MARINE COPRS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND/EASTERN RECRUITING REGION, S.C. - -- Chief Warrant Officer 3 John A. Myers, personnel officer at the Depot Consolidated Administrative Center, took the second-place trophy in the Men's Masters class of the National All Armed Forces Bodybuilding Championships in Virginia Beach, Va., Sept. 14.
Myers, who has been bodybuilding since 1986, began dieting in June in preparation for the South Carolina National Physique Committee's Excalibur Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Show in Charleston, Aug. 3, and the SCNPC's Lowcountry and All Forces Bodybuilding and Figure Classic, held Aug. 25, at the Depot Theater. He placed second in the Masters at the Excalibur. In the Classic, he took first in his class and first in the Armed Services division.
Myers only found out about the All Armed Forces competition two weeks prior to the event. Already in competition mode, he decided to continue his diet regimen for the two additional weeks and try his luck on the national level. His optimistic mentality paid off in the end.
"The competition was filled with very high caliber athletes," said Myers. "The Masters class was one of the best I've seen. Although, I don't think anybody's ever pleased with second, it was worth it."
Myers, who was one of eight in his class, felt there was one thing that might have held him back from a first place finish.
"The diet I was on was pretty rigorous and causing a few problems," he said. "I picked up a couple of pounds, which I think hurt me a little in the definition department."
While winning trophies in competitions such as these is definitely a plus and an ego boost, Myers has other reasons for participating.
"Personally, I use the competitions as a way to gain valuable information about nutrition and working out," he said. "There's so much knowledge there that you can't get through any other channels. You'll meet a lot of competitors who don't mind sharing the things they do."
Normally, when not training for competitions, Myers hits the weights four times a week, concentrating on a different area of the body each day. He also maintains a regular diet, although not quite as strict as his pre-competition diet.
"I have a competition weight and an off-season weight," he said. "For competition, I try to stay between 178 and 182. I don't like to go more than 20 pounds over that during the off-season."
Myers' off-season began after his last competition and will continue until February, when he begins training for a June competition. His goals remain simple, as he is intent on not letting the sport overwhelm him.
"Weight training is a hobby that I really enjoy and that's the way I want to keep it," said Myers. "I want to get bigger, but I also want to keep it in the right perspective. I don't want bodybuilding to dominate my life. I always say that I never know what the good Lord is going to call me to do, so I always want to be prepared physically and mentally. And I definitely don't want my wife to be pushing me around in a wheel chair when I get old," he added with a smile. "I have to take care of my body."
After 16 years of weight training and six competitions, Myers has learned a thing or two about success in bodybuilding. He stresses one important aspect that is key. In order to reach one's potential, he maintains that everyone should have a specific objective in mind.
"You have to have a goal to reach for," said Myers. "If you don't have a set goal, you're spinning your wheels, but you're not going anywhere. There's nothing wrong with picking a high goal, either. If you shoot for the sun and you hit the moon, at least you've achieved something. Without a goal, you're wasting your time."
He does offer a precautionary measure to go along with this advice, however, to those who may be beginner bodybuilders.
"Don't try to reach your goal in one day," he said. "Some people get discouraged if they don't see immediate results and walk away. Your body is going to go through changes and it may be a while before it begins accepting these changes. You have to remember to be patient."
Myers relies on two things to keep him coming to the gym and training hard.
"One is the saying, 'What you're not doing, your competition is,'" he said. "The other is to never settle for what you have because you can always push to do better."
There is only one person Myers credits with keeping him motivated and going strong. "This might sound strange, but my mentor is me - the man in the mirror," he said. "I know what I'm capable of doing and I want to get it from honest hard work. That way, if anybody ever asks me, 'How did you get this?' I can answer them with a clear conscience."