To-Do List:
- Awake by 5 a.m. ✔
- Cardio in gym by 6:30 a.m. ✔
- Back home to read check-ins from online clients ✔
- Back to the gym for second training session ✔
- Train evening clients ✔
- Grocery shop around 9 p.m. ✔
- Meal prep by 10:30 p.m. ✔
This is just a taste of International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro Neal Blassingame Jr.’s day. But like he said with a smile, “Every day is different.”
Blassingame, now 43, fell in love with bodybuilding as a high school athlete when he trained at Matt Dishman, a popular Portland neighborhood gym and community center.
“Back in the day Dishman was the breeding ground for bodybuilders,” he acknowledged. “Tommy Armstrong, one of Oregon’s best bodybuilders, took me under his wing and taught me the lifestyle and how to properly train. From there, the love for the sport and training grew.”
However, it wasn’t until a ‘perfect storm’ of 20-plus years as a personal trainer, the sport’s new Men’s Physique category, and discrimination on his full-time job that prompted him to dedicate himself fully to his talent. Not only did he focus on bodybuilding, but he also launched his own business — #noxcuses.
Blassingame explained:
“When I was younger, I wanted to hang out with friends and didn’t want to dedicate myself to the sport; in bodybuilding, you must be all in. As I got older, life slowed down, which allowed me to fully pursue this sport I had admired since my teen years.“I’ve always wanted to create my own business. My full-time job didn’t allow me to use my skills, and on top of that, my boss was racially discriminatory. I thought if I’m going to lose and be held back from opportunities, it’s going to be on my own account, and not because someone else decided to place me in a box they created for me.
“My business name — #noxcuses — actually came from that situation. I told myself I’d never be treated like that again, no excuses. There are no excuses to the things I want to achieve: working out, training, growing my business, etc. My brand name is my lifestyle and the lifestyle of so many others.”
Blassingame stated that most people are afraid to fail and their fear holds them back:
“In bodybuilding, you’re going to fail; you’re going to have difficulties. Luckily, the sport builds you up from the inside out, making you mentally tough. So, I wasn’t afraid to leave my job to start my own business with a daily effort to become a good bodybuilder.”
With just two years as a competitor under his belt, Blassingame entered his first national competition in Pittsburgh where he earned his IFBB pro card in Men’s Physique.
“That night was amazing,” he expressed as he reflected on his national show in Aug. 2014. “It felt good to be on stage among all the bodybuilders, competing, but also supporting each other. We all knew what it took for the other person to be there. For me, turning Pro means you have worked hard and on test day were able to display that hard work and ace the exam. It means you’re disciplined and one of the best in the world. As a business person, it can open doors and as a coach, it gives you credentials and validates the things you teach others.”
Since turning Pro, Blassingame not only still compete nationally, but #noxcuses has grown significantly. He currently trains clients in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, both general population
and competitors. Currently, he’s collaborating with some of the best in the business and together, they’re working on his supplement line. In addition, he conducts posing classes for competitors of men’s physique, classic physique, women’s figure, and women’s physique. In Sept. 2018, he’ll compete in the Legion of Sports show in Long Beach, California.
“My only regret is that I didn’t do all of this sooner,” he revealed. “But since I did make that choice to leave my full-time job and focus on the sport and my business, I haven’t looked back.”
Follow Neal on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
