First of all, congratulations on last year’s competitive season. What would you say the highlight was for you?“The highlight for me was definitely the North American's. I went there with the intention of making a statement and I believe I did just that! I trained my butt off and did everything possible to make sure I was recognized on stage…”
Now having interviewed you before I know that you are what the sport likes to label a ‘hard gainer’ and have to work pretty hard to build size. Given that fact what kind of meal plan do you find works best for you these days and could you give us a breakdown of a typical day’s diet?“Well I discovered that my body responds really well to high protein and mod fats with moderate carbs. What I do is have around 600 to 700 grams a protein Monday thru Friday. My carbs are around 250 – 300 and fats no less than 250 grams. I eat 9 to 10 meals on those days, and Saturday and Sunday I eat a crazy amount of carbs from ice cream, pizza and burgers to Spanish food. I don't cook I just eat out and eat a lot of junk.”
In the off season do you feel it is necessary to sacrifice condition in order to gain muscle?“As far as I am concerned I don’t feel it is necessary to sacrifice condition in order to gain muscle. I never lose track of my abs. I guess I am pretty lucky in that I can eat a ton of food and still remain pretty lean. In fact, I eat so much ice cream it is insane!
“On the other hand, when it comes to a person with an average metabolism, I believe that if they just eat clean and pay attention to their macro nutrient levels then yes, it is totally possible for them to add muscle while keeping their body fat levels manageable.”
How far from your contest weight do you allow yourself to go?“Well last year during my preparation for the Northern Americans I was 265 in the offseason and about 10 pounds of that was water... I was walking around 238 ripped until I pulled water then I weighed 233, pulled more water and made heavyweight. In terms of how far I actually went over contest weight though I would say 25 pounds.”
When it comes to switching to contest mode how far out from a show do you begin dieting and what changes do you make?“Well I have done different approaches when it comes to that but since working with Dave we have done 16 weeks of prep. I'm always ready ahead of time and we feed me up to the show. During my immediate pre-contest phase I have pretty high calories and I don't really consider myself to be dieting as such since at that point I am eating eight meals a day and I am never hungry.”
What is the hardest part about getting truly shredded as far as you are concerned?“The hardest part? Wow… To be honest I don't really find it hard at all! The reality is that it's easy for me to stay in shape. I was actually ready for the Northern Americans about 8 weeks out - held my condition - then did the Nationals 6 weeks later! As far as I was concerned it really wasn’t hard at all. The only thing I could honestly say is hard for me is dealing with low energy levels due to the fact that my body fat is so low. Now that sucks!”
Turning to your training, how do you like to split up your body during the course of a week?“I train everything twice a week, so on Monday I will do chest, triceps and biceps; Tuesday it’s shoulders and back; Wednesday, quads and hamstrings. Then on Thursday I repeat the cycle and take Sundays off.”
Now no one can fault your chest, was that always a responsive part for you to train?“Yeah, I have to say that from the very beginning my chest has responded pretty well. I have been lucky in that respect I guess.”
In the off season and when it comes to triggering chest growth do you believe in training the chest from all angles each workout or narrowing it down to a select few exercises?“The main focus for me has always been doing compound movements. I just do free weight bench press and dumbbells for incline and flat. I am a big believer in doing tons of incline work because I think it is a very important part of the chest.”
Do you believe you have to train heavy to get that growth or do you think you can stimulate growth by training lighter with more reps?“I am a total believer in training heavy in order to achieve maximum growth. I push myself to the extreme in every work out. There are no light workouts in my schedule. You need to push heavy weights otherwise there is no reason for the muscle to get bigger and stronger.”e
Can you give us an example of an off season chest workout for you?4 sets of incline bench 8 to 10 reps
4 sets of flat bench 8 to 10 reps
4 sets of incline dumbell press 8 to 10 reps
Pre contest how do you switch things up?
“Some people may find this surprising but I don’t change a thing. I know some competitors use it as an excuse to train lighter but I actually train heavier because I get stronger when I am dieting for a show. I am sure some people find that hard to believe but it’s a fact!”
What combination of exercises would you suggest to someone who feels their chest is lagging behind the rest of their body?“I have to return to my own example of using compound movements here. If you do compound exercises and do them heavy with strict form you will grow!”
What do you think the biggest mistake people make when it comes to training chest?“That’s easy…I have lost count of the number of people I see pressing incorrectly and using a lot of front delt to push the weight up instead of just focusing on the pecs.”
Do you think it is of value to increase the number of days you train a lagging muscle group to say two sessions a week in order to shock it into new growth?“Yes I totally believe in that. In my own case I have been training every body part twice a week since the very beginning and have made steady gains.”
Finally, as you progress towards the pro ranks what are you focusing on in terms of your own physique in the year ahead?“My plans include adding more size to my legs I want to get onstage at 245 (at least!). I'm very dedicated and focused so I know that making my goal weight will not be an issue for me. I also want to work on bringing up my triceps. “
How can people contact you for training/ diet advice?“They can e mail me directly at
[email protected]”
As the competition season creeps out from the shadows of its winter hibernation it seems like an appropriate time to look at some of the athletes who are about to make a major impact on the 2011 contest circuit. Kicking off this series, we’ll be featuring up-and-comer Juan “Diesel” Morel. Juan has been working under the guidance of our very own Dave Palumbo for many years and his physique has evolved from well-formed and ripped to downright freaky. Last year saw him finishing in the runner-up spot at both the IFBB North America (behind Lee Banks) and NPC Nationals (behind Fred Smalls). Many people in attendance thought he should have gotten the winning nod, but let’s not get all solemn here. That was last year; 2011 is a whole new ballgame. Juan is hungrier than ever and he insists that this year his physique will be exactly what the judges are asking for.
