BahamaMan’s BodyBlog

…by Michael Pollan.  Read it.  Then read “In Defense of Food” also by Pollan.

Haven’t read anything other than a muscle magazine since graduation?  Shame on you.  Get your ass to the public library right now!

Seriously though, as bodybuilders and/or fitness buffs we tend way too often to take a reductionist view of food.  You know, looking at something and seeing just protein, fat, and carbohydrate.  And then paying big bucks to get all kinds of “natural” vitamins, micronutrients and various other plant metabolites in pill form.

Speaking from personal experience, it is easy to stop thinking about food holistically in an attempt to become a lean, mean, muscular machine.  But in doing so we run the risk of missing the bigger point, to some extent the goal of our fitness quest.  To live better, healthier, longer.

These books by Pollan can serve to remind us of the value of eating real food (defined both as ‘things you would have found in your grandmother’s kitchen’ and as ‘things with five ingredients or less’).  And that eating real food, preferably real food grown locally, is 1) better for us than any of us, or scientists, even know, and of course 2) better for the environment.  (What’s also cool is that these books are not holier-than-thou rants by an old hippie vegetarian.)

Reading the books recently got me thinking about ways I could tweak my diet/lifestyle to include more real, local food (and I’m already ecologist!)  For example, I’ve cut out my highly processed edible foodlike protein bars, plan on expanding my garden this spring, will buy more locally grown food at the farmer’s market, etc.  

I’m pretty sure that everyone that reads these books will get something useful (and potentially lifestyle changing) out of them.  AND you’ve still got plenty of time to read them before it’s time to start working in your garden!

To say that a lot of folks have questions about how much to do in any particular workout for any particular body part is an understatement.  The paradigm is certainly to do some version of several sets of several exercises per body part, a paradigm perpetrated by the published workouts of young guys, mostly young guys on steroids. 

I suggest that there are several problems with the high volume approach to bodybuilding.  First, who among us has the time and energy to engage in marathon workouts?  I guess you can buy workout energy, but there are still only 24 hours in a day.  Second, the assumption is that these types of workouts are actually the best way to build muscle.  Is it possible that the paradigm is wrong?  Third, as you get older you can’t recover like you used to when you were younger.  ‘Nough said.

Out of necessity I have challenged the high volume approach to training.  First, I’m married with 2 young kids and a job.  Second, I’m not above questioning the status quo and have this theory that most bodybuilders are overtrained.  Third, I’m 43 years old.  So, I’m all about figuring out the smartest way to build muscle by spending the least amount of time in the gym as possible.

Something that Mike Mentzer promoted (I think) about threshold training makes sense to me.  Namely, all that’s necessary to make muscles grow is to challenge them to the point that they are damaged (in a good way) and have to rebuild.  Performing additional sets once you have reached that threshold of damage is mostly a waste of time.

So, how does this play out in my life?  Take my last two workouts for example.  For back, biceps and forearms I did 5 sets of chin-ups, each set to failure (22, 10, 8,8,6) with approximately 90 sec rest intervals between sets and all three bodyparts got sore (upper back is very sore actually).  For legs and lower back (today) I did 3 sets of heavy deadlifts (with 4 warm-up sets).  Heavy sets were 12 reps and rest intervals were 90 seconds again and I can guarantee that I will be sore tomorrow and beyond.

These two workouts kicked my butt and neither lasted more than 30 minutes.  And the fact that I’ll get lots of DOMS is evidence that muscle are getting bigger and stronger in response to my workouts.

That’s my take, opinion, and experience.  Maybe it’ll help you.  

            Some people have commented that I must be very motivated to train in a home gym.  Although I appreciate the sentiments, I beg to differ about my motivation.  I doubt that I’m any more motivated than most folks waging the battle of transforming themselves.

            Like anyone else, I can’t wait to train after getting the latest issue of “Ironman” or watching some sporting event on TV that pumps me up, or having one of those days that you feel unusually lean and muscular. 

And, like anyone else, I have those nights when I just can’t fathom the thought of pushing and sweating in the basement.  Nights when the pull of the couch is almost overwhelming.  Nights, followed by “fat days”, when the thought of seeing myself in shorts and a tank-top is the last thing I want to do.

            That’s the nature of motivation; it waxes and wanes; no matter who you are.

            The secret to whatever bodybuilding “success” I have achieved lies in my commitment to achieving my goal.  It’s a simple formula, really; commitment to a goal gives me the discipline it takes to workout and eat right even when my motivation is low.  As a constant reminder of this, I’ve literally written the quote, “Discipline is simply always being in contact with your goal,” in big, black letters on one of my basement walls.

            My bodybuilding goal right now is to earn a Natural Bodybuilding pro card.  It’s very specific.  I can visualize myself achieving it.  It’s clear how each workout gets me closer to that goal and I can see how not dragging myself downstairs moves me in the other direction.           

Additionally, and importantly, my goal is not just to obtain a pro card some day.  I have a specific plan of attack regarding when and where I will compete over the next few years that will culminate in me achieving my goal. 

            Of course, after I turn pro I’ll set another bodybuilding goal.  And so on.

            The key to transformation success then, in my humble opinion, is to have a specific goal and a detailed plan as to how you will achieve it.

            What’s your goal?  “To bulk up then cut for summer,” doesn’t “cut” it.  Neither does that other popular goal , “To compete, some day.”  These goals are too vague.  Bulk up to what?  Cut back to what?  Compete when?  My wife says that she’s going to compete, someday.  I’m not holding my breath. 

            My recommendation is to write this quote on your basement wall (figuratively or literally):  “You cannot achieve a goal until you define it clearly.”  When you’ve defined your goal and committed to achieving it, you’ll be surprised at how motivated some people will think you are!