When Dave approached me saying he would like me to write an article for RXMUSCLE because
people were requesting me, my first thought was "Wow what an honor!" But my second thought was, "hmmm what should I say that hasn't already been said; these things can be kinda boring" Dave told me I could write WHATEVER I want so I put some time into my decision. Sure, I have a lot going on and am known for my funny stories. Sure, I get asked tons of great questions in my Q and A and perhaps I could just really elaborate on one. Instead, I thought of a perfect idea. It seems that lately for some reason I have been asked one particular question a lot. This question usually isn't from a loving family member or adoring fan but more often from internet "haters" that prefer to be negative and stir up trouble. The question is: "PJ, do you still want to be a pro bodybuilder?" So to answer that question I would like to dabble a bit into my past and take you on a journey from a kid just touching weights to the guy I am today.
Now as many of you know, but I am sure many of you don't, I got my start in bodybuilding when I was 13 through my biological father. I wanted to learn how to train with weights to become a better 
football player. My mom made the suggestion for me to call my biological father and ask for his help because he, actually, wanted to be a bodybuilder at one time and she thought he could probably help me improve.
I never saw my father because my parents were divorced when I was eight, and he had a new family. I made the call to him anyway and he was exited to teach me what he himself loved. I remember being happy just to spend time with him, I had missed him so much through the years. He would pick me up from school and take me to the local gym; needless to say I was hooked. I loved everything about training; I read every book and bodybuilding magazine that I could get my hands on, plus, I got to bond with my father. For Christmas that year, he gave me his childhood weight set, ancient shit you'll never see in a gym, but I put it in my bedroom and I would workout constantly...When I was bad, my parents wouldn't ground me, they'd take away my weights!
One day my father didn't show up at school to pick me up for our workout, I walked to the gym that day. He didn't show the next day either, so I called to see what happened and he explained that he wouldn't have time to train with me anymore, but he said I would be just fine on my own, and not to take bodybuilding to seriously. I was broken-hearted, he had abandoned me AGAIN! He didn't realize that to me it was all about spending time with him, not just training with weights. My tears quickly turned to determination, and I couldn't stop thinking about something my father had said to me... "There's always going to be someone bigger and better then you". That day as a 13 year old boy I told my mother that I would be the biggest and the best and I would prove him wrong! Little did I know back then what would come from that heartache?
Fast forward to senior year of high school and my early college years I was now a very solid 200lbs competing in Drug Free Powerlifting competitions. I trained at a Powerlifting gym with a bunch of beasts and even did a competition with a very Young 
Derik Poundstone way before anyone knew who he was! Let me tell you back then he was destined for greatness right away! He was already a freak in his early 20's at a chiseled 260lbs! My last year competing as a power lifter I tore my right bicep clean off the bone and I lost nearly a year of training! This is when I really started calculating my approach to eventually compete because I had so much extra time on my hands. I realized at an early age that hard work and determination could take you far but some guys were just genetically better! It's a tough pill to swallow but it's true. So I directed my studies towards anything I could relate to bodybuilding in any way. I wanted to have every mental advantage I could. I didn't want to just be the hardest working guy. I wanted to be just as hard a worker as the hardest working guy...but way smarter!!!
2006 was my first national level show where I could apply all I had learned. I did the Junior USA and placed fourth in the heavyweights. This was my first interaction with Dave Palumbo. I was sitting in the hotel restaurant alone and kind of sulking. Dave asked me to come sit with him and asked me why I was upset. It was pretty cool to be meeting him because I always read his column first in the magazines and he was a celebrity to me. He told me I had a great upper body and I needed to get my glutes tighter and then I would be winning...Yup, even way back then he was doing that shit! Lol, he also told me to get orthotics for my sneakers, something I swear by now! Shortly after this experience with Dave, two of my good friends Guy Cisternino and Evan Centopani started working with Dave. I disagreed with the diet he had them on because it was against everything I studied and believed in so I continued to do my own thing. They both of course got great results, but I like to do things my own way. One day in the gym Evan and Guy brought the subject up again and I decided I wanted to hear Dave out and see how I responded to his philosophies. More important than that I wanted to LEARN!
Dave and I hit it off right away and although people told me he would find me annoying because I ask a lot of questions, he was always helpful and kind to me at all times. I was eager to learn and at the time I was just soaking up info like a sponge. That year I got in the greatest shape of my life working with Dave and I also got my first exposure in a magazine when Dave chose me as the Anabolic Freak of the month in MD. That was a really awesome experience for me because it was always a goal of 
mine to see myself in a magazine, and shorty after that other magazines started to use me for things as well! I felt I was really on my way!
While all this was going on I had been running a personal training business. I had some mild success and was hustling all over to get as many clients as I could. At one point I was working in three different gyms as well as going to people's homes. I was pretty busy but to me there just wasn't enough time in the day to do all I wanted to do. This is when lightning struck and I finally realized what I should be doing with my life. Of all the things I picked up from Dave, by far the one I am most grateful for was the idea to be an online consultant like him. I was a great teacher and I loved to work with people, In fact in my early years I was going to be a PE teacher because I loved athletics and teaching so much. Now I had an outlet to reach as many people as possible! The possibilities are endless on the internet and I wanted to tap into that. I launched my website and started going to all the shows handing out business cards and shaking hands, even kissed a few babies. In a way I was like a politician on a campaign run across the USA and I hit EVERY NATIONAL show paying with my own money for flights and bumming Chicken Quesadillas off Dave whenever I was hungry cus I was broke from all the flying! I would show up in Dave's room at all sorts of crazy hours and be like, "hey Dave what's going on?" He would say from his computer, "I'm working why you don't go order room service for everyone"....EPIC WIN. Eventually my business took off and now I am super happy with how busy I am. I am not exaggerating when I say I spend half my day on the computer answering emails, and I thank Dave for putting this idea in my head.
Now to back track for a second to 2007 Dave had just started to put together the concepts for his company SPECIES. He told me I reminded him a lot of himself when he was young and said in a way I was like the son he never had, (yes I still have that email for those who don't believe me, lol). Dave said he would give me some free product and that someday the company would be huge and he would take care of those who were loyal. I was honored and promised to always be loyal because he had always been loyal to me even when I had not been placing the way we wanted. In 2010 I was the first male athlete ever signed to a monetary contract with Dave's company. It was a great honor for me to sign that contract. I was also pretty much the only one still around from the very start of the company, and even though I had moved on to doing my own prep I remained a constant in everything Dave had going on. Dave came through on his promise as I did on mine.
Now it's 2011. I have a 2 successful business and a contract with a growing supplement company. When I go the shows I get asked for my autograph no matter where I am in the country which still blows my mind every time it happens. I know a lot of pro bodybuilders that don't have contracts. I know a lot of bodybuilders that people have never heard of. I have only placed top 5 in one national show yet I have all these things that I am so truly grateful for. One day Evan Centopani and I were talking and he asked me, do you ever feel truly lucky? At the time I just said nah...but you know what...I am truly blessed. I get paid to do things I love. I get to do things that I am truly passionate about and make a great living off it! How awesome is that!? So when I get asked if I want to be a pro...sure I want to have that IFBB PRO card, I want it bad cus it's a goal I set at a young age, and I aim to accomplish all my goals...but you know what, If you ask me or better yet ask my fans or the people who know and love me...I'm already pro now.
How's that for detail haters?! Haha! If you guys like this and have ideas, suggestions, or questions just inbox me here or email me and I will get to all of you. I will do my best to turn your input into whatever I can for my column!!
