Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class John Owen | NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (Nov. 19, 2020) – Chief (SEL) Master-at-Arms Luis Corniel...... read more read more
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As if possessing a will of their own, his muscles started twitching in anticipation as soon as he began climbing the set of stairs leading the way to his judgment. Dehydration, carb depletion and a furious rush of blood to his naked limbs took center stage before he even had a chance to do so himself. The host called his name as a sea of spectators, a panel of judges, and a shower of light all focused on him.
There are moments in life that act as a culmination, and for Chief Master-at-Arms (Select) Luis Corniel, from Brooklyn, New York, what could’ve been one of those moments lasted mere minutes.
“When I got up on stage, it was like I forgot everything I knew,” said Corniel. “I wasn’t posing right; I was too stiff; my smile – cause you have to smile and present yourself – my smile was shaking. I was able to get 2nd place, but it was rough.”
Corniel’s first bodybuilding competition, Gold’s Classic in 2014, was not exactly a textbook success. But looking back, it was a promising first foray into what would become an important part of his life.
“Just looking at pictures, you can see how stiff I was; it was bad,” said Corniel. “But you just make progressions from there, and just seeing the growth, the size, the symmetry in your body is an experience.”
Corniel is no stranger to the theme of progression. When he speaks about his childhood and who he has become over the years – it is easy to see.
“I used to cut class a lot, getting into a lot of fights,” said Corniel. “My mother, she was sick, she has Lupus, so I took that as a way of taking advantage. Just doing my own thing, you know? Since she was always sick, I was always out in the streets doing stupid stuff. Her being so sick, I thought I was killing her, like I was making it worse for her because she would have to pick me up from school, she’d have to talk to my teachers all the time.”
Corniel decided to switch schools, leave the crowd he was hanging with and focused on bettering his life to see his mother happier. This personal growth eventually led him to join the Navy.
It was during the time spent at his first command, Naval Weapons Station Earle at Colts Neck, New Jersey, that Corniel met the bodybuilders who sparked his interest in the sport.
“There was a lieutenant that competed, and he told me ‘Hey, you’re always working out, why don’t you give competing a shot?’” said Corniel. “And I decided to give it a try.”
Corniel signed up with the National Physique Committee (NPC), the only amateur organization recognized by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League. The IFBB is well known for bodybuilding legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane.
Before transferring to his next command, he decided to hire a coach and participated in his first competition.
“Since then, I just fell in love with it,” said Corniel. “I just wanted to turn pro. It’s like when you start something, you just want to be able to finish it. Just getting a coach is expensive enough. When you have a passion for something, to you, it doesn’t really cost much because that’s something you want to do, but at the time, I invested like 2,000 dollars for a coach. That comes with a workout routine, meal plans and things like that. So my thought was: if I’m going to invest 2,000 dollars on a coach, I’m going to make sure I stick to this plan.”
But moving iron around and tracking macros does not make a bodybuilder. Add a strict lifestyle change to a full-time, active duty career in the military, and Corniel had his work cut out for him. Still, he stuck to the plan, and seeing the progress that he made every year motivated him to keep going.
“It was just a way of letting my mind free,” said Corniel. “No matter what stressors I had, either work or school, going to the gym was something that kept my mind off and kept it occupied.”
For Corniel, bodybuilding is a learning experience. Back, shoulders, chest, carb cycling – Corniel says that asking questions is a must to perfect the craft. Taking criticism without feeling offended is also key.
“You need to know how to pose; you need to know how to cycle your carbs, cycle your proteins and things like that,” Corniel said. “So at that point, I was contacting the people who were pros that were friends, and whatever I thought that I lacked and they were better at, I would just ask them questions. I would pick their brains on everything.”
He continued to train and compete, managing his bodybuilding career with the requirements that come with being active duty in the military. When he had to transfer to the aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), his journey was forced into a short hiatus.
“When I went to the Reagan, I had to give it a break because being on the ship, you can’t keep a constant diet, you’re deploying every three months and you can only eat what the CSs (Culinary Specialists) cook,” said Corniel. “I took that break as a way of letting my body relax.”
Once he transferred to Spain, he got back to competing and contacted his coach who generated a 15-week prep to qualify Corniel for his pro card.
“Leading into this show, the NPC European Championship, I had to change my diet, which consisted of six meals, increased cardio, and basically altered my lifestyle to prevent me from falling into temptation,” said Corniel. “I believe that to achieve what you desire, you need to sacrifice now to enjoy the benefits later.”
Once the day of the NPC European Championship in Alicante, Spain, came, Corniel was placed in class “A” out of classes “A” through “F.” He was up against 16 competitors from Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and around the world. He was able to place first in his class, getting him one step closer to the pro card.
To earn the pro card, a competitor in this show must place first in their class and then compete against all the first-place competitors. This is known as the “overall.” The top three of the overall earn their pro card.
“Mentally I prepared myself that I was going to make it,” said Corniel. “My first show, I was nervous the day before – shaking and everything – didn’t know what the judges were going to be interested in. But [this time] I mentally prepared myself the day before I competed. I already had it in my head that I won. When I presented myself, I looked like I knew what I was doing. It was just flowing. I’ll tell you this much, though, being on stage […] waiting for them to say the results for who turned pro…”
He stood on stage waiting for the numbers to be called – to find out if he had performed well enough to enter the ranks of the competitors who would have the right to call themselves professional bodybuilders. His sister and mother were in the States watching a livestream of the event. They were with him – albeit not physically this time – the same way they had always been since the beginning.
Corniel’s number was 250. Once again, it all came down to one moment.
A culmination.
The third-place runner-up was called: 257.
“When I heard two-five, that blew my mind,” said Corniel. “I thought I won pro right there. But then when they mentioned the last number, the seven, I was…I was a little hurt.”
But the second-place runner-up would be called next – there was still hope.
Number 250 was called, and with this second-place win, Corniel finally got his pro card.
“I didn’t know how to react,” said Corniel. “I didn’t know if I wanted to cry. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But you could tell at that point I got more nervous than me actually going out there to compete. I got more nervous earning my pro card than performing. It still feels surreal.”
Corniel was approached by the show’s promoters and judges to make his pro debut by competing in the IFBB Europa Pro.
“At this point, it wasn't about winning,” said Corniel. “My pro debut was more of an experience and an honor to compete on stage with top pros from around the world.”
Since, Corniel has been sponsored by a supplement company, interviewed by NPC News Online, and featured on a podcast. He will be competing in the summer of 2021 to qualify for the upcoming Olympia, and was selected as a Navy Chief in the last selection cycle, November of 2020.
There are certain moments in life that act as a culmination, and for Corniel, it could be said both his first bodybuilding show in 2014, and when he finally turned pro in 2020 were exactly that. But, as it turns out, maybe not.
Maybe they weren’t a culmination, but a catalyst.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2020 10:33 |
| Story ID: | 384073 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Hometown: | BROOKLYN, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 451 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Going Pro: From Brooklyn, New York to the World Stage, by PO1 Eduardo T Otero, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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