Shawn Roden: ‘Bodybuilding is a stress reliever’
Body bui lding is a sport that has been here for quite awhile, but it hasn’t really caught on as much as it has in the United States. In the US, a number of past champions have used the sport as their ticket to fame and glory on the big screen — Arnold Shwarzenegger is the most popular of them all. He won the Mr. Olympia contest a record seven times, and he also helped bring the sport to new levels during his era in the ‘ 70s. Enter Shawn Rhoden, one of the best bodybuilders in the world today. He came in second this year in the Mr. Olympia contest and has been a consistent top five finisher the past few years.
Recently, he was in the country for his very own Shawn Rhoden Classic, which has helped elevate the sport locally.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR: Welcome back to the Philippines!
SHAWN RHODEN: It’s my home away from home. I love being here! My first time was back in 1999 and, again, this is our 4th year promoting the Shawn classic so it’s a pleasure to be here.
Tell us about the Rhoden Classic.
Yes, it’s something that I always wanted to do! When I first came out here, and I know a lot of bodybuilders, I thought and asked my adviser, business manager, and my best friend, I wanted to give something back to the community and so we came out and made a promise that we would come up with a project four years ago; the opportunity presented itself, and now, we’re blessed to be on our 4th year!
At what level is Philippine bodybuilding today?
Well, there are different levels and I think it’s just a matter of finally being noticed. I mean there are great and good athletes here that compete. You won’t find someone as big as me, but you have smaller bodybuilders, and if you guys continue to join international competitions, the good guys here will have the opportunity to excel!
How did it all start?
I never wanted to be a bodybuilder, I thought somewhere down the road I’d actually be playing soccer in Europe. A soccer player born in Jamaica. A relative thought that if I was able to get a little bit stronger, I can be a much better player. I would be able to shove off defenders. So, as I was playing soccer, I found a passion and a love for bodybuilding and I just stuck with it. Back in 2009, I had an opportunity to become a pro bodybuilder and it has been great ever since.
Why did you choose this sport that’s essentially an individual sport?
To me, it’s still a team sport. Yes, you’re on stage by yourself, but at the same time, you have to surround yourself with positive people that can understand your journey, your goal, and so forth. So, I have a great nutritionist, a training staff, great sponsors that understand what my goal is and at the end of the day, I’m on stage by myself but representing a team. They have my back and I’m glad to have the support of a great cast.
What’s a typical day for you like?
It is a very time-consuming one! Bodybuilding is a full-time job. I travel from anywhere to 16-20 countries per year with promotional stuff and so forth, and you know, for me, a daily exercise from home to gym starts with 45 minutes of cardio. I start my first meal at 5:30 a.m., eat three meals before 2 o’clock, and have four meals before I go to bed. And you know, so everything that I do basically is involved with bodybuilding. It’s now part of my lifestyle!
What’s your ultimate goal?
The ultimate goal will always be Mr. Olympia. Last year, I placed second, this year again second place. For the past few years, I’ve been in the top five and top three since 2012 and my ultimate goal is to one day be Mr. Olympia! I feel it’s very achievable. I thought this year would be the year, but it’s back to joining again and just looking forward to the opportunity.
When does frustration start to set in?
To me, it’s not so much frustration, because nobody was really expecting me to be where I am right now, so at the end of the day, I feel I’ve accomplished more than anybody else had expected and, to be in the position of number two guy in the world right now, I can walk away and be happy! And if I’m able to motivate someone along the way to be in the position to walk the same path that I wasn’t able and put him in the position to actually accomplish it all, I’ll be very happy.
Why should people get into the sport?
It’s a stress reliever, hahaha. It builds character and it gives you determination, motivation, and so forth. For me, from a day-to-day struggle, bodybuilding is the best sport. You know, if you look around the world, from soccer players to basketball players and football players, they all go to the gym to build strength, so why not give bodybuilding a shot?