Being a bodybuilder is time-consuming enough, but factor in owning your own business, family and other normal stresses and Dave Watson’s life suddenly becomes more impressive. It’s hard to imagine that Watson wakes up super early in the morning and goes to the gym by five a.m. It’s hard to imagine that he’s spent his entire life working on cars, owning businesses and turning crafting a (no pun intended) well-oiled muscle-bound machine out of himself.
You can Google Dave Watson (make sure you throw “bodybuilder” in there for good measure) to see videos of his workouts and just how intense he works if you’re skeptical.
“I started back when I was 14, I’ve been a mechanic for a long time and have owned my own shop for 18 years now,” said Watson. “I started bodybuilding when I was 18 or 19, kept training, getting ready for shows. When I was in my twenties, I was getting ready for the national level. I was supposed to turn pro in 2002, but some family stuff got in the way, so, about ten years later, I went pro, around 2012 or so.”
Bodybuilding isn’t a world that a lot of folks know about. Sure, you can watch Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pumping Iron and get an idea of what it’s like, but in reality, it’s a fascinating sport. These athletes work on crafting their bodies for months on end, often forgoing the garbage us everyday folks eat while trying to maintain muscle mass and strength in order to look great on stage. I was curious how Watson got into bodybuilding.
“I was a grease monkey, I didn’t really have much interest in getting in the gym and training, but eventually, some of my friends got me in there,” Watson said. “I got hooked on it. When you see results and see your body change, you go ‘wow!’ When you see your body change based on the work you’re doing, it’s great. When I was competing, I was around 298 pounds. I’m going to be 50 in December, but have had my pro card since 2010. You get that by winning a national-level contest. They have all sorts of sanctions and stuff, but there isn’t always recognition. It’s pretty complicated.”
I was curious how Watson balances his bodybuilding, personal life and more. “You always find time. It becomes a little selfish, as my wife will tell you,” Watson said. “If you wanna’ be the top guy, you have to be selfish. Putting things to the side is important, but not exactly good, especially when you’ve got kids. It’s kinda’ hard. I go to the gym early and get it over with, which opens up the rest of the day. When you’re competing for shows, it’s 14 weeks of hell with dieting and two workouts a day. I’m miserable with dieting. I can handle it, but starving your brain of carbs and food gets you aggravated.”
Watson also happens to be a devoted bully supporter. “My kids wanted another dog, so we picked up a pit bull,” Watson said. “Amazing pets. They’re just so sweet, so loving, they sleep on my side of the bed, which is great. It’s all in how you raise it, really, you treat the dog poorly, it’s going to be a terrible pet, but if you treat it with love and respect, the dog will lick you to death.”
“The breed is excellent. The absolute best. They show no aggression, even towards other animals. I have cats and they beat him up,” Watson said, chuckling. “The dog is just so well-tempered and sweet. Very docile, amazing with the kids. Anyone who comes through the front door, all the bullies wanna’ do is play. They’re protective but playful, it’s great.”
Watson’s experience has been very similar to most bully owners. “Pit bulls are great. It’s like anything else, you treat it poorly, it’s gonna’ come back at you,” Watson said. “I’ve had a labrador come at me, it’s all in how the dog is raised. I think because the strength of the pit bull’s jaw, people are scared, but I couldn’t recommend the breed higher. Definitely do it. There are great breeders out there.”
