Peter Putnam is one of the most recognisable bodybuilders in the world. His good looks and great physique have been featured numerous times in magazines.
Married to IFBB figure pro Jessica Putnam, he is one half of body-building’s golden couple. Here he talks about how he got into the sport, his training and how European and American attitudes to training differ.
Were you sporty as a child?
Yes, very much so. I was highly competitive and could not stand to be beaten at anything. I was always known as the fastest kid at school and was always being put to the test by my peers who desired to see me get beaten; but they were always disappointed. American Football was my early passion and I had much success. I was naturally built having been the strongest player pound-for-pound on my team. I was a running back, very quick and agile leading my team in rushing (yards earned while carrying the ball).
How much did you weigh before you started training and what do you weigh now?
When I first began a formal weight training regime for American Football I was around 146 pounds at the age of 14. By the time I began to start training for bodybuilding I was 165 pounds. I gained twenty pounds of lean muscle within the first two months of bodybuilding following Dorian Yates’ training and nutritional recommendations in his book, Blood and Guts, reaching 185 pounds. Many of the older lifters in the gym were suspicious and/or envious, accusing me of using illegal substances. I currently weigh anywhere from 200 pounds in and around contest to 240 pounds in the off-season.
Could you describe how and why you got into bodybuilding?
I had just joined a gym in order to prepare for spring football practice and started to aggressively train in order to increase my strength and stamina. Many of the older lifters who followed bodybuilding would regularly make mention of my physique being muscular and balanced. On occasions I would hear them say I had the tools, i.e. genetics, to be a good bodybuilder. I had never even viewed a bodybuilding magazine let alone know what they were talking about. However, that would soon change.
What happened?
One day while passing by a newsstand I peered up and noticed the section with bodybuilding magazines. At that moment I recalled what people had been saying about bodybuilding. With my curiosity tweaked I decided to take an issue off the rack. What I saw when I opened it blew my mind. I had never seen any man look so incredible. The man I was looking at was Britain’s six-time Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates. I thought he looked outrageous and that this was the supreme look a man could possess. I was always interested in comic books and superheroes, mainly due to their muscularity and strength but had never correlated it to bodybuilding due to its lack of exposure. Dorian looked unreal and I thought if this is bodybuilding I want to do it! I bought the magazine and rushed home to read the article.
After reading it I realised that Dorian was the best in his sport and that he was making a career from bodybuilding. I knew I wouldn’t ever become a professional football player but the notion that perhaps I could become a bodybuilder was born with viewing Yates. He inspired me. I loved his intensity and rawness. I too was passionate and dedicated to becoming the best. His story and journey was deeply etched into me and jump-started my own bodybuilding aspirations and dreams. I saw myself in him. I wanted to make it and become something great. I couldn’t bear the thought of being mediocre.
I was fortunate enough to meet Dorian at my second competition in which I told him how he was my favourite bodybuilder and how I related to his story in Blood and Guts. I was so nervous. He just looked at me blankly and I thought he must have thought that I was some goofy kid. But later that evening prior to the finals Dorian and I were walking past each other. I told myself not to say anything and leave him alone. He reached out and stopped me and said ‘Congratulations on winning your class’. I was thrilled that he acknowledged me and took the time to find out the placings. I was thrilled knowing that he had told me prior to walking out on stage to find the results. It was at that moment I had this vision of seeing myself one day becoming a pro and making a career out of bodybuilding. I fashioned to stay the course and take this as far as I could!
Briefly outline your competitive career:
1998 - NPC Atlanta Championships, 1st middleweight novice
1998 - NPC Eastern Seaboard, 1st middleweight junior and junior overall
1998 - NPC Coastal USA, 1st open middleweight
2004 - NPC Collegiate National light-heavyweight winner and overall champion
2005 - NPC IFBB North American, 5th light-heavyweight
2006 - NPC USA, runner-up light-heavyweight
2007 - NPC USA, lightheavyweight champion
2007 - NPC National, runner-up light-heavyweight
2008 - NPC National, light-heavyweight champion (the result that entitled me to turn pro)
2009 - IFBB Jacksonville Pro 202, 5th
2009 - IFBB Europa Supershow Pro 202, 10th
Please outline your weekly training programme and your approach to training:
Monday: Back (occasional biceps movements)
Tuesday: Chest (occasional triceps movements)
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: Arms
Sunday: Off
I truly believe you have got to lift heavy and continue to work at increasing the workload. Building muscle is progressive and requires lifting heavier weight, but then again you have got to learn how to focus, feel and contract the muscle being targeted rather then just lifting the weight. It’s more about a range of factors. I believe different bodyparts, for example arms, respond to different training protocols than back. I know my arms have grown with more volume (sets and reps, additional training days) but my chest has responded better to staying within an 8 to 12 rep range and being trained once a week. You have got to lift enough weight to stimulate, but you have to do enough reps as well. Too many reps means the weight is too light to stimulate and too much weight won’t allow enough reps to activate the muscle fibre.
Outline your daily diet and cardio in the run-up to a contest
My diet mainly consists of egg whites, chicken, fish, brown rice, yams, oats and broccoli. Whey protein is also taken. I’m periodically making modifications to my diet based on how my body is responding to the programme. It’s essentially mathematics – as calories are reduced energy expenditure is increased; however, protein requirements increase to offset and preserve lean tissue when carbs are being reduced and cardio increases. Every contest I start my preparation by coming off a different off-season so things have to be assessed and mapped out. This changes each show. As the body changes you must know how to adjust your nutrition with it. There are no fixed programmes at this level. I’m not too keen on doing any more cardio than needed: we’re bodybuilders not marathon runners. Too much cardio burns muscle so you have to find the balance. I recommend starting out with three sessions of twenty minutes first thing in the morning and increase the days and time as required as the show draws closer.
Who tends to get the most attention when you go out – you or Jessica?
As ridiculous as it seems, people react more to me. You see people staring and prodding whoever they are with to look. People can be obnoxious, but I think it’s more fascinating for them. The fact that the vast majority of Americans and those living in the UK are accustomed to poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity only makes their reactions that much more ironic and sad. A person who is the epitome of dedication and discipline is looked upon as peculiar or freakish. Jess gets annoyed when she sees people talking. She likes to speak up to be heard and says things like ‘he may be big, but he’s not deaf’. But to be truthful we receive equal praise for dedication. The fact that she is one of the most beautiful women in the IFBB does bring its fair share of attention. Combining beauty and brawn can bring about some interesting moments.
How often have you been to Europe and what would you say are the major differences between bodybuilding in America and Europe?
I have been blessed to have travelled to Europe on four occasions. Within the UK I have visited England and Ireland. My ancestry is English, Scots-Irish and Irish. Obviously, Putnam is a strong English surname. I feel the connection every time I’m in the UK. It must be imprinted into my DNA. Knowing I’m in the homeland of my forefathers makes it almost nostalgic even though I experience the present. I have been to every country in continental Europe. Last year Jessica and I, along with Phil Heath and Melvin Anthony, took a trip to Florence, for the Florence Fitness Festival. It is really cool to be able to travel while doing something you love.
Exposure is the main difference. You have to break into the American scene for your career to take off. James ‘Flex’ Lewis, from Wales, is a prime example of that. You have to be willing to make the journey stateside. It helps to reach a larger fan base and increase your personality by making appearances and being seen. Definitely winning shows helps but you need to steadily keep showing your physique on the American stages. There are a lot of great bodybuilders across Europe who may never be known. I think that is a tragedy.
Which European bodybuilders do you most admire and why?
Without question, Dorian Yates. He’s the reason I became fascinated with bodybuilding. Currently I think Ronny Rockel from Germany has a very good physique. Very well balanced and proportioned. “
Do you think there is a particular difference in European and American training methods?
With the internet I believe everyone has access to much of the same information. I think Americans are introduced to weight-training at earlier ages. Schools have mandatory classes and American Football advocates lifting in order to build larger athletes. By and large we may have nicer facilities in the States. That isn’t a determining factor for building or producing world-class physiques, although it can help. It’s like a mechanic having more tools to work with. But again: drive, focus, and a hell-bent determination build outstanding physiques. Perhaps the lack of equipment produces an intensity out of necessity that can take one’s physique to another level, à la Dorian.
What do Americans think of Dorian Yates?
Most Americans are middle-class, blue-collar, hardworking people who appreciate the appeal of Yates because he best exemplified that mentality. Seeing that hard work can pay off inspires people. I’d venture to say American bodybuilding fans viewed Yates as the guy they’d like to be.
Do you often get mistaken for Flex Lewis?
It happens occasionally. I quickly point out that I’m the better looking of us two! We had a feature in FLEX together that many people saw. We have been mistaken for brothers while out in public. Our personalities are pretty similar as well. Flex is a good mate with loads of potential.
What improvements do you want to make to your physique?
I am going to continue to work on improving my back by bringing out more thickness and detail. I feel I need to be about ten pounds heavier so I will be pushing my off-season weight this year. It will be nose-to-the-grindstone, busting out heavy weights and continuing to work to improve with the same passion I have always had!
Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
Continuing to live out my passion for bodybuilding but perhaps the emphasis will be more on educating the general public on the benefits of a fitness lifestyle. While remaining in a grounded marriage to Jessica, I hope we will have some beautiful children. Definitely serving others as I am currently working on starting a non-profit organisation called, Pumpup.org (Passionately-Urgently-Motivating-People). The organisation is in its initial stages but is poised to be exciting and relevant. The definition for ‘Pump Up’ in American slang is to be filled with enthusiasm, strength, and energy. For those interested in more information visit Pumpup.org. Jess and I are in the process of working towards developing our brand and breaking into new markets with fitness products across the board. We’d love to get a reality show and it’s being worked on. At the close of my career I hope to be one of the most influential people not only in our industry but also outside of it by focusing efforts on giving back. If you look around you, there are needs everywhere. People who are hungry, people who are lonely, people who need to be encouraged and loved. Being a bodybuilder is a metaphor for being a better person. We should show the world that. We shouldn’t limit our muscle to only lifting weights – we can also lift other people’s spirits. M&F
Additional Images
