Animal76’s BodyBlog

Absolutely incredible leg workout tonight!!! Supersets, Giant Sets, Double Drop sets, Hill Sprints (see my journal for details). Didn’t save anything…I gave it everything I had from start to finish and was able to leave the gym feeling good about myself! This week has been phenomenal. I just need 2 more great workouts this week to make it complete. Tomorrow is Chest & Triceps and then Friday is Back. Nothing puts me in a better mood than having a great leg workout. A little more than 12 months…i’m locked on target, can’t f***ing wait!

My motto: "Train today like there is no tomorrow!"  Today I did just that. Now it’s time to go eat some steak and potatoes, so I can recover. I don’t plan on walking much the next couple of days.

The tendonitus in my right brachioradialis and forearm extensors has gotten pretty bad again (this has been an ongoing problem for me over the last couple of years…common result of years ands years of training), but I have not let that stop me from getting exceptional workouts. I just have to be smart about avoiding things that aggravate it and allow enough rest in between certain workouts, while also icing the hell out of it.

Still got a solid bicep workout yesterday. Today is leg day and what for me makes or break my week. My week is not complete with out getting an incredible leg workout. I know that if I don’t torture myself today and destroy my quads and hams almost 2 hrs I won’t forgive myself and i’ll be in a sh*tty mood for the rest of the week. Pressure is on and I need to perform! No excuses! Got to make it happen! Approaching the 12 month mark until stage time and every workout has an impact on my success.

At 5pm this afternoon I become a f***ing psycho when I step foot in the gym. What do I want my legs to look like when I step onstage?…That’s what i’m going to think about during every damn set!

It’s leg day Baby!!!

The following are pieces written during the 2005 contest season

I would sometimes put some thoughts down before going to the gym just to help myself remember why I was going.

Leg Day

Choose a path that few are willing to follow and even fewer are able to follow

You’ve already set the standard for your physique in your mind…now you must follow through with hard work to attain that standard.

Every day is gameday in this sport and you need to show up ready to make some sacrifices

Inside your mind there are two individuals…

One who is afraid, has doubt and does not believe in great things.

F*** that! Destroy that individual! Never let him appear or make an impact!

The other individual in your mind believes anything can be achieved…is never afraid…and has no doubt…Today and everyday you must listen to and be that person…That individual in your mind will lead you to your success!!!

2 great workouts this weekend, I blasted 2 of my biggest weak points!

Yesterday I did 21 sets for Calves and this morning I started my week off on the right track with an excellent shoulder workout: 26 sets total for front, medial and rear delts!

I felt great and took another step in the right direction. Steady, slow, consistent progress is the key to attaining success. Every day must count! Time keeps ticking, but i’m getting it done!

It’s the end of a long week. I put in a lot of hours at work as my number of personal training clients has gone up quite a bit. In terms of workouts, things were consolidated a little this week so I could take a couple of days off for recovery. It’s important to remember that you don’t grow when you’re in the gym. Working out is just a stimulus that combined with rest, proper nutrition, hydration, etc will induce growth. It’s important to listen to your body. Sometimes it needs an extra day off. It’s not worth going to the gym if you can’t give 110%…it’s a waste of time! Yesterday was my extra day off, so i’m ready to get back in there and get crazy tonight! I need an exceptional workout tonight so that I can start my weekend on a positive note, knowing I took another step towards my next goal. Every day, every action, every meal, every set and every rep is all part of the big picture. You can never lose sight of that. Slack off for one minute and someone else is catching up or getting ahead. THAT CANNOT HAPPEN!!! Every day is another page of a chapter as important as all the rest. I will spend the next 2 hours focusing my mind on absolutely crushing my back tonight! At this point in the day, that is all that matters. I don’t give a sh*t about the weekend, what i’m going to do tomorrow, etc. All I care is that I walk out of the gym tonight knowing I left it all out on the gym floor.

Sacrifice!

As said by Herb Brooks, "You must learn to grow through pain"
My willingness to endure pain is a weapon in a battle to defy the limits of my own body!

Mediocrity sucks! It is for those who are weak-minded and have no willpower!

Striving for and accepting anything less than excellence is a concept that I will not even allow myself to be familiar with.

Absolutely awesome back workout tonight! 110% intensity from start to finish. I feel like i’m firing on all cylinders right now. Strength, Energy and Power were all top notch. This is the way every workout must be, day in and day out for the next 13 months!

I want to reflect on and reiterate a piece that I wrote last year during my contest preparation that will always ring true. I entitled this "Journey"

You have embarked on a journey that few would understand or even want to be a part of. Ahead of you lies a long hard road filled with obstacles that will try to test your desire, motivation and spirit. Best part, this road is optional and you chose it. Always remember why you chose it…Because you can! You will always be and always have been more than just another average individual, living an ordinary life. This path you chose enables you to test the very limits of yourself to remind yourself that YOU ARE ALIVE!!! Your ability to take this path and not falter where others would, inspires those who want to dream and motivates them to have a purpose. To them, you are more than human, but for you…it’s the only way to live.

Every day you wake, you think about what you need to do to reach your goal.

You never consider any reason that you won’t succeed 

You never believe that anything can get in your way or stop you.

All you see is the path, your goal and the space in between.

Today and everyday the actions you take narrow that space.

About 13 months from now until I step onstage in Kansas City for the WNBF Pro Mr. Int’l. Thus far off-season has been going quite well and I am happy with the current progress. I hit a minor plateau for a couple of weeks with my weight during this current bulking cycle. I was having a tough time getting past 218 lbs, but I have blasted through that now…I weighed in this morning at 222 lbs and I am fairly happy with my condition. This is the leanest I have been at that weight. Strength has continued to increase and I feel that I am finally past my nagging lower back injury, so I have begun to incorporate more power movements again. I felt strong last night on smith machine box squats, despite the fact that I hadn’t done these in quite a while (due to lower back issues). I’m excited to hit the gym this afternoon for Chest & Calves. Everyday is an opportunity to improve my physique and I must make the most of it. I’m ready to tear it up. Hopefully i’ll get some more videos, which I use as motivation to take it to another level. Over a year away and I can’t stop thinking about bringing a whole new package when I step onstage. Complete focus on all weak points! I will torture these bodyparts until they become strengths for me. Another day in the trenches, just punching the clock and getting it done! Wouldn’t have it any other way, I love this lifestyle and I love the challenge!