Relying on both the traditional and the new were methods that IFBB pro bodybuilder Ray Arde found to be the perfect mix to move him forward to his goal of attaining the type of physique required to achieve bodybuilding success. His other useful source of knowledge became his first-hand experience at a number of national level amateur events that gave him the tools to make the final move into professional status.
Transforming from Martial Arts to Bodybuilding
A northern California bodybuilder with strong roots across the Pacific, Charles Ray Arde is also an example of patience and persistence in his sport. The journey to professional bodybuilding status required two decades of effort in steadily building new muscle mass, improved symmetry and a finely detailed physique to stand out among many in a fiercely competitive field at the elite level. Ray Arde comes from a family originally from the Philippines, and early on found he had the type of genetics that responded well to a bodybuilding regimen. He began training at the age of just 16 when his brother-in-law encouraged him to work out with an old Olympic set of weights at his house.
His initial motivation for weight training was to build size and speed for playing football. He also studied martial arts for seven years. Then he began to notice the bodybuilding career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and what the Austrian legend had achieved in the film world, and decided to train for bodybuilding competition himself. His first show was the 1991 Border States Classic in San Diego, where he placed fourth as a light heavyweight. His results encouraged him sufficiently to continue with more events over the next several years, and he won his own home city of San Jose's championship twice. There followed high placings at national events such as the Collegiate Nationals, the California championship, and others that eventually led to his winning his light heavyweight class and professional status at the 2005 National championships.
Looking back at his early years of development and entry into a new sport, Ray still credits the support and insight he gained from traditional family roots. “As in many Polynesian families, martial arts was a part of my growing up,' he points out. “It improved my discipline, focus and single-mindedness. Martial arts training was often difficult and repetitive, but I always knew there was an outcome at the end of the lesson. "Among the principles I learned in that discipline and still apply to my training: “Never to retreat in battle. Trust and brotherhood among friends. Respect among one's family.”
Adjusting to a New Regimen
Making a successful transition to a bodybuilding lifestyle and its nutritional and training demands, Ray admits there were certainly some fundamental adjustments to make in his eating habits. When asked what single food item from his earlier background he was able to incorporate into his training season lifestyle, he says with a laugh: “White rice only! Most—if not all—Polynesian food is fattening, so unless I plan to compete in a fat man contest, Polynesian food is not bodybuilding food. Off-season, though, my favorite is panciet—noodles combined with vegetables. I try to teach my body to eat as clean as possible even during the off-season so that when I start preparing for competition, I won't crave any bad foods.”
In spite of early successes at regional level competition, Ray remained critically aware of his own progress, and always set new training objectives with each new contest season regimen. “My shoulders and biceps were always strong,” he recalls. “I was curling 205 lbs at the age of 19, and doing shoulder presses of 405 lbs. with a barbell. However, I always had to work my back much more intensely—for some reason, it's a hard muscle area for me to develop.” His dedication to continued heavy and intense training at this point was clear from his typical pre-contest regimen at the time: an upper body routine might consist of performing Incline dumbbell presses – 190 lbs. for 3-5 repetitions; alternate dumbbell curls – 100 lbs. for 3-5 repetitions; and dumbbell shoulder presses – 170 lbs. for 3-5 repetitions.
Hal W. Peat - Hal Peat is an independent journalist on fitness, exercise, health and sports personalities. He has contributed for over 12 years to a ...
Join the Conversation