In high school, Aaron Williamson began reading all the muscle magazines and studying material on weight training. It wasn’t until joining the US Marine Corps (and being deployed to Okinawa) that he fell in love with bodybuilding; he was “bitten by the bug!”
Aaron Williamson enjoyed going to the Vitamin Shoppe, kicking back on the couch and reading; he was fascinated at the science behind the human body and how it responds to the right balance of diet, supplements, training and positive mindset. When Williamson joined the Marine Corps Body Bearers and began to finally pack some size he took it to another level; always having been a skinny guy, the results of a serious weight training program made his transformation motivating to everyone.
Since then, Aaron Williamson has traveled the world lifting in various gyms from Iraq to Kuwait, New Zealand to Europe, and Canada to the United States – everyone has come to know him for my love & passion in bodybuilding, health & fitness.
What keeps you motivated?
There are a couple of things that keep me motivated – 1) Being a positive role model for bodybuilding, health & fitness, 2) Seeing results from all of my hard work and the sacrifices I make everyday to be my best, 3) the challenge of what it takes to be a competitive bodybuilder & 4) I thrive off of the “nay-sayers”; people who think they can talk you out of doing something or tell you you’ll never be able to achieve a goal.
I distinctly remember as a kid growing up seeing professional bodybuilders and there was something about having that much muscle that really intrigued me – I knew I wanted to look like that. Throughout my life to this point, I have stopped at nothing to get to where I am now. It’s been more than a tough road dealing with injuries, constant setbacks financially, a broken marriage but I have never given up because it’s who I am – it’s what I do. My fiancee, daughters, family, friends & fans – that’s what keeps me going through all the rough times because I know at the end of it all, success awaits!
What training routine has worked best for you?
My training routines are always different and I’ve tried just about every method of training you can think of. Being that I’m an ectomorph (standing 6’3” tall) I have to train hard and heavy so I tend to stick to basic exercises and primarily use free weights. I prefer to train on a 3-on, 1-off: 2-on, 1-off split so I have two full days off per week.
My reps tend to stay between the 6-10 mark until contest prep; then I may bring the reps up to 12 but I remain lifting heavy up until I step on stage. If I lift too light and use machines, my muscles flatten out and I get a flat, stringy look.
Favorite Bodybuilders?
Favorite bodybuilders would have to be:
1) Jay Cutler – very impressive work ethic & and very business savvy; in my opinion, he represents the sport of bodybuilding very well.
2) Kai Greene – unbelievable when it comes to mental preparation & his posing is phenominal.
3) Arnold Schwarzenegger – Arnold was the first bodybuilder I remember being fascinated by; he’s the one who really got the sport going in the right direction.
4) Lee Apperson – Lee is the first bodybuilder I met and like me, he’s tall and has a great knowledge of bodybuilding, health & fitness; he’s the one who actually motivated me to become what I am now.
What is your diet like?
My diet is primarily based around all whole foods and I eat anywhere from 6-8 times per day. I have a clean cheat day on Wednesday and a dirty cheat on Saturday; clean cheat being a steak or such & dirty cheat being something like pizza. I won’t list my actual diet breakdown because it changes often depending on my weight, and a number of other factors. However, I will list the types of food that make up each meal I eat.
- proteins consist of egg whites, lean ground beef, chicken and protein powder.
- carbs consist of oats, sweet & white potatoes, ezekiel
- fats consist of almond & peanut butter (all natural, no sodium), almonds, fish oil, macadamia nut oil
- lots of green veggies
- fruits are blueberries and strawberries
- I use sea salt on all of my whole food meals
Jason Theobald, Natty Nutrition, helped me with my competition prep for the 2010 season.
What is the best piece of advice you can give?
The best piece of advice I can give to someone is to focus on mental preparation. In bodybuilding, there are so many factors that come into play with diet, training, supplementation, etc. Where most people run into problems is they mentally sabotage themselves and end up making changes in their programs that cause them to either regress, plateau or overtrain.
If you have the right mix of all of that (and a recommended advisor or coach), then there’s no need to stress. Stress and bodybuilding do not work well together. Get your mind right and think your way to success. Visualize what you want to look like. Use your imagination and find someone who inspires you and motivates you. Anything is possible when you use the power of your mind. I’d like to think I’m proof of that.
Do you use any supplements?
Yes, I use a number of different supplements but I try to keep them as basic as possible and rely on my diet and training to maximize my results.
1) Creatine
2) Glutamine
4) Multivitamin
5) Slin Trol
6) Lean Out
Future plans?
My future plans are to spend the remainder of 2010 in off-season training to compete in the Superheavies at the 2011 Greater Gulf States in hopes to qualify for nationals next summer. I’ve just made the move to personal training full-time in Uptown New Orleans at a gym called NOLA Fit; I’d like to make a positive impact to the health & fitness community in Louisiana since we’re currently ranked as one of the unhealthiest states in America. I just launched my own coaching business (Complete Physiques) where I can apply all of my knowledge and experience over the years to help others who aspire to be great and achieve their own goals.
Aaron’s Highlights
- -2010 Mr. New Orleans Bodybuilding Champion
- -2010 Greater Gulf States Bodybuilding Championships, Heavyweight Runner-Up
- -2009 All Forces Bodybuilding Championships, Heavyweight Runner-Up
- -Featured in FLEX Magazine, spring (2010) and summer (2009)
- -Owner, Complete Physiques
- -Team Natty Nutrition (2010) currently working w/ Jason Theobald (Natty Nutrition)
- -Team Body Tech (2009) coached by renown trainer, Tim Gardner
- -Team GASP & Better Bodies –Fit Gear Republic
Aaron’s Background
Aaron Williamson was born and raised in Daytona Beach, FL. After graduating from high school he joined the Marine Corps which is when his life drastically changed. In 1998, he traveled the world as a Marine Corps infantryman participating in several large scale training evolutions. In 2000, Aaron was screened and selected for the Marine Corps World Famous Body Bearers where he spent nearly 4 years conducting funerals out of Arlington National Cemetery, and again, he traveled the world assisting in joint service events. In 2003, Aaron was screened and selected to become personal security for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), General Peter Pace; here he spent the remainder of his Marine Corps career before he ended his active service in 2005.
As Aaron was departing from the Marine Corps, he was offered a contractor position in Iraq assisting in the biometric operations mission; Aaron stayed in Iraq as a contractor contributing to the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) for 4 years. In 2009, Aaron’s contract came to an end which is when he finally made the decision to return to the United States; he joined his fiancée in New Orleans. Throughout his Marine Corps and contractor career, Aaron’s passion has been bodybuilding, health & fitness. No matter what job Aaron held or where he was in the world, everyone knew him for his passion in fitness.
Now that Aaron is back in the United States he is pursuing bodybuilding, health & fitness in hopes to make a difference in other people’s lives – he’s got a full plate! He will be competing in the 2011 Greater Gulf States Bodybuilding competition in New Orleans in hopes to qualify for a National Level bodybuilding competition, ultimately trying to take his passion for bodybuilding to another level. Aaron is a NESTA Certified Personal Trainer and AFPA certified Sports Nutrition Consultant.
Aaron is (and has been) utilizing the web to network and meet others as passionate as he is. You’ll find him all over the web looking to meet business minded people to share ideas and potentially create new business opportunities with.
Bodyspace: www.bodyspace.com/wfbb00
You can also reach Aaron on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Youtube.
