Darren Nicholhurst
An article by Kate Collins from katecollings.blogspot.com
The bigger the better? An interview with a professional bodybuilder - Darren Nicholhurst
Image in today's society is the be all and end all for most. You may have seen my previous interview with Samira, a girl recovering from the deadly disease Anorexia Nervosa. A Long Way Down For a Very Worthy Cause shares her story from hell to recovery.
I took the opportunity to interview a friend of mine who is also very body conscious but doesn't want to shrink in size. In fact quite the opposite. Darren Nicholhurst has been a fitness enthusiast for over fifteen years. Having started out working in local gyms he built up his muscles, contacts and reputation and has now taken his fitness to the next level.
Here I ask Darren to tell me his story and his opinions on the bodybuilding industry.
Thank you for taking time out from your training schedule Darren. Firstly how did you get into the fitness industry?
I got into bodybuilding simply because my brother got a weight bench, he soon stopped and i carried on. My dad had a building company, so from a young age I wanted to be strong to be able to lift and move things at work. I soon joined a gym at 14-15 years old, a few years later I was running it. I naturally was a skinny lad but with some good advice and the mental determination I pushed and ate my way to a bigger and stronger frame.
Wow you have clearly worked very hard over the years. How do you see your career progressing?
I first competed at 20 years of age. I done very well as a junior and got some great press coverage in the bodybuilding magazines. From here I wanted to achieve more, dedicating all my time into the sport. I have competed many times now, winning some great shows for magazines like FLEX, which gave me worldwide coverage. This also then led me to sponsorship from Garnell Nutrition which has helped me grow and achieve the lifestyle I’ve always wanted. Being with GN (Garnell Nutrition) I have been able to meet and become friends with the most prestigious guys in the industry (like a young boy meeting his film star idols). These guys I used to look at in the magazines with envy to be like them, and now they call me and help me achieve, and now I’m the guy in the magazines. Very surreal.
I intend to always work in this industry, doing more DVD's so people can see how to achieve the muscle they want. Also to be doing and being involved in an Internet super site for all help and info.
So there is much more to the industry than just looking a certain way? Do you feel that bodybuilders get bad press?
Bodybuilders do tend to get a bad press, because the only news that ever makes news is bad news. What I mean is, there are people that go out there and kill people, then because in their past they might have lifted a weight and taken a steroid, then suddenly it was because they were a ‘roid-raged-mad-man’ that made them kill. When you really look at the picture, you tend to find the killer was smoking drugs and drinking alcohol. And actually probably hadn’t taken a steroid for many years. There are more people killed because of drink, and I also know a guy who killed his girlfriend whilst being smashed on cocaine, and not even knowing until 2 days later, then confessed to the police.
These sort of people are normally wannabes, they don’t compete, train or eat correct, so how does that make them a bodybuilder.
So how would you define someone to be a bodybuilder?
A bodybuilder is a person that gives up every bit of there life, they live the life 24-7.You have to eat, train and rest right to grow and achieve. For example I haven’t sipped an alcoholic drink in about 11 years. To be a good bodybuilder you have to give it your all, at all costs. So we do get bad press, the press should look at the real bodybuilders and the commitment they have in their everyday life, with the family and kids and work. We are the real bodybuilders.
What are your views on the pressures we face about bad body image in today's society?
There are many pressures with most the film stars looking toned and buff, all the magazines are full of enhanced guys and woman. But the pressure could be down to the individual, if you look after your health and your mind, then you will be comfy in your skin. We should all be comfy in our skin, and if your not, change your life so you are. We are all conscious of how we look, maybe we should concentrate more on how healthy we are. The problem in the media, is that there isn’t enough proper information to help people understand how to achieve there goals. So there should be more education in schools to teach at a young age what’s good and bad for us, this works abroad in other EU countries, We should be helping the new generations to live better.
Do you think that bodybuilding encourages the pressures in any way?
Yes and no, Yes because most little lads would like to grow some muscle like a guy they see on TV, but also NO because, most bodybuilders seem to be too muscular for most people, Somewhat over the top. I think films and TV are more encouraging, in a bad way.
Do you feel you are portraying a message through your work?
In a way I do, I get a lot of e-mails and people that come to ask my advice about how to achieve there goal. The first thing I explain to them is that it’s all about life change and the willingness to put 100% into it. The message I try to get across is that you need to be real, balanced and determined.
I feel this is a positive message, if they can be balanced and determined, they can use this through their whole life, achieve everything they set out to get. Its all about the willingness to work at it.
That does sound positive, well done you. Do you think that there is enough press coverage of the profession to help spread this message?
I think that there isn’t, for example, my friend Dorian Yates was 6 times Mr Olympia. This is the highest you can ever achieve in the world. England doesn’t get many great athletes, and yet we were the best in the world for 6 years, why not shout about it. In order to achieve this status, it’s costs a fortune, and more physical changes and determination than any other sport. This should be recognized.
So we've talked about the male bodybuilders what are your views on female bodybuilders?
I personally don’t find a muscular lady attractive, toned is fine. But muscled ladies don’t appeal to me. I don’t see anything wrong with any woman being a bodybuilder though, each to there own. I’m sure I’m not attractive to a lot of woman also because of how I look.
So your only concern with women bodybuilding is with their looks? Interesting. Are you aware of any health problems which can be caused by this line of work?
Any line of work can cause health problems, the biggest being stress, driving many people to wreck their lives in many different ways, drugs, drink and even suicide.
So if your a bodybuilder its because you want to be, the only stress you get is how hard you push your body. The obvious problems would be bad joints and muscle tears to cope with. But we are pretty healthy, with always watching diet and maintaining a low fat body. I (Touch wood) have never suffered any major problems. Only being able to get nice clothes to fit.
So you believe you lead quite a healthy lifestyle? Do you not think that you may be putting your body under enormous stress can be detrimental to your mental and physical health?
I do believe I have a healthy lifestyle yes, but I’m also realistic. I know that my body is under huge stress to gain and perform. With regard to the mental health side of things I do believe that being who I am as a bodybuilder has made me seriously mentally strong. I’ve had many hits that would stop a lot of people from carrying on and trying again and again. I refuse to be beaten and will always keep driving forward, failure isn’t an option.
Finally Darren, what advice would you give someone wanting to get into bodybuilding and promotional work as a profession and any last words?
Be careful who you work for, because it will portray your image in the future. Don’t rush, but push. Listen to the wise and don’t stop learning. Don’t be afraid to fail, if you don’t take the chance, then you have failed already. Be realistic in the goals you set, so you can achieve them, as long as you’re going forward that’s what matters. Make sure you stay healthy, especially in your mind, your mind is the strongest tool you will ever get. Look after it, and it will look after you. Don’t be beaten, be driven. Make sure your close friends stay close, they also will give you the support you need, behind every great man or woman, there are 50 great supporting people.
Yeah, remember: Nothing is gonna hit as hard as life, but its not about how hard you hit back, but how hard you can keep getting hit and still moving forward. That’s how we win, be refused to be beaten. If you think your worth it, make it worth it and get it. Its there to be taken.
Thank you Darren for that insight and good luck for your future success.
Thanks Kate, always a pleasure.
Kate Collings xx
