Super Shredded Bodybuilder Jim Walter Talks To Muscle & Strength

What is your athletic background, and how did you get involved with bodybuilding?

I grew up playing basketball and baseball, but athletics as a whole has always been my passion.  These sports molded me into the athlete I am today.  I loved going to Jacob’s Field in 1995 and 1997 and being marveled while watching the Cleveland Indians in the World Series with wide eyes.  The Indians had so much firepower and in my eyes there was no better team ever to walk the face of the earth.  They won the Central Division 5 years in a row!  The passion that filled the stands and was displayed on the field was overwhelming.  From that very moment, I wanted to be the best athlete and competitor I could be.

Through much adversity, I learned early on that you can never achieve perfection, nothing is perfect.  However, you can relentlessly chase perfection because in the process you will catch excellence.  At some point when you realize you are not going to go pro in basketball or baseball, you need to focus your time elsewhere.

I spent a lot of my time conquering academia.  The Jesuit principles of discipline and excellence were instilled at me as I was molded into a young man through high school.  Academia was not satisfying to me, I soon began lifting weights and dieting.  I made a lot of improvements to my speed, strength, and overall physique.  I met one of my closest friends in the gym, Rory Ball (California Natural Muscle winner in 2009).  We trained together every day during the summer of 2007.  Under his wing I grew into the dietician and bodybuilder I am today.

What do you love most about bodybuilding?

What I love most about the sport is the opportunity it provides.  Bodybuilding doesn’t have 4 quarters or 9 innings.  It is a lifestyle.  It is something that I live and breathe each and every day.  It is a 365 day a year job.  The best part about the sport, is it makes me better in everything that I do.  Each time you hit a new peak, there is another pinnacle to strive for.  You can climb the ladder and never get to the top.

Another great aspect that the sport provides is it is filled with quality people.  There are so many great people out there.  Each and every single person that is important in my life has come to me through athletics.  My closest friends, those I call brothers, are all athletes.  I would never have met these individuals and family if the sport did not exist.  I am truly blessed in that regard.

What were the major milestones that gave you that "extra" motivation boost?

One of the biggest milestones that I have hit was graduating from Miami University with both an Accounting and Finance degree.  I also completed the Alternative Investments Program at the London School of Economics.  These milestones were very hard for me to achieve.  However, fitness and nutrition is what allowed me to reach these goals.  Having a structured life and fueling my body with proper nutrients allowed me to learn and grow (in the classroom and the gym!)

What keeps you motivated?

The moment you stop giving your all, is the moment that the competition passes you up.  Never get outworked.  Remember… Success is UNCOMMON, therefore not to be enjoyed by common man.  Be Uncommon.  Why would you settle for mediocrity?  Think about that.  As a constant reminder to myself, I have “Uncommon” tattooed on my serratus. Every morning when I get up its is one of the first things I see and immediately gets me ready for what my day holds.

What are your future goals, dreams and plans?

Right now I plan to keep dominating the business world.  I want to reach a point that I can comfortably give back and put mother in a position of financial flexibility.  She has given her all for me and deserves the best.

I also would like to accumulate the financial overhead and stability to make my move into the fitness/athletic industry.  Many people fail in their first attempt.  I know that I will not.

In the mean time I hope to push myself to new limits physically and mentally.  I am making the move from middleweight to light heavy.  This is going to be a huge challenge for me.  During my “lean mass gain” journey, I hope to open as many friends, family, and clients’ eyes to the world of fitness and nutrition.  I want to help, coach, and guide as many individuals to their dreams as possible.

What does your current training and split look like, and what do you like most about it?

One philosophy that I embody when I train is to train like Mike Mentzer.  He is an excellent role model to base your training off of.  I highly recommend that you do some research on him!

More specifically, my training split compliments my diet and lifestyle.  All of my weight training is done at 5:30 am.  By weight training immediately upon waking up, I make it a priority.  It is also a good time to get my thoughts together for the day.  Also, I feel that I am the strongest immediately upon waking up, I discovered this through years of trial and error.

I train legs on Monday mornings because that is when they are most rested after the weekend.  Also, the toils and stresses of the work week take place starting Monday, luckily at that point I have already given my all by the time I walk into the office for the week.  There are no excuses and no exceptions as to why I can’t train Monday mornings 52 times a year 5:30 am.

It is my time that no one can touch.  As a result of legs on Monday, back/training is on Thursday.  Monday and Thursday are both high carb days.  Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday are lower carb days, but full of healthy fats and protein.  Everything else just falls into place.  It all starts with the wheels!

• Sunday—(softball, cardio, or maybe just a walk outdoors)
• Monday—Legs
• Tuesday—Chest/Tris
• Wednesday—LISS am
• Thursday—Back/Bis
• Friday—HIIT
• Saturday—Shoulders, FUN STUFF (bells, bands, chains, plyos)

How often do you perform cardio?

In season—at least 4 LISS sessions and 2 HIIT sessions per week.Off season—at least 2 LISS sessions per week (this does not count anything fun such as a pickup basketball game or softball games).

A LISS session is performed for 45 minutes at minimum (on an empty stomach or immediately post workout), on a treadmill at 7 incline.  I adjust the speed from 3.4-3.6 as needed.  The reason I use a treadmill is I feel out of all means to do cardio I can control my fat burn and minimize all other variables.  There are many theories as to what your heart rate should be.

Some say it should be between 110-130 BPM.  I have a Polar heart rate monitor and have done some testing.  I have found that for fat loss, the best means to know if you are in the “Fat burning zone” is to do this simple test.  If you can hold a conversation with someone 4 feet away from you without gasping, while you are walking on the treadmill, you are in the fat burning zone.

That is why I adjust the speed from 3.5 +/- .1 depending on how I am feeling.  I think each person is different and not only that but the same person can be different on different days!  Adapt and adjust accordingly to maximize your fat loss.

A HIIT session is simple.  5 minutes warm up LISS, 15 one-minute intervals, 10 minute cool down LISS.  An interval is defined as a 15 second sprint all out on a recumbent bike with a 45 second recovery period.  This is done preferably in the evening after eating throughout the day.  I believe it keeps the metabolism burning throughout the night.

Do you supplement your weight training and cardio with any other physical activities?

One of the best decisions I ever made was to join the Strongstyle family in Cleveland, OH.  Strongstyle is principally an MMA gym.  However, I loved utilizing the facility for kettlebells, battling ropes, bands, chains, Jacob’s ladder, turf for sprinting, plyometric box jumps, farmer’s walks, and tires!  Not only do they have superior equipment, but the friends that I have made are warriors.  I have learned so much from them.  Strongstyle breeds success.

What are your thoughts on fasted cardio?

Oh boy!  The dreaded and highly debatable question.  Layne Norton is about to go crazy with my response!  I believe that LISS for fat burning is maximized on an empty stomach in the morning and post workout.  I have tried both fasted and non fasted LISS.  I have better results with empty stomach LISS.

HIIT in a non-fasted state at night keeps the metabolism burning and firing through the night.  I like to use the Polar FT7 heart rate monitor during HIIT to push myself to new levels.  However, with all this being said I think you should try both (fasted and non-fasted cardio) and see what works best for YOU!

What are some of your best training tips for someone who just wants to look good and ripped, but doesn’t want to compete?

There is no magic supplement.  Just hard work and dedication!  When you think you made it, you can always dig deeper.  That is KEY.  Pushing yourself beyond your limits.

What are some of the most common mistakes made when someone is trying to build muscle and/or get ripped?

Taking too much advice from too many people.  Listen to other people, but listen to your body.  Take what works for YOU and apply it.  We are all different creatures.

Become a human sponge You are a product of your environment. Surround yourself my successful people. Not only that, but place yourself in an environment where you are uncomfortable. If you are a man an are afraid of Yoga, take it. If you are a woman and are afraid of deadlifts, do them. Put yourself out of your element. If you are uncomfortable, you are doing it right. Meet new people. Someone out there knows a better way to approach a topic than you do. Become a sponge and absorb as much as you can.

What are some of the biggest training mistakes you’ve made?

My biggest mistake I think was overtraining.  I am now in the gym weight training 4 times a week instead of my previous 5-6.  I think this is very important.  You should be in the gym 4 times a week going all out for somewhere between 60-80 minutes.  Your workouts should be less frequent through the duration of a week, but more intense.  You need to rest and refuel your body.  That is more than half the battle: sleep and proper nutrition (fuel).

However, I have made so many mistakes in my training and in my life.  What I can tell you is that when you do make one, you will never forget it.  Mistakes are inevitable, especially In bodybuilding.  It is a trail and error process.

Remember this:  “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games.  26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I’ve failed over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

What are your best tips for getting ripped and shredded abs?

A million crunches a day is not a recipe for abdominal muscles.  Ripped and shredded abs come through proper nutrition and dieting over an extended period of time.

What does your post-workout nutrition and supplementation look like?

All of my dieting and nutrition is done by Jason Theobald of Natty Nutrition (www.nattynutrition.com).  He is a diet guru and peak week king.  Also, remember this, when you push yourself to the extreme, I strongly advise to have someone like Jason (an unbiased 3rd party) monitor your diet.  You are in no physical or mental state to make judgment calls about yourself!

I am a mesomorph. What does this mean?  I have a naturally fit body, but to make gains I really need to focus on my diet.  I wasn’t blessed with a rocket fueled metabolism, so I need to make sure I don’t slip up on my diet and hold the course.  I can weight train more frequently and for longer than an ectomorph, but, like I said before you need to make sure you do not over train, regardless of your body type.  I make sure I always train with moderate to heavy weights, using supersets to make sure I maximize every minute I am in the gym, working often times until failure and giving a blood flood to that muscle.

In the offseason I am at about 3,000 calories per day.  Normal days 50/35/15 (P,C,F) and reefed days I am at 35/55/10.  This offseason I plan to make the move from middleweight to lightheavy.  More eating will be in store for me!

Like I said before, everyone is different.  There is no magic diet.  Reach out to Jason if you want to see results and most importantly LEARN about yourself.

How do you prepare meals? Do you cook daily or cook for the week?

I prep all my food in bulk on Sunday’s for the week.  Each week night I then portion my food and pack it for the following day.  This is a very effective system.  As you can imagine, Monday through Friday I go through a lot of Ziploc containers!

What are your favorite cheat meals and foods?

Hand downs, sushi.  Sushi with my girlfriend makes it even more enjoyable!

What are some of your favorite supplements and why?

I won’t list all the supplements I take, but I will list some that I feel that everyone doesn’t take, but should!

Scivation Xtend (blue raspberry)— Xtend blend of BCAA’s (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine), Glutamine, Citrulline Malate, and Vitamin B6 that will give you the energy you need to maximize your training while enhancing recovery at the same time.  Drinking it during a workout allows me to have a solid pump and avoid fatigue.  Not to mention it tastes great.  I stick with blue raspberry, but there are so many awesome flavors!

Beverly SuperPak—A great multivitamin is key to proper nutrition.  It is impossible to eat to perfection.  Most of us are focused on macronutrient profiles.  Don’t ever discount micronutrients.  A multivitamin supplies your body with super-dietary quantities of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients - quantities that would be impossible to obtain from a single day's eating.

Natty Nutrition SlinTrol—Allows you to control insulin spikes (lower blood glucose levels) throughout the day.  Having control of insulin spikes is key in bodybuilding.  SlinTrol combines two potent minerals (chromium and vanadyl sulfate) to help control and lower blood glucose levels for individuals that already have normal blood sugar ranges.

What are your favorite meals and foods?

Foods I think everyone should try:  macadamia nut oil, quinoa, almond butter.

How important is nutrient timing for performance and/or building muscle?

Crucial.  I always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.  When training/dieting you are always on the clock.  As we know, life deals us many unpredictable days.  I highly recommend keeping some protein powder, rice cakes, and macadamia nut oil at your desk or in your car at work.  You will always have ingredients to eat on the run if need be.  And all these ingredients will never go bad.

Which athletes do you admire any why?

I personally don’t find a lot of athletes as role models.  Just because they are good at their respected sport, win MVP awards, and have championship rings, doesn’t make them a good role model.  There is a BIG difference.

One professional bodybuilder that I look up to is Wendell Floyd.  He is a true ambassador to the sport and a man of integrity.  I have become good friends with Wendell during my last prep here in Atlanta.  Wendell is a great bodybuilder, terrific father, and one of my friends.  Check out Wendell at the Europa in Orlando!

Athletes I truly admire are guys like Jason Theobald and Joe Daniels:

Jason is an excellent husband, terrific father, and proud business owner.  I didn’t know what to make of Jason at first, but I have come to know him through prep and admire how much heart and soul he puts into the sport.  That is truly rare.

Joe Daniels is a different creature and character.  Joe is literally an untamed animal let lose in the gym…snatching kettlebells, swinging anything he can find, and proving people wrong doing the unconventional.  He also is a great man outside of the gym.  If you don’t know Joe, you should.  He will change your life.

Workout music – Don’t care, or MP3 player?

Music is one of the best supplements ever.  I have my iPod maxed out with hip-hop and R&B, there is no other way.

What are some of your favorite motivational quotes?

"I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious." —Vince Lombardi

"When you want it bad enough, you train hard enough, you grind hard enough…you don’t have to chase your dreams.  Your dreams chase you." —Jim Walter

If someone wants to connect with you, where can you be found?

Facebook.  Best way to connect with me is to simply introduce yourself.  I try to help others and pay forward all the help people have given me.

What attracts you to the natural side of sports and competition?

This is a really tough question.  Just because of all of the stereotypes and controversy around steroids.  I never have taken steroids, nor do I plan on it.  I live a healthy lifestyle and I want the same for my family and future children.  With that being said, I have friends that take steroids.  Good people just like me and you, and yes….I said it...they take steroids!  I try not to judge people and understand where they come from.

They believe that they are bettering themselves.  We all have different opinions.  With that being said, I respect their decision to take performance enhancing drugs.  After all, it is their decision to make.  I am proud to be a natural athlete and don’t know any other way.  It would make me feel uncomfortable to take steroids.  It is just a gut feeling I have.  Always follow your gut.  To be truly honest, I have am happy to do it the way I have been, the natural way.

Which college or professional sports teams do you root for?

Miami University of Ohio.  Love and Honor!