FLEX136 MUSCLE & FITNESS/JULY 2019
negative side effects like the overload one
has. Let me reiterate that I am not against
training heavy as long as I train heavy when
it’s appropriate. The name of the game in any
training session is to create high intensity. To
me, high intensity training can be obtained in
many ways with different methods and
techniques.
GENETICS
I believe that I have good genetic potential.
When I reached 35 years old I noticed that
I didn’t look my age. This was amplified
during my forties, a time when most people
give up physical activities, sports and a
healthy lifestyle. They become less
concerned about their physical appearance;
some women accept the weight gain and
change in body shape associated with
pregnancy while men tend to eat more
high-calorie fatty foods; drink more alcohol
and smoke. For as long as I can remember
I have been concerned about ageing, but
I guess so far my genetics, good lifestyle and
belief in doing everything in moderation has
helped me. I am convinced that bodybuilding
has particularly helped. I never stopped
training since I first started at 15 years old.
That is more than 45 years ago, whoa! I am
not a young man, but most people think I am
ten years younger than I actually am, which
is encouraging especially when sometimes
I question myself. Not only have I trained
continually but I have also trained
continually hard and I have trained smart,
which means with good form. This has
helped me to perfect the PPM system.
“Today, bodybuilding is my lifestyle rather
than my sport, which doesn’t mean that
I am taking things easy. On the contrary,I am doing all I can to make every training
session worthwhile. In my mind there is no
way I will stop pursuing this ultimate genetic
goal. I will not vanish into the vast swamp
of mediocrity by abandoning this noble goal,
which will help me to improve the quality
of my life.”CONSISTENCY
“I have always trained regularly, even when
experiencing difficulties in my life. When
I was 18-years-old, for instance, I was forced
to leave my mum and sisters in order to
work for my dad in his garage. My life
changed dramatically and I couldn’t train like
I used to. My new gym closed at 8.00pm and
my dad often worked until at least 7.00pm
and wanted me to stay. He didn’t value my
training – for him working was essential
so I found another job that allowed me to
workout regularly. At that time training was
the most important part of my life. It was my
priority, my passion, my grip and my balance.
Nothing mattered as much as bodybuilding.
I realised that if I wanted to follow my dream
of becoming a bodybuilding champion I had
to organise my life around the sport, which
I did a few years later by opening my own
gym at the age of 22.”DISCIPLINE
“Since day one of my bodybuilding career
I have always maintained discipline. I try
to eat according to my goal, which when
I started out was to gain muscle size and
bodyweight. I didn’t have access to
knowledge – I simply ate a lot of food, all the
food I could find at home, sometimes forcing
myself to eat more than I should and trying
my best to eat protein derived from solid
food. It wasn’t easy, especially during my
first couple of years of training because
I was with my mum who didn’t have much
money. I also tried to sleep a lot because
I had heard that muscle growth occurs
during rest time, so I would sleep in the
afternoon and today, I still have naps every
day. I even advised Joe Weider when I was