3DMJ Interview with PNBA Pro and lifetime natural Chris Jantz
By Eric Helms

3DMJ: Chris, bodybuilding is such a unique sport and brings together people who often would not be acquainted in normal society. How did you get drawn into the iron game?

Pictured left: Chris at the 2010 World Championships

Chris Jantz: First off Eric I’d like to thank you and the entire 3DMJ Team for giving me this great opportunity to be featured on your site. And yeah, it’s cool that bodybuilding brings people together from all walks of life. It’s a crazy ass sport that challenges you and opens you up to many enriching experiences. It makes for an incredible life journey.
So, I got my first weight set back in 1979 and have been fascinated with bodybuilding ever since. It was one of those old Weider sets from back in the day. The weight set came with purple plastic coated concrete plates, a standard bar, some basic collars and a little black & white training manual that had about a dozen or so exercises. I probably read that manual a hundred times. My original background was in traditional martial arts and my all time favorite hero was (and probably still is) the “Little Dragon” himself Bruce Lee. It was Bruce’s incredible physique that inspired me to start lifting weights and learn more about nutrition. 

“It was Bruce’s incredible physique that inspired me to start lifting and learn more about nutrition.”

I stuck with both disciplines and in 1983 at the age of 14; I met my dad for the very first time. I came to find out he was a competitive bodybuilder back in the fifties and he was still in pretty good shape. I spent the summer with him and we went to the gym every day. He sent me back home with a stack of “Golden Era” bodybuilding manuals from Frank Zane, Arnold, Franco Columbu and Dennis Tinerino. I studied those things inside and out, set up my gym in the garage and went to work. It wasn’t long before I started training a lot of the kids around my neighborhood and writing training programs for the guys in my high school. Everyone took to the high-volume style of training pretty well. To this day I still train high-volume. 

Pictured Left: Chris’ father Gerhard Jantz in the late 50’s

I stayed with it into my early twenties until a car accident put an end to my competitive martial arts career. I got pushed across the freeway and hit head on in the fast lane by a truck. It left me with some damaged nerves in my neck at the C1, C2 and C3 vertebrae. I still deal with it today but it's no biggie. Anyways, this shifted my life in a totally different direction. I propelled myself into the fields of rehab training, health and wellness, strength and conditioning, eastern medicine, deeper studies into herbs, supplements, nutrition and the list went on and on and eventually led me to become a professional trainer.
I built my first Gym from the ground up in an old warehouse right here in Rohnert Park. There was this guy that came by every year handing out posters for his bodybuilding show and every single year he’d ask me to do this damn show. He never let up. You know the guy I’m talking about, good old Chris Murray from Windsor. Well, at the time I had been competing a bit in Olympic weightlifting and raw powerlifting but had completely ruled out the idea of competing in bodybuilding. I knew that I didn’t want to use steroids and didn’t know much about “natural” bodybuilding. I ended up going to a couple shows and the next time Chris came around I looked him in the eyes, shook his hand and promised him I’d compete at next year’s show. I always maintained my weight training but knew I had to step it up now. I started rehabbing injuries and rebuilding my foundation in 2008 and then stepped on stage for the very first time in 2009. I knew this was my calling and haven’t looked back since.

3DMJ: What do you love about it, and how did you transition from training to actually competing in natural bodybuilding from just lifting weights? 

Chris Jantz: I love the raw truth that the iron represents. Rain or shine it’s always there for you, it never lies to you, it keeps you humble, it builds character and it builds strength from the inside out. When it comes to the iron there’s no bullshit and that’s what I love about it. When my training and nutrition are on track everything else in my life is on track as well. It’s my Zen, my nirvana, my meditation. I love the health and fitness lifestyle and the incredible people that have been drawn into my life because of this. The transition from just lifting weights to actually competing wasn’t that difficult for me. I had been doing bodybuilding style training and nutrition for many years prior so the biggest transitions for me at that time were more mental and social in nature. I flipped my inner switch to the “on” position and got into a warrior mindset. That was it. I was determined to make it happen! This obviously shifted my interactions with society and caused people around me to flip out a bit. The bodybuilders out there know what I’m talking about. You find out real quick who your friends are and who’s got your back and who doesn’t. My mom and my two beautiful daughters Karli and Katelyn didn’t really understand what I was doing but they loved and supported me 100%, as did some of my clients. Fortunately back then I had a very small circle of people that stood there by me like a rock and still do to this day. These people are my girl Amy Hardigree, my brother Will Dutra and my brother Chris Barbour. Whether it’s one of us competing or all four of us, we compete as a team at every show that we go to. We’re family; we’re "Triad Bodybuilding" and compete as "Team Triad".

“We’re family; we’re Triad Bodybuilding and compete as Team Triad".

3DMJ: Tell us about the day you turned professional. What was that experience like? 

Chris Jantz: That was a crazy ass day and I remember it like it just happened yesterday. It was the INBA/PNBA World Championship held in San Francisco, CA. Sept. 26th, 2009. The World Championship Belt was up for grabs to the overall winner. My girl was sick as hell that day and I had depleted so hard that I was totally done for. The pump up area was outside and it was a nice warm day so going into prejudging I had a great pump and felt pretty good. There were some cut up dudes and a couple competitors that were pretty massive but didn’t quite have the conditioning dialed in, so I kind of knew that it was going to be a classic battle of conditioning vs. mass. 

Pictured Right: “The INBA 2009 World Champion and pro-card Winner is…Chris Jantz of the USA!”

I was the last to go out for the evening show and I was hanging outside for what seemed like forever. The sun started to go down and the cold San Francisco fog started rolling in really quickly. I mean really quickly! As soon as that cold chill hit me I started going flat. I started to freak out a little and decided to start pumping up a little to keep the circulation going. I ended up pumping up for damn near two hours before I finally got on stage. Little did I know that most of my competition had crammed into a little hidden closet this whole time to stay warm. I found this out because my buddy Patrick grabbed me at the last minute and stuffed me in there with the rest of the sardines. I started doing everything I could to get my pump back and then it was time.
I hit my routine, won the open tall class and was into the finals. With no break we went right into a final set of mandatory’s and went nuts in the pose-down and then it came. “The INBA 2009 World Champion and pro-card Winner is…Chris Jantz of the USA!” They slapped the belt around my waist and Amy, Will and Chris went fricking crazy in the audience. All of us were in shock, damn that was good! I still remember how good that pizza tasted after that show and how proud my team was of me, truly it was good times.

3DMJ: For all of the amateurs with the goal of turning pro in natural bodybuilding, do you have any words of advice or wisdom? 

Chris Jantz: Train your mind. The mind is the most powerful tool you possess, so use it! Three words: Simplicity, intensity and consistency.  Simplicity: Don’t over think everything. Stick to basics and keep things simple. Intensity: You must be willing to cross the line of intensity in order to force the body into change. You must be willing to go where most won’t if you want to be a champion. Consistency: Bodybuilding and life are one and the same. It’s the turtle that wins this race my friend. Small, steady steps each and every day will lead to victory in both life and in bodybuilding.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." -  Albert Einstein

Natural Pros Chris Jantz and Kiyoshi Moody at the 2010 Natural Olympia

3DMJ: What do you find the most challenging aspect to competitive natural bodybuilding? 

Chris Jantz: Well, the depletion is hard but I can handle that. The training is brutal and I can handle that too. When I get into pre-contest mode my mind switches and my focus gets razor sharp. I get into a Bushido mindset; eat like a machine, train like a machine and stay focused on the goal. I’m still able to focus on giving my training clients 100% and actually their training intensity goes up as mine does which is cool, but that’s about all I can handle at that point. During this time I basically become like a monk, well almost. 

Pictured Left: Natural Pros Chris Jantz and Phillip Ricardo Jr at the 2010 Natural Olympia

When preparing for battle there’s not much room for anything that doesn’t support the mission. I’m not saying this is right, but this is how I’m built and what happens when I get into pre-contest mode. I’m really lucky that my girlfriend understands me so well and stands by my side no matter what. I don’t think many women would be strong enough to handle this. It helps that she’s a competitor too and lives the same lifestyle. She’s a bad ass, hahaha! So the most challenging aspect for me is being around folks that don’t live this lifestyle and have no idea what’s up and being in social situations that don’t support me and my life’s goals. Cake and cupcakes at the Saturday family anniversary picnic ain’t happening. Burgers and beer at the business professional’s mixer ain't working either. Skipping my Saturday leg workout to go to the chili cook fundraiser off ain’t cutting it, but I still send them a donation check.

3DMJ: Often times the answer is "the contest prep diet", but really many folks struggle with varying aspects of this sport. For some, it's the emotional side of it, some it’s the relationship with food, some it's the feeling of getting smaller and weaker, and for many it’s the transition back to a less restrictive diet and keeping excessive weight gain under control. What has been challenging for you in this regard, and what strategies and experiences have helped you find more success or balance?  

Chris Jantz: I can relate to all of those experiences for sure. It would be easy for me to talk smack now too, because I’ve been in off-season mode since last November so I’ll reflect back a moment before I answer this one. I’ve learned from experience that the mind has a way of totally blocking out all the pain and suffering that you go through when preparing for a show. Then, when you start to get into it again you start to remember how bad it sucked and have no idea what you were thinking to put yourself through this crap again. It’s a multidimensional, crazy-ass sport that tests you on every level possible. Yeah I hate the feeling of getting smaller but know that this is part of it. I stay more focused on the new cuts coming in and vascularity popping up, getting shredded makes up for getting smaller. My strength on the other hands tends to maintain until the last two to three weeks before a show.
Coming out of a contest is a whole other topic and I’m still trying to get this one under control. Last year I did six shows and towards the end I was hallucinating of food from pictures on the wall and clouds in the sky, it was bad. I blew up after the season was over and then got it under control shortly thereafter and the year before I gained 18lbs. in 3 days after the season was over. I was a distended mess hahaha! Since then I’ve been studying a lot more about reverse dieting and different nutritional strategies for coming off a contest the best way. I know that everybody is different and what works for one person won’t work for another.
I like the info that you guys provided on this topic as well as Layne Norton’s article in MD a few months back. As far as success and balance goes I figured out what I wanted to do in life and what I wanted my life to look like and over time I have built my life around health, fitness, bodybuilding and family. These things keep me in balance and make me happy and from that I feel successful.

3DMJ: What do you think is in store for the future of natural bodybuilding? 

Chris Jantz: I know where I would like to see it go, I can tell you that. I think natural bodybuilding is the sport of the future and I can’t wait for it to catch on with the mainstream, because once it does its game over. There are a lot of mountains to climb but I believe it can be done and it’s up to us to do it. My take on this is a bit different and here’s how I see it. Whether natural or not, at the end of the day we’re all bodybuilders trying to excel at what we do. There’s a fork in the road and there’s two paths you can go down. Some go to the right and some go to the left. The truth is that you have to be a little crazy regardless of the route you choose. For the conventional bodybuilder the risks are many and in some cases can even cost one his life. It’s safe to say that someone willing to take the conventional route is probably a bit crazy. But the rewards are many: fat supplement contracts, endorsement contracts, magazine covers and contracts, big prize money, fame, recognition, you name and he’s got it.
Now what could possibly make the natural guy crazy you ask? Well I’ll tell you. Not all, but in many cases the natural guy has to train three times as hard to get half the results of the conventional guy. His nutrition has to be three times stricter only to yield a fraction of the results of the conventional guy's. The natural guy's training and nutrition are brutal and as real as it gets and for what? No credit, no respect, no fame, no recognition, no magazine exposure, no big supplement contracts, no endorsements and very little if any prize money. So hell yeah the natural guy is crazy! What person in their right mind would put themselves through all this for such little return? A crazy-ass natural bodybuilder that’s who. He likes the idea of impossible odds. He likes the brutality of the training. He likes the soldier-like discipline of the nutrition and lifestyle. He doesn’t do this for fame, he does this so that he can look himself in the mirror everyday and smile because he knows who he truly is and that he’s earned everything that he’s got.
In my opinion he’s one bad mother and deserves some recognition. But here’s the problem: The natural bodybuilding community has waged war on the conventional bodybuilding world and made them the enemy. If we ever plan to get anywhere this has to stop. We need to ally with these guys and support them so they can support us and then some doors can finally open for us. Remember at the end of the day we’re all just bodybuilders, so let’s work together.
I know I’m going on rants and half of this stuff is going to get clipped but listen to this comparison. The WWE is hugely popular and makes millions if not billions of dollars every year. The fans know that the fights are rigged and that the athlete’s physiques are “enhanced”. They don’t care, it’s a freak show and they love it. Now the UFC on the other hand is the exact opposite. The fighting is real and very brutal. Many of the fighters look like average guys you’d see walking down the street. The guy sitting at home on his sofa can relate to these guys and loves that the fighting is real. The UFC is hugely popular and also makes millions if not billions of dollars every year. These two entities coexist perfectly so why can’t conventional bodybuilding and natural bodybuilding do the same thing? I believe they can and I believe the natural athlete deserves all the same opportunities that his counterpart gets. It’s time for us all to work together, just my opinion.

3DMJ: What are your future plans, where are we going to see Chris Jantz in the coming years? 

Chris Jantz: At this time I’m planning to go hard for at least another decade so you’ll definitely be seeing more of me. I’ve taken this whole year off from competing so I can come in at my all time best for the Pro Natural Olympia in 2012. Another goal for 2012 is to build a strong internet presence. This sport and this lifestyle have given me a lot and I want to share that with the world. I want to bring natural bodybuilding to the mainstream and see this sport go to the Olympics.
I met Amy, the love of my life because of this sport (she competes too) and because of this sport I’ve had the opportunity to mentor two kids one 13 and one 14, Will Dutra and Chris Barbour. Now, they’ve grown into young men in their own right and they’re like brothers to me. 

“I met Amy, the love of my life because of this sport (she competes too)”

They’re in their early twenties now and we all compete together as a team, including my girl "Boom", short for "Boom Boom". Yeah she’s got the "Pow" too Hahaha! We all have funny nicknames for each other and compete as "Team Triad". It was actually Will that was the first to compete and kick-started this whole thing for us back in 2008. The dream is for Will and Chris to get their pro cards and for all of us to compete together at the Natural Olympia one day.
We have our own style of training which we call Triad Bodybuilding. I want to share our story with the world.

“We have our own style of training which we call Triad Bodybuilding.”

Everyday this self-chosen life path pushes me to be a better man: the best man I could ever be. It’s made me a better friend, a better son and a better father (yeah I’m a Dad too). Thanks again for this great opportunity! It meant a lot to me!