The offseason finally starts to be in its peak and besides the stress of starting a few new business ventures training begins to get better and heavier day by day.
Just before my travel to the USA in July I was signing to deals with new sponsors. First of all I signed with Conower Beef Jerky. A Premium quality Beef Jerky Product from Germany supporting my travels and lifestyle enormously. For every athlete I can only recommend to either carry some safety portions of protein shakes with you or another high Protein Snack such as Beef Jerky. http://www.conower-jerky.de/
Right after I got endorsed by GSI and their newest Shaker innovation “Spider Bottle”. A new revolution of shakers has started and after meeting and testing the product for over a month, it was a huge honour to become the new spokesmodel of their team. http://www.spiderbottle.com/
In the USA my trainer and mentor Gunter Schlierkamp supported me greatly in every workout session. Besides filming Videos every week for our Projects “Road to success” and of course www.bigdanhill.tv, he taught me many tricks he learned in his own Pro career. With the help of Multipowers Pre-Workout Booster No-Xtreme, I came back again to my almost highest strength levels and squatted and deadlifted 660lbs for a couple of reps each. The sky is the limit and not even the will be accepted as a limitation. It is going better and better and the fire is burning in my hands to tackle the next workouts.
After my photoshoot in spring with Larissa Reis, Larissa and I met up during my last Vegas trip and we talked about some great ideas and plans for the future. I am more than happy to be soon working more closely with an inspiring and amazing personality and friend in the fitness scene.
Mr. Olympia is standing right in front of the door and before September, I will focus on the opening of my first Store and German Headquarter “RTS-Fitness”, where we will also take you to the “Road To Success”
Two weeks before the first contest of the year, the filming crew of Body-Xtreme.de arrived in Los Angeles to produce my 2nd DVD project, Dans Diary - Living the Dream.
One on one and day by day you can see the truth about the 2 weeks before a Professional Bodybuilding event and what it takes to be professional.
Almost without any sleep, daily photoshoots and negotiations with new sponsors, I managed to place respectable on a 13th place on LA FLEX PRO. I was really satisfied with my showing and placing ahead of former World Games Winners, it was truly satisfying in my eyes. The business and creating a financial fundament to support my future career was my main focus since more than half a year already.
Thinking about reducing the stress afterwards and improoving the condition to Australia was disturbed by unique opportunities I simply had to take at my early point of the career. I continued putting on more and more work on my plate and I kept training alive to the level as much as my body allowed it. I came in a lot leaner but also had some size deficits compared to FLEX PRO the weeks before. I stepped on stage regardless, being sure of having done my best every day.
Sometimes you have to forget about your ego and you need to think about the future. Ego in general is the cause for almost any trouble we get in to in life and so I focused on the doors that opened for me. Through my new premium Sponsor "MULTIPOWER PROFESSIONAL", the leader of Sports Supplements in whole Europe, I got connected to Gunter Schlierkamp afterwards.
We are the new faces of the Bodybuilding product line and knowing Gunter as a role model and admiring his positive aura for years already when meeting him in person, it was like meant to be when we connected instantly at our first meetings and found ways to connect our careers, business and plans right away. We share almost every principle, share the same attitudes and the way Gunter already went in his life, is the Road I want to take. I am on the Road to success and with a coach and mentor for life and Bodybuilding like Gunter, there is no chance to fail.
I feel stronger than ever, happier than ever and every day is a gift and a glimpse of a dream right now. At the FIBO in Germany the first anoucement of our cooperation was made and the ROAD TO SUCCESS has officcially started right in the same time we are launching WWW.BIGDANHILL.TV
Dienstag, 8. Februar 2011
The first month of 2011 has passed already and the year started amazing in many ways. I spend my New Years Eve in Austin, Texas and made many new friends over there besides having two solid weeks of dieting and filming footage for my members section on my website www.bigdanhill.tv
In the middle of January my Shooting marathon started and for the first photoshoot of the year I had the great opportunity to travel to Miami, Florida and shoot with Ulrich Oehmen for muscle-gallery.com
Just as in 2007 when we took amazing shoots in Brazil, working with Ulrich was a great pleasure and I am excited to present the results of 2 shooting days on bigdanhill.tv and on muscle-gallery.com
Going to Los Angeles my schedule became even busier. I am blessed to announce my cooperation with Chanson Water who became another sponsor of my Pro career. I am happy to get this support after I used alkaline Water for almost 2 years already.
The following week I had another two photoshoots coming up. Shooting with the legendary Robert Reiff for MuscleMag and directed by famous fitness writer Jimmy Pena at Venice Golds... how can it be any better ? Watch out for the upcoming MuscleMag issues for a great series of articles.
The next photoshoot took place at Dave Fisher's Powerhouse Gym in Torrance with Angelo Rose who became one of my dearest friends in the past year. It is amazing when you connect to great personalities through work and they also enrich your private life beyond limits.
The same day Bill Comstock filmed my workout and having Bill behind the camera is possibly as good as it can be. His experience thorughout so many years of filming athletes is simply irreplaceable. When Dave Palumbo came visiting for the upcoming Fitness Expo to make reports for RX-MUSCLE.com he also invited me to shoot and I am looking forward to see the video we shoot and the interview in the soon future.
The Fitness Expo at the LA Convention Center turned into a huge success. Having the honour representing IRONMAN Magazine booth, it was an amazing experience to meet the American fans. It is a simply good feeling to see that more and more people recognize you, stop by and take pictures or buy DVDs of you. Having worked really hard last year, it showed to me that the results are outstanding and it was more than worth it.
All this is still nothing compared to how great the last week has been. I got 3 major magazine features confirmed for next month issues of various international magazines. This month I am on the cover of IRONMAN Magazine in Italy, Australia and Japan. I had the great pleasure to sign an endorsement contract with Chanson Water and right afterwards the honour to sign another major endorsement contract with a supplement company. Again I was allowed to do what I like the most and that is standing in front of the camera. I simply enjoy having photoshoots and when the legend of physique photography himself, Bill Dobbins, called me the best Bodybuilder in my age since Lee Priest, it is simply unbelievable...
Ralph Dehaan did another great job in his photostudio and together with Erika Thompson I had more fun during a photosession than ever.
I am getting ready for the final 2 weeks of my preparation and knowing how many exciting things are coming up, I am getting up every morning with a smile on my face. Many times when I wake up at night, I can barely wait for the days to start. Life is good to me right now and I am blessed to live my life on my own terms doing exactly what I want to do.
The year 2010 is coming to an end and it was definately my biggest year so far.
Having had a great Mr.Olympia weekendand the release of my DVD “Journey to the Top of the Hill”, I also had the chance to meet many new friends business partners in all areas. I was blessed to work with photographers like Ian Sitren, Mike Neveux, Angelo Rose, Jason Breeze, Mike Yurkovic and many more in just one week.
Coming back to Europe in November, my good friend Quincy Taylor visited my hometown and we started to take over Europe with seminars, guest appearances and promoting our DVDs.
I spend a great time travelling with Quincy and enjoyed a lot the stories of a legend in the industry. There will be a DVD very soon, that will show impression of this amazing tour.
Quincy's knowledge, combined with my "European way of Bodybuilding" trainning principles, showing different parts of Europe and a full body workout, will make this DVD a great learning experience for every aspiring Bodybuilder.
November also brought two other big steps for my career.
First of all I signed with my new clothing sponsor GORILLA WEAR and I am proud to be the front athlete of such a world famous brand in the Fitness-clothing industry.
On top of this and after my second cover this year on IRONMAN MAGAZINE,
John Schiek, the owner of the company which is producing the best lifting belts, gloves and straps, contacted me and very quickly we found an agreement for a long term cooperation.
Escaping from the winter in Germany I went back to LA and besides spending great time with my friends over there, I started working again on photoshoots.
In just 8 days I worked on 7 shoots including MuscleMag photographer Michael Butler, Ian Sitren and again my good friend Angelo Rose.
I was supported by Angela Segovia who came from Austin, Texas and who enriched my shoots not only with her stunning beauty but also by her amazing spirit and personality.
Enjoying every moment of my life and the opportunities Bodybuilding brought to me, I had to realize, that life can be over in a heartbeat and sometimes you need to slow down a little, even if all the stress you create for yourself might be of a positive nature.
Driving from LA to Vegas I ended up in a car accident and only luck was saving me from greater damage. In fact I wasn’t injured at all, but if the car would have left the freeway in a different way, it would have been only a matter of physics, that the car might roll over and would have been landing in a big hole next to street.
We are only human and sometimes we need to listen more on our body. Not everyone is as lucky as me to get such a “wake-up call”
Coming back to Germany I was guest posing at a store opening and right afterwards enjoyed family time at home, with my parents, grandparents and my only aunt.
It is time to go back to America now for an even greater year 2011.
Having had 35 Photoshoots, 2 Covers, 2 new endorsement contracts, my DVD release and Pro debut in Phoenix is its hard to beat… but the goals are much higher not only in business.
In Spring 2011 I will work at FitExpo in LA, compete at LA FLEX PRO, being working at the Arnold EXPO, competing at Mr.Europe Pro in Spain, competing at the FIBO PRO in Germany and possibly giving a few seminars and guest appearances right after the contest season.
Besides the shop, where you will be able to purchase DVDs, autographs and Online Consulting for Diet and Nutrition, there will be also the huge members section that will be the first ever documentary of the PRO Bodybuilding reality. Weekly new clips, show the all sides of the business and additionally to tons of pictures and training footage, you will get a deep insight look to the industry itself.
I am wishing everyone a successful and happy 2011 and the strength to keep all your dreams alive. It is all about dreams and there is no reason why they shouldn’t come true.
It has been been a longer while since I updated my blog last time. The offseason is just finished and during the last few months I have been working not only to improove my physique but also to develop new relations in the fitness industry. The next contest shall be the LA Flex Pro but first of all, I would like to give you a short summary of what happened in the last few months:
It started in April with an successful event promoting "Tuff Stuff Fitness Equipment" on Fibo at the "Koloseum-Camp" (www.koloseum-camp.com)
Right afterwards, i visited Italy, Bulgaria and Malta for Seminars and was allowed to meet many fans and great personalities of Bodybuilding.
The next big event have been the Jiyuu Events in Los Angeles, where my dear friend and businesspartner Eli Dafesh and his son Wadia invited me to be part of the Enagic Team, to spread the world of the great benefits that Kangen Water can bring to anyone of us.
I have to admit, that because of all these projects and travelling, i never really been able to have a heavy offseason, but nontheless there will be significant imprroovments next year, when entering the LA Pro stage.
Right now I am preparing for some photoshoots in Las Vegas and LA in the weeks around the Mr Olympia and besides I am finishing another big project, which is my first own Bodybuilding DVD. Filmed in over five years and produced by legendary GMV Productions, it is a great feeling to look back on this epic documentary, following my career from all the start in 2005 until the first professional contest in 2010.
Finally you can also see the fruits of the hard work that has been done in spring and slowly the pictures of my over 20 photoshoots in the USA get released in spreads and Cover of Americas most popular Fitness Magazines.
I will definately not slow down and I am very excited for the projects in the soon future.
If you visit the Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas on September 25/26, you are very welcome to stop by at the "Smartshake" booth to meet me in person and get my DVD on Presale for a special price.
Because of the great feedback of my fans, I will also continue the "BIGDANHILL Diaries" on my Youtube Channel www.youtube.com/bigdanhill and bigdanhill.tv
But also for Europeans and my dear fans and friends in my homecountry I will be available to meet this year and so I decided to promote a seminar tour together with Quincy Taylor when releasing my DVD in November, visiting Germany, Finland, Sweden and some other countries to be announced yet.
Keep following my blog, train hard and stay fit & healthy.
Where shall I begin to continue the story ? First of all, the week after Phoenix everything went simply amazing. I had the chance of doing 7 Photoshoots in just six days with some of the most famous & prestigious photographers of Bodybuilding.
It does not only sound like an amazing week, it also made me feel on top of the clouds. I looked forward to the Arnold Classic. To improove again until Melbourne and I felt unstoppable.
I guess thats always the moment when your body will remind you that everyone of us is just a human being and we do not have something like super-powers. My problems started directly when arriving in Columbus and in just the same night, after 26 hours of travelling, because of planes being late or bad connecting-flights, I spend my fist night in Ohio more on the restroom of my hotel intead of my bed. The result was a dramtical weight loss of 25lbs and a really dangerously flushed out shade of myself. I still went to my shooting the next morning and after trying to smile and work as hard as i can, i needed to visit a hospital after two hours.
What was that? I was convinced I am capable to achieve anything, as long as my mind is completly convinced aout it... And now I need to go to a hospital ? Well, it was hard for me but it is true... I am just another human being ;) I needed 3 litres of sodium infusions to made me get well again and luckily the doctors were able to rehydrate my body a bit. Even if the sodium made me loose some of my condition, I was capable again to do a very important photohoot the next morning and to work on the Arnold Expo for 3 days...
I tried to rest as much as I could besides working the long Expo days at the MuscleMag booth. Because I knew Australia will be coming soon, I put my focus on filling up my muscles with good food again and to work against the dramatic weight loss I had the days before.
All in all the circumstances were really bad for Australia and Milos and I tried to achieve a miracle in just one week with a crazy load and the hope to make something impossible become reality. I was fighting hard and besides travelling to Australia I felt good enough to have some good workouts, even if my body still showed a lot of signs of corrosion. I guess 90% of other athletes would have pulled out of the contest, but that is not the way I want to present myself in Pro business. I signed a contract to compete, I arranged shootings in Down Under and I simply commited myself to do what have to do. Fight for my goals and never even dare to give up...
But there is this mean bastard called reality and he hit me directly in my face again. I didn't make it to improove from Phoenix for the Australia Grand Prix. It would have been the perfect end for a first Pro season like in fairy tales but nonetheless I am proud of what I did. I was never giving up, learned something and experienced Down Under and probably some of the nicest fans of Bodybuilding of the whole planet. I might have been 20lbs ligther than in PHX and even if was disappointed, I am proud for my appearance. For my achievement to fulfill my contract, to have realized my scheduled photoshoots and to have finished my first DVD production with Wayne Gallasch.
A very long diet comes to its end right now. After 8 months (and still some photoshoots to go in the next week) I can look back on a Pro season, better than in my wildest dreams. Having travelled about 50.000 Air miles, doing 28 photoshoots, filming 100 hours footage for my upcoming DVD-Trilogy and meeting my new mentor Milos there is nothing more I could wish for.
I realized myself what it means to be a professional Bodybuilder and I learned about the risk of over-exhausting yourself, which can be really dangerous for your contest plans. But I also realized myself one other important thing in Pro Bodybuilding:
There are always two winners... The ones on stage and the ones who get the exposure.
I do not only feel like a winner in this way, I do also feel blessed. Blessed of having met so many new friends around the whole world and of having a background of support among my family and friends, that is simply exceptional, In this way I want to thank all of those who been a part of my first contest season as a Professional: My Parents, My trainers, my friends and all those who kept me going on the right way and helped me to focus my mind on the realisation of my dreams.
The Pro Debut is successfuly made and after a busy weekend and still being completely busy working on the photoshoots around it, I finally find some time to write down my personal impressions and experiences.
It was all in all a great weekend with great friends and fans around me and it couldn't have been a better time to celebrate my Birthday as well.
Of course I will try to compete even more successfully in the future and maybe place higher very soon. But the feedback of the big stars, judges and photographers of the scene besides all my loyal fans was already overwhelming and that is what really matters to me. I achieved my goals, proofed everyone that I am already competitive in the Pro levels and I established new contacts for my future projects in the fitness industry.
I need to thank all those wonderful people and friends around me, especially my parents and coaches who made all this possible and just give them the credit they deserve.
Without you I could have never been here already !!!
Now its time to get refocused again. Having some awesome photoshoots and to look forward to the new goals and to take care of business. Australia is coming very soon and before I am looking forward to meet you at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio !
Right after I got endorsed by GSI and their newest Shaker innovation “Spider Bottle”.
