Here we are post 4th of July and just over 5 months until Christmas.  I haven’t even began to pay off last years Christmas.  Why do we constantly spend more than we have?  Please anyone out there interested in sponsoring some poor, yet quality, intellegent, and all around good people, such as myself and my good friend, Chrissy Wan, please stand up.  Chris, do you see anyone?  Let me know if you do.  This is a strange sport we are in, but oooohhhh what a rush you get when on stage.  People ask me all the time if all that work, cardio, tanning, training and strict dieting is worth it and I always say “YES” because to me it is.  It is such an incredible feeling being up there on stage and hearing the positive response from the crowd.  I mean, after that first show way back in 1993, I walked away with a passion for life.  My only hopes is that I can walk away from it while still looking good.  We’ve all been to one of those shows where they have the over 70′s class and although they look amazing for their age and light years ahead of anyone else in their age bracket, I think there is a time that we all need to let things go.  After all, gravity does start to take over and things start to hang where they used to pop.  Please, all my friends out there, if I decide to continue to step on stage past my 60′s, give it to me straight and tie me down and force me to look at pics of myself until I sign a sworn statement never to compete again.  Thank you.

     I guess I need to clear the air with the last post I wrote.  It seems I did not get my point across about functional training.  For the record, I’m not knocking it, I just think there are faster ways to obtain the results we all desire.  When it’s incorporated into our workouts as a supplemental to our existing workout, great.  But when it is all I see being done, I scratch my head.  Now, functional training is supposed to be for athletes helping to fine tune body control, balance and coordination.  Very advanced movements for advanced trainees.  Here in lies the problem:  the ones performing these difficult movements are housewives and regular Joes and not the athletes (baseball players, football players, surfers, tennis players, etc) they are intended for.  These people have barely mastered the walking lunge and now they are being put on a Bosu ball and asked to perform one legged squats exploding into an overhead dumbbell press.  In what little time I’ve seen these advanced exercises perfomed, I’ve seen people fall down, twist their ankles and tweak their shoulders.  That was my only point when discussing functional training.  Not to step on anyones toes.  OK enough of that subject.

     I got inspired for this post by a comment of Chrissy on my last post.  She wrote we are in a strange industry when you say things are going well and you tend to look like a malnourished orphan.  Funny shit, but true.  Let me tell you, I haven’t had the opportunity, but I think hanging with her one night after the margaritas are flowing would be a hell of a night.  She has got such a great and funny spin to life.  Hang in there girl, you’re almost there.  Anyways, her comment got me thinking as to how we should create a guide or dictionary of terms to help the general public communicate with competitors without crushing our fragile egos.  After dieting for endless weeks, banging heads in the weight room pushing yourself just to the brink of injury, busting your ass on that Stepmill, cranking out pose after pose to make sure everthing is just write, and just simply holding onto your sanity for these last few weeks before the show, and someone comes up to you and says “Hey, are you on a diet because you’ve gotten skinny”.  Skinny…….skinny……..SKINNY!!!!!!!!!  Are you fu__ing kidding me.  In your mind, you want to take the 25 lb. dumbbell next to you and cave their head in, but since we live in a civilized world, we grin, clench our teeth and say nicely, I’m getting ready for a show, whereas they usually follow that up with, “OH, well you look great.”  Yea, thanks. 

     So to the uninformed public out there, how about a crash course in terminology for the bodybuilding, fitness and figure athletes out there.  We never use the word SKINNY, it’s LEAN or even better, SHREDDED.  We always like to know we are shredded.  Don’t say we look SMALL, try TIGHT.  Find out a little background information on the competitor such as how long they have been dieting and when their show is.  If they have been dieting for longer than 8 weeks and are now in the closing phases of preparation, don’t ask them “Have you started dieting yet?” or “When do you start your diet?”  Remember that 25 lb. dumbbell?  Watch out.  And last but not least, if you know the competitor is down to the last two weeks or so let me give you a brief rundown of what a daily regimen looks like.  The weight training can take 2-2 1/2 hours, cardio 1 1/2 hours, posing for 20-30 minutes, tanning for 20 minutes, cooking the 7 meals you must eat everyday and sleeping maybe 5-6 hours a night, if your lucky.  Mind you, we wake up about every hour on the hour to pee, so a straight shot of sleep is always out of the question.  Now after going through this regimen day in and day out for 10-16 weeks, fatigue does set in.  So when you see that worn out competitor pushing with everything they have to make one foot go in front of the other, don’t say “Hey, you look tired.”  NO SHIT SHERLOCK.  But being the polite people we all try to be, we grin and simply walk away, mumbling no shit sherlock under our breath. 

     Well being that this world has taken a turn for political correctness, I don’t think I’m asking too much.  Help out your fellow competitor and encourage them during that difficult time.  I promise you, they won’t forget it and believe it or not, sometimes your little words of encouragement do help us get through that one more session of cardio and weights.  Thanks to all and love to all.  Chrissy, your the bomb girl.  Take care of your business and wipe the floor with your competition.  Out work your competition and accept only your best.

First off, how did we get to July so fast.  I’m not even remotely recovered from last years competitions and Christmas and we are about to get full throttle back in it agin.  If only that damn lotto would quit eluding me.  One can always dream.  Anyways, my apologies again for the delay in keeping up with the blog.  Have had some ridiculous hours at the new job, sometimes 15 hour days, and can’t even turn on the computer, much less write a blog.  Well, things will finally get back to some normalcy any day or week now.  Going back to the hardcore gym for business and away from Equinox, so my schedule will once again be up to my discretion.  Looking to once again write every week.

Let me first clarify about the current job.  Been working at Equinox, a brand new gym that opened up in Aventura.  Incredible facility.  Showers cleaner than my home, beautiful spa, tons of cardio, and a round-a-clock cleaning crew that has that place in constant perfection.  The Equinox in South Beach has members such as Queen Latifah, Louie Aquirie (whatever, the dude from Deco Drive) and Mickey Rourke (I have no idea if I’m spelling these names correct).  And they’ve had Madonna and Barack Obama work out there.  With all that you might wonder why would I leave such a place.  It is a fitness center and my passion is in a GYM.  I love the energy and intensity you feel when you walk into the likes of a Gold’s or the other gym I’ve been training at for the past 8 years, Workout Warehouse in Hialeah Gardens.  You ever want to stop by and say HI, it’s at 7802 N.W. 103rs Street, Hialeah Gardens 33016.  These gyms always have plenty of equipment and iron to push around.  And everyone there gets it, meaning they know the REAL way to get in shape.  Finally about to get to the title and point of this post.  Plain and simple, hard work and disciplined eating get you the body you want.  Not all this crap out there.

OK, here we go.  My boy Bill and I were talking the other day and he made a valid point.  Weights have always, still do and will continue to produce results.  The other crap out there is simply gimmicks and fads.  They will eventually fade when another “fabulous” one comes around.  These ab rocker chairs and pilates this and the Gazelle.  Now this style of training has seemed to creep into the gyms.  Except now, they are combining multiple exercises and calling it “Functional Training”.  Not exactly sure what that means because when I see it, I feel like I’m watching a circus try-out.  Please someone explain to me how a one-legged squat while standing on a half-foam roller, coupled with a dumbbell curl, finished off with a overhead dumbbell shoulder press all the while still standing on only that one leg will do anything to help me develop my physique.  With all the balancing going on, I would figure most of the tension would be in either the hip or knee joint, just to try and maintain balance on the half-foam roller.  Some of them say, don’t knock it until you try it…..NOT!!!  Look I don’t need bang my head against a brick wall to figure out that it’s going to hurt.  I’m going to trust my judgement on that one.  Well, the same applies to that style of training.  I don’t need to try it to realize that I would be wasting my time. 

OK, here’s a question from that show “Who’s Smarter than a 5th Grader”.  What’s the quickest distance between two points?  Answer, A straight line.  DUH.  If I’m trying to develop my biceps, I’m doing a basic dumbbell or barbbell curl.  PERIOD.  I’m not adding a overhead shoulder press while staning on a half-foam roller, mind you….on one leg too.  The same holds true for legs.  How about we try just a standard squat with a barbbell strapped to our traps.  Maybe, just maybe, we can develop some legs in the process.  They just need to call it what it is.  Entertainment.  It’s a way of trying out funky things while in the gym.  Look, I understand that hitting the weights isn’t for everyone.  And I’m completely cool with that, but don’t come to me and ask me to help you get results and bitch out when I put you under some weights and keep you away from cable rear delts while maintaining a half squat on a Bosu ball.  I’m trying to get you the results as fast as possible.  When you get there, then we can have our play time.  Yikes, if that wasn’t a piece of my mother coming out there.  “You can have your fun after you finish your homework”.  Well, if that’s the type of training your looking for, please don’t call me.  I’m definitely not your man. 

So that is basically why I’m heading back to my roots.  I can’t take “Functional Training” any more.  I’m sure it’s great for a lot of people, I’m just not one of them.  I need my GYMS.  I swear, they are like a drug to me.  I can feel the energy rush through me and my stress leaving as soon as I walk through the doors of those places.  Going to continue working at the Workout Warehouse and now starting at Gold’s in Miami Lakes in the next two weeks.  Perfect timing too.  Down to 21 weeks for the Nationals.  Things are starting to get ramped up now.  Weight is holding steady at 235lbs and leaning up ever so slightly (hell, it is still the offseason….gotta have some fun).  Spoke with Hany last week and he is pleased with the progress.  From what I hear about him, he is hard to pull compliments out of, so when he gives them out, he really means it.  My plan/goal is winning the light-heavyweight class this year.  Enough of this amateur stuff.  I want to get to the next level and test the waters.  I’m working my ass off to bring that goal to life.  With speaking with Hany, it looks like the true dieting won’t start to 12 weeks out, so still have a little freedom, so better get those margaritas out of my system.  Looking forward to getting back on track with writing again.  Anyone and everyone, give me a shout and let me know how are things on your end and any suggestions you might have.  Some days, the creative juices take a while to get kicking.

All for now and all the best my friends.  Speak to you soon. 

Well, it’s been a while and I apologize.  Things have been a little hectic, but in a good way.  I am working a new job for the Equinox gym about to open in Aventura, FL.  We have been in training for the past two week and will continue to do so for the next week and a half.  So my days have been up at 4am to get ready and head to the gym by 5am to train clients and myself.  Finishing at 10am I head to Equinox to go through their training courses until 4pm.  Head to the car and get home by 5pm.  From there washing tupperware, cooking the next days food, cardio, paperwork, shower, eat two more times and before you know it, it’s 10 or 10:30pm and time to get some sleep.  So I do have a valid excuse for not writing and it may seem like I’m complaining, but I welcome the busy schedule.  With the economy in the toilet, I’m blessed to have work.

Next on the agenda my 4-day vacation to Jensen Beach coming up this Thursday through Sunday.  Jensen Beach is a little above West Palm Beach on is directly on the water.  Little town with absolutely nothing to do except decompress and relax.  Naturally though, we found a Gold’s Gym 15 minutes away that we have to train at.  Even on vacation you can’t miss your workouts, not with the freaks I have to go up against in November.  It may sound boring, but sitting in my room with my wife or laying on the beach and listening to the waves carsh on the shore is extremely therapeutic.  Screaming college kids funneling beer and wet T-shirt contests have simply lost their appeal.

Friday night I had the chance to see Joel Osteen speak at the Bank Atlantic Center (where the Florida Panthers play).  People know him as the smiling preacher.  He has written “Your Best Life Know” and his new book is “Become a Better You”.  I wouldn’t consider myself an overly religious person, but this guy happens to be an incredible motivating speaker who has bits and pieces of the Bible thrown in.  You feel so inspired when you walk out of listening to him.  He helps you want the best in your life and how to work toward obtaining it.

Well, I know this may not have been the most entertaining piece.  I just wanted to update on what’s been keeping me so busy.

An update on my progress for the Nationals is I’m now 25 weeks out and weighing 239 lbs.  I’m feeling good and gaining some strength and improving on my much needed arms.  Dieting will probably start at about 16 weeks out, so that is now far from now. 

A final shot out to some of my good people.  Bill Wilmore is now 5 weeks out from his attacking the filed at the Houston Pro.  Top 3 qualify and I know he’ll be in the mix.  Second to Adam over at A Fitness Connection.  He is the man with the hook-ups and I mean wheather your a client looking for some professional help (personal training, karate, chiropractor, etc.) or the professional looking to advertise yourself to the general public.  Third to my buddy Chris.  Stay strong, keep you head up, keep you mind clear, stay positive, and realize that good things ALWAYS come to good people.  You are one of the good gals and nothing but success and happiness is waiting you.  Love you all.

My deep apologies for the lack in between writings.  I have been ill and nothing of interest came to mind to write about.  It’s actually difficult at times to think of odd things to write about.  I mean this was initially started to write about the followings of contest prep and specifically, my prep for this years Nationals on November 21-22. But to be honest, I think bodybuilding talk can get incredibly BORING.  You know how you should have balance in your life, but one of the reasons I stopped going to night clubs, is that you get out and your ready to blow off some steam and get a little wild.  Escape reality.  Then somebody walks up and either says one of three questions: How much do you bench? (usually the most common); Do you compete?; or Do you take steroids?  With the last question charging hard to become the number one question asked.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I love talking bodybuilding, nutrition and training with people.  I love the fact that I’m able to educate others in how to change their lives.  But there is a time and place for everything and the night club while I’m dancing with my wife is not the time.  Sorry, didn’t mean to get off on such a tangent.  Back to my original point was simply that I’m going to try and make this blogging have a little personalty (I’ve got a way to go to reach Chris’s level, but I’m trying) and not talk so much about bodybuilding, that is of course unless that is what some of you would like to hear.  Please post a comment and let me know what direction you like this heading.

The title of this post is “Now I’ve heard it all”.  Today while driving home from my first part of the day.  I’m a personal trainer and start working with clients at 5:00am and finish at 10-11:00am.  This is when I train 3-4 clients and get my own workout in.  I head back to the gym around 4pm and finish with more clients.  There is a quick bio.  Back to the ride home, I heard a commercial for the Hair Institute with the Dr. Shapiro.  They had a male testimonial saying that he went bald taking “creatine and muscle building (supplements)”.  And now with going to the Hair Institute, he’s gotten his hair back.  Are you kidding me?  Now if the guy would’ve said, I went bald from taking 100mg of Anadrol, 1,000 mg of Test Suspension and 600 mg of Deca for the last 8 months, he would have a lot more credibility.  Creatine, come on!!!  As a nation, we are slowly losing our sense of rationality and common sense.  Our kids kids are screwed.  If this isn’t a means to take care of yourself so that when you get old you can still fend for yourself, then I don’t know what is. 

I must give a shoot out to two great people I had the chance to sit down and speak with for an hour last week.  Adam over at AFitnessConncection.com is a true good guy.  Check out his site because if it can’t help you, it can help a friend you know.  He’s set up a site where you can find personal trainers, doctors, martial artist training, and massage.  Or if you are one of the listed professionals, you can post your site to get clients.  Excellent resource.  You can also find my blog there directly. 

The other shoot out is to Chris Wan who also has her blog through A Fitness Connection.  She is an absolute lady and another one of the good people.  Many of you might know here because she is one of the few professional figure ladies out there.  Check out her blog too.  It’s real fun and will make your head spin.  Check out her photos, she looks great for only 29.  :) 

Enough for now.  Nice to be back writing again.  It is actually quite therapeutic.  Take care ya’ll. 

Just finished up with a 30-minute session of cardio.  I realize that’s not that long.  But one of the things  I used to love about the offseason was the absence of cardio.  Well, those days are long gone.  After each show, I used to tell myself that I would keep up with the cardio to keep bodyfat levels down, but when it came time to get it done, I continued to put it off until “tomorrow” which never came.  This year we are doing things differently.  Cardio is a must all year round.  You know, heart health and increased cardiac output which in turn benefits training intensity.  Blah, blah, blah.  Plus it’s funny how as you get older you start to think about those things.  Those teenage years and early 20′s you feel as if you are indestructible.  Then the years start to add up and you suddenly realize that your not.  I’ll talk about the injuries next.  Well,  the cardio has benefited and I see increased endurance in training, but that doesn’t mean I like it.  Actually I hate….no not hate (remember positive thoughts in, positive thoughts out), it’s not my favorite thing in the world.  Training I love, but cardio…ugh!!!  Anyways, I only do the StepMill now as we bought one three years ago and it now sits in our living room.  In all actuality, the situation couldn’t be more perfect.  I have no excuse for missing.  It’s in my house, in front of the TV, with a ceiling fan nearby.  DAMN.  Now I have to do it.

Now the StepMill in my opinion is the badass of cardio machines.  It’s basically walking up a flight of stairs that never ends.  I have had endless debates with fellow friends and competitors (at the local and state level) about doing the StepMill and their excuse (lame) is that it is too intense and will burn up what little muscle they have.  SORRY excuse!!  My arguement each time (and this one always wins) is that if Ronnie Coleman at 300 lbs. can knock that machine for up to 2 hours a day, there is no reason why their little 200 lbs. bodies can’t.  Let me tell you something, bodybuilders may look impressive on the outside, but some of them (once again at the local and state level) are some of the biggest sissies I’ve ever met.  And dumbest.  I hate to knock on my own kind, but damn, these cats just don’t get it.  They refuse to pick up a book, as if it’s going to break down muscle too.  God forbid we stimulate that most important muscle, our brain.

OK, enough.  On to the training injuries.  Back in the early days, when you pulled a muscle or strained something, a day or two would go by and you would be as good as new.  No ice, no anti-inflammatories, no rest.  Well, things are slightly different now.  And I’m only 37, but have been training seriously for over 18 years.  The training does begin to take a toll on the body.  I began my hard training again in late January.  Normally I would begin in mid-December, but my Christmas present to myself of having my appendix removed two days after Christmas prohibited me from beginning until late January.  Well in the past three months, I’ve had tightness in the right rear delt due to scar tissue build-up from a previous injury, right forearm strain, and the newest one, a strain in the right vastus lateralis this past leg day doing hack squats.  Three months into training and three injuries to boot.  At this rate, I figure I’ve only got nine more injuries left if I can keep my schedule going.  What can you do, that’s the fine line you walk when you push yourself.  You sometimes go a little to hard and you chalk up another to the list.  But you know what, I still love this sport.  I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do when I reach my 50′s.  When bodybuilding is in your blood, it’s tough to let it go.  I thank God everyday that I don’t have to think about that for now.

Enough for the night.  Love and peace to all and happy training.  I’m out.

Now I guess it’s time to start spreading some words.  Who knows how this will go or what direction I’ll take on this.  I think today I’ll speak a little on the side of competition.  I’ve been competing since 1993 where I won the middleweight & overall at the Gainesville Championships.  That city is where the University of Florida is.  I was attending the university working on my degree and decided to finally enter my first show.  What a rush winning the whole show my first time out.  I weighed 168 lbs. then.  Fast forward today and I’ve reached the National level and man what a difficult level to pass.  You see in the magazines certain guys who enter and seem to win within their first 3-5 years.  From my experience, and I’ve been at that level since 1999, not too many make it through that fast or for that matter, make it through at all.  There everyone is a freak.

After the 2003 Nationals where I placed 2nd, I decided to walk away from the sport feeling content with my success in the sport.  Here was the problem, once you get bodybuilding in your blood, it’s real hard to get it out.  There is always this sense of trying to do better.  It can make it difficult to enjoy moments of progress in this game, because there is always room for improvement.  Even Mr. Olympia himself needs to keep improving, so you know I’m always picking myself apart and working harder to make those improvement. 

I think one of my problems these last few years has been stagnation within my training.  I trained hard, but not all out.  That is where this year has changed.  My training is much more intense and all out.  Always setting small goals within each workout and challenging myself.  The goal is to bring a completely different look to the Nationals this year in Atlanta and let the judges know that I’m ready for the next level.

Well, I’ll keep you updated on all the happenings in my life and let’s see how this blogging goes.  All for now.  Train hard, train smart & always go through life with a positive attitude and smile on your face.  This world really need it.

Well, this is not only my first day writing, but my first blog.  To tell you the truth, I don’t know much about blogs, neither do I have any idea what goes into blogs.  So any comments and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I hope to bring some kind of enlightment and entertainment to this. 

Some of the things coming up will be the countdown to my preparation for the 2008 Nationals this November 21-22.  I’ll detail all of what it takes getting ready for that national level bodybuilding show.  It’s quite an experience.

Enough for the first day.  Please forward any assistance.