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Ironlife.com Up & Coming Star of the Month - BigWilly
by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Admin @ www.ProActiveHealthNet.com
BigWilly is a mod @ Extreme-Athlete.com and SculptedbyIron.com. For more information about these two great sites, please click on the banners above.
You can’t help but to like BigWilly once you’ve talked to him a few times.. he's just that right combination of naughty and nice. And although you don't get a peek at his true humorous side in this interview, let it be known he loves a good joke.
He's also one of those guys you admire because his actions speak louder than words. In fact, after seeing him you would expect that his confidence would come across more as bragging or being arrogant. Nope, he doesn't come across that way at all.. he comes across more on the humble side. His hearts in the right place and you end up admiring him for the ease in which he makes working out just another part of the day. It's that nonchalant attitude that gets many inspired to start themselves. Trust me, this guy does some heavy duty workouts!
Perhaps that's the key.. he loves the challenge weight training provides in several ways. One way is it keeps his life structured. BigW was involved in sports all his life, structure and discipline were his top priority. Another is that weight training gives him that mental and physical challenge most guys need to feel satisfied, but since some guys (and gals) don't understand their own principal needs, they end up redirecting frustration in stupid ways.
And of course, his physique has benefited greatly as the end result of his dedication in the gym and proper food consumption. He loves weight training for all the right reasons.. it helps him to be a better person. When you feel good about yourself, you don't sweat the small stuff and you tend to treat others with more respect.
At some point during this interview process, I asked BigW if he could remember what he thought the first time he saw or REALLY took notice of a famous bodybuilder on the cover of a magazine. His reply was, "I was very impressed and amazed. I was inspired by the dedication it takes to accomplish that kind of physique. I respected it very much."
The funny thing is that I don't think it's actually sunk in that he's ONE OF THEM. It's apparent he's genetically gifted for bodybuilding, so what he does won't necessarily work for others, but he gives good advice based on his experiences.
As far as competing goes, the drive, effort and knowledge have to be in place in order to be successful. He has all those components, now it's just a matter of mastering them.
BigWilly Profile
- Age: 27 years old.
- Height: 5' 9"
- Weight: 251 lbs.
Measurements:
- Arms 19.5" pumped
- Quads 29" pumped
- Chest 52"
- Calves 19"
- Waist 33".
Educational Background:
- Fairland High School Class of 1995.
- Georgetown University 1995 to 1996.
- Ohio University 1997. (Did not finish degree.)
BigWilly Interview
- Sachet/IronLife.com: Well ya know BigW.. the nice thing about college; it’s never too late to finish a degree. Do you come from an athletic or fitness minded family?
BigWilly: Yes. My father was quite athletic and brought me up in sports, but not fitness/bodybuilding.
- Ah ha! You WERE athletic growing up.. I had a feeling. You seem to take things in stride and just get the job done, rather than making it seem like it's some major production. Which activities or sports did you participate in from early childhood until now?
Yes, very. Football, baseball, basketball, wrestling, and track.
- So what inspired you to start weight training.. how long have you been at it?
Staying active, healthy, and improving my physique. 8 years.
- All I can say is after being in sports all those years, it's a good thing you found something you enjoy to keep your body strong and looking' good. Every once in awhile I run into guys from high school that played multiple sports, but didn't find something to stay active and.. well.. it isn't pretty *lol* Your workouts now are more muscle specific.. what does your weekly weight training schedule and routine look like? Would you outline it day by day including reps, sets and cardio?
Currently I am in a mass phase. My split is as follows:
- Day 1: Delts/tris - Seated Press: 3 working sets 6-10 reps. Side Lateral Raises: 4 working sets 8-12 reps. Bent over rear laterals: 4 working sets 8-12 reps.
- Day 2: Back/traps - Rack Deads 4 working sets 3-8 reps. Pull downs: 4 working sets 8-12 reps. Seated rows: 4 working sets 8-12 reps. Hammer shrugs: 4 working sets 10-15 reps.
- Day 3: Rest.
- Day 4: Chest/Bis - Incline Barbell press: 4 working sets 5-8 reps. DB flyes: 4 working sets 8-12 reps. Cable crossovers: 4 working sets 10- 15 reps. Barbell curls: 3 working sets 8-12 reps. DB curls: 3 working sets 8-12 reps. Cable curls: 3 working sets 10-12 reps.
- Day 5: Quads/Hams/Calves - Barbell squats: 4 working sets 6-10 reps. Leg press: 3 working sets 8-12 reps. Leg extension: 2 working sets 10- 15 reps. Seated leg curls: 4 working sets 8-12 reps. Lying leg curls: 4 working sets 8-12 reps. Seated calf raise: 3 working sets 10-15 reps. Standing calf raise: 3 working sets 10-20 reps.
- Day 6: Rest.
- Abs are worked 3x/week. 6 sets per day, reps aren't counted.
- Cardio is not done right now in my program.
- 5 minute warm up followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching before weight training.
- What would be an example of a typical "off season" day for you?
Wake up at 6am, get ready for work. Eat a meal and drive to work. Eat 4 meals during the workday. Drive home from work and have a snack. Go to the gym for training. Have post workout shake. Drive home and shower, then prepare dinner and eat. Go to bed at approximately 10:30pm. Wake up at 3am for a protein shake.
- How about an example of a typical "on season" day.?
Same as off-season, except eat cleaner and less calories. Adding 1 or 2 cardio sessions and tanning. I'm a firm believer in shaking up a workout every 8 weeks or so because the body has such a remarkable ability to adapt.
- You took those words right out of my mouth! That's very true and if more people understood how their body works from the inside out, they'd have much better gains without falling prey to bodybuilding products. Which of your training methods did you change most recently in an attempt to change your physique and had favorable results?
Changed the order of my body part split and changed a few exercises, but not very much. I tend to keep things pretty simple as long as I continue to see results.
- Which things negatively impact your workouts?
Too many people at the gym. My i-pod running out of charge.
- Your i-pod running out of charge?! *lmao* Do you have any little training tips you've picked up along the way that you practice because they proved to be worthwhile?
Bring down the volume of my workouts. Stop doing flat barbell press. Narrow down my range of motion to what feels best for me and keeping the tension on the muscle group I'm working.
- Judging by your pictures, you appear to be doing everything right BigW! Do you take supplements? If yes, which give you the best results?
A whey protein supplement. A weight gainer protein supplement in the off season. Creatine, glutamine, and various vitamins. If I had to choose only one supplement, whey protein is the most valuable.
- How many competitions have you entered and how did you place?
Two. Didn't place top five in open light heavy or novice my first comp. Missed top 5 by one spot and placed 4th in novice my second comp.
- Feelings about where the judges placed you?
Pretty fairly.
- The reason I asked is because I've heard many complaints regarding the inconsistencies of show judging criteria. Has it come down to playing detective and having to scope out judges and research their judging history prior to entering a competition just so that your time and effort can be rewarded justly?
I don't think so, but maybe I'm not experienced enough to answer this yet.
- Alright, that's understandable. Well, based on what you've observed thus far, do you think show judging as a whole is basically fair? What changes would you like to see made?
Yes for the most part. Don't move any contestants around in the line until hitting at least one pose. Improve lighting or placement on stage so that every contestant has a fair chance at being viewed in good lighting.
- What did you find was the hardest part about competing?
The diet of course! And dialing it in right the last week and final days this takes time and practice.
- It's amazing how much you notice other people eating when you're dieting, don't you?
Onstage appearance is the center of every competitive bodybuilder. So those who haven't remained disciplined during their off season truly do a number on their health during pre contest prep. How important is long term health issues to you?
It is very important, and I won't do something that I feel will compromise my health seriously.
- Is there an opponent at your current competitive level whom you admire, but would really love to blow him away on the stage in the future?
YES, but I won't mention any names.
- Aww.. but, Enquiring minds want to know! What about bodybuilding in the pro rank.. who will it take to be standing next to on stage in order to make you feel satisfied regarding your efforts?
Any pro.
- Who are your favorite famous male and female bodybuilders?
Jay Cutler and Lenda Murray
- Personal goals for the next ten years?
I don't really set "goals" for myself. I just live life to the fullest and do what makes me happy. I can say I would like to make it onto the national stage someday. Make enough money to be secure. And be a good partner to the love of my life.
- You have a great attitude. Anyway, I think you have a fantastic chance at making it onto the national stage some day. Best of luck to you and I'll be requesting a follow up interview so we can all keep tabs on your progress Big W!
-One more thing.. what's your philosophy on life?
In the end, you get what you give.
ANBC American Natural Bodybuilding Conference Bodybuilding Competition Rules and Judging Criteria
The ANBC judges on a four round system. The first three rounds, which include symmetry, muscularity, and density, occur during pre-judging. A five-member panel of judges place each contestant in each round. The addition of these three rounds gives the contestant the per-judging placement. ( For example if a contestant is placed first by symmetry, third by muscularity, and fifth by density their prejudging score would be nine.) The lowest score is the highest placement. (For example if a contestant were to be placed first by symmetry, first by muscularity, and first by density their score would be three and their score would three and their placement after pre-judging would be first.) The Pre-judging Placement of each contestant is determined by dropping the highest and lowest score from the panel of five judges and adding the remaining three scores. Once again, the lowest total will be the highest placement. If a tie should occur, the contestants remain tied into the next round.
The fourth round is the posing routine and takes place during the Evening Finals. Each judge will score each routine by awarding the routine with numerical point total, five being the maximum number of points allowed and one the minimum number of points that can be scored. The point total scored by the posing routine is used as a tiebreaker for the ties that occur from pre-judging. They are not added to a contestants score in any way. However, the Best Posing Award is chosen from the posing routine, the posing during mandatory posing has no bearing on who will be chosen Best Poser. The Final Placement of each contestant is determined as the same manner as pre-judging. The high and low scores of the judges are dropped and the three remaining score are added to determine which contestant has the lowest total and therefore the highest placement. If a tie occurs in the Final Placement tiebreakers are in the final tally that breaks the ties without having the contestants take the stage again.
The first round determines placement within the class by symmetry. The Head judge will instruct the class to make quarter turns while the judging panel compares the physiques and judges them on symmetrical shape and balanced muscularity. The Head Judge will then move contestants around the stage to compare individuals next to one another by symmetry and continue this process until the judges have all contestants placed. The Head Judge will not move on to the next round until all the judges have completed their scoring.
The second round determines placement in the class of muscularity. Muscularity placement will be determined while observing the contestants during mandatory poses. The Head Judge will create a competitive situation for all the contestants on stage while at the same time providing the judges with the right environment to accurately judge all the competitors. The Judges must observe a balance between muscle size and muscular striation to find the most muscular physique. The Head Judge will call poses that will enable the judges to determine which physique will place higher based on muscularity. All judges must have all contestants placed by muscularity before moving on to the next round.
The third round determines placement in the class by density. Contestants will be judged for density during the mandatory poses. Although muscular fullness will be a main criterion for placement in this round, hard-developed muscularity and absence of the body fat are equally important in judging the thickness and density of a physique. As with the other rounds, The Head Judge will continually move contestants around on the stage so they may be compared to the other physiques in the class. All judges must have all contestants placed by density before releasing the class at the completion of pre-judging.
The fourth round is the individual posing routine and occurs in the Evening Finals Performance. Judges are looking for the contestants to display his or her physique in the best possible manner through posing during a 60-90 second routine. The judge will take into consideration choreography, quality of music, poise, and artistic presence. Dance and gymnastics moves may be a plus but are not mandatory. However, good posing is a must and if a contestant does not pose well and does not present his or her physique in the best possible manner, the routine will not score high regardless of how the audience reacts to the performance. Each judge will then score each routine on a 1-5-point basis and this score will be used to break any ties that may occur from pre-judging.
If the routine score does not break the tie the contestants will remain tied into the final tally and the tiebreakers will determine who receives the higher placement. The first tie breaker goes to the contestant that may have been leading at pre-judging. If the contestants where tied at pre-judging the second tie breaker is which contestant received higher placements from more of the judges. The final tiebreaker is the decision of the Head Judge as to which contestant should receive the higher placement.
ANBC judges and officials are continuously asked: What does the ANBC look for when judging a physique? If you could sum it up in one statement, it would have to be the total package! The entire judging system and the addition of the density round consider the contestant's complete physique whenever the individual is onstage being judged. Although it may seem that the posing routine does not carry much weight in the scoring process contestants have moved up or down as many as three places after ties have been broken based on their posing routine. However, the routine does not take precedence over the physique and the worst routine ever performed did not unfairly drop a contestant if they had a superior physique. Likewise, a great routine will not place a contestant with a poor physique above an individual in better shape.
Remember in the fourth round a contestant's ability to present their physique is the only thing being judged. When a contestant walks out on stage alone to perform their individual routine they will always look better or worse than the competitor he or she was standing next to during pre-judging because now there is nothing to compare them with. No judge has the ability to make adjustments in their mind based on what they think they remember. The physique before them has already been scrutinized and regardless of how a judge may feel, he or she cannot make a change of placement based on symmetry, muscularity, or density. A contestant's ability to present their physique is scored by the judges and this score is used to break ties from pre-judging and choose a best poser in the class or division.
The final pose down is a compressed version of the entire competition. The finalists will take the stage and direction from the Head Judge to make quarter turns, the judges will score them on symmetry. The Head Judge will then have the finalists do mandatory poses and the judges will score them on muscularity and density. Free style posing will begin only after all the judges have made their decision on a winner and continue until the judges results have been tabulated and delivered to the Master if Ceremonies.
As with any competition where competitors strive to be the best, there will always be some unsatisfied with the final results. The best time to get feedback on an individual physique or performance is at the end of the competition, from the judges. ANBC judges are instructed to have constructive information available for any contestant that may request it. Days, weeks, or months after the competition, this information may no longer be available and a judge's ability to remember specifics may not be as good as the competitor would like it to be.
* Article by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Admin @ www.ProActiveHealthNet.com.
* Back to This Issue's Frontpage
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