Check out this interview Brian Bullman had with Mark Dugdale!
A huge thanks to MuscleMag for hooking this interview up.
[ Q ] Hey Mark, I understand you are in the middle of traveling east to New York to compete this Saturday at the NY Pro 202. You have already competed several times this year, which is hard work, how are you feeling this close to the show?
[ A ] I feel great…eating carbs today so all the hard work and dieting is over now. Having competed in 4 shows since last August 08 has been tough in light of all the other responsibilities I have outside of competitive bodybuilding. People often ask how I balance it all, but honestly I don’t even know!
2009 IFBB Europa Super Show
Christina’s an incredibly supportive wife, but I still feel like I’m a mouse running full-tilt on a wheel almost daily. The economy has impacted my business which has added a great deal of stress to our lives. Thankfully one of the benefits of bodybuilding is the ability to hammer the weights and leave some of the daily stress behind at the gym each night.
[ Q ] Competing at 202lbs is a lot closer to the weight at which you turned pro (198lbs) What lead to you making the decision to come down and compete in this new division? Correct me if I’m wrong but you were in the region of 215lbs at the Ironman?
[ A ] The heaviest weight in which I competed was in Tampa last August at 218. Granted I did not bring my trademark conditioning which hurt my placing. After this last Ironman in January 09, where I weighed about 210, I realized that most of my success came at a lower body weight. I tried pushing to the 220 pound mark chasing the mass, but I didn’t like how I looked or felt. I decided to stick close to my diet after the Ironman and get down to 202 pounds for Pittsburgh to see how I stacked up in the new division.
2009 IFBB Iron Man Pro
[ Q ] You recently placed 2nd at the Pittsburgh Pro 202, have you made any changes in your diet/training over the last couple of weeks coming into this contest?
[ A ] Honestly, there isn’t much you can do in 2 weeks, unless you did something completely stupid to blow your look the last few days before the event. However, I’ve analyzed the pictures from Pittsburgh and realized I can improve some of my posing to better display my physique. I typically get sharper when competing in multiple shows in a row so I anticipate this being the case in NY.
[ Q ] What about supplements? What do you use to get that ultra ripped, feathered quad look that you are known for?
[ A ] I’ve been using a couple new product by Nutrex…even before their official release. Specifically, Lipo-6 Black really helped strip the fat and control my appetite. Nutrex’s first-ever protein supplement, ProGram, is one of the best tasting, sustained release protein supplement I’ve ever used. These two supplements really helped while dieting, while Vitrix still remains my favorite testosterone booster.
2009 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro
[ Q ] The Rookie Pro Eduardo Correa edged you out for the win in Pittsburgh, how do you see that battle going this weekend?
[ A ] Most people I spoke with that attended prejudging thought I edged Eduardo out based on conditioning and balance, but that didn’t prove true by the finals. The brutal reality of bodybuilding is that we as competitors bust our asses all year and then put things into the hands of the judging panel on the day of the event. The end result is ultimately out of our hands. I don’t want to take anything away from Eduardo as he brought a great physique to Pittsburgh, but I still hope to turn the tables in NY.
The fact that the end result lays in the hands of the judging panel, doesn’t mean I’m not going into NY to win…all highly competitive individuals train to win and I’m extremely competitive. I think I’m capable of winning, so I’m anxious to step on stage and battle it out.
[ Q ] Missing from your 202 debut, were the Olympia 202 Champion David Henry and runner up Kevin English. How do you see yourself competing against these guys?
[ A ] I’ve never competed against Kevin English, but have done battle with David on numerous occasions. David has a fantastic physique and when he’s in shape is very dangerous. Historically if I nail my conditioning I’ve beat David. My point is that all these guys are capable of winning, myself included, and I sincerely hope everyone brings their A-Game to NY..it will make for a great contest!
[ Q ] With a few more 202 shows to go before the Olympia, will we see you onstage again, in any of those shows?
[ A ] It’s possible, but not likely. I’ve been dieting for almost 5 months and want to spend some time hammering the weights with adequate carbs in my body to improve my physique prior to the Olympia.
[ Q ] The Olympia 202 showdown, I want a prediction for Mark Dugdale, let us have it?
[ A ] Personally, I want to win it - flat out. I won’t make predictions because people who do end up wrong and looking foolish. All I can predict is I’m going to give 100% to be a dominant player in the 202 division.
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Donlon
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