The Chronicles of “B”

I’m Putting My Muscle Where My Mouth Is or maybe some people think that’s where all my muscle is.  Either way it’s time to put up or shut up. 

If you’ve been paying any attention at all you will know that I have a competition coming up on June 27th in Ann Arbor Michigan.  Well usually I would enter the Mens Masters but this contest doesn’t offer a Mens Masters just Sub Masters and the cutoff is 49….so….I’ll be competing in the Mens Open against guys who might be half my age.  And ya know what????  That suits me just fine and dandy!!!!

I’ve always said that to be the best you have to beat the best so taking home the trophy for overall Mens would be very sweet and I plan on doing just that.  I know that sounds very bold but I truly believe I have an excellent chance.

I have made dramatic improvement since my last contest.  My chest is much bigger and much more cut as is my entire upper body for that matter.  My waist is significantly leaner and the abs and serratus much more pronounced.  I will post some pics Friday or Saturday to show the improvement.  If I’m lying I’m dying!  LOL!!

Seriously though if I plan to make a mark in this sport it’s time to see if I can run with the big dogs.  I love a challenge and I love making people shake their heads when I beat the odds.  Stop by on June 28th to see the pics I post of me hoisting the trophy for Mens Overall winner!!  And then listen to me say…"I told you so!" 

Ok before anyone gets the wrong idea let me say that I don’t really own a gym…but…I’ve made the decision to leave the gym I was working out in for the comfortable digs of my own home gym.

The gym where I worked out for most of the winter was and is nice but it’s just not for me.  There are several reasons why but just to highlight a few…….

 1) I hate the way people look at me like I’m some kind of freak because of the intensity with which I work out.  I mean I’m not groaning at the top of my lungs or anything but I’ve been known to make some animal noises and I do make some very funny faces when I lift.  It can’t be helped!  I lift heavy and focus intently and I can’t do that with a big stupid grin on my face.  

2)  I get tired of waiting on equipment because a group of hair flipping chickies standing around flirting with guys or teenagers gathered around one piece of equipment in a herd trying to impress the hair flippers.  I do a lot of drop sets and supersets so sometimes it’s almost impossible to get that done because I have to have like 3 or 4 sets of dumbells or 2 pieces of equipment at the same time.  Never fails…I’ll be doing a superset of lat pulldowns and seated rows and I’ll be in the middle of the lat pulldowns and before I’m done and can move over to the seated row some dip shit will sit down and take the seated row machine.  Never mind that I’ve already done 2 sets at those stations and have my towel on the machine…some moroon will still step in. 

3) People trying to carry on a conversation with me when I’m working out.  God I hate this.  When I lift I am all business and I am not there to socialize or entertain someone.  If you want to ask me a question please wait till I’m done and cooling down and then I’ll talk you ear off…..or bite it off depending on how the workout went. 

Working out at home just makes so much more sense for me.  I don’t have to make time to drive to the gym cause I’m already at the gym.  It’s so much easier to time my supplements because of no travel time.  I can be as loud and intense as I want and I can workout in the nude….a huge bonus for me!!!  Sucks for the neighbors!  LOL!!

Even cardio is better cause I live right next to a park so I can go over and run sprint intervals anytime I want and till the cows come home.  So much better being in the sunshine then on a treadmill in a gym next to some old man or old lady wearing industrial strength perfume or after shave mixed with sweat.  Or better yet some big fat sweaty guy who has ate one to many eggs and has rancid gas.  Thank god for fresh air!! 

Home sweet Home! 

Well the MuscleTech Transformation Contest is nearly at an end and I am very excited.  I feel I’ve made a pretty amazing transformation and have as good a chance as anyone to win this thing.  Wednesday morning I will take my final pics and then I will post them Wednesday evening.

The really cool thing about this contest is that it has inspired me to push myself to levels I never dreamed I could acheive.  I know everyone says this but I truly believe I am in the best shape of my life right this very second.

I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from this site and from the many wonderful BodySpace friends I’ve made who stop by each day to say hello and kick me in my a$$.

I’ve also drawn inspiration from outside sources as well.  My good friend Susan bought me some books by Frank Zane for my birthday and they have been a huge help to me.  Anyone who has visited my page or read my blogs know Frank is my all time bodybuilding hero and I draw upon his experiences and wisdom to help me reach my goals.  Frank has shown me that at just 180lbs you can actually reach the top of the bodybuilding mountain. 

Of course he was much younger than I am now but the point is….nothing is impossible and there are no barriers that can’t be overcome if you just want it bad enough.  And I want it really bad.

Anyway I don’t have a lot of time today just wanted to update anyone who might give a shobee dobee on where I’m at as far as my training.  So, keep an eye out for my progress pics Wednesday and please leave a comment and let me know what you think.  Much appreciated. 

I love it when I look around this site and come across a newbee who expresseses a desire to compete.

Here they are in all their newness….never lifted anything heavier than a spoonful of ice cream…weighing in at around 265 to 300 plus and talking about competing in like a years time.  Oh Really????

It not only cracks me up but it sort of pisses me off too that someone would think you can just start from ground zero…grab some weights and in a years time go from a 300 lb coach potato to a competetive bodybuilder. Like it’s just so damn easy.  They seriously have noooooo clue!

It’s taken me 2 years to get on stage and as far as I’m concerned I’m still nowhere near where I should be.  That’s 2 solid years of hard core Mutha style training…several injuries and setbacks…many many disappointments, and a whole boatload of fears and doubts.

Getting up on stage is the easy part.  People just don’t realize how much torture you have to put yourself through to get there.  I truly believe that some people think you can just stroll into a gym…walk for 20 minutes a day on a treadmill….do a full body workout 3 days a week with light ass weights and then be ready to step on stage in a year.  Oh, and all the while munching on hot wings and swilling beer with their buddies on the weekends!  Sorry Skippy but it don’t work that way.

I do an hour of cardio everyday as well as very intense weight training six days a week.  Sometimes twice a day weight training sessions with an extra 40 minutes or so of cardio thrown in just for good measure.  The diet sucks ass!  I’ve eaten so many eggs I have them coming out of my….well, you know…LOL…so much freaking plain ass chicken breast that I’m about to grow feathers and start clucking which would at the very least make it easier to explain the eggs coming from that certain special place….fish, fish and more fish and so many green veggies that if I get cut I bleed green!

Oh and did I mention that along the way you manage to offend and alienate nearly every friend and family member you have because they just don’t understand why you’ve suddenly become an a-hole.  Oh it’s not that you really do become an a-hole but they think you are because you don’t partake of the donuts at the workplace any longer or you don’t go with them to the bars on the weekend to fill up on deep fried greese and beer.  They think you’re an a-hole because they just don’t understand the dedication and determination it takes to succeed at bodybuilding so like most people they just hate what they don’t understand.  And then they blame it on you!  Cool huh??

I seriously love the enthusiasim that newbees have when they talk about competing in a year.  I really do.  I just wish they understood how had it really is.  Well actually I guess they soon find out which is why they are here one minute and suddenly gone the next only to re-emerge a few months later with a whole new understanding and talking about…"this time I’m really gonna do it!"

REALLY???

I’ve been noticeing lately that there seems to be an explosion of online trainers on the site and it seems everybody is aligning themselves with one or the other and singing their praises.  You have team this and team that all telling you how you can turn you’re life around…for a small fee of course.

I myself have been approached by several online trainers through PM’s and friend request.

Now I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I don’t understand how this would work or why someone would pay for online training.  I mean why in the world would I pay hundreds of dollars to someone for info I can get from the internet for nothing???

Now I don’t want to seem like I’m bragging but I think I’ve made a pretty amazing transformation and I did it all by researching info (mostly on this site) I got from several sites, from magazines and books, and from talking to actual people who have been there and done that. And I did it all for free.  There are tons of info out there for free and all you have to do is put in a little time and effort…no different than the time you might put in at the gym.  It’s all part of the process.

Maybe someone can explain something else to me also.  Are these online trainers evaluating their clients properly before they prescribe a program???  Do they question you as to any exsisting medical conditions or limitations before they set you up on a program???  These are things a good personal trainer should be and would be considering if you met one in person.

And how can they evaluate you as to form and make sure you’re performing a movement so that you don’t injure yourself or that you’re getting the maximum benfit from the movement when they’re in Florida and your in North Dakota??  If you want to get the most benefit from a personal trainer hire one who can be there with you to help spot you and make sure you perform each exercise properly.
Now I don’t have nothing against someone seeing a need and trying to make a buck.  I’m a big supporter of the free enterprise system.  Hell if nothing else they are at least getting people up and interested in exercise even if it might just be a placebo effect.  But like I said I just don’t understand why someone would pay for something they can get for nothing. To me it’s the equivelent of buying an exercise video or DVD.  I mean there are tons of people on this very site who would gladly help you (me being one of them) and not expect a dime so why wouldn’t you take advantage of that?

As for those who have approached me about becomming part of their "TEAM" well all I have to say is, "Where were you 2 years ago when I might have been able to use you?"  Where were you when I was a fat slob and making mistakes that lead to injury?  Now that I’m actually making excellent progress and have won a contest…NOW you want to help me?  NO THANKS!  I’ve managed pretty nicely on my own thank you very much so I think I’ll just save my money to buy supplements if it’s all the same to you.

Now if you are currently using an online trainer don’t be hating on me…I’m just offering up an opinion and an alternative.  If it’s working for you that’s great and I applaude you for all your success and wish all the best for you.  I just happen to think you could have saved yourself a few bucks that’s all.

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t appreciate a good underdog story??  No No No I’m not talking about the cartoon or the movie…which by the way was a very good portrayal of the original cartoon Underdog…I’m talking about that person or team who against all odds rises to the top to become a champion!

Some underdogs who have always stuck out in my mind are….boxer James Braddock the Cinderella Man who people said was washed up and was living in poverty when he took on Max Baer. Baer was much bigger and younger and some thought….invincible.  In true David and Goliath style though Braddock took down Baer and won the Heavyweight title of the world.

Many years later a young big mouthed kid from Louisville Kentucky took on another man thought to be invincible.  Sonny Liston was called names like the bear or Gorilla because of his size and the way he dispatched opponents.  But a young skinny Cassius Clay not only beat him he humiliated him not once but twice.  He truly did shock the world!

My bodybuilding heros have always been underdogs as well.  Rich Gaspari was known as the Dragon Slayer.  That’s because despite being smaller than most of his opponents he out worked them and through shear determination he out shined all the others on the stage.

My favorite though…and my all time bodybuilding idol is Frank Zane.  Here is a man who at 5′9" and around 180 lbs developed one of the best physiques ever to grace a stage.  Frank was a granite statue and one of only three men to hand Arnold a bodybuilding defeat even though Arnold was much bigger and heavier.

A 3 time Mr Olympia and in my opinion the greatest ever.  A true underdog who through shear will and determination took his body beyond what maybe even he believed it could be.

This is what I aspire to be.  Like Frank I’m being told that there is no way I’m going to be able to fulfill my dream of getting a pro card or winning a major competition.  Especially at 52.  But let me tell you this my friends….don’t ever tell me I can’t do something or that I’m told old because I will prove you wrong.

Well today is my birthday and the calander says I’m 52 years old.  I never dreamed that at 52 I would be in the best shape of my life but that is the reality.

And what a difference a year makes.  Last year on my birthday I weighed over 240lbs, had a 38 inch waist…don’t even want to speculate as to my bodyfat percentage, and after what seemed like a million nagging injuries and setbacks; I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

This year I weigh 193, have a 30 inch waist, and 6% bodyfat.  And I finally made it to the bodybuilding stage where I walked away with a trophy.  Not a bad turnaround for one year.

The thing that I like best about this birthday in contrast to last birthday is my attitude.  I have this amazing feeling of optimisim and in addition to being in the best physical shape of my life I think I’m at the best place mentally I’ve ever been.  It’s certainly a wonderful thing.

Having my mind in a good place has been instrumental in getting my body in tip top shape.  More and more I’m discovering that this whole bodybuilding thing is really about 90% mental.  I mean just think about it….if you aren’t mentally tough you will never stick to a diet and you can not go into the gym and push yourself past the pain threshold that you have to push past to get any real gains.  You just can’t!

If you allow your mind to dwell on negetive things like…"oh one cupcake won’t hurt" or "gosh I just don’t feel like cardio today" or "I hate doing squats I’ll just skip those today" or "you know I’m 50 years old and other 50 year olds can’t do this either so why should I bother"….you will never get any where.

You’ll just be a fat lazy slob stuffing cupcakes in your face all day just waiting for the day they cart you off to the nursing home because your family no longer has the patience or the apathy to deal with you.

There you can have some 18 year old aide who hates old people give you a bath and change your shitty diaper and spoon feed you like your momma used to.  You will have no worries because your mind is not to sharp anymore…a victim of the plaque buildup from all the crap you’ve eaten most of your life.

You won’t have to be bothered by pesky things like having sex because your penis hasn’t worked since you were 55.  Not that you could see it anyway since it will be safely tucked away under your huge beer gut.  Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful life??

I plan on having many, many more happy birthdays in the years to come.  I plan on competing at least another 10 years and enjoying being able to get out and romp with my grandchildren and do all the things that I’ve always done because I’ll be more than healthy enough to do it.

The clock may say 52 but I feel more like 22!  Happy Birthday to Me indeed!!!

It’s a glorious sunny day here in West Central Ohio but while others were out enjoying family activities Susan and I were in a gym laying waste to our back muscles and biceps.  It was a wonderful thing!  I’m sitting here now…barely able to type because my hands are shaking so bad.  And it’s been a good hour or more since the workout ended.

Over the past 2 years I have become a real student of the sport of bodybuilding.  I’ve read tons of books and magazines and spent countless hours on the internet researching diet and exercise routines as well as supplements.  I’ve even delved into the spiritual aspects of the sport such as visualization and mediatation.

After all the research I have come to the simple conclusion that….everyone from beginner to pro pretty much does the same basic thing!

What I mean by that is that there are only so many exercises and so many combination and we all do the same things  Oh we might add our own little twist such as suppinating your wrist or some other such thing but basically we are all doing the same exercises.

We pretty much all follow the same type of diet….some of us are just a little more devoted to it than others and as far as supplements go….well we all have our favorites and I do believe that some are far superior than others. But we all have the same access to them and use the same products.  Those being protein, NO supplements and fat burners.

The thing that makes the contenders stand out from the pretenders is one thing and one thing only….INTENSITY! The ones who truly stand out from the crowd are the ones who go balls to the wall each and everytime they touch that weight.  The ones that walk into the gym all business right from the get go and are barely able to crawl out the door when they are done.

The ones who are making the faces…grunting on groaning and upping the poundages till their muscles are ready to explode!  They’re the ones you see doing supersets and tri sets and dropsets.  They are the ones that push every set to failure…up the weight and go at it again with even more intensity than the last set.  They are the ones who never talk to anyone in the gym…never smile and have that cold hard stare of intensity.  The one that says…DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT TALKING TO ME WHILE I’M LIFTING!
Who are these people???  They are the ones you see walking away with the trophys week after week, show after show.  The ones making huge gains and turning heads every where they go.

Up the intensity and you could be one of those people.  I am determined to be one of those people!

Intensity is the name of the game.  Want to get the body you’ve always dreamed of???  Well just turn up the intensity and you’ll get there…I swear you will.

I swear that I will!!

I have been a BodySpace member for almost 2 years now.  When I started I was a 248 pound fat slob of a couch potato who couldn’t even bend over and tie my shoe without getting winded.  My diet was horrible and exercise was a foriegn concept to me at the time.  Basically all I did was work, sleep, eat and watch TV.

The funny thing is I didn’t realize that I was in fact slowly killing myself.  I was just doing what hundreds of thousand of Americans do each and everyday.  Same old routine day in and day out.

Thankfully I got a wake up call in the form of a picture that revealed to me just how far I had sunk into the abyss of obesity.

Then a trip to the cemetary on Memorial Day made me remember how the same lifestyle that I was currently living had taken my parents from me at a very early age.

I recalled the agonizing pain they suffered in their last days as they slowly succumbed to heart and liver disease.

I remember my father who was a proud and strong man lying there in a catatonic state unable to even feed himself.  I remember thinking how humiliated he would be if he knew that he had to wear a diaper and have strangers change it for him.

I remember my mother grabbing my shirt…in horrible pain…pulling me down to her and begging me to make it stop.

I remember the tubes running from her body bringing her food and pain medication.  I remember the beep…beep…beep of that God awful heart monitor and waiting for it to signal what we all knew but somehow tried to pretend was not really going to happen.

I remember the last few hours of her life when all hope of any recovery was gone and we waited by her bedside for the enevitable.  I remember standing there and holding her hand as the strongest woman I had ever known breathed her last breath.

My mom and dad grew up in a time when a typical meal was something fried in lard with a generous helping of potatoes smothered in gravy that was made from the drippings of the lard fried meat.

Everyone smoked….movie stars…athletes….hell even Doctors smoked.  No one was there to sound the alarm.  So my parents just did what every other normal American did and because they followed the crowd and didn’t think for themselves they paid the ultimate price.  My dad at 55 and my mom at 66!

One good thing did come from their passing though.  It taught me a hard lesson and one that I hope I can pass on to others by my example.

If I can turn my life around at the age of 50 to the point that I recently walked onto a stage and not only competed in a bodybuilding contest but walked away with the prize….then anyone can do it.  That’s why I do what I do….each and every single day.  All the hours I bust my hump in the gym.

It’s not for the trophys or the praise it’s in the hopes that others will learn from my example.

We don’t have to be typical when we can be exceptional!  We don’t have to end our lives in a nursing home just waiting around for the sweet relief that death will bring.  We can make it happen if we just try.  It’s really just that simple.