Huge weekend at the USA’s …
I have many friends competing this weekend in Las Vegas, NV at the 2010 NPC USA Bodybuilding, Figure, and Bikini Championships. I want to wish each and every one of them the very best as they embark on perhaps their greatest competitive accomplishment thus far. I still miss competing at the USA’s … always had a great time, and the show always seemed to bring out the absolute best in my physique. The hard training leading up to the show, the months of bland food, the tremendous anxiety waiting for the show to start, the thrill of victory, and of course the agony of defeat … what a roller-coaster ride! LOL.
Way too many names to throw out there so I’ll just say “Good Luck!” to all of my bodybuilding friends competing. So many familiar faces that I competed against back in the day still vying for a victory and pro card. Also, so many fresh faces of very hungry talent looking to make their mark in the sport. I have said this before, but the USA Championships is my favorite of the two major NPC national level shows. Always in the same place, and always around amazing food & entertainment.
To Anh Jung … you looked fantastic last night. With so many fit bodies up there, sometimes its easy to get overlooked. Keep your head up and soak up the USA atmosphere. Jea, you did a great job helping her through her first national level show. To Julia Aragon (Figure, Class A) … good luck this afternoon. Your ride through the NPC may be a very short one if you can come up with a victory this weekend.
What a HOT summer!
Don’t know about everyone else out there, but southern California is friggin’ hot these days! I guess it could be worse considering my son is in Texas where blazing hot weather is the norm … coupled with humidity that can be cut with a knife and daily thunderstorms, it can certainly be much, much, worse … LOL.
On a different note, I am still getting a lot of emails about returning to the sport of professional bodybuilding. Although I do miss the art of transforming my flesh into chiseled granite, I definitely don’t miss all of the bullshit. I have many friends who still compete and are still caught up in the political turmoil that continues to plague the sport. When the competitive bug bites hard, all it takes to dissuade me is to log into Bodybuidling.com’s contest coverage and check out the latest contests news and pictures. I guess to the average eye, the physiques all look the same. However, there are always a few bodybuilders who get overlooked. At the end of the day, its still about who’s with whom and the almighty dollar. I can certainly sympathize with all those who are not given a fair shake … I have been there. I just don’t see how “the powers that be” expect competitors to try their absolute best when they are judging by a completely different set of rules. Just let the best physiques place … how hard is that? But then again, some people compete just for the sport of it. I walked away because competing was no longer fun. I had great sponsors that took care of my expenses, but I just wasn’t having fun. To each his own, but I don’t see how anyone would want to compete when all it does is eat away at their finances. Isn’t the whole point of turning professional to make a living at what you are doing? Oh well … if it doesn’t dawn on them today, it certainly will dawn on them at some point. The sad thing is that many of them have families to support. For those of you who can relate to this last paragraph, let me leave you with a simple thought. If competing robs you of your finances instead of building it … and if competing robs of you of your health instead of nourishing it … then, is it really worth it at the end of the day? It doesn’t matter how many championships you win or how many Sandows you attain, you are only as good and as remembered as your last victory. One life to live, and an extremely limited time to fulfill a legacy for those who matter most … your family.
How the heck did I start with the weather and end up on life? Sorry folks, I went off on a tangent there. I guess spending time with some of my closest friends who still compete, and listening to them vent about their frustrations has made me really thankful that I walked away from the IFBB with my life intact. I don’t want to be remembered by my accomplishments on stage. I want to be remembered as a good person who helped others become good people. Now that’s a legacy worth striving for.
Looking forward to an amazing 4th of July at Muscle Beach …
I will head-judging the 4th of July Muscle Beach Championships. Once again, Joe Wheatley has planned a fun and excitement filled weekend at the world famous “Pit” in Venice Beach, CA. Not only will there be plenty of hot bodies on stage, but for the first time in Muscle Beach history there will be a wedding held as well. NPC National sensation Jerome Ferguson and IFBB Pro Marnie Holley will declare their marriage vows on stage and set off fireworks long before the evening festivities are slated to occur. If you have never been to a Muscle Beach event, don’t miss this one.
Many thanks to Joe Weider and his family for donating four extra bleachers to accommodate the thousands of spectators who come out to support Muscle Beach. Be sure to bring plenty of sun-block as the bleachers are not covered, but are plenty comfortable for all to enjoy. I hope to see everyone out there. Don’t hesitate to stop by the judges table to say “hello” … I certainly do not bite … LOL. No matter what you decide to do, do it responsibly and be safe.
Have a safe and blessed Memorial Day Weekend!
I will be in Venice Beach, CA on Memorial Day (Monday, May 31st) to judge the Memorial Day Muscle Beach Classic, featuring bodybuilding, figure, and bikini competitions. Joe Wheatley always does an amazing job of promoting and producing a fun and health filled extravaganza. Please come out and support the event. Last I heard, Joe Weider will be on hand to christen a set of brand new grandstands that he personally donated funds for … what an awesome way to show his support and appreciation. Also scheduled to make a guest appearance is Sylvester “Sly” Stallone.
I absolutely love what the Muscle Beach Classic stands for … a true celebration of health and wellness. Last year, we had not only local competitors, but also those from literally all parts of the world (Russia, South America, France, Mexico, Vietnam, and Japan). Again, come out and enjoy the festivities. Have fun, be safe, and have a blessed Memorial Day. Most of all, please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives, and give special thanks to the countless others who’ve risked as much so that we have a reason to celebrate.
Spring-boarding into an amazing Summer …
It’s that time of year again when fat burners are being snatched up by the bunches at local sports nutrition shops. The air is warming up and everyone knows that you can’t go to the beach with a beer gut … unless you don’t mind the negative gawking. If you are like me, I start early. I don’t wait until summer is in full bloom before I make necessary changes to my diet and/or bump up the cardio. I usually start cleaning up my meals in late-March and ease into the cardio so that by mid-April, I am doing about an hour of cardio every single day. This diet/cardio regimen ensures that by the start of May, my abs will be in full-bloom along with summer.
Will this work for you? Absolutely. Is it too late? Definitely too late to be in shape by the start, but perhaps just in time to salvage at least a month or so of it. Here are some tips to help you along the way. If you are going to be utilizing fat-burners, maximize their effects by taking a serving in the morning and another one about an hour before training. Don’t double dose or consume more than one serving at a time as all this will do is make you feel like shit and increase the likelihood of a major health catastrophe. If you are going to be doing cardio, be sure to let your body breathe by not wearing heavy clothing such as hoodies. Even though being well-covered promotes sweating, it also makes it much harder for the body to cool down, and increases your chances of severe dehydration. So be nice to your body and let it breathe. Do at least 40 minutes of cardio daily, preferably after weight lifting to get the most out of your fat burning. Lastly, don’t rely on crazy fad diets that serve to trick the body into a rapid response. Fad diets may work initially, but eventually fail as the body will do what it has to do to restore balance. I have always been a proponent of balanced meals that offer a healthy combination of protein, carbs, and even fat (good fat that is). For example, a typical healthy meal for me consists of about 6-8 oz of chicken breast or turkey, 1 cup of clean carbs (potatoes, rice, yams), and a salad with light-vinegar dressing. If you have a fast metabolism, I suggest utilizing MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) to slow down the metabolism and give the body an alternate source of fuel.
Obviously there are many other things that can help you along the way, but the aforementioned are what I consider to be “standard practice” for leaning or toning up. Use this wonderful opportunity to not only get into shape for summer, but also to foster a life-long habit of health & wellness.
Fitness Thought of the Day
Fitness is a daily commitment and endeavor. It has to be something that you can and are willing to repeat day in and day out for the rest of your extended life. I share this message with each and every one of my clients so that they can look back and reflect on how much their lives have changed for the better since embarking on their fitness journey. As human beings, we are competitive by nature, and therefore thirst for daily challenges. I firmly believe that if what you are engaged in does not make you feel a little nervous or unsure about, then it simply will not make you any better. This is true both in and out of the fitness world and is separated by a common door. In solving your fitness equation, you will learn what is required to be successful in your professional life. Conversely, if you are having a tough time solving your fitness equation, perhaps you need to review a success story in your life and apply the variables to gain a better understanding. At the end of the day, it takes time, commitment, consistency, and the resilience to try harder and/or try again.
Catchin’ the L-Train
It has been 8 weeks since my surgical procedure to repair a partially torn left biceps tendon and things are moving right along … probably better than I had anticipated. I was very unsure about how much of my original strength would be recovered, but those fears are now a thing of the past as I have been able to increase my seated dumbbell curls to 60-lb for 6-8 reps. In fact, I have been able to increase my workload substantially on all upper body movements. I truly believe that the fact that I have been training legs very heavy since the injury has helped me recover at a much faster rate. If I’ve said it once, i’ve said it a million times, heavy training intensity is what keeps natural testosterone levels high and maintains balance, even when a region of the body is not being trained because of is a significant injury. I have recovered about 85% of my pre-injury strength back and am still making notable gains. I should be close to 100% percent within the next few weeks.
A good friend whom I helped win his IFBB pro card back in 2006 at the NPC Nationals in Miami, FL stopped by this weekend to catch up. Most people know him as “L-Train” but Lionel Brown is simply “Lionel” to me. I recall sitting with him at the steps of Cooks Auditorium in Anaheim, CA at the 2006 OC Classic and listening to how frustrated and lost he was about where he was headed with bodybuilding. Lionel was very sincere and I believed in his abilities enough to help him stay focused for the upcoming NPC Nationals where he dominated the Heavyweight Class and earned his IFBB status. Today, Lionel finds himself in the same predicament as he faced back in 2006. He has already achieved what many before him can only wish about in a pro card, but he has a new goal … he wants to win an IFBB pro show. We talked a bit and decided to hit the gym to get the competitive juices flowing again. I had the absolute best workout since walking away from the IFBB back in 2007. We did 6 sets of bent-over rows with 315 pounds for 10-12 reps and pounded 21’s with 85 pounds on the EZ-Bar. We did a couple of other back and biceps movements … It was AWESOME! Before any of you ask the question, my answer is resounding “NO … i won’t be competing again!” Although I love the sport of bodybuilding, life has been too good away from the sport for me to want to compromise any of that. As for Lionel, his desire to compete grew exponentially with each passing repetition and set. It was like old times again as we headed to Burger King for an order of a Double Whopper, fries, and a milkshake to feed the machine.
I really enjoyed training with Lionel and catching up with him. The only thing that I didn’t enjoy or agree with was the fact that Lionel has put all, or at least most, of his eggs in the IFBB basket. Alike many IFBB pros, Lionel is looking for a new sponsor to help finance his IFBB dreams. In this economy, it is very difficult to find a sponsor that is willing to do that. I will always be there to help Lionel and all of my friends … but, I will also maintain my gripe against the IFBB for doing too little for its athletes and doing even less to undo the negative stigma that overshadows the sport of bodybuilding.
One Step, One Show-At-A-Time …
The bodybuilding season just kicked off about 2 months ago and the panicking is already starting up. Panicking about what? Panicking about what shows to do, how many to do, and so on and so forth. It find it both amusing and perplexing why a person would worry about the USA’s or Nationals when they have not done a qualifier and/or placed in one. A good friend texted me yesterday about doing two shows in one month. He wanted to know if it was possible to peak for both. The answer was “yes,” but what I should have done was asked him why he wanted to do two shows. I have done back-to-back shows before, but my reasons may not be his. My reason was simple … i would utilize the first show to work out any kinks in my physique or posing routine, and utilize the second show to peak 100% in all aspects of my game. The first show was always a springboard into a bigger, more competitive show. Far to often, people find themselves thinking too far ahead and wind up counting virtual trophies and victories. To them I offer this bit of advice. Keep it simple, and focus on taking care of business one show at at time. Thinking too far ahead will make you complacent on the task at hand. Wars are rarely won from one battle. More often, they are won from the momentum built from winning a series of smaller battles along the way. So stop making things harder than they have to be. Training and dieting for one show is challenging enough, let alone trying to win them all.
Jumping Closer to A Healthier and Stronger You
It seems as though more and more health enthusiasts are abandoning the more traditional fitness combination of iron and treadmill for a more fast-paced and energetic style that is often referred to as “muscle confusion.” Muscle confusion is a trendy form of fitness that involves combining weightlifting and plyometrics to create a workout that maximizes fat-loss by challenging both the cardiovascular and muscular systems. I have been utilizing this style of training for well over 10 years as a means of keeping my body guessing and my mind interested in what I am doing. How? Every time I feel like I am falling in a rut or am feeling bored with a current regimen, I kick it up a notch by “turning down the volume” with weights and “turning up the volume” with cardiovascular endurance. For example, instead of a traditional 4-on-1-off split weightlifting split, I utilize an inclinable bench that allows me to do a variety of dumbbell exercises while I use the bench for plyometric jumps and exercises. Plyometrics is an explosive style of jumping that focuses on generating and expending explosive energy. Plyometrics is tough enough by itself, but it can be utilized to dip into fat stores for needed energy during a “muscle confusion” routine.
A very popular style of training that utilizes muscle confusion is P90X. I have done a variation of this style and was able to drop 12 pounds of bodyfat in about 3 weeks. I don’t carry a lot of bodyfat, so this was a tad more than what I was anticipating. However, the beauty in muscle confusion is that you can create your own routine and/or combinations to suit your own personal goals. It took me a while to figure out a suitable plan, but I was eventually able to tailor make a muscle confusion training regimen that allowed me to maintain 180 pounds of solid muscle while keeping my cardiovascular endurance in check. Today, I utilize this style to create more eating freedom … I love to eat so when I feel the need to splurge, i turn to muscle confusion to minimize the damage or even neutralize it.
Below is an sample of one of my muscular confusion routines:
Round 1: High-knees for 30 seconds, Incline Dumbbell Presses for 15 reps, Standing Dumbbell Curls for 15 reps, Bench Jumps for 15, Rest for 30 seconds, Repeat 4 X’s.
Round 2: Broad Jumps for 15 reps (minimum 6 feet), Dumbbell Bentover Rows for 15 reps, Dumbbell Kickbacks for 15 reps, 15 Vertical Leaps (as high as possible), Rest for 30 seconds, Repeat 4 X’s.
Round 3: Dumbbell Tri-Delts (front, upright, side) for 10 reps, Alternating Dumbbell Curls, Straddling Bench Jumps for 20-30 reps (24″ height), Bench Dips for 30 reps, Rest for 30 seconds, Repeat 4 X’s.
Again, there is no set way to perform this method. Just make sure that you are combining movements that allow one muscle group to recover while you train another group. Another cool thing about this type of training is that your pace is completely up to you … which adds another variable that you can utilize to increase the intensity and the challenge. I might expand on this topic if I get enough interest from you all. I am a different kind of health enthusiast. I don’t just do things for the sake of going through the motions. I am dynamic and am always seeking new ways to keep my mind and body challenged and engaged in the real game called life. You can either take life by the horns, or else run the risk of being impaled by one of life’s rude awakenings. Stop wasting time and use each and every as an opportunity to recreate yourself … into something STRONGER, FASTER, STRONGER, HEALTHIER, and HAPPIER!
An Important Life Lesson from Bodybuilding
As a childhood scholar, I was taught that many living species go through what is known as “metamorphosis” or physical changes that help them grow or adapt to their habitat. My personal journey through bodybuilding has taken that concept to whole new level. I now know and accept that every day of my life brings an opportunity for change and adaptation … for the better or worse depends mostly on what I do in response. How? As an aspiring amateur bodybuilder, I trained hard and went through two metamorphic phases before I molded a physique that was deemed pro status. Although it seems like a blink of an eye in retrospect, my rise to the top of the NPC happened in a little over two years time. Right after the 2004 NPC Nationals in Dallas, TX, I recall thinking to myself, “What the heck am I going to do now?” What am I going to do now that I have nothing to prove as an amateur? I have never thought about wanting to become Mr. Olympia, so I decided on the next best thing … I wanted to become the best professional bodybuilder that I could believe in. What does that mean? I have never been one to aspire to become a walking and talking freak-show. I have always wanted to keep my physique in perspective so as to inspire my peers and others to respect their bodies and inspire the masses towards genuine health and wellness.
Each an every day that I step into the gym, I look at it as an opportunity to change my overall health for the better. It was very difficult for me to “take my foot off the pedal” and accept that I don’t have to lift as heavy or as intensely to induce a positive net change in myself. Today, I lift because I want to give my body a reason to continue to evolve, which is key to longevity. How? Every day, our cells die and are replaced by new cells … and when we exercise, this process happens at an even faster rate. Therefore, we must help our bodies replenish dying cells through proper nutrition and adequate rest. I know this sounds really easy and simply, but I would guess that the average gym rat does not implement both variables on a consistent basis long enough to induce net positive change. I know this is true because of the fact that supplement companies are making millions of dollars selling products that promise options to such variables.
Stop going through the motions and train with purpose. Not only will you keep yourself interested, but you may even notice greater changes in your physique in the process. I am willing to bet that if you take the time to visualize yourself the way you would like to be before your next training session and keep that focus for future training sessions, you will achieve a much bigger, stronger, and/or better you. I can mope about not being able to lift as heavy as I once did prior to my injury and subsequent surgery, but I won’t. I will seize every training opportunity as a means of keeping myself literally hungry for life. Every day that I hit the trail for 3.5 miles or drive some heavy iron for 2’s and 3’s for reps, I know that I am inducing a net positive change in my longevity. You have one life to live … why not live it to the fullest? One of my favorite sayings is, “If it doesn’t make you a little nervous before you attempt it, then it’s sure as hell not going to make you any better than you were before!”