Interview With David Hardy
Competitor of the Month - December 2009
Interviewed by: Tammy Renee'
WP: David Hardy is our Competitor of the Month for December and this is such a well-deserved title for him! You should watch him compete and the determination this ripped dude has! It’s unbelievable. We feel he will soon be taking over the all-natural bodybuilding industry! He is a freakin’ beast and un-stoppable!
David is an all-natural sponsored athlete with LG Sciences whom grew up in the little town of Homer, Louisiana. He joined the Air Force when he was 18, fresh out of high school. He even spent 3 years of his life in the seclusion of Alaska and served in Afghanistan during that time, as well.
Most of you probably don’t understand what a “keto dieter competitor” is but, David understands very well. A “keto diet competitor” is a competitor whose diet consists of absolutely zero carbs, except for trace amounts. Everyone that has ever attempted a carb-free must understand how hard this is! We will be sharing his diet with you, our readers, in this interview. “It’s really hard when my favorite food is freakin’ fried chicken!” says David.
David, What has it been like to maintain your physique? Have you done anything different lately?
DH: Well, I don’t really stay in great shape year around, so I really have to work my ass off, no pun intended, to get into contest shape. For me, that means a ketogenic diet and lots of low intensity cardio. That is all gonna change, though. I’m gonna stay around 10-12 percent body fat this off-season and not blow up too much. I plan to eat moderate carbohydrates, and still cheating on the weekends. I am, also, going to keep some cardio in my training schedule.
WP: I saw your last competition at the '09 Kentucky Muscle. As a competitor, you did outstanding! Can you tell me more about competiting?
DH: Competing is something that is very hard to do. I hate the last week the most. It is the most stressful week of the entire prep. Once you get on stage, everything goes so fast, and you realize that you did all of that worrying for nothing! Once I am on stage, it’s like everything comes naturally to me and I am so relaxed and calm up there. After I get off the stage, I’ll get dressed and go take a look at the photos and see how I think I’ve done and then just enjoy the rest of the show. It is such an emotional relief once pre-judging is over with and you can breathe a little until the night show.
WP: Are you planning to compete again in the future?
DH: Yes, I am. I plan on getting my Pro-card in the NGA, and when I say that I’m going to do something, by God it will be done! However many shows it takes for me to get that pro card is what I’m going to do! I will not be stopping there. I will be putting that thing to good use once I get it and probably branch out into other natural organizations and see how I can do outside the NGA, as well. Who knows, three are a few local NPC shows here in my area during the summer months, and I might just hop up there and try my hand against the “big boys”.
WP: I believe you can do anything you set your mind to, David. What other sports or activities did or do you enjoy?
DH: I enjoy playing softball, but I think that I’m done with it now. It takes up a lot of time and my knees aren’t what they used to be, so I think it’s time to hang up the spikes and just focus on my future in bodybuilding. I also love college football and professional football to a lesser degree. I love my LSU Tigers and even though they are the most underachieving team in the NFL, I still stand by my Cowboys!
WP: Tell me about your family. In addition, are you married, single, or dating?
DH: I have one beautiful daughter named Danielle Marie that lives with her mother in Phoenix, Arizona. She is my pride and joy! She just turned 3 this past October; time goes by so fast. I can remember bringing her home from the hospital. I am currently dating an amazing woman out of Pittsburg, PA that is very supportive of everything that I do. She means the world to me and I couldn’t do this without her support.
WP: What have bodybuilding competitions taught you thus far?
DH: Bodybuilding competitions have taught me discipline! It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to prepare for competition in this sport. People don’t realize how much it really takes to look the way that we do and do it drug-free. I have also learned to take people for what they are and not what I want them to be.
WP: What was the hardest thing for you to overcome when you first started?
DH: When I first started training, I wanted to train all the time! I wound up hurting myself doing a lot of stupid shit in the gym; mainly reading the articles in the magazines and “wanting to out-do the Pros”. Ha-ha, those guys have been around training a long time and their bodies were able to accept that type of training, not to mention the assistance they get from their “supplements”.
WP: What was the hardest thing you had to deal with when it came to your diet?
DH: I am a keto dieter, so going absolutely zero carb, except for trace amounts, is really hard when my favorite food is freakin’ fried chicken!
WP: I have to admire you for going no carbs! I have to have my carbs! Ha-ha! What are the key factors that dictate the way you train today?
DH: I always train as heavy as I can with form that doesn’t jeopardize my body. I believe that you must train heavy as a natural athlete to really pack on size and I also believe that you must keep training heavy throughout your prep to maintain your mass and not just rep it away. I don’t believe that there is one certain form that is perfect for everyone, but if it is comfortable for that person and doesn’t risk injury, then that is their perfect form. I also believe in cheating to make sets harder. That is where a lot of people go wrong; they cheat to make things easier, but when you are cheating to make the set more challenging, then it is extremely beneficial.
"I also believe in cheating to make sets harder. That is where a lot of people go wrong; they cheat to make things easier, but when you are cheating to make the set more challenging, then it is extremely beneficial."
WP: How has your training changed over the years?
DH: I used to train with a lot of volume and now I use more of a HIT style. I don’t use a cookie cutter approach to my training, so some days if I want some volume, I get it in there. I usually like to train heavy at the beginning of the workout and then put in some volume at the end. It’s kind of a mix between FST-7 and HIT training.
WP: What titles/accomplishments have you thus far? Tell me about them.
DH: None; I am still waiting the day that my hand is raised as the winner! I have taken 2nd twice now and 5th once.
WP: Where do you see your career and life in 10 years from now?
DH: I will be a Natural Pro Bodybuilder at the tail end of a career with the Air Force. I will have a degree in nutrition and will be a Certified Personal Trainer. I will be geared up to start my “life after the military” as a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist.
WP: What supplements do you currently take?
DH: I currently take the products from LG Sciences. I really like the BC & EAA; Amino Acids are so important to the dieting bodybuilder. I take that particular product immediately when I wake up and during my workouts. I also use their protein, Lipotropic, as a meal replacement throughout the day when I can’t stop and eat solid food. The vanilla is my favorite and also makes a good coffee creamer! E-911 is another product of theirs that I basically live off of while dieting. There is no way that I would be able to get through the grueling cardio sessions without a boost, and this gives me just what I need. I also use their Speed V2 Fat Burner. I have used it for the past 5 weeks and had great results from it.
WP: What are your pet peeves?
DH: I hate people that are just plain stupid! I can’t stand when someone has no freakin’ common sense!
WP: Ha-ha! You don’t know how many times I say that exact same thing every day! What do you consider to be important in life and why?
DH: I think that it is very important for a person to never become stagnant with themselves. Everyone has a lot of great energy, but not all people use it to do great things. Set small goals for yourself to ensure that you do not become a stagnant person and you will continue to succeed in life. Once you have achieved an accomplishment, take a little break, then throw that energy into something else that is going to be beneficial to you and others surrounding you.
WP: Well said! How have you changed over the past few years when it comes to thinking, actions, and life in general?
DH: I have become a really deep thinker over the past year. I am also a lot more open minded than I used to be and have learned to accept people for who they are. I have learned from my mistakes in life, as well as the mistakes of others, and am not as hard-headed as I used to be. I have also come to realize that there is good in everyone; there is no possible way that a person can just be plain worthless. I still have quite a temper if the right buttons are pushed, but I am working on that one. We are all a work in progress and never really stop maturing, no matter how many candles we blow out on our birthday.
WP: What are your stats such as height, weight, biceps, and waist?
DH: I am 5’10.5”, so if a bodybuilder asks, I’m 5’10”, but if a regular Joe asks, I’m 5’11”. Ha-ha! Last off-season, I got up to 215, but I am not going to get that sloppy anymore. I don’t see myself getting any higher than 205 this off-season. I compete at around 180, give or take a few pounds. My biceps are right at 16” cold pre-contest, and I got them up to 17.25 this off-season. My waist is 29.75 right now just a couple of days out, but it swole up to 34.5 this past off-season. I am going to keep it in check this time around and not let it go over 33.
Enjoy this video of David Hardy
WP: Any shout outs?
DH: I would like to thank my Mom, Miriam, for always being very supportive of me in everything that I do. She also keeps me level headed when I start being ridiculous. Ha-ha! I am also thankful that my dad, Billy, whom is supportive of what I do. My brothers are some awesome kids too; Shawn graduates this year and Nathan is just now starting high school. My daughter, Danielle, is so sweet and I love her with all of my heart. Last and certainly not least, my girlfriend, Kristin, is such a wonderful person. She is so supportive of my bodybuilding goals and that really means a lot to me. I love her dearly.
WP: Sounds like you have a lot of love in your life! Give me an example of your workout.
DH: It varies from day-to-day, really. I listen to my body and do what it tells me it can handle. I typically do 2-4 exercises heavy with 2-4 working sets of 4-6 reps and then get a little volume in there as well. Sorry, nothing too exciting, but my intensity is always high.
WP: Give me an example of your diet. What do you normally eat each day?
DH: Here was a typical day of keto dieting; leading into my last show:
1- 2 whole eggs, 8 whites, 1tsp. cod liver oil, 2 g. fish oil.
41.5P,17F
2- 5 oz. chicken breast, 1 oz. nuts.
50.5P,19F,3C
3- 6 oz. tuna, 2 tbsp. EVOO mayo, 1tbsp. sugar free relish, 1tsp. cod liver oil.
42.5P,16F,1C
4- 1.5 Scoop WPI, 1 tbsp. EVOO, 3 g. fish oil.
40.5P,17F
5-1.5 Scoop WPI, 1tbsp. EVOO, 3 g. fish oil.
40.5P,17F
6- 5.5 oz. Salmon, 1 tbsp. EVOO, salad.
39.5P,21.5F,5C
WP: What has been your stepping stone to get where you are today?
DH: Having very supportive people in my life has helped me out a lot. My mother has always been there for me and supported me in everything that I do and that helps so much.
WP: Where do you reside now?
DH: I currently live in North Charleston, South Carolina.
WP: Is there anything I have forgotten to mention that you would like to bring to light?
DH: I would just like to thank my sponsor, LG Sciences once again for all of their support!
WP: Thank you David. It has been a pleasure interviewing you! I wish you all the best of luck!
