Building a Better Jay

time

CapitalJay — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:05:56 +0000

ALIVE!!!!!! Yes, I am. Really! …and it feels good to be here.

While I have had the time to surf around bb.com lately, I haven’t had much time to say hello or track my workouts in my log. What can I say? I am busy. I’m up at 6, working by 6:30, home at 5, play with my son until 7:30, at the gym by 8:00, showered and home around 9:30 or 10:00, and finally have an hour or two to spend with my wife. Internet time is scarce! The important thing to know is, I am gaining muscle, staying injury free, and enjoying my time in Germany. Less than a year before we’re back in the US now!!

Vitamins are illegal in Germany!

CapitalJay — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:41:52 +0000

Without even knowing it, I am now on "the list" for the German customs people. They will hold and inspect every item that is sent to me believing that I am trying to smuggle illegal substances into Germany. Why? Because I had a bottle of vitamins put into a recent shipment I was to receive. I had checked around my area in Germany and couldn’t find anything besides "normal" centrum vitamins. Typically, I had no problem finding at least the centrum "performance" vitamins at the local grocery store or pharmacy. Well, I ordered some from the US and inavertantly discovered that anything over 100% of the recommended intake is illegal in Germany. …and when you try to have them sent to your home address, you get some interesting phone calls! What I found interesting was that German internet retailers sometimes advertise these "illegal" vitamins. So, are they not held to the same standard because they are a German company? Is only the act of importing the vitamins illegal and perhaps these companies are making the vitamins under license or something? …enquiring minds want to know!!

Regardless, I am now on the German customs officials’ list of people to hate. …lucky me! I still think there is a bodybuilder in that office who is just loving his job right now!

patience….

CapitalJay — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:23:20 +0000

If there is one thing I have learned from my stay in Germany until now, it is patience. You have to wait for things here. It took 6 weeks to get my telephone and internet connection. It took 2 weeks to get someone to translate my driver’s license (which had less than 100 words). When you call someone to complain, expect that they will only tell you the situation (ie you have to wait until xx date or perhaps you have to wait and we don’t know when we will get to you). When you stand somewhere to request something (butcher, bakery), you will wait until they get around to waiting on you. They will help you when they have the chance. Customer service over here is NOTHING like the US. When I write an e-mail to bb.com, they respond in about 20 minutes. When I ask them a question, I get an answer. In Germany, there is no sense of urgency. Certainly, they want to please the customer, but they will do things one time and do them correctly. Every person who has their telephone and internet connected will have it done by a professional! No, you can not connect your phone to the wall yourself! They will turn on your service only after knowing that someone trained has verified everything is acceptable. …and that will take time. You will get your steaks, but only after the butcher has thoroughly cleaned his utensils, washed his hands, reviewed his stock carefully, and ensured that everything in his store is perfectly ready for you.

Unfortunately, I am from the US where we do things fast. In the US, 90% of the people get 90% of the quality you get in Germany (there are company’s who are exceptions, like bb.com). There is nothing wrong with that unless you are in the 10% who don’t. I’ve been in that 10% and understand that is the price you pay for immediate service. However, I am still of the mind that immediate service is preferable. …that’s why it can be frustrating to live here in Germany!!! One year left!!

Father’s Day

CapitalJay — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:18:58 +0000

It’s Father’s Day! Go call your Dad and thank him for being your Dad. If you are a Dad, go give your son/daughter a hug and tell them how much you love them. There is nothing more special than that relationship! Give it the attention it deserves!

….and then go get a workout in.

just thinking…

CapitalJay — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:24:24 +0000

I believe people are good. Despite my suspicions and fears, I believe that inside each of us is lurking a higher self just waiting to brighten the world. Sometimes, it is really hard to believe this. Sometimes, it is nearly impossible. However, I do believe. I have to, if to do nothing more than give me hope that humanity is moving forward. I like to think that once we have satisfied our basic needs, we can go about improving not only ourselves but our society. First, we take care of the simple things (simple in terms of definition, not attainment): a roof over our heads, food on the table, a steady income, a good night’s sleep, and loved ones to share it all with. Then, we hopefully have the time and ability to improve things - a nicer home, better food, perhaps a hobby or two. Once we have made ourselves reasonably content, we can move on to bigger things. The problem I have is that some people stop at the second stage and go into hoarding mode: they need more money, the biggest house, the best food, and the best toys. They forget or perhaps never realize that what we really need is beyond these simple things. When we set our goals on improving the simple things, we can never achieve the bigger things (like inner peace or happiness).

…perhaps I’m just feeling a bit Zen today. It was a cardio day and I tend to think a lot when I do cardio.

lawnmower

CapitalJay — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:32:57 +0000

Sometimes, I feel like a lawnmower that has been put away for the winter. …at least that is how I have felt since arriving in Germany in the fall (in relation to bodybuilding). I put in fresh gas, prime the piston, and pull on the handle but tend to stall out at some point. It seems like I am consistently having one thing or the other pop up and prevent me from getting in the consistent workouts that are required! Sure, it is all excuses, but I can’t do much lifting with an inner ear infection (which came and went a few times) or in the middle of moving or whatever. These past months have not been as fruitful as I had hoped they would be initially.

However, I feel like after stalling out about once a month, my engine is finally starting to catch. These past two weeks have really been spot on from a nutrition and workout standpoint. I look forward to each trip to the gym (even if it doesn’t happen until 8PM). I like getting in the cardio at lunch. I don’t mind the strange looks I get regarding my protein powder. I have even figured out how to artfully dodge cakes & pretzels at the office using my best German. It feels like I am firing on all cylinders again and I am really, really happy about that! Now, time to go mow!

babble

CapitalJay — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:38:20 +0000

Some days, you sore with the eagles. Some days, you slither with the snakes. …if you’re lucky, you don’t get confused and try to fly without wings.

Sometimes I feel like the world is just a crazy place. There does not always seem to be a rhyme or reason for things. Other times, it is as if there is such a clear vision to work toward that it is impossible for anyone not to move in the proper direction. My goal is to clear the way for myself and my loved ones. …think of me as a fog remover.

Anyway, enough babble. I am eating really clean and getting in some solid workouts this week. I feel better than I have in awhile. It’s one of those moments of clarity, where it is easy to see where I am going and what needs to be done to get there. So, I will hoist the sails and get moving in that direction! Anything is better than drifting aimlessly. Yuck!

Next week, there is yet another holiday here in Germany on Thursday. So, we will be using the long weekend to take in some of the sites. We’re still trying to determine exactly where we’ll be going, but we will be going somewhere. I guess that means I better start looking for hotels near gyms!

holidays and cooking with kids

CapitalJay — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:18:59 +0000

It’s a holiday in Germany today: Pfingsten. Yeah, I know, really cool that I get to stay home and have fun with the family. However, it is also a lot more difficult to stay "on track" eating. My gym is also only open for a few hours today because of the holiday, so I have to mess with my schedule to make things happen. It is always nice to spend more time with the family, but it is much easier to schedule meals during a work day than during a day at home. Does this make sense? I guess it’s just easier to grab a meal at my desk than it is at the park or playing with my son. We sort of have to operate on his schedule - I have to snack when he does.

So, things are good here in sunny Stuttgart today. We are scheduled to have a nice morning at the park and then make dinner together. It’s always best to cook as a family, even if it is a bit cramped in our kitchen! Seriously, kids need to know that it is OK for everyone to cook. Food shouldn’t just be something that is served - kids need to know how it is made and see the love that goes into real cooking. We don’t just slap meals together. We select the freshest fruits, veggies, spices, and meats (and breads and oils, etc.). Then, we cook them carefully and creatively so that the food is really interesting. My son is going to know how to make a reasonable meal before he’s even allowed to cook. If there is one thing I want him to know, it is how to eat healthy and cook well. He’ll thank us for it later, but he has a lot of fun with it now, too.

…back from Paris.

CapitalJay — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:54:20 +0000

Well, we are back from Paris. It was great to see such a beautiful city and the food was simply amazing. I didn’t get in a single workout! I ate lots of breads and croissants. It was amazing! We took over 500 pictures in the week we were there. Heck, even the train ride was great. Of course, with all that food to experience, I overate and did only some tourist walking for cardio. So, I’m going to do a quick cut to get off some of the flubber I put on and then get back to building. I figure a 6 week cut should do me plenty of good. It will also put me back into a position to get in some solid cardio, which I miss dearly!

I will start with 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning on workout days and see how it works from there. Fun stuff coming my way!

…so now we have to adjust back to living in our house and making real meals. The first night we were back, we made beef just because there was so little meat available in France. I was amazed at how little meat (and how much cheese & bread) they eat. Also, the wines in France were incredible: everything from the 10 Euro bottle at the grocery store to the 50 Euro bottle at the restaurant were great! French wine, German beer, yeah - it’s a rough life here in Europe! Seriously, though, it is not easy to cut here!

good week and Paris

CapitalJay — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:39:45 +0000

Well, I did get in a week of solid workouts this week after a yucky weekend last week. That is also despite the insanity that is my life: too many things to mention going on right now. The good news is that I have a nice week in Paris to look forward to! I will try to get in some workouts, but they are definitely on the back burner. Sometimes, life is more important. Sure, I’ll eat as healthy as possible, but I would rather spend time strolling through the Louvre when I have the chance than visiting a Parisian gym. It’s only a week: no harm, no foul. Regularly scheduled body construction will resume upon my return to the greater Stuttgart area.

I am really starting to adopt a healthier attitude to trying to add mass. I always have a hard time eating enough to gain weight. I hate being fat. I am terrified that at some point I’ll lose grip and just become some fat slug in the gym. Well, I’ve come to grips with the idea that to get bigger I do have to get a little fatter. So, I’m doing a nice clean bulk and will do some mini-cuts along the way to make sure I don’t have too much work to do for a competition. What I love is that my wife is so supportive. She loves when I’m at about 5-6% bf. I’m not really grumpy at that point, but I still look pretty good. …of course, because my skin is so sun-sensitive, she is pretty much the only one who sees it. Well, her and all you people. I think she enjoys it more, though.