LAUREN GRAYEK | Lindenlink Contributor

Lindenwood professor Patrick Longo is preparing for his first-ever bodybuilding show with a high-intensity training and diet plan.

Longo said he has been working out his whole life and got serious with it again about six years ago. He has always wanted to compete but has never committed, and decided one of his goals for 2018 was to get onstage.

Competing in August is Longo’s current plan, but if he does not feel confident, he may push it back to September or October to make sure he is fully ready.

“The biggest changes I have experienced while prepping for a show is the amount of food I eat,” Longo said. “I’m eating seven times a day, which is way more than I’m used to.”

His coach, Melissa Johnson, increased his food intake to almost double what he was eating when she first met with him.

“My goal is to keep him getting lean and changing things up on him every week while he is still building muscle.” Johnson said.

Even though Longo has been working out for many years, his training is quite different than what he is used to. He is training on a four-day split: the first day is chest and biceps, day two is back and triceps, day three is legs and day four is shoulders. After four days, Longo has an off day and then repeats the four-day split all over again.

Longo is also supposed to do high-intensity interval training cardio three times a week depending on the day for 20 minutes, which is a three-minute warm-up with 30-second intervals and a minute-and-a-half break with a three-minute cool down.

Chest day is his favorite because “he’s a dude and wants a huge chest,” but is starting to really enjoy his shoulder days now that he’s in prep.

“I’m used to doing five sets of five as heavy as I can go and work out seven days a week, and now I do five sets of eight to 12 reps still as heavy as I can go, but now I get rest days, which I’ve never had before.” Longo said.

With Longo being a full-time college professor for the past three years, husband, parent of five kids, soccer and softball coach and prepping for a bodybuilding show, he has a lot going on. Longo makes sure while he’s working he’s doing everything efficiently so that he can still make it to the gym that day and get home in time for his family.

“The hardest part is making sure I can balance everything else that is going on in my life.” Longo said.  

Longo believes it’s important to be fit and live a healthy lifestyle not only because he wants to be a good role model, but because he also likes looking good.

“It’s a great example for my kids to show them to be healthy,” Longo said. “I want to be able to play and do things with them. When they have kids, I want to be able to play with my grandkids and maybe even coach them.”

Longo’s wife Kelly said he’s an inspiration to her and a role model to their five children.

“His example is changing the way our family thinks and eats food as well as ending a legacy of obesity in our family,” she said.

Longo has been working out for the last six years. Now that he has decided to step onstage, it’s a huge accomplishment for him. He has gotten a coach and stuck to his meal plan, and having that picture of himself in the best shape of his life, Longo said it is like “the icing on the cake.”

“I want to leave my legacy and I want it to be a great one,” Longo said. ”I have kids and I want to be able to say that I can set goals and achieve them. I also want to inspire others to chase after their goals.”