Staying Ripped

Q: I had the pleasure of seeing you guest pose at shows in Ohio and Indiana many years ago. I just saw a clip of you on Facebook guest posing at the ’09 NPC Texas Natural State Championships in July. It’s been 10 to 12 years since I saw you pose in person, and you look like you’re still in ripped condition—but bigger. That’s impressive! How old are you now? How do you stay in such great condition all the time? And why is it that you’re in fantastic shape for appearances, but most of the IFBB pros I’ve seen guest pose look 30 to 40 pounds out of shape?

A: Thank you for your kind e-mail, and thanks for keeping up with me. Those appearances in Ohio and Indiana were 12 or 13 years ago! Boy, how the time flies. I turned 50 this year, and although some days my joints feel like they’re 60, my body is still as good as ever. From watching my guest-posing video, I’d say I’ve put on some muscle size since last year.

How do I do it? Well, my answer to that question is always the same: consistency. There’s no substitute for it. I don’t miss workouts, I train hard on the basic exercises, and I eat very clean—and I do it consistently.

Now, I want you to know that I’m not in ripped condition all the time. Nobody is. I give myself an off-season, during which time I eat the tortilla chips when I go to a Tex-Mex restaurant or the bread when I’m at a steak house. But I eat desserts only a few times a year (my mom’s apple pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, for sure!), and I don’t let things get out of hand. I rarely get more than 10 to 15 pounds out of contest shape—and to me even that looks bad. I still have abs—I’ve never in my life been so fat that I couldn’t see abs—but I don’t really look very muscular at that level of bodyfat. I certainly don’t have photos taken with my shirt off when I’m soft, and I absolutely don’t guest pose then. Therefore, people who don’t see me with my shirt off in the off-season think I’m ripped all the time. Trust me, I’m not. I am very human!

Now, to answer your question about my guest-posing condition compared to others: The big thing for me is that I’m not a very big guy. At 5’7” I usually compete at about 170 pounds. I’m blessed with small joints and full muscle bellies, so I look considerably bigger onstage than offstage. Some IFBB pros who are my height compete at 250 to 280 pounds. Those guys are so enormous that even at 30 to 40 pounds out of contest shape they’re still impressive onstage because of their immense size.

At 12 to 15 pounds out of contest shape I look like crap. I wouldn’t think of taking a promoter’s money for guest posing looking like that. I diet for my guest appearances because I want the promoter and the fans to get their money’s worth. And I take a great deal of pride in how I look. I want the fans to see the Texas Shredder, not the Texas Cream Puff.

Another thing that people don’t understand is how busy some of the top IFBB pros are. I recently judged at the NPC Branch Warren Classic and had the opportunity to speak with Branch after the show. I asked him how many guest-posing appearances he does per year and how he handles all the travel. He told me that he guest poses at about 35 shows per year and that he takes off for at least eight weeks before the Olympia. That doesn’t leave much downtime.

I usually get four to eight guest-posing appearances a year, and I don’t mind doing it close to my competitions. So when you see me onstage, either I’ve dieted specifically for the appearance or I’m getting ready to compete. Either way it’s a blast for me to get onstage and perform, and I get to meet a lot of great bodybuilders and bodybuilding fans all over the country.

As I write this column, I’m preparing for my next guest-posing appearance at the NPC Capital of Texas Roundup here in my hometown of Austin. Here’s hoping someone has posted my routine on Facebook or YouTube (because I’m nearly computer illiterate, I can’t count on myself to do it). I’m opening my routine with some actual singing and guitar playing. I’m just hoping I don’t end up looking like a dork. By the time you read this, people will think I’m either a multitalented guy or a complete idiot for attempting to pull together my musical talents and my bodybuilding skills in the same act.

Thanks for reading IRON MAN and for keeping up with my natural bodybuilding career. Train hard, eat clean and keep in touch. IM

Editor’s Note: See Dave Goodin’s blog at www.IronManMagazine.com. Click on the blog selection in the top menu bar. To contact Dave directly, send e-mail to [email protected].