Learning The Hard Way

by WNBF Pro Jeff Alberts

I entered my first bodybuilding show back in 1993, at the AAU Modesto Championships in Modesto, Ca. I was extremely confident, so much so that I thought I was going to come away with a big victory. I was a little arrogant to think I could just cruise in and take home the winner’s trophy on my first try, but in my assuming mind, I absolutely did everything in my power and thus deserved the win. I was surely dedicated and I finished my homework heading into the show, but there was a huge problem I did not understand at that moment in time. I did not follow the appropriate lesson plan beforehand to do my homework correctly. As it turned out, things did not pan out the way I thought they would. I placed a very disappointing 10^th out of 16 in my class. I got my a** kicked and looking back, I deserved it.

In my early days I was overly confident and uneducated in the sport, a recipe for disaster

Remember, in the early 1990’s, precise sources of knowledge for natural bodybuilders were not in existence yet.  Information on the internet and authorities such as the likes of Dr. Joe, Layne Norton and TEAM 3DMJ were not available. There also were no books that pertained to the natural bodybuilder available to me. All of the information that seemed to be at my disposal was from the muscle magazines and advice from the many non-natural bodybuilders that didn’t really apply to a natural athlete. These so-called specialists presented to me the crazy myths we all know so well and that surprisingly, so many natural bodybuilders still practice today. These practices included, your typical 12 week diet, the basic hardcore bodybuilding diet, training to failure at all times, cutting water, cutting sodium, loading potassium, etc. These beliefs were being instilled in my mind and were heavily reinforced at every single show I competed in and the many times I set foot in the gym. Numerous athletes I competed with were engaged in exactly the same approaches as I was, so I assumed this way was the one and only way to prepare myself for the stage. Over my competitive span in the 90’s I surprisingly came away with 4 class titles, but in fact I never really approached my full potential. I was very lucky to be just good enough on those particular days, but it surely wasn’t because of my stellar preparation techniques.

In 1999, as I prepped myself for the NPC Monterey Bay Classic, I put into action many of the myth-based methods I mentioned earlier. I engaged in the typical 12 week diet and I was limiting myself to the “hardcore” bland diet which consisted of tasteless chicken breasts and plain rice cakes. Veggies, fruits, other important carb sources and a much needed multivitamin were vacant in my diet plan due to my absence of knowledge in nutrition. Cardio training wasn’t even in the back of my mind and I was weight training with a ridiculous amount of intensity. About 10 weeks into my journey I encountered a serious problem while I was in the shower. I nicked myself on the left elbow with my razor as I was shaving my arm. It was a miniscule pin sized nick, but it would not stop bleeding.  It was jetting out streams of blood with every single heart beat. Using my finger I applied plenty of pressure to it, but when I took my finger off, the geyser continued. I reapplied pressure for a minute at a time to no avail, the bleeding continued. I finally stopped the blood flow minutes later by covering it tightly with a band aid. After that alarming ordeal I carried out some research and I discovered my nutrition was seriously deficient in Vitamin K (the vitamin that coagulates the blood).

Lacking this very important nutrient was the main cause of the excessive bleeding. If I had happened to sustain a much larger cut or gash, who knows what could have occurred. 

It gets even worse; three days prior to the show I began to cut my water intake and eliminate sodium while loading up on potassium. I slashed my water down from my usual 1 ½ gallons to only about a ½ gallon. Then two days out, I reduced it down to ¼ gallon and the day before the show it was roughly 2-3 ounces with every meal. The night before my nose had severely sunken in and my wife was extremely scared as I was lying in bed looking like I was ready for the grave.  She desperately begged for me to drink some water, but I was so stubborn and set in my ways that I did not want to jeopardize my contest condition. I eventually gave in to her plea and I merely sipped 4 ounces for her, but gazing back at it now, it should have been more like a gallon or two. The day of the show I pushed on with cutting water, sodium and the potassium load because of the stupid notion that I did not want to hold any water.

In hindsight, I was as flat as a pancake and I cramped up on stage, but I was lucky enough to come away with a victory in my division. I concluded this was all normal; to be dangerously dehydrated and to eat such a strict diet just like so many others who were following the same path. I did not question these tactics; I was winning so I figured I must be doing something right, but in reality I was far from my peak condition and far from comprehending how to construct a successful contest preparation plan.

Far left: 1999 NPC Monterey Bay after cutting my water to dangerous levels. Far right: 2000 INBF Northwest Natural after the implemented changes by Bob Bell.

That one simple phone call from Bob transformed my way of thinking and I am very thankful for that. His suggestions shattered all of the myths I firmly believed in. He assisted me in clearing the smoke out of my eyes which enabled me to see the other effective ways to contest preparation besides the decade’s old information that is still being used by many natural bodybuilders today. Although I did attain tremendous condition with Bob’s guidance, I still did not know why those methods he suggested worked so well. He only told me what to do and he did not inform me as to the reasons behind his suggestions. But to be clear, I place the blame on myself because of my monumental mistake of not asking for the reasons why. I am 100% positive he had the proper knowledge in the sport; I just was not proactive enough to learn. I had been a conformist, always believing what others were telling me and I never thought to question their ideas. After that enlightening experience in 2000, and the positive guidance Bob had given me, I decided I needed to start thinking for myself and to not let another muscle mag, misinformed bodybuilder or a so-called “guru” guide me in the wrong direction ever again. Ten years have gone by and it has been a night and day change as to how I seek out credible information. It is consistently showing up in my physique and last year it culminated with 2 class titles and 2 overall wins.

At times, I do glimpse back to those first 7 years of my career when I was a true follower of some of the crazy and unsafe myths that have been established in this sport. I get frustrated with myself knowing things could have been really different. I could have achieved a lot more success early on, but that valuable experience is how I became the bodybuilder and coach I am today. I have come to realize and accept that I did learn the hard way, but I would not change my path for anything because if it were not for those pitfalls, I wouldn’t be a part of such a terrific group of guys in my fellow teammates here at 3DMJ.

In conclusion, I just have to say, if you are a first time competitor or even an experienced veteran, ask yourself this question, “Do I have the right lesson plan before I do my homework?” 

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