CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN 2009 Q & A WITH KRIS DIM PLUS:
TRAINING BACK WITH CURTIS BRYANT AND AMY LEE MARTIN
EDITORIAL
Cover page photo: Greg McCoy Photo By: Mark Mason Editor in Chief: Bob Johnson Editorial Director/Graphic Designer: Laura Johnson Creative Director: Clark Bartlett Publication Interest: Aaron Fletcher “Success is measured by the lives you touch and the friends you can count on because you impress them by simply being you” Laura Johnson This month I would like to thank special friends like Debbie and Prince Fontenot, Prince Harrison, Mark Mason and our family for a successful first year of the Central Texas Showdown. We look forward to 2010! Look for upcoming announcements for Oct 16, 2010 with anticipation of the second annual Central Texas Showdown.
Photography: Mark Mason Kevin Martin Wendy Martin Dan Ray Photography Contributing Writers: Angela Dillenberg Michael Bell Senior Writer Contributing Column Writers Sara Long - “Recipe Corner” Joe Leahy - Blue Collar Bodybuilding Steve Kuclo - “The Wolverine” Prince Fontenot- “Talking Candidly” Photos submitted by column writers/athletes monthly Pose Down Magazine accepts photos from individual athletes with the understanding that each athlete own the rights to photos submitted.......
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Back/Biceps Back 1. Cable Lateral Pull Down (front pull) Max weight used 55/65 2. Assisted Pull-Up assistance set to 30/40 pounds 3. Seated Row Cable machine or lever machine Max weight used 30/40 pounds 4. Lever Pull Down Max weight used 30/40 pounds 5. Lever Underhand Pull Down Max weight used 30/40 pounds
TRAINING BACK WITH AMY LEE MARTIN
Notes I typically pair biceps with my Back workout. I usually pick two of the below and perform at the end. To keep things mixed up I often trade-off back machines for free-weight exercises. Some examples would be bent-over-rows, deadlifts, and good-mornings. I also often change grips on machines alternating between wide & closed. Biceps (Pick 2) Dumbbell Hammer Curl - Free weights dumbbells Standing or sitting (25/35) Dumbbell Curl - Free weights dumbbells or straight bar Standing or sitting (25/35) Preacher Curl – Curl Bar sitting on a bench seat extending over shelf (30/40) Dumbbell Incline Curl – Sitting on Incline bench seat (25) Biceps Curls with Straight Curl Bar – Standing (30/40) Tips Visualize yourself completing your workout before you hit the gym! The mind is a very powerful muscle. In fact I think mental focus plays a huge role in getting results. Have a game plan when heading to the gym. Know what exercises you will do ahead of time. By planning you will be more productive & accomplish more of your goals. Consistency is the BEST thing you can do with both your training and diet when trying to build muscle and strength. Make sure you pump up the jam! Excellent tunes=Killer Workout! Concentrate as you exercise. Feel your muscles working & see the movements in your mind. Good form and concentration often lead to better results!
CURTIS BRYANT’S BACK ROUTINE
HI My back work out varies at times but basically it begins with:
wide pull downs - 4 sets, keep chest high. increasing weights each time. reps 12-15 each set. weight s beginning at 140 pounds progressing to 360 seated rows- 4 sets, weight s beginning at 120 progressing to 400 bent over rows- single arm - beginning at 100 progressing to 140 seated in incline seat- face down- dumbells begin with 45 and end at 60pounds. slow and controlled bent over bar bell rows- 225 -300 x 4 sets weight loaded low pulls on machine- 180 each side x 4 se
RECIPE CORNER WITH SARAH LONG Sarah Long’s Recipe Corner: Ultimate Double Turkey Burgers Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground turkey 8 slices turkey bacon 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 eggs Mrs. Dash for Grilling (any flavor), about 1 tbsp. 4 whole-wheat buns Sliced onion Lettuce Tomato Low fat miracle whip or mayo Prep: Preheat grill to high Place ground turkey, eggs, olive oil, Mrs. Dash, add any other salt free spices you desire and mix together. Form 4 patties and place on hot grill and cook 3-4 minutes each side While burgers are on the grill, cook turkey bacon in coated skillet and set aside on a paper towel covered plate to soak up extra grease. After burgers are almost cooked, add buns to the grill and toast for a few seconds. Build your Ultimate Double Turkey Burger: spread Miracle Whip light or mayo on bun, add turkey bacon, add turkey burger and top with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Enjoy with sweet potato fries or fresh cut veggies and dip!!!
Nutrition: 1 burger w/ bun Calories:380 Fat: 12 g Carbs: 32 g Protein: 26 g
BLUE COLLAR BODYBUILDING Hello Iron Warrior’s hope all is well with your nutrition, supplementation, training and your careers! As you now know my column Blue Collar Bodybuilding is all about the iron warrior who makes it to the gym five to six days a week but also has to juggle a career and family life. That leads us to this months topic which has to do with what I call trimming the fat out of your life. Yes, trimming the fat out of your life! What I mean by trimming the fat out of our lives is that we must focus on what is important to us and not to waste our time and energy worrying about things we simply can not control. In this column I will give you several examples of things that can kill the motivation of the Blue Collar Bodybuilder. We must stay focused on the task at hand an strive to achieve our desired goal. Anything that interferes with the mission should be trimmed off and out of your life like fat on a steak. Hear as several examples: 1. Focusing on other people and the gossip at the gym. When you are a blue collar bodybuilder that means you have only a limited time to get your training in so get in the gym and get it done. Take five minutes to say hello to your friends and then put the headphones on and get to work. Its not that we are rude but as I have stated we have a limited time to get the job done. Have a plan and goal each and every time you step foot into the gym. Stay focused. If you find yourself talking in between sets keep it to a minimum and keep the conversation to bettering yourself. Do not get sucked into the negative talk. 2. We all know that the economy is having a major impact on us all. We don’t know if we will be working next week, month or year. Yes, this is very stressful but worrying about what you can not control will only raise your cortisol levels and make you weaker even sick. Excess worry is proven to cause injuries, sickness and even death. Stress kills so keep it to a minimum and focus on things you can control. If your find yourself in a budget crunch cut back spending on other areas of your life so you can keep the bodybuilding dream alive. Do your really need that new watch when your membership is due next week? 3. Worrying about the competition. Yes, you need to be aware of your competition but can’t you control the out come of the show! You can only change the outcome of the show by coming in at your best. This means being in competition with yourself and not spending excess time worrying about the other guy. It is not uncommon for competitors to shut down there computers, phones, and even relationships to stay focused. If you focus on beating yourself then you have already won the battle. You can not control the performance of other competitors or control who will show up in what condition on game day. Trim the fat and stop stressing about others. I want to give a shot out to my new training partner MDOC Officer Ryan Dean who is a rabbit in the gym and pushing me to all time new heights. Thanks Ryan for being early everyday and helping me to achieve my goals. The other day I got talking to a guy and Ryan slapped me and told me to get focused. I told Ryan that the kid had a show coming up and Ryan snapped back at me and said, “so do you man get to work.” This reminded me to trim the fat in my life and to get back on task. I want to thank King Kamali of www.GBNScience.com for bring me aboard. Your help and guidance is truly priceless. Check out the best workout supplement in the world at ww.GBNScince.com and you will find out why its called the, “magic powder.” I also want to thank Blake Burnstein, Jeff Johnston, Bill Strong, JD “Flex” Mason, Jay McKeown, Zack Lane, Dale Jr. for all the love and support. Thanks guys. My lovely wife Tina has been cooking the chicken and egg whites and is dialing me in. My wife is my heart and soul and my motivation to do my very best. Until next month trim the fat and get focused on your goals. If you take this challenge you will see and feel a difference immediately. Feel free to hit me up at ironjoeleahy@yahoo.com! Until next month keep reppin’ strong!!!
Powerlifting Sport Psychology Training Josh Bryant MFS, CSCS, PES, SSE ISSA-CFT, SSC, SPN Have you ever been to a powerlifting meet and heard some one boast about colossal training lifts? These claims are commonly made backstage, or in the warm-up area. Very frequently these comments follow a poor meet performance. Why would a competitive lifter brag about training numbers after a pitiable performance? It is because they these lifters, once on the platform, are overrun with feelings of anxiety, rather than the performance enhancing feelings of adrenaline. These men may be physical giants, but when coupled with their mental dwarfism, they will never achieve their maximum potential. In the pages that follow I will lay out a simple plan to help you, the competitor, achieve success not only on the lifting platform, but on the platform of life as well. “Ideal physical preparation in sport will never compensate for deficiencies produced by psychological weakness which arise during competition” Mel Siff Phd. (2 P. 13) Russian sport scientists and athletes realized early it is vital to recognize a training maximum, or TF max. (2 P.2) Since optimal motivation occurs under competitive circumstances, an athlete’s TF max will be significantly less than an athlete’s competition maximum; or CF max. On average, an experienced weight lifter will experience a 10% increase during competition lifts when compared to their TF Max (with an average variance of 2.5% either way). (3.) The importance of nervous system training must not be ignored. The development of strength is related to the number of muscle fibers firing simultaneously, which is entirely a function of the nervous system. (2 P.60) The rate and number of fibers firing depends on voluntary and involuntary processes. The voluntary ones are closely related to PERSONAL MOTIVATION and biofeedback techniques. (2 P.60) Guided mental imagery or self-talk, to produce more rapid efforts can recruit a great number of muscle fibers at a faster rate of firing. (2 P.60) The result being a greater production of force, and an increase in the amount of weight lifted. Mental preparation is often overlooked in the sport of powerlifting. But in a sport that requires maximum one repetition strength to be performed while adhering to stringent rules, mental preparation can prove to be invaluable. If you beat the squat command guess what happens, a missed lift and a missed opportunity to showcase your strength. Training is for building strength and the meet is for demonstrating that strength. Without proper transference between building and demonstrating strength, a lifter will never be the best that he can be. Your conscious mind deals with things at face value: reasoning, logic, communications and things of that nature. Most people attempt to only operate in this part of their mind. This part of your mind, however, represents only a small percentage of your total mental capacity. The subconscious mind directly influences your concept of self. The power to achieve and do great things is in your subconscious mind. You must believe to in order to achieve. Powerlifting legend Anthony Clark once said, “We are not born winners or losers, we are born choosers.” A person’s self image is the key to their behavior and will set the boundaries to their individual accomplishments. It will define what you can or cannot do. If you are able to expand your self-image, you will, in turn, expand the possibilities of your accomplishments. (1 P.ix) In the 1950’s clinical and experimental psychologists proved that the human nervous system is unable differentiate between a real experience and a vividly imagined detailed experience. (1 P.xii) This does not mean that you can repeat ten times a day, “I will bench 600,” and it will happen. That would be a passive experience. For the nervous system to believe it is doing what you are imagining, you must create a vivid mental movie complete with the feelings, sights, sounds, and smells that would accompany the experience in real life. You need active experiences to positively affect your subconscious mind. The discovery of self can not only help an athlete’s training, but more importantly, it can aid in the athlete’s meet day performance. T.F. James, was quoted fifty years ago in Cosmopolitan magazine as saying, “understanding the psychology of the self can mean the difference between success and failure, love and hate, bitterness and happiness.” Our triumphs and failures and other people’s reactions to these triumphs and failures, form our concept of self. (1 P.2) In other words our experiences shape our self-image. It is not so much the actual experiences, but the way we perceive these events. The good news is the human nervous system cannot tell the difference between real and imagined experiences, which means you can train mentally with weights you are not yet physically able to lift. Here is an example; Johnny is a state level lifter who squats 600 pounds. If Johnny believes he is a state level lifter who squats 600 pounds, then he is precisely that. But if Johnny believes he is a rapidly progressing lifter on his way to a world championship the odds of him becoming good are greatly increased. A good example of this is when a lifter makes excuses and blames his genetics for his poor performance. Genetics are one piece of the equation, but how many lifters have reached their genetic potential? I would be confident in saying that very few lifters, if any, have ever reached their genetic potential. To be successful in the sports arena, or in life, you have to have a positive self-image. Most efforts to change one’s self-image are directed at the superficial level, with bogus self-esteem programs. In order to achieve positive gains we must transform at the core of our being. Once we alter our self-image; it is easier to accomplish things within the realm of this new self-image. Prescott Lesky, who is considered one of the founding fathers of self-image psychology, conceived personality as a system of ideas all of which seem to maintain consistency with one another. Thoughts and goals that are inconsistent with this system of ideas are not acted upon. While ideas aligned with this system are acted upon. At the nucleus of this system of ideas is an individual’s concept of self. (1 P.4)
The creative mechanism within every individual is impersonal. It can work automatically to achieve success or failure. This depends on the goals you set for your self (1 P.13) Present it with positive goals the “success mechanism” will set in. Present it with negative goals “the failure mechanism” will set in. Our goals are mental images developed in the conscious mind. The key is a realistic, positive self-image. Every living thing has a goal striving mechanism put there by God to sustain life. (1 P.16) A squirrel born in the spring has never experienced winter yet somehow squirrels now in the fall to store nuts for the winter. (1 P.16) People not only have these innate abilities for sustaining life, but also for achieving great things. On a personal level, is your goal just to sustain life or to increase your total? Since you are still reading I can assume it is to increase your total. Man has the ability to use mental imagery, visualization, and imagination to tap into his “built-in” success mechanism, the one he is programmed with. This means not just surviving at a meet, but thriving at a meet. The great Scottish philosopher, Dugold Stewart, once said; “The faculty of imagination is the great spring of human activity and the source for human improvement.” You ever hear a coach say to their athlete, “see your self doing the weight.” These coaches are really onto something. The use of mental imagery doesn’t just start at the meet; it should become a regular component of training if one wishes to be their best. Know what your current goal is and know, without a doubt, that you will accomplish it. Then look to the future at a target past your current goal and how you will achieve that next goal. Our brain and nervous system react to an environment; but remember, this is the same brain and nervous system that tell us what an environment is. (1 P.33) Man is a goal oriented being, he is engineered that way. (1 P.114) This means you must set specific goals for your meet. If I am coaching someone at a meet, they have goals for that meet, goals that have been set since the very first day of preparation for that meet. These goals need to be specific, measurable, and realistic. Goals need to be established for the micro cycle, mesocycle, and macro training cycles. Each unique phase, has a unique goal to help you achieve the ultimate goal at your meet. What do you want to total at your next meet? Where do you want to be a year from now? “To do my best” is not a proper goal; it is very convoluted and open to interpretation. In general people with no goals feel their life is not worthwhile, the truth is they have no worthwhile goals. Man is hardwired to achieve goals and conquer obstacles. A great line from the film The Rock says volumes about this idea, “Your best? Losers always whine about their best, winners go home and screw the prom queen!” In powerlifting losers whine about their best, they make excuses about their jobs, money, or training partners; while the winners go to meets and set PR totals! If powerlifting is important to you, the importance of a mental imager program will prove to be invaluable. Brain activity procedes movement, and it is vital that correct movements are visualized long before those movememnts are performed. Visualization techniques were utilized by top Russian weightlifters and coaches. (2 P.72) No two great lifters lift excatly the same; Soma type, limb length, muscle fiber make up, previous injuries, strengths, and weaknesses are all factors where lifters differ. Being able to visualize your optimal technique is crucial to becoming a “Master of Sport,” as they would say in Russia. THE PROGRAM Everyday set aside twenty minutes for mental imagery training. Find a dark, comfortable place to lay down and relax your muscles. A place where all the anxieties and troubles of everyday life can be forgotten. Start developing a “movie” in your head, a movie where you are the star. Visualize yourself lifting the weights you are going to be lifting in training. Visualize yourself arriving at the gym, warming up, psyching up, and lifting the weights with ease. You should use all your senses to make the visualization as true to real life as possible. This experience should be like a vivid dream, the kind where you wake up and feel it has actually happened; you want your CNS to have a real experience. After a experiencing this vivid dream the real life experience may seem like De JaVu; you have already experienced this, your subconscious mind says so, and that is where the power of achievement lies. Garry Frank once told me “When I walk up to the platform the lift has already been done in my mind, I am just doing the required going through the motions.” Amen Garry! Visualization must be part of your daily routinethroughout your entire training cycle. Training lifts have built the foundation, but unless performed under competitive circumstances, they are meaningless. Mental imagery is where an athlete bridges the gap. The goal should not be to equal training lifts, it should be to exceed them. Visualize every detail of the meet; warming up, time between attempts, approaching the platform, and making your lifts “nine for nine.” Visualize the people coming up to you after meet and congratulating you. A valuable technique I developed was loading my goal weights for the upcoming meet on to the bar. I did this two to three times a week. I would put the weight on the bar, put on my favorite music and visualize myself lifting that weight. Sometimes I would appraoch the weight and give it a good shake, reminding myself that come meet day, gravity no longer held supremacy; but that Josh Bryant did. I would set aside fifteen minutes for this activity, but many times it would last for a couple of hours. The first time I dealifted 800 in a meet my previous best was 749, but because of my mental preparation, the extra 51 pounds was a cinch. Visualization will not be accomplished through strain, or effort; it is instead achieved through relaxation. Try to systemitically relax your muscles, one muscle group at a time. Then start to develop the movie in your head. Play back in your mind your past successes, like a successful competition or any event that makes positive about yourself.
Reflecting on past victories and successes is helpful in defining a positive self image. The key is to help these positive experiences build a base for your psyche. Realize with proper focus the future will be better and begin to view the with nostaligia. Louie Pasteur once said, “chance favors the prepared mind.” Napaeloen Bonaparte would role play, so would General Patton. Both of these men were prepared for almost any situation that could arise because they had mentally prepared for them. Envision yourself not only as a big time lifter, but also as a “big deal.” As your total increases people will becoming to you for advice, envision your new role as one of powerlifting’s elite and the admiration and notoriety that accompnay this new status. If you have the freedom it can be helpful to decorate your workout facility. Posters of past greats can serve as a graet motivational tool. You should have heroes that you admire and that will motivate you to become better. Todays training methods are far more advanced than those of yesteryear, so you can concievably surpass these past greats. Just remember they were way ahead of their time for their era; be thankful they paved the way for you, but never lose respect for these heros. Even the color of your training facility can have an effect on your psyche. If you are able to do so, painting your gym red is the way to go. Psychologists have linked red to aggressive behavior. (4) You now know how to create a positive self image, but what about negative people and the negative energy they bring? If you can distance yourself from these negative energies, that is you best bet. If you cannot, simply pay them no mind. Do not hate these people, because hate and contempt breed resentment. And resentment, in and of itself, is a negative energy. Let your energy flow in a positive direction and not in the direction of someone you don’t like. Save all the energy for yourself and the ones you love. Within every crisis lies some sort of opprotunity! One time I asked John Inzer, “what if Nike made powerlifting equipment?” His response was, “that would be great they would increase awareness of the product and market share.” He was completely positive, no resentment, no victimhood just complete focus on the task at hand. By following this outlined mental preperation program, you will make it much easier to be in the ideal performance state; the goal of every athlete. This state is marked by psychological and physical effieciency. (5 P.188) The bottom line is, if you are able to lift more in the gym than at meets; something is wrong. The problem may be physical; but more likely than not is psychological. © COPYRIGHT – Josh Bryant - 2009 Sources 1.Maltz, Maxwell. Psycho-Cybernetics 2. Siff, Mel C. Supertraining 3. Zatriosky, Vladimir. Science and practice of Strength Training 4. http://www.theblufish.com/articles/decorating/freelance/colorsbedroom.html 5. Janet C.Harris, et al. Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning
CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN 2010 www.CentralTexasShowdown.com
CHAMPION SERIES PD: Juan thanks for taking the time to visit with us. How long have you been competing and how old are you? JM I have only been competing since 2007 and I am 27 years old. PD: Wow you are still really young. Where are you from? JM: I am from New Rochelle, NY PD: What got you into the sport? JM: I started to work out to get a bigger chest. Then I picked up a couple bodybuilding magazines and saw the contest section. I knew then I wanted my body to look like that and ever since then I have been hooked. PD: Who has been your biggest influence? JM: Dave Palumbo PD: Who is your favorite bodybuilder or competitor of all time? JM: Flex Wheeler
Juan J Diesel
PD: I get that answer a lot these days. Flex was one of the best ever! What do you feel are your strong points? JM: Chest and shoulders PD: What are your weak points that you want to bring up? JM: My calves PD: What kind of diet do you use and how long is your contest prep? JM: My contest prep is 16 weeks and I have used the keto diet in the past. However, this time Dave had me on a different diet that included carbs, fat, and proteiin PD: What does cardio look like for you? JM: We started with 45 min 16 weeks out than at 4 weeks went up to 60 than at 2 went up to 90 than last week we went back down to 45 PD: What’s your favorite body part to train and what is your favorite lift? JM: My favorite bodypart to train is legs and my favorite lift is squats PD: What are your future plans? JM: Well I plan on taking the rest of this year off from competing and just focus on making as much gains as possible, come back next year and try to get my pro card. PD: Good luck to you Juan. If you want to check out more of Jaun go to www.juanjdiesel.com
No one really knows what to expect from this new bikini division that started in 09. There has been some familiar faces with in the industry that has done well. There has also been some new fresh faces burst onto the scene. One of these faces is Shina Mitchell Lewis. This 25 year old former beauty queen has been competing since 2005 in figure but decided to make the switch to the new bikini division. When I asked her about her strong points for this new challenge she replied “My strong point is my stage presence. Coming from my pageantry background, I feel I have a strong personality on stage and a lot of people have said that Bikini is nothing but a “T” and “A” competition, but I feel I bring class and sophistication to the Bikini Class.” Indeed she does, anyone that has seen her on stage or even in pictures can tell she is already a true professional. With the help of her trainer, Mike Davies, Shina is working on tightening up her glutes for the upcoming 09 Nationals where she plans to take home her pro card and then eventually compete for the Ms. Olympia title. When she does turn pro and qualify for the Ms. Olympia if she needs directions to the venue she could always ask her husband, as he knows the way there. See Shina’s husband is none other than James “Flex” Lewis, who has competed in this years Mr. Olympia 202 and under class. Shina obviously considers Flex to be her favorite bodybuilder, but she also looks up to Mark and Christina Dugdale, Branch and Trish Warren, and the Cutlers. She says “These couples work as a team supporting each other in their goals as I do for Flex and he does for me.” When Shina isn’t at the gym refining her almost perfect physique she and Flex are running the smoothie bar that they own called Flex N Shake Smoothies. She says “We sell protein smoothies, workout gear, clothing and supplements. My husband and his training partner are in the process of opening a gym called Olympus Athletic Club in Franklin , TN. The gym will be opening in January 2010.” As you can see from her pictures Shina has every thing it takes to be a huge star in our industry. The only question is how long will it take her!
THE FUTURE SHINA MITCHELL LEWIS
THE FUTURE KIRA NEUMAN
Kira Neuman is another young beautiful female athlete that is helping to resurrect the sport of female bodybuilding. She is 27 years old and has been competing for three years. Growing up in Greenwood, Indiana Kira was very involved in sports. She played volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis and was a competitive gymnast for 10 years. During her junior year at Ball State University she went to the yearly bodybuilding show that the school held. She says “I decided I would do that show the next year. I followed through with that decision and I was hooked.” After that show Kira would go on to compete at the 2007 Collegiate Nationals and took home 1st. She followed that up with a 2nd place finish at the 2008 Jr. Nationals. When not competing or at the gym there’s a pretty good chance you will find her in a classroom somewhere either as a student or as a teacher. After graduating Ball State she decided to go back to school at IUPUI. She is currently working on her masters in Special Education. Miss Neuman is also a Physical Education and health teacher for students with special needs. As for her bodybuilding, Kira is working hard on adding size to her legs along with more detail. When you stack this improvement on her already impressive back and shoulder development she will be a force to reckon with on a national stage. If you want to see more of Kira check her out at www.kiraneuman.com.
The 2009 Europa Super Show was a great show for a lot of reasons but one that went completely unnoticed was the return of Kris Dim. It was only a couple of years ago when the bodybuilding community was told that Kris had suffered major heart problems and probably wouldn’t survive much longer, littlesss ever compete again. Kris not only lived but he also made a return to the stage and pulled off the surprised of the night, finishing in 3rd in the 202 class resulting in his 2nd Olympia qualification. A few days after the Europa I got a chance to visit with Kris about his health and his return. PD How did it feel to be on stage again in Dallas a few weeks ago? KD I was nervous because I felt I had a lot to prove. I had people rooting for me and I had people calling me crazy for potentially putting my health in jeopardy again. I can honestly say I’ve never felt better while competing. It was great to be back on stage and I am so glad I didn’t listen to the negative people who told me I couldn’t do it. PD: Did you feel you had a chance to place well in such a deep field or did you consider this a “lets just see how I compare?” KD: I’ve always been told I have a pretty balanced physique, but before my open heart surgery, I knew I had been criticized for the size of my legs. I knew I didn’t have a chance at my first show back if I didn’t bring in my legs the way the judges wanted to see. This time around, my legs were well proportioned, so I was confident I had a pretty good chance of placing well. PD: What was going through head after the prejudging and you realized you were in the hunt? KD: I haven’t told many people this, but I was planning to retire if I didn’t do well at the Europa! Although bodybuilding is my passion, it’s not worth the strain on my body if I not able to compete AND place well. When I knew I was in the top 3, I was overwhelmed with emotion since it was a tough class and this was my 1st show back! PD: Well on behalf of the bodybuilding we community we are very happy that you placed well and didn’t hang it up. How has the bodybuilding community accepted your return? I mean if you were a baseball or basketball player this would be lead story on SportsCenter for a week. I honestly believe you should be on the cover of every Muscle magazine on stands today after what you have pulled off. KD: The bodybuilding community has been super supportive! I think the other Pro’s realize it could have just as easily been them. We put our bodies through a lot! Unfortunately, there is a stigma that goes along with bodybuilding concerning drugs, so no one has empathy for a bodybuilder when their health goes bad, even though there is drug abuse in every pro sport. John Ritter died from my condition; he wasn’t a bodybuilder! It’s easy for people to judge, instead of actually doing their homework and educating themselves about the condition. PD: Lets talk about your heart issues for a lack of a better way to put it. What exactly happened, and what caused it? There was a lot of B.S. rumors flying around the boards as you can imagine when it all went down. KD: I suffered an Aortic dissection, in which there is bleeding into and along the wall of the aorta, the major artery leaving the heart. The exact cause is unknown, but risks include atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and high blood pressure. My family has a long history of high blood pressure, so I had been guilty of ignoring that. I had open heart surgery for 5 hours and was given a 10% chance to live. They said I also had a stroke, but awoke with no effects from it. There was absolutely no heart attack!!
KRIS DIM
PD: How long were you in the hospital? KD: I was in the hospital for exactly one week. PD: Wow! That’s it? When did you consider a come back? KD: I had planned to do the 2009 Iron Man, but got rear ended and hurt my lower back. At the beginning of Summer, I got the itch again, and decided to do the Europa. PD: Are you completely in the clear right now, if not what do you have to monitor? KD: I am in the clear as far as the doctors are concerned. Obviously my health depends soley on how I take care of myself! I check my blood pressure everyday and I get 2 CAT Scans a year. PD: Are the doctors cool with you competing? KD: My heart surgeon advised me that as a doctor he’d say NO, but as a man who also goes to the gym and lives an active lifestyle, off the record he said YES. He said most doctors would say no for liability reasons, but if I worked out and was careful, he didn’t see anything wrong with it and to take it slowly. PD: Lets talk about your come back for a moment. how long after your aortic dissection did you wait before you entered the gym again? KD: 3 months PD: How much weight did you lose total? I always find it amazing that when a world class athlete such as yourself goes through something like this how their body quickly deteroiates and then comes back to normal again? KD: My lowest weight was 178! I started looking like myself at 6 months and was training back to normal at 9 months. PD: What was it like to be back in the gym again? KD: It was great to be back in the gym, but my workouts were hell! I was weak and ran out of breath fast. It was pretty much terrible until I was back to normal. PD: How did it feel to being going to the “O”? KD: NERVOUS! But at the Europa, I felt better than any other time I’ve competed. I wish I had done this regimen in the past. I couldn’t believe how much energy I had after the Europa, since usually I can barely walk off the stage I am so exhausted! PD: Do you feel the same excitement that you felt for the O the first time you went? KD: My initial life goal was to compete on the Olympia stage, so that was an undescribable achievement. This is a different feeling, that maybe only a crippled person that learns to walk can understand. I had two choices, give up or push myself and see what’s possible. We aren’t living in a 3rd world country; we have the medical tools to make things happen. I promised myself it would be different this time, so I took it one step at a time. To answer your question, I have a different excitement, I am more thankful. PD: What are your thoughts on the new 202 class? Posedown is a huge fan of the class and its my personal favorite. KD: The 202 class is the best thing that’s happened to bodybuilding! It’s not getting much attention or credibility, but people need to realize that we’ve competed with the bigger guys all along; we are definitely not the underdogs! I think it will be just as exciting as the open class in a few years. I don’t know how many more Olympia’s I have left, but I am definitely a big fan of the 202 class! The only reason for my comeback was the 202 class! I probably wouldn’t have competed if it wasn’t for that. I went back and forth with the idea of a comeback, but obviously we know the ending to that story! PD: Kris thanks for taking the time to visit with us. Hope to visit with you again soon.
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The first annual Central Texas Showdown held in Temple Texas Oct 17, 2009. A successful first show with only growth and continued success for the upcoming years. Please look for upcoming announcements for Oct 16, 2010
CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN
Novice Men LW 1. Ismail Khalil-Allah 2. Darrin Glenn
Fitness 1. Debbie Fowler 2. Lauren Ramsey
Novice Men MW 1. Greg McCoy 2. Chris Cavanagh
Figure Class B 1. Kathryn Ashley Baker 2. Cynthia Muse 3. Tye DeBerry 4. Kristel Kinoshita
Novice Men HW 1. Dwayne Duck 2. Fred Paskell Masters Men 40-49 1. Greg Ragan 2. Dwayne Duck Masters Men 50-59 1. Johnny Miller 2. Larry Mitchell Open Men LW 1. Ren Kinoshita 2. Greg Ragan Open Men MW 1. Greg McCoy 2. Chris Cavanagh Open Men HW 1. Johnny Miller 2. Nick Deltoro 3. Fred Paskell Men’s Wheelchair 1. Nick Scott
Figure Masters 1. Kathryn Ashley Baker 2. Cynthia Muse 3. Tye DeBerry Bikini Class A 1. Nicole Cooper 2. Alea Suarez 3. Lauren Ramsey 4. Elise Nicole Keoghan Bikini Class B 1. Laura Holzworth 2. Shalonda Brown 3. Natalie Contoro Bikini Masters 1. Gabriella Grigg 2. Nicole Cooper 3. Laura Holzworth 4. Kathryn Ashley Baker Open Women HW 1. Karla Brown Masters Women 1. Karla Brown Women’s Wheelchair 1. Fallon Turner
Charles Dixon IFBB Pro
IFBB Pro Trish Warren
Athlete Of The Year Demetria Franklin Presented by: Kevin Levrone Bob Johnson
Best Poser Of The Year Nick Scott Presented By: Ashley Johnson
Wheel Chair Womens Award Fallon Turner Presented By: Angela Dillenberg
Pictured Below: National Level Competitor and NPC Judge Prince Fontenot
Greg McCoy Overall Winner
IFBB Pro Tricky Jackson