COVER STORY
conditioning, you’re probably going to win even if you have
terrible symmetry and aren’t really balanced – especially op-
posed to a guy who has the symmetry and conditioning but
not necessarily the size. Hopefully it’s starting to change a
little bit and people are starting to appreciate it a little more.
This approach of keeping the athletes in the freak category
is dangerous for the athletes’ overall health. When you get a
guy who is 5’9” and weighs about 270 pounds, I don’t think
there’s a lot of symmetry there. I don’t care if it’s muscle
or fat, if you’re off the charts on the obesity scale, that’s
not healthy.
IM: What’s your take on the old saying ‘No pain, no gain?’
DH: If you feel [a] little twitch here and there when you’re
young, and you’re going heavy, it might seem like it went
away, but it never really goes away. It always comes back to
haunt you later. To get that one lift? I don’t understand what
the point is. It’s going to catch up to you, especially if you’re
not consistent. It’s risk versus reward.
IM: So you’re not pushing around super heavy weight in
the gym anymore?
DH: I stopped bench pressing heavy quite a while ago when I
saw each one of my friends tear their chest with a straight bar
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bench. I don’t want to be the next victim, so [I figured to] stop
doing it or go really light.
IM: There can’t be anyone who looks at you and doesn’t
figure you can lift a lot anyway, right?
DH: When you’re on stage, nobody cares how much you lift.
It’s how you perform. You’ve got to protect yourself. You’re a
product and you want to have a long shelf life that’s for sure.
IM: What’s your best advice for anyone aspiring to get
into the business?
DH: Stick to the basics. Eat properly. Do your cardio. [Cardio]
seems like it’s not a benefit, but it really is mentally and
physically. The cardio really gives your body that cleanse.
Consistency is more important than anything. If you’re a
regular guy, just go to the gym. Just do it. Do 10 minutes of
cardio and then gradually keep raising the effort. When you
don’t feel like training, just do something small, just to get in
there. Tomorrow’s another day, you can do more tomorrow.
But do something every day.
IM: What’s one thing you wish people knew about
training right?
DH: Last night I trained my legs and all I did for the whole