Joe293 is February's Rx Muscle Member of the Month!
With over 30 bodybuilding competitions under his lifting belt, as well as his share of powerlifting meets, Joe has truly walked the walk as well as he's talked the talk. Let's learn more about Joe293.
joe293
First off, does 293 refer to your weight? If not, how did you choose your username?
My username is simply my first name and the max bodyweight I achieved before I finally said enough is enough, I can't tie my own shoes!!!! LOL To be honest I became diabetic about 4 years ago and I decided in order to keep the blood pressure in check I would stay closer to a competitive weight and tighten things up. I generally maintain an off season weight in the 260 range.
How were you introduced to the iron?
When I was a kid in the 70's they would have the Mr. Universe on Wide World of Sports. My mom called me in the house and said look at these guys!!! I was floored by the bodybuilders all oiled up and couldn't get them out of my mind.
I was 13 and started training at my house with two friends. We would buy the magazines at a local bus stop in Maine. I'll never forget the pic of Arnold doing a most muscular. He had muscle I couldn't even name!! Eventually, my dad said there was a big gym in the next town where one of his construction buddies trained. I went there and it scared the hell out of me. It was Ernie Gilbert’s "GILLY'S" gym in Waterville, Maine. The place was full of world class powerlifters and a few bodybuilders. Me and my friends joined right away and rode our 10 speeds there every day.
And how old were you when you first competed?
First competition was the 1977 Maine State Powerlifting meet. I was 128 pounds and Ernie Gilbert entered me with the Gilly’s gym team. I was in the 132 pound class. You had to be 16 to compete in the AAU so we lied.
First bodybuilding competition was 1984; I think I was 22 or 23. I snuck into Michigan and took third at the NPC Western Michigan. Later they found out I was from out of state and banned me from the NPC for a year… lol My state only had the AAU so it wasn't a big deal. They asked me to ship the trophy back but that never happened. I still have it somewhere... LMAO!!!
Have you always competed in the NPC or have you tried other federations/organizations?
To be honest my state was ONLY AAU in 1984 and I wanted to compete in the NPC but the closest state with the NPC was Michigan. I snuck up to Bay City, Michigan and took 3rd in the NPC Eastern Michigan. I think the next year the NPC came to my state and I was able to compete in the AAU and the NPC. The big difference was the AAU was height and the NPC was weight. It was a cool time. To be honest, I really miss the titles called "MR" though.
In 2013 I did six total shows through the year. I won't name the shows since I like keeping some privacy but I will name the places I got to visit. Notre Dame (South Bend), Chicago (twice), Central Illinois, Detroit and Fort Wayne, Indiana. I did three shows in the summer, took a slight break and then went right back into the diet. Finished in November. The year started off with a horrible infection in my calf. Took a shot of insulin which got infected. The abscess was treated and got reinfected. Seven days in the hospital and I almost lost the leg from the knee down.
Damn!
I lost about 20 pounds and came out deciding to get ready for a show… lol Not the best way to start a contest prep, but it got me going.
How’s your training going now, some months after your last show?
Training is good, my weight is 250-260 range at 5'10"and I'm strong but not doing anything stupid. At the age of 52 (53 later this summer) you tend to get tears pretty often if you don't train smart. I still look pretty good and people at my gym are very good at keeping my ego inflated. lol
How did you find Rx Muscle and the forums?
I followed Dave and John here from MD. I use to just visit the boards every once in a while on MD and came across the "No Bull Radio". I went crazy going through the archives. They had John Brown, Mike Quinn, Rory Leidelmeyer, Troy Zuccolotto, etc. All the great physiques that I grew up reading about. I would play the interviews for hours and then just followed them here when they left.
Thankfully, The Muscle Mob became Heavy Muscle Radio, first with Dave and John and continuing now with Dave and Chris Aceto. Who would you like to see appear on the show?
I still love hearing from the guys back in the day... Charles Glass, Mike Christian, Tom Platz, Mike Quinn, Tim Belknap, etc. The guy that just won the Nationals in the Heavyweight division sounds like he'd be a great interview. Aceto coaches him and Glass trains him at Gold's.
Brad Rowe! [Check out Chris Aceto's thread @ http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthrea...Brad-Rowe-Shot ]
You mentioned Rory Leidelmeyer -- he was one of my favorite competitors growing up. And then on the radio shows Liedelmeyer talked about being invited to compete at the first NPC Nationals. Great stories. Do you remember Zuccolotto talking about the WBF and then his car washes and was it a chain of life extension clinics?
I sure do remember Troy Zuccolotto talking about his string of car washes and making cash as a businessman after bodybuilding. I thought his was a great story. I'm more along those lines with a strong work ethic and the gym and bodybuilding is just my hobby. I've always tried to strive to be a good provider for my wife and kids and be prepared for the future.
Do you fit the Troy Zuccolotto model or the, what I'll call the Shawn Ray model, with the sports cars, etc.?
I've never been the Shawn Ray (fancy car) guy trying to show off by driving something new to the gym every few weeks. I keep the same old cars I've had and I take care of them. We use to have a bumper sticker at the old original Quads Gym that said "It's not the car you drive, it's the arm that hangs out the window!!" I had a few of those on my cars....lol.
I remember someone telling the story of Shawn Ray renting cars so he would look like he had new wheels all the time and he would drive around with his cordless house phone in the car pretending like he was the big shit. Of course, this was back in the day when only the very rich had a real car phone.
Joe, you mentioned your wife and children. Can you share more there?
Married 23 years this summer and have two kids in college and one in her final years of high school. My son works out like a pro bodybuilder when he has time. He works full time and goes to college. He was the best training partner I ever had but as anyone who knows me will tell you I am very demanding on my training partners. I guess that's the nice way of saying I'm kind of an asshole to train with...lol. Anyhow, he trains on his own now and I do my own thing. He's a big kid and I get a lot of inspiration from him.
My wife has been my biggest motivation. She pushes me to do my thing and she simply loves bodybuilding. She's been going to shows with me since the early 80's. I'm very lucky to have a woman who says let’s take a vacation and go to Vegas and see the Olympia! I'm a very lucky guy.
What’s your favorite part of Rx Muscle Forums?
I like the interviews and videos with guys that are breaking through in bodybuilding. Not just national guys but also local state level guys. The guys that have heart and determination to pound away at the sport year after year trying to move up the ranks. It may not even be a competitive guy, could be a guy like Swiper. I think we learned a lot from his input on this site.
What would you do to improve the site?
I guess just more training and nutrition videos from guys that have made improvements at the local, state and national levels. I always enjoy learning and listening to guys tell their stories. How they train, what they eat, how they relax, etc., etc. Sometimes I get tired of watching a guy who just keeps pushing his own supplement line every 5 minutes during an interview.
I forget where I purchased my original copy of Charles Gaines’ “Pumping Iron” but that book was my bible. Wonder what happened to my dog-eared copy. I know you had a copy of the same book. What other bodybuilding books or magazines did you have in your muscle-building library back in those pre-Internet days?
Well, I went on Amazon and bought a used copy of Pumping Iron so that's sitting on the coffee table… lol It looks just like the one I lost years ago.
I lost all my 8x10's and my books and mags in a giant steamer trunk. They were stored at my mom's house and she had a flood. I had Pumping Iron, Arnold's life story, Franco's book. I also had a bunch of those books you would buy at the book store. I think one was called BEEF and one was RIPPED. I still have the Aceto nutrition book kicking around. Worst part about the flood was all those old magazines I lost. When you look through an old Muscle Builder and Power it kind of transforms you back in time.
Those old mags definitely bring back memories. Help me out here. Was I the only one who covered his wall with pages from those magazines? lol Arnold told a story of his mother contacting the family doctor, concerned that her son had pictures of “naked” men on his bedroom walls.
"My mother was always worried because she saw the pictures on my bedroom wall of naked men oiled up. So she called the house doctor and said, 'Is there something wrong? Is my son turning south here? All his friends have girls on the wall and he has only men oiled up with little briefs on."
—Arnold Schwarzenegger
Nope, I did the same thing. I would even get some of the nicest photos and cut them out real careful and place them in 8x10 frames for the wall. The problem came when I was 18 and went to college. My roommate finally said one day..."you realize we have the only room with bodybuilders on the wall instead of half naked chicks...?" I guess he kind of had a point.
Have you been following any of the recent movies like Expendables, Grudge Match, The Last Stand, etc.? All our old school heroes are back on the big screen.
I did see the first Expendables, but I have not been to any movies for a while. I was a huge fan and always went to Arnold’s flicks when they came out. I felt the need to keep supporting him and then after a while it seemed like he was doing just fine on his own… lol. Arnold made bodybuilding what it is today. I did want to see Generation Iron but couldn't find a close enough theatre.
You mentioned following Dale Adrian’s workout routine in one of your posts. What, 70 sets per body part?
Yup, I don't remember the exact workout but he posted, but it was EVERY chest movement and 6 sets of each exercise. Something like 6 sets flat bench, 6 of incline, 6 decline, 6 flyes, 6 cable crossover, 6 dips, etc., etc. My god, we trained for hours and never made any gains. You looked at a guy like Dale Adrian who just won the Mr. America and you figure he had to be doing this much to gain those giant muscles. We were kids eating TV dinners so we never made any progress. Too bad there hadn't been a Dorian Yates back then.
What’s the craziest workout program you’ve followed?
Back in the 80's there were those workouts where you trained one movement for 10 minutes straight. I think it was that crazy Tom Platz that came up with the idea.
I definitely remember that!
We would warm up and then load the squat bar to 455 with the smallest plates possible. Remember, this is narrow stance high bar bodybuilder squats. You would take the bar out of the rack and the clock would start. You had to squat for 10 minutes. You would do maybe 6 reps with 455 and they would pull off some weight and you would keep going. By the time the 10 minutes was up you only had maybe 135 on the bar and had done god knows how many reps. You wouldn't be able to walk for days.
What has been the most effective workout you’ve followed?
I train in a very instinctive type of workout. I have set days to train things, but my workouts are never the same. I always mix it up and look for something out of the ordinary to shock the muscle. My old training partners would always ask me what are we doing today and I would say, “I have no idea.” That would be 15 minutes before we would train… lol I've done 16 sets of leg extensions which is 4 sets on each different machine we had at the gym. My partners would fall off the machine after the last set and I would say, "Okay, let’s start legs" and we would head over to the leg press… Needless to say, I have a hard time keeping training partners.
Have you ever worked with a 'guru' or do you go it alone?
Nope, but I have had the pleasure of knowing some guys that competed at a higher level, so we always compared notes. There was no internet so if you met and trained with a national level guy you helped each other out. Nowadays it's all out there for you. I guess that's why we see the level of competition there is. I guess it's why we see all these giants on stage.
And I saw your comment on Lesukov, “Just when you think a human can't get any bigger....” Are there any limits? What is bodybuilding’s equivalent to the four-minute mile?
I don't know what the future holds. Twenty years from now… who knows? Look at the comment in Bigger Faster Stronger when he compares Victor Martinez to Arnold. Victor is 6 inches shorter and 40 pounds bigger.
And Bill Pearl’s comment about Arnold coming back from retirement in Australia. He said that if Arnold comes out here and wins, it means bodybuilding has stood still for the last 5-6 years and that's simply not true. And, of course, Arnold got a controversial win and Mentzer retires…
It's a constantly evolving sport and guys will keep finding ways to stretch the limits.
We both listened to the one Pete Grymkowski interview. Just how DID he have kids?
I have no idea, are they actually his or did he marry into them? lol I have friends that never made it to the National stage and they can't have kids. When you start playing with shutting the system down like that it can screw you up.
Note: Dave Palumbo interviewed Pete Grymkowski in Venice during the LA Fit Expo. Apparently that was never an issue for Grymkowski.
And after hearing his review of his anabolics use on a previous podcast, I assumed all the AAS horror stories were just that – stories. But now, with all the recent deaths... What's your perspective?
I hope that guys breaking into the sport and moving up haven't bought into the idea that the guy that takes the most shit is gonna win because it's just not true. I hate to say it, but this kid that came out recently (Bostin Lloyd) has really opened a lot of eyes as to the direction the sport is going. I recently saw a video where he says he's running 12000 mgs a week and running out of places to shoot it. I still give the old school advice to someone that asks the eventual gear question.
If you're going to take something take the minimal amount possible to stimulate growth. Maximum rest, high intensity training and a good meal plan. Running gear is when you trained forever and exhausted all possible avenues to growth. Now you need to maybe get a slight boost to stimulate the muscle and start growing again.
That’s sound advice. I was going to ask how you think competitors balance pursuing a goal versus preserving their health, but your old school advice covers things well.
I see guys that just say I'm going for broke and are all in, taking everything under the sun. Those guys have no longevity in the sport and usually burn out. You can tell them to take it easy but they never listen. Thank god more guys are getting blood work these days. I think we are seeing more issues because guys don't come off anymore and just cruise on a couple grams and consider it a break.
Very few people are making any money in bodybuilding and you would be crazy to risk your health over a plastic trophy. I compete as a hobby. It's not the end of the world if I don't place. When it stops being fun I'm done. I would think the whole Derek Anthony thing was a huge wake up call for guys. I felt terrible for him and he hadn't competed for years.
DA was so close to his kidney transplant when they found the liver tumor.
Kidney failure, heart disease… definitely smart to have regular blood work! On a lighter note, who’s your pick for this year’s Super Bowl?
It was the Colts since that's my team but since the Pat's killed them I would have to go with the Patriots. I grew up in the Northeast so I know how they love their teams up there.
You met Rachel McLish in Chicago years ago. Have you met any other IFBB Pros or National level competitors?
Matt Mendenhall
Jeff King
Tim Belknap… Taught me a lot.
John Larrieu
Lou Ferrigno
Tom Platz
Frank Zane
Larry Bernstein
Ed Coan… Trained with him in powerlifting.
Pete Kutsugeras… Trained with him for years.
Steve Strunk
Flex Lewis… Super nice.
Blair Mone… Best guy ever.
Mike Matarazzo
Victor Richards
Tony Pearson
Tim Bell
Tim and Brian Smith
Even Centopani
Charles Durr
Charles Glass
George Farah… Nice guy always.
Bryan Yersky, etc., etc.
That’s an incredible list! Tim Belknap was the 1981 AAU Mr. America. His physique seemed to break new ground.
John Larrieu and Ed Coan, was that at Quads Gym?
Yeah, Ed Coan is the greatest powerlifter that ever lived. He still can be found every day at Quads South where he holds court. John Larrieu almost won the AAU America in 86?
[Note: Absolutely correct. Larrieu placed second to Doug Brignole in the Medium-Tall class with Glenn Knerr taking the Short class and the Overall. More @ http://musclememory.com/show.php?c=M...a+-+AAU&y=1986 ]
I think he lost to Doug Brignole in a decision that led to a lot of booing. I have no idea where John is anymore. Someone told me he is dead, but you know how that goes. He may have just gone another direction in life.
Who has impressed you the most?
Flex Lewis was one of the nicest guys, but Blair saw me back stage at a show and said didn’t I meet you about 3 years ago in Indianapolis. I about fell over. We had talked for a long time and he was just a great guy. We still keep in touch on Facebook. Blair is a guy that deserves a big break in the sport. I'd love to see him get his pro card.
George Farah has always been nice to me, but the guy takes a lot of crap on the boards.
Farah is known for higher carbs and less cardio. What’s your philosophy or approach to meal planning?
I try to be strict, doing the typical 6 meals a day consisting of fish, chicken, eggs and some beef. Carbs are rice, oats and sweet potatoes. I don't really step out of my comfort zone on the foods I know work. Pulcinella has a great documentary about the foods that work.
I do draw the line at sitting in the damn car eating out of Tupperware while my family eats in a restaurant together. I won't be that guy and I will eat out. You can get a good meal at most places for Christ sakes. I also do some red meat and I try to limit cardio, it makes me stringy. The more fish I eat the more ripped I get… just seems to work. Oh, I will also use a large workout shake as a meal during the diet too. Some guys stop shakes but a good isolate is a pretty good meal if you ask me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by joe293
Wow, a regular meal at 9am and the next real food meal is at 4pm. The rest is really supplementation. I find this refreshing since everyone talks about eating meals every 2-3 hours around the clock.
I was amazed that a pro admitted to almost going 7 hours without a substantial food meal. You have all these guys claiming that they eat 10,000 cals in the offseason and this guy’s offseason actually looks pretty pre-contest. It must be all the fat burning drugs that are out because I would be a tub of shit if I tried to eat 10,000 calories a day… lol
What is your macro or food breakdown? Do you count calories, do calculations, and weigh your food?
In the 80's everything was low low fat. And as a contest got closer you started carb cycling – one day of high carbs low protein and then three days low or no carbs and high protein. It seemed to work good and we got shredded. The early 80's was Bannout and his crazy conditioning along with Platz showing up shredded in Australia. Rumor later came out that this was the start of the low carb diets. I guess that’s why we started the carb cycling.
These days I use a more balanced meal approach. I will eat some carbs near my workouts and keep my protein high but not crazy high. I try to alternate whey isolate shakes with regular meals due to the fact that I struggle with digestion. I don’t just eat egg whites, I will have a few yolks for fat. I have some red meat and fish but the main protein sources are chicken, eggs and whey Isolate.
I'm a big fan of John Meadows because I think he is a grinder and no matter what he keeps going and going, trying to make gains. I think the last diet I used was one he published that was for Mark Dugdale.
You’ve competed in bodybuilding and powerlifting, which wins out? How many times on stage versus on the lifting platform?
Bodybuilding has been well over 30 shows and powerlifting has been about 7-8 meets.
I love the iron game and love talking about it.
You have walked the walk, Joe. Thirty shows and competing in powerlifting, too? Have you ever considered Strongman competitions?
I was a little too short, being 5'10-5'11". Most of those guys are really tall and really big. I talked to Coan about it once and he is shorter than me so he never went that route. If you watch the events, a guy under 6 foot would really struggle placing the stones on the higher stands. Besides, I would need an old man’s division now...lol.
To be honest those guys do get a lot of serious injuries and tears. It's a brutal sport but i still love watching it. I'm afraid a mid-life run at the strongman events might end up in me applying even more Icy Hot to my body than I already do every morning!
Other than hitting the iron, what do you enjoy doing the most with your free time?
I think this might come as a huge shock to everyone. I'm a golf fanatic, and I was a very good amateur golfer before I got to about 250 pounds. After that point my swing went to shit and I sort of got away from playing as much.
Last year while dieted down I got back into playing and that is one of the reasons I will now stay closer to my contest weight. I have tons of different iron sets, drivers and putters, etc. I usually play in a few leagues every week and we play for money. Makes it a lot more exciting... lol.
And, yes, I get some weird looks at the range or on the golf course. The teaching pro at my local course came up to me while he was giving a lesson and said, "your arms are as big as my legs." Cracked everyone up who was there. Ever since then they have treated me like royalty there. I enjoy hitting balls and relieving tension... lol.
That's awesome! Joe, I bet you'd enjoy this book.
So, what's the worst part about getting older? And do you see any advantages?
Oh boy, where do I start? I use to think that the competition would get weaker but now when I enter a Masters event it has a tougher lineup than the novice class of the same show...jeez.
I do like that strangers come up to me after a show and tell me I'm huge or look great and they can't believe I'm the same age as their dad. I guess it's a slight back-handed compliment… lol.
I know I've accomplished something with my build since my first competition when I was under 170 pounds and I now compete at 232. The bad side is at my advanced age you lose a lot of muscle every year. So it's sort of an uphill battle at times. I like to think I'm still improving but you never know when you'll just say enough is enough.
Being older, I know my body better and I don't need to weigh everything I eat anymore. I can tell when I have a day that I might need to eat a little more or I can do a little more cardio. When you get older you have to be smart. Knowledge is power.
"Knowledge is power."
Great quote to end the interview with, "Knowledge is power!" Thank you for sharing part of your story with Rx Muscle Forums, Joe. Awesome to hear from a competitor in both strength and physique. Wishing you great success in 2014!