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!”

Easter … can be a new beginning for the better!

Easter, for some, has a religious significance, while others simply call it the official beginning of Spring.  No matter what, Easter is a cause for celebration as it marks the ending of winter and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I spent the vast majority of the day with family and friends … and even managed to head to the movie theater for a mid-day flick.  I am sure many of you have heard the “late breaking” news about the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked southern California.  Believe it or not, I was enjoying a mid-afternoon movie flick when this trembler occurred.  Laura and I looked at each other for about 2 seconds, and when the building did not stop “rolling” within 5 seconds decided to bolt for the exit.   We were right in the middle of probably the best parts of the movie when earthquake suddenly hit.  Next thing we knew, everyone took off running for the exits.  I’ve never experienced a larger earthquake than this one, but I am wise enough to know that earthquakes don’t kill people … falling structures do!  The “rolling” lasted for about 25 seconds but no structural damage was reported or seen.  At any rate, the shit was scary to experience.

I am pretty much recovered from my surgery about a month ago and am slowly getting back into the groove.  My body is responding and I have been able to put back on about 5 pounds since I started training again about 2 weeks ago.  It has been slow  … molasses slow … but I’m getting there.  I am expecting to get better and better weekly so we’ll see what this week brings.  Needless to say, this whole entire experience of having to do light to moderate weight is very humbling.  I am SO used to warming up with and throwing up heavy weights that I literally feel that I am not accomplishing anything with the amount of weights that I have been using.  I love challenges and embrace the difficulties that may lie ahead in all aspects of life, and this experience is no different.  I thrive best when my back is up against the wall and i theoretically have “no shot.”

All of this is unchartered waters for me as I have always been able to “call the shots” when it came to my strength and goals.  I am learning to “roll with the punches” and take what life has to give me one step at at time … or more appropriately, one punch at a time.  Does this mean that I take it down a notch when it comes to my training intensity?  Absolutely not … not exactly.  I am learning to continue to push in areas that are structurally intact and to back off the areas that are compromised structurally.  The human body prefers to be in a constant homeostatic state of balance.  It will always find a way to balance out.  This belief in a preferred “homeostatic state” fortifies my overall belief that my body will physically balance itself out so that one area does not overpower or outgrow the rest of its parts … so long as there exists a psychological or mental desire to gain muscle mass.  Before a physical accomplishment can occur, a dream or strong mental desire has to present.  If you can dream it, you can achieve it.  Not just in the gym, but in all aspects of life.