Interview with RJ Perkins

By Mike Carlson, online editor

Mike Carlson: What was your athletic background before you started bodybuilding?
RJ Perkins: High school and college football. I also played some semi-pro football.

MC: Name an aspect of your training that has made a positive difference in your results?
RJ: A big part of my regimen is training my bodyparts twice a week. I saw a huge difference when I changed from hitting them once a week. I started getting stronger, my muscles were fuller and I was developing a lot faster than just doing it once a week. My weakest exercise is my bench, but when I started doing it twice a week I really started seeing that slow and steady progress.

MC: What is your training like right now?
BW: I created my own program that I call PHD-4, which stands for “Power Hyper Deload every four weeks.” It’s a combination of Dr. Layne Norton’s Power and Hypertrophy program, Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 and Westside Barbell’s powerlifting. I gave it two months, which is two full cycles, and I saw results instantaneously.
It’s not for everybody. It can be hard on the body because you’re training every bodypart twice a week. On Mondays and Tuesdays you are doing powerlifting sets and reps. Wednesday is cardio, preferably HIIT. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday you are doing a hypertrophy format for sets and rep ranges.
Once I had confidence in PHD-4, I put it out there. I’ve got a lot of good comments. I’m not trying to make any money off of it. I just want to give back to the natural bodybuilding community. I want to help the new up and coming guys who want become natural bodybuilders.

MC: When changing over to a plan like PHD-4, is it hard to get used to training when you’re still sore?
RJ: I have had plenty of guys who would be like “My hamstrings are still killing me. What do I do?” First, I make sure that they are using a foam roller, they are hydrating properly and eating regularly. Then I tell them to go to the gym and just do moves that primarily involve their quads instead of their hamstrings. You have to listen to your body. You can wait a week and then go hard and heavy next time.

MC: What is something that you’ve tried in your training but discarded because it didn’t produce results?
RJ: Extreme high-volume training doesn’t work for me. I tried Hany Rambod’s FST-7. I think it’s a phenomenal program and I understand the science behind it, but it’s just not for me. I could never recuperate fast enough, no matter the food and hydration. I was sore and tired and I lost motivation to go to the gym because I just didn’t want to do it. That goes back to knowing your body and what works for you.

MC: I know you work part-time as a bouncer. What’s it like dealing with drunken idiots when you’re dieting and carb-depleted?
RJ: Oh man, it’s really hard. I am a very happy person. I like to joke around and stuff, but during the last days of my prep leading into the show even my manager saw how miserable I was. You just remind yourself not to let people push your buttons. The last thing I need is to get in some stupid altercation three weeks out from a show because I’m tired and hungry and would rather be home in bed.
Thee funny thing is, at the end of the night I am not as strong as people think. I am so tired I can barely pick up a broom, much less fight off some guy who is twice my size.

MC: Have you ever considered bodybuilding that is not drug-tested?
RJ: I like the hard work behind being a natural bodybuilder. I don’t shoot anybody down for the choices they make. I’m a man. I make my own decisions in life. But I get people who e-mail me and ask, “I just started this steroid, how do I dose it?’ I’m like “I don’t f---ing know. Go ask an expert.” People need to realize that bodybuilding is a marathon; it’s not a sprint. You have to dedicate yourself for a long time.

MC: What is the hardest part about being a pro bodybuilder?
RJ: After my first show in 2008 I went into my off-season and I put on a lot of sloppy weight. I got up to 240 pounds at 5’8”. I was actually fitting into size 40-waist pants and XXL t-shirts. I was strong as an ox, but I had to pay the price by dieting for 25 weeks for my next show.
I can laugh about it now, but there were times when I would put my shoes on the floor and put my feet in but I couldn’t bend over and tie them. My girlfriend would push me down so I could reach them!
Now, I believe that there is no such thing as “off-season.” You should have your diet and training on point, year round. Now, I try to keep everything as clean as possible.

MC: What is the first physique you noticed as a kid?
RJ: TK

MC: What is your favorite Scivation product?
RJ: You have to go with the tried and the true, you have to go with XTEND. When you talk about recovery, protein synthesis keeping that lean muscle tissue on, burning fat – especially during prep – there is nothing on the market that can compete.
I will say this though: Novem has been my savior. It amazes me that nine simple ingredients can be so powerful. I rotate my workouts, so I am either up at 4:30 in the morning or I train after a long stressful day at work Either way, I lean on Novem to get me through my workouts. XTEND and Novem combined together — pre-, intra- and post-workout — nothing is better.