Ron Partlow Interview with CBB
CBB Handle: RON PARTLOW, BUT ON OTHER BOARDS I'M "REP300"
Age: 34
Weight: BEEN AS HEAVY AS 330, BUT STAYED AROUND 310 LAST OFF SEASON. THIS YEAR I WEIGHED IN AT 263 FOR NATIONALS, AND AT THE NORTH AMERICANS I WAS 257 PJ - 264 FINALS.
Occupation: NUTRITION AND TRAINING CONSULTANT. CONTEST PREP/OFF SEASON WORK. PUTTING PEOPLE ON STAGE IN THE BEST SHAPE OF THEIR LIFE IS MY PASSION.
Hometown: GRANDE PRAIRIE
Currently Residing: EDMONTON
Website: WWW.BIGRONPARTLOW.COM AND WWW.BIGRONPARTLOWBLOG.COM
Competition History:
1997 - NORTHERN ALBERTAS - 1ST HEAVY (WEIGHED IN @ 228)
1998 - ALBERTA PROVINCIALS - 3RD HEAVY
1999 - ALBERTA PROVINCIALS - 1ST HEAVY, AND OVERALL (WEIGHED IN @ 240)
2000 - NATIONALS SHW - 2ND
2001 - NATIONALS SHW - 5TH
2002 - NATIONALS SHW - 3RD
2003 - NATIONALS SHW - 2ND
2004 - NATIONALS SHW - 4TH
2006 - NATIONALS SHW - 2ND (253)
2007 - NATIONALS SHW - 1ST (257)
2008 - NATIONALS SHW - 2ND (251)
2009 - NATIONALS SHW - 2ND
2009 - NORTH AMERICANS SHW- 6TH
2010 - NATIONALS SHW - 2ND (263)
2010 - NORTH AMERICANS SHW - 6TH
I PUT SOME OF THE WEIGHTS I COULD REMEMBER BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY ASK ME, AND TO ILLUSTRATE THAT YOU CAN HAVE 20 DIFFERENT LOOKS AT THE SAME WEIGHT. I'VE BEEN OFF THE MARK AT 254, AND SHREDDED AT 254 LOL. SOME GUYS STILL THINK WEIGHT ACTUALLY MATTERS. ALSO, IT SHOWS THAT I WAS REALLY FLAT IN 08, AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE WEIGHT BEING SO LOW. JUST TOO LOW THAT YEAR.
Have you always been an active person - did you play sports in your youth?
-YES, I GREW UP ON A FARM AND WAS ALWAYS ACTIVE OUTSIDE. DOWNHILL SKIED FROM AGES 3-17, TURNING INTO QUITE A MOGULE AND FREESTYLE ENTHUSIAST.
-RODE BMX FREESTYLE FROM AGE 12-17, AND I AM STILL IN LOVE WITH BMX FREESTYLE, ESPECIALLY FLATLAND RIDING....THOSE GUYS ARE THE IGNORED AND UNSUNG TECHNICIANS OF BMX. I COULD WATCH PRO FLATLAND RIDING ALL DAY LONG.
-TOOK TAE KWON DO FROM AGES 10-14....HAD MY BLUE BELT. WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE ALBERTA WINTER GAMES IN FORMS, AND A SILVER IN SPARING AS A GREEN BELT.
-PLAYED HS FOOTBALL FOR THE GP COMPOSITE HIGH WARRIORS. WE WON THE MPFL PEACE BOWL IN 92 AND I WAS VOTED LEAGUE'S TOP LINEBACKER THAT YEAR. GAVE UP PLAYING ANY MORE BALL BEYOND HS FOR BODYBUILDING.
What made you get into bodybuilding competitions? STARTED TRAINING AT 14, AND WAS PRETTY MUCH FULL SCALE BODYBUILDING BY 15. TAKING SHAKES TO SCHOOL AND EATING EVERYTHING I COULD......WHEN I WAS 15 I ATTENDED THE 1991 CANADIAN NATIONALS IN EDMONTON, AND WAS AMAZED BY THE ATHLETES. I TOLD MYSELF THAT DAY, THAT I WOULD WIN THAT SHOW ONE DAY AND BE MR CANADA.
Having been a bodybuilder for many years, what advice can you give to a young competitor just getting into the sport?
FOR A YOUNG GUY WHO IS A FEW YEARS FROM THE STAGE, THAT MEANS TO STOP SPENDING TIME ON CRAZY SPREADSHEET MATH EQUATIONS OF PROTEINS/FATS/CARBS/ TIMING THEIR NATURAL INSULIN SPIKES, WITH THE GLYCEMIC INDEX ALL FIGURED IN, BLAH BLAH BLAH. ......JUST EAT YOUR ****ING FOOD!
UNTIL YOU'RE SQUATTING 4 PLATES NONE OF THAT MATTERS. EAT A LOT, AND TRAIN HARDER THAN EVERYONE AROUND YOU, UNTIL YOU LOOK ENOUGH LIKE A BODYBUILDER THAT PEOPLE START TO ASSUME YOU ARE ONE......THEN YOU CAN GET MORE COMPLICATED. EVEN THEN, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
IF I HAVE ONE MORE GUY ASK WHAT TO PUT IN HIS POST WORKOUT SHAKE, WHEN HE HAS ONLY EATEN 1-2 MEALS ALL DAY LONG, I'M GONNA SCREAM! EVERY MEAL IS IMPORTANT.
DON'T BECOME A SLAVE TO NUMBERS....SETS, REPS, ETC...LEARN TO JUST TRAIN REALLY HARD AND STAY FOCUSED IN THE GYM......IF YOU HAVE NEVER PUKED TRAINING LEGS, THEN YOU ARE NOT TRAINING NEARLY HARD ENOUGH. THAT'S WHY I LIKE LOW/MODERATE VOLUME PROGRAMS A LOT OF THE TIME....IT GETS GUYS TO FOCUS ON GOING AS HARD AS THEY CAN AND NEVER PACE THEMSELVES. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT SKILL.
I JUST SEE WAY TOO MUCH HALF ASSED TRAINING GOING ON. I JUST CRINGE WHEN I HEAR GUYS TALKING ABOUT TECHNICAL TRAINING VARIATIONS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHICH IS INTENSITY. THE REST MEANS NOTHING WITHOUT IT.
IF SOMETHING HURTS, REST IT. IF YOU FEEL BURNED OUT, TAKE A BREAK.
TURN YOUR ****ING PHONE OFF!!!!! AND STOP SOCIALIZING WHILE YOU TRAIN.
WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY STEPPING ON STAGE....FIND A COACH OR CONSULTANT WHO CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR PREP. GO SEE SEVERAL SHOWS, AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHO SEEMS TO WORK WITH THE GUYS WHO LOOK GOOD. ASK AROUND. SEE WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE DIFFERENT COACHES. THERE ARE MANY GOOD ONES, SO YOU NEED TO FIND ONE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH AND COMMUNICATE WELL WITH.
EAT, TRAIN, EAT, SLEEP. REPEAT.
REMEMBER, EVEN IN THE MOST BRUTAL INTENSE MOMENTS OF THE MOST TAXING WORKOUTS, YOU SHOULD BE HAVING FUN. I DO, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN STILL DO THIS.
How has the sport impacted your life?
EVERYTHING I HAVE IN MY LIFE, IS FROM BODYBUILDING. MY TRAVELS OF THE WORLD WERE SHAPED BY WHERE THE GYMS WERE, AND WHERE THE GUYS ATE. EVERYWHERE I HAVE LIVED AND ALL MY JOBS ALONG THE WAY, WERE ALL CHOSEN IN RELATION TO HOW THEY WOULD EFFECT MY TRAINING.
MY LIFE WAS FOREVER CHANGED WHEN I STARTED DIETING GUYS AND THEY STARTED WINNING SHOWS.....I SUDDENLY WAS BECOMING SELF EMPLOYED, I HAVE CARVED OUT A NICHE HERE IN WESTERN CANADA, THAT IS SPREADING, I EVEN HELPED A GUY IN SOUTH AFRICA WIN A SHOW. WITH THE INTERNET NOW, THERE ARE NO RULES AND NO BORDERS.
I MET MY GIRLFRIEND AT THE GYM...IN FACT SHE HIRED ME FOR A FIGURE SHOW, AND WE LATER STARTED DATING. I LOVE THE GYM CULTURE, THE PEOPLE, AND THE LIFESTYLE. I WILL ALWAYS BE INVOLVED, LONG AFTER MY TIME ON THE STAGE IS OVER WITH.
Who do you look up to in the industry and who has helped you along the way?
WOW, WHERE TO START. MY FRIEND SCOTT.....AMONG ALL MY OTHER FRIENDS WHO HAVE CHEERED ME ON SINCE I WAS STARTING, SCOTT ACTUALLY TRAINED WITH ME FOR MY FIRST FEW NATIONALS, I HAVE A TIGHT GROUP THAT HAS TRAVELED TO NATIONALS FOR MANY YEARS, NO MATTER THE DISTANCE.....THAT MEANS A LOT.
JOHN DAVIE AND NICK JONES FROM AUSTRALIA. I LEARNED A HEAP FROM THEM, AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE BROTHERS.
SCOTT ABEL.....WORKED WITH HIM FROM 04-08 AND WON A NATIONAL TITLE WITH HIM. HE SHOWED ME A LOT ABOUT ALL THE BULLSHIT THAT WE ARE BRAIN WASHED INTO BELIEVING. SCOTT IS A BRILLIANT COACH...HE MAKES MANY OTHER NUTRITIONISTS LOOK LIKE FRAUDS.
FORREST GAVINS......MY TRAINING PARTNER SINCE NOVEMBER 2007. HIS ENDLESS ENTHUSIASM AND AMAZING PHYSICAL ABILITY SPURS ME ON TO PUSH MYSELF PAST MY LIMITS AND BEYOND. WITH ALL MY OLD INJURIES AND COUNTLESS YEARS OF TRAINING (I'VE FORGOTTEN MORE THAN MOST GUYS EVER LEARN), HE BRINGS A FRESH NEW ANGLE TO THE WORKOUTS, SOMETIMES SUGGESTING AN EXERCISE I HAVEN'T DONE FOR OVER A DECADE.....THAT TYPE OF STUFF MAKES THINGS FRESH.
MY GIRLFRIEND CARRIE.....ENDLESS SUPPORT. PERIOD.
CHRIS ACETO. I WAS ALMOST DONE BELIEVING IN MYSELF.......THEN I HIRED CHRIS FOR 2010, AND WORKING WITH HIM HAS INFUSED ME WITH A MASSIVE DOSE OF ENTHUSIASM AND SELF CONFIDENCE. HE HAS SHOWN ME WHAT THIS CAN BE ALL ABOUT, PERSONAL GOALS AND GROWTH......AND IT CAN ALSO BE A LOT OF FUN! WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE MOST FUN I'VE HAD WORKING WITH ANYONE. CHRIS LOVES WHAT HE DOES, AND THAT'S WHY HE IS SO HARD TO HIRE. HE SIMPLY CAN'T TAKE MORE THAN A FEW AT A TIME, BECAUSE HE GIVES SO MUCH TIME AND EMOTIONAL ENERGY TO EACH CLIENT. I SENT HIM AT LEAST 80 SETS OF PICS OVER THE LAST 10 MTHS. HE SENT ME A TEXT TODAY IN RESPONSE TO MY LATEST PICS AND SAID I'M HAVING ONE OF THE BEST REBOUNDS OF ALL TIME.
Favourite foods for dieting? For cheating?
EGG WHITES AND OATS FOR BREAKFAST......BEST MEAL OF THE DIET. FOR CHEATS? GOOD GOURMET DBL CHEESBURGER AND FRIES.....WITH SOME CHOC CHIP COOKIES AND ICE CREAM. I'M A SIMPLE MAN.
Are there any sports supplements that you cannot live without?
WHEY PROTEIN.........BOTTOM LINE, IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPP FOR ME.
Are you sponsored by a company? If so, who?
MUSCLETECH......ESPECIALLY AARON BAILEY, HE HAS BEEN A HUGE SUPPORTER.
Having competed in both the US and Canada, how was your experience in both countries. If there was a noticeable difference, what was it?
US SHOWS ARE SUCH A HUGE MARKET. ALL THE BIG WEBSITES THERE.....ENDLESS PHOTOGRAPHERS, ETC. CANADIAN JUDGING SEEMS TO BE MORE THOROUGH. THEY TAKE MORE TIME WITH THE CALL OUTS. PRE JUDGING AT THE NA IS VERY FAST AND THE CALL OUTS ARE PRETTY QUICK. THEY USUALLY DON'T EVER COMPARE 6TH TO 5TH.........IF YOU AREN'T FIRST CALL OUT, YOU WILL NEVER GET COMPARED TO ANY OF THE GUYS IN THE FIRST CALL OUT. JUST SEEMS TO GO SO FAST. I GUESS IT'S A HUGE SHOW WITH 400 COMPETITORS, SO THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. IT'S JUST NICE TO SEE 6TH GET CALLED OUT WITH 4TH IN A CANADIAN SHOW, JUST TO GIVE THE GUYS A CHANCE TO FIGHT IT OUT.
Having been an active member on various bodybuilding and fitness forums for many years, what do you find positive about interacting with other members on them and what do you find negative?
I LIKE GENUINELY HELPING GUYS WITH CERTAIN THINGS. I SEE A LOT OF WASTED TIME AND ENERGY ON COMPLICATED PLANS THAT JUST NEED TO BE SCRAPPED IN FAVOR OF BASICS. THE REST OF MY POSTS ARE USUALLY JUST FOR A LAUGH.
What is a typical day for you when prepping for a show?
WAKE, TAKE PICS, COFFEE AND VITAMINS, OUT THE DOOR FOR CARDIO, THEN HOME TO SHOWER AND COOK BREAKFAST. WORK ON EMAILS, SEE CLIENTS, AND MAKE CALLS, THEN MEAL 2. GO TRAIN, THEN MEAL 3. SPEND TIME WITH CARRIE OR FRIENDS, THEN MEAL 4. WORK ON COMPUTER AND MAKE CALLS, THEN MEAL 5. KICK BACK A BIT OR WORK MORE, THEN DO SECOND CARDIO (IF NEEDED), THEN MEAL 6. BED.
What do you find the most difficult about this sport?
DEALING WITH THE FACT THAT YOU CAN MAKE GAINS, AND GET BETTER, YET NOT BE REWARDED WITH A BETTER PLACING. LOTS OF PEOPLE IMPROVE, ONLY TO GET A WORSE PLACING, AND IT REALLY TAKES THE WIND OUT OF THEM. WE NEED TO KEEP THE PLACING SEPARATE AND NOT FOCUS ON IT. THIS HAS TO REMAIN ABOUT YOU, AND THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHO ELSE IS THERE OR WHAT THE JUDGES LIKE THAT DAY.
When will we next see you on stage?
NOT SURE. I'M TRAINING FOR MY NEXT SHOW ALREADY AND FOCUSED ON IMPROVING. 2012 IS A POSSIBILITY. BUT I MAY DO 2011. CHRIS SAID TO NOT SET ANY LIMITS OR HAVE ANY PLAN.....JUST TRAIN TO IMPROVE AND SEE WHAT MY BODY TELLS ME. I TOTALLY AGREE. I HAVE SOME GOALS AND I WON'T DIET DOWN AGAIN UNTIL I SEE THEM COME TO FRUITION.
Can you provide us a workout routine for a week?
TYPICAL SPLIT:
Day 1 - Chest/calves
Day 2 - Quads/hams/abs
Day 3 - Biceps/Triceps
Day 4 - OFF
Day 5 - Shoulders/calves
Day 6 - Back/abs
Day 7- OFF
EACH MUSCLE GROUP GETS 3-4 EXERCISES, 203 ALL OUT WORKINGS SETS PER EXERCISE. BACK GETS 6-7 TOTAL EXERCISES, WITH 18-22 TOTAL SETS, BUT THAT INCLUDES LOWER BACK AND TRAPS.
TYPICAL OFF SEASON MENU:
MEAL 1
16 EGG WHITES
90G OATS
1 BAGEL W/NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER
MEAL 2
10-12OZ COOKED CHICKEN OR BEEF
300G COOKED RICE
100G VEG
- SOMETIMES ANOTHER BAGEL TOO
------TRAIN-----
MEAL 3
80G WHEY
75-100G WAXY MAIZE
MEAL 4
10-12 COOKED BEEF OR CHICKEN
300G COOKED RICE OR PASTA
MEAL 5
16 WHITES
90G OATS
1 BAGEL W/PB
MEAL 6
80G WHEY
SOMETIMES SOME JUNK, LIKE A FEW COOKIES, OR SOME SORT OF CARB. DEPENDS ON HOW HUNGRY I AM. PLUS CARBS REALLY HELP ME SLEEP.
I'LL EAT A RESTAURANT MEAL 2-6 TIMES PER WEEK, BUT MOST TIMES IT PRETTY DECENT, LIKE STEAK/POTATO.....BURGER/FRIES MAYBE TWICE PER WEEK USUALLY.
2010 Nationals Routine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBC1FGrfBYc
2010 North American - 1 minute free pose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Feu-3V2MM70
2007 Nationals Posing Routine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp4BzQro4uw
For current contest history, please check out the Ron Partlow Profile
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Originally Posted by Big D
