marcus300 interviews Fireguy1



marcus300: Its a pleasure for me to do this interview Fireguy1 and first of all I would like to thank you for taking part. So where do you come from and what's it like living there?
Fireguy: My family moved quite a bit growing up (no my parents were not military). I went to 5 different Elementary schools and 3 different Junior Highs. My parents were very poor. I mean food stamp poor. Since then I have lived in the same town for the last 30 years.


marcus300: What are your current stats and are you happy with them?
Fireguy1: I am 5’10 and 215 and right at 10% bf right now. I am very happy with this as an off season look. My next 2 shows will be July of 2010 and I will be staying at this level of conditioning until then. No more coming down from 240lbs.



marcus300: When did you first start training and why did you start?
Fireguy1: I got a late start; I did not pick up a weight until I was 22 years old. I joined a gym to start playing racquetball. My first day there a friend talked me into lifting weights with him that day instead of playing racquetball. I became an instant addict. I started working out religiously and never did play another game of racquetball after my first workout.



marcus300: How long did you train before you started taking AAS and why did you decide to start taking them?
Fireguy1: I had 21 years of natural training prior crossing over to the dark side. My test levels had started to slowly decline over the years and after seeing an Endo I decided to do a trial run. I timed things to coincide with a show I planned on dieting for. I did 200mgs of Test E a week for 12 weeks and kicked in some low dose orals the last month. My competition weight went from 172 to 190. My current Avi is from that contest last year. I am quite sure I did not add 18 lbs of muscle but just that little bit helped me hold onto to muscle I already had while contest dieting.


marcus300: That is some natural foundation you got there 21yrs, what are your thoughts on guys hitting the juice within the first 2 yrs of training?
Fireguy1: I hear many guys talk about hitting your natural potential before starting and I think that is just crazy. The next guy who fulfils their natural potential will the first guy to do it. That said, there is so much muscle to be gained naturally the first 5 years of training I would never advocate anyone jump on with less experience than that. I was still making gains when I was 40 and was stronger than I was at 30.




marcus300; So do your cycles just consist of hrt dose testosterone and an oral or do you increase the dose?
Fireguy1: I had a dream that for my last show I upped the dose to 400mgs a week. In my dream I also ran about 250mgs of Deca for joint support and it was wonderful. There were no adverse sides and Mr Happy stayed happy during and after the Deca. In my dream I kicked in some Primo at 450mgs a week about 9 weeks out and cut back on the orals. There were no adverse sides and no AI’s or SERMS needed at this dose in my dream. If I were to have this dream again for another contest prep I would do everything the exact same way except I would start the Primo two weeks earlier.

In regards to dosages I am very happy with my size and don't plan or want to get much bigger. (I know that sounds terrible coming from a bodybuilder). I am close to the top end of the light heavyweight class and would need to put on 20-25lbs of solid muscle to move up to heavyweight. I have no desire to do what it would take to accomplish that. At this point in my life I am resigned to bringing up lagging body parts a bit but mostly focused on the conditioning aspect of things. I have a small frame and bone structure. When I first started training at 22 I was 168lbs and probably 18% bodyfat.



marcus300: I know you like taking part in competitions, how many comps have you entered and what placing have you had?
Fireguy1: I have competed 15 times and have 15 top 5 finishes but ZERO wins! (I don't our mixed pairs as a win for me). I have four 2nd places and seven 3rds. Funny thing, my lowest placing was a 5th place in 1999 but it was the best I ever looked.


Members question:what competition do you think you have looked your best and performed your best? And when and where did it take place?
Fireguy1: I did my fifth show in 1999, it was a Natural Competition and I think I weighed in at 169 lbs. I took 5th in that show (my worst placing ever) but it was by far the best conditioning I ever achieved. I still have pictures from it hanging in my office. I didn't do anything different prep wise just everything came together and peaked perfectly.


marcus300: I've been doing some digging and you live the bodybuilding lifestyle so much, that's a credit to you because I know how hard that can be, it takes alot of dedication and motivation to carry that through, well done!. Tell our readers what's it like in the Fireguy household with 2 bodybuilder's yourself and your partner's on a daily basis?
Fireguy1: Its actually really easy having both of us doing the same thing. We have contest dieted together now twice without any problems. Our grocery bill would make most people cringe though! We really are a team and having someone that can relate to the challenges of contest dieting/training is great. She has much more potential than I do competitively, if things go right you might see her at the USA’s or Nationals in 2010 doing some damage in the Lightweight Class.



marcus300: How long have you been with your wife and do you have any children?
Fireguy1: My wife and I have been together for about 3 years. I have two kids from a prior marriage ages 18 and 16. (Yes, I am old)


Members question: How did you meet your wife?
Fireguy1: I first saw her about 6-7 years ago at a bodybuilding show I was attending. She was competing in Figure and she won her class and the overall. I had no idea who she was at that time but I remember thinking she was smoking hot. A couple years later she came into the tanning salon I owned to get a spray tan prior to another show. I airbrushed her and we talked briefly but we were both in relationships. A couple years after that I was helping a buddy of mine prep for a show and she saw me working with him on his posing. She was two days out from her first bodybuilding show and asked if I would give her a hand as well. I spent about an hour helping her with her routine and mandataries (she would later admit that my posing style was so graceful she thought I might have been gay). A month after the show I came across her MySpace profile (friend of a friend) and noticed she was now “single”. I emailed her and congratulated her on the show. We went on our first date shortly after that and have never been apart since. It's funny because our paths crossed so many times over many years without ever getting to know each other. Then all a sudden the time was right it happened.


Members question:Did your wife compete prior to knowing you or was it something you got her into?
Fireguy1: See above. Funny story though. After we had been married about a year her mom flew down to visit us. She came downstairs from our house and said “Where did all those trophies come from?” The wife says, “they belong to him”. She says, “Oh, I feel terrible now, I have been telling all my friends back home that he loves you so much he even started working out himself since he met you”.


marcus300: How old are you?
Fireguy1: Just turned 44 last week.


marcus300: Why did your first marriage end?
Firegyuy1: About 8 years into our marriage we were having some major difficulties. My priorities were in order, my career, our business, bodybuilding and then our marriage. She was pretty much a stay at home mom that was craving attention and wasn't getting it from me. I intercepted a phone message one day from a Dr confirming an appointment. Come to find out it was for an abortion. Considering I had a vasectomy a few years earlier this was obviously a cold bowl of chili for me to say the least. She admitted to having an affair and ended up having the abortion two days later. For the next 6 years I tried to make things work but I even though I was able to forgive her I had all respect for our marriage and ended up having a couple indiscretions of my own following this. We are both remarried now and both much happier.

I learned a very valuable lesson from that. At the risk of sounding like Dr Phil, marriage and relationships take work, lots and lots of work. As much as I am into my career and bodybuilding my marriage now comes first. My wife subscribes to this principle as well. We argue and have our moments just like any other couple we are each other's priority. I did not realise this in my younger days. I thought things just took care of themselves. A relationship is a lot like bodybuilding. You get out of it exactly what you put into it.

marcus300: Do you and your current wife fancy any children in the near future?
Fireguy1: Not a chance! We love the fact we can take off to Vegas or Mexico on a moments notice.




marcus300: What's your drug use been like with regards to AAS? and have you ever taken any rec drugs along the way?
Fireguy1:Never tried or experimented with anything recreational. Never even taken a puff of a cigarette. Both of my brothers had drug issues and I knew that was something I never wanted any part of.

Members question: How long do you plan on competing for?
Fireguy1: Until I met Mrs Fireguy I really thought I was done. I had taken a 3 year hiatus from the stage and just figured the lifestyle was too strenuous to ever have a good relationship. Working out, dieting and competing is more enjoyable for me now that at any prior time in my life. I don't see myself stopping competing anytime soon. Some of the shows in my area even have Over 70 classes. As long as I can wear posing trunks and not "Depends" I will probably be on stage.

Members question:You mentioned that you used to let your weight increase a fair amount off season, but recently decided not to let your bf go that high. Has it helped you prep or do you see any differences in your body at show time?
Fireguy1: I have bulked twice in my life. The first time was after my first show in 1993 and the last time was last year. Both times I gained exactly 50 lbs and both times I came in 2lbs heavier the next year when I stepped on stage. Gaining 50 to lose 48 just isn't worth it. I think having to diet longer and harder due to the extra bulk causes you to sacrifice more muscle than staying lean year round as I normally do and am doing now. I think the average member would do best to try and gain 3-5lbs of muscle per year which is very doable and you dont have to get fat doing it. Plus as I get older the health aspects become more important to me as well.

marcus300: What are your hobbies outside bodybuilding and how do you relax?
Fireguy1: My wife and I travel quite a bit. We hit Mexico and Vegas often. As far as hobbies, I am a muscle car enthusiast and used to race ¼ mile back in the day. I currently own a 1968 442 convertible with a factory 4 speed. I also enjoy playing golf (I suck) and am a pro football fanatic.

Members question: What are your most annoying habits?
Fireguy1: Oh god, how many can I list? I correct peoples grammar mid sentence.My 45lbs plates always have to be facing numbers inward. I will un-rack the entire leg press just to turn one of them around.I am constantly doing something with my phone, checking email, checking football scores, checking stock quotes, texting ect. Per my wife, I put the silverware in the dishwasher upside down and leave hair stubble in the shower. She says she could keep going but I said two is enough.




marcus300: What do you do for a living?
Fireguy1:I am a public servant, dont want to go into anymore detail, thanks.


marcus300: Your always down in the diet section helping steer newbies in the right direction and designing new diets, ive read alot of your posts and learnt alot, what as been the biggest influence on your body regarding diet/foods what you could share with us?
Fireguy1:I was fortunate enough to be mentored by a competitor with over 100 shows under his belt and more degrees in exercise and nutrition than I can count. He really started me out in the right direction and eliminated years of trial and error that others go through. I have every diet I have ever done written down on paper or on a spreadsheet. Each day has macros for each meal along with bodyweight, cardio and a narrative on how I am feeling/looking that day. It is really useful tool. My body responds better to carbs as an energy source as opposed to fats. I know keto is the popular method to cut these days but for me carbs are what works best.

marcus300: What does a typical daily diet look like for you in the off season?
Fireguy1: I stay right around 3000 calories a day. My protein intake is dropped a bit and my carb intake is higher. I am around 300g Protein, 300g Carbs and maybe 70g of Fat. I still eat 7 times a day although off season 2-3 of these meals is in the form of a protein shake. My last meal of the day is almost always a protein shake. Yes, the dreaded protein shake at night, I know some members must be surprised I have an ounce of muscle left as eating anything other than beef or casein at night will send you into a severe state of catabolism. Just as doing AM or PWO cardio chews through all of your hard earned muscle. Sarcasm noted I hope…



Members question: What are your weakness foods?? meaning foods you truly crave when dieting or in general fav foods?
Fireguy1: I have found I have way more cravings when I am not dieting than when I am dieting. When I get dialled in 14-16 weeks out, it's very rare that I get any sort of craving. I can honestly say I have never cheated during any contest diet. Off season is a different story. I am an ice cream junkie. If ice cream is in the house off season, I will eat it.


marcus300: What would you say are the fundamentals of this sport we should follow?
Fireguy1: In one word, consistency. It takes years of proper eating and training to develop a great physique. One of the common characteristics of people not making progress is “Training on and off” and lacking diet discipline for periods of time.



marcus300: What's the most precious advice you could give any newbie starting out?
Fireguy1: Be a student of the sport. That is why I had/have so much respect for guys like Reed, Bino, Muscle Science, and Nark. Read and learn and then read and learn some more.




marcus300: What kind of training program do you follow?
Fireguy1: I train 1 bodypart per week. Rep range is usually in the 8-20 range. My joints talk to me if I go any heavier these days. I still do mostly basic exercises. The squat rack is still my favourite place in the gym. (plus there is never a line to use it)



marcus300: Lets get of the subject of bodybuilding for a moment, on a personal level what as been your biggest achievement in life so far and what was the worse time you can think of?
Fireguy1: By far my biggest achievement has been my career. I have managed to excel and move upward in a very competitive environment. I have had a couple of successful business ventures as well that I am proud of. I did make the cover of a National Calendar too a few years back. That is something I can brag about and show the grandkids. The worse time by far was going through my divorce. I knew I was making the right decision but it turned my kids life upside down for a few years.


marcus300: What would make your world complete?
Fireguy1: Well a 1st place trophy would be on the list somewhere! In all seriousness I live a very blessed life. I guess seeing my kids apply the principles I have tried to pass down to them and be successful would be all I could ask for.


marcus300: How would you describe your personality?
Fireguy1: Intense, motivated, optimist, private. I am very particular about who I socialise with but love my close friends to death. I am not a fan of crowds. It takes quite a bit to make me angry but when it happens it can take a whole week before I calm down and am in a good mood again.


Members question: What is the most proudest moment of your life??
Fireguy1: I would have to say when Mrs Fireguy (I promise I refer to her by name in real life) won the Overall award earlier this year. 16 weeks of getting up together at 4am for cardio. Hundreds of hours training together in the gym and practising posing. Cooking each other's meals when one of us had to work late or had other things going on. It was a total team effort and to watch her get rewarded for all the hard work she put in was one of the most satisfying feelings I ever had.



marcus300; What would you change about this board if you could?
Fireguy1: I wish people would stop trying to make others look stupid just because they might know something someone else doesn't. I wish we had more healthy debates but too often people become argumentative whenever someone has a different point of view than their own. I would love to see more guys on here get into the competitive side of the sport. The difference between working out and eating right and actually competing is like the difference hitting golf balls on a driving range and actually playing the golf course.

marcus300: What one thing would you change about your past if you could?]
Fireguy1: I would have waited longer to get married. I was in my mid 20’s when I did and looking back that was way too early. I was still immature in many facets and my conflict resolution skills were lacking as well. It's amazing how many of the same relationship challenges I/we face now but the outcome is so much better due to maturity and learning from past mistakes and applying that lesson. The most powerful knowledge I ever received was at a leadership seminar a couple years back. The speaker was talking about self empowerment. He stated a very simple formula which believe in 100%.

Event(20%) +Reaction (80%)=Outcome.

Simply put, we all too often blame “events” for our situations when in reality it's how we respond to these events that really have the most influence in the outcome.

marcus300: 3 wishes, what would you wish for?
Fireguy1: Can you believe this is the toughest question for me to answer! I literally keep coming back to it and can't come up with an answer. Since world peace and money are so cliché I will say.

1- A Miami Dolphin Super Bowl Win in the next three years.
2- People would stop wearing cut up t-shirts in the gym with arm holes cut all the way to the waist band.
3- That my joints and tendons would never hurt again and I could train with reckless abandon like I did 10 years ago.