If you missed Part One of the interview, click here.
RZ: Having followed your progress from day one, your development has been a true inspiration. What did you learn about yourself during your most recent journey to striated glutes?
TJ: Thanks! I appreciate that! I can tell you, I learned a great deal about myself in the weeks leading up to that last competition. You start to experience some really dramatic changes, not only physically, but even more so psychologically. As you diet down to ultra lean levels, most of your hormonal processes start to shut down. Hunger shoots through the roof, libido is non-existent, mood is all over the place, etc. It’s one of those things that you can’t really describe very well; you just have to experience it to fully understand what I mean. When I say hunger, I’m not talking about your normal, every day, “I’m hungry for lunch” type of hunger. I’m talking about you being hungry as you are eating, hungry immediately after you eat, and hungry to the point that food gives you no satiety whatsoever.
Now, apply that analogy to mood swings and try to get a picture of just how cranky you can be. I’ve learned how disciplined I can be if I want to be. I’ve learned the TRUE meaning of patience. I’ve learned which people in my life truly care about and support me. I mean, the list goes on and on. Bodybuilding can be a very humbling experience, but you have to be doing it for the right reasons for it to be.
RZ: A lot of bodybuilders are hyper-obsessive compulsives. Eating disorders and body image issues are ever-present. How do you keep an even keel on things and avoid some of the negative behaviors typically associated with physique sports (i.e. binge eating, starvation, etc.)?
TJ: To fully understand why the majority of people act in that way, you have to take a look at the root of the problem. See, as I mentioned earlier in the interview, I got into bodybuilding the way most do – I had insecurity issues within myself. But, in my case, I learned what health, fitness, bodybuilding, etc. was really all about. I not only worked on my physique, but I was also working on myself as a person. Then, inevitably, my reasons why I was doing everything changed. You have to be into bodybuilding, sports, or whatever for the right reasons. If you think having a great body will solve all of your insecurity issues, you are wrong. Having a nice physique is great, but it’s still nothing more than working on the surface. You have to work on yourself as well. What I see in the people who have those issues is a great deal of insecurity. The look they have on the outside is just a façade and covers up how they feel about themselves on the inside. I maintain an even keel because I continually work on myself as a person. I read self-help and personal development books, attend church, and surround myself with positive people. And you know what? My quality of life is much better and I am able to enjoy the physique I am building because I am doing it for the right reasons.
RZ: Name your top three most influential diet and nutrition specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.
TJ: The first one would have to be the guy that really was the first one to open my eyes to diet and training – Lyle McDonald. The big thing Lyle really taught me about diet/nutrition, was that my body really does hate me. Seriously though, the body does not want to be big and lean, it wants to be small and fat in times of severe dieting and ultra leanness (like contest prep). He really helped explain to me about the things that go on when dieting for a contest and what things we have control over, what things we can do, etc. Still to this day, he continues to give advice to me whenever I ask anything from him, and I highly recommend reading the books he has out. That’s not a shameless plug either…his books are loaded with incredible information about nutrition and physiology.
The second would have to be Layne Norton. I followed him through his journey to becoming a professional, and have since started working with him and picking his brain every chance I get. The biggest thing that Layne has taught me has to do with contest prep and not cutting out water. I, like most other natural amateurs, had been brainwashed into thinking that you need to cut water to get dry. It simply is the exact opposite. Of the many things about contest prep that he has taught me, not cutting water was the biggest eye opener for me.
The third would have to be Marc Lobliner from Scivation/Primaforce. His continuing effort to optimize all dieting approaches has had him researching many different areas. The big thing I have learned from Marc has been the different ways to skin a cat. Seriously, there is no one way to skin a cat. So many approaches can be used for different people and it’s al about finding that right approach that someone can stick to and get results from.
RZ: Name your top three most influential training specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.
TJ: The three I mentioned above have really been influential to me in both nutrition and training. Layne has taught me a great deal about optimal approaches of training, especially for specific muscle groups, and setting up splits that just flat out work. He’s taught me a lot about slow and steady progress with small adjustments over time being the key.
Lyle, with his “no bullshit” approach has gotten all of the typical brainwashing I had from the magazines and media out of my head and taught me a lot about the differences in styles of training between naturals and drug users. I, like many others, have fallen victim to believing what I see in the mainstream media as far as training, nutrition, and the worst, supplements. Lyle has grounded me to constantly rely on the tried and true (what’s been proven to work) and always build your training schemes off of the basics – bench, squats, and deadlifts.
The third I’d probably have to go with Dante (Doggcrap). His style of training has opened up my eyes on a lot of things. I believe in a lot of his principles, especially the rest pause set, and try to incorporate his principles into my workouts all year round. Just in adding rest pauses alone, I’ve seen dramatic improvements in my physique in just weeks. He really knows his stuff and his philosophies are solid.
RZ: Are cheerios the secret to mad gainz, sw0le trapz, and rippt abz?
TJ: You bet your ass they are! Whether it’s cheerios, oats, pastas, breads, you name it…just remember that carbohydrates are not the enemy! When used right, they can be very beneficial on any dieting approach.
RZ: Tommy – you are a true sport, no pun intended… okay maybe. Once again, congrats on everything – you deserve it all.
