The rules of gaining muscle mass …

Everyone talks the talk, but no one seems to understand what it takes to walk the walk when it comes to putting on quality muscle mass.  The first rule of thumb is to hit the gym hard and hit it frequently.  How frequent is frequent?  You should at the very least be utilizing a “4-on-1-off split,” which will ensure that each body part is trained twice per week.  Consistency is very important  to ensure that a regular routine is established.  Chest/Bi’s, Shoulders/Tri’s, Back/Abs, Quads/Hams … yada, yada, yada … I’m sure you’ve seen and/or have tried at least a dozen different variations.  Whichever you choose, be sure to hit it as hard as it takes to get the type of soreness that let’s you know that you have done your job in the gym.  How can you tell good soreness from bad?  Good soreness is when you can still function and the pain does not increase as you move.  Bad soreness occurs when all you want to do is just ball up and cry.  If the pain increases or prevents you from moving at all, then have likely hurt yourself.  If you are starting fresh and looking to turn over a new leaf, take it easy and ease into it.  Try to think in terms of small incremental steps to get your body in a groove before you push the pedal harder.  It’s more than a goal.  It is a lifestyle change that you need to be able to replicate day-in and day-out for the rest of your life … that’s a long time, so chill and be good to yourself.

Stay tuned to find out my other rules to follow for building muscle mass.  I’ve decided to break it down into segments to keep the readership interested.  Hope everyone has a blessed and productive week.

A day of love is also the beginning of the “Year of the Tiger”

Being “farsighted” will allow you to step beyond the boundaries set by your “shortsightedness” …

Katie from Canada asks, “Bodybuilders and fitness competitors can all relate to the idea that our biggest critic is ourselves, and that the sport is about constantly improving ourselves, physically and mentally. So even though we push ourselves harder and harder and give it our all, it can be crushing feeling when our competition surpasses us because they took a short-cut. But if we take those short-cuts ourselves, even if no one else knows, deep down we know that we took the easy way. Maybe this bears more weight on some people’s consciences, but maybe others are able to push the thought to the back of their minds and do whatever it takes to win?” Training and dieting for a contest require a great deal of time and effort to accomplish, so what if there were other factors that made the task even more daunting?  Factors such as politics and cheating.  “What?!,” you ask.  If my statement surprises you, then you obviously are new to the game and are probably preparing for your first contest.  Ideally, it should not matter who you are affiliated with (sponsors), who trains you, nor should it matter where you train.  The reality is that judges are still being hired to help with pre-contest preparations and/or have loved ones who also enjoy competing.  So then what kind of safeguards are there in place to discourage politics from running rampant?  Believe it or not, the answer lies within YOU.  If you make it close, then you will run the chance of being “screwed over” at the end of the day.  My message to you is the same message that I gave myself back in 2002 when I came back from a 3-year layoff from the sport of bodybuilding.  Instead of being frustrated and blaming the judging panel for my misfortunes, I decided to take matters into my own hands by coming in so good and sharp that the judges would be able to easily recognize my hard work and dedication.

You can keep blaming everyone until it drives you mad and away from the sport, OR you can take responsibility for your own actions, dig down a little deeper, and work a little bit harder.  The moment I did this, my rise to the top of the NPC became more imminent and eventually culminated in a pro card at the NPC Nationals in Dallas (2004).  I know and have met  many amateur bodybuilders who are still chasing their pro card dreams today.  One could argue that they are being overlooked … I see it more as a condition of them underachieving because they simply failed to seize the moment by accepting their limitations and working harder to become better.  If you cannot see room for improvement, then you will never have a good enough reason to try harder.

I am not going to get into a deep discussion about steroids.  What I am going to say is that if you take enough time to assess your goals and the playing field, then you should have a pretty clear answer for yourself in terms of what you want to do and how far you want to take it (if at all).  Plain and simple … if you are going into Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, would you want to come equipped with an AK-47 or a slingshot?  Sounds silly at first, but this is a reality that many competitors fail to assess until they are too deep in battle on stage, and realize that they are way less equipped than their counterparts. Steroids is not going away in the sport of bodybuilding … at least anytime soon.  If you are doing it for fun and have no dreams of becoming an IFBB professional, then put down your slingshots and enter a contest like Joe Wheatley’s Muscle Beach where your efforts will be pitted against others who share a common thread.  If you are straddling the fence about steroids and/or competing, take a moment and let what I have to say next sink in. Short-cuts may often times bring instant gratification, but the havoc they reek years down the line will always outweigh their positive contributions.  Fitness is, and should be, a lifelong journey that offers daily gratification.  Hence, fitness should enhance and extend your life … it should NOT shorten or end it.

What if you are trying to “get your feet in the door” of fitness modeling … are those contests that promise a “cover” or “spread” tainted with politics as well?  I have never entered those kinds of contests, but this I will say … winning or being the best at what you are trying to achieve WILL bring the recognition. I know this to be a fact because the more I won, the more pictorials and editorials that I attained.  Its not rocket science.  Its just a matter of supply and demand.  There are only a number of fitness magazines in circulation with very limited space.  Therefore, it only makes sense for them to cover only the “creme de la creme” or “the cream of the crop.”  Again, it goes back to what I said earlier about working on the variables that YOU ultimately have a hand in.  Focusing on what makes you better than the rest WILL reward you with an abundance of the kind of recognition that you crave and deserve.  Let go of any and all negative frustrations and utilize that energy towards building personal growth and success.

The voice unheard is often the one unspoken …

There is no denying that I enjoy writing … especially when it entails me unloading a dose of “real” feeling from within.  However, there is nothing that gets my creative juices flowing more than a question that makes me dig deeper down inside and intrigues me enough to spend some quality time searching for answers to.  This is where you come in.  How?  I need to know what you want to hear about.  As the title of my blog reads, “The only voice unheard is the only that is left unspoken,” you can’t bitch and moan when you have a vote in what I ultimately write about.  You matter to me, and therefore your concerns won’t be left unheard.  I don’t ever want to be mistaken for one of those entities that write for the mere sake of filling a page.  I want to intrigue you … provoke thought in you, and ultimately make you better.  We here at Status Fitness Magazine know you have many selections to choose from for your health and fitness news … WE WANT TO BE YOUR FIRST AND ONLY SOURCE FOR THE LATEST AND GREATEST  TRENDS IN HEALTH & WELLNESS.   Help me help you be the absolute best that you can possibly be. Please send your thoughts and concerns to www.erykbui@sbcglobal.net and you may find your answers in the next issue of Status Fitness Magazine.