My concept and philosophy regarding bodybuilding reflect my life and my experiences. For most people, however, bodybuilding is boiled down to lifting weights and eating healthy on occasion, usually infrequently, but it is so much more than that.

I believe instead that it is a way of life as well as a philosophy. It grants people the idea that they can accomplish something and that having faith and believing in something can be life-altering. I also think that people’s misconception of bodybuilding and health denies them the ability to see that knowing your own body, keeping in touch with your brain and your muscles, and giving it the importance it deserves is imperative.

Understanding the mechanics of your body—your bones, muscles, nervous system, digestive system, hormones, and genetics—is a science.

Since I was young, I have been an athlete. My beginnings are in practicing judo, which I was talented in; I never lost a match, even in practice or contest. I then fell in love with the combat sport after discovering Bruce Lee, falling in love with his philosophy, which went hand-in-hand with the sport. This introduction to Lee’s philosophy was awe-inspiring for me and had a massive impact on my life and my love for fitness and bodybuilding. Lee’s belief that we are like water and we have to adapt to the shape of the glass we are in has had a lasting impact on me.

The philosophy that it is important for us as people to adapt to the situation in which we are in instead of running from the challenge. For that reason, I also grant a lot of my inspiration to my interest in history, namely the ancient Greek Spartans and their rigorous and gritty philosophy. The Spartans were of the firm belief that one must never go back, only forward, to never turn your back on your opponent in fear, and that their higher purpose was one of service to their people, ingrained in their psyche from a young age in their endurance training. I similarly revere the prominent Greek philosopher, Socrates, who is credited with the philosophy that it is a “shame for a man to grow old without knowing the beauty and strength of which their body is capable.”

When I began my weightlifting journey, I was sixteen years old. My reason for beginning my lifelong devotion to fitness is credited to my skill as a fighter, though I was much smaller than any of my other colleagues, weighing around 115 pounds. What I realized is that this made me an easier target, finding that people would be more willing to fight someone smaller than they. For that reason, I made the consequent realization that the more muscle you have, the less interested others will be in fighting you, for the fear of your physical appearance which they associate with great strength. And so, I began lifting weights and fell in love with the sport.

I saw older people, or sometimes people who were not old at all, who had not taken proper care of their bodies, lacking muscle and agility, and decided I would never look like that and would do everything in my power to avoid it.

Some of my idols in bodybuilding include Mike Mentzer, an American bodybuilder whose mentality, approach to bodybuilding, and concept of the sport influenced my way of thinking. Dorian Yates, a disciple of Mentzer, is also an idol of mine and is one I credit with impacting my program and philosophy. However, the influence of these bodybuilders is merely part of my approach, taking aspects of their concepts and creating one of my own, something much better.

One other misconception that I oppose strongly is the idea that to make any physical progress in the gym, one must work themselves to the bone, doing an excess of cardio and starting strange diets. Weightlifting is better for your heart as well as for burning fat, compared to cardio, usually overdone in an effort to achieve what lifting weights could.

After reading this, I hope that you will be able to have a better understanding of my philosophy and will be able to see what I can do for you with my qualifications.

Read More