David Potter was 12 years old when he spotted a Muscle magazine with Arnold Schwarzenegger and knew that’s what he wanted to do, but didn’t start taking bodybuilding seriously until he took possession of Focused Fitness on March 1.
“I never had the opportunity so I rodeoed trying to find an identity because I’ve always been a competitive kind of individual. Nothing really panned out until dad passed away and I finally realized I had an opportunity to pursue it now,” said Potter, who also owns a landscaping company.
In just a short period of time, Potter has found success. On May 6, he placed twice in both the men’s light-heavy bodybuilding and muscular physique at the BC Amateur BodyBuilding Association’s (BCABBA) Kelowna Classic. He also placed third in classic bodybuilding and won an award for best posing.
“It felt really good. I was excited, it was my first competition and I walked away doing that good,” said Potter, who also won more than $1,500 worth of supplements, now sitting in the gym.
Bluvos, an energy supplement company, has taken notice of his fast rise in the bodybuilding world and have decided to sponsor Potter.
Potter said he doesn’t recall many sponsored athletes coming out of 100 Mile House and felt good about bringing back something to the community.
He also said that he always intended to rise fast and already has two more competitions coming up in the next six weeks.
Bodybuilding is a 24-hour lifestyle and Potter will eat seven meals throughout the day, eating roughly 11 pounds of chicken a week, two and a half pounds of fish, and lots of greens and sweet potatoes.
He’s also been getting more intense in the gym after identifying some weaknesses in his game, now doing two leg days a week but normally does 30-minutes of cardio in the morning. He also supplements himself with amino acids and protein shakes.
Potter is at the gym from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. four days a week and spends a further two hours in his kitchen doing meal prep for all seven meals he eats a day.
The fast rise in the B.C. bodybuilding scene almost never happened though.
“In 2012, I got post-concussion syndrome from rodeo, I used to ride bareback horse,” explained Potter. “The neurologist said I had to accept the damage might be permanent and I wasn’t accepting it and I left his office quite abruptly.”
Instead, he started going to the gym and wrote a fitness and meal plan and rehabilitated himself with the help of the neurologist.
He said if he puts as much drive into something he is truly passionate about, such as bodybuilding, like he did with rodeo he thinks he can go far.
“I’d like to get my pro card,” he said. “I’d love to at least get to the Arnold Classic.”
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