Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Micheal Mensah | 240612-N-RU001-1014 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 12, 2024) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate...... read more read more
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Twenty-five years of hard work comes down to one moment. The lift for him to get to this point wasn’t an easy rep. Balancing life underway aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) while actively training for a bodybuilding competition is a journey unlike any other time he’d prepped for previous competitions.
Last September, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Lorenzo Taylor smiled and stepped out onto the stage of the 2023 National Physique Committee (NPC) North American Men’s Physique Competition. This annual event is a pro-qualifying competition for the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB). In preparation, he transformed his body into the most muscular version of himself to date. He could only hope the judges would see him the same way.
For Taylor, bodybuilding is not something he does leisurely; for him, it’s a daily grind with a purpose, and he knows if he wants to be the best there will be challenges that he must overcome.
After joining the Navy in 2013 and arriving at his first duty station in Jacksonville, Florida, he met bodybuilder Don Long, who introduced him to the bodybuilding scene. It was a moment that would change his life and body forever. He would come a long way since his high school years at Ames High School in Ames, Iowa, where he was poked at for being too skinny and began lifting weights.
“They called me ‘skin and bones,’” said Taylor. “I wanted to change my stars.”
Taylor worked hard to go from “skin and bones” to fit and toned. In 2013, he routed a package to All-Navy Sports and was accepted. By 2014, he was an All-Navy sponsored bodybuilder competing in national competitions. Before 2023, Taylor placed in NPC competitions 13 times, five of which he placed 1st in the men’s physique category with the Navy’s help.
In July through August of 2023, while underway with Vinson for Composite Training Exercise (COMPTUEX), Taylor continued training for his upcoming NPC competition. Typically, bodybuilders send their coaches daily check-in photos and weigh-in numbers to track their progress before the big day. At the time, Taylor was inconsistent with his check-ins, only being able to send emails with narrative descriptions of each of his muscle groups.
“I didn’t have Wi-Fi like we do now,” said Taylor. “I just had to narrate to him as best I could.”
According to Taylor, the preparation before the competition can be intense, even fear-inducing. How big of a difference can one meal make? Or one missed workout? He thought he was doing well, but trying to compare himself to competitors he hadn’t seen yet was difficult.
Then came Taylor’s Navy bodybuilding mentor, Terence “Sean” Ellison, Vinson’s fit boss. Ellison is a representative on the ship who runs Vinson fit classes and is a source of fitness information for Sailors. Taylor went to him shortly after Ellison checked into the command, introducing himself as an All-Navy-sponsored athlete.
“It was shocking to me that All-Navy supported him, given the fact that as a bodybuilder, his type of lifestyle is intense,” said Ellison. “It was exciting to see that they do that, and I could help him.”
After meeting Taylor, Ellison became a fill-in for Taylor’s coach.
“He was able to answer questions and concerns I had going up into the show,” said Taylor. “It wasn’t by any means my first show. I’ve been competing for years prior to this. However, it’s good to have someone who can act as a coach here on the ship.”
Ellison helped Taylor with posing and workouts to fix muscle deficiencies while underway.
“Major kudos and thanks to Fit Boss for that,” said Taylor.
When Taylor stepped onto that stage, all his nerves jumbled. He had the support of the Navy, his friends, family, shipmates, and everyone who helped him get where he was. All his hard work, dedication, and sacrifice would boil down to one defining moment- hearing his name called the first-place winner for the men’s physique category.
Not only did he win the competition, but he also earned an IFBB pro card, earning him a spot in the “NFL of bodybuilding,” as Taylor calls it.
“It was surreal,” said Taylor. “When I got my name called, I was very numb and in shock. It’s a hard feeling to explain. I was really jumbling my words at the interview immediately after, but it was a crazy place to be.”
In Taylor’s interview, standing on camera with the president of NPC, he shouted out the Navy and Vinson. He accredited the Navy for being instrumental in his come-up. Over the years leading up to this point, starting with the first weight he picked up in high school, he stayed motivated, which paid off in a big way.
“I finally made it,” said Taylor.
On Vinson, Taylor’s hard work has motivated others. Since he walked aboard the ship, he’s worked with and for his peers in an underground bodybuilding club.
“It’s kind of a secret society,” Taylor said.
After years of accumulating knowledge, he uses it to help and motivate Sailors who come to him for advice. In the gym, they greet him when he’s working out, smiling and laughing when he yells, “Let’s go!” after finishing a set of heavy weights. Taylor has become a beacon for an entire community on the ship.
“He never stops talking about it,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class Kristen Casazza. “He really motivates everyone around him all the time.”
Taylor is looking forward to his next big competition: his IFBB pro debut, which he expects to compete in 2025. Until then, focusing on helping others was a natural step for Taylor, who encourages Sailors to put down their excuses and pick up the weights despite being at sea.
“You can do either one of two things,” said Taylor. “You can make excuses – you can make a million excuses as to why you can’t do something, and you can procrastinate until you reach land – or you can lock in right now and do what you have to do.”
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2024 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 479254 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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