BEN GOINS - WNBF & NGA Pro Written & Interviewed by Alberto Nunez
Never waiting for others to lead the way, Ben pushed on and eventually earned pro status in both the NGA and the WNBF. This was something he knew he was worthy of long before he was the last man standing on stage. Many vividly recall the night he earned his WNBF Pro card in 2008, beating the three other magnificent class winners. There was a distinction between Goins and the rest of the field that went further than his physical superiority. The longer they went through the poses, the more evident it became that Goins had a killer instinct. He had done this before. Ben had won his class many times over while preparing for his final 20 rep set of squats, leg day after leg day. Mentally, he had stomped-down his back leg while hitting rear double biceps poses time and time again. That night he posed to what he had rehearsed and when he took the stage for the overall there was no hesitation to his gait, he had purpose.
BG: My bodybuilding ventures began later in life than most. As a youth, I was involved in peewee sports and was involved in a few years of track, baseball and basketball in Jr. High/High School. However, during that time period I never ever went to any type of gym. I had a couple of sand filled dumbbells that I did a few curls with from time to time as a kid and was always inspired by the likes of He-Man and Conan the Barbarian! As an adult, during my tour in the U.S. Marine Corps, I hit the gym only a handful of times and it wasn’t until I completed my tour that I became a regular gym patron. I had become VERY out of shape and was very unhappy with my appearance. I came to the realization that I was the only one that could make a change, so I went to work and haven’t looked back since! I had always aspired to have the “6 pack abs look” and that was my initial goal. I knew the road would be long and winding so I went to work! I began my weight loss journey at a whopping 262 lbs and sported a fluffy 40” waist. I had not a clue on where to begin so I became familiar with bodybuilding.com and incorporated general nutrition knowledge and basic beginner workouts. In short, I lost roughly 70 lbs in about a 9 month time span. I then planned a vacation to Florida and worked towards finalizing my initial "beach body with abs" goal. I completed my mission and since I was already in “decent” shape, on a whim I decided to try my hand in a bodybuilding event! 3DMJ: Upon starting did you notice that you had potential to do quite well? Did you excel in the weight room right away?
3DMJ: Was your mental tenacity something that you acquired long before setting foot in the gym? If so where did it come from? BG: I’ve always been a strong minded kind of guy! Although I do credit my stint in the U.S. Marines for embedding and fine tuning my discipline and determination to complete anything I set out to accomplish. 3DMJ: Let’s stop being coy for a minute, so how much do you bench? BG: HA! NEVER enough! My best bench press singles have been an unequipped 430lbs, a shirted “gym” lift of 530lbs and a competition lift of 500lbs at a bodyweight of 210 lbs. Although I have put up decent numbers in years past, I suffered a partially torn labrum a couple of years ago. I have not worked much with straight bar bench press. However, I have recovered 100% and plan on building the bench once again. 3DMJ: Tell us a bit about your powerlifting background, and how it has affected your bodybuilding? Do you feel that the time focusing on moving big weight has helped you build the physique you have today? BG: I feel there is an awesome carryover from powerlifting to bodybuilding. Being able to train for hypertrophy with heavier weights will definitely induce growth!
BG: HEAVY! Over the past couple of years I have learned so much about my body and how I respond to different training methods. I’m a big fan of Dr. Layne Norton’s power/hypertrophy split and have utilized many variations with great success. I am now training for a June powerlifting meet and my current training revolves around Westside Barbell principles and Ed Coan’s intensity/volume waves. I’m also a huge fan of instinctive training! 3DMJ: So seriously, how did you build those wheels? What are your favorite lower body exercises? BG: One word.... SQUATS! In my normal training cycle I rotate high volume and low volume for the wheels, keeping the weights steady or heavy depending on which part of my cycle I’m in. It’s paramount to keep the body guessing!
BG: There are several that come to mind! My most recent took place at my new gym. It was a scheduled heavy leg day and I was skeptical of going too heavy since I didn’t have a training partner yet. I had a little talk with myself under my breath and had visions of the Ivory Latino (Alberto Nunez) standing cross armed in the corner, staring at me... so I went to work. Warm up sets were 135, 225, 315, 385 all for 6 reps and Working sets were 425x6, 455x6, 485x2 and a PR with 500x1 all at parallel.
BG: Earning 2 Natural Pro Cards in the same year and having some of my best friends and family there alongside me to see it happen! 3DMJ: Let’s talk bodybuilding nutrition, what has worked best for you? And what advice would you give others still looking for what might work best for them? BG: I LOVE my carbs! I typically prep with fairly high carbs, 200-450 range and keep protein around 1.1-1.2g per lb of lean body mass. Fat is kept somewhat low, 25-50g. This has worked quite well for me in past contest preps. I recently have experimented with a different method than my usual and had great results. Higher protein, 275-350, carbs lower than normal, 150-200, and fats still in the 25-50g range. I recommend “experimenting” and not being a slave to any particular diet protocol. However, at the same time, give the diet a chance to run its course and then decide whether it works for you or not. Simply enough, there is no cookie cutter protocol! 3DMJ: Do you change much when dieting for a show? Any advice you would give others about keeping intensity levels high, specifically during the deeper phases of contest prep? BG: During my offseason I stick to mostly bodybuilder type foods. I’m a bit more relaxed in regards to keeping super tight with exact macro nutrient ratios but never steer too far away. I enjoy a couple of cheat meals per week and if I feel things are getting out of control, I’ll implement a 2-4 week mini-cut to get back on track. 3DMJ: So what is next for you? What are your future plans and long term goals? BG: After earning my NGA Pro card in May of 2009, I have decided to not compete in 2010. I know that I need to concentrate on gaining much needed lean body mass in order to be competitive in the Pro ranks. I feel that my conditioning is good, but I think I can step it up a notch or two the next time out. I do plan on competing in a powerlifting meet or two this coming June. 3DMJ: Any advice you would like to give to athletes out there? BG: Always be open to new ideas in regards to training principles and diet strategies. Stay consistent for the long term and commit to a plan! Realize that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to with the proper amount of determination, dedication and discipline. |
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It's early in the morning, and while the rest of the world is tossing and turning, battling the snooze button, there is one man working on getting better. Dressed in black, there is no hesitation in his gait. He has purpose, quickly walking by the morning crowds, leaving them with looks of confusion as they gawk at calves exploding out of his shorts. His legs and calves are so muscular they almost look disfigured. He sets his belongings by the squat rack and his warrior-face goes from cold and emotionless, to a smirk. Ben Goins has already done this workout many times in his head; 225 x 20, 315 x 15 and 225 x 20, he is in control. So many traits stand out in his world class physique, but his state of mind is what makes him unique, successful, and dangerous to his competition. 
Ben Goins first made a dent in the Natural Bodybuilding world in 2007, when as an amateur he posted pictures of himself just under 13 weeks out from a show on a popular message board. This was when many guys were still doing the standard 12 week diet protocol. At this point and time Goins was as lean as or leaner than what was considered “contest ready” by many people’s standards. That whole year he pushed the envelope and gave many of us a crash course (and perhaps a complex!) on what extreme contest conditioning really was. 
My personal rule of thumb is to not lose complete sight of the abs! When it’s prep time, there are zero cheats and macros are strictly monitored day in and day out! I’ve never had any issues with keeping intensity levels high late into show prep. I’m very fortunate to have a close network of bodybuilders to lend me their ears when I start second guessing during prep, which we all seem to do at times.
This will allow me to maintain my focus during my extended offseason and moving heavy weight should also render some good gains. I plan on making my NGA Pro debut in the summer of 2011.
