Bodybuilding.com - An Interview With Natural IFBB Pro Jeff Willet!

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Did you know?
The Amazon rainforest produces half the world's oxygen supply.

I've accomplished my primary goal of becoming an IFBB Pro. Now my focus has turned to running a gym, keeping in shape, and other areas in the bodybuilding arena!

An Interview With Natural IFBB Pro Jeff Willet!

By: David Robson

With a physique many would consider to be a perfect combination of mass and cuts, a contradiction to the current emphasis on gargantuan size, Jeff Willet is carving a name for himself in the IFBB pro-bodybuilding arena.

At the age of sixteen, Jeff began building his physique with a view to turning pro, after watching his first bodybuilding show and deciding that this was to be the sport he would excel in. " I knew at that moment, with every fiber of my being that I wanted to become a champion bodybuilder", said Jeff.

15-years later, at the age of 31, Jeff is the proud owner of a pro-card and a body cloaked in muscle.

Competing in his first show, at 17, Jeff won both his teen class, and overall teen, at the Novice Mr. Michigan in 1991. After 11-years of building and refining his physique, Jeff's crowning moment came when he won light-heavyweight and overall at the Team Universe championships in 2003. This win secured him his pro-card and reinforced his belief that one should "believe beyond boundaries".

Jeff currently owns a gym, Jeff Willet's Powerhouse Gym, in his home town of Adrian, Michigan and continues to train utilizing the Max-OT principals.

Expect big things from Jeff Willet:

[ Q ] Hi Jeff. You won your pro card in 2003. Describe this experience and the period leading up to it.

^th

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Let's just say it was an honest to goodness dream come true and I will cherish that moment for the rest of my life.

Thirteen years of hard work, sacrifice, ups, downs, laughter and tears all came together in one magical moment.

[ Q ] When did you begin bodybuilding and what were your aspirations at the time? When did you contemplate turning pro? Why the decision to turn pro?

I began at age 16 and as I mentioned my goal from the beginning was to one day become an IFBB Pro.
When I earned the chance to turn professional there really wasn't a decision to make.
It was what I wanted for 13 years.

What Are Your Goals?
>Lose Fat
>Build Muscle
>Improve Energy
>Other

Jeff's Complete Contest History:

NPC USA Championships

[ Q ] Provide some background on yourself Jeff. What is your age, weight and height and what are your key measurements.

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I don't like the tape measure either so I can't offer any measurements. I am very much a visual person and use visual assessments to gauge progress.

The way I have always felt is when you are on the stage the judges don't pull out a tape measure or body fat calipers. They judge you on your appearance so therefore it always made sense for me to judge progress the same way.

People can get too caught up in numbers and numbers don't always tell an accurate tale.

[ Q ] What are your current competitive plans? What other bodybuilding related goals do you have?

I am really enjoying this new challenge and new life direction. I still train hard Max-OT style and am having fun working out without the pressure of an upcoming competition.

I had been competing for 13 years straight with only one year off competition prior to turning pro so this is a good change of pace for me.

[ Q ] Describe you current training program and how does it differ from pre-contest to off-season?

My weight training doesn't differ from off-season to pre-contest. I train heavy with 4-6 reps and the Max-OT principles year around. Max-OT is based on training heavy in a 4-6 rep range with compound free weight exercises and a low set volume.

The changes that happen during pre-contest involve cardio and diet.

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In a nut shell it is based on heavy basic compound lifts, low set volume and training in a 4-6 rep range.

[ Q ] Describe your current diet. What is the best way for eating to gain muscle size in your view?

Check Out The Science Of Nutrient Timing!

I ingest the majority of my carbohydrates within the 3 hours of post training and I choose high GI carbs at that time.

The rest of the day I eat low GI carbs, mostly vegetables. I keep fat the lowest percent of my intake and get the majority of that through EFA's = CLA 1000.

[ Q ] Do you believe in the value of supplementation? What supplements do you use and what have you found to work best and why?

VP2 Whey Protein Isolate

GL3 L-Glutamine

I bracket my workouts with VP2 Whey Protein Isolate/Creatine HSC/GL3 L-glutamine. I take this mixture directly before and after training.

I take Ny-Tro PRO-40 an hour after training and use it for two, three or more other meals each day as it provides the perfect blend of nutrients for building muscle in an instant.

[ Q ] What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses as a bodybuilder?

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It needs to improve to better match my arms and shoulders.

[ Q ] Is it correct you are a natural bodybuilder? If so, to what do you attribute your amazing gains?

consistency

Max-OT is the best way to train. The low volume, heavy weights and maximal recovery time between workouts is essential in my opinion for packing on muscle naturally. Another important point is consistency with nutrition with an emphasis on quality protein intake.

All of these factors work together and are compounded over time. Each great day you complete builds on the next. Great days become great weeks; great weeks become great months, etc.

Before you know it you start compiling great years of training and that is when the outstanding results happen.

[ Q ] Who in natural bodybuilding impresses you most, and why?

Derik Farnsworth

Skip La Cour

At The Natural Colorado With Fellow Natural Competitor Derik Farnsworth.

[ Q ] Do you bodybuild full-time or do you have some other type of career?
What professions, other than bodybuilding, are you qualified to work in?

I have a degree in Exercise Science and a degree in Business Administration. I worked in gyms throughout high school, college and after college.

In August of 2000 I began working for AST Sports Science full time as a Technical Specialist. I did a lot of writing for the AST Sports Science web site, High Performance Muscle Magazine as well as fielding questions via email.

I also assisted in a variety of tasks around the AST headquarters in Colorado.

In June of 2004, I moved back to Michigan to pursue my next goal as an entrepreneur. As I mentioned earlier I recently opened Jeff Willet's Powerhouse Gym.

I bought a great building with a lot of character. It is over 18,000 sq. ft and has 3 levels. I'm really proud of how the building renovations turned out and pleased with the first few months of operation.

[ Q ] What are you non-bodybuilding interests?

I enjoy watching sports, especially college football. I am a big University of Michigan fan. One of the benefits of moving back to Michigan is I get the chance to go to the Big House and watch them play. I love the fall.

[ Q ] Who in professional bodybuilding impresses you most physique-wise, and why?

I am not a fan of size at the expense of everything else and Shawn Ray always maintained the balance. Very complete from head to toe and he knew how to present himself with class onstage.

[ Q ] Shawn does have an awesome physique. Did you read the recent interview Bodybuilding.com did with him? If so, what did you think?

the interview

I respect that fact that he works to promote the sport in a positive light with his muscle camps.

[ Q ] How do you feel about the future of natural bodybuilding? What are your thoughts on the current state of bodybuilding as a whole, and its future?

Self imposed limitations are placed when they feel they can only be "so good" if they remain natural. You can achieve outstanding things naturally with the right amount of work, dedication, discipline and god given ability.

When I was chasing after the Team Universe, it was always motivating to see someone better than I was. It gave me a new standard to rise to and someone to learn from.

Unfortunately, not everyone looks at it like that. Many times if someone is a lot better than they are, they assume the person is cheating. It's too bad because those people are defeated before they even start. This somewhat limits natural bodybuilding as a whole in my opinion.

I am not sure about the future of bodybuilding. I wish the judging leaned more towards balanced and aesthetically pleasing physiques as opposed to size over everything else. I think this would help the sport gain more wide spread acceptance.

There are certainly some issues that need to be addressed, especially with so much attention on drug use and sports. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[ Q ] You are still quite young for a pro bodybuilder. What do you expect to achieve before you retire from the sport?

I'm interested in getting more involved with bodybuilding on the state level and pursuing judging, possibly promoting one day.

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I'm undecided at the moment as far as my competitive future. As you said, I am young in bodybuilding terms so I don't need to make any decisions at this point. Again, we'll have to wait and see.

[ Q ] Is there anyone, or anything, you would like to credit with helping you succeed in your bodybuilding career?

Paul Delia, President of AST Sports Science, has been a tremendous help and influence over the last several years. Paul guided my training and diet including the pre-contest prep for my most successful year, 2003, when I won the overall at the Team Universe and placed 4th in the Light Heavyweight Division at the USA.

[ Q ] If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring bodybuilder, what would it be?

Be consistent both inside and outside of the gym. Also be patient. Great results happen with the continual execution of an intelligent plan.

davidrobson19@hotmail.com