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www.MOSTmag.com || MOST FITNESS || 47people choose to lift for the wrong reasons. For instance, I thought it would help me appeal to girls! Lifting can also be dangerous if you do it incorrectly and the mindset at a young age just isn%u2019t ready to focus on safety. You have to be careful what you do with your body, which is why I say until age 18, no heavy lifting. Just play sports. MFM: Since you began training, have there been big changes or mindsets in how you train? For example, things that were thought to be important then, now, with your experience and education have changed. AC: Absolutely. When I first started out, nutrition was the one thing I didn%u2019t know about. My mindset changed eventually and I am all about the nutritional aspect of fitness. Growing up, I lived in Santiago, Chile and had very limited resources. I didn%u2019t have the fancy gyms, supplements or the knowledge to train properly. I was all about lifting. My mom, who is a doctor, would tell me not to, but I didn%u2019t listen. And I wasn%u2019t smart about it %u2013 I injured myself at age 18 because I saw someone doing heavy rows and tried to imitate what I%u2019d seen. I hurt my back and it took me out of sports. The first sports nutrition store to open in Santiago sold Optimum Nutrition products. I purchased Optimum%u2019s Gold Standard 100% Whey%u2122 and Creatine products, and I hid them in my closet. My mom found it %u2013 and told me it was fine! Shortly after, I came to the United States and it was truly the %u201cland of opportunity%u201d: great gym equipment, supplements, magazines at every corner that I could study. That%u2019s why I pursued everything %u2013 people don%u2019t realize how lucky we are in the United States to have these resources.MFM: Is it possible to attain a Pro body without supplements? Why or why not?AC: Whatever the designation or league, I don%u2019t think it%u2019s possible to maintain a pro physique without supplementation. Athletes training every day, like me, need the nutrition in order to recover. We%u2019re pushing every day at the very highest level. We essentially never take a day off. And our body is breaking down muscle tissue. Studies show supplementation works. The supplements I use, like Gold Standard 100% Whey%u2122, Gold Standard 100% Casein%u2122, Platinum Hydrowhey%u00ae, and melatonin (at night) contain nutrients that would be extremely hard to get even with the best diet in the world. We require energy and recovery to do what we do. Two to three hours in the gym requires nutrients for sustenance or the body will crash.MFM: How long do you think someone can continue to have a competitive body? AC: It%u2019s about more than the body %u2013 it%u2019s about the mind. Once the mind gives up, everything else gives up. Generally, if your mind can do it, your body can. But the older we get, the harder it gets. No one keeps a contest body for a lifetime. First, maintaining 3-4% body fat for long periods of time can be dangerous. Second, the training is really intense. People don%u2019t realize that in many ways, getting on that stage can be harder than training for a football career. I%u2019m the first to say that I am not a normal person %u2013 this lifestyle is not something a normal person would do.Most pros stop competing by the time they are 35 to 40. You really won%u2019t see one older than 40. Some people just live a healthy, active lifestyle and don%u2019t compete.