I never really knew such an option existed, but for some reason it instantly clicked with me. I went home that day and told my parents that I was going to be a bodybuilder. Thanks to the promotion Scivation was running at the time, I was able to receive free consultation from Derek Charlebois, again another of the inspiring natural bodybuilders I found on this site.

Eventually I decided to take it all the way and enter a competition held at my university. I did not end up winning that show, but I learned a great deal with Derek's help and just by going through the contest prep process. I wanted to take a minimum of 2 years off to make further progress and changes in my body and actually ended up starting my most recent prep nearly 2 years to the day after my first competition. With the help of Tommy Jeffers, someone I originally came across in the Layne Norton Inside The Life Of A Natural Pro series of videos, I dieted for over 20 weeks and ended up winning the Open Medium Tall class at the INBA Naturals Nationals.

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Brett G.

• Smith Squats: 5 sets of 20, 20, 15, 10, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 12 reps
• Superset:
  Hack Squats: 4 sets of 20, 12, 8, 6 reps
  Leg Press: 4 sets of 20, 12, 12, 12 reps



• Seated Leg Curls: 4 sets of 20, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Walking Barbell Lunges: 3 sets of 12, 8, 6 steps each leg
• Leg Extensions: 4 sets of 20, 15, 15, 10 reps, 2 drop sets of 10 reps
• Inner Thigh: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Outer Thigh: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Flat/Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 warm up sets of 15, 10, 6 reps, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Wide Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Smith Machine Upright Rows: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Incline Press: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 4 sets, 1 drop set of 10 reps
• Close Grip Cable Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 8 sets, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Smith Machine Military Press: 4 sets of 15, 8, 6 reps, 2 drop sets of 6 reps
• Cable Flyes: 3 sets of 12 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• V-Bar Pushdowns: 5 sets of 20, 20, 15, 12, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Dumbbell Skull Crushers: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Hammer Curls: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 6 sets, 1 drop set 10 reps
• Overhead Cable Extensions: 3 sets of 12 reps
• Superset:
  High Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
  Reverse EZ-Curls: 3 sets of 12 reps



• Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets of 20 reps
• Toe Press Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15 reps
• Cardio HIIT: 25 minutes

• Cardio HIIT: 20 minutes
• Cardio LISS: 40 minutes

• Deadlifts: 3 warm up sets of 10 reps, 4 sets of 10, 6, 4, 10 reps
• Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Superset:
  Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 15 reps
  Bent Over Lat Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps



• T-Bar Rows: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 10 reps
• Superset:
  Reverse Flyes: 3 sets of 10 reps
  Row Machine: 3 sets of 8 reps



• Hyperextensions: 2 sets of 20, 10 reps
• Cardio HIIT: 25 minutes

• Smith Machine Incline Press: 2 warm up sets of 20, 10 reps, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps, 1 drop set of 12 reps
• Flat Press: 4 sets of 15, 8, 8, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Low Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Military Press: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Superset:
  Lateral Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps
  Front Cable Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps



• Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15 reps
• Standing Machine Calf Raises: 4 sets of 20 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Cardio HIIT: 20 minutes
• Cardio LISS: 40 minutes

• Leg Extensions: 5 sets of 30, 30, 20, 15, 10 reps, 2 drop sets of 10 reps
• Hack Squats: 5 sets of 20, 15, 12, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 12 reps
• Superset:
  Leg Press: 4 sets of 20, 15, 10, 10 reps
  Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 10 reps



• Lying Leg Curls: 3 sets of 20, 12, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Walking Dumbbell Lunges: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 steps each leg
• Glute-Ham Hyper-Extensions: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Inner Thigh: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Outer Thigh: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Flat Barbell Bench Press: 3 warm up sets of 20, 10, 6 reps, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps, 1 drop set of 12 reps
• T-Bar Rows: 4 sets of 20, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Incline Press: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps,1 drop set of 12 reps
• Superset:
  Dumbbell Flyes: 4 sets of 15, 10, 10, 10 reps
  Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 10 reps



• Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 20, 20, 10, 10 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Straight Bar Pushdowns: 5 sets of 20, 20, 10, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Incline Hammer Curls: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Overhead Dumbbell Extensions: 4 sets of 15, 12, 8, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Preacher Curl Machine: 3 drop sets of 15, 12, 8 sets, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Rope Pushdowns: 3 drop sets of 15, 12, 8 sets, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Standing Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets of 20, 15, 15, 10 reps
• Toe Press Calf Raises: 4 sets of 25 reps
• Cardio HIIT: 25 minutes

• Dumbbell Military Press: 3 warm up sets of 12, 10, 8 reps, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Barbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 20, 15, 10, 10 reps, 2 drop sets of 10 reps
• Superset:
  Dumbbell Front Raises: 4 sets of 12, 8, 8, 8 reps
  Incline Rear Delt Raises: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 10 reps



• Seated Dumbbell Lat Raises: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps, 2 drop sets of 10 reps
• Machine Military Press: 3 sets of 15, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 6 reps
• Rear Delt Raises: 3 sets of 12, 10, 10 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Cardio HIIT: 20 minutes
• Cardio LISS: 40 minutes

• Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: 2 warm up sets of 15 reps, 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Lying Leg Curls: 4 sets of 20, 10, 10, 8 reps, 2 drop sets of 8 reps
• Smith Squats: 4 sets of 15, 10, 8, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Glute-Ham Hyperextensions: 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 reps
• Seated Leg Curls: 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 8 reps
• Inner Thigh: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Outer Thigh: 3 sets of 20 reps
• Toe Press Calf Raises: 4 sets of 20 reps
• Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15, 12, 12, 10 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 warm up sets of 15, 10, 8 reps, 3 sets of 10, 6, 4 reps, 1 drop set of 10 reps
• Flat Press: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Incline Smith Press: 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, 4 sets, 2 drop sets of 6, 8 reps
• Low Incline Flyes: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• V-Bar Pushdowns: 5 sets of 20, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 10 reps
• Close Grip Smith Press: 4 sets of 20, 15, 10, 6 reps, 1 drop set of 10 reps
• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• T-Bar Rows: 4 sets of 20, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps, 1 set of 6 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Wide Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Superset:
  Cable Rows: 4 sets of 15, 10, 10, 8 reps
  Smith Machine Shrugs: 4 sets of 20, 10, 10, 10 reps



• Preacher Curls: 4 sets of 20, 15, 10, 8 reps, 2 drop sets of 8 reps
• Seated Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10, 8, 8 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps
• Superset:
  Curl Machine: 2 sets of 12, 10 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps, 1 set of 8 reps
  Rope Hammer Curls: 2 sets of 12 reps, 1 drop set of 8 reps, 1 set of 12 reps



• Cardio LISS: 60 minutes

• Cardio HIIT: 20 minutes
• Cardio LISS: 40 minutes

Click To Enlarge.
Brett G.

• 200g asparagus
• 200g lean beef

• 170g sweet potato
• 2 scoops whey protein

• 80g oats
• 170g egg whites
• 1 scoop whey protein

• 300g broccoli
• 200g lean turkey
• 1 tbsp almond butter

• 2 scoops protein
• 1 tbsp almond butter

Brett G.

• Multivitamin: 1 serving

• Vitamin D3: 5,000IU
• Fish Oil: 3000mg

• Beta-Alanine: 3.2g

• Creatine: 5g

Bodybuilding also provides a lot of perspective on life for me; when the cardio gets tough or dieting is really taking its toll, I snap out of it to realize that if these are my worst problems then I am immensely fortunate. If the worst thing in my life is that I'm hungry after eating a meal while others are dealing with real problems elsewhere, I am reminded how blessed I am to be able to pursue an activity that I love.

What Motivates You To Follow A Healthy Lifestyle?

My motivation is purely internal. Maybe it's selfish, but I only participate in bodybuilding for myself rather than trying to impress anyone else or for anyone else's benefit. I love seeing what I am able to achieve through my own dedication and persistence.

What Made You Want To Achieve Your Goals?

I'm motivated by seeing progress over time and knowing that I can achieve and surpass my goals purely through putting in hard work.

What Features Do You Use On Bodybuilding.com?

The forum.