The Chronicles of “B”

Well Happy day after Christmas my friends.  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and got everything they asked Santa for.  2008 is nearly done and what a difference a year makes.  This time last year I was nursing my latest nagging injury in what seemed like a never-ending line of injuries.  I still wasn’t fully recovered from my accident and I was at a very low point in my training life.

 
I was trying desperately to get ready for a contest in April but was slowly coming to the realization that I wasn’t going to make it. 

 
Fast-forward to today and things just could not be better.  I’ve went almost an entire year with no major injuries, I went from a 248lb fat ass to a lean and muscular 210, I’ve been featured on the front page of the Bodybuilding.com Newsletter, I’ve been Transformation of the Week and I look and feel better than I have in my entire life.  A whole new world of opportunities is opening up to me and I am so excited.  

 
I t didn’t happen overnight.  It was a long hard road that took a lot of hard work and just a little bit of luck.  While I put in most of the work by hitting the gym everyday and sticking to a clean diet I have to admit I would not have made such fantastic progress without the help of my incredible support system.

 
A major portion of that support has come from the BodySpace community.  I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for the information I found on this site and the words of encouragement from all my BodySpace friends. 

 
It seems like every time I thought about just saying, “to hell with it!” someone would leave me a comment saying how great I looked and how I inspired him or her.  Sometimes those few words were all it took to help push me through the pain and keep me driving forward toward my goals.  It’s truly a beautiful thing.

 
Bodybuilding .com and BodySpace have opened up a whole new world to me.  Before I found them I got my info and inspiration from the pages of the major publications such as Iron Man and Muscle and Fitness.  These are great sources and I enjoy them very much but it’s just not the same as BodySpace.

 
 The mags are filled with pros and the workout programs are geared toward the pros.  With BodySpace you get to interact with everyday guys and gals who have been where you are and are still works in progress the same as you are.  You can speak to people in real time and really get to know how they feel and how they think.  It’s that personal touch that makes BodySpace so incredible.

 
It’s that personal connection I have with my friends here on BodySpace that keeps me in the gym everyday busting my butt.  I refuse to be a stumbling block to anyone.  If I slack off and miss workouts or stray from my diet plan I feel like I not only let myself down but I also let down all those who have looked to me for inspiration.  I’m not about to let that happen.

 
So as is customary this time of year everyone starts looking forward to next year and toward setting new goals and I’m no different.  My goals for 2009 are pretty ambitious but I think I’m up to the challenge.

 
So in no particular order here are my goals for 2009……

1. First and foremost I am looking at competing in six separate contests starting on March 28^th and ending sometime in November.  My goal is to not only compete but to finish in at least the top 3 in each of the contest and to place 1^st in at least one.
2. Before Summer 2009 I will obtain my PT certification. 
3. I would like to start writing again and will start by submitting articles to BB.com.  I will also make an effort to submit to other publications.
4. I will strive everyday to be a glowing example of health and fitness to inspire others my age to be fit as well.
5. I will do all I can do everyday to constantly improve.

 
I have some other personal goals but I’m sure no one is interested in those so I’ll just keep them to myself. 

 
The past year has been absolutely fantastic for me and I owe the biggest thanks in the world to Bodybuilding .com and BodySpace for helping me rediscover my health and for giving me the tools to push myself to heights I never knew I could achieve.

 
I’d also like to thank my friend and lifting partner SusanBeth for helping to show me the way and making me believe in myself.  Also for putting up with all my crap.  You’re awesome!

 
To all my friends on BodySpace and everyone who has ever left me a comment (even the haters) thank you.  You’ve all played a huge part in my transformation and continue to inspire me on a daily basis.  There are way to many to list but you all know who you are…KM, DX, C, Laurie, Ninja a special thanks!

 
A huge thanks to my wife Maggie who puts up with all my moods, helps me with my food, lets me run around with Susan on the weekends, and supports me in everyway a wife should.  You’re the best.

 
Till next time…Lift Long and Prosper!
 
“B”  

As bodybuilders we sometimes think of ourselves  as being big and bad and portray ourselves as being very healthy and somewhat invincible.  Isn’t it funny how a tiny little virus that you can’t even see can totally knock us on our ass.  That’s exactly what happened to me over the weekend. 

Thursday during work I started feeling a little sick to my stomach and as the day wore on it slowly got worse to the point that as soon as I got home I just fell into bed…clothes and all. 

I didn’t stay there for long though…I had to make a mad dash to the bathroom and the hurling began!  I spent the next several hours hugging the porcelain and reviewing every single bit of food I had eaten during the day.  UGH!!

I finally managed to get out of my bathroom and  made my way back to bed.  I spent the entire next day in bed unable to eat pretty much anything because it would come straight back up. 

By Friday evening I was finally able to hold down some Jello but I still had a fever and felt like I had been pulled through a knot hole backwards. 

Saturday morning I felt a whole lot better but still felt pretty weak.  I was going to meet my lifting partner Susan for a workout but I was weak as a kitten so I didn’t think I would have a very effective workout so I decided to go Christmas shopping instead.  I even felt good enough by that evening that I stopped at Applebee’s and had a steak smothered in onions….big mistake!

The next day I was right back in bed and my Sunday was pretty much a wasted day.  Geeeeeez! 

So here we are this morning and I’m up but not really at em.  I’m trying to eat some oatmeal with protein stirred in and a grapefruit and I’m gonna try to work my chest later…maybe.

I can’t believe how skinny a person gets when they spend an entire weekend not eating and hurling.  The hurling also seems to be very good for your abs.  Mine are pretty sore and looking good!  LOL!  Hopefully this crap has run it’s course. 

Have a great Monday everyone!

Ya know I’m not real big on setting personal records and all that garbage. I’ve always said that I’m a bodybuilder not a power lifter so I don’t get to wrapped up in moving huge amounts of weight. I do believe in going heavy but I don’t think I have to set PR’s to validate my strength.

With that being said I wanted to let everyone know that I set a PR Saturday that actually means something to me.

Saturday I met my training partner SusanBeth as I do every week and the plan was to work our legs and shoulders. Well as we were warming up we started talking about PR’s and I told her how I had never been able to get past a 200lb bench press. She said she was sure she could spot me if I wanted to go for a 1 rep max sooooo…just for shitz and giggles I decided to go for it.

Well I warmed up at 135 and then began working my way up. Next…155…noooo problem. 175.…piece of cake! 190 I hit a little hic-up but I was determined so I got right back under the bar and threw it right up. I’m starting to worry a little at this point though. I’ve hit 200 many times but for some reason I’ve never been able to get past that. Guess it was a mental block or something.

So next I decided to go right past 200 and put 205 on the bar. First attempt I went down to far and could only get up half way. DAMN IT! Ok I’m not giving up so with a little encouragement from Susan I grabbed the bar again and BOOM! Right up it went!
Needless to say I was pretty pumped!! Just thought I’d share that with you all.

Till next time…Lift Long and Prosper!