NTPowerHouse Talks

FULL NAME:   Michael Kwao
HEIGHT:   1.75 m (5'9'')
WEIGHT:   86 kg (190 lbs)
PLACE OF BIRTH:   Tema, Ghana
DATE OF BIRTH:   2nd August 1974
MARITAL STATUS:   Single
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
2 brothers and 1 sister
PRESENT HOME:
Toronto Mississauga, Canada

Michael Kwao is a dedicated athlete with perfect shape and symmetry. He won the Heavyweight and Overall titles last July 2006 at the Musclemania Canada Championship. Michael is 100% Ghanaian - and proud of it - always willing to help his brothers and sisters from Africa. He has now been training for 10 years after immigrating from Ghana to Toronto, Canada.

Hey Mike, some ladies in Ghana say you're the sexiest man on earth...

Well I think that the ladies of Ghana have the best taste ever cause they're right! by all means I do my best to look good :)

So, who's Michael Kwao? a bodybuilder? a model? what is your occupation?

Michael Kwao is a Natural bodybuilder who has been in the field of personal training for quite some time, he also has won many competitions in the ten years of competing. Michael Kwao has many talents including song writing, raping, martial arts, author of a fitness book witch is soon to be released, he loves to entertain for an audience especially for the ladies, he has also been guest posing for different federations here in Canada and one day hope to do so around the world.
Michael Kwao is into fitness modelling as well, there's nothing that he can not do once he applies his mind to something, he is always looking for new challenges to perfect his talents, there's always room for improvements and Michael Kwao is and will always be improving in everything he does.
Michael has a beautiful daughter and her name is Destiny Kwao, she means the world to him and without her, there is no going forward so she is his hero and he would like this opportunity to say to his daughter quote: DADDY LOVES YOU FOR EVER!

What are your passions?

My passion One is to be the best father as I could possibly be to my daughter as my life is not that simple but I am and will always do my best in my life.
Two the love of performing bodybuilding routines for the world to see the true talents of Michael Kwao and Three my passion of fitness modelling.

Can you give us some background on yourself, your family, your homeland... do you ever miss Ghana?

My background is African. I was born and raised in Ghana (Tema) my experience there was an experience that i would never forget and it made me who I am today and I'm proud to achieve what I have achieved till this day and more to come. I have two brothers and one sister who lives here in Canada as well and I would like to say thanks for all the support.
I was raised by my Grandmother till the age of ten and i miss her dearly hopefully one day I'll see her again. I miss Ghana so much that I can not wait till the day that I come to visit and I would love to perform one of my routines for all Ghanaians to see my talent as a natural bodybuilder. I have Aunts Uncles Niece's Nephews Cousins that I haven't seen in such a very long time and the day will come for us to reunite once again. To my families in Ghana my heart is and will always be with you in the name of Jesus.

Last July you were in perfect shape and symmetry for the Musclemania Championship in Canada... and you won! How did you achieve this?

I achieved the Musclemania championship of Canada by doing the best that I could and came out victorious but I also have improvements that I need to work on for my next upcoming competition.

Musclemania West Africa is coming soon next December in Accra. Any suggestion on how to attain victory?

To obtain victory is to know one self and self discipline, it plays a major role in preparation for competition, you need to be focused and delete all negative vibes around you. Your main goal is to go out there and do your best and doing your best means sticking with your master plan no cheating on your diets, proper exercises every day five days a week, listening to the professionals that has been through it all and giving you advice on what to do 'cause you can not do it by yourself, this is a process that you will go through and to have a helping hand is the best.

What comes ahead, are you preparing for new competitions?

I am getting ready for Hollywood in November 18th 2006 due to the fact that I've won the Musclemania Canada championship and turned pro, now I'm going to step onto the stage with all the pros around the world. This is going to be the one if not my best performance ever and I just can't wait till that day, I am more than excited.

What about your training and nutrition?

My training has been very strict for many years, I am addicted to training and I love it. I am a hard core trainer that punishes his body to the fullest and have learnt all the techniques to perfect my body and most important is mental focus cause without it, you can not achieve your physical goal so you have to learn to exercise you mind in order to be ready for any kind of lifting.
My nutrition is strict as well. I eat 4300 calories a day, eating has to become a job and you have to love it and can't wait to eat again, that's the only way to achieve your physical goals once again it's all about your calorie intakes.

Do you like African food? what is your favourite Ghanaian dish?

My mother tongue is Eway and these are the African dishes i love to eat, Canekay and Talapea fish and ground tomatoes with sheetow, Washay with sheetow and goat meat, FooFoo with lysoup, Aplan with Talapea fish and ground tomatoes, Yam with sauce, Joloff DAMN!! all these foods are making me hungry right now :))

What advice can you give to those young African brothers who train hard in their backyards with improvised equipments?

My advice that I would give to all the upcoming young bodybuilders of Africa that don't have the right equipments is, use what ever you can even if you have to use a tree to do some pull ups for your back, get on the floor do some push ups, use two seats facing each other and do some triceps dips, open and close leg squats without weights if necessary basically do what you need to do to punish that muscle to its full potential 'cause you don't need a sophisticated equipments to build your body if you have it fine but it's only luxury, you can use almost any object to train any part of your body so keep doing what you're doing and at the end it'll all pay off.

Your personal opinion on female bodybuilding... should sisters pump iron the way guys do?

My personal opinion of female bodybuilders is that I don't find them that attractive but others might and to each their own. All I can say is that if you have a passion whether it's female bodybuilding or anything else just do it and do it naturally don't let anything or anyone stop you from achieving your goals.

When will you travel to Ghana again?

I will do my best to come to Ghana sometime next year and I can't wait to meet all of you, there's a reason for everything in life I just will never know but what I know is that what is happening right now is happening for a reason and I'm just going to let it play its own row so far so good.

I would like this opportunity to thank my photographer Glen E. Grant for everything that he has done for me since we met, Heather Barnes for being there, Barrymore Richardson for the support, Lisa C. Desmarais for the support and a very special friend of mine Arthur Spadafor Jr thanks Arthur for everything!