marcus300 interviews cgb6810


marcus300: Where abouts in the world do you live and have you always lived there?
cgb6810: I live in the United States, in the State of Michigan, near Grand Rapids. I was born here and will probably die here.

marcus300: Do you come from a big family,are you married and do you have any children?
cgb6810: I have an older brother and an older sister. I had a younger sister but she was killed after being hit by a car while walking along side the road. I was 8 yrs old when that happened. My parents married young, right out of high school and they're still married to this day. I also married young, at 20 yrs old, and am still married to the same woman after 27 years. Some good years, some bad. My wife and I have a 23 yr old daughter and 19 yr old son. My son is a regular on this board as well; Alexisthrowed.

marcus300: How did the death of your sister effect you at such a young age?
cgb6810:It was very surreal, I had a hard time understanding what had happened. I never cried even though I loved my younger sister. One thing it did do was cause me to become an overprotective parent. While my daughter was young, I was preoccupied with her every move. At this point I don't think it has an effect on my life anymore.

marcus300: What are your currents stats?
cgb6810: Im prepping for the Masters Nationals right now, and have come down from my off season weight of 260lbs to 232 lbs. Im 5'8" tall. At just over 7 weeks left I still have about 15 lbs to lose or so. I could still see my abs (in the right light) at 260 but had a pretty bad case of moon face.

marcus300: How old are you?
cgb6810:47

marcus300: What do you do for a living?
cgb6810I: own a small commercial roofing company. I have a crew of 6 employees and we travel around the Midwest installing roof systems. Im busy from Spring thru Fall, but have quite a bit of time in the winter to train hard and relax a little. My son now works with me full time as well.

marcus300: You have excellent stats well done, what kind of contest prep are you doing and what is your AAS protocol?
cgb6810: This time out I opted for a longer prep of 16 weeks compared to my usual 12-14. I wanted to lose the weight slower and make sure I have plenty of time to come in where I want. I eat a steady diet, high protein, moderate/low carbs and very low fat. My AAS stack is pretty typical of Test P 125mg ed, Masteron 100mg ed and NPP at just 50mg ED. I had tren in the mix but just can't handle tren. The NPP will be dropped a few weeks out from the contest and I will add Halo in at 3 weeks out 30mg ED. Im also using 6iu gh, 5days on/2off and cycling clen 2days on/2 days off 100mcg.

marcus300: What part of contest prep do you hate?
cgb6810:cardio. If I can do it with diet alone, that's how I will prep. Summer and fall contests are easy because my job keeps me so active. A spring contest requires lots of cardio. Im not planning any spring contests anytime soon.

marcus300: What have been your highest and lowest times in your life?
cgb6810: Tough question. Lots of peaks and valleys. My children mean more to me then anything, so their arrival has to be one of the best things to happen to me. As far as lows, the most distraught I've ever been was the first year after being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis(2000). The treatments were not working well, I felt horrible and wasn't getting much support from my family for some reason. The only cure is removal of the large intestine and I just couldn't see that being a good thing. It's the only time in my life I've ever understood why someone would consider suicide. Sounds drastic, but it bothered me that much. It's now under control with an occasional flare up. Im just trying to live life to the fullest while I still can.

marcus300: How do you cope with Ulcerative Colitis being a bodybuilder?
cgb6810:This has been a bigger issue during my bulking season. I do eat some calorie dense food (sweet and fatty)to get in more calories to grow. It sometimes causes me discomfort. If I had to eat clean only I just couldn't get in enough calories. During my contest prep I generally feel better. I believe it is not only from the cleaner diet but the overall volume of food is much lower. I know a couple of guys that have had to have their colons removed due to UC. If that happens to me, I'll probably be done competing.

marcus300: Whats your current off season diet like?
cgb6810:I like to relax on my diet a bit in the off season. I spend a good portion of the year watching my diet so closely that in the off season I take a break. I always get my protein and still eat a couple of sensible meals a day. But I eat "shit" so to speak too. That means, ice cream, pizza, burritos, you name it. If it's good I eat it. I find as I've grown I can hardly get enough food to gain the size I want. That I do enjoy! But, Im not tracking real close. If my weight gain slows, I put more ice cream in my morning oatmeal....

marcus300: When did you start training and why?
cgb6810: I got my start young. My parents bought my brother a weight set when he was 12 and I was just 10. They thought it would help his self esteem. He was a bit small for his age, smaller then me. But I had wanted a weight set myself. I read the ads in the back of the comic books and swore I would never be the 99 lb weakling that got sand kicked in his face at the beach. And to make things worse, the bigger dude always stole the weakling's girlfriend.

marcus300: When did you first start competing and which contest would you say you peaked at?
cgb6810: I started competing in 2005 at the age of 42. I wanted to compete when I was younger, but I didn't pursue it. I thought at 40 I could enter the masters class and hopefully put a trophy on the mantel. It wasn't until 2007 that I finally put it all together and showed up my best to date and won an NPC National Qualifying overall title. Im still growing and improving, so no one has seen me at my best yet.

Members question: What is your diet like?
cgb6810:Right now Im prepping, so very tasteless. 400 grams protein/225 grams carbs/very low fat ED. Protein sources are sirloin/chicken breast/Egg whites. Carbs are steel cut oats, brown rice and sweet potato. I've been dieting for 10 weeks. Every now and then if I feel Im ahead, I will have a small amount of food off from my diet. Anything off the diet tastes extraordinary.

marcus300: When did you first start taking AAS and what would you say as been the most productive cycle?
cgb6810: I started AAS use in the fall of 2005, after competing natural in my first 2 shows. I think my most productive cycle was run this last off season. I used 700mg Test P EW, 525 NPP EW and a blend of injectable Adrol/Dbol 25mg each ED for the first 4 weeks. I ran the cycle for 12 weeks. It gets tougher to grow with each cycle and age is a factor as well. But it's been the most productive off season I've seen to date.

marcus300: Are you on HRT, if so is it prescribed or self administrated?
cgb6810: I decided on my own a couple of years back to skip PCT and just cruise between cycles. At my age time was not on my side and spending half the year trying to recover was slowing my progress. Now I take a couple of breaks at cruise level and then back on either bulk or cut. I don't regret the decision. I think anyone over 40 should be weighing the odds.

marcus300: Have you ever used synthol to bring up a lagging bodypart for contest?
cgb6810: I do have an unopened bottle of synthol. I was tempted to use it (the correct way) a couple of years back. But Im still making gains. As long as I can continue to make progress and grow I'll let it set for now.

marcus300: Whats the most common problem you see with the newbies today?
cgb6810: Getting started with out the right information and doing no research. Most of the local guys I see aren't too young, but have no idea what they are doing. They take the word of a gym buddy who has accomplished nothing. I see no PCT's, odd dosages, and just plain stupid cycles. They usually don't ask for my advice until they develop gyno, can't get it up, or find themselves lactating. Why would you inject something into your body without researching what it is and what it will do. Does it have any harmful side effects?

marcus300: What advice would you give to anyone first starting out in bodybuilding?
cgb6810: Find a bodybuilder who is currently competing if possible. One who has had some success would be even better. Things change in bodybuilding frequently. A guy that competed 20 years ago doesn't have the useful knowledge of todays athletes. There is also a lot of good information on the net, but having someone to talk with one on one is really important. I have helped people over the net and I've hired trainers over the net with success. In my area the typical gym trainers don't have the experience to bring anyone to the stage. In fact, I helped prep 2 trainers for a recent local competition. They did not place, but both showed up in respectable condition and learned what it takes to compete. I don't see either ever doing it again.

marcus300: What kind of training do you adhere to?
cgb6810: I guess you could say Im into volume training. People often get confused when I say I lift higher reps with lighter reps. I don't lift light, but I try to get 10-12 reps for upper body and 20+ reps for lower body. 12 total sets for upper and maybe 20 or so for lower. The only time I've ever tweaked a muscle or joint has been when I've been training at 6 or below reps with heavier weight. So lifting the way I do has helped keep me injury free. I still get aches and pains, but have never had surgery.

Members question: What are your best and worse body parts?
cgb6810: Back has always been one of my stronger body parts, calves too, genetics. Abs though, are probably my weakest. I have a wide waist and lack those deep etched in abs. After lots of ab work, they look exactly the same...

marcus300: If you could re-live a certain time in your life, what would it be and why?
cgb6810: I moved out of my house at 17 yrs old. I lived from paycheck to paycheck. But I felt a satisfaction and freedom I'd never felt before. Even though I didn't have much I was very happy. Love to relive that first year on my own again.

marcus300: What was life like living on your own at 17yrs and what are your most vivid memories about this time?
cgb6810:Money was extremely tight. I worked at a fast food restaurant and ate there frequently. I remember having a day off, but had no food in my apartment, and no gas to drive anywhere. I drank lots of water and couldn't wait to go to work the next day and eat. I had some good personal friends that helped me out here and there. When my car battery was dead, someone would come and jump start or help me push the car down a hill to get it going. Most of my friends still lived at home so even though I had little, they envied my freedom. I still had a weight set though set up in my little apartment. I always paid the few bills I had first before spending any money. There was rarely anything left to spend. An ocassional movie or fast food meal was about all I had extra to enjoy. Back then there were no cell phones, no computers, no video games so I didn't feel like I was missing too much.

marcus300: Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs time?
cgb6810: Barring injury, still competing, but hopefully a little bigger. Of course I would love to become an IFBB Pro, but the chances are....slim. Anyone that's ever been to a National show knows the competition is very tough. But I love to compete and live the lifestyle, so I'll keep trying no matter the outcome.

marcus300: How do you like being a monitor?
cgb6810: So far, I enjoy the task. I like trying to help where I think I can. I don't have the science background that some of the members have so I can't always contribute. I do believe there is no substitute for experience. I know a bit, but there is an enormous amount I've yet to learn.

Members question: Who would you like to meet from AR and who would you most like to hit?
cgb6810:I would love to get in a workout with any of the regulars on AR. It would be fun to talk shop and about some of the shit that goes on here. The next newb that says he has the perfect diet and training regimen, but needs "roids" because he's hit a plateau at 155 lbs at 6' tall. He gets decked.

Members question: What age do you think you will stop bodybuilding?
cgb6810: I don't plan to stop training ever, but competing is another story. Hard to say. I think if I continue to make gains, I'll compete over 50. This will put me into the Grand Masters division and it's just 3 years away.

marcus300: Who would you like to meet from AR?
cgb6810: It would be awesome to meet the entire group of regulars. After spending time on the site, you start to feel like you know some of the guys. And most of us share the same passion.

Members question: What frustrates you about AR?
cgb6810:When a newb asks a question and is given good advice by one or several experienced members and then goes on to continue his search for the answer he's looking for because he doesn't like the advice he's given. Listen to those that have experience. It'll save you a lot in the long run.

Members question: If you could change anything about your body what would it be?
cgb6810: To carry a naturally very low bf%. Dieting sucks!!

marcus300: 3 wishes, what would you wish for?
cgb6810:I would be lying if I said I didn't want to be filthy rich, so lets just say a few billion dollars for my first wish. And without my health, what good is money? So for my second wish, good health for myself and family. And for my third wish, how about they fix the freaking BP oil well. That way we could get some more off shore oil wells and have some cheap gas which would be good for the economy and save the environment.