Do you ever notice how many times in life
we feel like the world is against us and our backs are up against what seems to be an immovable wall? We feel that we will never get out of our current situation and wonder what it is that we have done or not done to end up here? Yet there are those moments that we feel like we are soaring above it all and will never come down no matter what is brought up against us?..
I first became interested in bodybuilding 
when I first saw Arnold almost three decades ago in “Conan the Barbarian”. To me, he exemplified the ideal male physique. The perfect proportions, nothing too monstrous, at least not by today’s bodybuilding standards with everything symmetrically perfect in harmony.
By the time I was in my late twenties I’d reached a body weight of 315 lbs. as I was trying to “keep up with the Jones’” in the new age of bodybuilding. Seemingly gone were the body types I’d looked up to, the Schwarzennegers’, Zanes’, or even later, the Bob Paris’, or the Barry Demay’s were only the things of the past. In this “new” age of bodybuilding those physiques wouldn’t even get a top 10 call out.
but honestly, nothing could be further from the truth! So many people let opportunities pass them by; opportunities that often times they never even knew were there! Why? Because they use the excuse that it just was not the right time; but, when is the right time? The right time is RIGHT NOW! At any given time you will always have something going on, something that may make you think that it just is not the right time, but remember at that same given time there is somebody out there that is taking action in far worse circumstances! There is always someone that has it better and always someone that has it worse, those are the facts of life, what separates people is their ability to respond to those given set of circumstances. You have the ability to choose your response and action to situations, you and you alone! Decide to take action and not only reach your goals, but to exceed them! There will always be bumps in the road and plenty of twists and turns as well, we should be thankful for these, as it is these experiences that we truly learn and grow from! It is when times are rough and things are difficult that our characters are defined, anybody can move ahead when things are going great, but to move ahead when things are less than ideal, now that takes a true champion!
I recently had the opportunity to meet 
up with new IFBB Men’s Physique Pro Alex Carneiro to talk about his journey into the awesome world of Men’s Physique and after talking for just a few short minutes it was clear, Alex Lives the Fitness Lifestyle and is a perfect representation of what Men’s Physique is all about...
Both Alex and I are from Colourful Colorado, however we live about 4 hours apart, but because of both of our LOVES for Fitness we have crossed paths many times and I can tell you that Alex is a class act and meeting up with him was a great experience! Not only did he take time out of his day to assist me with refining my Posing (which was a tremendous help), but he also sat down and talked with me with genuine passion and interest! Here is a guy that is in the VERY Elite Category of being an IFBB Men’s Physique Pro and he is ALREADY working hard to help others achieve their Dreams and that is what it’s all about!
The price of greatness is responsibility. 
W. Churchill
I’m in my supplement shop, NutriFit of Scottsdale, and watching Pumping Iron. Don’t act like you haven’t watched it before. Every single one of you probably watched it over and over again when you were younger and probably still do to this day. Anyway, I’m just coming back from a 3rd place finish at the Jr Nationals this weekend and one of the things I love most about competing are the friendships we form amongst the people we are stepping on stage against. A conversation I had with new IFBB Men’s Physique Pro and someone I now consider a friend, Alex Carneiro, about the Golden Age of bodybuilding is what led me to write this blog. The names you hear from that era are iconic…Lou Ferrigno, Frank Columbu, Serge Nubret, Robbie Robinson and of course Arnold. The best part about that time for them is that they were friends so they got to enjoy the ride together...
when Life was easy and we didn’t have a care in the world? No major responsibility, no stress, no pressure, just FUN! All of us have fond memories of some sort of when we were a Child or smile when we see a Child at play or just having FUN, isn’t it awesome?! Well... Why do WE have to grow up and lose this spirit, the fact is WE DON’T...
As we have heard many times within the sport of bodybuilding
“This is my journey to my pro card”. Now that the physique division has been created we have many competitors on a journey to their pro card. You will never hear me say that phrase. I have many friends and fellow competitors that have said they are on the journey to their pro card. Many will try, some may come close and a few will achieve it. Not that there is anything wrong with having a goal to achieve the elite status as a pro, but many individuals focus on the pro card instead of the journey.
Many people lose sight of why they started improving their physique and competing when they start focusing on the pro card instead of the journey. I’ve seen individuals lose sight of everything around them including friends, family, enjoying everyday life, and sometimes even their health. I’ve seen extreme measures taken to achieve the ideal look. Sometimes everything is forgotten except what it takes to achieve that pro card...
Let’s call a spade a spade. After competing
in my first Men’s Physique Show with the NPC, I can honestly say that this division is NO JOKE. This was not only my first Men’s Physique show, but it turned out to be the largest yet, with close to 20 total competitors. I’m going to be completely honest when I tell you that I got blown out of the water, making me pull back and evaluate things as far as my physique and taking a different approach. These guys looked awesome, plain and simple. I thought I was lean, but apparently not lean enough…these guys had it on another level! Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed competing in the new division and think it’s great for guys that don’t want to be a bodybuilder, yet are too big and aren’t really the 170 lb fitness model type. I was humbled by the experience and am glad to compete with some great guys in the division that have awesome physiques, such as Stanley Adolf, Craig Capurso, Chris Villa and Dean Michael. I think I just covered the guys that placed top 5 in the show and they definitely deserved it and wanted to give them a shout.
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