Page 12 - Demo

12 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JANUARY 2016 compete with my brothers and sisters. From eating, to sports, everything was competition. I was a middle child, and I hated losing more than anyone else in my family. I had my fair share of tears and fights with my older brother because he would beat me most of the time. My father also taught me how to lose and win with dignity and that effort is more important than any trophy or championship. MFM: You described push-ups as one of the foundations that led you to bodybuilding-did you ever reach a plateau where you couldn%u2019t do any more push-ups? How many push-ups is enough in a day? SC: My dad made me do push-ups to burn off all the extra energy that I had as a kid. If I wanted to watch TV or visit a friend%u2019s house to play he would make me do push-ups first. I also love pushing my body and seeing how many I could do. I remember being able to do sets of 120 push-ups by the time I was 10. I always thought it was kind of fun and didn%u2019t think about how he was setting the foundation that would allow me to bench 275 pounds as an 8th grader. I%u2019ve never considered how many push-ups I think is enough in one day. I typically do between 300-500.MFM: What do you think is the correct head position and breathing during push-ups? SC: Head position should be neutral, and just like with weights you should exhale as you encounter resistance.MFM: In high school you played football, became an All State running back and earned your scholarship to college-what contributed the most to this success? SC: I think my early start with sports along with my natural competitive side contributed to the success that I had. My father saw this in me at an early age and helped me to develop the skills I needed to become the best athlete I could be. I would lift with the football team and then stay after school and work out like a bodybuilder because I loved the pump. Doing things like bicep curls and triceps extensions were the reward for doing the heavy compound movements. MFM: What was your fastest 40-yard dash time? SC: 4.62