Have you always been in shape?
Growing up I was always fairly thin and never carried a lot of muscle or definition. I was pretty active, really big into skateboarding throughout high school. I also had a pretty fast metabolism making it hard for me to put on weight. I started lifting towards the end of my senior year in high school and, like most beginners, immediately saw results and was hooked. All through college I was religious about hitting the gym but didn’t know a thing about nutrition. I ate everything I could get my hands on. As long as I saw the scale going up I was happy. Luckily, due to my ectomorphic nature, I was able to hold off a lot of body fat and gain a decent amount of muscle despite my lack of proper nutrition and training knowledge.
How did you get started in physique competitions?
After college my love for eating soon caught up to me. I topped 220 on the scales and decided enough was enough—I needed to diet. So, still clueless in the realm of nutrition, I found a random diet from a bodybuilder online. I decided that if it worked for this guy, it had to work for me. Well sure enough, I started losing weight. I lost a lot of fat and well…a lot of muscle too. Regardless, I was pretty satisfied with my results and decided to enter a local natural show after some coaxing from a trainer at my gym. It was all so new to me. I didn’t even realize natural competitions existed. I ended up placing fairly well despite my lack of proper dieting. That was all I needed to get hooked. I quickly dove head first into the life of a competitor.
 
Describe your training philosophy:
There are lots of fancy routines out there, but when it boils down to it if your not adding weight to the bar over time then your simply not growing. If your getting your muscle groups stronger in the long-term while maintaining good form, then your making great progress. All routines and rep ranges have their merit, it’s all about adaptation and a progressive overload. I go into every workout with the mentality of outworking my yesterday’s self. Whether it’s adding weight to the bar, getting that extra rep, or buckling down on my form, I have to be better then I was the day before. Now granted there are lots of different factors that influence each workout, but if I don’t walk out of the gym knowing I gave it my all, then I don’t feel like I succeeded.
What are your favorite exercises? I’ve always enjoyed the big compound movements—bench, squat, & deadlift. There’s just something about moving a lot of weight through a big range of motion. Not to mention that they’ve helped build some of the best physiques of all time!
What is your diet like in the off season?
I really don’t like to refer to it as a “diet” per say, or even really an “off season”. My nutrition has become much more of a lifestyle change rather then eating specific foods at specific times. It is important to create a balance between this sport and the rest of your life (which I’m still working on!). And for a true bodybuilder there really isn’t an off season. It can better be defined as periods of eating in surplus of calories to put on muscle and periods spent in a deficit to take of the fat. I have the mentality that I am always in training for that next show—whether it be a year away or just weeks.
 Generally speaking I like to keep my protein around 1-1.5g/lb depending on my goals. Fats I like to keep around 20-25% of my total caloric intake, and carbs pretty much fill in the remainder of my caloric requirements. I will raise my carbs and fats as needed to keep me gaining at a slow and controlled pace, but like to stay within 15-20 pounds of my stage weight. The closer you can stay in weight throughout the year, the less time you spend cutting for your next show and the more muscle you can maintain. I started working with Dr. Joe Klemczewski a year ago and want to give him thanks for transforming my nutrition and creating a metabolic monster. I never realized that I could take such control of my metabolism just through creating the ideal macronutrient breakdown for my body and following it consistently.
Describe your diet during contest prep:
The structure of my diet stays the same throughout prep, but the goal changes. Instead of being at a small surplus (or maintenance) of calories, I shift to a slight caloric deficit. The goal is to burn off all of my body fat yet maintain all the precious muscle that I worked so hard to put on. To do this I like to give myself plenty of time to diet, shooting for around .5–l lb loss a week. This allows me to diet less aggressively and keep my carbs as high as possible while still losing body fat. Keeping carbs elevated will ensure me that my metabolism stays aggressive and will also protect me from muscle loss. I track and journal my food intake every day. I make sure to choose nutritious food choices, but this method also allows me to eat things that other bodybuilders might shy away from like fruit and dairy products. As I said, this is a lifestyle for me. So to stay consistent, it is important to develop good habits and behavioral patterns.
What supplements have worked for you?
Nutrition and training make up 98% of the battle. Taking supplements are just the icing on the cake. As with my nutrition and training, I base my supplement intake on what research has proven effective over time. I take whey protein, BCAAs, creatine, fish oils, a multivitamin (and other vitamins), and an occasional pre-workout drink when I need the extra boost!
What advice would you give to aspiring athletes?
A couple key points I always like to people: first off, big muscles don’t grow over night. It takes time, lots of work, and lots of patience. It’s important to stay consistent with your nutrition and train smart and injury free. If it were easy, then everyone would be walking around with bulging biceps and ripped abs. It is also very important to learn about what you are doing. Ask questions and dig into some research. Don’t just trust what your reading in mainstream magazines or online or what the big jacked guy at the gym tells you. I’m always asking why. Once I started to figure out what research proves effective, I incorporated these techniques into my nutrition and training and took my physique to a whole new level.
What have you learned about yourself as a physique competitor?
As a competitor, I always try and take what I learn in the sport and apply it to my life outside of the sport. The physical and mental aspects of competing are grueling and relentless. Twenty-four hours a day you have to be spot on in your nutrition and training. In addition, you are dealing with heavy mind games, self-doubt, high anxiety and nerves. This is enough to break down even the strongest. Anyone that has competed knows these things. But when all is said and done and you step foot on that stage, you realize just what you are capable of. I have learned to always question my limits and push my boundaries. Just when I think I’ve had all that I can take, I push myself a little bit more and a little bit further. Suddenly everything else in life becomes a little easier. I’m still discovering new things and learning how to balance my passion for competing with the rest of my life. This is what fuels me to continue my journey day in and day out.
 
What are your plans for the future?
I ended this season with a big class win at a natural pro-qualifier and barely losing the overall battle for the pro card. I plan on taking all of 2011 off and returning to the basics of training. At 6ft tall and with a fairly ectomorphic body type, I need to add a bit more overall thickness to my physique. I know I have a lot of work to do before I can stand competitively on a pro stage. Muscle doesn’t grow fast, but I’m willing to put forth the time and energy. I will compete again in 2012 for another chance at obtaining my natural pro card. In the meantime, I want to do whatever is possible to be a promoter of the sport of natural bodybuilding and set a solid example for others.
Thanks for reading, Phil Cohen
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