Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Nutrition, Products & Supplements Info => Topic started by: TK on May 01, 2011, 11:32:10 PM
-
Cool interview on Rich Gaspari of Gaspari Nutrition from QMI Agency
He no longer pumps the prodigious poundage he once did in his bodybuilding heyday.
The freakish muscularity he displayed on the posing dais in the 1980s and early '90s is but a distant memory, poignantly retained only in old photographs.
But 15 years after hanging up his posing trunks, former Mr. Universe Rich Gaspari still has the same passion for training and nutrition.
The 47-year-old New Jersey native also still has a chiseled midsection.
"I still have abs," he says proudly in an exclusive interview with QMI Agency.
Gaspari -- a three-time runner-up for the Mr. Olympia, the most coveted title in pro bodybuilding -- has been running a successful supplement company for the past decade called Gaspari Nutrition.
The five-foot-nine bodybuilder-turned-businessman weighs in at a solid 215 pounds these days -- only about 15 pounds lighter than his musclebound competition weight.
"I have to keep myself in shape because I represent my brand," he explains, noting the mirror remains his most important gauge.
"I don't go by the scale. I go by the mirror. I want to make sure I always can see my ab muscles."
The former Mr. America, affectionately known as the Dragon Slayer because he managed to beat nearly every other competitor of his era despite his genetic shortcomings, is now devoted to helping others reach their fitness goals.
With that in mind, Gaspari offers busy Keeping Fit readers the following five conditioning and nutrition tips:
Tip No. 1 -- Have a healthy breakfast.
It's not called the most important meal of the day for nothing, says Gaspari.
"You should always eat breakfast because it kick-starts your metabolism right from the start (of the day) and that's really important," he notes.
Gaspari typically has a protein shake with a scoop of natural peanut butter and some fruit before he heads to the office.
Other options: boiled eggs with whole wheat toast, or oatmeal with yogurt.
Tip No. 2 -- Plan your meals.
Planning your meals enables you to stay away from processed foods containing unhealthy ingredients such as white flour and refined sugar.
"A lot of busy people go to fast-food restaurants and they don't really watch what they eat," he says. "It isn't that hard if you just plan ahead."
For Gaspari, planning ahead usually means cooking up a few days worth of chicken (or turkey) and brown rice a couple times a week.
He packs it up in meal-sized portions, which he takes to work, along with veggies, fruit, certain nuts and yogurt.
Tip No. 3 -- Eat small meals frequently throughout the day.
Instead of three square meals, Gaspari prefers to eat six smaller ones.
"By eating smaller meals throughout the day, it actually speeds up your metabolism," he says. "The biggest problem is people don't eat (for long periods) or they just eat one or two meals a day."
Tip No. 4 -- Make time to go to the gym -- no matter what.
Gaspari hears that tired ol' refrain far too many times from far too many people: "But I don't have time."
You gotta make time, says Gaspari, even if it's just 30 minutes.
For him, making time often means getting up 90 minutes earlier so he can fit in a morning workout.
He does a variety of exercises, focusing on different muscles each day. Each set is taken to failure.
"I'll do the weight until I can't do it anymore," he explains. "Training a muscle to failure is what's going to make you basically build your body. Your body doesn't know the weight. The body knows failure. And when you go to failure, it's going to build up."
In addition to weights, Gaspari also does cardiovascular training, opting for the recumbent bike, treadmill or stair stepper.
Tip No. 5 -- If you absolutely cannot find time to work out, find ways to be more active during your day.
Whether it's parking the car farther from the entrance or refusing to take the elevator, Gaspari says there are plenty of ways to implement exercise into your day.
It doesn't matter what it is -- just do it.
"Sitting around doing nothing is the worst thing to do," he says
http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_news_details.asp?news_id=31793&news_channel_id=44&channel_id=44
-
Blah blah, same shit I tell all my clients. Nothing ground breaking here