"Publisher's Page" by Doug Schneider
Winston Johnson is Canada’s New Bodybuilding King
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 December 2011 01 December 2011
It was only last May that Winston Johnson stepped onto the stage at the IDFA Novice Classic and absolutely stunned the audience with his pro-level physique. He obviously won that competition. About two months later Winston earned pro status with the IDFA at the National Capital Classic held in Ottawa/Gatineau, Canada. Then one week after that he entered his first IDFA pro-level show, the International Championships, and it was there he came up against Erik Alstrup, one of the IDFA’s most accomplished competitors. It was a good onstage battle between the two topflight competitors with Winston winding up in second place. However, second place in his first pro show was quite an accomplishment for Winston, particularly against a guy like Alstrup. Plus, it served notice that he was a contender for the crown.
Winston took his second-place finish graciously and then declared that he’d be back to compete in the next IDFA pro show in the fall, the Pro Universe, because he had some “unfinished business.” Indeed! Then things went quiet until November 5, the date of the big event.
I’ve already written up what happened at that show in my article, “The 2011 IDFA Pro Universe Men’s Bodybuilding Championships,” that was published a couple of days after November 5, but it’s worth quickly reiterating here. In a nutshell, Erik and Winston had both improved, but Winston had improved a touch more and, therefore, unlike in the summer when Erik was the clear winner, here the two were neck and neck in the heavyweight class. Ultimately, it was Winston who was declared this time, and then moments later Winston defeated lightweight winner Stephan Smith to win the overall title.
In the spring of 2011 Winston competed as a novice, but by the fall he had won what is currently Canada’s top professional natural-bodybuilding title, thus making him the country’s new bodybuilding king. What an accomplishment!
So what’s next for Winston? Time will tell, but from what I can see, he’s young enough that I suspect we’ll see him back on the stage in 2012 and likely winning plenty more titles in future years. Of course, he won’t be alone out there. As I said, it was neck and neck between him and Alstrup at the Pro Universe, so I suspect there could be another showdown between these two greats next year in the IDFA or elsewhere. At the Pro Universe, I also noticed a greatly improved Oge Robin, who wound up in third place. Oge has what it takes to win a top title, as do other great pros such as SeriousAboutMuscle.com writer François Beauregard, who is vowing bigger and better things in 2012. Then there’s another member of the SeriousAboutMuscle.com writing staff who is also considered to be one of Canada’s greats: Denis Pedneault. Denis has never competed out of the CBBF/IFBB stream, but he’s made it known recently that he might be entering other competitions in 2012. Of course, there could also be someone else I’m not even thinking of, or don’t even know of yet, who will make their mark. Remember, no one in Canada had seen Winston compete before May, including myself.
Even though the 2011 season is only just now history, all eyes are on 2012 to see what surprises are in store and who the winners will be. What’s more, today there was a huge announcement – the new Physique Canada organization (www.PhysiqueCanada.ca) officially opened shop and is ready to put on some of the biggest and best natural bodybuilding events that this country has ever seen. The first competition is the National Classic to be held on June 16, 2012.
I’m pretty excited about Physique Canada and the potential it offers because I’m deeply involved in their media, marketing, and public relations. In my opinion, with the backing that Physique Canada has and the talent they currently have on board, they’ll be the number one physique organization in Canada by this time next year, and Canada’s new bodybuilding king for 2012 will be crowned on their stage. Of course, SeriousAboutMuscle.com will be there to cover it all! Without a doubt, 2012 will be an exciting year.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
"Real Information": Introducing "Kabia's Korner"
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 November 2011 01 November 2011
In February 2011, I wrote an article called “Real Athletes, Real Information!” The gist of that article was that you will be hard-pressed to find any real, tangible information about training, nutrition or anything else in the modern-day bodybuilding and fitness magazines. The articles in magazines nowadays seem mostly like filler information to satisfy the publications’ true purpose, being catalogues for supplement companies. In other words, the magazines exist to sell advertising pages for the dubious products many companies promote, not to truly service their readers. If you don’t believe me, just pick up any publication and try one of their training routines and see if it actually works. Or read an article about one of the athletes and see if you can glean any tangible information from that. Better yet, try one of the nutritional concoctions that the magazine promotes and see if it does anything at all. Finally, take a look at the ratio of advertising pages to editorial content, because if that doesn’t explain what's going on, nothing will. As I said in that article in February, at SeriousAboutMuscle.com our goal is to take the opposite approach.
That’s precisely why I don’t write for any of the bodybuilding and fitness magazines anymore, and have no further inclination to do so. Instead, I want to focus on improving SeriousAboutMuscle.com by constantly growing it and continuing to provide real information to our readers. That’s why I’m so pleased this month to add yet another regular column to our roster – “Kabia’s Korner,” which is being written by Al Kabia, the IDFA’s 2011 International Amateur Championships winner who is now an IDFA pro. I wrote about Al in an article called “New Faces: Al Kabia” in October. Al’s column will focus on how he trains and achieves his amazing shape naturally.
“Kabia’s Korner” is our fifth feature column – the other four are Denis Pedneault’s “Body Sculpting,” Francois Beauregard’s “Beauregard Blasts,” Erik Alstrup’s “The Edge,” and Steve Duperre’s “Steve Speaks Out.” The content in each of these columns has a different angle and each writer has a different approach that he takes with his writing to get his message across to the readers, but they all have one thing in common: they contain real information that’s very relevant for our readers. I wouldn't have it any other way.
“Kabia’s Korner” will begin on November 10, but Al Kabia is also featured in our “Iron Shot” monthly photo that you can see right now. On November 20, Steve Duperre’s article explaining the judging criteria for fitness modeling in the IDFA will be published in the "Steve Speaks Out" section. That article is the final instalment in a three-part feature about the judging processes he put into place in the IDFA. It's all real information that real people can use.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
New Faces: Al Kabia
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 September 2011 01 September 2011
Everyone knows the old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words. But how many words is a four-minute video worth?
I began to think about this as I sat down to write this article about Al Kabia, the amateur champion at the 2011 IDFA International Championships held on July 23 in Toronto. Al won the middleweight class and then went on to win the overall title, thus becoming the IDFA’s newest male pro.
The reason I was thinking about video and words was because I’d talked to Al and gathered a lot of information about him in order to write an article, but I’d also shot some great video footage of him at that show. So I asked myself: Should I write an article about him or make a video?
I quickly realized that the best thing would be to do both, since they can each provide a different perspective and give a more encompassing look at Al, this new star on the IDFA competitive scene – a guy with amazing potential who has what it takes to compete at a high level on their pro stage. The words in this article give some background on how Al came to compete at the International Championships, while the video gives insight into exactly what happened that day. So here you go, a little of both:
Al is 28 years old, 5’9” tall, and weighs between 185-190 pounds in the off-season. On the competition stage he’s around 170 pounds. Al is originally from the United States but now lives in Canada, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Ryerson University. His full-time work is as a mental health and addictions counsellor, but he is also a certified personal trainer and one of his goals is “to do personal training full-time and incorporate his educational background in his training because he believes that making a lifestyle change starts with training the mind.” Al says that he hopes to help awaken the internal motivation in people, which he believes is the first step in starting and maintaining change.
Growing up, Al was always involved in sports, particularly track and field, and football, but also basketball and squash recreationally. Bodybuilding came in the first year of university after he became tired of always being the “smallest brother.” He never left the gym and his favorite exercises soon became the preacher curls, chest presses, lunges, leg presses, wide-grip seated rows, and lat pulldowns. He started training with friends who were following a similar lifestyle, with three of them eventually competing and doing quite well. It was their success in competitions that prompted Al to try the stage as well.
Many athletes enlist a personal trainer to help prepare for a competition, but Al couldn’t afford to do so. So he educated himself and through trial and error learned precisely how his body would react to exercise and food in order to attain the physique he wanted. He nicknamed his new regime the “Triple-D Lifestyle,” which stands for discipline, dedication and determination.
Al Kabia wins the overall novice title at the 2010 IDFA World Championships.
(Heavyweight winner Marc Marcoccia is on the right.)
On November 6, 2010, Al stepped onto the IDFA stage for the very first time, winning the lightweight and overall titles which qualified him for the July 23 show (photo above). What transpired on July 23 is best shown in the video that can be found below:
Al’s future goals are to continue to promote natural bodybuilding and to compete professionally in the IDFA. He also wants to educate, inspire, encourage, and challenge others who are interested in living the “Triple D Lifestyle,” believing that we are all capable of attaining our optimum physical condition if made aware of our potential and given the tools to achieve it. According to Al, “There is no better reward to oneself than accomplishing a self-determined goal.” Obviously, that’s something Al has plenty of firsthand experience with, and if past performance is any indication of future success, we’ll be hearing plenty more from the IDFA’s newest star.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
What the Judges Are Looking For!
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 October 2011 01 October 2011
I’ve been involved in bodybuilding since the early ‘80s, so when I go to a competition I have a very good idea about how it’s being judged. That doesn’t mean I will always agree with the judges’ decisions, but I know what they’re supposed to be looking for.
But if you’re new to bodybuilding, either as a competitor or a fan, the judging process can seem quite confusing, particularly because it’s completely subjective. In other words, there are no stopwatches, measuring sticks, or other objective means to determine the winner. There are only the judges’ eyes, and what appears to some to be a vague set of rules the judges adhere to.
I’m not the only one who realizes that the judging can seem confusing; so does Steve Duperre, one of our regular contributors who is also a professional bodybuilding competitor with the IDFA, as well as their head judge. Being a competitor and a judge means Steve knows the process very well. And having been involved in bodybuilding for nearly as long as I have, Steve knows the confusion that can arise for new competitors and fans who often don’t know what the judges are looking for.
Physique judging is subjective, but there are definite rules and guidelines that judges adhere to.
That’s why we’re publishing two articles this month by Steve: one on the judging standards for men’s bodybuilding, the other on women’s figure. In November, we’ll publish one more segment on judging fitness modeling. These articles will give a high-level view of how the three disciplines are assessed by the judges, and, hopefully, they’ll show that the rules aren’t as vague as they sometimes seem. What’s more, head judges such as Steve take these rules seriously – the judges must not only adhere to them, they must answer to Steve as well. In the IDFA, judges are held accountable for the scores they give, and if they aren’t following the rules properly, they don’t judge anymore.
So even if you’re a new competitor or a fan, after reading Steve’s articles you should be able to go to a competition with a pretty good idea of what the judges are looking for. But even if you’re an experienced fan or competitor, I suggest that you, too, should read the articles – confusion doesn’t only occur with novices but with veterans as well, since even those who have been in the game for some time don’t always know all the rules. The bodybuilding article will be online October 10, the figure article on October 20. See you back here then!
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
The Champ: Erik Alstrup
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 August 2011 01 August 2011
Something big happened on July 23, 2011: Erik Alstrup celebrated his first professional win in the IDFA. But Erik’s victory didn’t come easy – close behind him was Winston Johnson, the IDFA’s newest pro, who quickly established himself as one of the most formidable competitors on the natural scene. (Winston earned pro status on July 16 at the IDFA National Capital Classic.) Behind Erik and Winston were Oge Robin and François Beauregard in a very close race for third and fourth places. Oge ended up third and François was fourth.
Despite the closeness of this contest, at the end of the day it was Erik Alstrup who became The Champ and, to my eyes, deserved the victory. Erik wasn’t quite as sharp definition-wise as he had been at some contests before, but he was close enough to his best-ever condition. He looked bigger than he’d ever been, and displayed overall and muscle-group balance that was best among the group.
His presentation was also a cut above the rest. The moment Erik stepped onto the stage, he looked like the winner, and most of the mandatory poses he hit backed that up. As always, when the posing routine came, Erik brought down the house with a rousing physique display. And when he was announced in first place, Erik not only accepted the first-place trophy with grace by congratulating his fellow competitors, he also stepped to the microphone and spoke to the audience, something few bodybuilders do well, if they can do it at all.
July 23 wasn’t the first time Erik won a big title – I emceed the event and called him “one of the ‘winning-est’ bodybuilders on the natural scene today,” meaning he’d won a lot of contests before. But I think this was one of his most important wins, because it was just over two years ago that Erik made his comeback to competitive bodybuilding after a ten-year hiatus, and it was on the IDFA stage. When I filmed Erik last year during his guest appearance at the 2010 IDFA Montreal Classic, one year after his comeback, he confessed that he didn’t think he would return to bodybuilding at all, given his experiences in the ‘90s. It was seeing the quality of natural bodybuilding on the IDFA’s stage that made him want to return.
Erik will compete next on August 20 at an event called “Cronus” in Stafford, Texas. This is the first time this competition is being held and it’s being billed as “The first multi-affiliated bodybuilding world championship.” What’s happening is that pro competitors from any natural federation in the world can apply to compete. There are a limited number of spots. Erik was one of the 12 or so who was accepted and will be on that stage trying for the title and the $10,000 first-place prize money.
Winning Cronus won’t be easy, but Erik has proven his ability to win many times before, and I have no doubt that he can take the top spot in Texas if he puts his mind to it and backs it up with the kind of physique he is capable of bringing there. But regardless of whether he wins or loses that competition, or any others he might go into in the future, Erik has proven himself to be a champion on the stage numerous times, and has also displayed it off the stage through his professional conduct as well as his candor and honesty.
My only hope now is that August 20 won’t be the last time we’ll see Erik on the competitive stage. The IDFA’s Pro Universe competition is on November 5, once again in Toronto, and that’s a title I’d also like to see Erik take home – and I’m sure he would too.
Left to right: Winston Johnson, Shaun Campbell, Erik Alstrup, Nadine Young, and Oge Robin
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.