The Natural Movement - June 2011 Promoting 100% Natural Athletes
Luis Stoner Jr. 38, Fresno, Ca USA 3DMJ: How long have you been training? LS: 6 years 3DMJ: List your accomplishments as a natural athlete. LS: Placed 3rd in the Novice Tall Class despite being of medium height. In my first ever show too. 3DMJ: What are future goals? LS: I plan on competing at least once more this season, and then coming back in 2013 with some added size, shape, and muscle maturity. 3DMJ: Describe why you have decided to train naturally. LS: It just feels like the right way to do it. As a father, my main concern is being a good role model for my children. Nothing against my non natural brothers in this sport. It is just not something for me. 3DMJ: Any other information or advice you would like to share with other natural athletes. LS: Enjoy what you are doing, take pride in your accomplishments, but stay humble. The sport as a whole does not have a good reputation. By all of us being good ambassadors of the sport, we can help it to grow or at the very least improve its image. I am grateful for Jeff Alberts and his website. It is how I discovered this sport, and it has brought me such joy. I want to give back to the sport that has already given me so much, and I am just getting started. Luis Stoner’s forum post after his first ever contest, the NANBF Natural Central Valley Classic on June 4, 2011 in Fresno, Ca. The Write Up: Part I - Long Winded Background I apologize for the delay. Hope you did not think I was going to leave you hanging without doing a major write up. Come on, Stoner is rarely short on words, it has just been a whirlwind of a weekend/week. Truly, this journey has been a life changing event. I don’t mean to be over dramatic, but I wanted to go back and revisit my life and delve into my psyche, so one can really appreciate how my mindset was, and how it has evolved. Background: (Some of this has been posted before). Growing up I was always self conscious about being the skinny short kid, and then the skinny and still short teenager. I was just average athletically, played lots of touch football and basketball recreationally. I really loved it. We would ball all weekend, until it was too dark to play. Good times. I did pretty well in these sports, but not because of my physical attributes, it was because of my work ethic, and my desire to get better. These traits are what have best served me in my prep, and will continue to do so going forward. That is my strength, just like Layne’s motto, “Can’t out work me.” Now fast forward to my mid 20’s (geez, how old is this guy? LOL). College was not a typical or ideal experience for me, due to me becoming a father at an early age. It forced me to grow up quicker. I knew I wanted to be a good father. I always wanted children, just not at 21. (Speaking of, my son Anthony just graduated high school last night. In many ways we grew up together, and how fitting that just days before I did my first show he graduated. More on that later.) My life took on a new focus, I worked full time hours, and took a full class load as well. Still made time for some partying, probably too much, but I always made sure to take care of responsibilities first. Right out of college, I embarked on a busy career of 60+ hour work weeks, client lunches, and many happy hours. Very fun times, but low and behold this skinny guy was quickly turning into a skinny/fat guy. It just kind of snuck up on me. At first, I welcomed the weight, then I realized I should get into shape, as I was not looking my best. In the ensuing years, I had many failed attempts at this lifestyle. Periods of going to the gym, and packing meals, which lasted like 4 weeks at most.
In my early 30’s, I switched jobs, and then I had much more free time. Still I did not use it to my advantage. Finally in January of 2005, under stressful conditions, I took to lifting, to ease that stress. This time I stuck with it, and I never looked back. In hindsight it was a real blessing. Initially the goal was to lean up and get a nice six pack. Along the way I got into running as a way to lean down. I enjoyed it and after lots of deliberation, I decided to enter some local races and met some nice people along the way. I continued to run, and got skinny again. Now I was self conscious of myself once again for being too skinny. (Dang I hate that word.) I worked out with my old weight set in the garage, the plastic kind with sand (LOL- Do they still make those). It was the set my father got me at 15. I was too intimidated to sign up for a gym - sounds crazy huh? Here I was with a good job, confident and outgoing in that area, but still struggling with body identity issues. Well about a year and a half passed until I decided it was time to sign up for a gym again. Then things changed when I saw a flier for a local bodybuilding show posted at the gym. I thought, “Wow, might be kind of interesting to go and see one.” I came back from that show, so excited and I knew right then and there that this was something I would like to do. Still, I never thought it would become a reality. I became a real fan of the sport, even checked out some out of town shows when they coincided with my schedule. I met some good bodybuilders along the way, like “Jumping Jack” Manoogian, Daniel Marquez, and Larry Luna. I found them inspiring. I slowly started following the lifestyle, but behind a curtain. Heck, I didn’t even post on here, although I discussed fitness in general with family, co-workers, and friends, I rarely mentioned bodybuilding. When I did mention my long term dreams of competing I was often laughed at. I can remember those remarks so vividly. Thank you haters! Thank you! You just gave me more fuel and made me work harder. No hard feelings, we can settle business on stage but you had better put in your work! Ok, I am calm again. Another major turn was when I heard something about natural bodybuilding, so I Googled it at work. I browsed lots of sites, until I stumbled upon Jeff Alberts' personal website. He created it to document his journey to the stage. He was very approachable. I went to see him at the Capital City Show in 2009, where he barely lost to Moji Oluwa for the overall and coveted pro card. That was the most exciting show I have been to. Those guys were phenomenal. I had previously only gone to NPC Shows, and this one had a different feel to it. There was more of a community feel, a camaraderie, and lots of friendly, nice people in attendance. It reminded me of the local running community. I liked it a lot. Throughout the year I stayed in touch with Jeff, and I would travel to meet up with him for the shows in Sacramento. Got to also meet the other guys, Alberto, Brad and Eric. They are great guys as well. Just about a year ago, Jeff started encouraging me to get my feet wet and do a show, after all I already was living the lifestyle, I might as well take it to the stage. I tentatively decided I would do a show in the summer of 2011. Late fall I found out Terri Reeves (IFPA Pro Bodybuilder) was going to be promoting a show here in my home town. It made perfect sense for me to aim for that one. I did a short bulk that summer until about mid October. I got carried away and got up to 182lbs on my little frame. At that point I started watching my calorie intake and got down to about 167lbs by the end of 2010, when Team 3DMJ took over. The Write Up: Part II - The Show Friday night was something else. My wife was applying my first coat of dream tan, while my sons, and step daughter would come in and out of the room. It was pretty weird for them to see first hand. I was getting pretty excited, as I loved the way it was making me appear. My wife kept telling me to stand still, but I was so excited to hit some poses. It was a long day, and an exciting one as well, but I was actually able to sleep pretty well that night. I had my alarm set for 5 am, but woke up at 4:30 rearing to go. Coffee was not needed on this day as I was naturally amped up. It was actually raining that morning, which is very rare for this area in June. Right then and there I knew this would be a day like no other. I did some posing, ate, went over my routine, made sure I had everything ready, etc. I even went to the grocery store to get some more rice cakes, and other items. Seems like getting up 4.5 hours before pre judging was too early, but I had to get those meals in, and it sure went fast. I was not real sure of myself, as far as if I was filled up enough yet not spilled. I will continue to learn as I go. At the venue I met up with Jeff, Alberto, Big Miguel, and Melissa. We chilled for a bit in the car, before Miguel and I headed to the athletes meeting. Going back stage was a first for me. I set up shop in the hallway, with my gym bag, and food bag. Got my dream tan touched up, hung out, met some cool people. Then it was time to pump up. Stage time! I was so excited, but surprisingly not all that nervous. I expected to feel somewhat terrified. Right then and there I felt like a winner, before I even stepped on stage. That feeling was a defining moment. I was at ease knowing I prepared myself as best as I could up to that point, given the time I allocated for this prep. I walked out on stage, and then it was time to perform. I smiled the whole time, not because I was told to, or because I knew I should, but simply because I was happy. It was awesome! I guess it went on for 10-15 minutes, but my sense of time was absent. In the audience I could hear and see friends, family and co-workers cheering me on. It was such a blessing to have them there. It meant a lot to me. At the end they let us do a pose-down. That was unexpected, but I had fun with it and the crowd liked it too. Then it was over, just as quickly as it came. Still the night show to go. I took a nice nap between the two. Apparently I was quite tired, because I was out like a light. Before I knew it, we had to head back for the night show. They had us come out on stage, strike a pose, then gather for the singing of the national anthem. Nice touch. I think the NGA Natural Mr/Mrs California does the same thing. I followed my same meals leading up to prejudging, pumped up and went out and did my routine. It went alright considering I neglected it in comparison to my preparation for prejudging. (I mixed a slow song and a faster one together, and I think the music guy thought that the second song was not supposed to be part of it, and cut it off. I faded out the first song, then the second one came on kind of abruptly. I need to fix that or discuss with the music people beforehand for my next one.) Anyways, I had to freestyle as a result of the glitch. I thought I jacked it up, but it was decent. I got some applause for the perseverance alone. I had seen this happen to competitors before and hoped it never happened to me, but here I was on my first one and it happens. Guess it can only get better from here on out. I still enjoyed myself quite a bit. I now know I am meant to do this. Physically, well I am more suited for middle distance running, but my work ethic, willingness to learn, and my personality is what I am talking about. There is nothing natural about getting up on stage almost entirely naked, flexing, and prancing around on stage...but to me it felt quite natural. I must be a weirdo, but then again we all are weird in some regards. Hopefully I can inspire others. If I can do this, so can anyone. I don’t have any special physical attributes, but I won’t be outworked, and just like I expected I am now hooked on this sport. I love it. I can’t wait to do it all over again. Even after my next show I may not be ready to call it a season. Well, time will tell. *Oh yeah, there were not enough novice competitors to field short, medium and tall classes. I ended up going in with the tall class. I spoke to the promoter ahead of time, and told her I did not want to be in a class by myself or with just one other competitor. I am not in this for an easy trophy. I wanted to go out and be compared to others, even though I was the shorty in the bunch. There ended up being 7 of us and I took 3rd. Very pleased. My initial goal way back, was to get on stage and look like I belonged, meaning not looking out of place.. aka “Why is he up there?” Well that goal was definitely met.
The Write Up: Part IV - Tips & Going Forward
I learned a lot, and am glad I got the first one under my belt now. For newbies, here are some tips: *Practice, practice, practice posing. I did lots, but could have benefitted from more. It takes endurance to really hold those poses. *Don’t neglect the routine. It is not judged, but you want to look good for friends, and family. *Talk to the music guy, or do a better job of mixing music, or just stick to one song. *Be prepared if there is a music malfunction. My last bit was supposed to be some dancing, so without the music I had to change course. *Watch the fiber. I did not listen, and ate too much fiber. Did not affect my appearance from what I was told, but I was a little uncomfortable at times, and I have an iron stomach even. *Don’t put on sandals after your color is on your feet. It just takes it right off. Small details, but still important. *Be prepared for a posedown. Have an idea of what poses you want to hit. *Have someone in charge of pictures, and tell them what you want. I did not get any backstage pics. *Just enjoy, mingle with people, make some friends. It is a hobby right? *This is not for everyone, don’t feel bad if after you do a show, you decide it really wasn’t your thing. Maybe you find you can do without the dieting, or just don’t like the show experience period. Now going forward I am already more comfortable saying that I am a bodybuilder, and am excited to share my story. I want to be an ambassador of the sport, encouraging others, bringing more exposure to it. I will reach out to the local community and with those I encounter, I plan on just spreading the word. I want to do my part to ensure that this inaugural event grows each and every year. Great sport, great venue, and well ran. To some extent I have already been doing this the last several days. I must say the support at work has also been tremendous. The secret is now out, and I have been getting lots of positive feedback and questions from various walks of life. My immediate goal is to keep pushing hard, and get some nasty conditioning for the California Muscle Mayhem on July 16th. Very eager and determined to make that happen, all while still smiling and having a good time. Funny to me is how people say they feel sorry for me and what I put myself through. They just don’t get it. Feel sorry for me. What?! Ha, no need to, I love this sport, pure and simple. Stay along for the ride, it is just starting to heat up!!! Follow me on: Facebook: Luis Stoner Twitter: Stoner_90 YouTube: TheMRPopi90 Just more ways to have fun and keep the dialog going. Thank you Luis for sharing your journey with us! To contact Luis email him at luisstoner@comcast.net |
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