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Working With literally Thousands of Clients over the last 15+ Years I can tell you that without hesitation one of the LARGEST commonalities to peoples Failure is Failing to Plan! There is a very good reason why EVERY Client that I work with has “If You’re not Planning to Succeed, You are Preparing to Fail” written on their Training Program and we spend quite some time discussing this quote! The reason why I do this? Well, to put it bluntly… IT IS TRUE!
Not only is it True of Living The Fitness Lifestyle, but it is also True of every aspect of our Lives and to me that is what is SO amazing about Fitness! When done the right way it can enhance and mirror every other aspect of our Lives… POWERFUL!...
Perhaps you have already competed in 
one or more shows, or you are thinking of entering your first competition in men’s physique. The last thing you should do is enter a show with no forethought as to which shows might be better for you than others. If you want to get your feet wet, you may want to avoid the bigger shows right out of the gate because they can be intimidating and downright discouraging.
If you are selecting your first show, choose one that is local to you, a national qualifier, and one that is scheduled far enough out so that you have enough time to prep. I have seen many male and female competitors jump into a show at the last minute with little to no prep. If you are a seasoned competitor who always looks show ready, that’s one thing, but if you are not yet stage-worthy, you could damage your chances of placing high at future shows in the same region...
There is no greater rush than getting on 
stage in top form and showing off all of your hard work to the roar and applause of the audience. But let’s face it, at the end of the day every competitor wants to book paid gigs. That’s what it’s all about!
In this post I’m going to show you a few simple tricks to help you get noticed, sign with a reputable agency, and start booking paid gigs as a fitness model. I am also going to try to dispel several myths about paid fitness modeling work which I find to be very prevalent these days.
There is a TON of competition out there these days…with tons of aspiring fitness models all battling to pull off the so-called holy grail of fitness modeling which is gracing the cover of a top fitness magazine…or as a consolation prize…getting published in a magazine...
One thing I have done since I got serious
about achieving my goals was to track everything. When I say everything I am talking about your calories, training, and your progress. If you are not tracking those 3 things then you are not serious about reaching your goals. It is impossible to see the improvements you are making or to gauge your progress. It is also very difficult to improve if you can’t remember what you did last week in the gym. Let’s break down the benefits and reasons for tracking...
“Do what you can if you can for those
who can’t” ~ My pops, Marvin Earl Ashhurst R.I.P.
As I rode on the train to the airport to head home from the North Americans in Cleveland I looked around at the vacant buildings and low income areas we passed by and began to reflect on where I came from and what earning my IFBB Pro card means.
Competitors have often asked what I get for earning the title IFBB Pro…supplement sponsorship, magazine spreads, etc...
The importance of a powerful looking chest is
undeniable in the Men's Physique division. All body parts are important, but few draw the atttention on the stage like an awesome chest. Are you looking to improve yours?
Like I mentioned in my last article I like to switch my workouts up all the time. Here is my current chest workout:
Incline dumbbell press 8-12 reps, 4 sets
Cable cross over 12-15 reps, 3 sets...
You have just rolled out of bed, 
time to break the fast!!
7am: Bacon or Ham and Fried Eggs. (Not pancakes, or a bagel with cream cheese)
Benefit 1: Fullness and Energy: the protein in this power meal will keep you full throughout the morning
Benefit 2: Relaxed Blood Vessels: when you digest eggs, protein fragments are produced that can prevent your blood vessels from narrowing, which may keep your blood pressure from rising.
REMEMBER!!!! This is your most important meal of the day!!! Don't miss it!!!
Let’s face it performance enhancing drugs
are intertwined in every sport. So why does it have such a bad rap sheet. Well I tried researching how many deaths a year account for steroids and you can’t find the figure. You can find deaths related to heart failure and other symptoms that may have been triggered by abusing steroids but there are no clear cut answers. I also came across the fact that 400,000 people die a year from smoking. I believe the public’s priorities are bit deranged, but that’s what you get when they are the ones abusing the wrong legal over the counter drug...
As a fitness model it is very important to know your body, best poses, different looks and what basically works and doesn’t work well for you. This may seem obvious or simple on the surface, but if you’re a novice or even somewhat experienced, it’s different when the rubber meets the road during an actual shoot. You don’t want to “freeze” when you are on an assignment or even a test for that matter.
What I recommend is first practice posing in front of a mirror. When you think you have found certain poses that are flattering for your physique, then learn what that feels like. Practice the achieving that pose so you can do so without the mirror, basically muscle & mind memory connections. It is just as important to know what angles don’t work.
One of the things I like to do with my workouts is
continuously change them up to keep the muscles shocked. With any weight lifting program the body will get adjusted to it. One of the many things I will do from time to time is throw on supersets. There are many ways to do this. Here is one example of my arm workout with supersets.
Tri Push Downs (Cable machine) Superset with Rope push downs
Scull Crushers Superset with Close Grip presses...
One of the biggest challenges for anyone 
looking to Live The Fitness Lifestyle is what to eat? This is also where some of the biggest misconceptions lie, the biggest being that in order for you to get results what you eat can’t be enjoyable! Let me tell you, that couldn’t be further from the truth, in reality your Eating Plan should include a lot of variety and work with your Life and NOT against it! This certainly includes Loving what you Eat and how you Look and Feel because of it!..
Now, I know I normally obviously blog about training,
nutrition and things relating to health. But instead of health in terms of those above things, let's remember how healthy it is to maintain important relationships with the ones you love. It's a day like today that reminds us to keep in touch with those closest to us...whether it be through phone, email, text, it doesn't matter.
The window of life can close SO quickly and in the grand scheme of things, things like competing in fitness shows etc are just a part of a great life we are creating. I've got to remind myself a lot of times to make that phone call to a loved one, because you just never know. Life is so unpredictable. Don't have any regrets on the fitness stage or in life...
We are here with recent Class Winner
Erik Marra! Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
I did my bodybuilding competition in 2004. I decided to do that knowing I would be switching careers from digital animation to the medical field. After my one and only BB’ing show, I loved it. One drawback was that my body will take the “massive” weight gain it needed to contend as a bodybuilder. When I heard MPD was starting up in 2011, I felt it was a blessing. An actual competition built for my physique. I love to train and live the life of a fitness role model. It didn’t occur to me once I got on to the journey asn an MP Competitor, that I’d be making influential impact on people and through social networking.
We are here with Chris Villa…Congrats on 
a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division? A lot came in to play when deciding on my decision to compete. One, I love training and the fitness life. Two, I’m very competitive and like to see what key focal point that I lack and need to improve. Three, my good friend IFBB PRO Ryan Hughes made it more convincing for me after a long talk about the fitness industry and direction the new Men’s
Physique Division is taking guys like us towards marketing and promotions.
Can you tell us a little about the Competition you just competed in? Well I just competed in the North Americans. It was a very good experence in Cleveland especially rooming with new IFBB Bobby Ashhurst, my dude Xavisus Gayden and Mikey Mchall. I got to know and meet more new Physique competitors as for the competition itself, I think they did an amazing job with first callouts in the A and B classes and C class was kinda of confusing and all over the place. Just looking forward to feedback from judges soon and see why there was such a big mix of physiques...
There are people on both sides of the fence when it
comes to Chiropractic care. The following is the opinion of MP Contributor Tim Staggs...
One of the many things I do for my health on a weekly basis is to visit my chiropractor. Chiropractic care is crucial to good health in my opinion. Chiropractic treatment techniques involves manual therapy, including manipulation of the spine, and other joints. Traditional chiropractic assumes that a vertebral subluxation interferes with the body's innate intelligence. In basic terms if the nerves running down your spine are not working properly due to the spine being out of place your body won’t be functioning at its highest level. Your nervous system is responsible for all your body’s functions. Not only is this important for general health and proper organ function, but making sure you’re building muscle effectively and symmetrically...
Five National shows down and one to go. The North Americans 
was full of surprises and produced the 2nd largest Men’s Physique class to date. I’m expecting the Nationals to be the largest as many top competitors passed on heading out to Cleveland in preparations for bringing their best to the stage in Miami. Here are the new rankings following this weekend’s competition...
There is nothing sexier than a man with a chiseled physique 
whose skin is like polished wood, healthy, smooth, and even. Yet I see so many male competitors who don’t seem to care about the appearance of their skin, and who sport an epidermis which looks and feels like a piece of driftwood.
Healthy skin that glows looks amazing onstage, takes spray tanner better, and reflects the optimal diet which competitors should be practicing. So how does one get such healthy skin?
There are general guidelines which should be followed...
This weekend was another huge show for MP Competitors and the division as a whole. The day of the show the decision makers in the NPC made a wise move and bumped up the number of classes from 2 to 3 as well as the number of PRO CARDS awarded at the North American's. There were a total of six Pro Cards awarded this past weekend.
Interest in this new division has caught on like wildfire. J.M. Manion, of the NPC, predicted that the Men's Physique Division would be huge and he was right on the money! In very short order it has taking the fitness shows by storm and is starting to dig in as a staple at many NPC and soon IFBB shows. MP is a great division breathing a new kind of life into a sport we all love. Now is the time for the Pro's to step up and make ALL MP competitors proud to be part of this movement.
Here are your Six Newest MP PRO's...
Sometimes we all need to have a bit of a mental reset
and remember why we do the things we do and what it took for us to get where we are! In this judgmental and opinion based sport of Men’s Physique it is important to remember that in the end, the only validation that we need is our own…
BEEEEEEP!!! BEEEEEEP!!! BEEEEEEP!!! I rolled over and looked at my alarm and saw that 5am had come once again… I quickly hit the snooze and finally got out of bed 30 minutes later. As my feet hit the ground, I couldn’t help but think how my back was hurting like it had every morning before, ugh! I stumbled out to the kitchen to make some coffee and grab some food. As I reached in the cupboard I realized that I was out of my breakfast pastries that I loved so much, double ugh! As I dug deeper I saw some oatmeal and protein powder that I had bought months back and never used… I guess I’ll give it a shot, since I have nothing else! I made the oatmeal in the microwave with water and a few raisins that I found, hmmm… I forgot how good this stuff actually tastes, nice! The protein shake wasn’t half bad either, tasted like chocolate and was quick, double nice!
We are less than a week out from the North American’s and here are the standings following the USA’s. It was the largest show not only in the history of the division but in the NPC as well. If this show told us anything it’s that anyone can win on any day. Due to the enormous size of the C Class this show you will notice some new names appear in the top 20.
In this article, I’m going to outline the final days of 
my prep. A few little mistakes here could turn into a major catastrophe! 5 days out….exhausted, hungry, and surviving the passion to compete and the drive to win! By this time, you don’t know if you’re coming or going, but because I have done this so many times, it becomes easier as I go. Here are some pre-contest tips, training split, and the final days’ nutrition intake for me.
Tips:
Tanning – We all use a skin dye before taking the stage, but tanning a couple weeks out, will help tighten and dry your skin out. However, make sure to stop tanning at least 72 hours prior to stage time. I do not recommend regular tanning, as it is not good for you in the long run...
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