marcus300 interviews gbrice75
marcus300: Where abouts in the world do you live?
gbrice: I'm in the US, in the lovely state of NJ. Home to the city of Newark, car jacking capitol of the world! lol! I was born and raised here though, and other then the winters I do have a special something for this place. As much as people like to make fun of NJ, we're home to The Soprano's, John Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, oh yea - and Derek Jeter owns a home here too! So, we're not that bad!
marcus300: What are your full stats?
gbrice: Hmm, what day is it? What hour is it? Currently 5'11, 193lbs, somewhere in the 12% - 14% bodyfat range. Oh, and 35 years young. =)
marcus300: What would be your ideal stats?
gbrice: That's a loaded question! A goal I give you today probably wouldn't keep me happy for very long if I reached it. We always want more, I guess that's what drives us though. I'd like to think i'd be very happy at around 220 with at most 10% bodyfat. Obviously the lower the better, but knowing my own body and wanting to maintain somewhat of a life, 10% would be about right.
marcus300: Are you married and do you have a family?
gbrice: I am married, to the greatest girl in the world (everyone says that, but I do mean it). We've been together for 16 years and she is truly my soul mate and best friend. We are actively trying to start a family - it's only been 3 months of serious trying, so i'm not too worried yet. BUT - I'm 35, she's 33, so we do feel that pressure to get this done! When I was younger, I always pictured myself to be a relatively young parent (my parents were both 20 when they had me), but that ship has sailed. Now, I just want to be a dad and I know i'm beyond ready.
Members question: What attracted you to your wife? How did you propose?
gbrice: It's tough to put into words, but just her way of being cute... good heart... yea, i'm failing at describing this! In retrospect it's kinda corny, but I wanted it to be an intimate affair, so I decided to propose at home vs. out somewhere - at the time I figured she'd appreciate the privacy. She was at work, I came home early and cooked a really nice dinner, had the whole candlelit table setup going, etc. At one point during dinner, I tied the ring around our dog's neck (she's like our baby) and then called the dog in the room, to go to mommy... which she did and basically 'delivered' the ring. Then I did the typical kneeling thing...Nowadays I wish I had done something more grand, but this was years ago, and I wasn't in a financial position to do anything big. In fact, I had to borrow money just to buy the ring.
Members question: Who is your favourite cast member on the jersey shore?
gbrice: What an insulting question! The question assumes I watch and/or like the show! Ok, fine - I do watch it SOMETIMES. I can't stand just about any of them... but I kind of like Ronnie. He's wild, a little crazy, but I like it. I identify with him more than the others. I like Vinny too - he seems the most 'normal' to me. I can't stand The Situation, he's a complete douche, and Pauly is just ok for me. I hate all the girls, although Sammie is KIND OF hot... at least compared to those other pigs.
Members question: You've recently found out your gonna be a dad. Many people tend to gain weight along with there spouse during pregnancies. Have you thought about what you'll do to keep your diet in check when you see your wife eating things like ice cream covered oreos?
gbrice: To keep my diet in check, i'd first have to GET it in check. I've been bad lately, anybody following my log knows this! But I will get it back in check, and all I can do is try to stay on my wife about eating healthy, providing healthy nutrients to the growing baby... women don't have to get big and fat while pregnant... they can gain baby weight and have a belly and stay pretty much the same everywhere else... i've seen it with women in my gym. I just need to stay on HER, and that will help me - point is to keep the bad food from getting into the house
marcus300: What do you do for a living?
gbrice: Very boring... i'm a project manager for a telecommunications company. To keep it short, we install PBX / VOIP systems for small - medium sized businesses. I manage those projects right out of sales and through completion. I used to be an installer, was for years, and loved the job except for the fact that i'd be stuck all hours of the night. This job is boring but i'm in the office now and know what time i'm leaving every night. Plus, I can stick to my very rigid diet - I could never do that on the road, so i'm not complaining.
Members question: Hows your experience been of this board so far?
gbrice: If it isn't obvious by now, I love it here. I spend a lot of time on the board out of pure enjoyment. As I mentioned before, the family atmosphere is what really ties it all together. Without that, it's just another informational board with people giving their opinions - some informed, some just ridiculous. The members are what make this board special
marcus300: What would be your ideal job?
gbrice: Hmm, that's tough to answer. I can tell you that my ideal field would be pretty much anything to do with science. I LOVE it all, and wish I had realized that years ago when I was in a much better position to 'follow my dreams'. I guess i'd like to be part of a research team, all passionate about what we do. That, or I can go the easier route and own a gym, lol!
marcus300: How long have you been training and why did you start?
gbrice: I've trained a couple different times in my life, but I'm only going to count the here and now. I've been at it for just over 2 years now, and started because I was a 255lb fat slob, had my wedding 7 months away, and decided this was it - if I was EVER going to get back in shape, this was my chance. I didn't want to be that fat guy in my wedding pics, forever captured in that state. I'm happy to say that in 7 short months, I reached my immediate goal and was thin and was very happy in my tux!
marcus300: Have you ever took any steroids, if so what and why?
gbrice: This past summer I ran a 12 week test e cycle and kicked it off with dbol for the first 4 weeks. I'm pretty positive the dbol was bunk, but the test definitely wasn't. The strength gains were amazing, and people were commenting on my size. I did it for the obvious reason of wanting to get bigger, but I can honestly say I wasn't ready. The base wasn't there, and still isn't IMO. Just like I expected, I had quick gains, and lost them just as quickly. Not because my diet wasn't in check, but because my bodyfat was too high to begin with IMO (15% ish) and I immediately started cutting during PCT - a big no no that I advise people on all the time, yet didn't take my own advice. Ugh! Next time, i'll be ready.
marcus300: You contribution to the diet section is amazing you have transformed this areas into a very busy section, thank you for all your work. How did you build your knowledge on diets especially for bodybuilders?
gbrice: Thanks Marcus, I do appreciate you guys on staff taking note, and I consider the diet section home. I've always had a very good idea of nutrition. My mother was/still is a personal trainer and in excellent shape her entire life - i'm talking very close to competition shape. I grew up with her extreme eating habits, but to me it was just normal. Unfortunately, it's what also caused me to rebel and become fat later in life. My father was a bodybuilder - not on a competitive level, but probably could have if he cared enough. He was built more like a power lifter because he wasn't concerned with bodyfat, although he was never more then 15% at most i'd say. He was massive though, someday i'll find pics. So between the two of them, I practically grew up in gyms - i'd walk to my mothers gym after school (she'd be there working) and spend the next few hours hanging around, all the guys there knew me - and these were hardcore gyms, not LA Fitness/Retro Fitness/ etc etc etc. These were the big guys, monsters.
Even with all that knowledge, I ignored what I knew and allowed myself to get fat. When I decided to drop the weight for my wedding, I AGAIN made a bad choice and ate around 1300 calories/day - I knew it wasn't the right way and still did it. Clearly, i'm better at advising others then I am at helping myself! I did learn a ton here as well though - I was a mess when I got to this board, full of conflicting information from everything i've read, etc. Notable mentions - Twist, MG1228, Nark, Damienm05, Fireguy - sorry if i've missed anybody else, but these guys stand out in my head as members who really helped me and set me back on the right path.
marcus300: What have been the highest and lowest times in your life?
gbrice: Highest would have to be my wedding - we were together for so long, just by the hand that was dealt we didn't get married for a long time, and always had to hear from people "when are you getting married" - man, if I had a dime for every time i've heard that question... so when we finally did it, it was huge!
Low - i'd have to say back in 2001, when I got laid off. I was on the road installing and had a TON of clients in the World Trade Center. After the 9/11 attacks, we lost a lot of business and I was laid off. I literally spent November 2001 - July 2002 sitting in front of a computer, playing Everquest or First Person Shooters ALL day, smoking cigarettes, eating garbage, drinking alot... and was living in my Grandfather's basement in an effort to save money to buy a house. That was a dark time in my life.
marcus300: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
gbrice: On a professional level, I see myself in a much more fulfilling job. Personally, I see 2 - 3 kids, hopefully 2 boys and a girl although i'll be perfectly happy with WHATEVER God blesses us with. I see myself in peak physical condition, but still striving for more.
Members question: What do you want to teach your child more than anything else in this world?
gbrice: Respect for nature, animals, people, our planet, the environment, etc. It bothers me how caught up we are in this modern lifestyle, we've lost sight of important and fundamental things, at least IMHO.
marcus300: Who have been your influences on AR?
gbrice: Well, the guys I mentioned above for sure. I've read Nark's articles and they are amazing. Although I didn't know him, I have read many many posts from T-Mos (RIP), and he was clearly a beloved member with alot to share - I wish I had gotten the pleasure to know the man. Again, Fireguy has been huge for me, and my little personal support group - Twist, Tbody66, First6, Damienm05 - oh, and Slimmerme is awesome! Not to sound like an ass kisser, but you VET's and HoF'ers who have reached out to me with encouraging PM's have really made me feel good about what i'm doing - yourself, Matt, D7M to name a few...
marcus300: Who would you most like to meet from AR?
gbrice: That's really impossible to nail down to 1 person... a huge AR meet up would be the best! This may sound selfish - but i'd love to meet someone who would be able to work with me on a personal level and help me really get over that next hurdle, and take this thing to the next level. That probably doesn't narrow it down much, because there are SO many here capable of that!
marcus300: Why do you come to AR everyday and help people?
gbrice:I remember how I felt when I joined, posted up a 'can somebody help me with my diet' thread... the fast replies and brutal honesty my post was met with... well it really set me straight. It impacted me, and I really buckled down, learned a ton, and decided that I wanted to help 'lost' people the same way I was helped. I felt so secure with the people who were advising me, I wanted to bring that same sense of security to newbs who come here because they've heard this board is the best. I know the feeling of being overwhelmed with too much info and not knowing what to do, and I feel that with confident but (hopefully) not cocky responses and advice, I can make people feel a little better about what they're doing or need to do to improve. I have been to other boards before I made this one home, and they got nothing on AR. This board IS the best out there, and I try every day to contribute just a bit to keep it that way. I came here seeking info, and found that plus a great community of people who are like a 2nd family. Yea, sorry, i'm a fvckin corny mush!
Members question: If theres anything about this site that you could change, what would it be?
gbrice: First and foremost, i'd ban DSM - '4 life'. =)
The only thing i'd consider changing on this board right now is the rep system; because this is a board that deals with serious potentially life altering (and sometime dangerous) subjects like diet and AAS, I think a solid rep system is important. I see to many people with 20 posts giving bad advice. Not that post count has anything to do with rep, but my point is I believe people should 'earn' the right to give out advice that some 18 year old kid might follow to the letter, and that can be earned through a rep system based on solid posts, feedback, etc.
Members question: Do you plan on staying here and continuing your hard work?
gbrice: Definitely! I'm hoping i'll have the opportunity to do even more on the board
marcus300: When was the last time you cried?
gbrice: Great question, because it's actually very recent. I am a horrible procrastinator, I get it from my father. I'm am really bad with birthday's and Xmas, etc. I mean well, but ALWAYS wait until the last minute. Well, this year for Xmas, I really effed up bad. Somehow I wound up with NOTHING for my wife. I mean nothing - not even a card. I can't explain how it happened, it's just like... i woke up and it was Xmas. I hadn't thought about it prior, I just get so wrapped up in life sometimes. I was laying in bed with my wife that morning, and it hit me... HARD. I thought about how much I love her and how she's everything to me, and yet I managed to neglect her on Xmas. It was overwhelming and I began crying, really hard. She was great about it, kept telling me it's ok, etc... but I was gone. This went on for a good half hour, no lie. I learned a lesson this time and really made up for it on Valentine's Day! =)
marcus300: Where in the world have you travelled to and where would you most like to visit?
gbrice: I haven't been to very many places. I've been to a few different states within the US, but outside of that i've been to St. Lucia (honeymoon), Mexico, and Canada, that's it! I would LOVE to visit Europe - particularly Italy and Germany. I'd also like to visit England and Ireland as i have some ancestry in both. Throw Amsterdam in there too, just for the good times.
marcus300: If you could re-live an event from your past what would it be?
gbrice: It's not really an event, but a full summer. When I was 15 I worked at a camp for inner-city kids (I had been a camper there when I was younger as well). It was a GREAT experience, to date it was the best summer of my life. I met some wonderful people, 2 of which I am still very close with today, one was even a groomsman in my wedding! I'd give just about anything to relive that experience, just an amazing time in my life.
marcus300: What would be your advice to someone who wants to re-design his diet to suit bodybuilding, nothing to intense, you basic steps for him moving forward?
gbrice: I would try and keep it simple. I know we 'diet guys' have the tendency to go overboard, nitpicking every little thing, getting too technical and scientific, etc. I would give him the basics - proper food choices, meal timing, importance of pre/pwo nutrition, and a fundamental knowledge of WHY this or that is the way it is. i.e. I love it when people understand why they're doing what I have them doing, vs. just blindly following what I tell them. It's the way I am, hungry for knowledge, borderline obsessive!
Members question: Can you explain to us again why it is you choose to sit when you pee? Keep in mind while answering this question that your man card is on the line?
gbrice: Lmao!!! I had to think long and hard about who would ask this question - (long and hard kind of gives it away though) and he already knows the answer, but i'll entertain the question as this is an interview!
First, I don't ALWAYS pee sitting down! Sometimes I whip it out like a real man and piss all over the toilet and floor.
It started when I was in my late teens - I lived with my mother who's kind of psycho to begin with. We didn't have much $$$ and lived in a small apartment. I would come in late night/early morning drunk or high on whatever substance I could get my hands on... and have to creep past her bedroom which happened to be right next to the bathroom. I didn't wanna be hassled so I tried to make as little noise as possible. Standing and pissing out a couple of Olde English 40oz's makes a lot of noise! So i'd sit....
Nowadays, it's just more force of habit... plus, it's a lot cleaner. The piss actually goes into the bowl, like it's supposed to. Revoke my man card, I don't care! You can hang on to your man card while your continuously mopping the piss off your floor! =P
