Leo was first referred to me by an accomplished bodybuilder he had spoken with at the gym. At our first meeting, he told me that he felt as though his body was on a plateau, and that he would like to break through and get to the next level, perhaps to the level of  the bodybuilder he had talked with.

My assessment of him was that he had tremendous potential. After a thorough  investigation of his eating habits, training routine, and goals, we developed a plan.
The first part of the plan was to demystify his diet. His prior belief was that he had a slow metabolism, because others around him seemed to be able to eat more and keep their muscle definition. I developed an eating plan to begin the process, and over a period of time we continued to evolve it by methodically increasing calories and  adding foods that he enjoyed in appropriate amounts.

Throughout this process, his body began to evolve, becoming more and more defined. The cornerstone was his own acknowledgement of his metabolism, which was capable of burning a greater variety of calories than he had previously thought.

He was very diligent about learning, by keeping a food journal and applying all the recommendations, which made the "diet de-mystifying" process successful. The result of his growing knowledge was the creation of a truly impressive physique, and the unleashing of the potential I saw at our first meeting.

The next part in the power of "knowing thy self"  was the acknowledgement of  the dream. Like many people, Leo had a dream. One that he would get to when he felt ready, but for many the courage to say "I'm ready" never comes. For Leo it became apparent that the dream would only ever be a dream, unless he went to the next level.

I knew he could do it and that it would further develop his confidence, so I encouraged it. Courageously, he decided to push himself to the next level, and sent in the forms for an upcoming contest. The decision turned out to be a valuable stepping stone, for the outcome brought triumph and wisdom. His physique developed masterfully in response to his nutrition and training.

On the contest day he performed his routine with grace and perfection, and with each minute that he was on stage his confidence shone brighter. When it was all done he had earned a place in the Top 3. As he received his award and looked out from the stage, I thought what a wonderful thing to be a part of. I could see that his dream was now real, his potential unleashed, and that an excellent bodybuilder was born.

A great deal was learned from that contest about preparation, training and performance. Since then Leo and I have continued to work together, and his impressive physical developments have even caught the attention of magazine photographers. The future holds many victories for this dedicated and tremendously talented athlete.

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