Interview with Musclemania® Pro Kwame Duah
First off Kwame, thanks for taking the time to share your inspirational journey with Natural Bodz Readers and congratulations on your success at the 2014 Musclemania Australia where you took out the Heavyweight Class and gained Pro status by winning the Overall title.
How did it feel to crack that number 1 spot at the Musclemania® Australia and to become the youngest athlete to gain the prestigious Musclemania® Pro Status?
It was an amazing feeling to win the prestigious Pro card at the Musclemania® Australia Competition. I think what made it even better was the fact that that it was unexpected and was up against some quality athletes. Also the feeling that my hard work has presented me with the bonus of a Pro card.
You have made some incredible changes to your physique in both size and conditioning since your win at the Musclemania® Worlds in the Junior class. Can you provide a brief overview of some of the changes you have made that you feel have been the main contributors to your transformation between 2013 to 2014?
One of the main this I did was focus on my weak points to make my Physique overall look more aesthetic. My back width was one point of weakness. I did a lot of research and wrote up a program to stick to involving a high load of chin up but focusing mainly on form and contraction. As simple as chin ups are they can be done incorrectly and can draw more focus to other body parts if not performed properly. To maintain decent conditioning, I preferred to stay leaner in my off season and not going overboard while I hit caloric surplus in my diet.
Bodybuilding is a continual journey of achievements and it goes without saying as athletes we are never 100% happy and always want to improve as this is what keeps the passion strong. What areas do you feel you need to focus on to take your physique to new dimension in the near future?
I think my calves are a body part that has not been given too much attention and is an area to work on. I will also be focusing on bringing out my rear delts and arms to create a more balanced physique.
Everyone has idols they look up to in the industry. Who do you gain some of your inspiration from and who are your favorite bodybuilders of all time?
I have always been inspired by people that are in a worse position than I am but find the will to achieve what I cannot achieve. I have always loved the old school classic Physiques. Frank Zane is one athlete I admired for his posing to present an aesthetic physique. However, bodybuilders that work hard like Arnold have been a great inspiration to push harder to achieve my goals.
I believe you are one of the new leagues of Aesthetic bodybuilders that are gaining major exposure in the industry. Do you believe that this move towards aesthetics is because the current crop of Pro bodybuilders are getting too big and losing the true essence of what bodybuilding is truly about…an art form?
I highly believe bodybuilding is an art. Through this art we are sculpting our physique into something aesthetically pleasing and balanced. I believe the main reason people are losing track is due to failing to work on weaknesses and loosing balance in their physiques.
Let’s talk a little about your contest prep including training and diet. I recall in past conversations your approach is somewhat unconventional in regards your diet. You often have your oats at night time instead of the regular morning consumption and the theory that the carbs end up getting stored as fat if ingested too late in the evening. Can you elaborate further on your theory and reasoning behind this?
The process is called carbohydrates back loading. The reasoning behind this is to keep the muscles from going catabolic and also promote a better sleep cycle and aid with recovery. With Carbohydrate back loading I usually have oats. The reasoning behind this is that, oats is a low GI food that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. The insoluble part is not digested and the soluble part slows down the absorption of
glucose in the body.
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Contact or Follow Kwame’s Journey:
Facebook.com/kwameduah
Instagram: @kwameduah
Official Musclemania AU Website: www.musclemaniaaustralia.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/musclemaniaau