Con Demetriou -
Interview 5 Days Before The Flex Pro 2012
By Kostas Marangopoulos, M.Sc., CPT.
February 15th, 2012
Hi Con, how are
you? Let's get started with your latest news.
First of all, how do you feel right now? It’s 5 days out before
the show; your first show for 2012, how are you feeling?
I’m feeling really, really strong, I’m doing some of my biggest lifts in
the gym. I’m not trying to go heavy, I’m just
so strong and I feel really healthy and it doesn’t even feel like I’m
dieting this time. I seem to have a good
combination of dieting and training
and everything is falling into place.
What are you doing differently now that you didn’t do for
your last show?
Well, I’m not following the classic
bodybuilding guidelines, like for example, in my diet, I’m still eating
steak twice a day and I do cardio at night
time. What I do is I go to this huge hill in Lake Hollywood; I walk up
and down the hill, so I do a really hard
cardio session at night time. It’s allowed me to eat more food. I eat
broccoli and chicken breasts, I am eating the 0% fat Greek yogurt, the
really thick one, I put blueberries in there and it makes me feel really
healthy and strong. It makes my stomach feel really good.
I’ve been drinking coconut water, like fresh coconut. I crack
them open myself and I drink it, I probably drink about 4 of them a day.
I also eat a lot of vegetables, like spinach
and bochoi. I’m still having protein shakes before I train. In fact, I
had it today. I put 3 whole eggs, a whole banana, a big scoop of the
Greek yogurt and a little bit of soy milk. I drink that before I train
and it just gives me so much energy.
It sounds like you are doing the exact opposite of what a lot of
other guys are doing, cutting out all of these things,
like fruit and dairy.
Yeah, everyone says the dairy smoothes you out.
I cut out the milk but I’m keeping the yogurt and I feel really
healthy.
It's very interesting what you are doing
because honestly not a lot of guys take that approach, eating all those
foods.
And I drink pomegranate juice as well. In the off season, I drink
pomegranate juice, which is high in potassium and antioxidants. It
helps me stay really healthy.
Are you going to start cutting things
out a few days before the show?
No, I’m not going to deplete at all but a day before the competition, 24
hours before, I’m going to really carb up.
Are you going to cut your water too?
I’m not going to cut my water, but the night before the show, I’m going
to cut it out and switch to dry carbs, like
rice cakes.
That’s a good approach
I think because obviously, you’re looking a
lot fuller than all the other times, and more
muscular.
I think the other times; I cut out all this stuff, I depleted and then
carbed up. It just made me look stringy and
really flat. This time I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to spend
less time carbing up, just do it for a day but not deplete.
At the 2011
Europa Super Show in Dallas, in 7th place.
Going into the show, do you have a coach that’s helping you or
you're just doing everything yourself?
No, I’m just doing everything myself. Erica, my girlfriend,
cooks for me, trains with me as well and she helps me with my posing
routine.
With the show now a few days
away, seeing the
competitor's list, what do you think is going to take place? Who has the
most chances for the 2012 Flex Pro title?
Well, I think Lionel Byeke. He’s very
impressive. Fouad Abiad looks really good too.
I’ve competed against Shawn Rhoden
as well. He’s not that big but he’s got a tiny tiny waist
and he really comes in shredded. So, he’s very
good. There are all different guys to
look out for, all shapes and sizes; it’s going to be a good lineup.
Yeah, it sounds like a really fresh lineup with a lot of new guys,
right?
Yeah, a good variety, not just mass monsters, but a variety of different
shapes, everybody bringing something different to the stage. So, I don’t
know how I’m going to fit in with these guys but I know that I’m going
to be looking the best I’ve ever looked.
Absolutely, and I think with your symmetry and the increased
muscularity, you’re going to do very well. In your
most recent videos you look greatly improved, most than any other time.
Yeah, I think I’ll do well but like I said, there are some really good
guys. I don’t know if I’ll place in the top 5 or not. I think anyone can
win!
It's pretty much anyone's show at this point.
Yeah, that’s what makes it exciting, right?
Yeah, absolutely, and the first show of the season.
This brings me to my next question, what's you opinion about the new
IFBB Olympia qualifying rules?
You mean that only the first place finisher qualifies
for the Olympia?
Yes. exactly.
I’m a bit disappointed about that.
I would like to hear your opinion on that, how
to you see this change?
I thought I had a chance of making it to Olympia but now it feels like I
don’t have much of a chance now. I’ll really have to step it up if I
want to walk on that stage.
5th place
finisher at the 2010 Orlando Pro Show
Do you think it’s going to make a lot of guys not want to compete
or it’s going to make them want to step up
their game and be their best in order to win a show?
Well, I think it’s gonna get a lot of the guys who are lazy and only
compete once a year, they are going to have to compete probably several
times a year to get to the Olympia. It will
probably be better for the sport.
I hear a lot of different opinions on the subject. I think they
should have gone maybe in the middle somewhere. Maybe
allow the top 2 finishers to qualify in each show. These rules are very
strict.
Last year, at the Olympia there were a few guys who didn’t look that
good, and they shouldn’t have really been there. They
were sort of lucky to get in. I think that’s what they’re trying
to clean up.
Yes, that could very well be the primary
reason.
Either that or they want to get the good guys to compete more often so
it’s better for the promoters, sell more
tickets.
I guess we’ll see as the year progresses. What
are your plans after the Flex Pro?
I was planning on doing 6 shows this year. I was
planning on doing all the shows in the U.S. I didn’t know the
Orlando Europa was going to be on because it wasn’t listed so I didn’t
register for that one. I’ve registered for all the other shows.
Are you going to be doing New York Pro?
Yeah, I’ll be doing New York Pro that will be my next show after this
one.
Great, so we'll get to catch up then. Do you
have any sponsors that you would like to mention?
No, no sponsorships at all. Maybe I could get the Greek yogurt company
to sponsor me! (laughs)
Great idea! You have your videos up on
Flex Online though, are you working with them?
No, I just asked Robin Chang if there was any
way I could help promote the show because I’m in the area and he said it
would be great to put some videos up on Flex, that’s how that came
about.
I thought I saw you in some supplement ads if
my memory serves me well.
I used to wear Labrada t-shirts all the time
because they paid for some of my hotel bills,
I did some work for them before.
But no main sponsorship? Do you have anybody else who’s helping
you? Are you just paying for everything by yourself?
Yeah, I’m paying everything myself and with the help
of my girlfriend, she’s my backbone.
I’ve thought of giving up on it, and making
money some other ways.
How’s your website going? I saw you’re doing some videos, all
different things now.
Oh yeah my website is doing really well, believe it or not. I’m getting
more and more members all the time. So, because I’m competing six times
this year I’ll be in shape more often so it will look better
for what I’m doing.
So leading up to the show, have you changed anything in your
training as well?
No, training is normal. I run out of breath, I used to do a lot of
triple sets, sort of drop sets, I stopped doing that because I kept
losing my breath for some reason. Even though I’m doing the cardio, I’m
losing my breath but my strength has gone through the roof. I was
planning on doing a lot of drop sets leading up to the show but it’s
going the opposite way. I’m actually training heavier and doing less
reps.
How long is your contest prep? I know you are always
staying pretty lean.
I try to stay extra lean in the off season this time. I usually get up
to 265 pounds, this time I only got up to
about 245, I think. It doesn’t feel like I’ve been dieting, I think it’s
been about 6 weeks that I’ve been prepping.
How much do you weigh now and how much do you expect to weigh
before the show?
This is the first time I have not weighed myself, I haven’t weighed
myself since the Dallas show. If I jump on the scales and I weigh too
light, it psyches me out and I eat more and I smooth out. My secret this
time is I planned on not weighing myself and it actually worked. I focus
on how I look instead.
So, you're just using the mirror as your
guideline?
Yeah! I’m not even going to jump on the scales, I’ll probably jump on
the scales when I come home from the competition.
Like it would be nice to weigh myself in the morning of the
competition but if I weigh too light it’ll just psyche me out so I’m not
going to do it.
Yes definitely don't do it if you feel that way.
Your latest video on Flex
at one week out looks very impressive. Your legs are cut,
you can see the cross striations
everywhere.
Yeah, I’ve got all the definition there.
Honestly, it’s the best you've looked
since I’ve followed your career the past three years.
Thank you Kosta, that makes me feel
really good.
Absolutely, I’m being 100% honest and I
say it as I see it, you look amazing, really. I think
it's a show where you are going to do really well.
Thank you very much Kosta, it was a pleasure speaking
with you again.
My pleasure Con. I want to wish you once again best of luck for
Saturday's show and I'm sure you will do a terrific job.
I hope so, thank you.
For more information about Con, you can view his latest videos on
FlexOnline.com or join him at his official "Con
Demetriou Facebook fan page".
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