The Paul Revelia (fltallpaul) Q&A Thread

[AVBG]

New NGA pro Paul Revelia has come on board here on RX Muscle to share his own experiences on his succession to the pro ranks.

Give us some background Paul?

[fltallpaul]

First of all I would like to say thank you to Alex who contacted me about posting in this forum. I plan on being a productive contributor and answering any questions. Here is a brief background about me.

My name is Paul Revelia. I turned 34 in October and live in Orlando, Fl. I began bodybuilding to put size on my skinny frame in high school. My first book was the Arnold Schwarzenegger Modern Bodybuilding Encyclopedia. I played baseball in college on Scholarship so my lifting was interrupted often but I always had a passion for lifting. Those initial images or Arnold, Franco and Zane will always be with me and my goal. I am a life time Natural Bodybuilder as well.

In 2007 I decided I wanted to try my luck at competing. I contacted Layne Norton about doing a show and thus began my competitive career. Although I am late in the competitive game I feel that all those years of lifting, over eating, over dieting, frustration and perseverance really gave me a solid base to work with. As soon as Layne got a hold of my nutrition and workout regime he took me to another level. I have not looked back since. I find myself more motivated than ever to step on the Pro Stage as a force in the coming years.

I do bring something a bit unique to the table in that I am 6'3". Height and bodybuilding don't necessarily work but I will not let that slow me down. I have had success thus far and I feel with the work I plan on putting in I will continue to do so in the future. As I prepare for the Pro Stage I will also share some videos and workout highlights. I will be more than happy to answer any questions anyone has and give my insights on any topic I feel qualified to answer.

Contest History
2008 NPC Mid Florida Muscle Classic Novice Champion
2009 NGA Florida Natural Championships Overall Champion
2009 OCB Midwest States Tall Class Champion

A few pictures I have in my collection. I will post more as they come in. I have had two photo shoots in the last few weeks which I should be getting some great pictures from.

One week out


4 Days out


Day before


Overall Presentation

[fltallpaul]

Photoshoot between shows


Midwest States




Again, thanks to Alex for this opportunity.

[GENESIS]

do you ever plan on doing any NPC shows?

[fltallpaul]

do you ever plan on doing any NPC shows?

Great question and the answer is yes. Here is why.

In Florida there are a ton of NPC shows and very few Drug Tested shows. I only know of 1 Pro Drug Tested show in Florida which I plan to do that is the NGA Pro Universe. There are several drug tested NPC shows and some really great NPC shows in general. Here is a list of shows I would like to do in the future.

NPC Dexter Jackson Classic in Jacksonville, Fl
NPC Mid Florida Muscle Classic in Orlando, Fl
NPC Typhoon Bay in Tampa Bay, Fl
NPC Gold Cup in West Palm Beach, Fl

I will also keep an eye out for other shows which catch my eye. Some day I would like to try my luck at the Team Universe but that is several years away I feel. For now I am going to focus on putting on the size I need to compete at my best.

[Down4whatever]

I know being tall is rough as I'm 6'1". It's especially difficult in the leg area if a person is not genetically gifted.

Your legs have great detail and appear to be a strength area (not that you lack anything), what kinds of leg work/movements do you put the most focus on?

[fltallpaul]

I know being tall is rough as I'm 6'1". It's especially difficult in the leg area if a person is not genetically gifted.

Your legs have great detail and appear to be a strength area (not that you lack anything), what kinds of leg work/movements do you put the most focus on?

Thank you and I have been working very hard over the last few years to make sure my legs were not a glaring weakness. I feel they have responded well in that time and become a strong point for me as well.

Being tall means long range of motion so I have always put an emphasis on this. I will never be the strongest person around so I instead place more focus on building muscle through range of motion and mind muscle connection. Ofcourse no one is getting big without getting strong so I am constantly pushing for new Personal Records. Here are the movements which have yielded the best gains for me with legs.

Hack Squat (full range and varied foot positions)
Stiff Legged Dead Lift
Squats
Deadlifts
Lunges
Leg Press (various foot positions)

I stick to the basics and use all of these as power movements. I have recently learned how to squat with the bar lower on my back, below my traps. This is allowing me to squat deep without pitching forward and keeping my legs more involved. I will post a video soon with this technique.

Thank you.

[AVBG]

I already like this guy!

Paul, speak on range of motion particularly for us taller guys?

[NATURAL-1987]

I'm 5'11". so lets hear what your saying on this. You were in a class of your own in that comparison shot. Just unreal condition, if I recall your one of Laynes guys?

[nutratroy]

Paul is the real deal. I had the pleasure of meeting him and seeing him earn his Pro Status in Fl. He will be a force to recok with. I see a few pro wins for him in the next decade

Hey Beef!

[nutratroy]

I already like this guy!

Paul, speak on range of motion particularly for us taller guys?

Love this guy!

[AVBG]

Love this guy!

You're not too bad yourself stud

[fltallpaul]

I already like this guy!

Paul, speak on range of motion particularly for us taller guys?

Range of motion is a term that gets thrown around alot. Often time you hear people say that you have to use the "full range of motion" for a workout to be effective. This saying is a bit off because full range of motion is limited when we use bodybuilding equipment.

For example. The chest muscles are designed to move the arm across the body. The bench press is widely considered the best chest builder yet the bar does not allow us to get a full range of motion.

I began examining all my lifts several years ago and learned to use what I call the "exercises full range of motion". Each lift I do I think about the muscles being worked and use the lift to its greatest benefit. For something like curls I make sure to get full extension and contraction. For bench press I put the bar in a position which puts my chest in action, what some consider a power lifters position.

I have also always gotten a much better response and muscle growth when I make sure that the muscle is activated at the bottom of its stretch. Sure cheating and swinging have thier place and time but for the most part I use each rep as a brand new starting point. Activating the muscle from the start really has helped me get thicker over the years, and I have trained others who have noticed the same thing. When they train with me and with my style they get thicker even though they use less weight initially. Something funny also happens when you lower the weight and use perfect form...your strength goes right back up to where it was.

This is such a good topic especially for tall guys. My basic thought process is to think about each lift I am doing and what muscles are being targetted. This ensures I use the lift most efficiently to build thicker, stronger muscles, because that is my goal.

[fltallpaul]

I'm 5'11". so lets hear what your saying on this. You were in a class of your own in that comparison shot. Just unreal condition, if I recall your one of Laynes guys?

Thanks Natural yes I am one of Layne's clients and have learned a great deal from him. We have actually become friends and spending time in his pressence and asking questions is a great way to learn. I will actually be doing some power lifting under his guidance early next year once I get my strength back to full off season numbers. I am looking forward to hitting some nice goals on the big 3.

Paul is the real deal. I had the pleasure of meeting him and seeing him earn his Pro Status in Fl. He will be a force to recok with. I see a few pro wins for him in the next decade

Hey Beef!

Thanks Troy, I will never forget what you said to me before we even knew each other as you walked into the athletes meeting, lol.

Layne told me you were a really nice guy but he still sold you short. You are a great example of how we should all behave in this sport, supporting each other. Gaspari is lucky to have you on thier team as you are a great ambasador for the sport, Krissy isn't too bad either, lol.

I am going to bust my ass so I can make your prediction true, winning a Pro Show is my ultimate goal. I would also like to make callouts at Team Universe someday.

[DAVIDHARDY]

Thanks for the pics Paul. Do you have them in another format? Gmail isn't allowing them to be downloaded, because it is saying that the files are corrupt for some reason. Maybe my computer is just being a bitchass. Sorry for the non-bodybuilding related question lol.