BuckSpin - A Year Of Change

A good BB Friend of mine is going thru his Peak Week right now, a Peak Week unlike any other:

My Friend

If you get a chance, swing by his Bodyspace and send some good Mojo his way as he heads off to Nationals

One of the 1st things I learned about bodybuilding is that, to me, the physical aspect (training) is by far the easiest aspect. Its the mental & spiritual that are by far the hardest on one’s self. That muscle between your ears & the inner energy/force residing in that one beating in your chest are, regardless of how you train, worked to failure over & over & over & over, day after day after day.

I am currently running on fumes spiritually. It happens from time to time. I often think of myself as an inspirational junkie, running from stories to movies to tunes, etc, to get a quick "fix" to get me thru that day’s training, that week’s efforts, etc. And, just like any other stimulant, you start to get acclimated to it & need bigger, stronger "doses", if you will.

So, what do you do to replenish the inner batteries, to keep the mind sharp & spirit soaring, to break a "plateau" of inspiration?

I debated over adding this to my online Workout Journal. But a good BB friend told me to “be myself”. This is me. If you are looking for reps, weights & sets, skip reading this.

I’m a very private person. I keep to myself. But every now & then something happens that I feel warrants sharing.

Last Saturday, after my 3rd training session in a row, I was driving to work afterwards. I had already awoken much earlier than I usually do on a Saturday to get everything done that was going to need to get done in order to allow me to train, clean up & change, eat & get to work by 9:30am.

I had just finished a huge Back Day. After 2 rough sessions I was still able to set a new PR for a weight lifted. I was physically beat up & tired, mentally worn down, sore all over, hungry & a lil’ anxious to keep ahead of the clock as I drove off.

I’m not sure if you believe in a higher presence, a guiding force, etc, or for that matter in angels. Not necessarily the halo/winged kind, but someone/something watching over you. I have come to, and whomever/whatever they are/were, they knew I needed a lil’ help at that moment.

Not a few seconds on the road this song came on. I channel flip a lot. The odds of my hitting this song just as it started at that moment….who knows.

But it hit me like a tidal wave. Time stood still. The lyrics just overwhelmed me. They summed up the past year of my life so eloquently, so deeply, so painfully. The beginning of the weight loss, all the effort, shame, hard work, sweat, it all came back. The rebirth, the start of a new life, the even harder work, focusing toward a goal of trading over 3 years of my life for 120 seconds on a stage.

I don’t remember the drive to work at all. All I know is that I got there & the song was over and I was a different person than I was a few minutes earlier.

These are the lyrics. I am sure he was singing about something other that what I went thru & what I am doing, but it summed up my journey so well:

Then the rainstorm came over me
And I felt my spirit break
I had lost all of my belief you see
And realize my mistake
But time threw a prayer to me
And all around me became still

Through the rainstorm came sanctuary
And I felt my spirit fly
I had found all of my reality
I realize what it takes  

Here is the official video. I can’t find it on YouTube.

http://www.mtv.com/videos/seal/33701/loves-divine.jhtml

I know……I know…….

Its been freakin’ forever since my last BHD entry. A lot going on here, but that is no excuse. So, to make up for it, I will be doing BHD "Double Shots" every Friday for the next month to catch up.

So…..TGIF!

I’m enjoying actually lifting real weight on real bars with real plates, etc. I am recording my efforts to eventually get on stage in 2001 in a Workout Journal here on BB. Check it out & let me know what you think.

Remember “The Cut”? Well, I’m at 199lbs now! Eatin’, Liftin’, Sleepin’ & Repeatin’. Hopefully some progress pics soon.

Since I mentioned cuts, lets get to tonight’s cuts. The first one is an import from Norway. Founded in 1982, their initial English album (their first was in Norwegian!) made the Billboard 100 & they were regulars on MTV. This is a great example of their sound. So follow your “Intuition”    courtesy of TNT   :

This next band was formed in 1983 by the lead singer of the band Steeler after Swedish (who knew it was Nordic Night on BHD?) guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen left them. KISS’ Gene Simmons mentored the band & eventually got them a record deal. Mags such as Circus & Metal Edge voted them “Best New Band” and even “Best Metal Band” in the mid 1980s. Classic Los Angeles sound, this video was one of those “theme” videos that were so cool at the time. So go back to the future and fight for the “Right To Rock”  with Keel   :

No, nothing to do with Optimus Prime…

I’ve started a BodyGroup dedicated to those who have either undergone, are undergoing, or are ready to undertake total life transformations from fat to fit.

If you have undergone a life changing transformation and are willing to help others do the same, or if you are in the process of, please come join us.

If you are READY to begin a transformation, change your lifestyle and seize your life back, read this carefully:

If you can keep up with & contribute to the strength of the pack, you are welcome to join us.

From me and my family:

THANK YOU!

I am honored to have a number of service men & women as BB Friends. All of you inspire and motivate me beyond words. I never take for granted the opportunities your service and sacrifice have and continue to give us. You help to fuel my fire to RMFP.

As part of the In & Out Challenge I’m participating in, I picked up and read a book that I’ve had for too long without opening. If nothing else comes of my participation, the hours inside the pages of "Another Season" by Gene Stallings & Sally Cook was worth it.

Some of you may recognize Gene Stallings as the former head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arizona Cardinals, Texas A&M and also as one of Paul "Bear" Bryant’s infamous "Junction Boys". The last time the Tide won the National Championship Coach Stallings was their coach.

Gene Stallings, as tough a player/coach as there is & was, a man’s man if you will, provides a very personal and moving tribute to his unintentional hero - his son John Mark who was born with Down Syndrome. Its amazing where true strength, courage, dedication and inspiration live and can be not only found but shared. John Mark Stallings epitomizes all of those and then some.

I am really hesitant to just share what I found. Its the journey, not the destination, and if you are a sports fan and looking for a good dose of perspective, this would be a good choice.

In reply to the now infamous “bow chicka bow bow” Donkey Calf Raise workout of resident BB wisecracker ShanBL I offer the workout tunes to it:

Fo’ shizzle no fizzle….

DISCLAIMER: Risque/"blue" in nature. Click at own risk of your funnybone:

:)