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Great Lakes Supernatural Contest
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Mike Deagle was ripped and ready for his contest. |
Mike won the overall title of the Masters Division. |
I attended the Great Lakes Supernatural Contest on October 27th at Governors State University to support several friends of mine who were competing that day.
One of the most successful clients that I’ve ever worked with is Mike Deagle. Mike started training with me back in December of 2006 with the initial goal of getting back into shape. I was training Mike four days a week and he was very strict in following the diet program that I wrote out for him.
Mike made remarkable progress and lost three inches off his waist in the first month he worked with me. It wasn’t long before Mike decided to set his sights on competing in a natural bodybuilding contest before the year was over.
When Mike started training with me, his bodyweight was at 194.5 pounds with a waist that expanded to more than 41 inches. After consistently following the fat-loss diet I designed for him for nearly 11 straight months, Mike stepped onstage on October 27th, 2007 at approximately 150 pounds with a 29 inch waist! What an incredible transformation!! Mike lost 45 pounds and more than 12 inches off his waist in his journey to get back in shape.
Mike was rewarded for all his hard work with an overall victory in the Masters division at the Great Lakes Supernatural. He had some tough competition, beating out almost a dozen other competitors in the Masters division to win his pro card for the WNBA. Congratulations Mike!
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Jenifer Digiovanni looked awesome in winning
the Overall Figure Division. |
My good friend Jenifer Digiovanni continued her winning ways by winning the Overall Figure division at the Great Lakes Supernatural. I met Jenifer for the first time in May at the Natural Great Northern Bodybuilding Championships in Bourbannais, Illinois. I was guest posing at that show and watched Jenifer easily win her class that night in her very first contest.
Jenifer is very dedicated and disciplined when she prepares for these competitions. I knew that no one put more into their preparation for this show than she did and she proved it by easily winning the overall title. Now that she has her pro card, I predict that Jenifer is going to have even more victories onstage in the near future. Her beauty and spectacular physique will light up the stage the next time she competes. Congratulations Jenifer!
Another good friend of mine, Ray McGury from Bolingbrook, Illinois, competed for the very first time at the Great Lakes Supernatural. Ray used to compete as a powerlifter but he has been training more as a bodybuilder for the last few years. His two sons have competed in bodybuilding competitions over the last couple of years so Ray felt it was time for him to get onstage also.
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My friend Ray McGury did great
in his contest debut! |
Ray also made a spectacular transformation in getting ready for his first bodybuilding contest. When he started his diet, Ray weighed 276 pounds and he stepped onstage at 221 so he lost a remarkable 55 pounds in only 12 weeks. His waist size at the beginning of the diet was 42 inches and he got it down to 35 ½” by showtime. Ray learned a lot from his initial bodybuilding experience and he is planning on competing in my Natural North America contest this August for his next time onstage.
Appearance at Nutrition Discounters
On Saturday, November 3rd, I made an appearance at the Nutrition Discounters store in Villa Park, Illinois. Joining me at the photo signing was pro bodybuilder and fellow Optimum Nutrition representative, George Farah. Store owner Jeff Gruskovak invited George and I to talk to the store’s customers and answer questions on training and nutrition.
George was the featured guest poser at Kevin Noble’s Natural Mid-States Open contest later that evening in Rockford, Illinois. After our photo signing at Optimum, George, his lovely fiancé and pro figure competitor Chandra Coffey and I traveled north to Rockford so George could show the audience his pro-level physique.
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With George Farah and Jeff Gruskovak, the owner of Nutrition Discounters in Villa Park, IL |
George and I talked about the new website that Optimum Nutrition has started. The new site is called The Ripped Academy and it can be found online at www.rippedacademy.com. George and I both regularly contribute to the Forum section on the website and I have been writing out my daily Training Diary each week for members on the site.
The show was another successful one for veteran contest promoter Kevin Noble. Kevin is one of the premier judges and contest promoters in the country, in my opinion, and his contribution to the sport of natural bodybuilding is invaluable. If you ever get a chance to attend one of his competitions, you should take advantage of it. For more information, go to www.kevinnoble.com.
Midwest Ironman Contest
The contest season concluded with the 2007 NPC Midwest Ironman contest promoted by Illinois NPC District Chairman Chuck Sanow and Ron Altieri. Held at the Gateway Theater in Chicago, the highlight of the show was a guest posing appearance by 2 time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Jay was in excellent shape less than three months after his repeat victory and he gave the audience a great show.
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Working the Optimum Nutrition booth at the NPC Midwest Ironman
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I was working the booth for Optimum Nutrition and it was great greeting so many bodybuilding fans out in the lobby. The Gateway Theater always encourages a big crowd in the lobby because of the theater like atmosphere and also because alcohol is sold at the concession stand.
This was the seventh bodybuilding show I have worked for Optimum Nutrition this year and it has been a joy working the booth for one of the top supplement companies in the world. I love bodybuilding so what would be better for a guy like me than to promote bodybuilding and bodybuilding supplements to a crowd that shares the same passion that I do?
In Memoriam – Reg Park
The bodybuilding world was saddened with the passing of legend Reg Park on December 22nd, 2007. At the age of 79, Reg was an idol to many including the great Arnold Schwarzenegger. In fact, it was Reg’s thick, impressive physique that inspired Arnold to take up the sport of bodybuilding at the age of 15.
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With the legendary Reg Park at the
2007 Arnold Classic |
Reg Park was a three time Mr. Universe winner, having won the title in 1951, 1958 and 1965. Reg competed all the way up until 1973 but he continued to train hard and guest pose for many more years. In fact, he was one of the featured guest posers at the 1980 Mr. Olympia in Australia. I remember Reg as the emcee at many of the Mr. Olympia contests I attended in Columbus, Ohio in the late 1970’s. His massive physique and deep voice added more to the prestige and glamour of bodybuilding’s biggest event.
I was fortunate to meet Reg Park on several occasions at the Arnold Classic over the years. Reg was always very gracious and open to talking about the sport of bodybuilding or even just taking a picture. He was a real gentleman and he exuded class on every occasion. The bodybuilding world needs more men like Reg Park to represent them.
Bodybuilding.com recently posted a Tribute to Reg Park and I was honored to be asked to share my thoughts on this great champion. Here is what I contributed to the Reg Park Tribute:
When you meet Reg Park in person, you understand why Arnold Schwarzenegger chose him as his idol and the person he wanted to pattern his life after. Reg is a Bodybuilder's Bodybuilder.
He is a big man, even at 79 years old, and he carries himself in a regal manner. Not pompous or arrogant in any way, just as a man who respects himself and others. Bodybuilders of Reg's era, like Bill Pearl, John Grimek and Steve Reeves, exude class and grace. They are humble but proud and they treat others with the same dignity and respect they would expect in return.
Reg was a giant in the bodybuilding world when he was winning the Mr. Universe contest. He went on to parlay that success onstage to a film career where he played Hercules and a successful gym empire that he ran with his beautiful family. Reg Park is an inspiration to bodybuilders all over the world. He is a Man's Man and a Bodybuilder's Bodybuilder and I wish there were more like him in our present day society.
Rest in peace Reg, we’ll all miss you!
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