CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE May/June Issue | Page 19

seeing some of the judges who I
looked up to like Rudy Jambrosic
and Ron Hache, talking to some
of the athletes after shows and
telling them what they needed to
improve, or offering them advice
as to what direction they should
take to move on. I noticed how
appreciative the athletes were
and how much it meant to
them for a judge to take a few
minutes to offer them some
advice. Perhaps it took me some
time and experience as a judge
before I felt confident enough in
giving advice to others. Or I was
too shy back then to offer advice
to someone, but now I try to
offer advice to athletes as much
as possible. I see the benefit
to the athletes and it makes
me feel more engaged with the
athlete as well which makes me
a better judge. When someone
is on stage doing their individual
routine, I not only find myself
now focusing on the physique to
determine where they should be
placement wise in comparison
to the others in their category,
but I am also looking for areas
on the physique or presentation
that can be improved upon.
This way I can give them some
feedback that will help them be
better for their next show As
time has passed, the sport has
progressed and become much
bigger now with all the new
categories we have added, so
now it’s not possible for a judge
to offer feedback to every athlete
in a show. Because of this, the
CPA came up with the judge’s
critique videos that are available
for purchase now at all CPA
shows. These are very detailed
assessments done by a head
judge to give athletes valuable
feedback so that they know
exactly why they placed where
they did and what they can do
to better prepare themselves for
their next show.
Juan: Wow what an amazing
Journey Paul. As a bodybuilder
yourself, what do you feel is
something bodybuilders neglect
the last few weeks leading up
to a show that could help them
look/place better?
Paul: A lot of bodybuilders in
the last couple of weeks before
a show make the mistake of
trusting the opinion of someone
who isn’t qualified to give an
opinion. I see it a lot these days
especially because of social
media where you have someone
who’s prepping for a show and
puts some pics online and all
of their friends tell them how
good they look and how they’re
going to beat everyone. They
tell them they are ready for the
stage and in reality, the people
who are telling them this stuff
wouldn’t have the first clue
about what it takes to do well
in a bodybuilding competition
and shouldn’t be giving advice
to anyone. In my opinion, if you
are a first time competitor with
hopes of moving up the ladder
and taking this sport seriously,
then you should either hire a
good coach or at least have
someone in your corner who
knows the sport and is able to
give you an honest unbiased
opinion on how you look. This
will help you determine whether
you are ready to compete.
Juan: How do you feel with the
introduction of the new wellness
division and what advice would
you tell a current competitor
looking to switch to this class?
Paul: The introduction of the
wellness division was a great
idea and I think it will be a big
success. It is a perfect fit for
those women who like the bikini
category because of the posing,
the suits, etc. but carry a little
more muscle and are a little bit
fuller than the ideal in the bikini
division.
For women who are looking to
make the jump over to wellness
this year, I would recommend
that they still bring the same level
of conditioning as they would for
bikini. Don’t confuse the ‘fuller’
description of the category to
mean less conditioned. That
would be a mistake that will cost
you placings.
Juan: How do you feel about
open bodybuilders looking to
cut down and make the classic
division?
Paul: For open bodybuilders
who want to cut down to switch
to classic physique, that is a
question of your body’s shape
and aesthetics rather than a
matter of losing some muscle
to make weight requirements
for classic. I know the classic
category should reflect exactly
what the name implies. A classic
physique as in what we used to
see in the 70’s, 80’s and early
90’s. Where the emphasis wasn’t
on who was the biggest and
most conditioned, but more on
muscle flow, lines, presentation
and the beauty and the art of
bodybuilding.
Juan: Thank you very much for
your time Paul! I appreciate your
time and all the amazing things
we have learned from you today!
Juan
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