Point Set Match

Muscle Media Magazine by Laurie Golder

Brad Minns is a Winner in Tennis, Bodybuilding, and Life!
All too often, people who appear in the pages of a magazine experience a brief period of notoriety and then disappear, only to be eventually forgotten. We think that's a shame, and instead of letting some of our former "Muscle Media stars" disappear from sight, we decided to revisit one and see if bodybuilding has continued to make an impact on his life.

Some of you long time Muscle Media readers might remember Brad Minns from a profile that appeared in the May 1995 issue. Brad was one of the first EAS Spokesperson Champions, and his story was all the more compelling because of his handicap -- he's deaf -- although one hesitates to call it a handicap considering what Brad's done with his life.

But first, a brief recap of Brad's story: Brad was only three years old when he contracted a deathly fever. Obviously, he recovered, but the fever caused irreparable nerve damage and stole his hearing. His parents made sure he learned how to read lips and speak normally, but for all intents and purposes, and at the risk of sounding sappy, Brad has lived in a world mostly devoid of music laughter, and all the normal sounds most of take for granted.

He still enjoyed all the normal things kids like, though, and he became heavily involved in all sports, but tennis became his passion. Maybe it was because it's a sport that doesn't require you to listen to any plays or hear what base you're supposed to cover, but for whatever reason, Brad played and played and played. He got so good he won the World Tennis Championships for the Deaf. He continued to compete well into his 20's in tournaments around the world and worked as a tennis instructor in and around his home of Orlando, Florida.

One thing troubled him, though. It wasn't that he couldn't' hear the twang of a well-hit ball or the appreciative applause of the audience; instead, it was his weight, or lack thereof. He had started lifting weights about the same time he began playing tennis, which was way back in the eighth grade. Regardless of what he did, though, he couldn't get rid of that sinewy, lanky, well... tennis player look.

"I remember trying everything," says Brad. "I grew to love bodybuilding, and I worked it into my tennis playing as well as I could, but somehow, I could never get the weight on. I ate high-fat foods, weight-gain powders; I even chowed down peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a beer before bedtime. At one point, I got up to 176 lbs, but it sure wasn't lean muscle mass. As soon as I hit hard times, financially, I went back to my normal weight of about 169 lbs."

Well, anyone who's read this magazine can figure out what happened next. Brad stumbled upon a couple of Muscle Media, read about a product called Phosphagen (creatine monohydrate), along with some other EAS supplements. Within 10 weeks of trying his new supplement and nutrition program, along with some sensible training, he accomplished the bodybuilding equivalent to a victory in a Grand Slam tournament: he shot up to 191 lbs -- a gain of 22 lbs -- in just 10 weeks!

As a result, Brad was awarded one of the first EAS Spokesperson contracts, along with a fully loaded Corvette. Brad still remembers the day he won the car: "I remember when I met Bill Phillips at a fitness show at Disney World in January of 1995. After a few hellos, I asked Bill where the 'Vette was. He just pointed. I looked up, and there she was, a beautiful black 'Vette ready to rumble. After we got in the car and Bill sat in the driver's seat, he explained all the features and gadgets that were included. Once he started the engine and before I had my seat belt fully fastened, rubber was burning and there was smoke all over the place. Mickey Mouse would have had a coronary if he ever saw us flying down that road! Later that day, I got to drive it myself with Bill and his girlfriend driving along side in my 87 Honda Civic. Then, when we did the photo shoot for the article, Bill played around and acted like he was cleaning my car..."

Along with the Corvette, Brad was awarded with a $50,000 EAS endorsement contract. "Those monthly checks sure came in handy! And Bill has sent me more free supplements over the years than I can count! I attended fitness shows, and Bill even introduced me to Arnold [Schwarzenegger]! That was awesome! The exposure I received from that contest really helped too! Since then I've been on magazine covers; I've gotten modeling jobs -- I even did a TV commercial!"

Although it might seem like a deaf person might have difficulty in fulfilling his spokesperson duties, that certainly wasn't the case with Brad. "I get along with everyone just fine, although sometimes it seems I miss a lot of good conversations, with everybody around me having a good time and laughing about things (although he wears hearing aids, he relies heavily on reading lips). Other than that, I refuse to let being deaf be a handicap; in fact, I consider it to be a blessing since it helps me sleep like a baby, and I can tune out all the garbage I don't want to listen to. The hardest part is listening! Like my ex-girlfriend telling me, 'You don't listen!' Not being able to hear the telephone is sometimes a problem too. I have to use a relay service, which means a third party operator translates my calls. This doesn't really give me a lot of privacy when I'm using the telephone."

Even though it's been a couple of years since he's appeared in Muscle Media, people still recognize him and it surprises Brad.

"I can't believe they still remember me. For instance, I was in Portland, Oregon, ordering a sandwich at the airport deli, and the guy behind the counter recognized me from Muscle Media, so I gave him a Myoplex shake. In fact, that's my policy now -- if people recognize me, I give them a Myoplex."

Based on the photos accompanying this article, it's easy to see that Brad hasn't quit training. Quite the contrary. His physique is far more refined than it was in his first pictoral. He still competes in tennis too, having recently competed in the World Games for the Deaf in Copenhagen, Denmark. His team also won the prestigious Dresse Cup in Florida last summer, and it was the first time the USA had ever captured the cup in its 35-year history. His tennis goal is to continue training hard so when he turns 35 years old in a few years, he'll be able to dominate the Senior Tour and capture a world ranking.

If Brad thinks there are any drawbacks to playing tennis, it's the fact that playing and training long hours, in addition to traveling to locales where eating good food is easier said than done, is downright debilitating.

"Definition is my goal, not just size. I train very intensely and focus a lot on my lagging body parts -- I'm finally seeing some growth in these stubborn calves."

In addition to playing tennis almost every day, Brad generally hit the weight room four days a week. On day one, he'll work chest, biceps, and forearms:

• Bench presses: 1 set of 12 reps, 1 set of 8 reps, and 2 sets of 4 to 6 reps (using progressively heavier weights)
• Incline dumbbell presses: 1 set of 12 reps, 1 set of 8 reps, and 2 sets of 4 to 6 reps (using progressively heavier weights)
• Scott bench cable curls: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
• Standing cable curls: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (done on the high pulleys of a crossover machine, one handle in each hand and curling the weights simultaneously to the sides of his head)
• Wrist curls: 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps, super setted with reverse wrist curls.

"I rest only 15 to 20 seconds between sets on my biceps exercises, and these 2 exercises really give me great pumps and have led to some pretty good biceps peaks. Usually, I'll do around 12 to 15 reps to failure."

Workout two targets shoulders and triceps, and Brad usually does the following exercises:

• Barbell presses: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell side raises: 3 sets of 10 reps (done slowly)
• Shrugs: 1 drop set (starting heavy and working nonstop to failure using progressively lighter weights)
• Rope pushdowns: 1 set of 15 reps, 1 set of 12 reps, 1 set of 10 reps
• Lying triceps extensions: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps

"Shoulders are definitely my favorite parts to work. They're also one of my strongest parts. I'll take between 30-45 seconds between sets on both presses and dumbbell side raises. For the side raises, I'll do them as strictly as possible -- if you do the exercises right, with 100% intensity, it shouldn't take a whole lot of sets. As for my triceps workout, it's very short and simple. Since I play so much tennis, my elbows are always pretty sore."

Workout three is devoted to back, and since Brad feels it needs extra attention, he works it alone:

• Deadlifts: 1 set of 12 reps, 1 set of 8 reps, and 2 sets of 4 to 6 reps (using progressively heavier weights)
• Chin-ups: 3 sets of 8 reps (performed with a dumbbell hanging between his legs)
• Dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

Day four is, of course, leg day:

• Leg presses: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Hack squats: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Leg extensions: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Leg curls: 3 sets of 10 reps

"Before each workout, I'll warm up by doing calves or abs. For example, on day one, I'll do abs; on day two, I'll do calves, and so on and so forth. I'm really not keeping a log or anything right now. My training principle right now is to go along with the feel, and the exercises as well as the sets and reps I choose may be different each time I go to the gym. The two things I do consistently, though, are use proper form and intensity. During my 60-minute workouts, I turn off the outside world and just focus on the task at hand. Sometimes I even shut off my hearing aid to concentrate fully. Nothing screws up my workout worse than someone stopping by and complaining to me for ten minutes about how difficult it is to train and talk. I do, however, try to talk to and say hello to everyone after I'm done.

"I used to use such heavy weights I sometimes lacked good form. Nowadays, I lower the weights slowly and use good form, and I've managed to build and maintain quality muscle and get some really good gains."

Brad's diet isn't really much different than it was before. "Nothing too exciting to report on my diet. After a morning walk of about an hour, I'll eat 4 egg whites with a bagel and peanut butter (the real stuff), a cup of oatmeal with strawberries and a banana, and a glass of grapefruit juice. Throughout the remainder of the day, I'll have two Myoplex shakes and two solid meals spaced about three hours apart. My 'solid' meals are well-balanced, nutritious meals consisting of steamed veggies, lean meats, fresh fruits, etc. If I feel like snacking, Myoplex bars come in handy, and I carry them wherever I go, especially when I travel."

Okay, so some things about his training and diet have changed, but what about the man himself? Is today's Brad the same as he was two years ago? Has life taught him anything? You bet. Although he was always spiritual, Brad has started paying more attention to that part of his life.

"In the past, I always did my best to please my family, then my friends, then the girls, and then myself. Since then, I've learned that the greatest satisfaction comes from pleasing God himself. I've got a lot of goals -- professionally, personally, and spiritually -- but in the short term, I'd like to use my abilities and talents to inspire and motivate others through books, tapes, pictures, lectures, etc. Personally, I think the three main keys to achievement are faith, love, and hope. Before I go to bed each night, I give thanks to God for everything He's given me, and I ask myself what I did that day to glorify Him. I believe if people want to live life to the fullest, they should spend time as much time developing a healthy spirit as they do a healthy body."

Brad Minns might be deaf, but it sounds to us like he "hears" perfectly fine, except he listens to things that may be a lot more important than the stuff that comes blaring out of the TV and radio 24 hours a day. If Brad is handicapped, then maybe we should set about redefining what the word means.

Brad Minns really is a true champion. He personifies the fitness lifestyle and has been an excellent spokesperson, not just for EAS and Muscle Media, but for all of us who call ourselves real bodybuilders.  

 

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