I want to take a minute to let everyone know that I've decided to make some changes to my pre-contest preparation for the 2009 NY Pro. A few weeks ago I made the decision to work with Oscar Ardon. I met Oscar back in 2006 when he trained Desmond the year he beat me at Nationals. We have always been friendly but it wasn't until I finally had the chance to speak with him and hear what his approach was about that I became interested in working with him. I feel confident in my decision and look forward to the end result.
That being said, I want to set the record straight before rumors start or people begin to develop their own "theories" as to why I am now working with Oscar. First, I want to say that I am very grateful to Dave Palumbo for all the guidance he has given me and all the advice he has shared. Simply put, I learned a lot from Dave. I saw firsthand that his appraoch and his application of a ketogenic diet can be very effective. With Dave's approach and with his guidance I was able to turn pro very early on and I feel very fortunate to have achieved the level of success that I have in such an efficient manner. I learned a lot about bodybuilding but also about myself as a person. Dave is an incredibly intelligent individual and is someone who I consider a good friend.
Second, I want to state that the decision to work with Oscar was entirely my own. Right now, I feel as though I am getting ready for the most important show of my life. I feel that this show will be what sets the tone for me as a professional. Again, I know Dave is an incredibly capable indvidual and I have seen firsthand that his diet can be effective. However, I feel that at this level I need to bring something different to the stage. I know that I need to be bigger, fuller, more conditioned, and just more impressive overall. Knowing this, it is my fear that if I were to take the same approach as in the past, it would not be enough. I know that there is a difference between being an great amateur and a great pro. Simply put, I felt that in order to come into this show at my best, I needed to take a different approach. This applies to my training, my dietting, my cardio, and my mental state.
I know that many will speculate that this change on my part was due to the recent changes that have occured here at MD. I assure you that is not the case. No one has ever tried to tell me who I should or shouldn't work with. In fact, Steve did not even know that I was working with Oscar until a day or two ago. Dave has complete respect for the fact that I am an MD athlete and Steve respects the fact that Dave is my friend.
But to be honest, this is not about Steve or Dave. This about me and doing whatever I feel I need to do to be the best pro bodybuilder I can be. Steve is my boss and Dave is my friend. Naturally, what is most important to me (being the best I can be) is most important to them as well.
In closing, I want to say that I have seen a lot of talk back and forth about MD and Dave and John etc etc. I want to people to realize that while there are numerous forums, publications, etc etc etc. there is only one bodybuilding community. Like it or not, we're all a part of the same thing. I, as a bodybuilder, feel extremely fortunate to have the kind of support that I have. Many guys have told me to watch out because people are going to want to see you fail or that people are jealous or that they will talk shit behind your back. Maybe I'm just naive but I have never felt that way. I've always felt that everyone from my family to my girlfriend to her family to my friends to the owners of my gym to the people who work out at my gym to the people at my grocery store and everyone in between has always wanted to see me succeed! And I have been blessed with the best family, girlfriend, friends, fans and supporters! I appreciate everyone, no matter what site they post on, what magazine they read or where they come from. Like I said before, I would like to think bodybuilding is much bigger than that. No one person, company, or entity is so big that they ARE bodybuilding. On that note, I want to say thank you to EVERYONE out there who supports bodybuilding.
Know that in 5 weeks I will be the absolute best I can be!
