Eric Larocque is an up-and-coming Natural Bodybuilder from Ottawa, Ontario. He competed in the OPA GNC Ottawa Classic in June 2012 and took home 1st place for the Men’s Middleweight class and was the runner-up for the Men’s Overall Bodybuilding title. More recently, he has been featured in a number of online interviews. Eric plans on eventually competing at the National level as a Natural Bodybuilder.

For training advice/ tips or if you are interested in following his journey:
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When did you start training and what motivated you to start?

I got into bodybuilding when I was in college. The college lifestyle wreaked havoc on my body – I was binge-eating and drinking… I didn’t like what I saw when I looked in the mirror and I didn’t like how I felt. Growing up I had always been pretty active; I played a variety of different sports which kept me lean. Transitioning from high school to college was tough. I lost focus and went from being a lean 180lbs to an over-indulgent 240lbs in a matter of 10 months. A couple of my friends started going to the gym and I decided to tag along. I was hooked! From that point on, I made it my goal to lean out, lift heavier, and work harder than ever before. Unfortunately, it’s hard to make a lot of gains without the knowledge-base… After 9 years of training hard and educating myself, I am happy to say that I’m at a place that I am very proud of. Very excited to see what the next 9 years holds!

What does your typical diet look like?

I try to keep my diet as healthy as I can year round, regardless of whether I’m prepping for a competition or not. I truly believe you are what you eat.

In my off-season, I focus on adding clean mass. As a result, my diet tends to look something like this:

7:30am – 4 whole eggs, 8 egg whites, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup blueberries

10:30am – 6oz extra lean ground beef, 250 grams sweet potatoes, 1 cup broccoli (hot sauce on both)

2:30pm – 6oz chicken breast, 250 grams sweet potatoes, 2 cups spinach (hot sauce on both)

5:30pm (pre-workout) – 1 cup oatmeal with 1 scoop chocolate isolate protein mixed in (30 grams protein)

6:30pm – Intra workout BCAA’s

7:30pm (post workout) – 1 scoop isolate protein, 2 banana’s, 6 rice cakes

9:00pm – 6oz extra lean ground beef, 250 grams sweet potatoes, 2 cups of spinach

11:30pm – 1 scoop casein protein with 2 tablespoons or natural peanut butter (blended into shake)

Macros – 3650 calories, 82F/415C/295P

Do you have cheat days / meals?

When I am preparing for a competition, I use re-feed days/ meals (i.e., pancakes). When I am in my off-season, I do throw in a cheat meal once or twice a week, but I try to keep it as clean as possible (i.e., sushi, steak and potatoes, etc). Also, I track my macro nutrients each day – this includes cheat meals!

Do you drink alcohol?

I do, but in moderation. Even in my off-season, I avoid ‘extreme’ ends of the spectrum. If I am preparing for a competition or photo shoot, I limit myself to one or two glasses of red wine per week. In the off-season, there is a bit more flexibility, but I am not the type of person that will drink excessively and jeopardize training sessions… those college days are behind me!

Do you use many supplements?

Yes I do. Depending on whether I am in contest prep-mode or the off-season, some of my staples include:
• Multivitamins
• Whey Protein
• BCAA’s
• Flaxseed Oil
• Pre-Workout Energy
• Creatine Monohydrate
• CLA (Contest Prep)
• L-Carnitine (Contest Prep)
• Isolate Protein (Contest Prep)

What does your typical training routine look like?

In terms of training, I like to stick to a 6-day high-volume split for the most part (see below). That being said, I do switch it up occasionally by doing a push/ pull splits or a 5/3/1 p program. It keeps things from getting stagnant. I plan on doing Layne Norton’s PHAT program next off season as well as I hear great things about it.

Monday – Legs (Quads and Calves)

Wednesday – Back

Thursday – Arms

Friday – Legs (Glutes and Hamstrings)

Saturday – Delts

Sunday – Off

In terms of cardio, I usually stick with 15 minutes of HIIT roughly two times per week. Sometimes I will do 30 minutes of LISS post-workout instead. However, I’m a big fan of getting the cardio done in as little time as possible! In terms of abs, I usually train my abs every second day. I like to switch up the exercises each time, but some of my favourites include hanging leg raises, ball crunches and ab roll-outs.

Do you have any inspirational figures you look up to?

Of course! First and foremost, my coach and mentor, Duncan Milloy.
This guy is the EPITOME of hard work and dedication. My best decision was choosing him as my coach. Not only does he push me beyond the boundaries that I set for myself, but he also fuels my passion for this sport.

Another person that I really look up to is Layne Norton – his knowledge about natural bodybuilding is second to none and I love to hear about his thoughts and views.

I’m also a huge fan of the following physiques: Doug Miller, Bob Paris, Kane Sumabat, Kelechi Opara, Sean Harley, Luke Haslett, Ulisses JR, Matt Ogus, Berto Nunez, Dickens Lambert and James Ellis.

Last but not least, let’s not forget Arnold Schwarzenegger. I absolutely idolize Arnold’s unconditional passion for the sport and everything he has done to grow bodybuilding into what it is today.

Have you ever competed? If so, tell us a bit about it?

I competed in my first competition a few weeks ago actually. I took home first place at the OPA GNC Ottawa Classic for the Men’s Middleweight category and I was the runner-up for the Overall title. I have done some fitness modelling, but competing is what I am passionate about. One of my long term goals is to make it to the National level as a Natural Bodybuilder

Where do you see yourself in the future? (bodybuilding / modelling / competing etc)

One of my long terms goals is to compete at the CBBF and IFBB levels as a Natural Bodybuilder. By no means am I expecting this to happen immediately. I am prepared to put in as many years as it takes to make it to this level and I look forward to the day that I can share the stage with some of the bodybuilders that have served as a source of inspiration throughout my journey.

Where did you hear about Physique Of The Week?

I saw it come up on my Facebook feed when Dana Baker was in the running to win it. One of the bodybuilders that I look up to actually competed in POTW – Matt Ogus.

What do you think about Physique Of The Week?

I think it’s awesome. Physique of the Week provides bodybuilders, figure athletes, and fitness models an amazing opportunity to get some exposure and recognition for all the hard work.

If you could give our readers one piece of advice what would it be?

My advice is to stay consistent. You can’t put in a few months and expect to look the same way as someone who has been training for years and years. By staying consistent in terms of training hard and keeping the diet clean, you will see consistent gains! Never lose site of the big picture. Look to other bodybuilders as role-models and work towards that. You will get there with time, consistency, and dedication. Follow one of my favorite sayings: “Eat clean and train dirty”

Don’t look for a shortcut or “quick fix”. It is going to take years and years of pushing your body past boundaries both in and out of the gym. Be prepared to sacrifice a lot… that being said, if you put in the time and are okay with the sacrifices, you will reap the rewards ten-fold. Above all else, never give up. You will encounter setbacks, but it is all a matter of perspective. You can either choose to overcome those setbacks or let those setbacks overcome you… Remember: fall seven times, stand up eight.

What is your strongest bodypart? And how do you train it?

My strongest body part are probably my arms and delts. I train them like I train everything else, balls to the walls and as heavy as possible. I’m a big fan of 5×5 for compound movements so I’ll often do DB military press and straight BB curls 5×5 to start my workout and then I’ll finish the workout with more of a hypertrophy focus and do isolation movements for 8-12 reps.