BICEPS WITH BIG D

Militant Power House - Heata Vision Images Presents
By Lance Shearer
Daniel Mesidor has sculpted his body to the epitome of muscle definition. His rippling physique has muscles on top of muscles, making ordinary human beings appear like a sofa pillow by contrast.
"Yeah, I've been working out. I've done a few pushups," he said.
Mesidor wants to put Naples on the map in the sport of bodybuilding. His quest got a big boost when he traveled to Orlando on Sept. 29, and took first place overall as well as top honors in the superheavyweight division of the National Physique Committee (NPC) Southeastern USA body building competition.
The regional win gives Mesidor a shot at the nationals, to be held next year in Miami by the International Federation of Body Building, the sanctioning body. A good showing there will allow him to enter the elite ranks of his sport.
"I'm trying to get my pro card and turn pro," said Mesidor, who won a sword and a trophy for his wins in Orlando. "Then I can get sponsorships from the protein companies, and try to promote my own personal training company."
A 28-year-old six footer, Mesidor weighed in at 230 pounds for the competition in Orlando, but adding and shedding weight is part of the strategic calculation of body building.
"For three months, I tried to put on as much weight as I could. I wanted to get up to 275 (pounds)," he said. "Then I cut out the fats completely, and cut the carbs down to 100 grams for three months. I basically lived in the gym for three months."
A critical part of Mesidor's training regimen comes from his coach, Harold Chery. The Haitian native won the Mr. Arizona contest, and placed third in Mr. USA, and said Mesidor is one of the best prospects he has ever coached.
"I'm very proud of him, winning it all in Orlando. Now we've got to keep him in shape for a whole year, before we can go to the nationals," said Chery.
"Coach is totally in charge of my nutrition," said Mesidor, who added that nutrition is 85 percent of what it takes to win as a body builder, along with the hard work in the gym. "If he tells me to eat dog crap, I basically would."
Actually, said Chery, the training table features a lot of chicken breast, steak and fish for protein, along with yams, broccoli, brown rice and whole grain pasta. With the emphasis on nutrition - up to 7,000 calories a day - Mesidor's wife, Izena Depaula, who has the primary responsibility for getting all those groceries onto the table, also counts as a key member of his team.
"She's my guardian angel. She makes sure my food is ready," said Meridor. "I train her in the gym. She likes to work out, but she's not a body builder." The couple has two sons, D'Angelo, 6, and Dion, 3.
The gym where Meridor trains and works as a professional trainer instructing others is Retro Fitness, at 4880 Davis Blvd. in Naples. He has been competing in bodybuilding for five years.
"I tried other sports. When I was younger, I did the basketball and football thing, but that never worked out," he said. "I fell in love with weight lifting."
Body building is an unusual sport, in which the movements are strictly limited, and the judging is more reminiscent of an art exhibit.
"There are eight mandatory turns," said Mesidor. "The judges tell you do a quarter turn, then single out the biceps, the laterals. They judge you on physique, separation of muscle details, choreography and getting the crowd involved. Whoever has that total package gets rewarded." More than 350 showed up to watch the competition in Orlando, he said.
Another key is oiling your body. Mesidor uses bronze tanner. "The darker you are, the better. It shows more detail," he said.
There are sacrifices, including the difficulty of shopping for clothes. "It's hard to find pants to fit my legs. My quads are a little bit bigger than your average guy," he said.
Mesidor said his advice for any young person interested in getting into body building is to be smart about it. "Take your time. Do your research. You need to put on quality weight, not fat," he said, with means eating the right mix of protein, carbs and fats.
Chery said Mesidor is following his own advice, and expects him to do well at the nationals. On the pro circuit, big shows such as the Arnold Classic or the Olympia have payoffs up to $200,000, and even the smallest shows pay $10,000 to $50,000.
"Daniel has a lot of good potential. If he comes in at 250 pounds and lean, he can get his pro card, and start competing for real money," said Chery.