NatX's Podcast

S1E5: A Practical Timeline For Natural Bodybuilding Prep

• NatX • Season 1 • Episode 5

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0:00 | 36:57

We catch up on training, travel, and staying active while life gets busy, then shift into what competitors need to know as Canadian natural bodybuilding season ramps up. We lay out a realistic contest prep timeline and the decision-making that helps you show up lean, calm, and proud of the package you bring. 

• balancing work, coaching, and consistent training routines 
• daily step targets, appetite, and why activity can cut both ways 
• offseason weight gain stalls and how to troubleshoot them 
• why starting prep 5–6 months out reduces stress 
• weekly rate of loss targets that protect muscle as you get leaner 
• using steps before piling on cardio, and how that changes late prep 
• peak week timing, flatness, and what “ready” looks like 3 weeks out 
• when to push to a later show instead of rushing a local date 
• budgeting for shows and why costs hit women differently 
• WNBF rule changes and what they mean for earning a pro card 
• Worlds in Calgary, travel plans, and meeting listeners at shows 

Physique Focused Fit Premium Feel Canadian Built Sportswear For Serious Training. True North Sportswear, use code TEAMNATX for 15% off. 



Back After A Long Break

SPEAKER_01

It's been a minute, and uh welcome back, guys, to our next episode. Uh great to have you guys back. But it has been uh quite a minute since our last episode. But before we go into today's topic, how have you been, man?

SPEAKER_00

I've been good. Been been definitely busy just like balancing the two jobs with the coaching and with Amazon. It's been it's been good. Like I I love actually kind of getting out of like the office a bit and being able to be out and about. From my time management perspective, things have just been quite tight, and it's been yeah, making it a little bit more challenging to hop on and do the podcast. It's been nice to hop on it again and definitely miss miss hopping on, like, especially when things get busy and all that kind of stuff. But

Kelowna Trip And Curling Life

SPEAKER_00

yeah, no, other than that, it's just I ended up going to Klona this past weekend for um just after Easter to see my brother, to see my nephew, and yeah, it was it was good, man. But long, long drive, 10 hours there, and then 10 hours back, left on what was it? Sunday came back on Wednesday. And then work today too. It's just been kind of like non-stop, go, go, go. But uh, it's been it's been good, man.

SPEAKER_01

Did your brother from Abbasford go?

SPEAKER_00

No, no, he he curls. He he did a curling bonds field. He's been doing I think he's probably done like man, like 10 curling bonds fields this past year.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, he he does uh competitive curling?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, dude. I I used to curl when I was younger. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I remember yeah, I remember that. Yeah, is he the guy that uh does the actual curling or is he the guy with a squingey?

SPEAKER_00

So he like because everybody does the actual curling, like the guy that sweeps, so like the first, second, and third are the ones that uh sweep. Um, and then there's the skip. Oh, the swing skip. Yeah, the the skip is the one that kind of holds the broom, but when the skip's going to throw his rocks, the third holds his broom. So when I was curling, I was either the third or the skip. So I was kind of like the the boss of the team in a sense, but uh no, it's he he kind of kept with it after. Like when we were younger, like we we made it to provincials in um high school, we made it to provincial or it was in junior men's. We didn't kind of do like that great. Like, I don't think did we ever break top three? I don't think we ever even broke top three, but uh he kind of just continued with it after, and he's he's been doing really good. He's been winning like a bunch of bonds fields and stuff.

SPEAKER_01

So he's is he competing like in only like regional shows? Does he travel elsewhere to compete?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, he he's been I think it was provincials that he did. I don't know if it was I don't know, I would have to chat with him more about it. He yeah, he I just know he's been doing a lot of bonds fields and he he won quite a few of them.

SPEAKER_01

So okay, okay. So he's uh he's racking up those medals and uh catching up to you for those medals.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I guess he probably has certain medals for it because I know with curling back when I used to do it with prizes, but there would be a bunch of different things for prizes that you would be able to choose. Like they would just have a bunch of prizes on the table, and the winner would be the first one to go up and pick the prize.

SPEAKER_01

So it was it's kind of interesting, setup that they did. Oh

Steps, Treadmills, And Spring Energy

SPEAKER_01

you said you've been out and about, you were out to Kelowna, and then you were balancing both jobs. So it seems to me that you you've you've managed to be kept yourself uh pretty active throughout uh these couple of weeks. So I guess the um treadmill didn't really serve its purpose for you.

SPEAKER_00

Well, that's the thing with the Amazon. Like I I usually get like eight to ten thousand steps each day. So it's like it's not really necessary, but for the days off when I have work off, I'm usually working out in the gym, and then with the combination it I'll be probably shopping. So it's yeah, it hasn't been there. I I think I've used it twice since I've got it, so it's got a little bit, but yeah, not a ton.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, that's fair, that's fair. I guess since uh the weather being spring and the sun's all coming out, people would probably use the opportunity to extend out or even walk outside and enjoy the sun a little bit instead of staying indoors. Thank god the rain season is people are starting to snowboard in t-shirts now. It actually gets really, really warm. It's like 15 degrees today. We're getting a bit of sun, so that's good. So, yeah, the weather is great here. We

New Gym Finds And Weight Stalls

SPEAKER_01

had a very long spring break. Spring break doesn't apply to personal trainers and anything like that. Um, so it died down a little bit. It's just the even the gym was uh relently uh a little bit more quiet compared to before. Uh so I used that opportunity to explore a little bit on the uh city. We had uh a couple of new gyms opening up around my neighborhood. One of them is called Muscle Factory. If you guys have noticed on uh through my stories, I've made some training there. It's a pretty awesome gym. They've got a a lot of wide variations of machines and a lot of isolation machines. So you could say it's a very bodybuilding focused uh gym. The gym owner is also brought a good couple of athletes to to WMBF, and he's actually in the process of developing his own gym equipment, which relates to the golden era of bodybuilding back in the 90s. So it looks like those very very old classic Arnold type of uh machines. So the uh these bunch of machines are coming in at the end of uh May. So if we get it, if I get a chance, I'm gonna go and see it and then probably film some content for you guys to see. Basically, that's for me. Uh, I am still stuck at 70. I can't really peek through 71, just like last year. It's just been stuck at 71 kilos, and I couldn't just peek past that.

SPEAKER_00

So do you find it's more of like an appetite issue, like where it's just like trying to like force that food?

SPEAKER_01

Both, yeah, yeah, both. Yeah, I've taken a week just even being less active and trying to eat not as healthy, just to pack on whatever I can. It sort of worked uh and until uh I was on my feet more again. And then the jugwall went away. So all I gotta do is just walk a couple more steps or even work a couple more clients, and then uh we're basically back to 70.

SPEAKER_00

I find for me, when I start running into that issue with appetite, I find there's like a fine balance with steps. Like if I can get between like five to like seven K steps, I find it almost amplifies my hunger a little bit more than if I'm like really sedentary. Like obviously being really sedentary is not gonna be great for just general health, but like I do find there's a bit of a spike in appetite, but then when you start going over like 10,000 steps, that you're starting to burn off a decent amount more calories, so then it kind of defeats the purpose. But I find there's there's like a happy medium there.

Canada’s Show Season Starts Now

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, but I'm glad you brought that up because it is April and we are four weeks away from actually three weeks away from the WNBF Vancouver show. So spring is here, and throughout Canada and across the country, we have a lot of bodybuilding shows which are starting. And one of the things is if you are going to be starting prep, I think you should be either started or starting. Um, what would you say like the yeah? Well, I know there's a couple of shows that have already started in late March on this West Coast. However, just looking through the entire shows on CPA and MPA, OCB, WMBF, and all the organizations that are available to us in Canada. Shows are starting basically right now. Uh, we basically have a show every once to two weeks. It is gonna start ramping up in May. Okay, so this is where we should be. If you are going to be start prepping, this is the time to not start, but you should be well on your way in into prep.

SPEAKER_00

I would say, yeah, especially for something like the Vancouver show, because you said, is it four weeks out from the Vancouver show right now?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's gonna be May 2nd, so it's like three weeks.

SPEAKER_00

Oh shit. Yeah, you should be pretty much done, and just I was like trying to get like the last like pound or two off, right? Um, yeah, so I would say if if you're literally starting prep now, like I've actually quite a few guys that started their prep um this week, actually, before the fall Edmonton show, that's in September. So, like for most of my guys, yeah, we generally start it around six, five, six months out. Um, I find it's usually that sweet spot. Some guys can get away with starting it a bit later if they are a bit leaner, if they are well more tolerable to like diet fatigue and diet symptoms, then they don't affect them as much. But I find, yeah, most people you give yourself a bit more time. It almost always works out better because you're not kind of rushing into it. I feel like if if you're in a prep and you're you're constantly just feeling behind the whole time and you like you know you're for sure visually behind, it just adds so much stress. Uh whereas if you're on schedule or if you're even ahead of schedule, it's almost like you can kind of chill out a little bit more, you aren't so stressed out. Though you may still feel like you're behind because the prep brain does weird things where you can be extremely lean. Um, but you can you start noticing like small little bits of body fat in certain body parts, and like sometimes that can play with people's heads a little bit, and then when they go back into their offseason after, they're like, holy shit, I was way leaner than I thought it was. So it's yeah, prep can definitely play some mind games there for sure.

SPEAKER_01

Now

Why A Six-Month Prep Wins

SPEAKER_01

you said you're six you're six months away from uh one of your guys' show uh down in the fall. Now, this is a very important thing that we wanted to uh share with you guys. Now, this is it might sound a very long time for even an experienced competitor or an athlete just such as ourselves, but this is going to be a realistic time frame. We we we get questions through our athletes why six months, you know, why slower would be better. Maybe you could share a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, well, it's it's just the rate of loss, like especially as you get leaner, you want it to be slower, so you're not risking as much muscle tissue. But a lot of people who see that six months are like, oh, it's gonna be really hard for six months. It's like, no, man. Like the first four months are actually quite easy. It's usually like the last two months, is where you're like, oh, okay, like I'm really starting to notice these symptoms. The first little bit is like just getting those habits down, getting into a nice group in a nice momentum with the fat loss. Because like losing the first like 15-20 pounds of body fat is pretty easy to do. It's only when you're getting into those lower levels of body fat when things get really challenging. So, with those first couple of months, like you're you're dropping body fat quite easily, things are going quite smoothly, and then once you start hitting that kind of wall in terms of like symptoms are starting to get really elevated, really bad, then you can start slowing things down, and like then you can really preserve like your mental health, you can preserve your mental willpower and everything when you're leading into those final stages of prep. Whereas what most people do the first time around is they do the opposite, they usually start off slow, kind of like fucking around a little bit, and they're like, Okay, I'm gonna take it serious these last two months, and then they start pushing really hard when things are already really challenging because they're like overtiding and they're overtraining, and it just kind of everything tends to blow up and doesn't work out well, or a lot of times people won't even actually do the show because like, oh like this is too hard, I can't adhere to this. But it's like, dude, like you didn't do the prep properly, you didn't give yourself enough time, you didn't like um go quick at the start when you had more energy and then ease and slow things down as things were getting more challenging.

SPEAKER_01

You said that uh the first four weeks uh four months, sorry, is just habit building, and when they start actually noticing a difference, it's going to be the last final two months.

Safe Fat Loss Targets Over Time

SPEAKER_01

What would you say is a good rate rate of loss per week through those first four months?

SPEAKER_00

In the first four months, you can like especially the first couple of months, like you can lose up to like um two pounds per week, um, which is gonna look like one percent of body weight per per week for most people if you're starting around like um 200 pounds, say if you're starting at like 150 pounds, that's gonna be like a pound and a half per week. So, yeah, like losing roughly about that for the first bit, and then pretty much as the prep goes on, you just want that number to slowly gradually come down. So instead of being like two pounds per week, it's gonna get down to like a one and a half, and it's gonna get down to like one, and then literally towards the final stages, it could be like literally half a pound a week that you're losing. Um, so you kind of want to follow that rather than doing the opposite and like shit, I'm not leaning enough, I have to lose quicker, and then you're losing muscle in the process too.

Cardio Strategy Using Daily Steps

SPEAKER_01

What would you say or what would your comments or suggestions be based on cardio's during early in the prep versus mid-prep and versus uh closer to show day?

SPEAKER_00

So with my clients, I literally try to keep cardio quite low, more so just for a health benefit. So, like if somebody comes to me, they work an office job, they're literally getting like 2,000 steps per day, I'm gonna be like, okay, like we we want to get those steps up to a at bare minimum 5,000 per day. But for most people, if somebody has like a very active job, like say they're doing construction or they're doing something where they're already getting 10k steps, like I literally won't even add any cardio to them. Um, and then as the prep goes on, if I do notice Kate like things are starting to get a little bit rougher, maybe from an appetite standpoint, um, or they're not trending down quite as much as we want. I might see where they're at, see where they're at time-wise, like how can they fit in sometime with their schedule, and if they can and if they're feeling fine, like I'll I'll add a little bit in there, but it's usually just through the form of just increasing steps a bit. Most of my guys, like towards the end of a show a prep, like I've had some guys be around like 15k each day, but those were a bit more extreme cases. Most guys are around like 10 to 12k at the end of their prep, but me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Uh and that would lead basically all the way into show day, yeah?

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, it pretty much like for to give an example of somebody that's kind of moral average that generally is getting maybe like 5k steps per day. It might look like at the start of prep it's like 5k steps, and then towards the end it might be like 10k steps or something like that.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

Peak Week, Flatness, And First Shows

SPEAKER_01

And what would you say the a good time frame to have your athletes be like flat ready?

SPEAKER_00

So like super depleted and like pretty much.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, because that we're gonna be chasing that, and then and then show day comes, or not show day comes, or X amount of weeks before show day, we start feeding them into the show.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So this is where I actually find with like the very first show of the season, like it's usually like maybe two weeks before the show is where they're gonna be the most flat and most depleted, and like that peak week is where we start feeling them out. Um, what you can do is later on is start slowly bumping up calories um from week to week into later shows and kind of feed into them a bit more or grow into the show, they would call it. Um but for most people, especially like first timers, it's very difficult to get somebody conditioned enough to feed into something, just because like you know how it is to get extremely conditioned, especially here if somebody's a first timer, it's it's gonna like most likely somebody's not gonna get to the level conditioning that they need to be like uh to get to elite conditioning. So it's it's usually just kind of trying to get as lean as possible going into that first show. There are some guys out there that genetically are just very lean, and they might start perhaps with a slight faint like gluten triation, where that's the case where okay, we we can probably push a bit harder and then actually feed calories a bit more into the show, but it it's gonna depend on the person and the experience level and yeah, and a lot of different factors.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So

Three Weeks Out Reality Check

SPEAKER_01

being three weeks away from the first Vancouver show and potentially a couple more shows in May, I think there's the MPA and uh I think there's a Van Island, which is gonna come in uh sometime in mid-May. I don't remember when Van Island's gonna be, but it's around the same time. And the BC Cup is also around the corner. Yeah. So being three to four weeks around away from these shows, you should be pretty close right now. Where should you be right now if you started prep in January?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay, like body composition-wise, like right. Yeah, gotcha. Um, yeah, so you should literally be like right there. Like there might be like literally like half a pound, like maybe a pound or two uh weight that needs to come off. But like you shouldn't be like, oh, I I still need to lose 10 pounds of body weight. If you if you're in that mindset or mind frame right now, like you you probably need to push to a later show, which again isn't the end of the world. Like, I wouldn't recommend signing up for a show until like you're 100% know like you're guaranteed gonna do it. Um, just in case like maybe you're not quite there and it's like, okay, like we actually push need to push the show dates, like maybe one more month, and you're gonna be where you need to be that month. So, like, um yeah, it's for somebody like again that's doing like the the Vancouver show, like right now, you should pretty much be there. If if you don't look pretty close to the guys that are, especially if you want to get a pro card, if you're looking at their photos from last year, you're like, oh like I I still have a long ways to go. Like, you probably should push it a little bit later. If you're like, oh man, like I'm very like very close to where they're at right now, then it's like okay, like you just have to lose a little bit more body fat than carb up and everything, have a good peak, and you should be in a good spot.

Travel Decisions And No-Regret Competing

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think that's uh cup that covers it. So, what would you say to some of your athletes who may not be ready for their loco show, but is also resistant to travel. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00

So, and that's where it's just being like accepting, like if if you're going to a show and like you like you 100% know that you're you're behind and everything, and like you're probably not gonna get to that stage conditioning, like you're gonna accept and be like, hey, like I just want to do the show, see how things turn out, see how my posing is, um, just see how it is on stage, get some experience, um, and then maybe next time you can do it, then yeah, go ham, like see if you can get a bit more conditioned and focus on like doing the best you possibly can from that standpoint. But yeah, for most people, like if say traveling is one of those issues where you don't think you're gonna be ready for the show, but it's the only show close to you, and financially things are a little bit tight, um, that's gonna be up to you. Like for me, I always want to see people at their best, so it's it's really hard for me to like put somebody on stage when I know they're they're not right where they need to be. So, but then it's just a choice that you have to make, and it might like if if you really want to do well and like like being at your best is like your priority, like I think pushing it, like spending a little bit more money with travel is definitely gonna be more worth it. Like, because if you go up on stage and like say you come close to like last place or something like that, just because you're not there, that's I don't know, like would you prefer doing that and getting this experience, or would you prefer spending a bit more money with traveled stuff, like put it like having a bit more time to cut down to do well? So it's it's just I guess your mentality going into it, like what what you want to get out of it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I agree. I actually I could totally relate to that, and it's also a very similar mindset that I share with some of my athletes. It's like, would you rather lose knowing that you're in your absolute best, or lose when you know you could have done better? So I think that's a very important mindset to carry if you are deciding to do a show. Going into a show with no like without any regrets is actually more I would say more important. At least it's going to be a good experience for you, or somewhat of a good experience for you. The grind is going to be difficult. Financially, it could be a bit of a burden. However, from the beginning, on a couple of episodes back, that we I think we talked about like competing in a bodybuilding show is expensive. I wouldn't say it's the most cheapest thing. It's already much cheaper if you are a guy. All we've got to do afford is uh a pair of trunks or a pair of board shorts. Shorts, tanning, just like everybody. So I would say re-registration, tanning, and all are those, those are all the same for every single athlete. It's just for females, bikinis, figures, women's bodybuilding. You have heels, you have your bling bling posing suits, you have your bikinis, you have to get your hair done, you have to get your makeup done. That is a whole bunch of other costs on top of the guys. So for guys, I guess traveling on a budget standpoint would be much more feasible compared to uh I would guess a female competitor. If you're planning a couple of shows, every single show will show up the same cost. So your hair, your makeup, your well, you can wear the same suit, I guess. But hair, makeup, and tanning are going to be the most basic and registration are gonna be the four most basic things that you're gonna have to pay every single show. So it's gonna be much a little bit more challenging. Uh, but I will agree on that. If you are able to push the show to look your absolute best, um, and if you can financially do it, I would suggest you do that.

Planning Show Seasons With Coaches

SPEAKER_00

I would even say to when you're looking for shows too, like tr if you can, I know not everybody can, like, depending on how many shows are in your area, but like try to find like the time frame where you're gonna have the most chances to step on stage that we're gonna have shows somewhat in your area. Because I know, for example, like with BC, especially with the WMBF, specifically, like the around the springtime is a really good time, a lot of times for first timers, and same with kind of like the fall for competing. Um, in this kind of well, I guess the spring is more so kind of BC and then Alberta's would probably maybe a little bit better, I guess, in the fall for the WMBF.

SPEAKER_01

But I yeah, but like just yeah, trying to added like another show, they have a fall Edmonton show now. Yes, WMBF show.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, just trying to figure out when you are competing, like just in case you do need a little bit more time. That's like, okay, like instead of this show, I can still fall back on this show or have a couple that you're thinking about doing, um, just so you're not kind of putting yourself in this weird situation where like, oh, like you feel like uh I have to do this show, so I'm gonna have to rush it now. And yeah, so just just being careful with that.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Um, you I think you made a uh I just want to like piggyback off that what you said, like you have to do you lock yourself into a show. I we understand that traveling and your local show is only in that time and you wanted to make it to that show. Now, if you are deciding to do that show, we hope that you've decided that the year prior so you can count your timeline backwards toward that show, and then you'll be able to make it. If you decide six months or eight months before that show, it's going to be a bit of a rush.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So speak to your coach with it, and uh, I think strategically planning for your shows is also something that you have to discuss closely with your coach. And for first-time or even experienced athletes, it's also it's always good to have a second opinion, I would I would say.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, 100%. Like what I like, even with my athletes too that are competing after like two years, like when they compete, then I like set up a trajectory for like, okay, if you're gonna compete in like two years, this is what your this would look like. If you're gonna compete in the three years, this is what we're gonna generally do with like your body weight with the phases that you're doing, so that there's an idea. So yeah, what you don't want to do is in your offseason, like why when you finish a show, literally just kind of be random, eat as much food as you can, and then and then oh, it's yeah, five months out from a show. I'm gonna just start a prep now. It's like you you gotta make sure that there's there's phases in there and that you're gonna be in the appropriate weight and body fat level when when you start. Absolutely. Yeah, I totally agree with that.

True North Sportswear Sponsor Spot

SPEAKER_00

Physique focused fit premium feel Canadian built sportswear for serious training. True North Sportswear, use code NADX for 15% off.

SPEAKER_01

We have one, we have one in fall and we have one in Vancouver. Any during the summer for you?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, like I have uh one competing in the actually is it two? I definitely have one for sure doing uh the Edmonton. I guess that would be closer to the show.

SPEAKER_01

I would say in June, I would say, yeah. Some early summer.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so he'll be doing that, and then I have two doing the fall show. And then I have uh yeah, for Edmonton, and then I have um Scott, he's gonna be doing a couple of shows out in Ontario, which I'm blanking on the names of them, but I'd have to pull them up.

SPEAKER_01

He's going to the CPA ones, right?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, he's doing the CPA ones, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, okay. So

WNBF Pro Card Rule Changes

SPEAKER_01

just FYI for all our listeners. WMBF has officially changed, or in Canada at least, they have officially changed their rules for this year. So pursuing a pro card is is diff more difficult now, I would say. Now, not standing at the standpoint of behalf of the WMBF, but just standing as a coach myself, uh, while picking shows and just knowing the news around the WMBF, uh, they have elevated the caliber and the the difficulty of actually achieving a pro card now. So, what's happening the WNBF Vancouver Spring Show, they're going to incorporate the overall winner to be uh declared as the WMBF Pro. If the show is large enough, so let's say I think they have like if there's like 140 athletes in a show, then there will be two pro cards awarded to the top two overall winners. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00

So, because what they would probably do is like get the winners from all the classes.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, yeah, so usually there's just three classes, yeah. There's the tall, there's the short, medium, and tall. Uh, they will be awarded two pro cards instead of one.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

unknown

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so that's gonna be a big show.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. How how many guys did you have in Vancouver last year? And 10, I think.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, but then it was still the old rules. So the overall winner for first place would be awarded the pro card. Yeah, they've started incorporating this rule in Calgary from last year when we were there. So the overall winners would be awarded, uh, two overall uh overall winners would be awarded the pro cards. So two pro cards. I think if it if it's less than a certain amount of number, it could be up to the head judge to decide if they want to award another pro card.

SPEAKER_00

That would make sense, yeah. Because before, I think the old rules were if there was eight people in a class, yeah, um, for something like Mensen C and somebody won, you'd get it. But now it's like, yeah, it's not gonna work that way anymore, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. And being that said, Calgary is more a prestigious show now. I would say it's a it's another pro qualifier because you have to qualify for it. It's a qualifier show now. But if you place, I think, either top three in a small class and top five in a big class, then you qualify to go to Calgary amateurs. If you pro, you pro. That's the same. Yeah, yeah, but I think go just straight Calgary, but to go to Worlds have to go in a local pro show before you go to worlds, yeah. That's even the same every year. Do you have to place top three? Yeah, I think you have to place somewhat. I think also again, like if it's a big show, uh, you have to place something. I don't remember. It's either top five or top three before you go to worlds.

SPEAKER_00

Because I remember Leo talking about it, but I I don't know what they officially stated, if it was top three.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, they put it all in writing. I have to dig it back up, but I think if there's like 10 people in a class, if you you have to place like the top 30 percent or something like that. So if there's 10 people, then you have to place top three.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, makes sense.

SPEAKER_01

It's something like that. I I can't be like, don't quote me on this, but yeah. Um, but in uh the amateur shows, I think they follow a similar vibe. That if you've if you have a big group, like if you have 15 people in a group or 16 people in physics short, then if you place like top five, then you qualify for Calgary. Yeah.

unknown

Sweet.

Worlds In Calgary And Future Plans

SPEAKER_01

And uh after like a long consideration, we've been like the entire winter, you're still not doing a show this year.

SPEAKER_00

No, no. I I'm thinking because even Emma, she's she's not gonna do the Calgary show. We're both gonna wait till next year to do it. Oh yeah. Are you what about you? Are you are you still thinking of it?

SPEAKER_01

I'm still on the edge, yeah. I'm still it's just very tempting because of worlds being in here. But just as we talked about, I may not even qualify for worlds. Even though it's in there, I couldn't go. And it's a month away from the Calgary show. End of end of um uh October for the Calgary Pro show, and then it's the end of November for Worlds. So it's four weeks away. What the hell am I gonna do?

SPEAKER_00

Because if four masters, then so if you compete as a masters pro, would you have to place top three? Or I guess that depends on how many people show up, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, if there's only five people, then I either have to either place first and that's it. Yeah, I have to place first in order to make it. If I don't place first, then if I place second or third or fourth, then there's no point.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Are you gonna go help out though?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I'll I'll go to the Calgary show and I mean probably worlds to help out. And I feel like worlds will be really cool to see in person. Like I would say if anybody's like on the fence about competing or the quality of like athletes for natural bodybuilding in the WMBF, and you live in Calgary, like you gotta go to Worlds. Like you like have to see it in person because in person is always crazier than in photos, like or in videos. I find with like the high definition HD like videos, like like you can see some detail, but when you're in person, I find it's it's always just like so different.

SPEAKER_01

I've seen it once.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's a Seattle and when um the first time I've actually ever met Brian Minor and uh Eric Helms. That was a Seattle World 20 I think it was 23.

SPEAKER_00

Oh nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't realize you I didn't realize you went to Worlds that year. I did, yeah. I I took a picture with them and you liked it. Yeah. And then I don't know if they I don't think they're coming to Canada to compete for worlds. I I don't hear Eric prep for anything.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I think I think Jeff's prepping this year though, but I think he's doing more this spring. I don't know if he'll do worlds in the world.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I don't know. Because he's uh just way up there in the chain that is like he he he can do it or he cannot do it. He it doesn't really matter for him. Like if it works out of timeline and financially and things all work out, then yeah, he'll do it. But if not, then it is a travel for him, though, from uh California to to Calgary, it's a bit of a travel.

SPEAKER_00

Do you know how long it would drive now?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think it's a four-five, it's a four-hour flight or a three and a half hour flight, something like that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, gotcha, gotcha. So the drive time would be pretty pretty narrowly, that'd be like days.

SPEAKER_01

Uh I've looked it up from Vancouver to California, let's say LA. I don't know if he lives in LA or uh Sacramento. I don't remember where he lives. But uh if it's to LA, it's uh almost like a 24-hour drive. Oh, okay, yeah to Vancouver. Yeah, that's a long road trip, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And you don't want to be doing that when you're in prep.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, not in prep, yeah, for sure, for sure. But I would want to do it. Um, it's just my wife is very resistant to such a long ass drive. I was like, no, we take a week off and then we kind of play throughout. Like we can make a we have to make stops for gas regardless. So we can stop a little bit in like Seattle. She hasn't we haven't been to Portland, so maybe just I know there's nothing important. I'm gonna just make a stop there just to see it, just like, oh, we were here, and then work our way down to to California. That's just uh a pucket list, though. Makes

Vancouver Show Meetup And Closing

SPEAKER_01

sense, though. So you guys doing any traveling for the summertime? Oh size for your clients' show.

SPEAKER_00

So probably that we don't really have any big plans. So we'll probably go to Klona probably at least once. Actually, oh, I do have a cousin's wedding that I'm going to in Pinter Creek, um, which will be Pinter Creek. It's by like Lethbridge and by the Crossness Pass. I don't know if you know.

SPEAKER_01

Crossness Pass, uh, Crowsness Pass, I know. Yeah. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah, so I'll be going out there for for a weekend, but yeah, we don't really have any major ones planned.

SPEAKER_01

We are going to be three weeks away from the Vancouver show. When should I be expecting you?

SPEAKER_00

So I'll probably coming down the Friday night. Yeah, so probably the first time. Are you flying in? Yeah, yeah, I'll just be flying in.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

You don't have the time yet, right? No, so yeah, that's one weird thing about Amazon, is like I don't have my schedule until the weekend until the Saturday or the Friday before.

SPEAKER_01

So But you tell them in advance, like I need to take that day off?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so I can tell them in advance because I just want to be careful with the amount of days I'm taking off, because I know there's gonna be a lot of shows this summer. So I'm just gonna be probably just confirming to take the Saturday off, and even if I work Friday, I can let him just fly down. And we don't work Sundays. Um, so it it works out well that way, and I'll probably just leave maybe.

SPEAKER_01

So you actually want to work on the Friday before you get on the flight? Probably. Well, it they'll see what happens. Okay, so if so, it's only an hour difference between where you are to here.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and I think I gain an hour going your way, right? Yeah, you gain an hour. Yeah. Yeah. So, okay.

SPEAKER_01

So we'll hope to see you soon. And uh, of course, three weeks, we're gonna be in WMB Vancouver. Come say hi. Uh, get some pictures with us, we love it, and uh, we will be making a whole bunch of other content during that time. Anything you also want to add to our potential athletes who are prepping?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. I just look forward to meeting everybody there. Whoever follows the podcast. Like, I noticed last year there was a couple of times we're meeting with people that uh actually follow the podcast. So it's very cool. Like, if feel free to like reach out or chat with us at the shows.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, we really appreciate your attention, guys. So uh it's always always uh uh very inspiring and very happy for us, motivating for us to meet some of you guys who follow the channel. So appreciate you guys then, and uh we'll speak to you guys next time.