Introducing Team 3DMJ's 2011 Sponsored Athlete - Erik Holm
Erik Holm: I am 25 years old and would describe myself as an extremely active and competitive person. I love all forms of competition, but I am especially drawn to physical sports and I especially love individual sports. I have competed in bodybuilding, powerlifting, wrestling, waterskiing and even outdoor endurance competitions such as the Tough Mudder Challenge. I graduated from California State University Sacramento with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice. If there is one other passion I have in life that rivals my passion for bodybuilding, it’s my passion for animals. I love animals and I have always been fascinated by them. I currently have two Labrador retrievers. I take the labs pheasant hunting which is one of my favorite hobbies. As a natural bodybuilder, I am very intense. I apply the mentality I learned from wrestling to my bodybuilding training and I love to challenge myself in the gym. Occasionally, I will go to the gym and devise a workout that is simply designed to test my mental strength. When I do this, people look at me funny and tell me I am “overtraining.” While I do agree it is not ideal to constantly break down the body in this manner, I feel there is no substitute for a strong mind in the sport of bodybuilding or in life.
3DMJ: How did you get started in natural bodybuilding?
Erik Holm: I started working out in the 6th grade after my first year of wrestling. I was overweight for my age and was forced to wrestle 7th and 8th graders. I lost every match that year! Being the competitive person I am, I decided to start working out so I could be more competitive the next year. I worked very hard that summer and managed to lose 30lbs. I received a lot of positive feedback from friends and family because of my accomplishment. When my parents saw how dedicated I was to changing my physique, they got me a gym membership. When I was 11 years old, I would run from my house to the gym, workout and then run back home. The gym was approximately 3.5 miles from my house and I worked out almost everyday. Many of the older guys in the gym saw me and admired my intensity. Sometimes they would let me follow them around the gym and workout with them. I would try to learn everything I could about improving my strength and performance. A friend let me borrow the Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. When I wasn’t working out, I was reading that book. My father saw how interested I was becoming in bodybuilding and set me up with a personal trainer, who was a natural bodybuilder. This guy was 220lbs in the offseason. He was 50 years old and could squat well over 500lbs. I remember telling myself, “I am going to look like him someday!” When I was done wrestling after high school, I devoted almost all my spare time in college to bodybuilding. In 2003, I weighed about 170lbs, by 2005, I was close to 250lbs. It was then when I decided I needed to trim down. I was proud of my gains in size and strength, but was anxious to see how I would look if I was lean. I decided to do a bodybuilding show. I joined an “old school” gym in Sacramento and received help from some of the trainers at that gym in preparation for my first contest. 3DMJ: Who or what has been your major influence in the sport of natural bodybuilding? Erik Holm: My influence for natural bodybuilding comes from my own personality. In other sports, I have always been described as an okay athlete with a tremendous work ethic. Natural bodybuilding is a sport where work ethic can overcome talent. In fact, in natural bodybuilding, work ethic IS a talent! If I had to pick a person who has been a major influence on me in natural bodybuilding, it would have to be my first trainer who was a natural bodybuilder. I am also a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was a dominant champion who fully understood the mental aspect of becoming and being a champion. Erik Holm: So far, I have only competed in two shows. I placed 4th in the NGA Mr. Natural California, and took 1st place in the Novice Heavyweight division of the INBF Capital City Naturals. 3DMJ: Describe your current training split. Erik Holm: Sun-Quads and hamstrings; Mon-Chest and triceps; Tues-Back and Biceps; Wed-Calves, abs and HIT cardio; Thu-Shoulders; Fri-Biceps and Triceps. *Every other week, I split my leg workout into two different workouts. The first workout will focus on Quads and the second workout will focus on Hamstrings. For the Quad workout, I usually start with either barbell, buffalo bar or front squats. For the Hamstring workout, I usually start my workout with some form of deadlift. Due to the fact that my legs take up two days on this week, I don’t have a separate day for Biceps and Triceps. 3DMJ: What are your goals in the sport of natural bodybuilding? Erik Holm: My ultimate goal is to produce the best physique I possibly can. I want to live up to my full potential in the sport. Although I am very competitive on the day of the show, I know I can’t control who I am going up against. I just want to be the best natural bodybuilder I can be and leave the rest to the judges.
Erik Holm: In my opinion, the best way to improve the sport of natural bodybuilding is to spread the word about the sport. Most average people at the gym don’t even know the sport exists. In order for the sport to become more popular, people need to understand the advantages the sport has over mainstream bodybuilding. One of the main themes bodybuilding is supposed to represent is that of health and fitness. This theme has been lost with mainstream bodybuilding. People need to realize that natural bodybuilding does represent health and fitness. There has been a major shift in what the “ideal” physique should look like since I first started training. With the rising popularity of MMA and new training styles such as crossfit, people are starting to admire lean, fit and muscular physiques as opposed to the mass monsters of the early 90’s. Natural bodybuilding is starting to fit right in with the newest trends. Most natural bodybuilders still have an athletic look. I feel that now is the time for the sport to take off and become mainstream. Websites such as 3DMJ’s are a great start. They offer education and resources for people interested in the sport. I believe supplement companies should use more natural bodybuilders to promote their products. The average person would rather look like a natural bodybuilder than a “mainstream bodybuilder.” I feel it is important for me to do my part in educating people about our sport. 3DMJ: What did you feel like after hearing the news you were selected as Team 3DMJ’S sponsored athlete for the 2011 contest season? Erik Holm: When Eric called me and told me I had been selected as the Team 3DMJ sponsored athlete, I was extremely excited. I kept trying to imagine what I am going to look like in the near future. I also felt a sense of relief. I knew all of the time and effort I had invested was in good hands. I don’t have a whole lot of experience competing, but I have been around the gym scene for almost 15 years. I feel I have a good idea of what methods are going to work when it comes to making changes to my physique. Everything I have heard from the Team 3DMJ coaches makes complete sense to me. These guys understand natural bodybuilding and they have a “no nonsense” approach to contest prep.
Erik Holm: As I stated before, Team 3DMJ brings a “no nonsense” approach to contest prep. Many so-called bodybuilding experts seem to make getting ready for a contest overwhelming. They all have their “tricks” that are going to make you ripped. I have never bought into these methods. I wanted an approach to contest prep that made sense to me. The coaches at Team 3DMJ have a reason for everything they do and they do a great job of individualizing contest prep for each client. Discipline, dedication and desire are three words I have lived by since I first stepped into a gym when I was 11 years old. Before I started working out, I thought the phrase, “wanting something so bad I could taste it,” was just a figure of speech. Whoever thought of this phrase must have felt the way I do about producing the best physique I can. It is not only my desire for the end result, but my love for what it takes to get there that fuels my discipline and dedication to natural bodybuilding. 3DMJ: We are very excited to be following along with you during your journey, what can we expect in the weeks ahead as you move forward with Team 3DMJ during your journey to the stage? Erik Holm: You can expect 100% effort from me everyday. I am going to try to take in all of the knowledge that comes from the coaches in the next 6 months and apply it as best I can. 3DMJ: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years as a natural bodybuilder? Erik Holm: I have not thought that far ahead. I am focused on my goals for this year. All I can tell you is natural bodybuilding is something I plan on doing for the rest of my life. At this point, thinking about where I want to be 5 years from now will take away from what I am trying to accomplish right now. As Apollo said to Rocky when he was training, “There is no tomorrow!” While this is an extreme way of thinking, I think there is definitely something to take away from it. Look for further coverage in the future with Erik Holm as he embarks on his 2011 contest journey! |
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