6 Attachment(s)
Loutfi Ajaoun Interview with CBB
CBB Handle: loutfi
Age: 34
Height: 5'8"
Hometown: Strasbourg France
Currently Residing: Montréal
Website: http://loutfiajaoun.com/ and http://bodyflex.jimdo.com/
Have you always been an active person - did you play sports in your youth?
When i was young i was drawing a lot ! I had a talent for it. Drawing and guess what ... always big guys with big muscles. So i wasn't very active. It's only at 18 years old that i seriously began the sport. It was martial arts during 2 years. Like i wasn't happy with my physic, it was Bruce Lee style lol meaning ripped but no mass at all (143 pounds). So then At 20 years old I began bodybuilding.
What made you get into bodybuilding competitions?
When i began my goal was only to be big. My ultimate goal was 100kg (220 pounds) but just mass, I wasn't looking for definition at all. Before beginning bodybuilding I was already reading Flex magazine and dreaming seeing Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone. I was like, "wow I would love to be like that". So this is what really motivated me. When i saw the physics displayed in Flex my goal was to be like them. No matter what people think i was like "I'm gonna try and try and try and never give up until I make it". My goal was just to pursue the perfect most physique that I can accomplish without comparing myself to anyone. But of course when you compete... you will be compared ! lol
Having been a bodybuilder for many years, what advice can you give to a young competitor just getting into the sport?
Knowledge. I will advise you guys to learn as much as you can. Don't go too fast, Rome was not built in one day. Young guys have the drive but a lot want the easy way. Like "ok champ' what's you're secret". Or "ok in 6 months I will be like you". All great pros know that. No secrets just hard work, day after day the entire year and then year after year. Same thing with diet. Eating a lot good things and keeping doing that. And then if you are persistent and rigorous you will see the results. Don't look after being freaky at the begining, if you're progressing that's perfect. Little progress after little progress equals big progress after years !
How has the sport impacted your life?
Socially it was hard especially when I was in France. Bodybuilding and sports is not that popular there. So when you take just a shake you're like a junky. And when you try to eat a meal at 4pm, people are just "oh you are already starving ?". They think it's time for a coffee and a donut lol. But here in Canada that's perfect, they accept the differences. So you just have to deal with scheduling your break at work for your meals. For magazine opportunities, I'm very grateful to Musclemag as I was in the December 2010 and January 2011 issues. I was also on RX Muscle and Muscular Development. So I want to thank all people who help me and give me exposure.
Who do you look up to in the industry and who has helped you along the way?
Actually I admire Jay. Losing an Olympia and coming back ... that was impossible and he's done it. For people who help me I will say my wife. She is doing everything for me, preparing my meals, supporting my goals, since I'm married ... lol Because before that I had nobody to help me. I began bodybuilding and did everything by myself. I never had a coach.
Favourite foods: oats, white rice, bananas ; chicken breast, red meat.
For cheating: pizza !!! lol
Are there any sports supplements that you cannot live without?
Protein powders. Any diet will be really hard without them.
Are you sponsored by a company? If so, who?
Yes, Eggsel. Best egg whites in Canada ;-) http://eggsel.com/
Having competed in both the US and Canada, how was your experience in both countries. If there was a noticeable difference, what was it?
I have competed at the Canadian Nationals in Saskatoon on August 2010 and North America on september 2010 in Ohio. I loved the organisation at the Canadians, it was almost perfect, the best i’ve ever seen. The coverage in the US is incredible. I had exposure on MD and RX. I feel really respected when I was in US. In the US everything is so big, you will find most of the bodybuilding industry at the contest, that’s great, I really feel i’m in my element.
You competed in France. How was that experience?
Like I’m from France, living in Canada since 2008. I was competing in France first. In France you have a lot of federations, maybe too much. It’s not really good for the credibility of our sport especially if you say «I’m the champion of France », each year you’ve got like 10 France champs.
I was also in Morocco my original country, competing at the Casablanca Grand Prix 2007. The Enthusiasm of people is really incredible, they love our sport !! I was really surprised. I didn’t know before the event.
Having been an active member on various bodybuilding and fitness forums for many years, what do you find positive about interacting with other members on them and what do you find negative?
Ok, positive things of it are off course coverage. People can talk directly to you. I had the chance inspiring a lot of people. Each time there’s some one at the gym or via a forum who find his inspiration watching my pics and especially my story (i began very skinny 140 pounds). So it can boost our sport, I hope so.
For negative, you will always find jealousy. Some people can simply not accept the fact you have succeed and they just write bs on you. But hey, that’s the rule where you’re on top, there’s envy.
What is a typical day for you when prepping for a show?
Oh. I will say i’m a robot.lol. From opening to closing my eyes it’s bodybuilding and even when I sleep I dream bodybuilding lol. Basically I wake up, go on the scale, watch my physique. Do my cardio, my shower, my 1st meal. Rest a little bit, go to the gym hitting my 1st workout. Coming back home to eat, rest, sleep in the afternoon, return to the gym for the 2nd workout, eat, eat, and do my last cardio. 12 weeks before the show I take pics every week. I analyse my diet every day. In the last weeks I’m never satisfied, I become extremely critical of myself. I’m just looking for imperfections in my physique and try to correct it. I had a pic in my mind at this time Flex Wheeler Arnold Classic 93. This is the type of perfection I’m looking for when I’m dieting in the last weeks. I watch a lot of videos and pics of great champs just to make sure I’m on the right track for my shape.
How do you balance your training?
In 2010 I noticed I needed less cardio and more weight lifting. Plus it’s more enjoyable to weight lift compare toboring cardio … I train 5 times a week, 2 times a day. For cardio I do it from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is completely off and I rest and just eat everything I want !!
In terms of hours you can say 6-10 hours of weight lifting and 3-8 hours of cardio. This is just an average it can change a lot. I always listen to my body and like with my clients, I change the diet a lot.
What do you find the most difficult about this sport?
With absolutely no hesitation : DIET. Whether you’re bulking or preparing for a show. Bulking because you have to eat a lot, hungry or not. For a show you are never satisfied with the amount of food, plus the food has no taste. But of course dieting for a show is harder than bulking. The last weeks you are just starving all day. You can kill someone. Lol. But seriously diet is what makes difference between a champion and someone else. Anybody is able to go the gym 4 or 5 times a week and push weights. It’s a matter of 1 hour a day. But diet is a 24 hour regiment discipline, 365 days a year, year after year.
When will we next see you on stage?
Inchallah You will see me on stage at the North Americans in 2011. After that maybe the Canadians depending how I perform at the N.A.'s.
Can you provide us a workout routine for a week?
Sure. This is my actual routine.
Monday : Shoulders, chest.
Tuesday : Legs.
Wednesday : Arms.
Thursday : Rest.
Friday : Back.
Saturday : Arms.
Sunday : Rest.
My actual diet :
Meal 1 : 6 oz Oats, eggsel’s eggwhites, protein, 2 slices of brown bread, 1 coffee.
Training.
Postworkout : 6 oz gainer, creatine, glutamine.
Meal 3 : 4oz white rice, 6,5 oz chicken breast.
Meal 4 : 6 oz gainer.
Meal 5 : 4oz white rice, 6,5 chicken breast.
Meal 6 : Eggsel’s eggwhites 3 slices brown bread, 1 banana.
Meal 7 : Protein powder, 3 oz oats, 1 peanut butter.
Night : Protein powder, milk, 1 oz oats.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJNp54qGHbQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXOH...layer_embedded
http://www.rxmuscle.com/videos/iatra...h-america.html
http://mdtv.musculardevelopment.com/...americans.html
For current competition stats, please check out the Loutfi Ajaoun Profile
