Greg Kovacs

Greg Kovacs' Years at Muscletech- Part 2!


Last week, I told the story of how I met Paul Gardiner, the owner and creator of Muscletech. This week I want to finish up the story because it only gets better. So, let's start off this tale with the end of the 96 Arnold Weekend.

Once my wife, Paul, his buddies, and I made it back safe and sound from Columbus, I set my focus on my run for the Canadian Nationals. Paul, on the other hand, went back to work on developing his supplement line. It was 6 months until the show and I had already started dieting strictly. I was extremely motivated to prove to myself and the world that I wasn't all hype. By that point, I had appeared in Musclemag numerous times and was being associated with Muscletech products so I didn't want to let Paul or myself down and appear onstage at anything less than my best. Paul was very supportive during this process and regularly checked in on me. I would pose, routinely, during my prep for him. Bob Kennedy and Gino Edwards (Johnny Fitness) even took a look at me a few times to make sure I was on track. Little did I know at the time but Paul was banking heavily on the hopes I would come through at my show and earn my IFBB Pro Card. More on this later.

Well as u all know, I peaked for the first and consequently only time in my career at the Canadian Nationals and won in convincing fashion. After the show, I flew to California to do a few photoshoots with Weider and Musclemag. What an exciting time. My first photo shoot was with Chris Lund from FLEX magazine. He worked my butt off but it was a great photoshoot. He told me Ii was the first bodybuilder to ever use the 200 pound dumbbells in contest shape for dumbbell presses. In fact he was so impressed with me that he called Joe Welder from the gym and told him about me and set up a meeting for me to see Joe at his Woodland Hills offices. More on this later.

The rest of the week I did photoshoots for Muscle Mag. I also did a lot of product shots with the Muscletech line so I knew Paul was up to something. He still never mentioned signing me to a contract though. After my photoshoots I stopped by MET-RX headquarters. At the time they wanted to meet with me. It was there that I was offered my first contract. Nothing detailed but the talks were starting and I even met with Dr. Scott Connelly. They were definitely showing some interest.


The next day was very exciting for me. I was gonna get to meet the legendary Joe Weider. I met Joe, for the first time, in his office and we chatted for a long time. He was very impressed with me and he had me pose for him in his office. Right there and then he offered me a contract and wanted me to be part of the Weider team. At that time Weider was the only game in town as far as contracts went. Met-Rx had a few athletes but Weider had the monopoly on all the big names so being offered a contract right after earning my pro card was a huge honor. We discussed salary and the contract was supposed to be drawn up and signed following the Mr. Olympia contest. He even wanted to give me an invite to do the Olympia since I was already in shape and it was only a few months away. Like I said, everything was happening very quickly.

When Ii got back to my hotel I put a call into Paul to let him know what was going on. Remember, Paul had yet to offer me a contract, officially. The truth was, I really wasn't expecting one. But once I told him what had just transpired at the Weider offices, he made me with an offer and seemed adamant on making sure I signed with him. Remember, I had already done all those photos with Muscletech products. Paul was planning an entire campaign around my turning pro and was ready to take it to the next level. The timing was perfect for him to use me as the face of Muscletech and I think hearing that others were interested in me caused him to panic a bit. He told me I was the only athlete he wanted and he knew that with my face representing his line, it would succeed. I'm sure all of you remember all the ads plastered all over the magazines with my images .

Well, after thinking about it and weighing out my options, I decided to sign with Muscletech. It was a hard decision at the time because I had already made a verbal deal with Joe Weider. I was taking a risk, at the time, signing with Muscletech. They were just starting out and no one really had heard of them yet. I was, actually, advised by a few people in the industry that Weider was definitely the way to go and that signing with an unknown company would be a huge, unnecessary, risk. I just felt loyal to Paul and believed in his concept and felt that I would be the only face of the company; whereas, with Weider I would be one of many. Plus, I was friends with Paul and felt that I would be, essentially, turning on him after all his friendship and support. Needless to say, Joe was very disappointed and he told me I was making a mistake, but, ultimately, he respected my choice. Joe, actually, had never even heard of Muscletech at the time. It's was really funny that no matter who I told in California that I was signing with Muscletech, no one had a clue as to what I was talking about. Oh how things can changed!

Once i returned from California, I officially, signed with Paul, and shortly after that we launched the official Kovacs/Muscletech joint effort at the 96 Olympia in Chicago. This time it was a lot different than what transpired at the Arnold earlier that year. We had a big booth with a huge poster of me stating: "Greg Kovacs...Newest IFBB PRO" We were the busiest booth at the expo with lines of people waiting to meet me and ask about these new supplements i was using to get so huge and freaky. After that, things kept building . . .all the magazine coverage and Muscletech ads made me a household name. And I kept growing. I spent the next years travelling and promoting Muscletech all over the world. They were exciting times. Incidentally, in those years, as the company grew, I saw and spoke to Paul less and less. In hindsight, that probably wasn't a good sign. I think it's hard when you're friends and there's also business involved.



I received a call from a Muscletech representative in the late summer of 2001. I will never forget this moment as it was one of the worst moments in my bodybuilding career. This representative told me that Muscletech would not be renewing my contract. He said it very matter of factly and with no real explanation as to why. I was devastated to say the least. I had been warned by certain people in the industry that once Muscletech got to the point where they could sign other athletes that this would probably happen but I really thought, in my heart, I'd stay on with Muscletech. I wasn't doing well competitively but I felt I still had a lot to offer since I was the largest and strongest bodybuilder in the world, with a huge fan base. Plus I suppose I felt that since I started with the company, I would also end my career with them.

In the end, the only real regret i have is that Muscletech didn't keep me on with them in some capacity . . . in the offices, doing public relations, product development, marketing, appearances. It really hurt my feelings more than anything else. Well, my pocketbook too, I guess. Looking back, I take solace in the fact that I was the original, sole athlete, that helped Muscletech build the foundation to the company they are today. Remember, a house is only as good as its foundation and no one can deny or take that away. Of course, I am grateful for the opportunities I had because of Paul's support and help. It just would have been cool to be there from beginning to the end, I'll always be remembered as the original Mr. Muscletech. People ask me, all the time, if I'm bitter about what happened. I can honestly say I'm not. It's just business and Paul did what he felt he had to do and you certainly can't argue with his success. Ironically, some people still associate me with Muscletech. They ask me which of the products I use and they want to know how to use them. I should get residuals, dammit. I wish. Who knows, maybe Paul will read this and give me a small sponsorship for my return to the industry. Or maybe even a retirement package?

So that's the story of how I met Paul Gardiner of Muscletech. He was nothing more than a young bodybuilding fan that created opportunities for himself and used the connections he had to build a concept in his mind and actualize it. I'm hoping he reads my account and sees it as a testament to his success. Paul made me realize that, in life, you have to chase your dreams no matter what anyone else says or does. Only you need to believe that your vision is in the realm of possibilities. And once you create that vision, sit back and enjoy the ride of a lifetime.

The Kovacian Corner: Why Bodybuilders Should Practice Their Posing!

Bodybuilding and posing. These 2 words used to be synonymous but over the past several years, as the physiques have evolved, it has changed drastically from the good old days when posing and physically displaying the body as a classical art form with ease and grace was an important and emphasized part of the bodybuilding equation. Now the routines of the top athletes are nothing more than hitting some hard muscle shots and wandering from one side of the stage to the other. There are a few athletes in the current crop that are exceptions to this rule but, as a whole, it seems to be the case.

I'm sure that sounds absolutely hilarious coming from a guy who hated posing and practicing his posing. I focused solely on my gym training to develop my body and never did specific posing workouts. I call them workouts because posing was physically demanding and works the body differently than weight training alone does. What I failed to realize at the time was that competitive bodybuilding really is not about the workouts in the gym. That is just one element. . . to develop mass. But posing, and I mean hard posing, should be the most important element in a bodybuilder's arsenal . It's what a bodybuilder does. The stage is our battle ground.
How do athletes in other sports get better? They practice what they will be doing on game day. Hockey players skate and shoot a puck. Basketball players shoot hoops and dribble a basketball. These athletes all incorporate weight training and cardio conditioning but practicing what they will be doing on game day still takes priority. We, as bodybuilders, focus most on our gym workouts and cardio but when it comes to posing practice, it takes a secondary role. Our game day is the stage so shouldn't intense posing practice be the main emphasis, above all else, to becoming the best bodybuilder you can be? Posing is to our sport like swinging a golf club is for a golfer. Or maybe it should be.

I will use myself as an example. Before i won the Canadian Nationals, I practiced posing, religiously, for 45 minutes a day for the final 16 weeks leading up to the show. Not only did it help me become a better poser, but it was definitely a form of training the body as a whole, giving my body a classical and streamlined look. Take a look at the videos on youtub; I had a very classical, athletic look to my body. . .with nice shape and a tight midsection and core and my breathing was very controlled for being 300 pounds. I feel that my look was attained from all that posing sessions. I'd be sweating buckets by the time I finished with one of those posing workouts. So not only does posing help in your presentation but it definitely gives the body a different look.

I'm convinced had I continued that posing workout into the offseason, 3 times a week, every day; it would have made a profound effect on my physique. I, on the other hand, did the opposite and focused more and more only on the training and extremely heavy lifting and less posing workouts to the point that I avoided posing, altogether, unless I had an appearance or guest posing. I lost that streamlined look and my core and stabilizers got weaker causing my body to get out of balance. Posing is similar to yoga. . it enables you to keep your body properly aligned against the pull of gravity. And again, I'm talking hard posing. Inhaling fully during transitions and fully exhaling as you move into the next pose. Throw some lunge poses in there and some classical twisting shots where balance and proper posture are needed so you don't fall on your face and you have a great posing workout.

If you look at the pros from the late 80's and early 90's, the physiques had a different, more streamlined, look to them and the muscles were more detailed. The posing seemed effortless with smooth transitions from pose to pose. There was a lot more posing from the ground as well as lunging poses. The facial expressions were confident with the odd smile or smirk. In comparison, do I even have to comment on some of the facial expressions these guys make when they pose today? Mouths open like they are screaming, the odd tongue sticking out and straining until you wonder if they soiled themselves. The routines are nothing more than lumbering from pose to pose hitting them hard and then, as I stated in my opening remarks, wandering from one side of the stage to the other. Also, the hand gestures for crowd response like Hulk Hogan at a WWF wrestling match is getting a little old as well.

This year's Arnold Classic is a perfect example. Dennis Wolf won the best poser award and, no offense to him, but his routine certainly wasn't spectacular and I think the reason he won it was because he at least made an effort and threw in a few classic twisting shots and actually did a lunge pose or 2. I'm surprised that with a prize of $10,000 bucks for best poser that someone didn't get a little more creative and come out with a killer routine. To this day, when the subject of great posers comes up, what names are brought up? Ed Corny, Arnold (I personally thought he was a great poser, He definitely knew how to showcase his physique), Bob Paris, Francis Benfatto, Vince Taylor, Lee Labrada, Shawn Ray and Flex Wheeler. You don't really hear the names of any of the current group of guys because the focus has shifted. I really think if the current crop of pros would start incorporating posing workouts with transitions and extreme contraction and deep breathing and exhalation their presentations would improve coupled with the added benefits that go along with it. One pro that I feel is doing this extensively is Kai Greene. And it shows in his presentation. Although, I think he rolls around a little too much and does handstands which are definitely unique but not really artistic or classical. I think lunging and squatting are as close to the ground a physique display should go.

On a final note, I would like to say I have not really posed at all in some years now and the other day, just for kicks, I went through my mandatories and 2-minute routine, nice and slow and deliberate; flexing hard and keeping everything tight say for 10 to 15 minutes even with a few lunge poses thrown in. To say I found it difficult was an understatement. I was feeling muscles I forgot I had and after I recovered I actually felt a little more like myself again. I think even for the non-competitor, 20 to 30 minutes 3 days a week is a great way to condition and align your body. It will definitely enhance your gym workout too because it will make you more aware of all your muscles, as a whole, working as a single unit. And the mind-muscle connection will improve as well. Give it a try and tell me what you think. Food for thought!

franchement,il avait peut ètre du bide comme la plupart des culturistes,mais il était ENORME DE PARTOUT!

The Kovacian: My Experience with Nasser El Sonbaty!

Since everyone keeps asking me to talk about Nasser El Sonbaty. . .about how we met and became, what I thought at the time, good friends. . . for this week's column, I will tell the full story so you can understand how surprised I was when I read about all the horrific lies he told about my wife and me in his interview on bodybuilding.com. To this day I don't understand why he focused on bashing me for no apparent reason, especially after how hospitable and kind my wife and I were to him when he came to Toronto in the winter of 1995.



My first interaction with Nasser was through the telephone a few months before he came to Canada. My good friend and Jason Mathis knew I was a huge fan of Nasser and he happened to interact with him from time to time. I asked Jason the next time he talked to Nasser if he would ask him if he minded talking to me on the phone because I admired him and wanted to pick his brain about training and nutrition. To my surprise Nasser agreed and we spoke shortly after that. I was very impressed that Nasser would take the time to chat with me considering his status (at the time he was a top 3 Olympian) and the fact that he didn't even know me. I found this to be a nice gesture on his part.



He and I hit it off on the phone. After that, he researched me and found a few pictures in a magazine from a visit I made to Venice that previous summer. He told me I had great potential. He also gave me great advice and we talked several times after that. Ironically, Nasser told me that he was coming to Toronto to do an appearance at the Musclemag store that my friend Paul Gardiner (the future owner of Muscletech) managed. I was really excited to meet my hero and we made arrangements for me to pick him up at the airport the night before his appearance. Following the appearance, we planned to have him stay at my home for a few days because he was going to the U.S embassy in downtown Toronto to renew his visa for the States.



So I was excited that "my friend" was coming down and we were gonna train for a few days. I was stoked to have the opportunity to learn from one of the best. On the Friday he arrived, my wife and I came to pick him up and when he came through the security gates the first sign that something wasn't night right surfaced. He was acting a little distant and reserved and he peered oddly at me through his spectacles. I think he was a little shocked and intimidated at my size in person. I don't think he was prepared to feel small at his off-season 310 pounds, at the time. I was a little over 400 pounds so I guess that threw him off. By the time we checked him into his hotel, he seemed a little more comfortable and relaxed and the MuscleMag appearance was a lot of fun.



As I said, after the appearance was over, he stayed at our home which was about an hour's drive from Toronto. He had to be at the Embassy on Tuesday morning. I should point out that it was the dead of winter at the time and Nasser had been living in California so he was not accustomed to our Canadian winters. I think he complained about how cold it was at least 20 times a day and progressively more as each day passed. So when we set out to the Embassy on the Tuesday morning he was eager to get his visa so he could go back to Los Angeles the next day. However, we were all in for a big surprise when we got there.



When we arrived at the U.S. Embassy, there was a huge line. After waiting for almost 3 hours they told Nasser that there was a problem with his renewal and that he would have to take care of it before he could leave the country. So, basically, he was stranded in Canada until he sorted out these issues. To say he was angry was an understatement. If I recall, his glasses were steamed up and his face and cranium were a few different shades of red.


Nasser, Kovacs, and Kovac's Dad

After driving back to our home, we called his lawyer and started the process to get the issues resolved. It took 3 weeks before everything was sorted out. Now, I was a huge fan of Mr. El Sonbaty but a house guest is like a fish; it can get rotten fairly quickly. During this time, we had to drive back and forth to the U.S. Embassy every few days until the matter was sorted out. That's over a 2-hour round trip. There was always something else needed, or a form to fill out, or a fax the lawyer in California had to send. He stayed at our home, ate our food that my wife cooked for him, visited my parents on their farm a few times, and he ate there food. During that time, he never once offered a penny for gas for all the driving or for all the food he ate. He even used my gear. Yes ladies and gentlemen, both Nasser and I used anabolic steroids. Shocking; but true.



I often wonder what he would have done if my wife and I would not have taken him in and basically treated him like family and helped him out of his situation. Would he have stayed in a hotel and eaten at restaurants? Would his issues have been resolved as quickly without our help? Or would he have been trapped in Canada and deported back to Germany? His wife, at the time, was frantic and we had to console her regularly over the phone. What sort of a demented character is Nasser that he had the audacity to talk so terribly about people that went out of their way to help him out? He may have been a great bodybuilder but, as a man, he doesn't even know the definition of the word. And, to me, a man's character is so much more important than anything else. In the end, I actually feel sorry for the guy. After such an illustrious bodybuilding career, he's become nothing more than a bitter ex-competitor. He's lowered himself to angry broken down bodybuilder who criticizes the sport that made him a star.



Kovacs over and out!

The Kovacian: My Journey to the 1996 Night of Champions!



This story is about me, the Canadian Colossus, and my unbelievable journey to the Night of Champions in New York City. It was 1996; I was still an amateur bodybuilder and had never been to the Big Apple. Naturally, I was very excited to go and check out the show. A friend of mine had an apartment and an extra ticket to the contest and he offered to give me the ticket and to let me stay at his place, so I booked a flight right away. I bet this sounds simple enough, right? Well, the flight was where the real action began.

Let me preface this story with the little known fact that most people don't know about me. I have struggled with severe air sickness and, not to mention, a fear of flying my whole life. This is definitely not the best situation for a bodybuilder that has to travel the world for guest-posings and appearances. Over the years, I had to adapt and deal with my issues. By utilizing air sickness pills and calming techniques, I became accustomed to flying. But back in 1995, it was still a serious issue.



I remember sitting there, eating chicken and rice right before my friend and I were supposed to board the plane. He shot me a look and said "Greg, maybe you shouldn't be eating before you fly." I laughed at him. It was my meal time and I would be going too long without food if I didn't eat before the flight. Little did I realize at the time what a disastrous mistake this was. After boarding the plane and wedging myself into my aisle seat, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself for the flight. For me, the takeoff and the landing are always the worst part. The plane taxied down the runway and I was easily holding my food down. Oddly, considering my size and the size of the airplane seat, I felt relatively comfortable. I exhaled a huge sigh of relief and settled in for a short flight.



Halfway into the flight is where the trouble started. We hit some turbulence, which wasn't too bad. Suddenly, we hit a huge air pocket and dropped what felt like 10,000 feet. Immediately, I started sweating profusely and had cold chills. Next, without warning, I projectile vomited all over the seats in front of me. And yes, those seats were occupied. What I found puzzling was that they just sat there as if nothing had happened and remained motionless. The stewardess brought me a huge garbage bag and I continued to vomit violently into the bag. In fact, I still remember the girl in the middle seat in front of me looking back and watching me every time I chucked up some more chicken. It was like she was enjoying it.



By the time the plane landed, I think I lost at least 5 pounds. I was so drained and pale that I looked like I was knocking on Death's door. As we exited the plane, my friend from New York was waiting to greet us. He was so excited to see me that he didn't even notice anything was wrong. He was a big fan of mine, so my being there was his only concern. I wanted to just sit down and regroup for a bit; but every time I tried to sit and relax, he wanted to hurry me to get in a cab before the rush hour started. So off we went and hailed a cab. Did I mention that his apartment was downtown? My friend and I jammed ourselves in the back and our host sat in the passenger seat. As we all know, New York cabbies are a little reckless. All that swaying around and slamming on the breaks really didn't help my stomach. I felt another hurl fest creeping up on me. I shouted at the cabbie to pull over or the back of his seat (and the back of his head) was toast. I've never seen anyone react so fast. At this point, it was rush hour and we were downtown - bumper to bumper. I opened my car door, the referee's bell rang and it was round 2 all over the street. From out of nowhere, this homeless guy came running over to me and I thought he was going to ask me if I was alright. To my surprise, this guy asks me "You're huge buddy, how much can you bench?" Somehow, I answered him in broken sentences between expulsions. He couldn't have cared less that I was spewing all over the floor and his shoes. The guy was friggin' nuts.



We got to his apartment with only enough time to clean up, drop off our bags and head over to the prejudging. Luckily, the prejudging was being held at the Beacon Theater just down the street. When we arrived, the prejudging had already started and the lobby was fairly empty. There were a few people and some of the IFBB Pros working their booths. As I walked past a few venders, I noticed Nasser sitting at a booth. The guy completely ignored me. The friend I was with said "Didn't that guy just stay at your house a few months ago? I thought u guys were friends, he just completely ignored you." I could say that this was a poor showing of character on his part; unfortunately, that would imply that he had character to begin with. But enough about Nasser; I discussed him enough last week.



After the prejudging I went back to my friends place, chowed a few meals and rested from my day. By the time the finals arrived, I was feeling much better and actually enjoyed myself. That was the year Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler went head-to-head in a very close-fought battle. I don't think anyone who saw it would ever forget that show. The highlight of the entire weekend for me was after the show was over. I was leaving the venue and there was a huge crowd gathered in front of the Beacon Theater. As I exited, people started asking to take pictures with me and soon I had a large crowd gathering around, snapping pictures. They were all asking my name and where I was from. This was the first time that ever happened to me. It made me believe that maybe I was something special and could someday be famous like the champions I had just watched on stage. It was a great end to a terrible beginning. After that I went home with new confidence. That summer, I went on to turn pro. And the rest, as they say, is history!

The Kovacian: One Rep Good; Three Reps Better!

I am a freak of super size and strength. I wasn't just another kid who lifted weights in his parent's basement. People always ask me when I realized that I was "different". . . and I can narrow it down to one bench press contest at a local gym. It was in that Niagara Falls weight pit that a story was forged that has almost become the stuff of urban legends and folklore.



At the time, I was only 18 years of age and had been training for a good year and a half. I grew up on my parent's farm and all my training had been done in the basement of my home. My parents were always supportive of me and had nurtured my potential by buying me all the heavy duty weight equipment I needed to get big and strong. I had a flat bench, incline bench, squat rack, hack squat machine, dip bars, iron plates, up to 200 lbs. dumbbells (a friend welded them for me), etc. I had all the basics that a growing farm boy could possibly need to train like an animal. I had never really worked out at a public gymgreg319 and I had nobody to compare my strength to. I would literally spend hours down there


in that basement. It was dark and dingy, but it was my own gym. It was where I began building the hulking figure that would eventually become known as the Canadian Colossus. To this day, I can still remember my mother shouting down to me to "stop already!" I loved it so much that I would train until I heard her voice bellowing "Gregory!" When I heard her call me by my full name, that became my cut-off point for the day. I never messed with mom. My father would always say "At least he's getting his money's worth and more." I'll always be grateful for the opportunity and support they showed me.



Eventually, fate reared its head and a friend told me about a bench press contest that was being held in town that I should enter. I didn't feel that I was strong enough to enter an official bench press competition. I just lifted as heavy as I could and loved every minute of it. I did agree to go watch the contest though. I was interested to see what it was all about. When we arrived at the gym it was an awkward experience for me. I was a 300 pound farm kid and I was very shy, nervous, and introverted. Everyone at the gym was staring at me and it made me a bit uncomfortable. Eventually, as the contest started, they all backed off a bit and focused on the competition.



I vividly remember witnessing the first few lifts. I was shocked to see that they were only performing one repetition. I had never done just one repetition; I didn't get it. My friend had to explain to me that, in this competition, they were trying to see who could lift the most for one rep. The second instance that really sticks out in my mind was that these guys were lifting very light weights. When I was in my home, I never added up what I was lifting on the bar. For me, instead of 455 lbs. on the bar, I would say "4 big plates and 1 little plate on each side." I only had 45 lb and 25 lb plates at home so I just counted plates. After that day, I started counting a little differently.



I was totally surprised that the top lift of the day was only 430 lbs, and it was only one rep! As the lift was locked out, the crowd went nuts. On completion of the lift, the winner stood up and bellowed at the top of his lungs like the king of the jungle. A crowd gathered around him to celebrate his victory. He was very cocky and bragging that no one could bench more than him. After a few minutes had passed and the group followed the winner away from the bench press, I noticed that no one had emptied the bar. The winning one rep max was still there. My friend jokingly mentioned that I should go and rep out with it. Curiously, I went and counted the weight. In Kovacs weight, there were only 4 big plates and one really little plate on each side.



I remember, I was wearing a plaid farmer shirt with jeans that day. I sauntered over to the bench, plopped down under the weight, grabbed the bar and unracked the bar. I let the weight settle on my frame, then slowly pressed the weight. I'm talking very slowly at first and then sped it up a bit. I crushed 18 repetitions with virtually no effort. I racked the weight and sat up smiling at my friend not realizing that by about my 6th rep everyone in the gym had gathered around. The gym was completely silent other than a few gasps of disbelief. No one said a word. No one moved a muscle. I stood up, took my coat from my friend and just walked out of the gym. My friend was 140lb if he had bricks in his pockets.; and he stuck his chest out, proudly, as we left.



To this day, I still get people asking me about that competition. I have to admit, it was a life-changing experience. I was an introverted farm kid and, on that day, I realized that I might just have a gift. Iron is something I love and have always had a passion for. I meant no disrespect to the athlete that won the contest on that day. I just loved moving weight and seeing the loaded bar. If my friend hadn't jokingly coaxed me into it, I would have never done it. His wisecrack pushed me to attempt the lift, and I just did it. I'm sure I ruined the winner's thunder that day. Had I entered the contest, he would have lost anyways. After that event, I rushed straight home with my friend to see how much I could bench at once. In Kovac's weight, I pushed 6 big plates on each side for 3 reps. One rep just didn't feel right. Three always felt better.

The Kovacian: The Weekend I Won the Canadian Nationals- Part 1

As long as I live, there is one event I will remember as though it were yesterday. That was the weekend I won the Canadian Nationals and earned my IFBB Pro Card. I crashed onto the bodybuilding scene, turning heads everywhere and commanding attention. The meat of my story lies in the events leading to one of the most perfect days of my life. Not many people know about this story and, for the first time, I’m telling a story that has previously gone no further than the ears of my closest family and friends.



By the time I had arrived at my hotel room, just before the competitors meeting and weigh-in, I had already been carb loading for 3 days. I dieted extremely strictly and was in serious shape very early. As a result, my metabolism was so fast greg-kovacsthat all the food I was

eating (over 2000 grams of carbs a day, 300 to 400 grams of protein) was not filling me out like I had hoped. Like any serious competitor, I was actually getting a little worried. I remember walking down to the weigh-in area and feeling a little flat. I calmed myself down. I said to myself “I am in condition and I still have tomorrow to fill out.” As my ex-wife and I entered the weigh-in area, the President of the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation was there greeting all the competitors as they entered. He was handing out entry forms to the North American Championships being held 2 weeks later. He just happened to be promoting that contest as well.



Like any good pussy cat, my ex-wife got her back up over this “controversy”. All of a sudden, her shrill squeal of a voice echoed throughout the room, “If he can't win the Canadians and get his pro card then why should he even bother doing the North Americans? If he doesn’t win tomorrow, he will just go into wrestling or something. Forget doing another show.”



I turned beet red with embarrassment.



I couldn't get over how inappropriate it was of her to say something of that nature in the presence of the CBBF President; and right before I was competing to earn a pro card. I am a low-key guy and this was in direct opposition to how I like to operate. This was one instance of many that perhaps she spoke when she shouldn’t have; especially when it came to matters involving my sport. I felt like someone was speaking for me and the CBBF Judges and President were getting the wrong message. It was like they thought that I felt the same way she did, when I didn't. Not, at all. She was setting me up to get screwed.



In sheer silence, I sat there until they called the heavyweight class to come forward and be weighed-in. This is where I took control and started to feel a little better. I made a point to be the first person to strip down and get weighed-in. Why shouldn't I; I was hard as nails and huge. I had been rehearsing the whole thing in my mind before this for weeks. I began disrobing and it was like I was unveiling a masterpiece that the whole of the conference room had never seen before. Nothing but silence encompassed the room. The usual negative nonsense was floating around before the show. People were talking about how I was huge, but I could never get into rock-hard condition. I honestly think I won the show as soon as I stripped down, before the show had even started. Surprise! I was in shape! I stepped on the scale and the weigh-in official shouted out, “292 pounds”. A few gasps and muffled sounds of disbelief were all anyone could hear. Garry Bartlett, the photographer on hand, was taking countless pictures of me. Garry was completely ignoring the other competitors. I felt bad for them but my plan worked perfectly. I already had the momentum going into the show and everyone was talking about how Kovacs was actually in condition and may win the show.



I find it interesting that when I was waiting to go into the weigh-in, a fear came over me and a voice of doubt rang in my head. I remember saying to my ex-wife that I may get screwed and might not win. Perhaps all the people who said I could never win were right. At one point, I actually considered not going to the competitors meeting and dropping out. All my enemies would be at the show waiting and spewing their negativity, hoping I would fail. I had a choice, do I let others control my destiny or do I grab destiny with my calloused and chalky hands? I decided that it would be my job as the Canadian Colossus to crush them and smash them. It would be my job to tear apart their hate like I tore away at the countless pounds of iron. This was a pivotal moment in my development as a person and a bodybuilder. These kinds of demons will pop up not only in my life, but in all our lives. I did everything in my power to prepare for this challenge and that was the ammunition I used to dominate my fears and overcome them. Had I been a coward, had I chose to go home, I would not be writing these words now and I would not be the man I am today.



Keep your eye out for my next article. My story will continue where I left off, with my carb up and the events of contest day. I know they call it “contest day”, but really... there was no contest.

a il deja gagne quelque grand titre . il avait la reputation d etre tres fort aussi . mais je nai enetendu parler de luidepuis longtemps

The Kovacian: The Weekend I Won the Canadian Nationals- Part 2


To continue from Part One, my article ended with all the drama leading up to the weigh-ins at the Canadian Nationals. For Part Two, I will introduce a new character to my odyssey - a bodybuilding icon - Lonnie "The Swami" Teper. Yes, Lonnie was the guest MC for the Canadian Nationals that year. Even after many, many, many years; he's still got the same electrifying stage presence.



After the eart- shattering weigh-ins, I got pulled aside by Bob Kennedy (Musclemag). I remember n683941707_149401_1478Bob telling me how impressed he was with how I looked. For those of you that do not know Bob, he doesn't just throw around compliments, so this was a big deal. One could allege that he had an interest in me crushing my competition at this show. At this time, Muscletech was just getting off the ground and Musclemag was very close with them. Muscletech, Paul Gardiner (owner), Musclemag and me would all greatly benefit from me turning pro in this show. I have gone into greater detail on this topic in previous articles so I'll leave it at that for now.



I was exuding confidence. Imagine being one of the biggest, most shredded, guys ever to step on stage at the Canadian Nationals. In addition to that, I rocked everyone at the weigh-ins and had Bob Kennedy telling me how great I looked. I was eating over 2000 grams of carbohydrates in an attempt to fill out, but it just wasn't happening to the extent I would have preferred. Worried, I decided to put a call in to the infamous Nasser El Sonbaty. Remember, at this time, we were still friends and I hadn't seen the maniacal and sociopathic side of him. I had asked for his opinion earlier in the week and he told me that he did not believe in insulin-loading. Lo and behold, when I talked to him on this day, he suddenly had seen the light of insulin and was a true believer. Frankly, he said that I should do a shot of insulin because it would help load more glycogen into the muscle. So there I am, the Friday night before show, getting this advice a week too late. Funny guy. I slammed the phone down so hard that I broke the cheap plastic. I guess that's just another reason why they call me the Canadian Colossus.



Like a good boy scout, I always come prepared. I had brought an extra bottle of insulin to the contest with me just in case. I had been contemplating using it but I wasn't sure if it would be beneficial. I had this feeling that I might need it, contrary to what my stellar "friend" had advised me earlier in the week. Back then, finding a pharmacy that would have been open at ten o'clock on a Friday night would have been impossible. After I hung up - sorry, destroyed the phone - I started my insulin protocol and I became increasingly vascular, fuller and leaner. I ate every 3 hours throughout the night and by prejudging I was just full enough. Not perfect in my mind, but close enough. This was so long ago that the Nationals did not have a Super Heavyweight Class, only Heavyweight. So it followed that the most important thing to have at that show was conditioning, over fullness.



For six months, I visualized the ending to that contest. I walk out on stage, hear gasps of shock and awe from the audience. Then, I get called in the first lineup, and they put me dead center. On either side of me, the second and third place guys stand there, dwarfed and looking like small children. The comparisons were between 200-210 pound men to my 300 pound leviathon. These guys were excellent bodybuilders but they couldn't compete with me. I made history that day; I was the first bodybuilder to ever step on stage at over 300 pounds. I had good reason to be confident.



After the prejudging, as I was eating with family and friends, I can vividly remember the only negative moment of that entire glorious day. Everyone was saying it was a clear victory. Taking the opportunity to rip me down a peg, my ex-wife squeals "I don't know... The other guy looks pretty good and he's ripped. They like that in Canada."



To recap, it's the biggest day of my life; I'm on the verge of achieving my dream, my goal. I'm feeling positive and optimistic and have the night show coming up. I couldn't believe she chose to say that. Your support system is there to support you, not plant seeds of doubt. What did I do? I just let this bounce off my chest like a weak punch from a girly-man and I went out for the night show without a doubt in my mind.



The finals ran smoothly and I received a perfect score. I took the Heavyweight title without any difficulty. I heard a couple of heckles from other competitor's friends, but it made no difference. If anything, it just fired me up. If the size difference in my own weight class wasn't bad enough, you should've seen the difference between the other guys and me for the overall. I heard snickers from the crowd and judges alike as I posed-down for the overall title. I felt bad for my fellow bodybuilders up on stage with me. It didn't take a swami to predict the outcome of the overall, but we had one anyway. Lonnie "The Swami" Teper took to the stage as the round drew to a close. I will never forget the words that came from his mouth. A quiet came over the crowd, "The Canadian Nationals Overall Champion and new IFBB pro is ......"

Jamais trop adhéré à son physique ! on entend plus trop parler de lui. Tout comme Jean Pierre FUX...

The Kovacian: My Misadventures with Craig Titus!

t was 1996; I had just won my pro card and was invited to do a photo shoot at Gold's Gym, Venice. craig_titus-228x300This was when I first met Craig Titus. During my early years as an IFBB Pro, I became close friends with Titus and it's something not many people know about. Craig and I found common ground to forge our friendship because we both turned pro that same year. After we had met, Craig and I kept in touch with a couple phone calls here and there. Out of nowhere, I found out that he was going to be taking a little vacation to "Club Fed" (that's federal prison for those of you who might not know). His little stay over there came with the ultimate shitty door prize, losing his Met-RX contract and being ostracized from the industry. Shortly after his less than triumphant return, I had to be in Venice for a stopover before heading to Hawaii for a guest appearance. I ran into Craig and we hung out for a while. He told me that he was just trying to get back into the industry but he was meeting a lot of resistance. He felt like he was being blackballed from the industry and that supplement companies didn't want to deal with him. Craig also admitted to me that he was getting down and feeling frustrated about the whole thing. Who could blame him?



I really empathized with him. Everyone makes mistakes and I felt bad for him because of how he was being judged. Now, I had no idea what he would later become - so don't judge me - but Craig was a very charismatic guy and we used to have a ton of laughs. He was a friend and any true Canadian takes care of their friends when they need it. I told him that he could come out to Canada and stay with me any time he wanted. I think he jumped at the chance because he didn't feel welcome anymore in a place that he considered his home. It worked out that he went to visit family in Detroit and guest pose at a body building show there first. Then, after that, he was supposed to come out to Canada. I, actually, met Kelly Ryan, for the first time in Detroit. Craig confided to me how he felt about Kelly and it seemed their relationship flourished. As the two of them got closer, being his friend, I got to know Kelly very well.



When Craig and I both landed in Toronto's airport, Craig wanted to immediately go to a gentleman's club. Being the Courteous Canadian Colossus, I conceded to Craig and we began our strip club adventure. I can't remember the name of the place, but it was wild. Strippers love bodybuilders. About an hour into our odyssey, Craig started talking about a group of guys that were looking at me and making rude comments. It shouldn't be surprising that they were making "steroid freak" comments. I never really paid any attention to guys that make these kinds of comments. It's just a waste of time. That wasn't how Craig felt though; he got pissed but I told him to relax and got him another lap dance. Did I mention that, in Canada, lap dances are totally nude, not just topless?



We paid our tab and left. Craig was in a weird hurry to leave and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out that the group of guys he had referred to earlier were leaving at the same time. They were getting in their truck and Craig hollered out to the one guy that had been doing most of the Kovacs bashing. Using his charisma, Craig had tricked him into thinking he just wanted to ask him something. The guy had no idea that Craig and I had overheard what he was saying. I had no idea what was coming next; Craig was unpredictable. Just before the guy came within ear shot, Craig muttered to me to go get the car started and be ready to leave. Just a tip to you young guys out there, this is usually a bad sign.



The "Kovacs basher" left his large group of twenty-somethings and strutted over to Craig. Immediately, Craig started interrogating him, "Why were you disrespecting my friend? What did he ever do to you? Why the ^*&% are you talking shit about him if you don't know him?" The coward was speechless. He lied and denied saying anything but the time for words was over. Craig bitch-slapped the spineless coward to the ground. It took one bitch-slap. That was it.



I blinked and Craig was already in the payload of my truck, bashing the roof and screaming at me to drive. Craig wasn't wrong for wanting me to be ready to leave. The other twenty-somethings had bats and knives pulled and were coming after us. I leg pressed the pedal so hard, I thought it was going to go through the floorboard of the truck. As we sped off into the cover of darkness, I shouted to Craig, "Hey, I live in this area, we may have problems." He replied with a less than assuring, "Don't worry bro." Luckily, I'm not a regular and I never saw those guys again.



Considering this was the first night I had the pleasure of Craig's company, I was a little concerned and somewhat curious as to how the remainder of his visit would play out. In upcoming installments of the Kovacian, you can expect more Tales of Greg and Craig.

The Kovacian: The Women of Titus!
Written by Greg Kovacs
Wednesday, 25 May 2011 02:40

To recap from last week, I told a little story about some punk's face being introduced to the back of Craig Titus' hand at a Niagara strip club. After our little adventure at that strip club, I decided that it would be best to keep Craig away from anywhere like that for the remainder of his stay. The Titusfollowing morning rolled around and both Craig and I were sporting massive headaches. I mean, what do you expect? I was out partying with Craig Titus. The man can drink. Anyway, we were sitting eating a massive breakfast and Craig started getting into telling me how he had a few comeback opportunities on the horizon. For example, he was talking about possible meetings with supplement companies for sponsorship opportunities. Craig was very open with me about how frustrated he was. Every meeting he went to ended in the same story "We would love to sign you but your current criminal record is bad publicity". I felt bad for him. Craig had a remarkable physique, he was young and he was a good-looking, marketable guy. Inevitably, he asked me if I had any connections or influence at Muscletech. I didn't want to impose or strain my relationship with Muscletech, but Craig really needed the help and I wasn't going to just leave him hanging. That just wasn't how I was raised, if a friend needs help, you help him.


I got on the phone with Paul Gardiner and we were there the next day at Muscletech headquarters. Unfortunately for Craig, he got a quick tour of the facility and a pat on the back, right out the door. Craig was devastated. I figured we would do something that always made me feel better when I felt like shit; go train on the Kovacs Farm. I was pretty well established at this point and I had a fully equipped, hardcore gym on my parent's farm. I had the heaviest and most intense workouts of my career on that farm. To put it all in perspective, I had such a large breadth of machines and equipment; I could have easily sold memberships. The place was that good! When Craig saw my gym, he was absolutely shocked at the size of it. I'd say it was the same look so many women had on their faces when I showed them my "Canadian Colossus". All kidding aside, we thrashed our quads/hams and then we fried our calves. It was too bad we didn't produce any footage of those training sessions. If we had, you would have seen how transformed Craig's temperament was. After the training session, he really seemed to be in a totally better place.



Craig's mood dropped off a few hours later and he was talking about how lonely he was. He, actually, picked up the phone and called a girl he had been meeting for conjugal visits while in prison. Craig convinced her to come up from New York and visit him in Canada for a few days. She said she was busy and would try to make it. She took down our address and other information in the event she could fly down. But the Craiger doesn't wait around. As soon as the receiver was down, he had pulled out a number from one of the stripper's from the night before. Craig invited her to dinner and eventually, into my home for a night cap. Yes, that's right; Craig was plowing some stripper in my home. He, obviously, felt very comfortable. I wasn't about to cock-block the guy, I'm a good host. Just ask Nasser.



It was about 2 a.m. and I was still awake watching television. I had little choice since I couldn't sleep with Craig railing the stripper in the guest bedroom. I was just drifting off out of pure exhaustion when I heard a knock at my front door. I had a feeling that I knew who was on the other side of the door. I opened the door and there was a gorgeous redhead standing there with a suitcase. She was unbelievably attractive and standing on my doorstep at 2 a.m. looking for Craig. Suddenly, Craig's life didn't look that bad after all. She said "You must be Greg; I'm Craig's friend from New York". What was the Canadian Colossus to do? Well, I played it as cool as a cucumber. I let her in and let her have a seat in the living room upstairs and told her I would get Craig. I tapped on the guest bedroom's door and out popped his sweaty little blonde head and I told him what was going on. I would like to think that the average person would have panicked or missed a step. Not Craig. In his California cool guy style, he just said "It's all good bro. Go talk to my girl while I get rid of this one". This wasn't typical for me and I had no idea what to say to the other girl. So I lumbered upstairs, got her a drink and told her he would be up in a minute. I made small talk and a couple jokes. A few minutes later, Titus came up the stairs escorting the stripper out the front door. He was acting like it was no big deal or anything. He turns to the girl from New York and gives her a big hug and carries on like nothing happened. The girl from New York seemed a little shocked but never said a word. I found that pretty odd. Craig must know voodoo or something because this chick stayed for 2 days.



Craig and I were chilling, watching television, that next morning after the girl from New York left. Craig was lying on my couch, looking up at the ceiling, talking about a girl he had met while he was in Detroit the week before. She was an IFBB Fitness Pro who had won the Detroit show and her name was Kelly Ryan. He believed that she was going to be a great champion and was going to try to start dating her. He thought it would help his chances to get back on the good side of the bodybuilding industry. He told me that he would date her, marry her, get a contract with her, and get her plastic surgery for her lips, breasts, and a few other procedures. He said that she would help him get back on top in the bodybuilding scene. I guess the great Craig Titus-- part-time psychic-- didn't foresee one tiny variable . . . his fall from grace in the world as a result of the grisly murder of his future personal assistant.

The Kovacian: My First Experience with Competition Judging!

If anyone knows anything about Kovacs, it's that Kovacs lives and breathes bodybuilding. I was thinking about amateur bodybuilding in Canada and I realized that I wanted to stay in touch with the young athlete's coming up the ranks. I was contemplating what I could do to stay connected and I decided to attend a local bodybuilding show this past weekend and test-judge as an Ontario Physique Association (OPA) Judge. After the prejudging ended, I figured I might as well kill two birds with one dumbbell and go back for the night show, visit a few vendors/booths, see some friends and have a great night with my girlfriend Caterine.


When I walked into the venue before prejudging, I was immediately greeted by a slew of familiar faces. Anyone that knows the Canadian Colossus knows that I am a very humble and respectful individual. So the following observation is just that, an observation. When I am out of Canada, I always notice that I'm frequently asked to take photos and sign stuff for fans. I love that I left an imprint on the minds of people and that they actually want to take photos with me or want my autograph after all these years. At local events, this is not typical. It's almost like if you're from the area, you're too familiar and people don't really care to take a photo with their local pro. I'm not the only guy this happens to. There are a number of professional bodybuilders in the area who also attend these events and they all report the same experience. They all say the same thing; they don't get swamped with photo or autograph requests at local shows. To say the least, it's definitely not like being at the Arnold Classic or the Olympia. I always figured that it had to be one of two things. Either the numbers are lower at local shows or people didn't want to bother someone who is familiar to them and will likely see again. Maybe, if I go and become rich and famous and then come back to my hometown for a local show, people will get excited again?

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. So I entered the auditorium and went down to the judging area to prepare for prejudging. I have to admit, it was an odd feeling being at the judges' table. For years, I was on the other side and now I was seeing things from a whole new perspective. I felt like I was supposed to be prepping backstage, not eating a protein bar at a judges' table. Anyway, I shook the feeling off and I began scoring the competitors. I don't think that many people have written about what it's like to be sitting in the judges' pit. From my seat, I watched the competitors walk out and line-up. I could see that some were nervous and that some were stage experienced. For all you competitors reading this, make sure you practice your posing and stage presence. Poor posing and stage presence is a sure fire way to lose a show. I'll be honest, since it was my first time at the judging table, I didn't really know how to handle the competitors making eye contact with me. I wasn't sure if I should give them the famous Kovacs' wink or the famous Kovacs' thumbs up. All I knew was that I wanted everyone to feel good about themselves. So I got to work judging and tried to only look at the competitors from the neck down.



I have to admit; judging was very straight forward until we got down to the bikini competition. They all came out and lined up and I thought to myself, "How in God's name do you judge Bikini?!" I mean, for all intent and purposes, it was a group of pretty young ladies strutting their stuff and competing for your attention and marks. In my day, we never had a bikini class, but I have to admit that the best part was when they turned around and stuck out their butts! Judging this class was a total write-off because I felt kind of lost. However, I still completed my testing with a 98% score and am now an official OPA Judge! Yay for me!



After prejudging finished, I knew only one thing. My body was launching a full-out catabolic, hunger, war. I could actually hear my pancreas digesting itself. It sounded pretty crunchy. Okay, okay... enough kidding around. After lunch, Caterine and I laid down for a nap because we were both exhausted. We looked at each other and it was evident that neither of us wanted to go back for the night show out of sheer exhaustion. However, we eventually decided that we would head over to the show because I promised a vendor that I would stop by their booth for a few photos and a chit chat. Not only that, but we wanted to sit back and enjoy the night show as spectators. Unfortunately, we probably should have stayed in.



Being a man of my word, I stopped by that vendor's booth - as promised - and we took pictures and had a nice little conversation. Shortly thereafter, Caterine and I decided to enter the auditorium. At the entranceway, we were greeted by a girl taking tickets. As most of you probably know, it's customary for IFBB Pros, or judges, to be admitted to shows without requiring a ticket. When she asked for my ticket, I told her that I was an IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and a Judge at the show. That obviously wasn't good enough for her. Believe it or not, just prior to my attempted entrance she let another IFBB Pro come in "free of charge". What really irked me was that I'm friends with the promoters and the girl at the door actually knew me! I mean, we used to train at the same gym and talk all the time. Ultimately, she was very adamant that I needed a ticket to get in. I really wasn't going to stand there and argue with the girl; she probably thought she was just doing her job. Plus, I had already seen and judged all the competitors at prejudging. My girlfriend and I just decided to go eat and call it a night. A few days later, gossip was going around the gyms saying that I threw a hissy fit over not being granted access to the night show. Ya' gotta love this industry and how all these ridiculous rumors start!



Before we wrap this one up, I have one more anecdote from the show. A few weeks earlier, the booth I visited at the show gave me a coat with their logo on the back. They gave it to me at a gym I was training at for the day. Because I was training at the time, I asked the guys working the front desk to leave the jacket behind the counter for me. When I finished my workout, I was informed that someone had stolen my brand new jacket. I was seriously upset that someone would just swipe it like that. I felt seriously disrespected. At the show, I told the vendor what had happened to the coat and told them how terrible I felt about the whole thing. The guy was notably upset but we kept talking and I thought that was the end of it. Inevitably, a few days later I saw a post on Facebook that read, "We gave IFBB Pro Greg Kovacs a $250.00 jacket and within 2 weeks he lost it. Should we give him another one?" Really, he should have replaced lost with had it stolen. It was a huge topic of discussion and the person had a huge issue over it apparently.



To wrap this whole thing up, I probably shouldn't have gone to the night show and I should've stayed in my "cave". Maybe I should have lied about the coat and said "The coat is so awesome I have it in storage." Or maybe, next time I'm in doubt, I will opt to stay with my girlfriend; nuzzle, watch a movie and munch on popcorn ..... and chicken breast.

The Kovacian: Working the IFBB Toronto Super Show!
Written by Greg Kovacs
Tuesday, 28 June 2011 00:28

The Toronto Supershow was this past weekend and I was in attendance on behalf of RX Muscle. I took this opportunity to relax, take in the show and hang out with old friends. I was thinking about it and I realized that it was the first pro show I had attended in over five years. Moreover, I was not obligated to be at a booth working; I was truly free.



I went through the entrance and all of a sudden this sensation stained my brain like a coat of pro tan. I had no obligations, no booth and very little responsibility. Accordingly, I decided to set my legs on cruise control and roamed around the expo. It was nice to see the other side of a bodybuilding expo. I am used to sitting at a booth all day in a tank top or competing. The bottom line was that I wasn't there to do anything but watch the bodybuilding shows and experience the expo. I was appropriately outfitted with my girlfriend on my arm and a 100% cotton t-shirt (Kovacs sized of course). As I cruised through the expo, I ran into so many old friends, it felt like a high school reunion. I'd have to say that the coolest part of the show was that I had my fans coming up to me to get pictures and talk bodybuilding. If any of you are reading this, it was a pleasure to have met you.



Being the inaugural year for the Toronto Supershow, big names like Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, Tony Freeman, Bob Cicherillo and many others were in attendance. I have known these guys for years and it was great to get to see them after all these years. Again, it was fantastic to converse and mingle with fans throughout the expo. One guy sticks out in my mind more than anyone else. He came right up to me and pointed out that I wasn't carrying a towel and sweating profusely like I used to. Honestly, I felt flattered that he remembered me walking around in such detail that he remembered my towel/fan. Gary Bartlet is a photographer that I have known for many years, but I hadn't seen for a long time. He came up energetically and said, "Greg, great to see you! You look great! I heard you were dead!" He looked me over and checked my pulse. Once he had confirmed that I was not dead (or a zombie), he declared, "You are very much alive!" I was going to eat his brains, but I figured I might blow my cover.



A funny thing happens when you sit back and observe, you notice things you otherwise would miss. I noticed that a lot of bodybuilding fans think that their heroes are just that, heroes. We are expected to be at our biggest and leanest all the time. Sadly, we're human and we can't possibly hold our condition and/or size all the time. Even more astounding, many expected this even after we have retired! I repeatedly heard the same thing, "I can't believe how small he is." I overheard that comment several times and it was in reference to several different "legends". I found this amusing. In bodybuilding, we are judged on our appearance, so when our appearance fades it is apparent to everyone. Our appearance can be perceived as our relative "skill level". In other sports, skill level is demonstrated within the act, or performance, of the sport. When a bodybuilding enthusiast meets a legend that has long since retired, the legend will be smaller. The bodybuilder has retired, his skill fades and he gets smaller. However, in other sports, Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan will always appear to be who they are. You can't see their skill fading away even though they couldn't perform like they did in their prime. The idea or memory of how they used to perform is still in your head, unchallenged by a current visualization of the deterioration of their skill level. To bring it back to bodybuilding, why would it be surprising that Dorian Yates is smaller than he used to be? I am certainly not over 400lbs. anymore and I am certainly not incline-pressing 6 plates anymore. What I am trying to get at is that in bodybuilding, it is inevitable that when an IFBB Pro retires, he will get smaller and it has the tendency to let down enthusiasts' expectations. I have always heard that meeting your hero is always a letdown because they can never live up to your expectations. Maybe that is the phenomenon at work.



True bodybuilding fans possess an unwavering passion for the sport. I had forgotten this, but when you attend events like this, you can really see it. There was an amateur event held in conjunction with the professional event. It almost seemed like every amateur competitor had a goal or show in mind and they were training towards it. It was very inspiring to witness. While backstage, I was assisting a few athletes for their big moment on stage and it felt like I was stepping on stage with them. When they all did well, I felt like I shared in their success and did well too. As weird as it may seem, it felt really nice to be nervous for someone else's appearance on stage rather than my own.



It was an honor to have so many people asking me about my training and diet theories. It re-triggered a hunger within me to apply what I know to myself and be the best that I can be. Instead of throwing around ungodly amounts of iron, I espouse for a person to attain a cleaner, deeper stretch and contraction. Seeing the results that my athletes attain using my theories only verifies what I know. I am genuinely excited to continue helping others achieve their best.




In summation, I had a great time and my passion for bodybuilding is back. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my friends, peers and fans for making this first experience back on the pro scene a very pleasant and enjoyable one. I also would like to thank all the kind words about my column from people at the show. I appreciate all of you taking the time to read it. Kovacs is here to stay!

This article was edited by Jeff Pearce

The Kovacian: The Importance of Great Back!


Written by Greg Kovacs
Tuesday, 12 July 2011 02:20
The backbone of any weight-training program is brutalizing your back. Because of this, I have chosen to discuss the value and importance of back training this week. Further, I am going to address what an important role the back muscles play in the overall stability of your entire shoulder girdle. The back is the foundation of your upper body and it's not a coincidence that almost every Mr. Olympia had superior back development in comparison to their peers. I would also like to address how important your antagonistic muscles are when it comes to your back training. The pecs, front delts and the biceps should, ideally, be loose and flexible. Keeping them like that allows the shoulder girdle to rotate back fully, thereby allowing the lats and other back muscles to contract, stabilize and fire fully. These muscles, if they're too tight, can pull you out of proper body alignment and that can lead to all kinds of problems.


Years ago, I began seeing physical therapist, Adam Bogar. He told me that over the years, my pecs, front delts and biceps had accumulated scar tissue and got very tight. A consequence of this was that my shoulders started rounding forward. My back wasn't firing as well and had started to weaken from not being able to contract properly because they were being pulled forward by my tight antagonist muscles. As soon as we began Active Release Therapy (ART) and focused on stretching those areas, my back muscles began moving properly again. Over time, all the adhesions in my shoulders were gone and I was able to fully rotate backward further allowing my back muscle to really contract properly.



Ronnie Coleman and Kai Greene are two great examples of maximal back stimulation and full rotation of the shoulder girdle. Both these men have inhuman back development but if you take a closer look, their back development and strength is so developed that when they rotate their shoulders backward, it appears they are almost leaning back when standing relaxed. This also is the reason they both have extremely developed glutes. Stand upright and test this theory. Rotate your shoulders further back and your glutes automatically fire more to balance you. Rotate them slightly forward and the emphasis shifts off the glutes and back. Their bodies are in great alignment for proper firing of all the back muscles, glutes included.



Both Ronnie and Kai have full barrel-like chests that rise past their front delts. The reason for this is that the further your shoulders rotate back, the more your chest will fire when working chest. Front delts will stay out of the movement allowing for you to concentrate on chest development rather than front delt development. Common problems for many bodybuilders are the front delts overpowering the pecs, weak rear delts and lats.



Maximal back development is heavily reliant on the athlete being able to rotate the scapula fully and having full shoulder rotation. A perfect example is Paul Dillet. The man could have been Mr. Olympia had he ever developed his back fully. I have known Paul for many years and it was not until recently, looking at old videos and talking to him, that I realized why his back muscles couldn't fire. He had severe shoulder impingements. He could not rotate his scapula fully if his life depended on it. Luckily, he was such a freak that it really didn't matter.



It isn't a coincidence that almost every Mr. Olympia had some of the best developed backs in comparison to their peers. Having a better back than your competitors can put you ahead far enough to take the top spot in any competition. Samir Bannout, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman, Sergio Oliva and even Arnie had great backs. Jay Cutler has a great back, but he certainly doesn't have the dominating back of some of the previously-mentioned names did.



Currently, my favorite exercise to help strengthen lats and focus on rotating the shoulders back are partial deadlifts. I like to really emphasize on the top part of the movement, squeezing the glutes and arching the back. I usually start from just underneath my knee cap. It is fairly difficult to describe, so there may be an instructional video coming down the pipe! Kovacs out!

The Kovacian: My Best Training Partner Ever!
Written by Greg Kovacs
Wednesday, 27 July 2011 02:42
There are two questions that I get asked all the time. The first is, "How important is a great training partner for maximum training intensity and gains?" The second is, "Who do you consider to be the best training partner you have ever trained with?" The answers to these questions overlap significantly. Without a doubt, the heaviest and most intense workouts I can recall were with Jason Marcovici. We first met in 1995 and it was a match made in iron heaven. We were introduced by the person that I had been training with at the time. Don't tell Jason but I was really excited to meet him at the time because I was a fan of his since he turned pro a few years earlier. I had also seen him compete on the pro stage a few times and he was very impressive.



Jason and I were both into heavy, basic, power bodybuilding and we matched up perfectly. After a few workouts, it became apparent that we would make great training partners. Not only that, but our personalities matched up very well and we pushed each other to limits that were ungodly. Jason was the most tenacious, intense and powerful training partner the future Kovacian could find. He was always extremely punctual, intense, powerful and competitive. Every workout, we pushed each other to the max - using poundages that bordered on unbelievable. In fact, they were so unbelievable that Ronnie Coleman himself wouldn't believe it.


That M1-Tank of a man, Jason, witnessed some of my Kovacian feats of strength. What was awesome about Jason was that he was never too far behind me in poundage. You might ask yourself, "Well, Greg, why is that so awesome?" Jason was 5'7" and weighed in at an off-season weight of 275 pounds. Comparatively, I weighed over 400 pounds. At that time, Jason was one of the strongest pound-for-pound bodybuilders in the sport. Again, training with him was like training with an M-1 Tank. No matter what you threw at the guy, he just rolled right through it.


Short limbs and heavy dumbbells are always hilarious - and awkward. Jason had short limbs and loved heavy dumbbells. Let me explain with the tale of the dumbbell sandwich. One day, an enormous Kovacian and a M-1 Tank were working shoulders and doing dumbbell shoulder presses. I went up to the 200 pound dumbbells as usual and I cracked out a solid 6 reps. Then I heard the rumbling of Jason behind me; jacked up and ready to crush some heavy weight. He grabs the 170 pound dumbbells off the rack and sits down on the upright bench. I remember thinking to myself that my arms were pretty long and I found the 200 pound dumbbells pretty awkward. Keep in mind, the 200 pounders had 10 plates on each side of the handle and were really long dumbbells. Anyway, this Manimal powers up the 170 pound dumbbells and as he was lowering the dumbbells, his head was being sandwiched by the dumbbells! Like I said, short limbs plus heavy dumbbells are always hilarious. Being the stone-cold, determined guy that Jason was, he decided to angle the dumbbells on an arc that cleared his head. Not only was it infinitely more difficult, he still managed to do reps with them!



Jason was also an integral component to my victory when I prepared to earn my pro card. If there was one thing Jay was, and still is, is honest. He gracefully donated his honesty to me as I prepared for the show. His honesty in accurately assessing my physique throughout my diet was invaluable. I should mention that he took full advantage of still being in off-season mode when we would go to the gym. Since my strength was decreasing, he took that chance to match me in poundages. He would push me to keep my poundages up. He would look at me with a grin on his face and say, "Hey Greg, I'm using the same weights as you are. I thought you were supposed to be the strongest bodybuilder in the world?" It was friendly kidding around and competition like that that kept a fire under my ass to keep pushing. The feeling of camaraderie with Jason made me feel like I was training back at Gold's Gym during the 70s. It was unforgettable.



On that note, I strongly believe that a good training partner(s) is fantastic for training to your maximum potential. Personally, I haven't had a training partner for years and it really sucks at times. It can be difficult to train maximally without a good spot on a heavy lift or without someone there to push you. Good training partners are built on a symbiotic - give and take - relationship. You spot your partner, your partner spots you. You help motivate your partner, your partner helps motivate you. A lot of pro's, or aspiring pro's, have a trainer to push them and spot them. Honestly, it just isn't the same. A good training partner is there for you and not for your money. I mean, when was the last time you went out for steaks with your trainer after a brutal leg session where you both are exhausted? Never. Plus, I always felt strange having someone just waiting around for you to do your next set. Now before you guys go off the deep end, I am not saying that trainers are a bad thing. One other point before we wrap this puppy up, not many people can afford having a trainer everyday of the week. Training partner's are free and benefit you as much as you do them.



There are a few cons to having a training partner though. Some guys have lives or schedules that preclude them from having a training partner. Further, some guys can't match weights/intensity, don't ever show up on time to train, cancel workouts or they bring their personal problems into the weight room. That is a huge no no. These are basically traits of bad training partners. Find a good one and you won't have to deal with that non-sense. Sometimes you are better off to train alone than with a bad training partner. Lately, that is why I have been opting to go it alone.



In summation, I would like to publicly thank my friend Jason Marcovici for being an integral part of formulating my pro career. I will always be grateful for all the support he graciously gave to me inside and outside the gym. Those were great, hardcore times and I will always remember and cherish them. Maybe someday soon we can start blasting again like in the old days. Maybe this time we go a little lighter and smarter, eh Marcovici? Alright, that's it for this week, tune in next week for another stirring edition of The Kovacian. Same Kovacian time, same Kovacian channel.

The Kovacian: The Day I Met Jay Cutler!
Written by Greg Kovacs
Thursday, 25 August 2011 23:12



The last time we shared words, I spoke of the first time I met Dorian Yates. Dorian, as we all know, is a former 6x Mr. Olympia. Now, with the Mr. Olympia contest approaching in the next few weeks, I believe it would be appropriate to touch on the first time I met the current Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler. I’m going to touch on how we met and the time that we spent together.



Back in 1998, Toronto had a huge nutrition store on Yonge Street called, Musclemag. It was a bodybuilding landmark in Toronto. All the IFBB Pros and sponsored athletes would come by to do seminars and autograph signings. It was a great place – it is gone now, but my memories aren’t. On this one occasion, Jay and I were both doing an appearance at the store. We sat right beside each other at the display table and Jay was telling me about his competition plans. It turns out that Jay was in preparation for his pro debut at the Night of Champions, a show I did the year prior. Jay is a laid back and friendly guy so we hit it off almost immediately. For a young little whipper-snapper, Jay was very mature and focused – yet light-hearted and funny.



Anytime I meet a fellow bodybuilder, I always know that they come from the same cloth that I do. They know what it’s like to contest diet and spend hours trudging along on a treadmill. Of course, Jay and I started talking about his prep and I mentioned that I had done the same show the year before. Sheepishly, I told him that I hoped he would do better than I did. Jay would go on to finish a dismal, 15th. However, that would be the lowest placing he would receive from then on. I always admired that Jay would take a defeat just as he did a victory. He was very humble and always knew that there would be another show. He used the same resolve in his loss to Dexter at the Olympia; he knew there would be another show. So he said “I’ll be back.” And just like the Terminator, he came back with a mission to take his crown back – and he did. He always had a quiet confidence in his gifts and a steadfast, Arnold-like, belief in his ability to accomplish his goals.



Since we had a good day and got along well, Jay and I decided to catch a quick workout together. I picked him up the next morning and we went to go slam some iron before the store reopened. Back in those days, almost 14 years ago, we used to do two days consecutively at one store. It was like an event. We arrived at the gym and didn’t train together because our splits didn’t match up. We conversed between sets and it became apparent that Jay was feeling a touch uncomfortable. As it turned out, Jay was living in Boston and training in a personal studio gym rather than a commercial club gym. I guess all the people staring at the ungodly smattering of muscle that he called a body put him off. He obviously got over it when he arrived in California and started training at a plethora of different clubs. I can commiserate with Jay. When I was back on the Kovacs farm, I had my own private gym, and I had some of the best workouts of my life there.



As is tradition amongst bodybuilders, I had Jay hit a few shots for me after we finished training. It was apparent that he had the frame, structure, and full muscle bellies of a future superstar. He didn’t have some great gym physique, he had serious potential. Dorian had said that he would be a future Mr. Olympia, and I could see it even then. His frame was rare because he had a wide shoulder girdle and flaring quads. All that was left was to fill in the gaps.



A camera crew showed up at the store and interviewed us – a rarity nowadays. The crew asked Jay how big his arms were; he replied that they were 23 inches. They turned to me and asked the same question. I looked right into the camera and said “26 inches”. I turned to Jay and said “Sorry kid!” Everyone got a good laugh out of it, including Jay because he knew I was just messing around. There’s nothing like some friendly ribbing – except for barbecue ribs. I just hope we don’t do another interview together and he asks me how many Olympias I’ve won! I can see it now; Jay turns to me and says “Sorry kid.”



Jay and I stayed friends and chatted intermittently over the years. We’ve caught up at the odd show, here and there. On one occasion, I ran into Jay at the Olympia in 1999. It was his first Mr. O and he hadn’t fared well at all. We were at the post-contest buffet and he seemed as calm as a cucumber. I asked him if he was pissed off and he just shrugged it off. He said “In bodybuilding, you have good days and you have bad days.” That is apiece of advice that none of us should forget. I always believed in Jay and if you don’t believe that then ask him yourself. He is the consummate example of believing in your true potential and then actualizing it.



I have been very fortunate over my bodybuilding career to have met and become friends with many bodybuilding icons. I have a story to tell for almost every Mr. O, including Arnold himself. Until next week, my chicken breast munching friends; remember, same Kovacian time, same Kovacian channel!