There are many important bodybuilding contests that have great significance. Examples include the Olympia (obviously), the Arnold Classic, and pro qualifiers such as the USA Championships and NPC Nationals. One contest that delivered this year’s special moment is the 2021 NPC Armed Forces National Championships.
The 2021 edition of this NPC show took place at Virginia’s Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. The contest is only open to active and retired members of the US Armed Forces as well as their direct family members. Promoter Tony Roberts has a deep connection to this show — not only because he is at the helm, but he was once a competitor in this show himself.
“I served in the military for 20 years. I started bodybuilding when I was in the Army,” Roberts said. “I can relate to doing the active military career and trying to diet, train, and still satisfy your military obligations. It’s a balancing act. So, for me this is like full circle. I used to compete on that stage, I did the Armed Forces Championships, and now I’m the promoter. This is great.”
Roberts, along with longtime NPC promoter Gary Udit, made it a priority to show recognition and appreciation for everyone in the building that has connections to the Armed Forces. The show is kicked off with the National Anthem and a presentation of colors by members of the U.S. Color Guard. Every competitor received a Challenge Coin onstage from Roberts, delivered in the time-honored tradition method — a handshake with the coin in the presenter’s hand.
Two special awards were also presented onstage during the show. The Honorable Rob Wilkins was recognized for his service both in the military and in fitness. Aside from his 26 years as a member of the U.S. Air Force, he’s also a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Another special guest that was honored was US Navy Seal and NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy, who is the star of the Disney Plus show “Among the Stars.” He was recognized for his commitment on both fronts. Even the announcer, Tim Wilkins (no relation to Rob), had multiple connections to this show. He is a retired Marine, competitor himself, and father to one of the competitors, Kami Wilkins in the Bikini division.
In between prejudging and finals of the contest, the crowd was treated to a performance by the guest poser, US Army member and 2017 Arnold Classic Champion Cedric McMillan. McMillan also addressed the crowd showing appreciation for those in service as well as their families for their support.
Get your week started the right way with Chris Kellum’s brutal workout.
While the events during the show exemplify the significance of service to country, the featured attraction is the athletes themselves. If you were to see them backstage, there was no conflict, standing off, or intense debates about disagreements. Competitors were helping each other with tanning and oil, sharing equipment for pumping up, even offering phone chargers so their cell phones were available for videos and pictures. All of the competitors in every division were supporting each other in victory and defeat as well. This wasn’t simply another contest on the schedule to them, they presented the best of themselves to the judges and audience watching live and on the webstream.
Competitors of the 2021 NPC Armed Forces National Championship who graced the stage took part in Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Women’s Bodybuilding, Women’s Physique, Figure, Bikini, and Wellness. Some competitors took part in multiple shows. The winners are listed below. All champions will move on to the 2021 NPC Nationals for their opportunities to earn their IFBB Pro League cards.
The 2022 NPC Armed Forces Nationals will take place on the weekend of November 18th and 19th, and from all accounts, fans that were there will return next year. For those that have yet to be a part of the NPC Armed Forces National Championships, it’s a special one that should be added to the bodybuilding calendar. Aside from supporting athletes, fans are supporting those that have given so much to their country and the people living in it. As Roberts explained, just being in attendance is a sign of support that everyone involved would appreciate.
“We know what the family members have to do to support them, and sometimes they don’t get their just due. For us to shine the light on the athletes themselves, they deserve that. My thing is (attending the show) is a small price to pay for the men and women who have given so much to this country.”
Fans of professional bodybuilding may know Roy Evans as a Men’s Open competitor now, but before he took to the competition stage, he worked behind the scenes in the Navy in multiple roles, but most notably as a member of the intelligence community.
When asked about a special moment or highlight of his time in the military, he acknowledged that the service itself is what he would call the best part of his career.
“I was able to support counterterrorism operations and also counter-insurgency operations around the world supporting the rest of the Armed Forces,” Evans said. “That was, I would say, the pinnacle of my service.”
Evans worked in a field of service that isn’t discussed very much for obvious reasons. He does share some insight on what his objectives were, and the work he did was very important when it comes to the protection of the United States. In some cases, it could be the difference between life and death.
“Our job was to stop war from happening,” Evans explained. “If we have current combat going on, our jobs are to mitigate and save as many lives as we possibly can. We perform them in a tactical manner so that they are in the best interest of our national security and foreign policy objectives.”
Evans himself is a third-generation serviceman. He spoke about his predecessors’ service proudly.
“My dad served in the United States Coast Guard, my uncle served in the United States Army, and my granddad served in the United States Army during World War II,” Evans explained. He also has cousins that serve in the Armed Forces as well. He doesn’t have any children yet, but if he has them in the future, he will leave the decision to serve up to them.
“It’s possible, but it would have to be what my son or daughter want to do. It’s definitely a calling.”
That calling is something that Evans takes very seriously. Like many veterans like him, he feels it’s the ultimate commitment that anyone can make.
“I’m going to tell you the truth about service and what comes with it. You sign a blank check to the government in service of our country. Many of my brothers and sisters in service paid the ultimate toll and gave their lives,” he shared. While Evans’ price wasn’t the ultimate one, he definitely gave a lot and feels the effects of it to this day. “I, myself, am a 100% disabled veteran. I have wounds that are seen, and some that are unseen.”
Start sculpting your best physique with tips from legendary bodybuilder Ric Drasin.
Roy Evans served for three years and his career concluded with an E-5 ranking. Among the honors he received included the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. After his service concluded, he shifted his focus to bodybuilding. He had started training at age 13, and eventually competed in 2001, but put that passion on hold until 2014. He kept training, but it was with a different focus.
“I was in the gym, but it wasn’t with the focus of training for a traditional bodybuilding show,” he explained. It was after a mission in Afghanistan that he decided that the time to go all in on bodybuilding had arrived. Seeing people lose their lives and knowing talents were sacrificed was the factor he credits for him making the switch.
“Something snapped in me, and I said, ‘Before I die, I want to make sure I play everything to the bone. I’m going to achieve as much stuff as I want to achieve, and live a quality life.’ When I’m dead, I don’t want to have any regrets.”
Roy Evans returned to the stage in 2014 and worked his way up the amateur ranks. Three years later, he would stand onstage at the 2017 NPC Junior Nationals and earn his pro card as a Classic Physique competitor. In 2021, he transitioned to Open Bodybuilding, and he held nothing back when explaining his reasons why he changed divisions. In his eyes, there is one title that matters the most, and it’s the biggest in the sport.
“I’m very old-school with bodybuilding. When I had first started competing in the very beginning, it was just the Open for the men,” he shared. “My whole thing with turning pro is that I want to compete for the Sandow [Trophy]. I want to be Mr. Olympia.”
Evans’ last contest was the 2021 New York Pro, where he finished in ninth place. He doesn’t plan to compete again until late 2022, but considering the commitments he had fulfilled so far, and the lengths he’s had to go to get where he is today. Counting him out wouldn’t be a wise move.
“Mr. Olympia is the king of kings. That’s the best bodybuilder on the planet, and I want that title.”
Put yourself through the paces of this physically demanding workout.
NFL broadcasting icon Erin Andrews has learned that staying fit and healthy means always being able to make adaptations in the short-term in order to keep those long-term goals in check. At age 43, the sportscaster and television personality has managed to stay in shape despite the pressures of a hectic travel schedule, the stresses of covering live football games, and a multitude of other business interests that threaten to sap her work out time on any given day.
M&F Hers sat down with the popular Fox Sports lead sideline reporter to find out how she stays motivated to keep fit. We learned that staying healthy is all about being passionate, taking good care of yourself, and finding individual balance.
When figuring out the kind of athlete we want to be, or the physique that we would like to achieve, it’s always a good idea to observe those that are already crushing it. “I work in football, right?” says Andrews. “So, I look at a lot of these guys, that I cover, and having a front row seat to the best and fastest and talented athletes out there, and how they take care of their bodies, the way they train, what they eat. I’m 43, and watching a 44-year-old Tom Brady kinda shock everybody week in and week out… that really motivates me.”
Erin Andrews earned the nation’s admiration for her competitive spirit in 2010, when she placed third on “Dancing with the Stars.” It meant showing the public a side to herself that had not previously been seen while also requiring her to push the boundaries of her physical limits. “It was one of the toughest things that I have ever done,” says Andrews. “Like, I work out all the time, I can do cardio, I grew up as a dancer but first of all; ballroom training is completely different from any sort of tap, ballet, or jazz that I had ever taken … and I have horrific posture as it is. You gotta tuck your bum in and be really close and sensuous with your partner when I’m like the biggest goofball ever. It was phenomenal. I thought it was so great.”
Not only did Andrews enjoy the process of challenging herself, but she gained muscle and lost approximately 15 pounds of body fat.
In January, 2017, the popular presenter announced that she had previously been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Fortunately, the disease had been found during a regular check-up, but the road to recovery involved two surgeries. These days, Andrews works with companies such as Hologic to encourage more women to see a doctor on a regular basis.
“I knew, when I announced that I’d had it, that it would be a big story,” says Andrews. “What I didn’t realize was the data that came with it, how many women are affected by cancer, how many women don’t go to the doctor. When I did come out, and unveil that I’d had treatment for it, surgeries and so forth, there were so many women that said to me ‘oh my gosh, I’m so glad that you said something, because now I need to go make an appointment with my doctor’, and that’s crazy to me because I go every single year and we still found it, so all of that was very, very shocking to me.”
Erin Andrews has learned to accept that each day is unpredictable and that life will often find ways to tempt us into missing a workout or making a less healthy food choice. But she also recognizes that it’s ok to accept this, as long as we try to make the best out of even the most hectic of schedules.
“I definitely try to work out every single day,” says Erin. “I know that there are going to be days where I’m not physically or mentally able to do that, but if I have one day that I can’t get it in, then I’m like, ‘OK.’ It’s really hard when you are running around with work, and you have 20 minutes in an airport and you haven’t eaten anything for the last seven to eight hours. It’s really hard when there’s a salad or a burger. Sometimes you go for the burger, but that’s why; when I’m at home, or on the road, if there’s a green juice offered in the hotel, I’ll have it. I try to have a ton of water. I just try to be really smart because I know that there are going to be times where I’m not able to be [as healthy] as I want to be.”
For Erin Andrews, cutting the unprocessed carbs and eating more veggies, along with eating lean protein is a sure-fire way to drop fat, but she has no desire to look too skinny and she also admits that fasting just isn’t for her. “I gotta be honest, when I don’t eat, everybody around me knows about it, and that’s not good,” laughs Andrews. “My biggest thing is portion control. I do love to eat. I’m married to somebody [Jarret Stol] who loves to eat. We’ll order 15 appetizers. I’ve always been a ‘guys girl’ in that sense. I love a beer; I love enjoying, the whole [social] experience, but it’s moderation that I know I need to be good at. Do I need that roll with my dinner? No! Can I cut out the mash potatoes and the fries? Yes! It’s just trying to be really smart with it.”
“I used to be really big into going to bootcamp or taking a Pilates class, but it’s really hard now, with my schedule and also the pandemic. So, I’m grateful for all the stuff I can do at my house,” says Andrews, who is a keen Peloton enthusiast. “I’m obsessed, and this is not an ad! It’s something that has become a huge part of my workout routine. I love it so much. I find their music to be fantastic, I find the trainers to be wonderful, and it really does push you the way you need it. Whether it’s 20-minutes, or an hour that you have [free]. And, what works out for me so well is their app. I can go down to a hotel treadmill, or I can use it and go outdoor running or walking. There’s strength training, they have all these awesome things. I use their meditation app to calm down at night,” she continues. “I also follow Melissa Wood, and she does this kind of ‘Pilates yoga’ as well. Some days, when I don’t want rigorous training, or anything like that, I’ll (workout) to her. I also have a Tonal, and I really like that when I’m home, because I feel like it allows me to lift the heavier weights that I don’t really do with free weights. So, I’m kinda somebody that has my hands on all these different workout apps.”
For Andrews, her WEAR clothing line has been a great way to combine a love of sports and fashion, creating official team apparel that can be worn outside of the game. The concept has grown form strength-to-strength, and her WEAR by Erin Andrews range is now launching its first ever collection for the National Hockey League, joining existing lines such as the NFL, NBA and select NCAA schools. “We wanted it to be something that you could wear and cheer for your team anywhere and everywhere,” says Andrews. “And not just the day of the game or the match. I have a wonderful creative design team and a stylist that actually dresses me for football games and she creates the gear that we wear. I’m very hands-on with it, and the design, and creating the looks.”
There’s an old saying that suggests that if you find a job that you love, you’ll never work a day in your life, but some would say this oversimplifies things, because you can still work hard at the things you love, but perhaps with a lot more passion!
The “DWTS” winner is a fitness fanatic and is hands-on with her workout app.
Personal trainer and Army veteran Erik Bartell’s training style blends high-intensity with full-body functional strength and conditioning. If you haven’t tried one of his Live Classes each Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the M&F Instagram page, you’ll understand what he means after completing this full-body punisher.
“Remember that even if you do everything right, you’re not always going to come to every workout feeling like you’re in the best shape of your life,” he says. “So give yourself grace.” You can find more of Bartell’s training programs at www.erikbartell.com.
Warmup: Perform steady state cardio (run, row, etc.) for 3 min.
Priming:
Conditioning:
Strength Training: (Rest 2 min. between sets)
Finisher:
Sled Push:
Parallette Pushups:
One-Arm Kettlebell Swing
Tornado Ball Seated Chop
Sandbag Sprawl to Squat:
Trap-Bar Deadlift
A foundational program that emphasizes recovery and durability.
In 2015, Erik Bartell spent five months deployed in Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne. Bartell, then 24, was tasked with leading a platoon of 30 soldiers to “serve as Theater Response Force, or security and assistance to the Special Forces teams.”
Being thousands of miles from home in a high-stress environment has been known to take a physical and mental toll on anyone, well-trained soldiers included. However, Bartell was uniquely situated to remain steady in the face of adversity after a turbulent upbringing in Chicago.
Erik Bartell was raised by a single mother on the Windy City’s north side. “Growing up, we were homeless for about three years,” he says. “We stayed in homeless shelters. So the family dynamic wasn’t great.”
Youth sports became a welcomed distraction that helped him develop an impressive drive to succeed. “My goal was to be the hardest worker on the field or court, even if I wasn’t the most talented,” he says.
That relentless work ethic made an impression on his coaches and principal. So much so that they pulled strings to help raise his profile at a highly competitive selective enrollment institution in the city.
“My admissions test scores alone weren’t high enough to get into Lane Tech College Prep High School,” Bartell admits. “But I had good grades, and with their help, I got accepted. It was a turning point.”
Life at home remained tense. To stay grounded, he continued to prioritize athletics. “I wrestled, played basketball, football — whatever I could. Participating in a sport was the difference between getting home at 3 p.m. or 7 p.m.,” he says. However, for the next four years, he also prioritized his academic performance.
It paid off to the tune of a hefty scholarship to DePaul University in Chicago, and he became the first in his family to attend college.
However, college life wasn’t what he anticipated. Many other students, it seemed, were more interested in parties than their studies. “I felt like I didn’t fit in, like my values and beliefs were just different,” he says.
He considered dropping out to join the police force, but he didn’t meet the minimum age requirement. “So, the next best thing, I thought, was the Army,” he adds.
His mom stepped in and put her foot down, insisting he finish college. That summer, Bartell attended basic training. When he returned to school, he was contracted into DePaul’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.
“Everyone in there was like-minded and super driven as far as fitness and team. I knew this was my tribe,” he explains.
After graduating with a degree in psychology in 2013, Bartell reported for duty at Georgia’s Fort Benning for infantry training. A year later, he was called to Fort Campbell to join the 101st. Then came his deployment. After returning home, he spent another year with his platoon before a torn meniscus left him with a choice: reclass out of the infantry or exit the service. He chose the latter.
To stay in touch with the military community, Erik Bartell leaned on social media. “I had 30 or so guys in my unit following me looking for workouts,” he explains. “Then that 30 turned into 60, and then hundreds.”
Now @realerikbartell has upwards of 150,000 followers. Bartell’s expanding social reach and robust network of military veterans led him to FitOps Foundation nonprofit that helps veterans find careers in fitness. He got a training certification and joined their team to help train other vets. That led to consultant work with the sports-nutrition company Performix, and, later, as a major contributor to getting Spartan Race’s DekaFit — the Decathlon of functional fitness — off the ground.
Most recently, Erik Bartell became a founding member and vice president of community for the startup Bravo Sierra, a men’s grooming company that dedicates five percent of its sales to the military. As part of his job is to oversee the strategy and growth of the company’s social media platforms, to do that, unsurprisingly, he’s focused on helping others gain recognition in the industry.
“I know a lot of trainers or influencers say this, but not all of them mean it: My goal in fitness is to help as many people as possible,” he says. “Fitness is my passion. So the biggest thing I can do to feel successful within the fitness world is to help more people.”
Trainer Erik Bartell has a challenging half-hour in store for you.
Whether it’s because of those timeless motivational training montages or banging gym playlists, fans of the “Rocky” movie franchise have always had a great deal to be thankful for. But when the film’s writer, director, and star, Sylvester Stallone, announced a re-cut of “Rocky IV” in widescreen, and in 4K, complete with never-before released scenes from the ‘80s fight classic, those fans were punching the air once again.
The tale of a boxing underdog given a million-to-one shot at the world heavyweight championship has always resonated with those that feel anything is truly possible if we just work hard enough to achieve it. And, while the “Rocky” movies served us all with incredible escapism and adrenaline fueled excitement, there were a number of times when the in-ring action became all too real on set.
As we look forward to Rocky IV: The Ultimate Director’s Cut premiering in selected theaters on Nov, 11, before it is then released via Amazon Prime Video a day later (some 35 years after its original outing) M&F goes back in time to remember those wild punches and gigantic egos that may have clashed just a little too hard.
Binge watch one of the greatest boxing movie franchises ever to be created.
Thanks to her show-stopping performances, Brooke Burke wowed the nation when she took home the Mirrorball Trophy in 2008, winning Season 7 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Now, at age 50, Burke is looking better than ever and in a chat with Muscle & Fitness Hers, the television personality and fitness coach shares an exclusive booty workout along with the lifestyle choices that keep her looking so great.
“Back in the day, I did many, many Weider covers,” reminisces Burke, who spent a great deal of time in Golds Gym on Venice Beach. “I won’t even tell ya, it’s gotta be 30 years ago, but I’ve a lot of history, and a lot of gratitude.”
In the early days of her career, after studying broadcast journalism, Burke set television screens alight, landing presenter duties on shows such as “Wild On!” and CBS’s “Rock Star,” but her exceptional physical abilities came to the forefront when Burke was able to combine dance and a flare for gymnastics on “DWTS.”
Still, despite acing the judges’ score cards, this perfectionist, knowing what she knows now, would like to take her experience and do it all over again. “It’s so terrifying while you are in it,” says Burke. “And it’s such a grind. I wasn’t a dancer, so just retaining the choreography and dealing with the pressure of that live audience… I wish I could go back and do it again! I always have that one vision of doing that one dance again with Derek [Hough].”
Following her stunning dance victory, Brooke Burke was in awe of the core strength shown by the dancers, and with digital fitness beginning to evolve on social media and on other platforms, the fitness model developed “Brooke Burke Body,” one of the first apps to offer fitness challenges and guides for exercises that can be done at home. “I’ve always been into fitness, I’ve had several DVD deals, but now on a smart television, and on our phones, to be able to train with people and connect, was something that was really important to me,” she says. “I’ve trained with some of the best of the best and I know now, how to train my body in less time and do it more efficiently.”
These days, online fitness training has become a full-time gig for Burke, who says that she loves being given the opportunity to inspire people and help them on their journeys toward a healthier lifestyle. A great deal of work goes into the Brooke Burke Body app, and the workouts aren’t cobbled together on an iPhone. Instead, her content is stunningly produced. “I choreograph everything, and it’s really coming from two decades of experience,” says Burke. “It’s figuring out the body, and how to target-tone to sort of sculpt and lift, and build the right muscles. And, how to hit all those trouble areas. Quite honestly, it just doesn’t happen running on the treadmill or a StairMaster or the bike … having a yoga mat, and some light hand weights, and understanding compound moves and how to get your heart rate up and to create a burn is really what these workouts are designed for.”
Burke says that pushing through the burn is important for making positive changes to the body, sharing that there are no quick fixes when it comes to fitness. “It’s a lifestyle, and it’s a commitment” she says. “I like the sense of accomplishment that I get mentally, from doing those things for myself.” Looking fab at 50, Burke is a huge advocate of Tru Niagen, a Nicotinamide Riboside supplement that has been shown to aid cellular health, vital for helping us with training, recovery, and the aging process. She’s says it’s been beneficial in a host of ways, including raising her energy levels, rate of recovery, sleep patterns, even improving her skin condition. “Anti-aging is a really common question that comes up for me,” shares Burke. “I wish there was a secret tip but I do a lot of different things … I will go on a limb and say that if there is one supplement that we should all be taking, it is Tru Niagen.”
Burke, who is currently recovering from ACL surgery, is aware that people will come to her workouts with different health conditions, and so one size will not fit all. For that reason, her workouts differ in length, and intensity. “I think we need to wrap our head around the fact that doing something is better than doing nothing,” she says.
Brooke Burke has provided Muscle & Fitness Hers readers with an exclusive booty workout that is part of the Brooke Burke Body app subscription. Get your free trial here!
All of her workouts are designed with the pause button in mind, so those that are not quite ready for the full workout can build-up in stages, completing as much as they are comfortable with. “Maybe you will get through 30-seconds, and then maybe the next week you are able to do a minute,” says Burke. “I like to tell people to start small, in order to take out the intimidation factor and the fear, because that’s why a lot of people aren’t working out.” Burke also points out that she does the full workout alongside her viewers, coaching them through the whole thing, unlike many trainers that will only demonstrate a few reps and leave their students to do the rest. “If I’m on an off-day and I fall out of balance, I don’t edit that out,” she says. “It’s perfectly imperfect. I wanna keep it real because I want people to know that every day is different.”
Many bodybuilding fans know David Henry as the 2008 Olympia 202 champion who also served in the Air Force. His fellow airmen and superiors stood alongside him in action every day serving his country, and they were aware that he was jacked like an O winner. It takes someone who is very familiar with the commitments that come with both endeavors to really appreciate how impressive Henry’s achievements truly are; both in service and on the stage.
“I was the only one for about 10 years doing what I did at my level, period,” Henry emphasized. “This wasn’t the same as those who served on weekends, as respectable as that is. I was up every morning at 4:30 in the morning to be at a 6 a.m. meeting, and then work until 4 in the afternoon, go the gym, juggle all of that with a family, and try to do a full bodybuilding career. It just isn’t on the same level.”
What the fans saw were images of David Henry in uniform along with videos of him training and competing on the biggest stage in the IFBB Pro League. If one were to take a deep dive into his everyday activities, it isn’t nearly as glamorous as he would make his trademark poses look.
“I did my job at or above expectations. When I went to compete, I didn’t leave anything for someone else to do. They didn’t have any reason to call me. They had no reason to think that I was leaving anything behind that was unfinished,” he said. He also made extra compromises during work to stay on track during prep or the offseason.
“I always had my meals with me. I would have a Tupperware container inside of my jacket, and I would pull it out and eat. If I was driving a truck that day, I’d have a chicken breast in one hand and the steering wheel in the other expediting my people. That was just how it worked. And this was all before sunshades were available. So, I was doing all of this in 100-degree heat sometimes.”
Sometimes Henry’s commitment to bodybuilding would be concerning to some of his Air Force supervisors. Thanks to supportive staff members and a record of finishing what he started, the people who he worked under came around.
“I’m going to say that my command staff was fantastic along my journey. My supervisors tried to get in the way, but when they saw what I was doing and the effort that I was putting forth at work, they shut down,” Henry explained.
While serving his country, Henry would reach a rank of master sergeant before retiring in August of 2014. He credits this position as his greatest achievement in his career.
“I wanted to rank ahead of my time in service before I retired. My whole thing was getting to master sergeant well before it was time to retire,” Henry said. “I did it, man. I hit all ranks first time out, master sergeant took me some time to make, but I made it at my 16-year mark. That was a big personal achievement for me.”
Another cornerstone of Henry’s life that helped him succeed in both careers was his family. Having loved ones who were behind him meant a great deal to him every day.
“They were 100% supportive. The military took me away from them anyway. Bodybuilding didn’t do too much when it comes to taking me away from them,” he said. “I actually competed two or three times a year, but people always made it out like I was gone much more than that. When it came to David Henry the bodybuilder, I was the one eating the food and training. My wife (Nicki Henry) and I met in the industry, so she understood the path I was taking. She had my meals ready for me after my eight-to-ten-hour shifts, which is more than I can say for many people.”
As a veteran, David Henry is thanked for his service by people he knows as well as those that see him for the first time. This likely happens with more frequency around Veterans Day. He would like to see people learn more about the significance of the day and the importance it has to those that have honorably fulfilled their commitment to the nation.
“For most people, it’s one of those misconstrued things because it isn’t a holiday. It’s a day to honor those foreign and domestic that have served. People sometimes mistake it for Memorial Day, which can sometimes be frustrating. I get it, people are trying to pay their respects and be genuine, but they should take this day to celebrate those who are still here,” Henry said. “By definition, it’s to honor those that have completed military service and were honorably discharged, which only three percent of the US population will ever do. Not those that were dishonorably discharged, either.”
As for the bodybuilding side of Henry’s life, he is working as a coach and is currently preparing to compete in the Toronto Pro this coming December. He is now retired from service, but it will still be a while before he calls it a bodybuilding career.
These guys were stronger than they looked—and that’s really saying something.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
French
German
Italian
Spanish