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Q: What%u2019s your favorite exercise for building strength and conditioning?A: Right now, I%u2019m obsessed with Zercher squats. They translate directly to everyday life, engage almost every muscle in the body, and are incredibly challenging!Q: How do you approach your nutrition leading up to competitions?A: I eliminate potentially inflammatory foods and focus on getting enough protein. Timing is key, so I eat every 3-4 hours. In a caloric deficit, meal timing is very important. I tend to eat high protein, high carb, and low fat. I also make my workouts harder and move more before reducing caloric intake. I follow the G-Flux principle%u2014eat more, burn more. This approach has helped me avoid damaging my metabolism and enjoy longevity in the sport.Q: What role does mental strength play in your success as a competitive fitness athlete?A: It%u2019s everything. We accomplish anything in the mind first, so if you believe you will do it and see yourself doing it, then you will do it. Mental strength makes you more steadfast, resilient, and resourceful.Q: Can you describe a particularly memorable moment from your fitness career?A: I still have fond memories of winning my first Figure Olympia. I had visualized it so many times before I went to sleep each night. I rehearsed every step, could feel the lights on my skin, hear my footsteps on the stage, and even imagined the smell of the stage curtains. At finals, the events unfolded exactly as I had pictured. When my name was called, I had such a look of shock on my face%u2014not because I was surprised to win, but because I had already seen the evening unfold so many times in my visualizations.Q: How important is having the support of family in your fitness journey?A: While family support is valuable, I think as long as you have people in your life who support you, you will do great. If you don%u2019t have supportive people in real life, finding an online group, gym buddies, or contest buddies can be very helpful.Q: What are your goals and aspirations for the future of your fitness career?A: I want to continue to show what the human body is capable of. I%u2019m unsure about my future competition plans, but I will always love bodybuilding and fitness. It saved my life and allowed me to have an awesome career. I want to help others achieve their goals and find meaning through lifting.Q: What%u2019s the weirdest or most memorable fan encounter you%u2019ve had?A: One memorable encounter was with a girl who told me that I changed her life. She asked me to sign her arm, and she then had my signature tattooed on her arm! The weirdest encounter was at an expo where a lady hugged me across a table and squeezed harder and harder until security had to pull her away. It was pretty scary!Q: Can you discuss any plans for expanding your presence on social media or digital platforms?A: I%u2019m working on creating new training programs that offer video voiceover exercise demonstrations. This will help a lot of people perfect their form and get more out of their training. I%u2019m also developing new YouTube content and offering more free programs on my site. I believe fitness should be accessible to everyone, and I%u2019m trying to help people get into shape and stay in shape.MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 49 43