"Publisher's Page" by Doug Schneider
A New Site, A New Focus
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 March 2010 01 March 2010
If you’re a regular reader of SeriousAboutMuscle.com, you probably noticed that about a month ago we launched a brand-new version of the site. The old one was, well, getting old. It was certainly time for a change.
With that site change came a new writer, champion IDFA bodybuilder Erik Alstrup, as well as some new stuff such as the videos. We’ll be adding more writers, new videos, and other features as time goes on. We’ll also be adding in some of the old, archived content from the original site, because there was a lot of valuable information that deserves to be here but hasn’t been transferred yet.
But there’s something new this month that, at first glance, might not seem apparent. It’s this: Our focus is changing and we’re making a concerted effort to highlight natural bodybuilding and Canadian-based organizations like the IDFA. Our cover this month features Dickens Lambert, the IDFA’s 2009 Pro Universe champion. (There's another picture of him below that was taken at an autograph signing at an IDFA event in Montreal.) IDFA stands for International Drug Free Athletics; they are the leading natural organization in the country and the only one to offer pro-level shows.
This slant to natural bodybuilding is not new – we’ve always had that bias – but now it’s even more so. The reason for this comes from my own experience in having seen the destruction drugs wreak, not just in bodybuilding, but in all sports. That destruction happens in many different ways.
There’s the physical destruction drugs cause – the harmful, sometimes deadly, side effects that drug abuse can have. The bodybuilding press often downplays the harm, but I’ve seen the opposite be true. Having covered the scene intensely for ten years, I’ve met plenty of people who have damaged their liver and kidneys, turned their skin to pock-marked leather, lost hair, altered the bones in their face and joints, and done other irreparable damage. I've never witnessed anyone die in the short-term from drug abuse (in the longer term, it's a different story), but I've seen two come close. One person had a heart attack, the other went into a coma. Why people will take such risks to compete is beyond me.
Dickens Lambert
Then there’s the mental destruction. Some people will tell you that ‘roid rage isn’t real. But I’ve seen enough testosterone-injected blowhards with blood pressure that’s sky-high who snap over the slightest of things. I assure you, it is very real. I’ve also seen the mood swings, the lapses into depression, and the unsightly changes in personalities when people are on steroids. One former pro bodybuilder said to me: "Drugs amplify your worst characteristics and bring out none of your best."
Finally, there’s the destruction of an athletic career that a drug scandal can cause. One just has to witness the outcome of what happened to Marion Jones and Ben Johnson when their drug use was uncovered to know how fast a career can get shattered. Once gone, it never returns.
About 25 years ago, the late, great trainer Vince Gironda said to me in his gym, "Once drugs come in, all knowledge is lost." What he was referring to was the fact that when one starts down the path of using drugs, the training and the nutrition become secondary to the kind of drugs you're on. That's because the impact of drugs on the physique is enormous, and there’s no question that there’s a night-and-day difference in the size of the men at drug-free competitions versus non-drug-free competitions. In the natural professional ranks, you’re lucky to find one guy who is 200 pounds; in the non-natural ranks, you’re lucky to find a guy who’s less than that. But at what cost?
The decision one makes on whether to use drugs or not is, of course, their own. For me, the decision to focus on natural bodybuilding from here on in is also my own, but when I consider the things I have witnessed over the last ten years, I believe it’s the right one.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
Shooting Stars! In the Gym with Canada’s Best Competitors
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 April 2010 01 April 2010
Being involved in the fitness industry the way I am affords me opportunities few others get. One opportunity is to shoot photos of Canada’s best physique competitors, oftentimes when they’re working out. It’s not just interesting to do, but it is also an opportunity to learn their "secrets" and to see firsthand how they train.
I photographed and videotaped Mindi O'Brien in 2006 when she was just three weeks out from the Fitness International competition that's part of the Arnold Sports Festival. Another example is the photoshoot I did with Ben Pakulski last year. Ben is the 2008 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Champion who is now competing as an IFBB pro. I shot Ben just 12 days before he made his pro debut at the 2009 IFBB Europa Super Show and placed third. Last year, I also got to shoot Denis Pedneault as he trained just three weeks before he placed fourth at the 2009 IFBB Men’s World Bodybuilding Championships. Shooting these competitors just before their big competitions is fascinating.
My most recent photoshoot happened on March 28, 2010, in Montreal, Quebec. It was with Dickens Lambert and Mymuna Nasrin, two of Canada’s best competitors. Dickens is the IDFA’s reigning Pro Universe champion (2009) and Mymuna is a top-ranked figure and bikini competitor who just placed third in her class at the 2010 IFBB Arnold Amateur Bikini Championships. You can see one of the shots I took of them training below. There’s another in the "Iron Shots" section for April.
The photos can convey quite a bit about the look and feel of what it’s like to be there, but they obviously can’t tell the entire story. It’s simply a moment in time. As a result, people who know I do this kind of work often ask me what it’s like to actually watch these people train and, of course, they usually want to know what it is about their training that helps to create their amazing physiques. Is there something they know that others don't?
The answer isn’t easy and I can only say this to people who ask me: There’s not one particular thing that you can single out in their training that can be attributed to their success. The fact is, everyone I’ve photographed trains differently, using what they feel are the best exercises for them, and with whatever set-and-rep scheme suits them best. There is obviously more than one way to skin a cat. People who think there’s "one right way to train" should probably rethink that idea. I've also never seen someone train and do something unique only to them. Everyone I've photographed uses well-known training methods that have been used for decades.
But when push comes to shove and someone really wants to know if there is one thing common in the training for everyone I’ve photographed, I can say this: They all exhibit a certain intensity in their training that makes other people working out appear as if they’re simply standing around. In other words, they train harder and with far better focus than the average person in the gym. Mymuna and Dickens exhibited these traits when I shot them on March 28. They didn’t just lift weights for the sake of doing so – they attacked the weights with a sense of purpose and determination that signaled that they were doing more than simply working out. Gym time isn’t playtime for these champs; the best competitors train with a higher purpose in mind, displaying effort and intensity with each rep and set that most others simply can’t match. Frankly, that shouldn’t surprise anyone – it’s the hardest workers who usually get the furthest ahead.
Bodybuilding photoshoots allow me glimpses into places that most folks never see, and it’s taught me firsthand what it takes to become a champ. You will continue to see some of these pictures that I shoot, here on SeriousAboutMuscle.com as well as in magazines I contribute to, such as Inside Fitness. Photographing these physique stars as they work in the gym is work I enjoy doing and plan to continue with in the months and years to come. It’s an opportunity few others have and I don’t want to waste it.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
2009 Canadian Bodybuilders of the Year, Part One: Erik Alstrup
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 December 2009 01 December 2009
Starting this month, I will write a series of articles that will feature three Canadian bodybuilders who, I believe, deserve recognition this year. The first will be Erik Alstrup, whom I saw compete twice in 2009.
Alstrup’s name might be familiar to those who knew the Canadian bodybuilding scene in the ‘90s. He won the Canadian Bodybuilding Championships in 1998 as a heavyweight, which earned him an IFBB Pro Card, and he competed in one pro show, the 2009 IFBB Toronto Pro Invitational. But that was his only pro show; after that, he disappeared from the competitive bodybuilding scene.
Earlier this year, I was at the IDFA’s Natural Novice Classic in Toronto, taking pictures in the front row, when Erik tapped me on the shoulder and introduced himself. He’s now in his late thirties. We talked for a bit, and he told me that after 1999 he basically became disillusioned with pro bodybuilding and turned to other sports, including triathlons and marathons. (He says he participated in over 50 triathlons and 20 marathons!) Hence, the disappearance. However, he was now looking to make a bodybuilding comeback and he was encouraged to see an organization like the IDFA, which only promotes drug-free shows, operate so successfully in Canada. If he was going to make a comeback, it would be on a "natural" bodybuilding stage.
And that’s what happened. Alstrup turned up at the IDFA’s Montreal Classic in June weighing about 180 pounds – considerably lighter than in the ‘90s. But he still looked great and he won the show convincingly. That win earned him an IDFA Pro Card, something most people would accept in a heartbeat. But he didn’t. This was his first contest in over a decade and, from what I understand, he wanted to get more experience before moving up the ladder again. As a result, he showed up at the IDFA’s Toronto Classic in July and competed in their amateur division. Once again, he won the overall title and, because of his amazing physique and showmanship, he was the real star of the show despite the abundance of high-quality competitors there. After this show, though, he accepted the pro status.
Alstrup at the 2009 IDFA Montreal Classic on June 27.
Alstrup competed twice more in 2009, both times in November. The first was as an IDFA pro in their Pro Universe competition in Toronto. He came in second to the IDFA’s reigning champ, Dickens Lambert. The next time was at the UFE Nationals which he won. (UFE is another Canadian organization that offers drug-tested events.) Unfortunately, because I was booked for other competitions that month, I couldn’t see him compete at either event. However, I did see pictures from both competition and, no surprise, Alstrup looked fantastic again. In fact, from what I can tell, he’s never looked bad.
Obviously, one of the reasons I’m singling Alstrup out is because of his competitive record – no other Canadian competitor has made a comeback that’s as impressive as his has been this year. A couple more reasons have to do with his physique and the fact that he knows how to display it. Alstrup possesses great shape, excellent symmetry, and razor-sharp definition, and he poses better than anyone else I’ve seen competing this year. When he’s on the stage, he owns it – you can’t help but watch him when he’s up there.
Another reason has to do with his mindset. I talked to Erik for almost an hour before he went onstage in Montreal. At one point in the conversation, though, he politely excused himself and told me that he had to "get ready." Of course, that meant putting on his tan, oiling himself up, and then working his muscles to get a pump. But it also meant something more – getting his mind in competition mode. At both of the contests where I saw him compete, I watched him from a distance backstage and can attest to the fact that when this guy gets ready to go on the stage, he prepares his mind like he prepares his body – no doubt, one of the reasons he can effectively participate in marathons and triathlons. In the moments before he actually steps on the stage, he seems to be in a world of his own. I’ve watched plenty of competitors get ready to go onstage, but I’ve seen only a handful who use their mind as much as they use their muscles when they’re competing. Alstrup is one of those few.
The final reason is, perhaps, the most compelling – how he conducts himself off the stage. I found him to be nothing but courteous and respectful toward everyone at the competition, even toward his fellow competitors. What’s more, at one contest a competitor in his class fell ill while on the stage. The first to rush to his rescue was Alstrup, who led him off the stage and ensured he got proper medical treatment. Not only that, Alstrup stayed around long afterwards to ensure that this competitor, whom he didn’t even know, would be fine. Unique? Unfortunately, in bodybuilding, it is.
In the last ten years, I’ve been to many competitions where contestants have fallen ill. But, until that show, I had yet to see one competitor rush to the aid of another. In fact, most just stand there when something happens, seemingly concerned only with themselves. What I saw from Alstrup was something quite different and, ultimately, something extremely impressive. If only more competitors could act that way.
Alstrup at the 2009 IDFA Toronto Classic on July 11.
Alstrup has a great physique along with the skill and ability to show it off, and he has the mindset that helps him to compete at the highest levels. These attributes alone makes him a winner, but his conduct off the stage as well is that of a true champion.
The qualities Erik Alstrup possesses are rare, and they make him one of the three great Canadian bodybuilders that we wish to recognize this year for their outstanding abilities and achievements. Stayed tuned for my articles in January and February to find out who the next two are.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.
2009 Canadian Bodybuilders of the Year, Part Two: Ben Pakulski
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Created: 01 January 2010 01 January 2010
This three-part series of articles recognizes three Canadian bodybuilders for their outstanding achievements in 2009. Last month, I wrote about Erik Alstrup, the overall winner of the 1997 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships, who only ever competed once as an IFBB Pro. After that . . . he disappeared. More or less, anyway; in fact, Erik went on to pursue other sporting activities. In 2009, Erik made one of the most impressive and memorable competitive bodybuilding comebacks I have ever seen, winning two IDFA shows (the Montreal Classic and Toronto Classic) in addition to the UFE Nationals. The bodybuilder I’m writing about this month made one of the most impressive debuts ever by a Canadian. He is Ben Pakulski.
I first saw Ben compete at the 2006 OPA Ontario Championships and, frankly, I wasn’t all that impressed even though he won the overall title and became the 2006 Ontario Men’s Bodybuilding Champion. His leg development was mindboggling, but his upper body was lacking. At the time, he had too many body-part imbalances that I never thought that he’d be able to overcome to go to the top. Little did I know that Ben was just starting out and that he’d make me eat my words.
In the next two years, Ben made some amazing improvements to his physique that resulted in his fast rise in the amateur ranks. Ben took second in the super-heavyweight class at both the 2007 and 2008 IFBB North American Championships, and he won the 2008 CBBF Canadian Championships, which earned him an IFBB Pro Card. These improvements speak well for Ben’s work ethic and, also, for his ability to recognize that in order to get ahead, you have to continue to improve, year after year.
Pakulski's calf development is insane!
I saw Ben compete at both North American events, but I never saw him win the Canadians. The next time I saw Ben was in the summer of 2009 when he was just 12 days out from making his pro debut at the IFBB Tampa Pro Championships. Ben allowed me to follow him around the gym to photograph his two workouts that day. From the first moment I saw him I knew he’d improved greatly yet again. In fact, even 12 days out, he looked stage-ready and I could tell that he was raring to make his mark – which he did.
Ben placed third in Tampa, which is a phenomenal finish for a first-timer in the IFBB’s highly competitive professional ranks. Placing in the top three also qualified him for the 2009 Mr. Olympia – a competition many dream of competing in but few ever get to. This stellar performance also catapulted this relatively unknown Canadian into the limelight south of the border. After making the top three in his first pro show, bodybuilding fans in the States now know his name and Muscular Development signed him to a contract. Ben is now officially on his way to becoming the next big thing.
Ben chose to sit out the 2009 Olympia, which didn’t surprise me. When I photographed him he told me that he had no intention of stepping on the Olympia stage for at least a year or two. Instead, he wants to wait and take time to improve even more – Ben is wise enough to realize that if he wants to be a force in the IFBB’s professional ranks, not just another face and physique, he still needs to improve much more. Seeing firsthand how Ben has improved from 2006, I have no doubt that he can improve that much again; he has the opportunity to become Canada’s greatest IFBB Pro ever.
In the last three years, Ben has made amazing upper-body gains.
Erik Alstrup made an inspiring comeback and Ben Pakulski made an amazing debut. These are two men who achieved something special in 2009 and will be remembered for their achievements for years to come. Next month, I’ll finish off this series by writing about the third and final person to be recognized in our "Bodybuilders of the Year" series. Check back on February 1 to find out who it is.
. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.