Latest interview with Curtis Shultz
Jeramy Freeman
A Strategic Bomber
2001 North American Bodybuilding Champion
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
One of the most dramatic new stars in bodybuilding today is a veritable powerhouse, with 22" plus arms, and a wing span that resembles a B-52 taking off, and I'm not talking arm span, this guys lat spread begins at his waist and almost makes his arms disappear. A welcome new addition to the professional muscle scene is MuscleTech poster boy, 6'0" 300 plus blond behemoth Jeramy Freeman. You can't miss him. He's always posing with a can of Cell Tech. Damn, if that stuff makes you look like that I better get some - I'm sold. His appearance is outstanding: solid, separated, and huge!
CS: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where were you born, and grew up?
Jeramy: I was born on December 21, 1970, in Syracuse but lived in Sandy Creek until I was five. I lived in Pulaski until I was 11 and then moved to Lowville where I went to Jr. High and High School. All the above locations are in upstate New York.
CS: I am familiar with upstate New York; I grew up south of Rochester. The winters are pretty rough up that way, Hugh? Did you still like the snow?
Jeramy: I loved the snow back then because I would go down hill skiing at Snowridge every chance I got. Plus I would shovel sidewalks and drive ways to make money.
CS: What did you and your friends do for fun?
Jeramy: The things I did for fun were skiing in the winter, Swimming and water skiing in the summer. And I have always loved miniature golf. (Have never been beaten) And now love regular golf. (I suck, except for my putt).
CS: What did your parents do?
Jeramy: As I was growing up my father was a contractor and owned a large construction business and a painting business, so I was always busy working for him. My mother worked for the ARC (Association for Retarded Children). The state runs this program to help retarded people live as normal lives as possible.
CS: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Jeramy: I have one older brother (George) and an older sister Marion (the oldest of us four), and a younger sister Laurette. They are all married and all have three or more kids. They all live in Danville, VA along with my parents.
CS: Where you into sports in high school?
Jeramy: I was a great swimmer when I was in school, when I was in eighth grade I swam on the Modified team 14 times and came in first every time and broke records in both the breast stroke and freestyle (my two strong strokes). After finishing first all those times they moved me up to the Varsity, so I got my Varsity letter in the 8th grade. I also played football as a defensive tackle. After I got tired of swimming I joined the wrestling team as a hvy. wt. (215 LB).
CS: Did you go far in swimming?
Jeramy: I stopped swimming in 9th grade so I never was scouted for college.
CS: Why did you stop swimming if you were doing so well? Were you growing gills?
Jeramy: I think I was born with gills, so that didn't stop me. I just got bored with it. A lot of people were not happy when I decided to no longer swim.
CS: What about football and wrestling?
Jeramy: I was much better in swimming than I was in football or wrestling.
CS: How where you as a student?
Jeramy: I was an average student; I got better as I got older.
CS: Was there college after high school?
Jeramy: I did go to college right out of High School but only went for a year. I went back after I broke my back in 1995. I decided I had better have a back up plan if this bodybuilding thing didn't work out.
CS: Where did you go to college and what did you study?
Jeramy: I went to college to get my bachelors at SUNY Empire State College at Syracuse for Health and Exercise Science.
CS: What another coincidence. My wife is finishing her BA from ESC
CS: You recently broke your back can you tell us how that happened?
Jeramy: I broke my back training in the gym doing squats with 550 lbs. That was a weight I used every day I trained legs, so it was nothing new. The problem was that I had worked on a tilling job the day before and unloaded a tractor-trailer truck full of pallets of grout and tile. The loading dock was about two feet lower than the back end of the truck so I was stepping on and off the truck all day. My lower back, glutes and hamstrings were totally fatigued. The next day was my scheduled leg day, so I trained and on my eighth rep with 550 my back gave out. I couldn't walk for about six weeks. It took about five months before I could get back to the gym. During the off time I went to the chiropractor 2-3 times a week and did stretching and therapy. My first day back in the gym and I went straight to the squat rack to squat. I could only use the bar and a couple of tens, but I didn't want to be afraid of that exercise so I went right back at it (no pun intended).
CS: So, what got you in the weight room to pump up? Was there any individual who sparked that interest to get on stage and get big?
Jeramy: Nobody actually got me in the weight room, I just wanted to be big so I did it on my own, but after I read the book Education of a bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger, I was very motivated and had a little better idea of how I wanted to look when I go big.
CS: Was this what the future was for Jeramy Freeman - Being like Arnold?
Jeramy: I wanted to be big and wealthy when I grew up. I always wanted to be big.
CS: What was your first test of being a bodybuilder?
Jeramy: I did my first show at age 15; I had no clue what I was doing. I placed 4th out of 6 guys most of them 18 & 19 years old. The name of the show was the CAN-AMs promoted by John Harrison.
CS: So young. Were you scared?
Jeramy: Was I scared? Well I suppose a little, seeing how I had never been on a stage in my speedos, only in the water. So I guess you could say I was kind of like a fish out of water.
CS: After all those years of training what are your stats now?
Jeramy: Stats Currently 307 lbs., six feet tall, chest 59 in. (no exaggeration) arms are up to 22, and legs 32 on the upper leg (inner thigh area).
CS: What's your contest diet like?
Jeramy: I diet usually for about 12 weeks. I dieted a little longer for the last couple shows in the hopes of getting more detail condition. It paid off.
CS: Jeramy, where do you train?
Jeramy: I train at two gyms in Syracuse, Champions fitness, and Hercules Gym. I train most of my clients at Champions. The owner of Champions (Jamie Sutor) is one of the Main sponsors of a body building show I promote every year, and has supported me in most of my bodybuilding endeavors since the early 90s.
CS: Who are the bodybuilders that have inspired you?
Jeramy: The first bodybuilder that was my favorite was Arnold. I read his book Education of a bodybuilder and that helped to set me on my way to becoming a Matt Mendenhall because he was tall and blond (like me) and huge (unlike me at the time) and that is what I wanted to look like.
CS: OK. Let's get back to the food. What do you like when you're not dieting for a show? What's that special something?
Jeramy: When I'm not dieting I love to go to Ruby Tuesdays and have their dessert called "The BLONDIE".
CS: How long have you been competing?
Jeramy: I have done about 13 or 14 shows since that first show. I use to compete every two years until 1996 and since then I have competed every year.
CS: 13 shows, that's a lot. Did you ever get tired of dieting?
Jeramy: 13 shows is a lot but that is over a 14-year period. I did not get tired of the dieting I just kept trying to perfect the dieting process. I am a lot closer to having perfected the diet but still have some work to do on the last week and especially the days before the show. I seem to get better every time.
CS: When did you really start getting into it?
Jeramy: I started really getting into bodybuilding in 1990 when I moved to Syracuse and joined a Gym called Champions fitness. The same place I had mentioned before.
CS: What show really did it for you? Which one made the final decision fro you to to go for it?
Jeramy: I thought I might want to be a professional after doing my first men's division show in 1992 The NPC Mr. New York State show. I won and was qualified to compete in a national show.
CS: Do you go to the Mecca often? You know that's where everyone goes to get the exposure.
Jeramy: I go to Venice every year and do photo shoots but don't feel I would want to live there. The weather is good and the restaurants all seem to have a bodybuilding menu, but other than that I like it right here in Syracuse.
Look for him in the upcoming pro circuit and watch the damage occur. Jeramy is available for guest posing, seminars, professional modeling, product endorsements, and personal training as he is owner of Well Rounded Health & Fitness. The B-52 can be reached at www.jeramykfreeman.com, or by sending him a letter at: P.O. Box 3524, Syracuse, NY 13220.