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Photo: Exercise Media Group
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
SHAUN CLARIDA: THE NEW GIANT KILLER
By Alan Leff
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been more impressed by short stature bodybuilders with well-rounded, quality physiques than by tall, huge guys who carry massive muscle. The smaller guys seem to naturally possess the “complete package.”
And as to the belief that it’s harder for tall natural bodybuilders to put on good muscle size than it is for a shorter one, well, I find this hard to swallow. Sure, aside from genetics, the taller man has to lift relatively heavier, eat more and, in the process, spend more cash, but these are only two of the things that separate the 5- 3 - man from the six-footer. Both the bantam and the heavyweight competitors have to work hard to reach a champion physique. It’s at the end of a contest, when the class winners have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the overall comparisons, that we see which man has the well-rounded, complete physique. Let the best man win!
At the 2006 INBF MuscleTech Amateur World Championships I got confirmation of my belief when Shaun Clarida, the bantamweight first place winner, went up against four men larger than him in the posedown. Even though each man deserved their class placing, Shaun won the overall title with a unanimous vote – thus establishing himself as the New Giant Killer.
Shortly after the win, I spoke with Shaun on the campus of Rider University in New Jersey. Let’s introduce the new WNBF Pro to our readers.
NB&F: Let’s start off with some basic stats and background info to let our readers get to know a little about you.
SC: I’m 23 years of age, standing 5-3. I compete as a bantam at 135 lbs. and my offseason weight goes up to 140. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Interpersonal Communication at Rider, and now I’m working on my Masters in School Counseling. After I graduate, I plan to work with sixth to eighth grade middle school students. Though I don’t train anyone at present, I help out at the Rider Gym five days a week, and I’m working toward attaining trainer certification. I also work in the Multi-Cultural Affairs Unit. I counsel students who get in trouble on campus and get infractions. I make referrals to community service programs for those students who are required to perform service hours in programs like Mobile Meals on Wheels and the Special Olympics.
NB&F: You’ve got a full plate there, how did you get involved in bodybuilding?
SC: I’m new to bodybuilding as I’ve only been competing for less than a year. I wrestled in high school for two years and came to Rider with intentions of wrestling. However, I didn’t meet the minimum weight requirements. Coach told me to put on weight somehow, so I lifted and ate. I trained with a natural bodybuilder who also competes in the INBF. Now for the most part, I train at the Rider campus gym. When it’s too busy, though, I drive up to the NY Sports Club.
Not too long ago, my partner told me that with my body structure, I would do well in competition. I thought about it, did some research and began training for competitions one year ago. I entered my first contest in 2005, a tested New Jersey competition outside of the INBF, and was motivated to continue when I placed third out of five in the Novice light class. After that, I gave up on wrestling, and it was bodybuilding from then on out.
NBF: What’s your competition history?
SC: As I said, I began competing in 2005. I did five contests, both tested and non-tested, in another organization in New Jersey. The first contest was what really started me off. In the next contest, I placed second in the open bantamweight class. In the third show, I took first in both the Novice light (against four other men) and the open bantam (against three other men). In my fourth show, I came in second in the Novice lightweight class (against three other men) and placed first (against one other man) in the open bantams.
Finally, a guy at the Rider gym told me about the INBF. I wanted to compete as a natural – on an even level with other competitors and not against guys on drugs. I did some research and decided to enter the 2005 INBF Amateur Worlds, not knowing how big it was. At the Worlds, I placed third in a lineup against nine other men. In 2006, I competed at the INBF Northeast Classic in the open bantamweight class against six other men. I won the class, got a unanimous overall first place and won my WNBF pro card. My next contest was the 2006 INBF Hercules, where I won the open bantam class in a lineup against six other men. Finally I won the World title as a bantamweight, and triumphed in the overall against five other very good bodybuilders.
In 2007 I’ve moved up to the pro level in the WNBF. In my pro debut in the Cayman Islands, I placed second to Jim Cordova in the lightweight class, earning my first bodybuilding paycheck ($800). (Note: Since the time of this interview, Shaun placed second in the 2007 Nature’s Best World Championships in the lightweight class, earning $1100).
NBF: That’s pretty impressive for such short time training for bodybuilding. But I guess that wrestling may have given you a good base to begin with. So, what are your plans for the future? And do you have a training philosophy?
SC: My plan is to stay natural and over time add 20-30 lbs. of good clean muscle. I competed in the WNBF for the first time in 2007, and I want to dominate in the sport. As to my philosophy, it’s to train hard, get in the gym and get over with it and be the best only by applying discipline, hard work and dedication.
NBF: Can you lay out your training schedule and describe what a bodypart training session looks like?
SC: My partner, Deawaika Dolo, and I get to the gym between 3-4 o’clock and spend about two hours per session. We train six days a week. On Monday, we do legs heavy; Tuesday, bi’s and tri’s; Wednesday, chest; Thursday, delts and traps; Friday, back; and Saturday, legs light. As the sets increase, we increase the weight and lower the rep range. For the chest, we warm up with flat bench barbell press with a lightweight for two sets. The work sets begin with incline barbell presses for three sets of 10-15. Cable crossovers are next for three sets of 10-15. Flat bench dumbbell presses follow with three sets of 10-15, and we end with dumbbell incline flyes for three sets of 10-15.
NBF: That’s not one of those non-natural marathon workouts. That’s a straightforward, simple and productive program for a natural trainer, and it looks as if it has worked just right for you. The best in both school counseling and in the WNBF. Any last comments or thoughts?
SC: First and foremost, I want to thank God, my family, my fiancée Mallory McCarthy, my friends, my training partner and my sponsor, Revolutionary Technology Nutrition. If anyone wants to contact me about traveling information or fitness, I can be reached at Clarida@rider.edu.
Photo: Exercise Media Group
