Please pardon the errors, this was transcribed by a computer… gotta love artificial intelligence!
Kevin English: [00:00:00] You may be familiar with the saying it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. And putting aside for a moment, the horrors of human sponsored dog fighting. There's some truth to this adage. There's something to be said for attitude, for determination and a never give up mindset.

You undoubtedly know people like this in your own life. Or maybe this describes you. These are people who set audacious goals. Who are willing to do whatever it takes against all the odds to achieve these goals.

These are the hard workers. The go getters. Hello and welcome to the over 50 health and wellness show. I'm your host, Kevin English. I'm a certified personal trainer and a nutrition coach. And my mission with this podcast is to bring you the best subject matter experts and most inspirational stories.

To help you become the healthiest, strongest, most vital version of yourself. My guest this week is Franklin Ostler senior. Franklin is a 63 year old professional bodybuilder. Who's been working out almost his entire life. As a child, he was very athletic, but was tall, skinny, and very introverted.

But his life was about to change. He was going to be introduced to the sport of bodybuilding. And even though he didn't have any weight training experience or the build to be a bodybuilder. The hook was set and the arc of his life was forever changed.

Franklin Ausler: [00:01:35] you know what, when I was a kid, I wouldn't go near, weight, you know, being on a tall gangly kid. I was the weakest kid out there. So I was never out there lifting weights. Everybody would be in the garages, lifting weights and stuff. And I, stayed away from that. I think the way I got kind of sold on it, I had a girlfriend at the time and her brother was a bodybuilder and we went to one of his competitions.

And just seeing the way that he was able feel so comfortable out there show what he, had done was work. it really had a lasting impression on me. From that experience, I kinda got started training on working out and it's just never, I've never gotten away from it because it was my passion.

I think a lot of us can relate to what Franklin is saying here. I know, I certainly can. I had a very similar experience to this day. I still remember my first trip to a global gym. I was in my forties. I'm just skinny. Skinny fat really, and very weak. And it was intimidating. Like very intimidating.

There were these big strong men in there and grunting and moving around some big ass weights. I'm meekly walked around, watching what other people were doing on the machines, and then tried to copy them. I didn't dare go anywhere near the free weights, because that area seemed to be reserved for the strong people.

Think back to your first trip to the gym. Did you have a similar experience? Many older adults put off going to the gym. They feel intimidated. Maybe they're self-conscious about being out of shape to overweight or to underweight. Or maybe you're listening to this right now and you haven't yet joined a gym for one of these reasons.

I would urge, you know, implore you really to face your insecurities and find a gym that works for you. Although I was certainly intimidated initially. I found that 99% of those big guys and gals were actually very nice. And in fact, quite willing to help a beginner out. It turns out that those intimidating grunts and scary faces.

Weren't meant to terrorize newbies. That's just a by-product of hard work and effort. So at this point in our story, Franklin is a tall lanky kid. He's very athletic. But he's self-conscious about going to the gym. But after witnessing his first bodybuilding competition. He's compelled to overcome his insecurities.

Franklin Ausler: [00:04:05] I jumped into it, and when I first went and got into it, I wasn't really into lifting the weights at all. I mean, it was just the machines, Nautilus machines. So I'd got go in on lifting Nautilus machines yeah. Then eventually I got influenced by my girlfriend, his brother, and he, you know, he was on a whole nother level.

He wasn't messing around with those machines and he was throwing weight around and he was cocky, but I mean, cocky in a good way, you know that's how I want it to be. I wanted to feel that comfortable in that confident.

And so I got into the weights and it just took off from there.

Kevin English: [00:04:41] And now in those early days, did you have a coach? Was this guy helping you or give me tips or were you just kind of getting in there and figuring it out yourself?

Franklin Ausler: [00:04:49] I always been the kind of person that would do their own research and kind of sit back and question things and, so I felt a lot more comfortable just gathering all the information on myself, but on my own, which I did, I did a lot of reading. Of course there were, when I started up there, obviously no internet then.

so it was a lot of the magazines, the flex magazine and muscle builder. They called it back then and the, all the magazines, my whole house was covered with magazines and I'd be reading a study but never but never coach.

I used to coach one time and that was actually, that was the competition that I won my pro card in. That's the only time I ever actually used the coach.

So Franklin is a self starter. He's a tall, skinny 21 year old, and he's decided he wants to be a bodybuilder. The problem is tall, skinny guys or gals for that matter. Don't really make the best candidates for bodybuilders. But armed with some magazine articles and serious determination he sets forth on his journey

Franklin Ausler: [00:05:54] Being taller it takes a lot more time in order to feel those long muscle bellies out. depending on how your muscle is structured on your body, your insertion points decide how, how that muscle is going to be shaped.

and how it's going to look when it's fully developed taller guys based on that, you know, they don't, it's just, the sport is not really for taller guys to do, to do that well, cause you don't have a lot of the body type structure, things that are required to be a good body builder. So, so that was one of, you know, a big not a deterrent, but it was just it was just something that you had to consider in the way that you prepared yourself, if you intended to, to compete at all.

You know, the way I got started on the actual competition side of it is you know, back in the day when we all trained at the same, there was only a few gyms where the bodybuilders trained and if you train there and hell every, everybody in there competed and everybody kind of helped each other, it wasn't a big deal.

So, just by being in that environment, I think is, is the way that influenced me to eventually have that real desire to get on stage.

Kevin English: [00:07:01] talk to us about that. Your first show, I believe it was 1985. Is that right when you did your first show? So talk to us about that show in the preparation, leading up to that. Cause by this time you'd have been even bigger. You'd have put on considerable amount of muscle mass, I'm guessing.

But to step on stage, there's a lot more to than just lifting weights and being strong. Right. So talk to us a little bit about leading up to that, that first show

Franklin Ausler: [00:07:26] Oh yeah. That for show in the 1985 muscle beach, that's when, of course I was bodybuilding and I do mens physique now, but that was back in my early bodybuilding days. Yeah. I like I said no coach and just relying on discussions I'd have with other guys and stuff and what I was able to read, first show.

I didn't know what I was doing. And I was nowhere close to being ready to compete in a bodybuilding competition, nowhere from a developmental standpoint or a mental standpoint either I just wasn't ready. So, but I didn't know that, you know, that got exposed to me once I actually did it. But one of, one of the real, crazy things about it, you know, I had approached the show with a certain, competition diet.

We call it prep diet, or a diet that should be specifically designed to, help you strip body fat, bring out muscularity. So it was different, you know, different types of philosophies on how you approach that. And so I had, you know, just did not knowing what I was doing. I have pretty much read so much information.

So I had like five or six different theories, all floating in my head. I would start out, with one diet. method. And then if I wasn't liking the results, two weeks later, I switched to something else. So I was going back and forth on what I was trying to do from a dietary standpoint.

And so everything was not, you know, I was losing weight and everything like that, but I had very little muscle anyway, then just a little bit that I, I had, it seemed to be just be losing, losing muscle every day, losing strength. And then I changed my diet philosophy and I go back and forth, back and forth.

So, so I made, I made about every type of mistake that you can possibly make going into my first competition.

Physically. I definitely wasn't ready, I mean, I had been training for a number of years by then, but, being an ectomorph and being natural, I just hadn't put on a good degree of muscle I mean, I look more like a, like a conditioned basketball player and I was in a bodybuilding competition.

And mentally, I had didn't have any confidence, none whatsoever, because I mean, I'm in the gym with guys that I'm going to be competing against and I'm looking at them and I'm seeing I'm nowhere near them. And I'm nowhere near that. But it's funny because as I was going through all of this, I was kind of discovering some things about myself as well, besides just the physical part I was coming to the

understanding that I had the ability to outwork, to literally outwork other people. I was the guy that was, that was there early and leaving late. I mean, I never missed a workout. I went harder than everybody. And so that was kind of, even though I was getting, I was getting it handed to me on the stage, but I felt like ultimately my work ethic was gonna push me past them.

And I eventually be where I wanted to be, which came to pass by the way.

Kevin English: [00:10:24] Yes, it did. And We'll certainly get there. So again, I want to back up a little bit, cause you alluded to this and I think now's as good a time as any to discuss this again, not everybody listening to this podcast is going to know what body builders go through in terms of diet cycles. A very typical bodybuilder will bulk up and then lean out for a show.

Why don't you just take a minute or two and talk about just that at a high level, what bodybuilders in general do. And then later on, we're going to dive in a little bit more specifically into, into what you're doing.

Franklin Ausler: [00:10:56] Okay. In bodybuilding, obviously the, the whole intent is to come in big condition to shapely in. So, in your off season, which is all off season is just the time of the year when you're not indirect preparation for competition.

So during that off season, bodybuilders were, we'll try to put on size in order to put on size. You have to be in a caloric surplus. So they're eating bulking, if you will. And you know, it's kind of the new terminology that you use, but, but are eating enough to get that muscle hypertrophy. And then they're trying to add muscle, and they're not very much concerned about body fat at that point.

And just, just trying to put on size then when they go into a contest, prep period is when they, this is during the period when they specifically identify the competition they're going to do, and then they'll figure out how many weeks they need from the condition they're in right now to, to transform their body into competition's condition.

Then however, length the time that is. Th that's considered their contest prep period. And then they'll go ahead and go through that process, the prep period, and then do a competition. So those are pretty much the phases. It's just, you know, contest prep and then you know off season is what people typically call it.

Those are the two biggest deal.

Kevin English: [00:12:21] then just to recap that off season is that, or that bulking season is when you're in a caloric surplus. And really the goal is to put on as much muscle as you can. And along with that, some fat going to come up, no matter how good you are, you're going to get some fat, right. And then the inverse of that is as you're coming close to that, or that show prep time, you're going to count back how many weeks you calculate and you'll know this by experience.

I'm sure after doing it long enough, and then you're going to be in a caloric deficit, right. So you're actually kind of dieting down. Now, the trick is what'd you want to do is you want to lose that body fat and really lean out for that muscularity right. But you don't want to lose any of the muscles. So there's really a, it's, it's a tight rope that you're walking there.

And I don't know that everybody's can really appreciate that, but there's a lot of, a lot of science and a lot of of art really that goes into that. So that you can, the day you step out on that stage, you look your absolute best. Is that a fair way of saying that.

Franklin Ausler: [00:13:15] Yes, it is. Yes. Yes it is. And everybody has a different approach to how they want to make that go. You know, like you know, there's a lot of guys that have a philosophy that when, when they're in the contest prep period, they do more reps, they do more reps and, you know, the ideal of the more reps you do, the more energy you're using and the more you're going to.

So they almost a lot of them, in my opinion, you know, they kind of turn their weight training into a cardiovascular session. So they're doing all the mega sets and reps and everything like that, really not taxing the muscle enough to sustain. And then when they go into the caloric deficit, they end up losing muscle mass.

And so my philosophy has always been, I don't change my workouts when I go into a contest prep period. I still try and train as heavy and as hard as I always did, because I feel like I want to, I want to get my muscle a reason to stick around because the calories are going to be going low. I'm going to be doing more cardiovascular stuff to be less energy available so that muscle, I want to keep it.

If I have to drop my weights, I don't just drop them because I think I need to drop them. I drop them because I reduced my, my rep count because I physically can't do it anymore. So I let my body make that decision. Okay.

Kevin English: [00:14:31] Gotcha. Yeah. It's that muscle on your body is metabolically expensive and it's can be tough to convince your body to hang on to it. Especially in a calorie deficit. That's well said. All right. So let's kind of get back to your timeline here. You've done your first show. It sounds like you learned a lot, some things mentally. You're probably maturing a little bit now. I believe it's going to be another couple of years before you do your next show. What's different in this second show prep from your first show.

Franklin Ausler: [00:15:02] Oh, okay. Yeah. By the way, what I did when I got whooped so bad and that first show what I realize and what I knew, I knew I knew I needed to put on muscle. And I also know that I'm a natural and my intention is to stay natural. So instead of jumping back on stage in another six months or even a year, I said, well, I'm not going back on stage for two years.

And didn't do you much better. It was a much bigger class. This time have more guy. And I finished right near the bottom, but cause you know, my height, was the issue, but what I was discovering was that I could do more than everybody else.

I could work harder than everybody else. Yeah. That was always my driving force is that, I was never really discouraged cause I still always felt I had control, ultimately it was going to happen and it was just going to take some time. so I just, when I would go back to the gym, I'd always have a little bit the say depression period, you know, cause I was getting whooped every show.

You could count on me being right on the bottom, you know? And so, every show I get depressed afterwards, but then I give them, I give myself a week, two weeks and then I'd be back in there. One on, you know, like I said, two years, I was giving it two years between shows initally.

Kevin English: [00:16:16] that's some dedication. I think a lot of people are probably raising their eyebrows when they hear that they're thinking, okay, you do this competition. You get whooped two years to your next one. That's a long time to take, to prepare. And you go in and to your point, you get whipped again and you say, okay, you know what?

I own the process, maybe not in the outcome, but I've got control over this process. And I have faith in myself and my work ethic. I'm going to keep going. I know I can do this. So there's a lot of determination and grit, I think in that is that that's a good way of saying that right now.

The other thing in there, just real quick to, to clarify, you've mentioned that you're natural and you intend to be natural and you're still natural. Perhaps some folks listening, aren't aware of what that means. Just talk for a second about what does it mean to be a natural bodybuilder?

Franklin Ausler: [00:17:02] well, they'll be a natural just means that you're not using any pharmaceuticals, any PEDs at all, to help you with your training. But, don't get me, don't get me wrong. I mean, I'm not, I'm not against those that, make the choice. In fact, be fair, fair to say is it had I with the passion that I have for bodybuilding had I had all of the attributes that I think that were needed to really be a champion body builder.

I mean, at the top, I probably, I might've made a different decision, but I never really saw myself. And I never, I never felt like it was, you know, enough reward to jeopardize my health at all. cause know the bar would have bought, you know, what are body dealers making any way, you know, I'm thinking, you know, so I'm not, I'm not even thinking about doing that.

You know, I'm getting enough satisfaction now to just know, be getting better, try to come out and try to come out better the next show. so anyway, that's, that's natural is there's guys that don't use any the PEDs as all,

Kevin English: [00:17:59] Right. So no performance enhancing drugs, steroids, things of that nature. And I think I read recently on one of your Instagram posts, you had said something to the effect of never being satisfied really makes you work harder. And I think that's a theme that we're, that we're hearing here. Right? Cause you're going to go on and basically, is it fair to say that from 1985 till today, and we're recording this in April of 2021, you've been doing bodybuilding shows that entire time.

And is that right?

Franklin Ausler: [00:18:27] pretty much. I, I didn't do any shows from 2005 to 2013, that period, I was still training. I was still trying to like a bodybuilder all the time, but that, but I was so overwhelmed on my job at the time. I just, I just could never really pick out, be able to put together a long enough time slot to really get ready for a show.

So I didn't, I didn't do any shows for that whole eight years. And that was in fact that that's when I stopped. You know, cause I, I do mens physique now, which was kind of a different subdivision of a body, but you know, in 2005, that was the last bodybuilding competition I ever did. Then when I came back in 2013, I did mens physique, which is what I do now.

I turned pro in mens physique category.

Kevin English: [00:19:17] Yeah. Okay. So let's tease that apart a little bit as well. So bodybuilding is what people are probably thinking about that classic, giant humongous kind of physique, right? That's body building and there now, and that may have been all there was when you started, I guess now there's several different categories for men and women and party building competition.

Can you talk a little bit about the difference between physique, which are, like you said, that's what you're doing now and that's what you've got your pro card in and traditional the bodybuilding class.

Franklin Ausler: [00:19:48] Yeah, like you said, bodybuilding is a much more, bigger, more developed body that they're looking to compare you with. So it's a whole different, your entire body is evaluated for, you know, for conditioning, statics development, so forth. So that's all, all plays into. Bodybuilding and men's physique.

The big thing with men's physique is as opposed to wearing the little skimpy shorts that you wear in bodybuilding. You wear a board short. So basically, you know, the board short, obviously your leg, isn't going to be exposed except for the calf. So, so men's physique, you know, you're only, you're not, you're not being compared on your legs.

You're, you're being compared more just on your upper body in the criteria is a little different from bodybuilding. You're not looking at just how much, how, how big you are, how well developed your is more of the looking for diff it's a different look. It's more of a beach athletic very achievable type look that they're being distributed evaluated on, but that division itself has really grown so much that the guys are much, much bigger now.

So it's almost like. And there's also another classic physique, which is one up from men's physique. If you will. It's you know, the guys in, in men's. Physique basically almost look like classic bodybuilders Mt. Size they're carrying these days. But anyway, the original philosophy was, it was a more of just an achievable looks up type of physique that if you're walking on a beach or something and you saw a guy and you said, man, that dude, that dude's jacked.

You know, it'd be more of that kind of a body as opposed to big, huge. Do you know that, that difference?

Kevin English: [00:21:36] Yeah, the bodybuilders are, feast days are huge. I mean, just ridiculously huge they're massive human beings. And that you're right. That physique category is definitely that more athletic look. And to your point, I suppose they are getting bigger and bigger as the competition is getting more popular.

So that size is kind of increasing a little bit. But that's that classic? Like you said, the guy that's that's Jack, he looks great. He's in those typically posing in those board shorts. Okay. So let's, let's kind of pick up then in, 2013, you've taken some time off from competing, but not from working out.

Why is that the time come back.

Franklin Ausler: [00:22:13] deaf the year that I retired from my job. So I retired at 55 years old, right on my 55th birthday. I retired. And by then ironic that that's the same year that the Ms was. I think my, well, I think men's physique actually a division was created, I think in 2012, but it was brand spanking new.

And at first I wanted nothing to do with it. Cause I'm a, even though I wasn't a good bodybuilder, but I was a bodybuilder mentally, I'm one of those guys. I'm a student of the game, you know, I studied bodybuilding. I went to the Mr. Olympia optimum times. I, so I loved body building, I still do to this day.

I love bodybuilding. I knew who Mr. Every Mr. Olympia was and so forth. So, so when this men's physique thing started hearing about this, I thought it was joke and insult, you know, board shorts guy. but the more and more I got to really understand the division and also understand the fact that everybody has different desires, you have limitations in what you can do with your body.

Everybody can't be an open bodybuilder, a very good one. Anyway, you can be one, you just won't be a good one, so the fact that there were different divisions, it just created, you know, you could, you could just get in where you fit in.

Kevin English: [00:23:37] And so you had to get your head around kind of, I guess self-identifying as a physique competitor, which at first I think you were probably no, that's, that's not me. I'm a bodybuilder. So you get your head around that and you decide, you, you find a show on the calendar and I imagine you're pretty good at this by now you decide, okay.

It's time to start prepping. And you're going to go into that. You know, we had talked about that whole muscle building and then conditioning piece. How did that first physique show go?

Franklin Ausler: [00:24:04] you know, it's funny. Cause the first physique show, of course, by then, I'm already old enough to do masters category masters at that time was 40 and I was 55. So anyway. You know, coming to their first show division was, was Australia was just new, only a year old. I had no idea how to pose or even anything.

I didn't know anything about it. So, but, you know, I, I thought it was, I thought it was a joke anyway. And I felt like as a, me, as a bodybuilder, you know, you let me have to let me do a competition, but I don't have to show my legs. I won't get beat. That's how I felt about men's physique. So I did that first show.

I went out there super, super cocky, and just not even knowing how to pose I was doing almost like bodybuilding poses. I actually, it was a masters category and I got, I got whooped and I just, I couldn't believe it. I got beat by guys who I had like three times more muscle and I'm like, what's going on?

so any, any way that I learned in a Mo always learning the sport, every show you learn something, what I learned was that, I really had to. I haven't had to take care of business out there. What I had done in the past as a bodybuilder, just, you know, putting on size and all that.

And having done all these competitions, a bodyboard didn't mean nothing that I was in the new division and I needed to get my head straight and figure out what I needed to do and prepare myself. so I did masters category, like I said, in that show and I came in, I placed, but I placed low in social. It was almost like not even placement at all for me.

but like I said, I knew what to do. So, so I went back knowing that that it's time to go to work. Yeah.

Kevin English: [00:25:56] So I suppose then it's, it's like you went into that, first physique competition kind of counting on being the big guy, right? You like, well, man, I've done all these bodybuilding shows I'm on them. I'm a whip, all these skinny guys to get in there and find that maybe that's not what the game is.

They're right. They're looking for a different aesthetic, I suppose, the judges and there, to your point, I didn't think about that, but there's probably different posing required. And like you said, you placed lower than thought you would. And but to your point you learned right. You and you decided, okay, and you sound like a guy who resolve isn't a problem and determination and work ethics, not a problem.

So you just went back at it. What happens after that? What, where do you go from there and your next show or shows.
Franklin Ausler: [00:26:40] Right, right. After that show, there was a, another show. Six weeks later, that was much bigger. It was a much bigger magnitude show. The Titan is what that show was. It was up in LA and so it was six weeks out. So I, I knew that. No, I just needed to bring my condition up a little bit, which I have plenty of time to do that.

and I needed to learn how, how to show myself in that sport in terms of posing. You want to show confidence, but not arrogance, you know, how to, how to work my angles better, open up my back and how to appeal to the judges, which is the key. You know, that's what that the sport has had more to do with that.

And it did you know, bodybuilding, you're just, you're the biggest Jack do. You can hit those, you hit the poses, right? You're the guy that wins the most massive impressive guy, but, physique was different. I mean, there was a different way to be impressive. And so I knew that going into that next show.

And so the next show, like I said, six weeks out. I brought my condition up a little bit and I work on some posing in the next show is when I took sword. I won overall won the, the 40, the 45 35 overall sword overall masters of one. And it w and it was legitimately stack. You know, people say stack nowadays, it could have been five people in their class.

And they say a stack. I went through a stacked 45 division a stacked, 40 division, the 35 division wasn't as many, but I went through stack. I have 15 plus in every division. And here I am, I was 55 at the time, and I'll be, I whooped them all. so that show, I never did a regional, all. I did one more regional show.

And then I stepped in, I just went up to the pro card after that won one national show after another.

Kevin English: [00:28:40] okay. So that's a great story. I love that, that you went in to that first competition and your words got whooped. Just kind of went in there a little cocky and maybe not as knowledgeable as you could have been, but you learned, and only six weeks later, as opposed to two years later, you, you said, you know, I'm all I got to do is bring this conditioning in a little bit and I can, I can do, now.

I know what's expected of me. I can do this. You go in and basically clean up. Now you use the term, I think you said took sword. Probably most people. And I know there's some bodybuilders that probably are listening to this, but for folks outside of that world, have no idea what that means, but what does taking sword mean?

Franklin Ausler: [00:29:16] well, take your sword is, You know, when you went overall in any division for the whole show, when you're the overall winner, then you get a sword something that's as much more than say an average class winner, they're going to get a trophy and so forth. You get an actual sword. And so you see there's a lot of guys that don't have sorts.

I mean, these guys that, top pros and everything never won you know, an open,

Kevin English: [00:29:44] Yeah, so yeah, hats off to that is that's a fantastic story. So you had mentioned then at that point, you, one, you kind of cleaned up from the 35 on up, and you're 55 at this time. And now you've got your eyes set on a pro card. What does it take to get a pro card?

Franklin Ausler: [00:30:02] well there's, I want to say there's a seven. On national level shows that they hold each year. I could be wrong on that, but it used to be little seven. of all, you have to qualify to compete in a national show. And once you become nationally qualified, then those are the competitions that you can actually win a pro card in.

If you finish, depending on how the show is set up, but you either got to win your division or play second. In some cases you'll obtain a pro card, but in your class. So, you know, they're weighing it down to only nationally qualified guys. Then you have to be one of the top ones who wanted to get a pro car.

So it's that whole process there.

Kevin English: [00:30:43] And talk us through that. We know that you've gone on one, a pro card. how did that go for you when given that you were in 2013, you did these two back-to-back shows. How long was it before you actually obtained that pro card?

Franklin Ausler: [00:30:57] Well, I didn't get the pro card until 2018. Once I became nationally qualified, started doing masters nationals. I, I did the my first national, I want to say 2002 to 2014, I did masters nationals. And then after that, I was, I was already like 56 by then started, started competing in the categories that they had, the masters level was 45.

So when I came in, I was doing 45 divisions and I was already 56. And so I was giving up a few years there and, but I take pride in saying that I was, I was in the top five, every national show I ever did, except for one in 2017, I didn't place in the, in the top five. And it was only a year, but I, I did before I actually got the pro card.

Between masters nationals in the North America. Those are the only two I was doing. Then I was doing those back to back, back to back, those shows are in Pittsburgh. And so I went through before I actually got, got the Pro-core probably completed at least eight national shows new between masters nationals in North America.

And I finally was able to to get first in 60,

Kevin English: [00:32:19] all right. So if, so then you were 60 when you got your pro card, is that, is that right? That is a fantastic accomplishment. And now you're still competing today. Is that right?

Franklin Ausler: [00:32:29] yep. Got a show in July.

Kevin English: [00:32:31] Got a show in July. And I think we already mentioned that we are recording this in April, so just a few months out. Talk to us a little bit.

What is a typical workout week? Look like for you in terms of how many days are you on off and what is your, what are your splits look like?

Franklin Ausler: [00:32:46] Well, I'll go do my contest print now because I'm actually in that period of work by now. So it's easier for me to Yeah, I, I do a lot, man. I guarantee I do more than most, you know, especially more than y'all guys. the way a typical day for me is I get up and I do a lot of things that are different though.

You know, I don't, I train on an empty stomach. I don't eat anything. Maybe you have a banana or something like that, but I train in the morning, I train, my first session is in the morning. I train two body parts. And and then I also do 25 minutes of cardio. And I do that in the morning.

That's my, that's my first workout. Then I come back later in the evening and do another workout, which is just abs. I train abs every day, which is mostly guys don't abs is my, my weaker area in terms of being able to really show a lot of detail and in depth and everything. So I train abs every single day.

So that's the second workout is there's a little bit more cardio. I start on my cardio and just do I do 25 minutes in each session right now, and then FFS 50 minutes a day. And then I, you know, did I do abs every day and you know, the electric source, two body parts, 50 minutes, total abs every day. And so that pretty much, I, I that's a four day split.

So in other words, I'm over four day period. I will have trained every single body part in four days and I trained legs. I train legs. And on the last day of my, my split for my next day is rest. But every day is the same is I started out training in the morning. And then I come back. When I come back into the evening, it's always that same workout.

But as I progress along in my prep, That changes usually in terms of how much cardio I'm doing, it may go up. They go down just depends. But I always say I stick with that same split training in the morning and then come back.

Kevin English: [00:34:41] And so is that a four day on one day off? And you're just repeating that cycle.

Franklin Ausler: [00:34:44] Yes, sir.

Kevin English: [00:34:47] Okay. So let's, let's talk about that. That's a lot of volume. And that's, obviously to look the way you do that's, that's what it takes. Right. So talk to us a little bit about recovery. What strategies do you use to recover, to be able to really push your body like that?

For these two times a day, four days on one day off type weeks.

Franklin Ausler: [00:35:08] well, you know what, to be honest with you, it's always been a problem for me is. It's just slowing down, you know, a lot of times I'll take days off, it'll be off day four on one off, it'll be one off and I'll do cardio or something like that.

I don't have a a real solid recovery plan as far as some something that I, I do on a consistent basis, but I just listened to my body and I kinda, I take a rest when I need it, if I need to take longer than my one day off in between splits or an extended day or something like that.

But, but yeah, I try to get my massages, you know in not as much as I should. I try to get my massages. I have different Type of hand massagers and I use foam roller, stuff like that. So I try to stay on top of it. I don't stretch enough in stress, and there's a bad thing for me. And also I also have trouble keeping my water up and drinking enough water.

So I actually taught some of the hardest hurdles I have is making sure that I'm keeping my water up in that. Then I'm taking care of my body in terms of the therapeutic part of it.

Kevin English: [00:36:15] and have you, I haven't heard so far in our story. any major injuries have you found yourself battling injuries and I can't imagine you've been at this for as long as you have, and haven't had no overcome injuries, but has that become more frequent as you're, as you're aging, are you managing to keep that pretty much in check?

Franklin Ausler: [00:36:33] You know, I have problems when I was, I don't know, in my mid forties, I have very severe back problems, a herniated disc. You know, that was, that was a major problem for me. So I had to go through a lot of you know, corrective exercising and stuff like that to try to improve my, back flexibility and build and all of that.

So, so I went through all of that and I have, I have problems now and you know, my shoulders, you know, from all those years of training in you know, the shoulders are bad. And so I have to do different types of warm-up work, workouts and stuff actually blew out a rotator a number of years ago playing football.

So, now I feel, I don't feel too bad about where I'm at now. I feel pretty good when I go into the gym, but at my age, it's day to day. Yeah, there are some days when, when I, you know, everything seems to be aching more, but even those days I still get it in. You know, I just, I just take a little bit, I just adjust that day.

I just go longer on my warmups. I keep a band on my belt all the time. I'm in my bed, my workout bag. I have a band. So I'm always in between sets. I'm loosening up my joints a little, just been a little bit more time on loosening up if I need to do it on that day, if I don't, then I get after it. That's about it.

Kevin English: [00:37:55] Yeah, I think that relates back to what you said. You just, you know, your recovery strategy is primarily, it sounds like listening to your body and being in tune with that. And, and honoring that. Well, Franklin, you've been at this for an incredibly long time. It's been over 40 years, right. That you've been working out and doing these shows still at it.

So my question is, is how do you stay motivated over that period of time to put in this hard work and do what you're doing?

Franklin Ausler: [00:38:23] Yeah, it's a passion. It really is. It's the smell. I don't get paid a nickel to do it. And I've been doing it every day is the same. I, go on vacation. If I go on vacation, I'm training. I mean, I'm going to train at the hotel gym and we'll find a gym somewhere or what have you. It's just something, I just love it. It's always been as much mental for me in terms of, you know, what it does for me. And my benefit has been as much mental as it is physical. So. I have to have it, you know, it was it's like my drug. I just have to admit that. But, but it's, it's a healthy one because I feel like at my age, you know, I not only look very good for my age.

I'm also very functional. I can still get after the gym with the young guys and they know it

Kevin English: [00:39:17] Okay. Oh, I love that. I love that so much. Yeah. So when, you ask somebody to just imagine a 63 year old, man, they're not picturing you typically, right. The way you look and to your point, the way you function, so that that's fantastic. And you had mentioned that that you love the, the physical side of it and the mental side of it.

And you kind of alluded to it, bleeding over into other areas of your life. How has this working out lifestyle and these bodybuilding achievements, how has that bled over into other areas of your life?

Franklin Ausler: [00:39:49] well, the whole lifestyle. Puts kind of a hamper on a lot of things like relationship wise and stuff like that, you know, because it's not, you never turn it off, it affects like whether or not you could eat anything or like parties and stuff like that.

So that's always, if you're in a relationship then whatever, that's always you know, they have to respect that either, even though they may not even be having anything to do with that, they have to respect that. So you're, you're your mate. So it has some challenges in that way regard, but also at the same time, but it's been what's, you know, it's, it's been really something that's helped me to release express myself and also has helped, has helped me with another level of confidence because it's like, you know, I.

I got him into this thing. Not, not having the goods for it, you know, but look at me know, I didn't have the, you wouldn't, you wouldn't have looked at me back there. So I mean, a guy going to be a buddy, but not nothing close. You know, I didn't have any of that yet. I overcame all that. Just through consistency, persistence, hard work.

That's it, that's it. People say it sounds corny and all that, but I can tell you, you put that time in and it all pays off and that's what, that's what I'm living proof of that.

Kevin English: [00:41:16] That's very well said. Yeah. And you had alluded to early on in your bodybuilding career, and I think you've, you mentioned this in regard to nutrition that you kind of were hopping from one program to another. And I, I see that and, and folks, and they're working out and they're kind of going from one thing to another and they're not sticking with things long enough.

And, they're looking for the answer in a specific program. Well, if I just do this program this many days a week, or if I do this program, but really if you had a pyramid, that would be the top of the pyramid that the programming probably that base is going to be that work ethic, that hard work, that consistency, that grinding day in and day out is, is that fair?

Do you think.

Franklin Ausler: [00:41:57] it is, is because what does, you know, what what it came will just come down to is it's just discipline you motivation on some days, but you know, where it's not my best training day, you know? And I might, may not even feel like training that day, even though it's kind of rare for me to be honest with you I'll always want train, but, but, you know, but some days they'll especially doing prep in calories might be kind of low in mind, but for like, but it's that discipline is what really keeps you going.

And when you, when you make that commitment to do something, you make that promise to yourself and then, you know, whether or not you're going to continue. To push and meet their commitment, or are you going to punk out? You know, I, I choose to always go and and meet their commitment because I, you know, I wouldn't have a problem with letting other people down, but I'm not gonna let me down.

I said, we're going to do this. And then we're going to do it

Kevin English: [00:42:57] And where do you think that comes from? I mean, we've heard that throughout your story, this commitment, this discipline where does that come from?

Franklin Ausler: [00:43:05] for me. I think it comes from like playing scared. I always feel like that's, that's all I have. I mean, that's, what's going to do for me. You know, like I said, I never feel like I got the goods otherwise. So it's just fear of just not doing it, man, it's just like, look, I feel like that's the, I don't have the gimmick stock going to work for me.

It was going to work for me is I'm just gonna do, I'm gonna do three times as much. Three times as long. And I'm going to see if that's enough, you know, otherwise I think you're right. If I do what everybody else does, then I don't have a chance. That's just me. I feel like I don't have that.

I'm just not going to be the one to walks in and just watch over something I'm going to have to kick the door in. So I'm always, always had that, blow it up, get it done, type mentality, you know, it's just, you know, it's just me.

Kevin English: [00:43:56] Yeah, well said, I love it. Well, frankly, here's a question. What would you be doing today? If bodybuilding wasn't in your life? If you didn't go down this path, what do you think your life would look like?

Franklin Ausler: [00:44:10] Well, if I was still working now, you know, of course I would in my field, do I have the same approach to everything that I do? In terms of hard work. So if I'm going to always be the hardest working on my, I was the hardest working on my job, you know, and just, it's just, if I wasn't body doing it right now, don't know exactly what I'd be doing if I wasn't still working because it's, but it would have to be something with the challenge.

You know, 63 to me has never been, that's not what it's supposed to end for me. And I don't even know when it's supposed to end because I, you know, I, I mean, I, I tried to retire from bodybuilding many years and every, year I say, well, this is it. I'll do it again. But, but that's just me just saying it because it's just supposed to be the right thing to do at certain ages certain times.

But my heart always says one more door to kick in on what do to kick in. Like right now, I'm 63. I got my pro card at 60. I've already done. I've done two pro shows and you know, shoot should be time for it to be over. It. Should've been over a long time ago for me. No, but I still feel it. I still feel the desire.

I still feel it in my that I can still do it. I still feel like I can help work them. And like I said, that's my thing. It was always going to be like, I don't care. They can be when they gotta be 60. Now that's, that's what always is coffee is like, it's like when I was 55, 35 could mess with me just the same way now I'm okay.

If I'm 63 60, shouldn't be able to mess with me, you know? So I go out there just, just feeling like I'm going to do more. I'm going to go harder. I'm going to be more consistent and I'm going to just, that's going to make up the difference. You know, it didn't, it didn't so far. I mean, I've done one 60 division in a book and combined that with that was, that was just recently come, come right on a quarantine.

But that's only because, well, I shouldn't say only I got beat by guys that were good, but I, I wasn't at my best because I didn't have my normal. Timeframe that I need to get ready. So I feel like I just wasn't at my best. Although, like I said, the guys that beat me, they, they were very good, very good. And they deserve to beat me.

So it'll be different.

Kevin English: [00:46:30] Yeah, I'm sure it will. I'm looking at you. And I know the folks that are listening to the podcast. Can't see this, I can see it in your demeanor. You're just exuding this. Let me add it kind of attitude. I can imagine. Yeah, you get whipped in show is probably bad news for everybody in the next show.

All right, well, here's the question. What if somebody listened to this and we'll just say, it's a, let's say it's a guy he's in his sixties and he's gotten recently into decent shape. And maybe he's a skinny guy. I don't know. But here's this and he thinks, gosh, I didn't really thought about that.

Could I, could I do a bodybuilding show? Is that just too audacious? What advice would you have for that person? Who's just thinking. Nah, I don't know that that just seems like a dream, but man, it sure sounds cool.

Franklin Ausler: [00:47:11] Yeah, I mean, you can do anything. You know what I would tell someone I, dad is, you know, see the thing about body actual competition that you're going to interest it. Just the only thing that you're ever going to do, that's going to make you be as best, the best you can be. I mean, because anything else you can say, well, I can't, I want to get in great shape by three weeks from now.

There's nothing like saying in three weeks from now, someone else a third party is going to judge me and compare me against a bunch of other people. That's a whole different Alamo right there. You can make that commitment to yourself, but when you decide you're going to get out there showing half your body.

guys are gonna look at you and judge you, and then that takes it to a whole nother level in terms of what kind of pressure it puts on you in what you're willing to do and how hard you work to get ready for it. So, so competition is, I would tell someone, you know, if you you'll never see it until you compete, you know, you'll never see the transformation and everything looked great.

lost a bunch of weight. Okay. Do you want to go next level with, in other words, you want to look like a guy that just does this, okay. You gotta be a guy that just does it that compete. And if you do that, then it's going to make you reach and do it at another level. Otherwise you're just going to be about what were you at right now?

And if you go to okay with that and live with that, you know, but don't, if you, if it's something that you're going to be think about in terms of now, I wonder, see that guy I'm going to add, you know, vascular like that. I wonder if I can do that. Well, you're going to have to, you're going to have to make that commitment and do it, do a competition.

So it's always out there.

Kevin English: [00:48:48] Yeah. So what I hear you saying is go for it, right? Put, find a show, put it on the calendar. And that's, you know, if that depends on where you are, if that's a year out, two years out, five years out, if that's six months out but to your point, nothing will motivate you quite like stepping out half naked on a stage with your peers being judged specifically on your body, against your peers.

That's, that's pretty motivating, pretty motivating, real Fact there. Alright. So Franklin, would you like to give any shout outs to anybody who maybe have helped you along the way?

Franklin Ausler: [00:49:25] well, you don't, you know you never do a competition without help. that's one thing because it involved so many people that are involved in, in helping you out emotionally have you, but You know, my son who, is always like a good critic for me, you know, my, my son, my son was raised on protein shakes.

I mean, my son been around bodybuilding all his life. And so you know, I'll ask my son, how am I looking? You know, so definitely I'm going to shut myself out there. My girlfriend, my girlfriend Francis, who's a nutritionist. She's helped me out a lot with pulling my meals together. And she's another one that is good at giving me the critique that I need.

So, yeah, she's another one. So, I mean, like I said, you don't do it alone,

Kevin English: [00:50:14] Yeah, well said, and we know you've got this show coming up. Here, I think you said in July is coming up for you pretty quick, but other than that, what's what's next for you. What's on the horizon.

Franklin Ausler: [00:50:27] you know, I don't know. You know, I, I know that I still love to compete. I'm still my daily thing is still going to be, I go to the gym and I'm trying to improve myself. I'm going to do that until they put me in that box, you know, and that's just going to be what I do. But if there's anything else that I, I do as far as just industry wide or anything like that, you know, who knows, you know, I tinker with doing a little, little bit of influencer stuff on Instagram and stuff like that.

I don't know if that ever if I ever could materialize into something, but, I'm just really enjoying, staying in shape. And like I said, I love the game, you know, I love the game, you know, I can still get up there and bust up some 60 year old cats, you know, I want to do that.

Kevin English: [00:51:16] Yeah.

Franklin Ausler: [00:51:17] Enjoy it.

Yeah, let's do, let's do what I like to do.

Kevin English: [00:51:20] Fantastic. All right. And yeah, you had mentioned Instagram there and that's how I found you. What is that the best way for people to connect with you? If they want to learn more about you and interact with you?

Franklin Ausler: [00:51:31] So yeah, I G would be the way to contact me.

Do you have any questions? I'm always open to questions to find, you know, I ain't nobody, you know, just a guy that likes to get after, you know, as it I'd love to try and got a passion for it. I'll talk your ear off. I'll give you way more information than you want.

Kevin English: [00:51:48] Fantastic. Well, I'll, I'll drop your Instagram handle into the show notes. So folks can find you there. So, Franklin, I just want to, thank you for coming on the show today and taking the time, sharing your knowledge with us. Your wisdom, your story, you look fantastic. You are a great ambassador for healthy aging, and I certainly wish you all the luck in the world and all your future endeavors.

Franklin Ausler: [00:52:10] Appreciate it, man. Thank you then a pleasure.