The Chronicles of “B”

I know it’s not even October yet and there are still a few months left in 2009 but with the last 2 contest of my  5 contest tour fast approaching I’ve been looking back at the past year and marveled at what an amazing ride it’s been.

At the beginning of 2009 I was pretty chubby coming off of a Holiday season where I showed little restraint when it came to eating.  I was still lifting but it was kind of here and there and without my normal intensity.  I mean it was winter and the two biggest holidays for food consumption was here and since my first contest of 2009 was over 4 months away I felt there was no need to worry.  Well looking back I’m thinking I should have shown a little more self control because I got pretty chunky and just a little lazy.

January of 2009 saw me usher in the New Year at a rotund 230!  YIKES!!  I had my first contest coming up at the end of March so if I was going to get in contest shape I had my work cut out for me.  It really helped that at the beginning of the year MuscleTech started their big transformation contest.  The chance of winning a huge cash prize gave me even more incentive to get contest ready.  I didn’t win anything in the MuscleTech contest but the lure of cash made me work even harder and when I stepped onto the stage for the first time at the Toledo Glass Scepter I came away with the top prize for Men’s Masters! A pretty good start to the year if I do say so myself. 

Next up, and being pretty full of myself at this point, was a midsummer contest in Ann Arbor Michigan.  The contest didn’t offer a Masters Class but I decided to really put myself to the test and compete in the Open Class against kids 20 to 30 years younger than me.   I finished 4^th and was a little disappointed but I felt that I had made a good showing and when all the Judges praised me for the changes I made since the Toledo contest I felt a little better about myself. 

Then came August and the Steel Valley Classic.  After pre-judge I felt I was a safe and solid second and waiting for the evening show and the announcement of the placing I was confident that I would be bringing home the 2^nd place trophy.  Well not so fast my friend!!!  LOL When the announcement was made I had finished 3^rd behind a guy who had a pouch and man boobs.  I was stunned.  Later I found out that the guy was a close personal friend of the promoter and actually trained in his gym.  Hmmmmm what’s wrong with this picture? 

That slap in the face has been a blessing and a wakeup call to me though.  It taught me to never leave anything to chance.  Obviously the judges felt that this guy and myself were close enough that if they gave it to the other guy there would not be too much squawking.  That left a bitter taste in my mouth and has been the driving force in my prep for the 2 remaining contest. 

In  15 days I step onstage for the 4^th time this year in Flint Michigan.  If you look at my progress pics you can clearly see the transformation I’ve made from the beginning of the year.  In the pics I posted in January for the MuscleTech contest you see me at a chubby 230 and now just before my 4^th contest of 2009 you see me at a lean and muscular 180.  I fully expect to bring home the 1^st place trophy from Flint but no matter the outcome I’ve already had a pretty amazing year and I know it’s only going to get better. 

A week after Flint comes a big NGA Contest in Buffalo and a good finish there will really set the stage for what I hope will be an even bigger year in 2010.  More on that later………….

To be continued……….

I have been a member of the BodySpace Community now for over two years and in that time I have often spoke of the power of BodySpace……how it literally turned my life around and took me from a fat 250 lb slob of a couch potato to a lean 180 pound competitive bodybuilder.
I have also spoken often of the many friends I have made over the past 2 years and how they have been instrumental in my success none more so then the friendship I have formed with Susan, BodySpace username Susan Beth. 
When I came across Susan’s profile a little over a year ago she was preparing for her first contest and due to lack of support from friends and family she was struggling to keep it all together.  I was suffering from the latest in a long line of injuries that had kept me from being able to train and was probably at the lowest point I had been in a long time.  Actually I was considering giving up bodybuilding and was thinking of running a marathon again.  I had even written a blog on that very thought just before I met Susan. 
The very first time Susan and I spoke on BodySpace via comments and PM’s we clicked.  We logged on every morning and talked about bodybuilding till it was time for us to go to work.  I helped her find her confidence and she kept me from losing site of my dream of someday stepping onto that bodybuilding stage.  We just fed off of each other’s energy.  It was really an amazing thing. 
Eventually we exchanged cell phone numbers and began texting throughout the day, always about bodybuilding, and also long conversations about our favorite subject.  Since we only lived a couple of hours apart we decided it was time to meet and picked a spot that was just a short hour away for us both.  We thought it best to meet in a public place on the off chance that one of us was a serial killer attempting to lure the other to their death. LoL 
We met in a coffee shop and spent an entire afternoon drinking tea and getting to really know each other.  We instantly clicked just as we had online and I’m happy to report that neither of us was a serial killer and no hacking of body parts took place.   
Susan voiced her concerns to me about not having anyone to help her backstage at her upcoming contest and asked if I would be interested.  Even though I knew very little about contest prep at that time I readily accepted her invitation.   It was a decision that would change my life.
Being backstage that day renewed my fever for getting on stage myself.  It was amazing being behind the scenes and seeing the hustle and bustle and the energy that goes into getting ready to step out there on that stage in front of all those people. 
Susan took first place that day and when she came off stage that night with her trophy I was there to greet her and she literally jumped for joy right into my arms.  It was an awesome feeling and one of the most memorable moments of my life all made possible through the power of BodySpace. 
Fast forward to today…..Susan and I have been friends now for over a year.  I competed in the very contest I helped her in last year and with her as my backstage help I took home the first place trophy.  I have become close with her kids and have had several outings with them and Susan.  They have become part of Susan and I’s team helping us with our prep and together this summer we have taken the stage twice and are about to compete in 2 more contest together before we take some time off. 
We went to the Arnold together this past spring where we had a fantastic bodybuilding day and also got to meet several other members of the BodySpace family. 
Susan and I have begun to form Team BS Fitness looking to offer personal training by appointment and perhaps online and long term have also discussed the possibility of someday owning our own gym together.  It amazes me that all this came about thanks to a chance meeting on a little social network called BodySpace.  Pretty cool huh??     

As you may or may not know the IronMan/BodySpace contest is in full swing and the voting has started.  If you’re not aware of what I’m talking about please go to News and just follow the links.  Anyway I have entered the contest and I’m making it my personal mission this year to call attention to Masters bodybuilding.  I like to consider myself an evangelist for the older lifter and I’ve tried to lead by example. 

Thanks to bodybuilding I’ve turned my life around and lost over 70 lbs in the past year and I’m about to compete in my 4th contest this year.  I love seeing the reaction people have when they hear that and when they hear that I’m 52 years old and really didn’t start bodybuilding till I was 50.  I would love for others to know that feeling and to get off their butts up off the couch and start lifting and to know that it is never to late to take back your health. Winning this contest would give me the platform to do just that.

I would just like to ask that when you cast your vote this year give it some thought please and consider why you are voting for that person.  Is it because they are your friend or maybe you just think they are cute?  Consider if they would actually be a good spokesperson for this sport that we all love and if they would promote the sport in a positive way. Not because they are hot and have a nice smile. 

I would like to modestly ask that you cast your vote for me and help me on my mission to bring attention to the over 40 lifter.  This is something IronMan has always done…that’s why I read it.  They have many features on the over 40 lifter and it has helped me quit a bit in the last year with info I’ve taken in from reading those articles.   If you feel I would not make a good spokesperson then by all means you should not cast your vote for me but I would like to ask that you do consider why you are voting and if you can then please cast that vote for an older lifter if you feel they would do a good job.  At any rate thank you for your consideration.

I am reposting this blog by Spaceman Spiff because I like what it says and I would like others to be able to read it.

Am I A Bad American?

YES, I’M A BAD AMERICAN I Am the Liberal-Progressives Worst Nightmare. I am an American and believe in God. I ride Harley Davidson Motorcycles and believe in American products. I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some Liberal governmental functionary be it Democratic or Republican! I’m in touch with my feelings and I like it that way! I think owning a gun doesn’t make you a killer, it makes you a smart American. I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it! I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, do it in English. I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.  My heroes are John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and Willie G. Davidson that makes the Awesome Harley Davidson Motorcycles. I don’t hate the rich. I don’t pity the poor. I know wrestling is fake, and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it. I’ve never owned a slave, or was a slave, I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you! So, shut up already. I believe if you don’t like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country! This is AMERICA ….We like it the way it is! If you were born here and don’t like it you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you. I want to know which church is it exactly where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution. Can I get an AMEN on that one? I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what color you are. And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my drivers license. I think it’s good…. And I’m proud that ‘God’ is written on my money.  I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don’t want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years. I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause. Get a Job and do your part! I believe that it doesn’t take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents. I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think. I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA ! If this makes me a BAD American, then yes, I’m a BAD American. If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know. We want our country back!  WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!

I Bryan Gee would just like to add that I would like my Country back please Mr. Obama and Princess Pelosi.  Let free enterprise do what it does best which is make this country prosper and remember that it is suppose to be "Government of the people, by the people and for the people" not Government running everything for the people.

Well as you know if you’ve read any of my blogs Susan Beth and I competed in the NGA Steel Valley Classis on Saturday.  I have to say for the most part the show was ran very well and almost everything came off right on time.  The only snaffu was with the lie detector test but it wasn’t that bad.

Susan and I met lots of nice people and had a fairly good time.  That was the good part…now for the bad.  I was entered in the Mens Novice as this was my first NGA event and I was in the Mens Masters 50 and over.  I placed 4th in the Novice which I have no problem accepting even though I felt I could have finished as high as 2nd and should have had 3rd.  But I could live with 4th and wasn’t to upset by it.  I knew that I had worked as hard as I could and was in the best shape I’ve been since I started on this journey.  I just lost to someone who was better than me.  Well 3 someones to be precise but the point is I know I did my best and didn’t lose because I was a slacker.  Now for the Mens Masters….I finished 3rd behind a guy who I swear to you had man boobs and a paunch from hell.  When they called out the results I was floored as was the audience.  I went back stage and was literally beside myself.  I just could not believe that I lost to this guy.

As the show wrapped up the promotor lined all the competiters up on stage and was thanking everyone for the contributions they made to the show and then he said…."I would like to thank my good friend and the oldest competitor here today 61 year young…..and said Mr. Man Boobs name!!!!  At that point the clouds cleared and the light came on above my head.  Come to find out this guy was not only the promotors good friend but he trained in his gym!  What a crock of crap!!! 

After we were done I made a beeline to the judges to see what they had to say to me as far as feedback.  The head judge told me that they were split in their decision and although they felt I had much more muscle and looked good that Mr. Man Boobs was just a little leaner then me!  Susan and I both looked at each other and gasped!  Leaner then ME???  I’m standing there at 4% bodyfat, 180lbs and a 28 inch waist and this guy has the audacity to tell me they based their final decision on him being leaner then me!  What a kick to the goin!   8 weeks of ball busting work for this???  Like I said I don’t mind losing to someone who is better then me…that is just incentive to work harder next time.  But when a decision is so blatently unfair and bias it just makes you want to throw up. 

I have to tell you this has left a very bad taste in my mouth but it is not going to derail me.  No way JOSE’!!!  I’ve decided I’m just gonna work that much harder and next time I will be so freaking hard and shreaded that there will be no way they can steal it from me.  Count on it!!

Our next show is in 8 weeks in Buffalo and I’m going to be in even better shape then I was for this show.  I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m being a poor sport or a baby but seriously it’s a very tough pill to swallow.  But I’m done with that and it’s on to Buffalo.  Just chalk it up to a bitter lesson learned.  

Well the day is here at last.  Susan Beth and I are sitting in a Motel room in Youngstown OH and we’re about an hour away from check in and the dreaded drug test.  YIKES!!!  LOL!! 

We had a blast last night eating sweet potatos and painting each other with pro tan.  That’s a bodybuilders idea of a hot Friday night date.  LOL  We both applied about 3 good layers and was thinking of putting on another but Susan said she was developing tan-arexia so we decided that we would be good with just 3. 

Woke up this morning and hit the shower and did the final shave and prepping.  Smooth as a babies bottom!!!  With so much Pro-Tan on it started to look like a mud slide in the shower as the excess tan was washed away.  Even though it was looking like all the tan was washed off I think applying several layers one right after the other worked really well.  I believe I’m more tan then ever which is a really good thing because I feel like my tan contributed to my 4th place finish at my last show.  Looking back at the video I looked washed out and my cuts did not show through well.  That should not be a problem this time.  Especially since I’m at about 3 to 4 percent bodyfat right now. 

Anyway I need to get running…it’s 8:00AM and I need to take some Plasma Jet (thanks Gaspari Nutrition) and get our stuff in the car and get ready to head down to the venue.  I may update you later this afternoon after pre-judge.  If you read this please keep your fingers crossed for Susan and I and we’ll do our best to bring home the trophy.  Thanks!!

Today begins my final week of prep for my upcoming contest and those of us who have ever competed knows what I mean by Hell Week.  For those who haven’t competed or are inspiring to compete it’s been asked of me that I shed some light on what the last week of contest prep entails. 

I guess the hardest part of the last week has got to be the diet.  I’ve already cut my carbs way down and for the next few days I’ll be reducing them pretty much to nothing.  Absolutely no more than 50 grams max and I’ll strive for less then that if I can.  Anyone who has ever carb depleted knows the brain fog and discomfort that this can cause.  It makes me pretty irritable and the thing I hate most about it is the lack of energy especially when I lift.  Starting on Thursday I will start to carb load.  Eating 8 oz. of sweet potato every 2 hours and a protein every 4 hours.  I’ll do this right through to Saturday.  Some people don’t mess around with their diet at all the last week but I carb depleted last time and had great success so it seems to work for me.  The timimg of it can be tricky though and that’s why you hear people talking about they "missed their peak" or "they came in flat".  If the timing is on though you can really enhance your physique. 

Even though I’ve kept my sodium in check throughout starting on Wednesday I will reduce my soduim as much as possible eating only steamed chicken and veggies.  This helps suck what ever excess water remains out from under my skin.  This can lead to cramping problems because it will also lead to reduced potassium so I take potassium supplements as needed to help with cramping.  If all goes well with the sodium and carb deplete and refeed I should come in Saturday with plenty of full lean muscle and very nice vascularity.  The fingers are crossed!  LOL 

As far as lifting goes I will do my regular scheduled workout today and then tomorrow I will do my last hard leg workout.  The legs seem to look their best if you don’t work them several days before you step on stage.  Monday and Tuesday I will do my regular scheduled lifts but it will be light and I’ll use high reps and just go for keeping a good pump.  Wednesday I will do a full body workout, very light and absolutely no legs.  I’ll most likely do cardio right up to Saturday although I will be on the road Friday so I don’t know if I’ll be able to get any in then either. 

Wednesday and Thursday night before I go to bed I will apply one coat of Pro Tan and then Friday Susan and I will be following the advice of a fellow competeter and be adding several coats of Pro Tan throughout the day.  One thing I’ve learned and a good tip for beginners is you can never be too dark.  The darker the better! 

That pretty much covers my prep for the last week.  It’s a very busy week and dealing with all the diet changes and trying to remember to pack all my food and all my essentials for the contest oh and I forget to mention the last minute shaving that needs to be done all while in a low carb funk can make it a very interesting week to say the least.  Wish me luck please.

If you’re an aspiring competeter and have any questions about the final week of prep please feel free to ask.  PM me if you like and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.  Maybe next blog I’ll describe in detail the actual contest day itself.  

As I spend most of my day in a car driving around I entertain myself by listening to talk radio.  I listen to some of the political bull crap but mostly I listen to ESPN and especially Colin Cowherd.  The other day he reported on a survey that some paper or mag did on the most hated Person in sports that was very interesting.  There were some people on the list that surprised me and some that did not.  Number 9 on the list was Nick Saban which I would have much higher on my list for the way he hosed my Dolphins.  Number 1 on the list came as no suprise to me…it was Mike Vick and by a very large margin.  Seems a lot of dog lovers must have taken the survey!  LOL!!

Anyway I got to thinking about my list and thought I would post it here and see if any others have a list of their own.  I imagine most true sports fans have some guys or girls they absolutely can’t stand…I know I do!

1.  Derek Jetter….don’t know exactly why I just hate this guy.  Probably cause he’s so damn good and he knows it! LOL

2.  Bill Belichek…not sure of the spelling but he’s the coach of the Patriots and arrogant as they come.  Can’t stand him!

3.  A Roid….biggest choker in the game.

4.  Manny Rodriquez….another arrogant jerk

5.  Pete Rose….stop crying!!  You broke the cardinal rule of baseball and lied about it for years.

6.  T.O.  What a waste of talent.

7.  Chad Johnson…Loco Cinco

8.  Nick Saban…for the reasons stated above.

9.  Lou Pinella…Cubs coach and a jerk…overrated coach.

Amazingly enough I couldn’t think of ten I can actually say I hate so I’ll just leave it at 9.   Anyone else have a list?

Ok I already wrote a nice little review of this product on my page but I wanted to take the time to go into a little more detail about the product and the program I’ve been following. 

As far as a description of the product you can go to the BB.com store and get all the details if you want them…I won’t bore you with all that stuff about ingredients and the science behind them…that’s not what most of us want to hear anyway.  I will tell you though that I’ve been using this product for 2 weeks and it has just blown me away.  I think if you go to my progress pics and take a peek you’ll see that I ain’t lying.  The progress I’ve made since my last show is off the charts.  Cuts everywhere…abs sticking out…increased strength and focus…it’s all there baby!!!  Especially the focus!

I’m stacking this product with Gaspari’s Plasma Jet and Novedex XT (these are also in the BB.com store) and I’ve been following a diet of high protein and rotating my carbs.  I have a high day (150 grams) followed by a moderate day (100 grams) and two back to back low carb days of 50 grams.  I eat most of my carbs early in the day and none after about 4 in the afternoon.  I’m also taking an amino acid product from Optimum Nutrition at every Meal as well as a dessicatted liver from Universal.  My protein as always is Optimum Nutrition.  I have some in the morning when I first get up, a shake mid morning before my workout and a Casein shake before bed.  The rest of the time all my protein is from food sources.

My training split is 4 on one off…..

Day 1 is chest, tris and abs…Day 2 is back, biceps, and calves…Day 3 is shoulders, traps, and abs…and Day 4 is Quads, hams, and calves.  Again I won’t bore you with all the details but let me assure you it is intense and utilizes lots of supersets and drop sets along with as many neg reps as I can get.  Mitotropin, along with the PlasmaJet has actually made my workouts even more intense then they already were.  If you want any confirmation about my intensity in the gym go to my workout partners page (SusanBeth) and ask her.  I think she will tell you that I was crazy before but I’ve been over the edge INSANE as of late. I attribute that to those two products helping to increase my focus.  When it says you get a feeling of well being that is at times Euphoric…well I can testify to the validity of that claim…at least for me. 

Anyway I just wanted to take this time to let everyone know what I’ve been doing and to sing the praises of Gaspari and Mitotropin.  Seriously if you are prepareing for a contest get this product and try it for 30 days.  You will not be sorry.  Hell if you’re just looking to lose some weight….this product should be in your gym bag.  Gaspari has made a believer out of me.  This product works and I have the pics to back it up.   

You know I pretty much hate any branch of the government sticking their big fat nose in my business trying to tell me how to live.  Stuff like telling me I have to wear a seat belt because I’m so stupid that I couldn’t figure out on my own that it’s a good idea and that my children should be restrained so they don’t go through the windshield like a rag doll should I crash.  And yet millions of kids each day ride to Government Schools in school busses not equiped with seatbelts.  Or telling me I have to get my kids certain vaccinations because they (big brother) have decided that they need them to protect them and the rest of society from disease even though I firmly believe, and there is evidence that strongly suggest, that these may be harmful.  Again we are obviously to stupid to research the pros and cons and make a logical decision for ourselves.    But the Government Agency that ticks me off the most are the idiots at the FDA.  These over educated idiots are everywhere these days telling us how to live.  The fact that they are hypocrites and are allowed to make decisions that affect my health and the health of my children is a constant source of irritation to me.  Example:  Even though they now have their fingers into the tobacco industry it is still ok to smoke and even though the regulations on public smoking is much stricter it’s hard to go through an entire day without some rude ass smoker blowing his or her toxic clouds in your face. Disgusting!  Even the  average Joe Blow from Kokomo knows smoking is unhealthy and givien time will surely kill you or some innocent bystander and yet it is still allowed by our friends at the FDA.  But go out and try to buy a gallon of raw milk which has been proven to have many health benefits from your local dairy farmer and the government will rain down on you like your dealing in heroin.  WHY???  Because if the farmer doesn’t take care to follow certain sterilization procedures mandated by the government you have a slight chance of getting tainted milk and becoming sick.  Again we are obviously to stupid to check out where the milk is coming from and to only buy from farmers who follow proper procedures to keep their milk as healthy as possible and of course farmers are much to shady and untrustworthy to be trusted.  You know they are just out to make a buck and could really give a rat’s behind if they kill a couple of innocent kids with their dirty milk.  Rotten farmers!!  Can someone please explain to me why it’s ok to suck smoke into your lungs and to infect others knowing it will surely kill someone and why it’s not ok to drink something that has proven health benefits but has a slight chance of making you sick if you buy it from someone you don’t trust??  Please someone explain this to me.

The FDA is also on a campaign to regulate the vitamins and supplements that we take…Listen up Bodybuilders!!  They say we need to be protected from all the shady supplement companies who churn out these products that often times have no health benefits at all and do not contain the proper amounts of the ingrediants that they claim on their labels.  Again I guess we the public are just to damn stupid to do a little research and buy the best products from the best companies.  Shame on us.  The FDA would rather we buy perscription drugs from reputable doctors that have questionable health benefits and come laden with a list of side effects as long as "War and Peace"!  Do you know how many Cancer patients are cured each year from Chemo only to die from some odd ball infection because the chemo has compromised their immune system leaving them open to all kinds of nasty germs and viruses.  But these are ok by the FDA because they are dispensed by college educated doctors.  The general public is far too stupid to make these kind of life altering decisions for themselves.  We must be protected from our own ignorance!  PLEEEEASE!