Bodybuilding.com - An Interview With 2007 Arnold Classic Competitor Mark Dugdale.

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Having received much positive feedback after his great Iron Man showing, Mark feels he definitely has the ability to be competitive on any pro stage, especially the 2007 Arnold. Learn more...

An Interview With 2007 Arnold Classic Competitor Mark Dugdale.

By: David Robson

After placing a career-best second at the 2007 Iron Man Pro, the near-perfectly proportioned Mark Dugdale says we ain't seen nothing yet. He has promised to save his best for the Arnold and the Olympia, contests in which many are picking him to place high.

Having received much positive feedback after his great Iron Man showing, where he compared well with 2006 Olympia 7th place man and eventual Iron Man winner, Toney Freeman, Mark feels he definitely has the ability to be competitive on any pro stage.

His balanced development and great size for one of the "smaller" guys has given him a wide fan base also. Here he talks about his Iron Man showing and his Arnold Classic plans.

[ Q ] Congratulations on your excellent Iron Man placing. You said before the show you were confident. How does it feel to achieve a career-best second?

[ A ] Thank you for the congratulations on my placing. I always enjoy competing when I feel I did my homework, but to have the judges confirm it is satisfying. While I must admit that I wasn't training to get 2nd at the Iron Man, the Olympia qualification is something I've been striving for since 2005. The ability to step on stage with the best in the world is a dream come true.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Mark Dugdale.
View More Pics Of Mark Dugdale From Pre-Judging Here.
View More Pics Of Mark Dugdale From Finals Here.
View More Pics Of Mark Dugdale From The Press Conference Here.

Mark Dugdale.

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[ Q ] What did you do straight after this show to celebrate?

[ A ] I went and ate some hamachi sashimi and went straight to bed! I had a photo shoot for Nutrex Research the next morning at 7:45AM in Venice, CA.

View Nutrex Products Sorted By Top Sellers Here.

[ Q ] What do you think gave you the edge over most of the other competitors? What improvements had you made?

[ A ] My focus this year was to play nobody's game other than my own. For me that meant really good conditioning and letting my structure and aesthetics make up for what I give away in pounds to other competitors. The fact that the only guy ahead of me out-weighed me by nearly 70 pounds tells me I played my cards right. I still have some areas to improve, but it will come over time.

[ Q ] Your condition seemed to the best you have achieved to date. Did you do anything different to achieve this look?

[ A ] I didn't really do much different from in the past aside from some carbohydrate rotation the last few weeks. For me it all boils down to doing the hard-ass work of dieting and training hard. I stay very disciplined in the off-season, which only helps when it comes time to get ripped to compete. You have not seen my best conditioning yet... wait for the Arnold Classic this weekend.

[ Q ] What did you do training and nutrition-wise during the last week before the Iron Man?

[ A ] It's not rocket science really, but most of what I do can be found in Chris Aceto's book Championship Bodybuilding.

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[ Q ] Was there any point where you thought you might have a chance of winning the show? You and Toney were both great for different reasons. Why did the judges go with him do you think?

[ A ] Prejudging ended with me front and center, so I thought there was a chance, however, I knew he had all the momentum and would most likely end up winning. I had people tell me they liked my shape, aesthetics and conditioning better, but the size factor was most likely the clincher for Toney.

My hat goes off to Toney, he is a big guy with great shape and one of the few who doesn't have to struggle to control his stomach - I guess that's why they call him the X-Man.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Toney Freeman.
View More Pics Of Toney Freeman From Pre-Judging Here.
View More Pics Of Toney Freeman From Finals Here.
View More Pics Of Toney Freeman From The Press Conference Here.

[ Q ] Have you made make any changes to your program in preparation for the Arnold Classic?

[ A ] Nope, I just got right back to my diet and training after the Iron Man. If the past is any indication, I tend to improve from one contest to the next.

[ Q ] What is your training strategy for the Arnold?

[ A ] Just continue doing what I'm doing. When you are in shape from having done the hard work, there isn't a need to make any drastic changes. People who don't do the work end up trying to make a last-minute fix and end up screwing up.

[ Q ] Should you compete at the Mr. Olympia this year, what improvements do you hope to make?

[ A ] A few more pounds of mass in all the right places. I think it's a travesty when guys blow out their midsections in an attempt to hit a number on a scale. To me that is not what bodybuilding is all about. Peter McGough once told me that Joe Weider always enjoyed the beauty of the aesthetic physique. Somewhere along the way size received a disproportionate focus from aesthetics and I think the two should be complimentary to one another.

[ Q ] Whom would you like to thank for their support?

[ A ] My wife Christina and daughters - Maddie, Lauren and Julia. They sacrifice a lot for me to compete in this sport and I cannot thank them enough. I would also like to thank my training partner, Seth MacGillivray, for being such a good friend.