How do you
balance the cardio with your diet so you preserve all your muscle
tissue during the pre- contest phase?
A.
- I have done cardio in the off season for many years, but it seemed
to have halted my growth just a bit. I will now only do 20-30 minutes
3 times per week in the OS. Contest cycle is a different story, 50
minutes of cardio in the morning everyday. I try to keep it intense
but not to a point where I'm burning muscle.
Q.
- What about supplements Chris? There are so many supplements for
a natural bodybuilder to choose from. What do you use for your supplement
program both in the off-season and pre-contest? Are there any really
effective supplements you would recommend for building size and also
for getting really ripped?
A.
- Supplements play a vital role in my longevity it this sport. I highly
recommend using a good multi vitamin, mineral supplement. I also use
Liver pills, Glutamine, Creatine and a good protein/carb MRP. I use
thermogenics only before workouts with 16oz. of coffee to get that
buzz. It also helps me burn fat while dieting for contest.
Q.
- You are a very animated poser, Chris, and the audience as well as
the judges really enjoy watching you onstage. How often do you practice
your posing routine and are there any bodybuilders who were influential
to you in developing your posing style? Also, I remember reading in
a magazine interview you gave several years ago that you use posing
as a method of developing more hardness in the muscles. How do you
incorporate posing as a means of getting more ripped?
A.
- Posing is my forte! There's no doubt about it, I love to pose. You
can sometimes find me practicing my routine while I'm driving my car.
I feel as though this is the only thing that brings you in touch with
the audience. I always want the judges and crowd to be a part of my
performance. I know that this is what gave me the 1 point edge over
Jose Raymond at this years TU. I displayed my physique better then
he did on that day. I practice posing constantly. It also gives me
more muscle separation and hardness. I come alive when I'm posing....
Shawn Ray, Lee Labrada, Mohamed Makkawy, Vince Taylor- these are your
best posers.
Q.
- Chris, you said that this year's victory was your best win yet.
Can you explain why winning this year meant so much to you? Did you
have the attitude that you were going to win all year long as you
prepared for this show? Were there any doubts in your mind that you
could come out on top again after a four year layoff?
A.
- My comeback this year was planned out many years ago. When Tricky
Jackson beat me 5 years ago, it made me formulate an assault- that
I would be back to take the overall title at the TU, unfortunately
Jeff Willet showed up. I trained my ass off everyday since that defeat
and knew that it was only a matter of time. I wanted to comeback to
NY and shock the judges with a new and improved physique. Beating
Jose Raymond (PRO) was a victory that I had to work for. He did his
homework and was in his all time best condition. I had no doubt that
this was my show from the get go. I prepared myself mentally for all
challenges and I was not going to be denied. Winning this year has
brought "The Hawaiian Hurricane" back. Only time will tell
again when I make my next assault. Stay tuned.
Q.
- How important is a positive mental attitude for a bodybuilder? I
saw you display fantastic confidence onstage this year at the Team
Universe even though it was very close between you and Jose Raymond.
What techniques do you use for staying so positive and mentally tough?
A.
- Having a winning attitude before I stepped on stage was the key.
Also being well prepared, knowing that I did everything I needed to
do made me more confident. I hate losing! I will never show up to
a contest unprepared.
