Joining
us today is Ryan Hediger. Congrats on a great showing! What made you decide to compete in the Men’s Physique Division?
Two years ago, I heard rumors of a Men’s Physique division coming about. Although I have always had an appreciation for bodybuilding and admired the dedication it took to step on stage, I never wanted to carry around that much muscle. When MP was introduced, I knew it was right up my alley.
Can you tell us a little about the show in which you just competed?
My most recent competition was the Warrior Classic. What a party! Between celebrating my girlfriend’s birthday, my birthday and my brothers first time competing, the weekend was unreal. Hands down the most fun I’ve had on stage! To sum it up, a great weekend spent with my family, closest friends, filled with amazing food…now that’s livin’!
How did you feel after pre-judging?
I was stoked! A good friend of mine, and the overall winner—Tyler Markovich—was in the same class. We both got first call outs, and we both knew at that point we had placed top three. Between pre-judging & finals, we made a deal that whoever took second owed the other fro-yo, and whoever won was buying Tokyo Joes. We had a blast competing together, an experience I’ll never forget.
How did you feel about the final results of the show?
Although going into a show you always have your eyes set on first place, I couldn’t have taken second place to a better dude. On top of a great weekend, ultimately I accomplished what I set out to do, which was re-qualify in order to compete at the USA’s again in 2013.
What are your thoughts on the Men's Physique Division and what it may be able to do for your career?
Right now I am just having fun, I love going to shows and meeting other like-minded, good people. Between supporting my girlfriend Katie in Chicago at Jr. Nats, and competing at USA’s I’ve met a ton of cool, down-to-earth people this year. The camaraderie and mutual respect that exists between competitors is something that you’ll experience very few other places. Knowing that the guy on stage next to you fought the same uphill battle the last 8-12 weeks really breeds mutual respect, and makes for a celebration both backstage, and once the show is over. Once I graduate, I am sure that the relationships and friendships I’m building now will one way or another integrate themselves into my career.
Age: 
24
Hometown: Loveland, CO
Current city: Fort Collins, CO
Years training: 5 years
Education: Studying Health & Exercise Science with a Concentration in Sports Medicine at Colorado State. Go Rammies!
Occupation: Full-time student. I work part-time construction for some truly great people when I’m not at the gym or studying.
Favorite type of training: Heavy to light, fast-paced intervals. I love to rock a set of heavy shoulder press, then transition right into some medium/light weight raises. More of less, go hard at whatever lift I’m doing.
Favorite body part to train: Delts baby, delts! Shoulders have been a weak point in the past; they’re now my favorite body part to hit.
Favorite exercise: Incline DB Press, Shoulder Press, Overhead Tricep-Extension. Anything I can get a get pump out of.
Rep range: 
Anywhere from 6-15 depending on whether it is competition season or not.
Number of sets: On my compound movements I always get one warm-up set, followed by four working sets. Accessory movements I typically super-set, and do three sets per exercise.
Typical workout duration: Pre-contest training sessions are under an hour. Leading up to a show I have to make more time for cardio so my lifts are fast-paced. I get tunnel vision; zone-out and just lift. Off-season lifts are still high-intensity, but might last as long as an hour and a half. I’ve also come to incorporate cardio into my routine year round. Strangely enough, I really enjoy getting a good sweat in on the stairs or treadmill. I think clearer, and feel all-around in better shape than when I don’t do cardio.
Training split: Varies. I believe in the priority principle, meaning whatever I feel needs to grow will be given priority. With this being said, I make sure to hit all muscle groups every 6-10 days. This coming year I want to focus on building a bigger upper-chest, shoulders and arms. I’ll train these muscle groups two times per week.
Typical daily eating plan: Whether dieting for a show or not, I typically eat 7 meals. Depending on how far into a prep I am will depend on my macro intake. Lots of greens, carb cycling, and variety in my protein sources are all staples in my day-to-day diet.
Favorite supplement: Hmmm, tough one. A toss up between Dymatize Iso-100 and Optimum’s Gold Standard. I also tried Gaspari’s Superpump the other day, Uncle Richie’s Green Apple is where it’s at!
What peaked your interest in training?
Freshman year of college is when I really began to train hard, and started to learn the nutritional basics necessary for muscle growth. I still remember while my friends were sitting around at our house throwing back brews, I went to the gym thinking to myself that I’ll be better tomorrow for what I’m doing today. I’ve continued with this mentality for years in & outside of the gym, and I do my best to apply the principle of sacrifice today for success tomorrow in all areas of my life.
Who influences/influenced your training?
First and foremost, my coaches. Cameron & Tracy Bodner of Team Total Package have helped me to train more effectively, and supply my body with the proper nutrients in order to grow. Although I’m not given a specific training split, their years of experience in the gym helps to guide my training in order to maximize gains. Besides my coaches influence on training, I really just do my own thing. I know from experience what it takes to get a good workout and a good pump and I keep chasin’ it!
Sports:
Football takes the cake for being my favorite sport, both to watch and play. Rec football at CSU is about to start, and I cant wait to throw on the cleats and get out there with my brother and some buddies. I’m also stoked to chill with my family on Sundays watching Peyton & the Broncos tear it up, all while enjoying some home cooked cheats!
Special interests:
One of my favorite things to do is travel. I love going new places, seeing life through new eyes. One of the best trips I’ve made was with my girlfriend, Katie. We drove 17 hours straight, from Fort Collins all the way to San Fran, where we stayed in a grungy hostel. We then drove south down the coast—slept in the car on the coast of Monterey, pitched a tent in Big Sur, spent the next few days in LA with some friends—yes, I trained at the Mecca! We then continued south to San Diego, again staying in a hostel—this time less grungy. We then drove to Vegas, and spent two nights in Sin City. It was awesome, minus the $180 ticket I got after cruising at 100mph through the desert in Utah on the way home.
Physique, fitness, bodybuilding competition history:
June 2011-Max Muscle Mile High-2nd Place, B Class
July 2012-USA Championships-7th Place, C Class
August 2012-Warrior Classic-2nd Place, B Class
Awards and/or accomplishments:
Something I’m proud of is that I’ve put myself through college earning a 3.7 GPA in a Sports Medicine concentration.
Next planned competition:
Jr. Nationals in June of 2013, and another trip to Vegas for USA’s come next July. Vegas, baby!
What keeps you on track towards reaching your goals?
I think about the person I want to be in the future, and then I think about what I need to do today in order to come closer to the image of the person I want to be tomorrow. I’m wholeheartedly a believer in consistency, and that by doing things the right way on a daily basis I can accomplish whatever goal I have my eyes set on. Confidence, a positive mental attitude, and a deep belief in yourself and your abilities are the most important traits any man can have.
Interesting fact or something you would like our readers to know about you:
I 100 percent believe that life is best lived in action, life is too short to live life being afraid. Whether it’s talking to the random stranger standing next to you or getting up on stage in front of hundreds of people, you can’t live life in fear. If you want something in life get out there, put the doubters to the side, and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Facebook:
Check out my facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ryan.hediger, join me on instagram @ryan_nick, and follow me on Twitter @ryan_hediger.
One last thing…special thanks to all who’ve made this year as great as its been. Kitty, thank you. My brother Travis, my parents, ALL of my family. Cam & Tracy Bodner, all of my Total Package teammates, Matheo you’re the man, you too Tyler! Sandi & Derek. All of my 24hr bros, Derek Trombetta-thank you. All my boys I got to compete alongside with, yall made this year a blast. Deric Yuan, Baker, Mike & Colista Larsen. Thank you for your support, and encouragement.
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|||
