Shelby
Starnes interviews Troponin Athlete Nate Wolfe
Upcoming events- I’m not 100% sure on what I’ll do next. I’d like to do JR. Nationals or JR. USA’s next year. I want to make sure I’m 100% focused on doing it before I decide that.
Nate: I have no idea. I can’t think that far in advance. With everything else going on right now I just try to make through the present day. That all depends on other factors; having a family, finances, etc.
Nate: I always liked training. When I was in high school we only lifted once in a while. Most of the kids hated it that we had to lift. I was in an Athletic Excellence class and we had to lift 3 days a week. I wasn’t necessarily interested in bodybuilding at the time, just interested in getting bigger and training. It wasn’t until I graduated high school that I was on a consistent routine.
Nate: I decided to compete for the first time in 1997. I had been training for about a year and a half, gained 25lbs without any nutritional guidance and someone at the gym encouraged me to compete. I was very hesitant as I thought I was too small. I placed 2nd in the show and from there I knew I’d be competing for a while. I really didn’t have much to go on as far as the diet. A couple of people gave me their opinion and I followed what I thought was right. Plus the fact that I was still young I could get away with just a “clean” diet and a little cardio to get lean.
Nate: Ha, I wish. My metabolism is far from fast. I’ve never considered my metabolism fast, otherwise I’d be a lot leaner than I am.
Nate: I work for an armored money transporting company in Las Vegas called Loomis. I get up at 6:30am. I usually eat my first meal while answering e-mails then I leave to go train around 8:30am. I get home, eat, pack my meals for work, shower, eat again and then leave to work. I work from 2pm-10pm. I usually have two shakes and one solid food meal while I’m at work. I get home at 10:30pm. I answer more e-mails, talk to my girlfriend, and try to go to bed by 12am. This is my schedule M-F. I train on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday. On Saturday & Sunday I don’t have a set schedule. I train when I want to, but I still get all my meals in. My training has been mostly high volume. When I trained with Jay that’s how he trained and I liked it. 24 sets for back was not unusual. Once in a while I will drop the volume for 3 weeks and lift heavier with more rest between sets. I haven’t done any consistent cardio this off-season and have been able to stay fairly lean. The only time I really do cardio is when I train with Mandy. And yes I mean real cardio, treadmill, elliptical, step mill, etc.
Nate: I like watching movies, comedies in particular. Although I’ve had very little time to do it lately. Just being able to relax and not think about bodybuilding, dieting, training, etc. You know, act like the “normals.”
Nate: I’m not sure I look up to anyone in bodybuilding. I think it takes a strong person to complete a contest diet and be consistent. I can respect people who say they’re going to do it and then actually follow through. A lot of people say they’re going to compete, start the diet, and come up with a lame ass excuse as to why they can’t finish it.
Nate: I wanted to move to Las Vegas for the weather and I thought I’d like the environment. I’ve been here for 2 years and Vegas is not for me, lol. I’ll probably be moving very soon. I’ve never felt completely comfortable here, there’s no sense of community. Sometimes I don’t even want to leave the house and when I do it’s always a pain. It takes a certain type of person to live here and I’m not that person. People that vacation here think it’s great, but living here is a different story. There are some other reasons why the move out here has been disappointing, but I’d rather not say. I have made a couple of good friends out here including Jay and Aj and that will be the only thing I miss when I leave. Being able to go to Mr. Olympia’s house to shoot the shit was an experience I won’t forget and am grateful for.
Nate: It’s always motivating training with Jay. He doesn’t do any fancy exercises. He just trains hard and stays focused. He kills me every time. If Jay wasn’t as big as he is you’d think he was a regular guy. He’s very unselfish and doesn’t talk about himself. I’ve been lucky enough to be in is home and get to know him and his wife. He’s one of the most grounded, balanced, level headed people I’ve come to know.
Nate: I first worked with Justin starting in December of 2004. I had been prepping people myself at the time, but it’s very hard for me to be objective with myself. I knew of Justin from Muscle Mayhem and contacted him. He prepped me for the Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky in 2005. I had only worked with one other nutritionist before that and the experience was less than memorable. I liked Justin’s ideas and there was a reason behind everything he told me to do. I never questioned him, just did what he said. I think we had a lot of the same concepts and protocols and I trusted him 100%. He had just recently started the Protégé Nutrition site so after the Northern Kentucky show I asked how they started the site. I told him I was interested in starting a website and he asked if I’d like to work for him instead. Because of his reputation on the boards I thought it’d be better if I did that as no one really knew who I was. Of course I said yes and I’ve been working for him ever since. It’s an opportunity I’m very thankful for. I’ve worked with clients all over the world including the UK, Korea, London, South Africa, and Germany. The client I worked with in Korea is from the US and is stationed there. He has become a friend and has referred at least a dozen people to me since I first prepped him for his show.
Nate: The first time I had a client win an overall was exciting. He was ready to quit at about 3-4 weeks out and I told him he’d regret it if he did. He stuck it out and won the overall. Then having my first figure client win her class at her first show, which was a national qualifier. And I hate to choose one as a favorite, but when Sarah (honeybuns), my sister, won the overall at the Michigan show, that was the most exciting experience with a client. Unfortunately I wasn’t there, but Joe (Lyons) called me as soon as it happened. Having a client place well or achieve a goal is always more gratifying than me placing well, without question.
Nate: My satisfaction in this sport comes more from what my clients achieve rather than myself. I’d like to keep having all of my clients placing well and eventually I’d like to have a client turn pro. When I first started prepping people I never thought I’d be prepping people on the national level, but that changed. So as long as my clients continue to do well then I’ve achieved something positive for both of us.
Nate: I don’t think I’d do a whole lot differently. Some younger guys get so wrapped up in it they forget about more important things like school. You can do both, you just have to be able to balance them. People use dieting and competing as an excuse to neglect other things in life or to act like an idiot. If Justin can work two jobs, be a husband, raise two daughters, travel for Optimum Nutrition, and prep himself for a show, then I think anyone can prep for a show under much less strenuous circumstances.
Nate: I know the interview is supposed to be about me, but I don’t really like talking about myself. There are enough conceited people in this industry and I’m not going to be one of them. I’d like to think I’m an unselfish person so I don’t boast about my own accomplishments. I’d much rather talk about my clients and their success. I’m just a “prep guy” and would never consider myself a guru of any sorts. I just use what I’ve learned through experience and trial & error to prep people and help them reach their goals.
Nate: My favorite part is watching someone transform themselves during contest prep. As a competitor myself I know what it takes to go through that 16 weeks of dieting. I like seeing clients finally reach that day of competition knowing how hard they worked to get there. They didn’t come up with an excuse to quit, they just did what they were told. The least favorite thing is the selfishness, it’s an “I” and “me” activity. You can be dedicated and driven without being selfish. Some people also use the contest dieting to act like idiots or *ssholes. “I’m on low carbs; I’m doing all this cardio” etc. No one makes anyone do this, they choose to do it so there’s no excuse to be disrespectful to people. Then there are the people who act like they’re so serious and want to win so badly, but in reality they’re lazy and will probably not reach their goals or potential. They quit or give up the first chance they get.
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