July 2009 Pose Down Muscle and Figure Magazine

FAMILY MAN BODYBUILDER

ANDY HAMAN TURNING UP THE HEAT WITH STEVEN KUCLO & AMY PETERS PLUS: YOUR CHAMPIONS THIS MONTH “MICHELLE BRENT” JULY 2009

Cover Photo: Andy Haman Photo taken by: Kevin Martin

Pose Down Magazine accepts photos from individual athletes with the understanding that each athlete owns the rights to photos submitted.

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SEMINAR FEATURING YOUR FAVORITE ATHLETES

This month I have prepared a whole meal the entire family can enjoy! This recipe is a new twist on the old chicken fingers and fries we all loved as kids (and some of us still do as adults, lol!)

This healthy version of an old classic taste good enough to trick your kids into eating healthy and healthy enough for you to maintain your clean diet and lean physique!

To start with we have a Granny Smith Spinach Salad w/ a maple vinaigrette dressing and then we move into the main course of pecan-crusted chicken tenders and sweet potato fries!

Granny Smith Spinach Salad w/ Maple Vinaigrette Dressing: 1 lb baby spinach leaves, rinsed 1 green apple, sliced ½ c. dried cranberries Red onion, celery and cucumber, chopped finely 1 cup gorgonzola cheese or crumbled blue cheese Dressing: 3 tbsp Sugar Free Maple syrup 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil Splash of lemon juice and salt and pepper if desired Wash and prepare all ingredients for salad and set aside in refrigerator. Mix all ingredients for dressing and set aside at room temperature.

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and spray wire rack with cooking spray so the chicken tenders are easier to remove from rack after baking! Place wire rack on top of cookie sheet to catch crumbs that may fall.

2. Stir together pecans, spices, and flaxseed in a shallow bowl.

Whisk egg whites until foamy.

3. Dip chicken tenders in egg whites and then roll into pecan/ spice mixture until fully covered. Lightly coat chicken on each side with cooking spray and arrange on wire rack.

4. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes, turning once after about 12 minutes.

Nutrition Facts: serves 6 Calories- 172 Fat- 4 g Carbohydrate- 2 g Protein- 22 g Roasted Sweet Potato Fries: 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 large sweet potatoes (about 16 oz) 2 tbsp cinnamon 4 packets of splenda ¼ teaspoon chili powder Salt and pepper if desired 1.Peel sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch strips.

Nutrition Facts w/ dressing: serves 6 Calories- 105 Fat- 11g Carbohydrate- 17 g Protein- 6 g Fiber- 4 g

2.Combine all ingredients including sweet potatoes into a large Ziploc bag and mix knead together until all potatoes are coated.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders 1 ½ lb chicken breast tenders ½ c finely chopped pecans 2 teaspoons paprika 2 tbsp milled flaxseed 2 tbsp onion and herb Mrs. Dash 4 egg whites 1 teaspoon cinnamon Salt and pepper if desired Cooking Spray

4.Sprinkle with cinnamon after you take them out of the oven and serve with the maple vinaigrette dressing for a dipping sauce!!!

3.Place strips in a single layer on cooking spray coated pan and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts: serves 6 Calories: 117 Fat: 3.5 g Carbohydrate: 21 g Protein: 1g Fiber 4.2 g

Susan Grosheck Track Workout Track workout: Duration: 45 mins- 1 hour • Warm up-Jog 1 lap • Stretch • Start workout with 1/2 mile (2 laps)- Stride the straights and walk the curves.

• The next 1/2 mile (2 laps) high skips for the straight away and lunge the curves for 1 lap and then lateral squat jumps for the 2nd lap and lunge the curves.

• Sprint 2- 200 yrds.

Taking the next part of my workout to the bleachers• Sprint up 5 times with 20 jump squats in between each one when you are at the bottom of the stairs.

• Starting at the far end run up the stairs to the top of the bleachers and lunge across to the next set of stairs and job down. Repeat until you reach the other end of the bleachers.

Cool down is 1 mile. Walk 1 lap, run one, walk one, run one.

Stretch

Isabelle Turell-Stampers QUAD WORKOUT Leg Extension (warm-up) 1-3 sets moderate weight around 50-70 lbs 15 reps Squats in power rack 1 set is warm up 135lbs, Then I do 3-4 sets starting at 225 for my 2nd set then 405 for my last 2 or 3 sets. I try to knockout 10-15 reps.

Leg Press I start with 2 sets at least 20 reps. I start out with 450 lbs for my first set, 810 lbs 2nd set, and then the last 2 sets I do 1080lbs for my next set at 10 reps. Last set I increase to 1500lbs+ at 4-6 reps with my training partner nearby for support.

Single Leg Extensions 3 sets 15 -20 reps Walking Lunges Sprints I like to go out in the parking lot and run at least 10 times.

Tips Always wear a weight belt Always have a spotter around when lifting with heavy weight Stretch in bettween sets Change feet place ment when doing leg press.

Example: feet wide apart, toes out, feet close together. On a leg extension chnge it up and do toes in, toes out, close, etc

MB: Hey Michelle thanks for taking the time to visit with Posedown.

How long have you been competing and how old are you?

I have been competing since 1985. That’s 24 years of competing with only 3 non competition years, which were 1987, 1995 and 2002.

PD: Why didn’t you compete those years?

MB: In 1987 I had my son, Kyle, (who is now 21 and has served his country over in Iraq, but is now stateside home safely). In 1995 I opened my gym, Bayside Fitness, and 2002 I had a hernia operation. I am now 51 years old and still going strong.

PD: Wow that impressive. What got you into the sport?

MB: I was always athletic in school and wanted to continue to do something active. I had done some weight training, but I really got into it when a co-worker of mine at a bakery I was managing wanted to join the local gym and I ended up joining with her. I knew about bodybuilding at the time as there were a couple there that were top NPC competitors.

PD: Who has been your biggest influence?

MB: My biggest influence earlier on was that same co-worker. He recognized the potential I had. Now, my husband, Bill, has been influential in keeping me excited about the sport and to continue to reach my goal to turn professional. He also competes and it has been fun to compete together. No drama in our household during contest prep. lol!

PD: Who is you favorite bodybuilder or competitor of all time?

MB: I would have to say Kim Chivesky is my all time favorite. I actually competed in the same show she did when she received professional status. That was the 1992 North American Championships which were held in Southern California. I was talking with her and her husband, Chad Nichols outside after the prejudging and she was very nice. Then a while past and I saw her at an Arnold. She remembered who I was and has remained very friendly towards me. I like the fact that she took her physique to amazing heights, but to me still remained feminine. I also like the fact that she decided to have a family, and to this day remains active in helping out someway in the sport with Chad.

PD: What kind of diet do you use and how long is your contest prep?

MB: I usually start 18 weeks out. I clean up the diet by getting rid of the few fats or junk foods that I may slip in there during the week. I’m actually pretty good even in the “off season”, and leave the weekends to “fun” foods. Three or four weeks before I start dieting, I will eat more bad stuff, knowing I will have to start the diet. But for the most part I do stay relatively leaner then most in the “off season”. I follow a low carb, moderate protein diet. I don’t do anything crazy. I eat 1 to 11/2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. I usually have my carbs in the morning to the early afternoon, then taper them off as the evening approaches. I may do zero carb days toward the end if I feel I’m behind in my prep.

PD: What does cardio look like for you?

MB: I now have my cardio in my basement which consists of a recumbent bike and an elliptical. Even in the off season, I do at least 3 half hour cardio sessions a week, doing 20 minutes on the bike and 10 minutes on the elliptical. During contest prep I bump it to 2 half hour cardio, 30 on the bike 30 on the elliptical. This year I’m going to incorporate the step mill to really get the glutes as tight as possible. Something that gets harder to do each year!

This month in our CHAMPIONS series we visit with a woman named Michelle Brent.

Everyone who knows anything about sports has heard of Cal Ripken Jr. the “Iron horse” of baseball. In the our world Michelle Brent is known as the Iron Horse of bodybuilding. Read on to find out why this name is so fitting.

REG BRANDORD PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: MICHELLE BRENT

MICHELLE BRENT

PD: What does your training split look like? I.E. training days a week?

MB: Since I have been training for so many years, in my “offseason” mode I train instinctively, so it’s always different days I train and take off. But for the most part, I train Monday through Thurs, take Fridays off, train Saturdays and take Sundays off. During contest prep I’ll train Monday through Saturday with cardio everyday.

PD: What are your favorite supplements?

MB: I always take a good multivitamin, omega 3s, chromium, glutamine, and of course whey shakes (really not to often, I like to eat real foods for my protein), and branch chain amino acids.

PD: What are your future plans?

MB: My future plans are to keep on going for my pro card. My first show will be the Masters Nationals in July and then if need be the USA’s a week later. I also currently own my own on-line business selling protein cookies, It’s called “Michelle’s Magic Morsels”. I also have been marketing them by going to bodybuilding shows and expos. You can check them out at www.michellesmagicmorsels.com. In addition to all of that I will be working with a female bodybuilder, Cheri Owen, getting her ready for her shows this year.

PD: What is something that people would find interesting about you that they don’t know?

MB: What a lot of people don’t realize about me is how long I have been competing as an amateur and consistently finishing in the top five. In a nut shell I’ve come close at Nationals, third in 1998 and second in 1999. I’ve had six second place finishes at the North American, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2006, 2007, 2008. At the USA’s I got as close as third back in 1989. I have been competing at the Masters since 2005 with two second place finishes. I’m also an avid dancer and always wanted to have a career in dance.

PD: Who are some of the people you have competed against in your career?

MB: I have competed with so many girls that have turned pro. Maybe not in the same class but the same show. Now for all you neophytes, you may not know some of these names, but here goes. From early years to present: Kathy Palyo, Rene Casela, Charla Sedaka, Niki Fuller, Sue Gafner, Droit Kernes, Laura Cravelle, Kim Chivesky, Sharon Bruneu, Tazzie Colomb, Nicole Bass, Betty Pariso, Collette Nelson,Robin Parker, Kim Buck,and Debbie Bramwell just to name a few. Crazy huh? I have this running joke with friends and Bill, that if I hit my 25 year mark without truning pro the IFBB should “Grandfather’ me in! I have this motto written in Chinese characters that means “Never Give Up”. It may sound cliché’ but that’s me all the way. I have persevered this long, and I thank God I am healthy and have never had a major injury. I can still do it and I will. I am a true athlete point blank!

PD: To finish this interview up I have to as why haven’t you given up yet after all of these years?

MB: What keeps me motivated is the fact that I still can do it, I love to do it and like I said before I have always been athletic and love to challenge myself, especially as I get older. And of course my husband, he is so supportive and has as much passion for the sport as I do. We have times when we will bounce names and years of stats of past bodybuilders and such, I think this it’s so cool!

PD: Thanks Michelle for taking the time to visit with us. You are an inspiration to everyone. Keep up the good work and good luck this year!

Triple Extension Movements for Football Using Strongman Training

By Josh Bryant, MFS, B.A., ISSA-SPN, CFT, SSC As a person watches the world’s strongest man contests on TV, what should appear obvious is that these athletes are not only aggressive, fast, explosive, athletic, and flexible, but have a great anaerobic threshold to boot. These amazing athletes are intense and psyched up, similar traits to a good football player. Most textbooks will not teach you to train athletes this way, and many “experts” will not touch the subject. Dr. Maxwell Maltz has words of wisdom on this topic: “Any new knowledge must usually come from the outside. Not from the ‘experts’, but from what has been defined as ‘inpert’.” An “inpert”, according to Maltz, is someone who develops knowledge outside the prescribed boundaries of a given science.

The Wright brothers were not aeronautical engineers but rather bicycle mechanics. Maltz was a plastic surgeon that developed Psycho Cybernetic techniques to heal his patient psychologically after they had been fixed physically. Personally, I have learned from the experts and it was beneficial, but I remain an inpert. To be on the cutting edge, you must at least attempt to be an inpert. If we don’t develop new techniques we will get the same results, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, the definition of insanity.

The body has three energy systems it uses to carry out life’s function. The first is the Immediate system, which lasts 0 to 3 seconds (ATP and CP), an example of which would be shot putting. The Anaerobic Glycolysis system, lasting 4 to 50 seconds, would be any explosive activity using glycogen as fuel that takes longer than 4 second but less than 50 seconds, such as a 300 yard sprint. The last energy system is the Oxidative system, which lasts more than 2 minutes, such as an endurance activity like a 5 k run. All of these systems can be enhanced using strongman training techniques, especially the Immediate and Anaerobic Glycolysis systems, which are most important in football.

Strongman, as a competitive sport, requires absolute strength, dynamic strength, lactate threshold, flexibility, core strength, powerful hip extensors and a strong posterior chain. Powerlifting is generalized as purely absolute strength, the object being to move the most weight possible, regardless of time or any other factor. Olympic lifting is classified as speed strength, meaning the speed of muscle contraction or strength exhibited with speed. Bodybuilding is seen as muscle hypertrophy, a scientific term for the growth and increase in the size of muscle cells.

Let’s explore a hybrid that accomplishes all three safely and effectively! Many people subscribe to the belief that the only way to lift explosively is through Olympic lifting. When performed sound technique, Olympic lifts are great for building explosive power. Many elite athletes efficiently use Olympic lifts. Louie Simmons, at Westside Barbell, has advocated a speed day using the dynamic method of training with weights 50%-60% of one’s max, but still putting maximum force in the bar. Joe Difranco, a top sports trainer, says, ”The truth of the matter is that any lift can be explosive! By incorporating the dynamic-effort method with sub-maximal weights into your program, you can turn any lift into an ‘explosive’ lift.” Joe goes on to explain, “By training with weights that represent 50-60% of your 1RM [one rep max] in a given lift, science has proven that the weight is heavy enough to produce adequate force, yet light enough to produce adequate speed. And we should all know that speed X strength = power.”

Dr. Fred Hatfield, co-founder of the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) and author of numerous books on training, devised Compensatory Acceleration Training (CAT.) In layman’s terms CAT is lifting with maximum force but with a sub maximal load usually 60%-80% of a 1RM. Hatfield held several world records in the squat in the 1980s, including 1014 lbs. at 255 lbs. body weight in the over forty-five years of age division. Rarely would he go over 800 lbs in training, but he would put maximum force into the bar.

All these methods are great ways to lift explosively without directly using any Olympic variations. Many strength coaches will argue that while these are explosive movements - they are not triple extension movements. A triple extension movement is the extension of the ankles, knees, and hips. The extension of these three joints occurs in most athletic movements. Triple extension is obviously important for football, and many strength coaches and trainers believe triple extension can only be worked through snatches, cleans and Olympic variations. Obviously, if performed properly, these are great ways to build explosive power with triple extension movements. How often are these lifts performed properly in a high school group setting or even a college one? Not very often. The risk of injury is high, and the amount of weight lifted is often a fraction of what the athlete could use in some of the traditional power movements. It takes the best Olympic lifting coaches in the world years and years to make an athlete technically sound. Think about that!

The Jump Squat, assuming the athlete has the strength level, is a simple and effective triple extensions movement and a great warm up for strongman events. Strongman events are great for football. Most college programs are now implementing them in one form or another, but not yet as the core philosophy. Ten years ago this would have been taboo, so the pendulum is swinging in the right direction. If properly implemented, the use of strongman events in a football training protocol is a superior method for an AVERAGE or elite athlete to develop explosive power using triple extension exercises. Olympic lifts can be tedious and take years to execute properly. Eastern block Olympic lifters, routinely the best in the sport, begin training as early as age 5. With technique being a critical component, most high school kids learning to Olympic lift correctly must start off using just the bar or a broomstick, never developing any strength or explosive power. In some cases athletes are prematurely given the green light to go heavy and often get injured in the process. Olympic lifts must be broken down and analyzed microscopically, and therein lies the problem, this teaches athletes to concentrate more on form than on attitude and the amount of weight they can or should be using.

Strongman training encourages athletes to be aggressive, focusing on “kicking butt” rather than perfecting technique, similar to a game situation. Very few high school football players are “fired up” to do Olympic lifts, but most do look forward to and enjoy strongman training. These training techniques allow athletes to focus on being aggressive. But too much aggression in Olympic lifting will destroy technique.

Strongman training has obvious benefits, building explosive power through triple extension being one of them. Here are some examples of triple extension movement exercises: 25 lbs. plate throw, keg throw, keg roll, atlas stone, keg load, and tire flip. Basically, any loading or throwing event will qualify. According to Bob Jodoin, strength coach and ISSA Master Trainer, “Stone lifting you start with your knuckles on the ground and finish at triple extension. The loads and leverages are different, however, and this plays well into the concept of dynamic, real world training. Good stone lifting technique emulates the perfect football tackle.” Does a snatch emulate a perfect tackle? Triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles trains a football player to put maximal force into the ground in a shorter period of time. Is the best way to train this triple extension with a barbell, or variously shaped strongman objects? Football opponents move and are all shaped differently, making strongman training more relevant. If done in a team setting strongman training gives athletes a chance to compete and coaches a chance to coach as they would in a game, not having to break down every small detail.

Technique is important and needs to be coached in strongman training; however, it is much simpler than teaching proper Olympic lifting technique to an average athlete. I know people who have never competed in a strongman contest won their first contest without touching the implement in training. Obviously, it is fairly easy to learn these techniques. To my knowledge this has never occurred in Olympic lifting, or even in powerlifting, its less technical cousin. “It’s like game day every time we do it,” says Ken Mannie, MS, MSCC, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Michigan State University, speaking about team strongman workouts. “It puts pressure on the players and forces them into truly competitive situations— more than weight room sessions and scripted workouts ever could.” Players can compete against each other as individuals or be divided into teams. Relay events in such events as tire flipping are very competitive and are a lot of fun. These team relays can be varied in terms of events, distances, and time. Variety is great and helps prevent athletes from becoming mentally stale.

Mike Golden, CSCS, SCCC, Director of Strength and Conditioning at East Carolina University, believes strongman techniques for football are superior because, “The physical benefits are beyond reason. To me, it’s the best way to train for football.” Multi joint movements in conventional lifting are great, but how often will an opponent stand still? Will his weight shift? A keg filled with sand shifts nicely!

“Functional training” are buzzwords within the strength and fitness community. What strength training system is more functional for a combative sport, such as football, than being able to move fast with heavy weight? This is true functional training for football. “It’s irregular lifting, which makes it closer to football movement than ordinary weight training. It makes the body perform when it’s not in a perfect line, so tendons and joints get stronger. And just like in football, a player is forced to use his whole body,” argues Mike Golden. Compare the starting position in a tire flip and the starting position in a clean. The tire flip starts with the shoulders on the tire, the feet shoulder width apart, the chest over the tire, and the back arched - similar to a four-point stance. As the athlete lifts the tire up and gets triple extension, he will push the tire downward as hard as possible - like a bench press. This mimics extending an opponent on to his heels and pushing him to the ground. An athlete gets triple extension with a clean, but even if the athlete jerks the weight, it is not nearly as sport specific as the triple extension of pushing over a heavy tire.

I could give other examples of the biomechanical superiority of strongman training, but world-renowned strength Coach Joe DiFranco says it best: “The beauty of strongman training is that there’s no one way to perform the exercises. Athletes usually end up improvising to complete the event. The tire doesn’t always flip over the same way. The sled doesn’t always glide easily over the surface. The awkwardness of these events builds true ‘functional’ strength from head to toe. This enables the athlete to strengthen muscles that are nearly impossible to strengthen with traditional training.”

Olympic lifting is great for developing competitive Olympic lifters and for some elite athletes. Olympic lifting fails to duplicate the movements in football in any true way and the risk to benefit factor is extremely great. Strongman training is very similar to actual football movements and it will build legitimate transference strength. Strongman training develops every type of strength, and in the future I will expand on other strongman training techniques, not just triple extension ones, that will help your football players.

Josh Bryant Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

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ANDY HAMAN

Our cover this month goes to a very entertaining bodybuilder and person. Andy Haman has been a column writer with Posedown Magazine for six months now.

His enthusiasm for bodybuilding, his family and life in general is a breath of fresh air. We set down recently with Andy to learn a little more about him.

PD: Andy, tell us a little about your competitive background I understand you were a pretty good wrestler in high school and college.

AH: I was an All-American and state champion in high school and compiled a 210-0-10. I then went on to the University of Iowa and was National freestyle champion, Olympic Sport Festival Champion and World runnerup in wrestling as a Varsity team member of 4 National Championship Wrestling Teams coached by the infamous Dan Gable.

PD: Wow! That’s very impressive man. How did you get interested in bodybuilding?

AH: My brother was into it and I always looked up to him so it was easy for me to begin pumping iron because he was! He was a great mentor and big brother. He always steered me in the right path through school and I loved doing something he was doing- so it began!

PD: Were you always a big guy?

AH: I’ve looked like this since I was 12! I am just a little bigger now!

PD: Who did you look up to in the early days?

AH: Platzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Dennis Tennerio, Troy Zuccutolo, Big Lou and of course Arnold!

I also looked up to a guy named Mark Johnson, who was a coach of mine at the U of I, he was a tremendous wrestler and champion bodybuilder that I considered an uncrowned pro!

PD: I know you have unbelievable strength, have you done any power lifting?

AH: No! I never competed or trained in power lifting, but I have always been really strong.

PD: What are some of your biggest lifts?

AH: Lets see I have done 615lb bench press, 225lb bench press for 55 reps, 225lb barbell curl for 12 reps. Those are the main ones, I also can rip soda cans in half along with telephone books.

ANDY HAMAN

PD: Your bodybuilding career was put on hold for a while if I am correct, what was the reason for the long lay off?

AH: Family, family, family and not believing in myself. I was always tough and strong in athletics, but I never thought I was good enough for the physique world. But I gave it once last try and ended up in the right place at the right time, in the right shape and Wham I got a pro card!

PD: What was the hardest part about coming back to the stage after such a long lay off?

AH: Cardio and diet! These two aspects of bodybuilding are so important that it made most of my life nonexistent! Once I got the programs right for these two things I finally hit my mark!

PD: Does your diet change from much offseason to contest prep time?

AH: You bet! I only eat chicken, fish, turkey, and eggs when getting ready for a show. Nothing else, no carbs or beer!

PD: Do you do your own nutrition or does someone help you with it?

AH: I always have another person involved. It’s mainly my wife Michelle and Dave Palumbo! They are the best!

PD: I know you are a big family man. How much of a part do they play in your bodybuilding career AH: They are my life! Enough said.

PD: Speaking of your family I noticed you were a big hit at the Arnold Classic expo. You and your family were painted up as The Incredibles. Who gave you that idea?

AH: Jan Tana invited me to join her team and booth at the expo this year to promote her tanning products. She was also nice enough to let me promote my new training tape “It’s all Lighting.” I thought it would be cool to do the whole family since they are the real life Incredibles. I want to thank Jan Tana and Enchanted Painting for painting us up.

PD: What are your plans for the rest of 09 and maybe 2010?

AH: I am doing the 09 Ironman and lots of guest posing!

PD: To finish up who would like to thank?

AH: My wife Michelle for being a life long friend of course my three children for being my biggest fans.

If you want to see out more of Andy got to www.andyhaman. com or you can check him out on youtube to watch some of his amazing lifts. If you ever get a chance to see Andy guest pose at a local show make sure to attend because you will not be disappointed. You can follow Andy’s journey and learn a lot from him through his monthly column here in Posedown Magazine.

STEVE KUCLO AND AMY PETERS T A E H E H T P U G N I N R U T

It’s amazing to me that there aren’t more couples in this industry, I mean think about it for a second. Whether you’re a man or woman in the business, you will have a lot in common with the opposite sex. You both have the same love of the iron, you both love competitions, obliviously you are both discipline people and so on. However, I can only think of maybe five or six couples that both compete. Steve Kuclo is one of the most promising young stars in bodybuilding today. Amy Peters is a veteran IFBB figure competitor. They are now the future Mr. and Mrs. Kuclo. I spoke with them recently about their future in their respective sport and a little about their personal lives.

PD: How and when did you meet?

AP: August 12th, 2006, in Michigan at the Motor City. I was competing in the IFBB Figure part of the competition and Steve was winning the overall NPC title.

SK: We met after the show in my hotel room (I know that sounds bad), my family and friends were having a celebratory party for me after the show. Amy and a few friends walked through the door and we locked eyes. The rest is history.

PD: What do you have in common besides weight training?

AP: We love cooking, spending time together, shopping, watching movies. We finish each others sentences; I’d say we really have almost everything in common.

PD: What are your future plans?

AP: We are getting married September 9th. I am retired, I think, oh I guess I should plan a retirement party?

SK: I will be competing at Nationals in Miami come November. We would like to start a family in a few years and my dad and I are planning to open an Italian steakhouse in the DFW area in the near future.

PD: How was your offseason?

AP: Mine was good. I’ve maintained my contest weight, which is usually my goal in the offseason.

PD: What was each of your main focuses?

AP: Steve is working on his chest, arms, and back.

SK: I feel I need to bring all these up a little more and dial in my conditioning in a little more and I hope to take the top spot at the super heavies this year at Nationals.

PD: Do you ever train together?

AP: We used to when Steve first moved down here. We don’t train together very often now, and it’s really the only thing we don’t do together. I like to listen to music (headphones) when I train, and Steve loves to joke around and talk. I can’t focus, or lift heavy when I’m laughing or talking. I don’t rest at all when I train, whether I’m doing cardio interval training, giant sets, doing circuits, I never rest, he needs to rest and recover in between his sets.

PD: What about dieting? Tell me a little about what it is like to diet with the other one. Steve on Amy: SK: Amy is super easy! She gets a little cranky when she’s hungry, but who doesn’t. She is a very scheduled person and when its time to eat, especially dinner, I better be ready! Amy can eat anything that fits in her calorie range and she can get leaner.

A true definition of a freak! She did make one big change this year, she switched from Dryer’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream to Bluebell, precontest for her 7th/last meal and she still got leaner!

AP: Steve is pretty easy, he rarely complains and he is always in a good mood. When I see how little he is eating towards the end, I worry about him being hungry. I know he starving, his calories and carbs usually get close to mine, when I am dieting.

I know, not fair being he is twice my size.

PD: You are a freak Amy! LOL! Does either of you do a lot of the cooking?

AP: Steve does! I used to, but he cooks everything better then me!

Even my own recipes, he cooks better. So I gave up, lol!

PD: How are your nerves when the other one is on stage?

AP: I get so excited seeing him onstage and I scream so hard I loose my voice. I also get very nervous when he is up there, almost more then when I compete. I get really nervous before I go onstage, so much so that I have to take Beta Blockers to calm me down.

SK: I get nervous when Amy is on stage. I can’t sit still in my chair! I start pacing and sweating when she is about to walk on stage. I know the hard work it takes to get on stage and all the preparation! When I see her come out onstage my heart starts racing. At times I help her make minor adjustments while in the line up. When I get on stage I’m pretty calm and excited. I like to have fun on stage.

PD: Amy what did you think of Steve’s showing at Nationals in Atlanta?

AP: I thought top 3 was amazing! I think Steve and I both hoped for top 5, so top 3 was really amazing!

PD: What are the advantages of having a partner that also competes?

AP: It is really great having someone feel exactly what you feel; someone who has been thru it and can experience all of it with you.

SK: It makes life a whole lot easier. To me half the battle of dieting is making the people around you day in and day out try to understand how you are feeling.

PD: What are the disadvantages of having a partner that also competes?

AP: The cost! There is a lot of money spent when there are two people with the same expensive hobby.

SK: I would say that both of us having to always be in the gym takes its toll on us as well. It feels like most of your life is spent with the iron and cardio machines.

PD: Amy what is your main goal for competing?

AP: My goal was to get an Arnold invite, and make top 5 at a Pro Show. I am happy to say, I’ve placed 6th 3 times, and won the award for best presentation at the last contest, Kentucky Pro 08.

PD: Steve what is your long term goal for competing?

I plan on turning pro within the next few years and continuing onto the pro circuit. I am going to continue being a family man first, a Firefighter & Paramedic 2nd and then competing will be my 3rd priority.

Amy thinks I will be Mr. Olympia or that I will win the Arnold Classic one day.

PD: Wow talk about a supportive partner. Amy, give me a brief history of your competitive career and how you got interested in figure?

AP: I went to the gym with my parent’s everyday after school. I also enjoyed reading my Mom’s M&F magazines. Then on spring break in Florida during college one year, I read about this new division called Figure. I decided if I could get up the courage to just walk onstage and conquer my stage fright, then the diet and training would be easy. Even after 23 shows, I still struggle with stage fright, and I still feel it’s the hardest part of competing for me.

PD: Steve and Amy, thank you for your time. It was a pleasure to get some insight on the both of you. Congratulations on the upcoming wedding and Steve I can’t wait to see you on stage in Nov.