NPC Physique Champ Eric Dubas shares the cardio boost that led him to success

Eric Dubas just won a bunch of medals at the NPC Valley of the Sun Championships in Arizona, but the 39-year-old credits an unusual form of cardio with helping him gain an edge over his competitors. In a post-win chat with M&F Chief Content Officer Zack Zeigler, Dubas says unorthodox activities like painting his house may have given him an edge.

Dubas is a software developer and entrepreneur working on real estate projects. He has competed in about 10 bodybuilding competitions, and before the NPC Valley of the Sun Championships he also had to come to terms with moving to Arizona for a job, but his hectic lifestyle never threatened to hinder his progress. Instead, he was sure he would start his first preparation last year. “I started shutting down around the summer,” Dubas says. “I hit the ground running in mid-January, so probably 12 weeks away (from competition).”

His pursuit of success meant that Eric Dubas had to find a way to balance his outside responsibilities with his bodybuilding pursuits. “It’s contagious in itself,” he says of his winning mentality. “You’re really regimented with it.” And when it came to the extracurricular activities surrounding his move, Dubas was able to use it to his advantage. “I painted my house,” he shares. "So, it's being active outside [training] for the first time."

Dubas had his house painted and there is no doubt that his hard work in terms of training, diet and the extra energy expended from painting helped him present a toned body that day. When the house paint dried, Eric Dubas was awarded 1st place in the Masters 35+, 1st place in the Open Class and also overall Physique Champion. The big man now wants to continue balancing his career while earning his professional card. “I would definitely start earlier,” Dubas says of the advice he would give a younger version of himself. "In my 20s I thought about doing a show. I just never really felt ready. Now I realize you never feel ready, you just have to do it!"

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