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Thursday, January 3, 2013
Friday, September 28, 2012
2012 Mr Olympia The Best In The World!
As I sit and write this at 2:41 pm on September 28th, 2012, the best bodybuilders in the world have gathered in Las Vegas to do battle and find out who is the best in the world. There is a lot of excitement this year, as ALL of the men have made great strides in improving their physiques. Last year's reigning champion, Phil Heath, included.
I first met Phil in 2006 at the Bodyrock Championships in Virginia. He was backstage pumping up and I thought he was in the Heavyweight division that day competing. I had never seen him, and hadn't heard the name yet, so I was just glad I was a lightheavy that day so I wouldn't have to go up against him. He was, in fact,guest posing that day!
I got to see Phil a few times earlier this year: in March at the Arnold and in May at the Pittsburgh Championships. After that he went into prep mode and disappeared for awhile. He emerged about two weeks ago in a few pictures online and to say the least, his improvements are impressive!
I do believe Phil will retain the title this year. With Jay Cutler sitting out this year, I don't see anyone else who can beat him.
As for who will place second? I have NO IDEA! All of the guys who will be in the top 6 this year will be interchangeable and can place anywhere depending on how they nail their conditioning and how the final few hours of their prep goes.
The final 24 hours of a contest prep for a bodybuilder can make or break the WHOLE year or even longer depending on how long they trained for the show. One slight miscalculation and you go from 2nd to not even placing and being written off all together. This sport is funny like that. Seems like forever until the day of the show and then it's a game of mere minutes to peak and have complete control over your body. Miss it and it's back to the drawing board or sometimes even retirement.
So, MY Olympia prediction?
1st: Phil Heath
2nd-Last place: Everyone Else!
We will see how close I am tomorrow night when all the dust settles and the 2012 Olympia Champion is crowned!
I first met Phil in 2006 at the Bodyrock Championships in Virginia. He was backstage pumping up and I thought he was in the Heavyweight division that day competing. I had never seen him, and hadn't heard the name yet, so I was just glad I was a lightheavy that day so I wouldn't have to go up against him. He was, in fact,guest posing that day!
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| Me and Phil at the 2006 Bodyrock! |
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| Phil Heath a few weeks ago. Who can beat THAT? |
As for who will place second? I have NO IDEA! All of the guys who will be in the top 6 this year will be interchangeable and can place anywhere depending on how they nail their conditioning and how the final few hours of their prep goes.
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| 2011 Mr Olympia Phil Heath |
So, MY Olympia prediction?
1st: Phil Heath
2nd-Last place: Everyone Else!
We will see how close I am tomorrow night when all the dust settles and the 2012 Olympia Champion is crowned!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
The Best In The World, Just A Regular Guy! Part Two
My last blog left off with Kari and I heading to the airport to pick up Jay. We knew we had about an hour of traffic to get back to the hotel, plus airport things like baggage claim. So what do we talk about, what do we say?
When he came off the plane, we shook hands and then went to get his bags: two duffel bags full of products from his clothing line. And that was it; we were off and running. He said I looked familiar but he couldn't place me. Once I mentioned the club and Rhode Island, he smiled.
And just like that, there was no talk of bodybuilding, diet, or supplements, none of the things people probably ask him 24/7. It was all about the boys back home, who was married, divorced, who had died, went to jail; just about every thing we talked about was the New England stuff. Kari was sitting in the backseat thinking, "Is Jerry really talking to Jay Cutler like they lived down the street from each other?"
New England is a small place. Everyone knows everything and everybody. People are tight there. They watch out for each other, but they also stab each other in the back a lot, so you gotta be your own person. Jay always was. He didn't party, he didn't get in trouble while we all were; he just did his thing. That car ride back to Rockville opened my eyes a lot. After all the years, all the success, Jay was still that same guy. He hadn't changed from his roots.
Once we checked him into the hotel, we met up with some other people and went out to eat. Again, as we ate, we talked about people back home and things that were still going on. He did say that he IS doing the 2013 Olympia, and by the look in his eye, we could see he meant it.
As dinner ended , Jay walked with Kari and me while the others went ahead, and you could just tell he was happy to not be talking about bodybuilding, or diet, or getting huge; he was enjoying a normal conversation with people who didn't want anything from him at all.
The pics in this blog were taken thorough the years to see where we both came from and where we ended up. As it seems, we are still in the same place, just a little older and wiser and experienced.
So when people talk about Jay, and they stir the pot again, he remains the underdog. And that's where he is at his best ... and most dangerous. Win, lose, or draw, Jay will always be one of us. The best in the world, but still always just a regular guy!
When he came off the plane, we shook hands and then went to get his bags: two duffel bags full of products from his clothing line. And that was it; we were off and running. He said I looked familiar but he couldn't place me. Once I mentioned the club and Rhode Island, he smiled.
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| 2011 Pittsburgh. I'm 250 lbs, Jay is 280 lbs |
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| Picking Jay up at BWI airport |
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| Reppin' the RedSox and TEAM CUTLER! |
As dinner ended , Jay walked with Kari and me while the others went ahead, and you could just tell he was happy to not be talking about bodybuilding, or diet, or getting huge; he was enjoying a normal conversation with people who didn't want anything from him at all.
The pics in this blog were taken thorough the years to see where we both came from and where we ended up. As it seems, we are still in the same place, just a little older and wiser and experienced.
So when people talk about Jay, and they stir the pot again, he remains the underdog. And that's where he is at his best ... and most dangerous. Win, lose, or draw, Jay will always be one of us. The best in the world, but still always just a regular guy!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The Best In the World, Just A Regular Guy! Part One
It's time for the Mr. Olympia again. In a few weeks all the world's best bodybuilders come together in Las Vegas to see who is the best in the world. For four times, that was Jay Cutler.
This year he sits it out due to an injury. There is a lot of talk about him being done, retiring. Kari and I got to spend some time with him a few weeks ago here in Maryland. I think he has more left in the tank, but let me explain a little bit about this Jay guy in case you don't know who he is.
Jay comes from Massachusetts, and I grew up a stone's throw away from there in Rhode Island. We are a couple years apart in age but as I was getting into competing, Jay was making a name for himself in the sport. My training partner Donnie and I were doing well: top 3 in most shows as teens, qualified for Nationals as teens, and we kept hearing about this Jay Cutler guy. How we would at some point have to stand on stage next to him. We saw one picture in a magazine and decided we had to see this guy. So we went to the gyms where he trained, but we never ran into him. Until he was guest posing at a show in Maine.
We drove up and lo and behold, there he was! All 240 lbs of him at 21 years old. Donnie and I looked at each other and said, "We can't beat that guy!" He was quiet, nice, but MASSIVE! We had a lot of friends in common, and we started running into him at the shows in the New England area.
We watched his meteoric rise to the top of the National level in 1996 when he turned Pro at 23 years old. That was it! All of us knew he was going all the way. In New England, we take our sports teams seriously: The Celtics, Bruins, RedSox, Pats, and Jay Cutler. He was one of us who was now in the majors!
People said he would never go Pro, then he did. They said he would never do well as a Pro, then he started winning. Then they said he would never be a top guy. Well, 4 Mr. O titles later and a dethroning of the legend Ronnie Coleman, he is STILL an underdog!
Jay moved out to California not long after he turned Pro and we didn't see him around for awhile. But among all of us in the New England bodybuilding community, we kept tabs on him until one day I went out to a club in Providence, with a few buddies. My boy, Joe, and I got there early and then Shane and bald Dave came in with JAY! It was rare for him to be out, especially since he had moved away. We hung out, and to this day, Jay can even tell you what month and year it was when he was there. That's one thing you don't read about in magazines - his memory and how he tries to keep everything organized, even in his head!
Throughout the years, we ran into each other about 3 or 4 times a year. We'd exchange pleasantries but he was so busy that there wasn't really time to just talk to him for more than a few minutes of "Hey, how's things? Glad you're doing well."
And then a few weeks ago, Kari and I picked him up at BWI airport for the Jay Cutler Baltimore Classic.
To be continued ...
This year he sits it out due to an injury. There is a lot of talk about him being done, retiring. Kari and I got to spend some time with him a few weeks ago here in Maryland. I think he has more left in the tank, but let me explain a little bit about this Jay guy in case you don't know who he is.
Jay comes from Massachusetts, and I grew up a stone's throw away from there in Rhode Island. We are a couple years apart in age but as I was getting into competing, Jay was making a name for himself in the sport. My training partner Donnie and I were doing well: top 3 in most shows as teens, qualified for Nationals as teens, and we kept hearing about this Jay Cutler guy. How we would at some point have to stand on stage next to him. We saw one picture in a magazine and decided we had to see this guy. So we went to the gyms where he trained, but we never ran into him. Until he was guest posing at a show in Maine.
We drove up and lo and behold, there he was! All 240 lbs of him at 21 years old. Donnie and I looked at each other and said, "We can't beat that guy!" He was quiet, nice, but MASSIVE! We had a lot of friends in common, and we started running into him at the shows in the New England area.
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| One of our first meetings. I was 250 lbs and Jay was 270 lbs!! He was 22 years old. |
People said he would never go Pro, then he did. They said he would never do well as a Pro, then he started winning. Then they said he would never be a top guy. Well, 4 Mr. O titles later and a dethroning of the legend Ronnie Coleman, he is STILL an underdog!
Jay moved out to California not long after he turned Pro and we didn't see him around for awhile. But among all of us in the New England bodybuilding community, we kept tabs on him until one day I went out to a club in Providence, with a few buddies. My boy, Joe, and I got there early and then Shane and bald Dave came in with JAY! It was rare for him to be out, especially since he had moved away. We hung out, and to this day, Jay can even tell you what month and year it was when he was there. That's one thing you don't read about in magazines - his memory and how he tries to keep everything organized, even in his head!
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| This was the last time I saw Jay before I mived away from New England. |
And then a few weeks ago, Kari and I picked him up at BWI airport for the Jay Cutler Baltimore Classic.
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| 2007 in Pittsburgh. I got crushed in the light heavies! |
Friday, September 7, 2012
Here Come The Brides!!
In the last five months I've noticed a trend in women I'm training. They're not training for a competition, per se, it's not specific for health reasons; it's for a WEDDING! Yes, the brides have been getting ready for their big day! Another thing I've noticed ... they are not messing around! These brides come in on time, focused, train hard till the end of the session, and follow their diets so strictly. If I could only get the guys I train to be this focused for shows, they would all be on their way to the Mr. Olympia!!
It seems the motivation of that big day and the pictures that will immortalize the brides frozen in time have these women so focused on training and dieting, if I told them to eat dirt and run 50 miles a day, they would do just that with no questions asked!
Sara
First up: Sara! She was referred to me by her fiance, Vince, whom I also train. Vince is a big, strong guy, so Sara wasn't sure what to expect. Well, she came in and is focused, follows her healthy eating plan, trains hard, and does exercise classes as her cardio. She has lost over 30lbs. She looks like a different person! And her Wedding is in May of 2013. Great work Sara! And yes, I still train Vince too, but not to fit into a dress in May! Vince is also down 20lb and is still as strong as an OX!
Jess
Next Is Jess! Jess is a trainer herself and Pro Bikini competitor. Much like a surgeon can't operate on himself and needs a surgeon, Jess came to me about 26 days before her wedding and needed to be pushed to reach her goal! Well 26 days later, she reached her goal, got married, and looked amazing! After an Island getaway for the honeymoon, she is back kicking her clients' asses in the gym! Way to go Jess!!!
Katie
And last but not least Katie! Again, a referral from her now HUBBY Brooks, whom I train and is a competitive bodybuilder, Katie came to me 99 Days before the wedding! Ninety-nine days, NO PROBLEM!! She was SPARTAN-like with her diet and training, and even took her cooler with her to her wedding shower and bachelorette party. Yes, that's what it takes sometimes! In 99 days you can see the dramatic change. From size 6 to under a size 2, and 25lbs lost off her 5'1" frame! I must say so myself (yeah, ringing my own bell) both she and Brooks looked healthy and fit on their wedding day!
So you see, training is not just for vacations, competitions, or to follow a doctor's orders. One of the MOST motivating reasons for getting in your best shape ever is your wedding. See you soon on your way to the alter!
Contact me at bios3training@gmail.com for bridal rates.
It seems the motivation of that big day and the pictures that will immortalize the brides frozen in time have these women so focused on training and dieting, if I told them to eat dirt and run 50 miles a day, they would do just that with no questions asked!
Sara
First up: Sara! She was referred to me by her fiance, Vince, whom I also train. Vince is a big, strong guy, so Sara wasn't sure what to expect. Well, she came in and is focused, follows her healthy eating plan, trains hard, and does exercise classes as her cardio. She has lost over 30lbs. She looks like a different person! And her Wedding is in May of 2013. Great work Sara! And yes, I still train Vince too, but not to fit into a dress in May! Vince is also down 20lb and is still as strong as an OX!
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| Pushing Sara in the gym! |
Next Is Jess! Jess is a trainer herself and Pro Bikini competitor. Much like a surgeon can't operate on himself and needs a surgeon, Jess came to me about 26 days before her wedding and needed to be pushed to reach her goal! Well 26 days later, she reached her goal, got married, and looked amazing! After an Island getaway for the honeymoon, she is back kicking her clients' asses in the gym! Way to go Jess!!!
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| With Jess on her last training session before her wedding!! |
And last but not least Katie! Again, a referral from her now HUBBY Brooks, whom I train and is a competitive bodybuilder, Katie came to me 99 Days before the wedding! Ninety-nine days, NO PROBLEM!! She was SPARTAN-like with her diet and training, and even took her cooler with her to her wedding shower and bachelorette party. Yes, that's what it takes sometimes! In 99 days you can see the dramatic change. From size 6 to under a size 2, and 25lbs lost off her 5'1" frame! I must say so myself (yeah, ringing my own bell) both she and Brooks looked healthy and fit on their wedding day!
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| Katie before and after! (yes, that's Brooks in the pic!) |
Contact me at bios3training@gmail.com for bridal rates.
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