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Summer
is rapidly coming to an end as I write this and the contest season
is about to begin. I love summer, it's my favorite time of the
year. It can never get too hot for me (that's what pools are for!)
and I dread thinking about the sub-zero temperatures that are
inevitably going to make their way to the Windy City. HOWEVER,
9 short weeks from today, I will be basking on the sunny beaches
of Honolulu, Hawaii getting ready to compete in the Natural Olympia
competition on November 3rd and 4th, so I guess I shouldn't complain
about the upcoming winter season.
My
training has been progressing right on schedule and I am really
getting excited about the prospect of competing again this year.
I never realized how much I truly loved this sport until my bicep
tendon injury last year threatened to take it all away from me.
Not being able to compete or even to train has really brought
back my desire and hunger in a way that I never suspected would
happen. I have to admit that my motivation to get up on stage
was waning over the last few years. I was only competing every
other year and the burning desire I once had to get up on stage
and show everyone what I was all about was not what it used to
be. After my injury, however, my desire has come back stronger
than ever! My goal is now to establish myself as one of the best
natural bodybuilders in the world. In order to accomplish my objective,
I am planning on competing in all of the major drug-free bodybuilding
events in the next two years. Every organization believes that
they have the best competitors in their contests so the only way
to really be recognized as one of the best is to compete against
all these guys and beat them! I make this statement with all the
respect in the world because I truly admire and respect many of
the drug-free bodybuilders that are now competing at the national
level. However, in order to be recognized as one of the best,
my goal is to compete against these guys and win. Since none of
these champion bodybuilders are going to give up their titles
without a fight, it should make for an exciting year of competition!
My
game plan for 2001 is to comeback better than ever! My first competition
will be the ABA Natural Olympia contest in Honolulu, Hawaii on
November 3rd. I will be competing in the Professional division
hoping to regain the title that I first won in 1998 when the inaugural
event was held in Corinthos, Greece. As I understand it, after
talking with promoter Denny Kakos, my main competition will come
from the previous two winners of the Natural Olympia. Ron Williams,
the 1999 Natural Olympia champion, and Danny Chua, the 2000 Natural
Olympia champion, will both be returning to try and reclaim the
title. This should be an awesome competition with all three of
the Natural Olympia winners competing on the stage for the title!
One
week after the Natural Olympia contest, I plan on competing in
a local NPC competition. Since I am planning on entering the NPC
Team Universe in 2002, I will first need to re-qualify since I
haven't entered an NPC event since the last Team Universe I competed
in way back in 1994. Kevin Noble, one of the best promoters in
the Chicago area, will be holding the NPC Natural Mid-States Bodybuilding
Competition on November 10th and I will be entering this event
so I can requalify for the NPC.
After
the NPC Natural Mid-States in Rockford, I will have 3 weeks off
until my next contest. The MuscleMania World competition is going
to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 30th and December
1st. This contest has grown in prestige and popularity over the
years and their professional line-up features many of the best
natural bodybuilders in the world. I will be entering the amateur
division in an attempt to qualify as a professional in their organization.
This contest promises to be a spectacular event and I am really
looking forward to returning to this contest again after a 6 year
absence.
So,
that's the line-up for this year. As you can see, I am hungrier
than ever and very anxious to get onstage and show everyone how
a champion comes back from a setback such as the one I suffered
last year. That bicep tendon injury was the low-point in my long
bodybuilding career and there were some scary moments at the beginning
of 2001 when it looked like I would never be able to compete again.
I really feel blessed that I was able to return, not only to competition,
but also to training and the chance to get my physique back in
shape. As tough as bodybuilding contest prep can be, I am enjoying
every single moment of the diet and training this year. Just to
have the opportunity to come back is really a blessing and I intend
to make the most of it! You won't hear me complaining about how
tough this contest prep thing is this year. If you do, please
slap me and bring me back to reality!
2001
TRAINING DIARY
If you haven't seen it yet, please check out the 2001 Training
Diary that I have set-up this year with the help of MuscleLink
and IronMan Magazine. You can access this Training Diary through
this website, the MuscleLink website or the IRONMAN Magazine website.
This
Training Diary is an account of my training and nutrition strategies
that I am following as I prepare to enter the 2001 Natural Olympia
on November 3rd. Updated weekly, the Training Diary features intense
training photos taken during my actual workouts, weekly physique
assessment photos as well as my daily nutrition and supplement
program that I am following to get ready to compete again.
We
began the Training Diary on July 30th (Arnold's birthday, can
you believe it?) and it will go all way up to November 3rd when
I compete in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Natural Olympia. If you've
never competed in a bodybuilding competition before and wonder
what goes into the preparation of such an event, check out this
Training Diary as I slowly but surely get ready to get back on
stage.
I
am hoping that this Training Diary can help to inspire and educate
others who are looking to improve their physiques. You certainly
don't have to be interested in competing to get value from this
Diary. There is information on how to set up a training routine,
which exercises work best for building the physique, how to lose
fat while retaining all the muscle, which supplements are the
most effective, etc. I would really enjoy hearing your feedback
from this Training Diary so feel free to write to me at this email
address:
John@NaturalOlympia.com and let me know what you think! Until
next time, Keep Pumping!!
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