Justin Compton- Heavyweight
Justin Compton came back to Nationals this year with fifteen additional pounds of conditioned muscle, and I believe that will be enough to win the heavyweight class… and possibly the whole show. Last year Justin emailed me for my critique because I wrote in the play-by-play that he has tons of potential, but his excessive sweating cost him dearly. Lucky for Justin he was able to hold off the sweating till the very last moment this year!
At a very young 24 years old Justin has tons of muscle for any age. I asked Justin if he always knew he was genetically blessed to be able to gain muscle, and he told me, “I started lifting weights when I was 15, and I bloomed really fast. I blew up. I was the biggest guy in high school, so I knew I had good genetics for this.”
Justin tells me that he is interested in things that not every bodybuilder would be. He definitely isn’t a hermit. When I asked Justin what he did for a living I was surprised to hear that he is a mortgage loan officer. “I sit at a desk, so I get time eat, air conditioning! I get picked on a little for being so big!”
Chris "The Real Deal" Cormier
I bumped into the Chris “The Real Deal” Cormier backstage here at NPC Nationals as he was running to go make sure his client, Brad Rowe, was doing alright. After he finished with Brad I pulled him aside to talk about his training business, and life at the Mecca, Gold’s Gym Venice Beach.
Chris says Team Real Deal Training is growing rapidly, and he is quickly becoming the go to guy for training at Gold’s Venice. “I have a great time training people, doing diets, and helping people with their posing. I get a ton of satisfaction seeing my people do well.” Cormier said.
I had to ask Chris about the craziest thing he’s ever seen at Gold’s Gym Venice… That he could tell me on the record anyway! He said, “Man, there was a posing room that was closed down. It was kinda secluded. I don’t know who or what or not, but some people were having sex in that posing room. You see some condoms left in there. Lol!”
Steven Silverman- Middleweight
Last year Steven Silverman placed 2nd at NPC Nationals. He was so close to that IFBB Pro card that he could practically taste it. That placing caused him to reevaluate his prep, and his commitment to the sport. “Going out and partying killed me. I was going out up till four weeks out and drinking. I would look good, but not for the national level. Last year, after that, and I knew I didn’t give it 100%, I had to come back this year and really show them.” He said.
Steve didn’t go out once this year, and the dedication has paid off because Steven is bigger this year, he says 8lbs, and his condition is as good or better.
Steve is a barber by profession, and got into cutting hair during high school. He took a cosmetology class and liked how it put his artistic side to use. Plus, when he got a job cutting hair in high school and was making some good money, he was sold.
Ariel Alberto- Lightweight
Two years ago Ariel Alberto was in a club when his friend got into a fight. His buddy was in serious trouble since it was just him versus around ten other guys. Ariel jumped in to help his friend, and didn’t realize till after the fight was stopped that he’d been stabbed fifteen times! That landed Ariel in ICU for three days, almost cost him his life, and he ended up staying in the hospital for three weeks. “That incident motivated me to change my life, and how I was living. I focused 100% on fitness, and it led me to competing in my first bodybuilding show six months after 
I was stabbed.” He said.
Ariel won his class at the NPC San Francisco 4 weeks ago, and after talking to Dave Palumbo, decided to give it a shot here at NPC Nationals.
Before I ended the interview, Ariel made it point to tell me that he views the stabbing as a blessing. That it put his life into focus, and showed him what’s important. He believes if it wasn’t for that night, he would never be doing what he is now.
Shaun Clarida- Bantemweight
Shaun Clarida left NPC Nationals, his first national level show, after not placing last year with a mission. He decided to take the full year off to build and rest his body. This year, he has just walked off the stage, and although this only prejudging, he made a statement with his Flex Wheelerish shape, and unparalleled conditioning. From the press pit, it looks like Shaun completed his mission.
Shaun has been completing for 7 years and just recently won his class (Lightweight) in both the NPC Golds Classic and the NPC East Coast. He made the decision to drop a weight class and come in totally peeled. As a bantamweight here today, he looks big and round compared to the rest of the class.
When I mentioned that he reminded Dave and I of a smaller Flex Wheeler, Shaun said, “Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Lee Labrada, and even Marvin Ward… I admire those guys. I look up to them.” I asked him if his gets his IFBB Pro card when will he compete, and he said, “I won’t wait forever. I will be one of those guys who uses his pro card.”
