Physique Visual/Provided photo
The path of bodybuilding inherently promotes inward focus. But for Oziel Ramirez, building his quads and toning his abs was a journey of physical transformation marked by the participation of others, especially those closest to him.
“Obviously, all my motivation was my family and my kids,” he said after the win. 40+ Classes of Classic Physique Master at the National Physique Committee (NPC) Rocky Mountain Championships in Denver on November 11th.He also placed 4th in the rookie competition. (NPC first contestant) class C (Men between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall) 5th place in Classic Physique Open class.
The 52 year old owner I/O technology partner He first fell in love with weightlifting at the age of 35, going to the gym by himself. He said his daily dumbbell dates were a source of “friction” with his wife.
“I sent her to the gym to fix that,” he laughed. “Then the two of us started, and then the kids started. Sometimes it becomes a family hobby. We all go to the gym and just work out.”
his eldest son Jonathan, owner of health and nutrition company Evolve Fitness, was Eziel’s coach until his first competitive build. Jonathan himself competed in a bodybuilding event in September this year.
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“That’s how he brought me into this world,” Oziel said. “It’s like, ‘It’s your turn.'”
From Texas to Vail, Thin to Strong
After graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso and struggling to find a job, Ramirez went skiing in Vail to visit a friend about 30 years ago. After a day on the slopes, he applied to his resort in Vail.
“I started work the next day,” he said. “The idea was to save up the money and go back to Texas and get married, but I brought his wife with me and our kids were born here and they’re still here.”
Ramirez continued to play soccer from an early age, but was not a very good lifter, except for occasional efforts to outdo the team captain. Bodybuilding wasn’t even on his radar.
“That started happening after I turned 35,” he said. A friend of his was kind enough to say this to him before a California beach vacation. I need to go to the gym. ”
Their last-minute iron pump project did not yield any noticeable results. “But I kind of liked it,” Ramirez said.
“I stayed with it. I was pretty thin at the time. If you showed me a picture of where I started, you’d probably laugh.”
Ramirez went from 190 pounds as a 35-year-old to 210 pounds as a 40-year-old (he went from 248 pounds to 224 pounds in last week’s competition). These first big gains came from working out with friends at the Avon Recreation Center. “It’s great to have someone else,” he said. “It’s good, safe competition and someone will find you.”
He needed more logistical flexibility and less traffic around the main machines, so he moved to the Gypsum Recreation Center for the next 10 years, before preparing for competitions on Endorphins.
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“But all three locations are great,” he said. “If you really want to accomplish your goals, they’re well-equipped. It’s mostly just that you really want to.”
If the improvement is any indication, it’s clear Ramirez is not lacking in motivation. Over the past 17 years, his bench press has increased by over 200 pounds. He went from squatting a total of 4 plates to squatting his 5 plates on each side. Therefore, when he actually decided to compete, his fitness was already there and he only needed to reduce his diet.
“That’s the difficult part,” he says, crediting his son with giving him the final push.
“He told me to do it, and I was like, I didn’t have time, I was busy with my own work,” Ramirez said. “But once I turned 50, I realized that you only live once, so you might want to experience all the emotions. That’s why I really wanted to do it.”
A typical week for the final build included 90-minute lifting sessions for upper body on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, legs on Tuesday and Thursday, and 30 minutes of cardio to finish. . Jonathan trained his father’s physique for November 11th with specific physiological guidance and advice on when to take macronutrients and micronutrients.
“I only knew enough to keep training and grow my muscles, but he understands the whole science,” Oziel said.
“Part of the motivation from my son was that he chose this path. I’ve watched him grow, compete and go through that whole process.”
Oziel felt his son’s involvement was even more gratifying than the win and two top-five finishes.
“The fact that my son is doing this is a huge accomplishment for me,” he said. “I was the one who made him go to the gym when he was a kid.”
For the next build
After identifying the strengths and weaknesses from the NPC tournament, Ramirez plans to target another tournament in late 2024 or early 2025.
“Muscle usually doesn’t develop in a few months,” he said.Fittingly, his family, he intends to and his son.
“That was the main goal this time, but he missed the match because he just got engaged and went to places like France and England and ate too much,” he laughed.
Just as he connected his family with fitness, Ramirez hopes YOLO’s commitment to competing in bodybuilding competitions, even at age 52, will inspire future generations.
“Mostly, I was doing all this because, at some point, I wanted to show my grandchildren something. How many pictures were they like, ‘Oh, my grandfather was a bodybuilder?'” Please prepare one. ” he said. Perhaps the lessons he will teach them will be about patience, persistence and giving chances to score.
“I tell you guys, it’s not going to happen in a year. It took me 10 years to really start showing muscle definition. It’s one of those things that really takes time,” he said. .
“Seeing people competing was like a dream. That was kind of my theme in all of this,” he continued.
“I dreamed it and now it’s time to do it. So I did it.”
