George Peterson wasn’t just flying under the radar coming into the 2012 Steve Stone New York Metropolitans – he was so far under, he might as well have been on the subway.
His last contest was in 2008, when he place 7th in the middleweight division of the Mets. Four years later, he was ready to step on stage again in the light heavies, having added 30 pounds of muscle to his frame.
“I stayed under the radar, knowing the improvements I needed to make,” Peterson says. “I did that and just felt like now was the right time to step on stage.”
Always a fast gainer, Peterson didn’t start training with weights seriously until 2007. “My body just developed very quickly,” Peterson ays. “I really didn’t do much before then.”
At the Mets, Peterson was good enough to beat out Anthoneil Champaigne – a top-three competitor in the heavyweight division at the 2010 Nationals – for the overall title. He won’t rush things this time, either however. In all likelihood, he won’t step on stage at the national level until 2013.
AGE: 27
HEIGHT: 5’7
CONTEST WEIGHT: 196 pounds
LIVES: Jamaica, Queens
CONTEST HISTORY: 2012: Steve Stone New York Metropolitans, 1st Light Heavyweight and Overall winner; 2008: New York Metropolitans, 7th Middleweight
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND: “I always stayed active. I was heavy in to martial arts, I started when was 6 or 7.”
OCCUPATION: Cable Television Technician
PHYSIQUE ROLE MODELS/INFLUENCES: “Without a doubt Shawn Ray and Flex Wheeler. Those guys were the kind of physiques that wanted to look like. I used to look at training videos of those guys online and kind of mimic what they were doing.”
BEST BODYPART: Back
FAVORITE EXERCISE: Squats. “Because that’s the exercise that I know is gonna help get me where I need to be.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Likely taking the rest of the year off before competing in a pro qualifier in 2013.
3-5 YEAR GOAL: “In three years, developing my body to be able to compete with the pros. In five years, actually contending for a top-five spot in the Olympia and Arnold Classic. Hopefully be in the top three and then eventually Number One!”
