Interview With 3DMJ On February 5, 2010 

3DMJ: Please describe to everyone “A day in the life of Richard Knapp”.

RK: Most people would call me boring during the winter months.  I wake up, boot up my laptop and ProTrack 2008 program, see what I have set up to eat for the day and eat.  45 minutes later Tammy and I head out to the gym, its 5-8 mins away depending on traffic.  By the time we get all set up at the gym it is 1 hour after I’ve eaten. I can't drive anymore so Tammy has to drive me.

Tammy keeps an eye on me as I do my work outs and watches my form, reps, how I get on and off machines and benches, and she loads the weight on the H.S. Machines for me.  I have to lift what she puts on, and Tammy has gotten very good at knowing what weight I need and should work with.  Most of the time I don't even have to open my mouth because she knows what weight I will be asking for.  On occasion I ask for more and go for a new best/max effort.  I do my cardio right after my work outs, and then slam down a protein shake with some amino acids and possibly some carbs depending on the day.

We head home and 1 hour after my post work out shake I eat a higher carb and protein meal.  At this point I have eaten 80% of my daily carbs. 

Then I get on ProTrack and log my work out and check out my meal plan for rest of the day.  I use a journal and an egg timer to remind me of times to eat.  I check my e-mail and check in with 3DMJ.  I am on a few online forums and I’m an Admin on “TheAvengerForum.com” so I check in on them all.  These keep me pretty busy the rest of the day.  So I am lucky in that I get to just sit around and recover.   Some days I envy others who can work and get out and see other people and places, but in regards to bodybuilding it works out nicely that I have the chance to just sit and recuperate.

After checking in on all the forums, I just bum around the web researching and I watch TV.  I also do ab crunches on the couch (it’s the only place I’ve found to be easy on my lower back) every night. I practice my poses and my posing routine off and on also. I make sure this practice adds up to an hour minimum every night. I eat the rest of my meals until Tammy gets home from work.  She relaxes after work and then we head to bed. 

In the off season (summer) I am the Founding Pres. & CEO of “Modern Machines Car Club” So we try to get to car shows on weekends. (One of twenty-two incredible builds in his lifetime!! He built the car from the ground up in only one week!)

3DMJ: What challenges are you facing in training for the first time as a wheelchair bodybuilder?

RK: Probably a big one is using a hand bike for my cardio. For the most part I adapted very fast.  In general after Tammy and I would get home from workouts we would be able to talk about any “road bumps” we encountered and we would have a fix ready for the next session.   As an example: I can't do dumbbell rows leaning on a bench so I use a Hammer Strength ISO  Row machine and put the seat as high as it goes to simulate a dumbbell row.

A challenge that plagues me is doing my abs.  Doing crunches on the couch is the only thing that my low back will allow without having lasting pain. 

3DMJ:What types of adjustments have you had to make in the gym, if any?

RK: I am pretty well set up now. When I first started out I was constantly asking: what can I do and not over strain or put too much pressure on my lower back and tail bone?   I have found I can pull myself onto Hammer Strength equipment easily. This works out well because with free weights, the weight I lift Tammy can't safely spot.  Also I can still use dumbbells in many lifts like curls or pullovers.  I do pullovers lying on the bench instead of having my shoulder blades across the bench. 

 I haven't had a problem with not being able to get close enough to equipment with my new chair yet.  With my old one I would sometimes have this problem. 

 I have to shower at home, and I can’t do any leg work at all. I have had to adjust to not lifting as much weight in general.  You cannot believe how much we use our legs to cheat on most lifts, even when we try not to.   

3DMJ: How has training, nutrition and cardio been going since you joined TEAM 3DMJ?

RK: I keep switching things up. Doing different machines and going between power, reps and shocking-work outs to keep the muscles guessing.

I am eating more than I used to in the past, yet still dropping fat.  I am able to eat more of a variety of foods; this is cool because it lessens the urge to cheat. My macros for cutting are at Fat= 40, Carbs=125, Pro=190 and on my once a week refeeds they are Fat=40, Carbs=255, Pro=190. I hit them dead on every day.

My cardio is constant and working out well. It is actually less than I used to do.  Only 3 days a week for 20 mins a day right now. 

I'm feeling pretty good, a bit run down due to low carbs until a re-feed day but that's a norm.

3DMJ: How has TEAM 3DMJ helped you with your contest preparation?

RK: They have helped with everything from nutrition to posing.  Their attention to detail entails too much to cover here. If I can sum it up, it is how they fine tune each aspect of my preparation; from a posing change of just one inch, or nutrition details down to the gram, and even ensuring the best color and application method. The knowledge of the team is outstanding.  I thought I had a good handle on it but they have showed me a whole new light.  Even a Veteran Pro card holder can learn from them.

Their support is outstanding.  They’ve given me even more drive and dedication due to their information.  

        January 15, 2010                 vs.          February 7, 2010

Rich has made outstanding progress in such a short amount of time. With two months to go, he is only going to get even better! Rich understands to truly get the most out of his physique, he was willing to switch up his most muscular pose in order to fit his current level of development. As pictured above.

3DMJ: What do you feel were some of your weak points before working with TEAM 3DMJ and have they been able to assist you so far in correcting those weak points?

RK: Diet:   I always got cut up but I also lost a lot of muscle.  Alberto has me getting peeled and still making gains at work outs and retaining muscle. They have been very helpful in regards to understanding  digestion rates of different foods also.

Posing:  Jeff has been great. I always had a “great” back but he has me posing it in a way that is bringing it to the “awesome” and “sick” level.  He is great at finding the best way to take what you have and make it stand out and be noticed.

P.S. They work together as a team so thanks to ALL of them. Jeff And Alberto have been my main contacts so I use their names.  

3DMJ: Posing in a wheelchair is new territory for you, how have you adjusted so far with this change? What have been some of the problems with this and what adjustments have you been trying to make?

RK: I do a lot of posing practice and after having done 11 shows, I have to say in my eyes the biggest challenge is trying to pose around the chair-wheels and the back rest.   The back rest has at times gotten me very frustrated.   My lower back isn't very flexible and some poses are painful to hit or hold. Some poses just hurt as I hold them but the pain goes away as I go to another pose, these I can work through. Then there are poses that when I hit them I am in pain all night and maybe even into the next day.  Jeff has been working with me on these and I think we are really getting it ironed out.   The side chest is a big problem in regards to my back but it looks like we will be going old school on this one, which is not uncommon with wheelchair competitors.  My side triceps poses I think we have down pat, I just have to practice for consistency. 

TIMING on hitting poses: This is a big one.  Try to look smooth and fluid moving a chair. Not going to happen!  It is also difficult to move quickly from pose to pose while trying to get the chair not to move during the transition.  I can use the brakes on every pose but that takes time, and limits the number of poses I can get into.

Balance:  I have a new custom, handmade show chair.  It is balanced for me unlike a generically balanced chair you would get at a rehab store or hospital.  The front wheels only have about 20% of the weight and I have to be careful as to how I do some poses so I don't tip over and land on my back.  I have overcome this with how I flex and pose.  Jeff is happy with the way they are coming out.  We are doing polishing and minor tweaks now on all my poses.

3DMJ: How are you feeling overall about your journey to the stage thus far and do you feel you will hit your best condition when show time comes on April 10th?

RK: Things have been going very well.   At this point I have to say yes, I will be dialed in. I am in better condition for this show than I have ever been in comparison to the other 11 I have done.   My nutrition plan has more carbs and fat than I used to take in, yet I am cutting up and looking tight.  I used to do a low to no carb diet, strictly chicken and green beans for 12 weeks every meal.  When I am in doubt about something, I ask the team and I get an answer very quickly, and it is explained very well and understandable.

Come April, I think I will definitely make a statement for wheelchair bodybuilders in the INBF. 

                           January 15, 2010                     vs.                     February 7, 2010

Rich will be totally shredded for showtime come April!!

3DMJ: Any other information you would like to share?

RK: These guys know their business and I recommend them.  Come back next month to see how Jason and my workout together goes.

Click here for more information on TEAM 3DMJ's coaching services. 

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