"Publisher's Page" by Doug Schneider

2010 Bodybuilders of the Year

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Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider

Created: 01 January 2011 01 January 2011

I usually watch at least a couple of thousand people compete each year. However, at the end of the year, only a few truly stand out for something special that they accomplished – these are the people who make it to the annual SeriousAboutMuscle.com Bodybuilders of the Year list. For 2010, here are my three picks: 

Dickens Lambert 

Quebec’s Dickens Lambert is 5’10” tall and weighs about 195 pounds on the competition stage. He is rarely, if ever, out of shape, even in the off-season. Dickens is a formidable natural competitor who has won a slew of competitions over the years, including both IDFA pro contests held in 2010: the International Championship last July and the Pro Universe in November. 

I watched Dickens compete at both of the IDFA shows, and although Erik Alstrup pushed him extremely hard for the top spot in July (something I’ll talk about more below), he was a deserving winner each time. All told, Dickens Lambert is a great competitor and it’s no surprise that the IDFA featured him in the inaugural issue of their magazine that came out in the middle of 2010.

Dickens' past track record and his competitive accomplishments this year are why he’s included as one of SeriousAboutMuscle.com’s Bodybuilders of the Year for 2010. But there has also been this question on many people’s minds: What’s next for Dickens? I’m not sure anyone knows. Dickens is quiet to the point of being reclusive, and he rarely lets anyone know his plans. When he competed in July, it seemed like a last-minute decision – I saw him a week prior when I was in Montreal and there was no commitment from him then. What’s more, some people at the Toronto show commented that they thought this competition would be his last. From what I could tell, that was all conjecture; however, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true. Dickens has a wife, two small children, and a career outside bodybuilding. In other words, he’s got plenty of other things to do. But regardless of what the future holds, Dickens Lambert had a banner year in 2010, which is exactly why we’re including him here. 

Erik Alstrup 

Erik Alstrup’s impressive competitive comeback in 2009 was one of the main reasons he was selected as one of our Bodybuilders of the Year last year. I’d never seen anyone make a return to the stage the way he did. This year Erik is included because of his continued competitive accomplishments and, as well, because of the positive and inspiring mindset he brings to the sport, in addition to the motivation he gives to others. 

No other drug-free Canadian competitor I know of has stepped on the stage more than Erik has in 2010 – he competed in a number of contests in a number of organizations, both in Canada and the United States. Erik is from Ontario, but he spends quite a bit of time in Miami these days and that might be why he feels comfortable competing on both sides of the border. Erik is a combination of quantity and quality. He won most of the competitions he entered, and he came the closest of anyone to dethroning Dickens Lambert in the IDFA’s pro ranks. The way they both performed at the July International Championships was as close as it could get for the first- and second-place positions. In fact, I actually had Erik winning in a number of poses and, in my opinion, that contest could have gone either way. 

But winning isn’t everything to Erik; instead, what seems to get him charged the most is stepping on stage and performing for the audience, as well as training other competitors and motivating almost everyone he comes in contact with. Erik didn’t win in Toronto against Dickens, but he was the star of the show that day – his posing routine in the finals brought the loudest ovation of the show, and even though he was busy preparing himself to compete, he was equally busy helping the competitors he personally coaches. And when he wasn’t doing that, he spent the remainder of the time talking to others about the benefits of natural bodybuilding. 

Bodybuilding needs a star spokesman right now and Erik Alstrup is filling that role perfectly. Given all his accomplishments, competitive and otherwise, it’s no wonder Erik is once again one of our Bodybuilders of the Year and we’re happy to have him as one of the main contributors on SeriousAboutMuscle.com. 

Bill Garland 

No other new competitor this year surprised me the way Ontario’s Bill Garland did. I first saw Bill compete in the novice division at the IDFA Montreal Classic in July. I was amazed by his near-perfect symmetry and I was floored by his rock-hard condition. Bill easily won the men’s masters and overall novice titles, and I’m pretty sure he would have won the open division if he had been allowed to compete in it that day. 

But Bill did compete a week later in the open division at the IDFA’s International Championships in Toronto and won the lightweight class; however, he lost the overall title to heavyweight winner Oge Robin. Following that contest, Bill took a few months off from competing, but he then resurfaced at the IDFA Ottawa-Gatineau Classic in October where he won the lightweight title again, and this time he was also awarded an IDFA pro card. One week later Bill, competed professionally in the lightweight division at the IDFA Pro Universe and won; however, the overall Pro Universe title went to Dickens Lambert. Bill didn’t win every contest he competed in, but, obviously, he did pretty darn well in all of them.

Bill’s competitive record alone this year would be impressive enough to include him on this list, but, as I said, he surprised me for a couple of other reasons, and it didn’t have to do with all those wins. First, when Bill hit the stage at the Montreal Classic he was 49 years old – it was the first time he had ever competed. At a time in his life when most men have already hung up their posing trunks, Bill has just started, showing the physique of a man half his age. Why such a late start? Although Bill had been weight training off and on for a very long time, he got serious about weights when he was 40. But, even then, it was not necessarily to compete; it was more about overall health and staying in shape. Bill only considered competing at the very beginning of 2010 when his trainer, Brad Antaya (of the Belleville YMCA), encouraged him to do so. He was originally shooting for the IDFA’s May 15 Novice Classic show in Toronto, but couldn’t make that date because of other commitments and ended up making his debut in July. You know the old saying: Better late than never. 

Besides his age, the other thing that was most surprising was his weight. Everyone in Montreal was floored by Bill’s rock-hard condition – rarely do competitors get as ripped as he was. After the show a group of us were talking and Bill came around so we asked him a few questions and complimented him on his condition, something Bill seemed rather surprised about. He had no idea how good he look onstage, even after winning. In fact, he was quite taken aback by the accolades. But you should have seen everyone’s jaw drop when he told us his weight that day was 128 pounds! You read that right: one, two, eight. Bill may only be 5’5” tall, but, still, everyone there thought that he looked like he weighed 150 pounds, if not more. It goes to show that superior definition, not bodyweight, is what matters most on the stage. That’s because when you are super-lean like Bill was that day, you can look much larger under the lights than you really are. There are a number of competitors who fixate on how much they weigh, not what they look like, who could learn a lot from Bill. As a result, Bill Garland, all 128 pounds of him, impressed me like few other competitors this year, and that’s precisely why he’s one of SeriousAboutMuscle.com’s Bodybuilders of the Year for 2010. 

Now that 2010 is fully behind us, we have the 2011 season to look forward to. Will Dickens, Erik and Bill be back to compete and be as impressive as they were in 2010? Or will be there be a new crop of notable competitors who will make our Bodybuilders of the Year list for 2011? Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see how the year unfolds. Until next month . . .

. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.

The Only Organization That Matters

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Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider

Created: 01 March 2011 01 March 2011

In 1979, a British band named The Clash blazed into the consciousness of North American music lovers with their two-LP release called London Calling. To many, it is one of the greatest rock albums ever released. The group fused rock with punk, jazz, reggae and a few other musical styles, sprinkled in some political commentary, and gave 15-year-olds like me reason enough to lock ourselves in our rooms for hours at a time, listening to every song on those four sides over and over again. We identified with them. The Clash billed themselves as “The Only Band That Matters.” Fans believed it to be true back then and I’m pretty sure that most of us still believe it to be true today. The Clash, unlike so many bands, was unique and they stood for something. Yes, they mattered.

Flash-forward 32 years and I’m still proud to say that I listen to all the Clash’s albums from time to time, just not for as long or as vigorously. Instead, I spend more time in my middle-aged years photographing and writing about bodybuilding shows – a crazy pastime perhaps, but it is something I enjoy.

Since I never do anything half-heartedly, I’ve been rather prolific with my bodybuilding work. I started in the year 2000, and since then, I’ve covered more bodybuilding shows than anyone else in Canada. As a result, I know who most of the competitors are, what every contest is about, and what each organization does. 

There are a number of organizations operating in Canada these days, but I can tell you without hesitation that the only bodybuilding organization that matters to me right now is the IDFA – International Drug Free Athletics (IDFA.ca). The group was started six years ago by Shaun Campbell and Desmona Cole and has shown unceasing growth and a relentless drive to reshape the Canadian bodybuilding scene. They’re succeeding. They’re also unique in Canada in that they’re the only organization that puts on topflight competitions in beautiful venues, they have a set of positive ideals and goals that they strive for and convey, and, perhaps most important, they drug test every competition. Like the Clash, they stand for something; in contrast, most other organizations don’t.

But does it matter if something matters? After all, it’s just bodybuilding. Frankly, I believe it does. It’s because when it comes to getting bodybuilding back into the mainstream, mattering matters a whole lot.

Ordinary folks don’t go to bodybuilding shows; instead, the people in the audience are friends and family, not true fans like there are with other sports. The mainstream media ditched the bodybuilding scene decades ago, because they didn’t want to deal with the negative aspects of it, such as the drug abuse that has continually grown worse in the traditional organizations, as well as other problems. If you need proof of their abandonment, ask yourself these questions: When was the last time you saw a bodybuilding competition on television? What newspapers put the results of the top bodybuilding competitions in their sports sections? When have you watched a television show on bodybuilding that doesn’t dwell on the dark areas of this so-called “sport” – i.e., drug abuse, violence, even prostitution? And when was the last time a pro bodybuilder was included in a list of celebrated athletes? Interesting question, that last one. Last month’s issue of GQ had a feature called “The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time.” Is it any surprise that no bodybuilder, even Arnold Schwarzenegger, was included? To most of the world, bodybuilding doesn’t matter, mostly because the organizations don’t.

The IDFA doesn’t have positive mainstream exposure either – at least not yet. Remember, though, that they’re also inheriting the mess that others have brought on and are continuing to bring. However, I believe they stand the best chance of any organization of getting back into the mainstream when the time is right, because what they’re doing matters – and the right time will be when bodybuilding has respectability and credibility, which I believe the IDFA is building due to their commitment to quality, the positive image they promote, and their aim to eliminate drugs on their competitive stage. This is what will attract the masses and the media back to bodybuilding again. The organization stands for something, something we haven’t seen in bodybuilding for a long, long time.

Bodybuilding in Canada isn’t like it was ten or so years ago when I got serious about covering it. Back then, there were very few organizations and hardly any drug-free competitions. Nowadays, there are numerous organizations and a large number of drug-free competitions. But not all the organizations and competitions are the same. To me, the IDFA is head and shoulders above the rest for all the reasons I mentioned already. Right now, they’re what matters in Canadian bodybuilding, and will continue to matter for a long time to come, just like the Clash. What I hope by writing this article is that you’ll understand why we focus so much attention on them with this publication, and that you might support them too. Until next month . . . 

. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.

Real Athletes, Real Information!

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Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider

Created: 01 February 2011 01 February 2011

I have trouble reading most bodybuilding magazines these days. It’s because when I scan through them, I see article after article on the same ol’ exercises that we’ve seen time and time again. Rarely, if ever, do I find any article that teaches me something new, and rarely do I come across anything that looks like it would really work. 

This is in stark contrast to the way magazines were a few decades ago. Most magazines back then were chock full of original training articles that gave great advice on how to get real results. They were usually written by guys who actually trained, or seriously trained others, and what they wrote about often worked. Articles in MuscleMag by the late, great Vince Gironda come to mind, as do the many articles that could be found in Iron Man back when it was a digest-sized booklet and Perry Radar published it. I remember people actually waiting for their subscription copies to arrive in the mail so they could read it cover to cover and try out something new the next time they hit the gym. 

Times have changed. Today, the bodybuilding magazines are thick and glossy, but the content is, at least as far as I can see, re-hashed crap written by guys who don’t actually train (i.e., some desk jockey writing for a paycheck), or by heavy steroids users who can’t make any gains without them. There’s rarely anything tangible in the pages, and, as far as I can tell, very few people are excited to read new content anymore. Nobody I know waits for a new issue of any magazine to hit the newsstands or come in the mail. 

It’s largely because of this dissatisfaction with the current-day bodybuilding magazines that I created SeriousAboutMuscle.com, and I only let people write training articles for it if they can contribute something original and worthwhile that works. To me, that’s what gives a publication value. 

Right now, our two main contributors for training-type articles are Denis Pedneault, whose outstanding articles would have fit right into the old MuscleMag and Iron Man formats, and Erik Alstrup, who brings inspiration and motivation to bodybuilding competitors who want to go about things the right way: drug-free. The reason I chose these two to write is because they are real athletes who can give real information. They’re also natural competitors, not drugged-up freaks, so if their training advice works for them, it’s likely got a better chance of working for you. Denis’s next article will appear on the 15th of this month in his “Body Sculpting” column. 

What I am pleased to announce this month is there will be yet another new writer joining Denis and Erik who will give our content even broader scope. This new writer is Francois Beauregard of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, who appears on our cover this month. Francois is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder who is a pro competitor in the IDFA. I first saw Francois compete at the 2009 Montreal Classic – the famous competition where Erik Alstrup made his comeback after a 10-year absence from the stage. Francois took the runner-up spot to Erik that day and has been a force in the IDFA ever since. 

I got to know Francois over the last year when I photographed him competing at various venues as well as training in the gym. I found him to be a dedicated competitor who is very well spoken and who has a great grasp of proper training techniques, which makes him a good fit for our SeriousAboutMuscle.com team. Francois is also sincere when he speaks and, like me, he only wants to take part in projects that are worthwhile and can provide value to others. 

Francois’s first article will appear in March in a new section called “Beauregard Blasts.” In the months following, we’ll rotate between his, Denis’s, and Erik’s columns. With three real athletes writing regular columns, the content will be informative and varied. These three make a very good team; however, that doesn’t mean we won’t look for yet another person to add to our roster – and another person after that. We’re always looking to expand, but only if the person who joins us can offer something original and worthwhile. After all, we don’t want to rehash the same old crap that many magazines do. 

When I started SeriousAboutMuscle.com, my goal was to create something that provided value for our readers. In the world of bodybuilding, I believe the best way to do that is to offer real training advice that can benefit readers so they can get excited about trying something new in the gym and, hopefully, make improvements using it. The best way to do that is to provide information that real athletes use that actually works – it’s as simple as that. Welcome aboard Francois! and thank you for your continued support and contributions, Denis and Erik – it’s your real information that makes what we do here worthwhile. 

Until next month . . .

. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.

SeriousAboutMuscle.com’s First Seminar – An “All-Star” Event

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Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider

Created: 01 April 2011 01 April 2011

Three of Canada’s best natural bodybuilders write for SeriousAboutMuscle.com: Erik Alstrup, Denis Pedneault, and François Beauregard. I chose these gentlemen to write for us not just because of their accomplishments on the stage, but also because of their knowledge and the way they can put their advice into words so others can benefit from what they have learned. 

Erik and François are both pro competitors in the IDFA, and Denis is a world-ranked amateur competitor in IFBB. They all compete “naturally,” meaning no drugs whatsoever. We feel that this is vital, because we believe that drug-using bodybuilders have very little to offer people who want to get into shape and compete cleanly and safely. Erik’s column is called “The Edge,” Denis is the author of “Body Sculpting,” and François writes “Beauregard Blasts.” 

Given that we already have this exceptional team, we feel it’s appropriate to take advantage of this in-house talent and get these gentlemen away from their keyboards and bring them together for SeriousAboutMuscle.com’s very first seminar, appropriately called: SeriousAboutMuscle.com “All-Star” Natural-Bodybuilding Seminar. 

This seminar will take place on June 4, 2011, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It will run from 9:30 am to 1 pm. The address is 2532 Wharton Glen Avenue, which is a building in an industrial business park. At first, this might seem a strange location, but not so strange when you learn that it’s the address of Sessions Studios, home to famous bodybuilding and fitness photographer Paul Buceta. Sessions is an enormous space, so there will be plenty of room for everyone. 

The seminar will be extremely informative. Erik, Denis, and François will be talking about training, nutrition, and posing, as well as stage presentation, and they’ll be doing demonstrations. Attendees will learn exactly how these three exceptional bodybuilders get into contest shape in terms of nutrition and training, and they’ll see firsthand how bodybuilders present their physiques once they get onstage. 

The information provided will be invaluable and can potentially save someone years of wasted effort, yet the cost to learn all this is extremely reasonable: just $59 for the whole session. To us, it’s most important that we can spread the word about natural bodybuilding and get as much knowledge out there as possible. Keeping the fee reasonable for this seminar is one way we can do this. 

I’m very proud that Erik, Denis, and François write for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, and I’m especially grateful that they’re all taking part in this seminar. If you’re a natural bodybuilding competitor, make sure you attend SeriousAboutMuscle.com’s first seminar on June 4, the place where you can learn everything you need to know about getting into the best shape of your life and win the next competition you enter. See you there!

. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.