CardsFan Sounds Off

Well, the other night I was looking at my profile and some of the comments on there and realized it has been six weeks since I’ve hit the gym.  At that time I was hard charging too.  So, I went from the penthouse to the outhouse in the blink of an eye…figuratively speaking.  I’ve been in career transition of late.  After being let go I’ve been hard at work looking for my next business opportunity.  It’s been 3.5 months of looking and I know I’ll turn up a great job before too much longer.  When I first started my search I was hitting the gym hard and working hard at my search but about two months into it I made a change to do a lot more networking both at networking meetings and in one on one opportunities and suddenly I was busier than ever.  I skipped a workout here and there and before you know it a few days turned into a week which turned into a couple of weeks which turned into a month which became…..damn!   Six weeks???!!!  I haven’t been away from the gym for that long since I was injured and facing surgery a few years ago.  Fortunately, I played tennis about two times a week competitively and also played competitive softball.  It’s not the same but at least it kept me active somewhat.  I also was keeping up my usual 98% clean diet and I actually lost about 3 lbs.  I was actually surprised as I would look in the mirror and seem to notice my serratus and abdominus more than usual.  The last two weeks however with my tennis season ended and not having taken my usual tennis lesson beating from coach Rod I ate out a few times which is unusual for me and hit up a couple of drinking opportunities.    So, I felt a little soft and did some self assessment.  I took a few pics and posted them up.  I didn’t go all to hell but I’m definitely not as tight as I usually am.  So, right after I finish this post…I’m out the door the gym.  I can’t wait.  It’s been too long since I’ve been in there.  It’ll feel good waking up a little sore tomorrow morning. 

 Keep on chugging people.  See you when I see you…

I am getting tired of seeing one member after another put up videos of themself training on BodySpace using shitty form.  I mean just flat out awful form.  From deadlifts with arched backs and rolled shoulders to pull ups where they are swinging and not even getting their chin over the bar!  A lot of it is by people trying to pass themselves off as experts.  In some of them I’ve seen their trainer taking the video or worse yet the person claims to be a trainer!  Stop!  Just stop!  Unless you really truly know what the hell you’re doing don’t post them!  Here’s a rule of thumb for you.  If you make a video, before you post it, look at it objectively and then compare it to the training videos you find on BodyBuilding.com.  If your form doesn’t look like the guy or gal in the video on BB.com then don’t post your video without qualifying it as "me cheating" or "me using shitty form" doing said exercise.  What crap!  Am I the only one on here tired of seeing this? 

Never underestimate the importance of nutrion on performance.  Tuesday was one of those strange days for me when I got up and wasn’t hungry much.  I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast but instead had this much less filling flax flakes cereal with skim milk.  It’s a decent cereal as far as cereals go as it’s ingredient list is something a child could read, it has like 8 or 10 grams of fiber in one serving and virtually no sugars (1g).   But there aren’t many calories in it.  Anyway, I never ate my typical mid-morning snack of fruit and nuts and held off on my lunch.  For some reason all day I just had no appetite.  But before I met my workout partner at the gym I finally said to myself I should eat something.  I still wasn’t really hungry for some strange reason and I ate two slices of whole grain wheat bread with a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter on each slice.  I washed it down with a glass of skim milk and headed to the gym.  I did my 10 minutes of moderate cardio to warm up as I usually do to get a sweat going.  Then I began doing squats.  Since it was my first exercise of the routine (I’ve recently switched to all body workouts for a bit just for a change of pace) I did a few warm up sets with my body weight and then just the bar and one 45lb plate a side.  I felt fine and then started to stack on the weight.  For this workout I wanted to focus on a rep range of 10-12 so I did my first working set with 265 lbs.  I did 12 good reps without issue then rested briefly and did another set of 12 with 275 lbs.  Again all good reps and no issues.  Then in my third set using 285 lbs I was on rep four and about two thirds of way down when I heard a click or a creak and felt tension in my right quad near the tear drop.  I finished the rep and then racked the weight.  I walked around and tested it a bit by putting my weight on it and massaging the area lightly.  Then I did some light stretching on it.  It felt pretty good still.  So, I rested some more and did some jumping jacks to get my blood flowing again.  I then tried the set again.  I got the weight up with no issues.  Got my stance set.  Went down to do my first rep and felt that tension in the exact same spot again.  So, back to the rack.  I continued on with my workout and about half way through it I was struggling.  My blood sugar levels were low making me feel light headed and nauseated.  I actually managed to get through the workout not wanting to quit and realizing I was just low on energy from not having taken in hardly any calories all day.  I’m not sure that is what caused my quad strain - I’m certain it is not a tear or a pull as the pain from that would been far greater and I can use my legs with only minor discomfort - but undernourished and improperly hydrated muscles won’t perform as they should.  It’s sort of like running your car low on oil and coolant.  It can’t possibly perform at it’s peak then and you run the risk of damage.  Fortunately, mine was minimal.  But the lesson to be learned if is EAT.  Food is fuel and without it you cannot perform at your best.  And if you must miss a meal slow burning complex carbohydrates right before workout aren’t the best fuel - I’d have been better off taking in some orange juice and a yogurt to get quick burning fuel.  I won’t let that happen again……

Am I the only one on this site not caught up in the supplement craze?  Over the years I’ve had little or no results from using them and certainly nothing long lasting.  I think there is no research behind the long term effects of these supplements and there is little or no regulation in their manufacturing.  The one thing I have noticed though is when I’m training intensely and eating a well balanced natural diet I get great results.  So, I spend my bucks at the grocery store instead of at the supplement store.  If anyone else is out there like me and doesn’t believe in using supplements I’d love to hear from you and why you don’t use them. 

I read a blurb in my Men’s Fitness magazine recently and was thinking about it today at the gym.  I guess they did an online poll and asked readers what they felt was the biggest offense committed by other gym goers in the etiquette department.  The resounding number one offense listed in the poll was filling up your water bottle at the water fountain out in the gym floor.  What?  Are you kidding me?  I bring a 35 ounce water bottle with me to the gym and I fill it up always once and sometimes twice during a workout.  Honestly, if you go to the gym you should always bring with you a clean towel to wipe up your sweat as well as a water bottle.  I think it’s rather toolish (as in being a tool) to not bring a water bottle to the gym.  I sip water after every set in the gym.  Hell, I’m losing fluids there like mad and need to.  So, I think it’s ridiculous to have to run to the water fountain to get a drink of water after half of your sets.  So, if you don’t do this already get a water bottle and bring it to the gym with you.  Stop being a tool and going there without one. 

 Now, the worst things to do in the gym etiquette-wise in my opinion?  Well, using the dumbbells while practically standing right on top of the dumbbell rack.  Take your dumbbells a few feet away behind the benches and use them.  Don’t block the rack and the benches and get in the way of everyone else in the dumbbell area.  I mean it’s exercise.  Pick the damn things up and carry them 12 feet out of the way.  And don’t tell me it’s acceptable to do it with heavy dumbbells.  I do stiff legged deadlifts with dumbbells on occassion with 100+ lbs dumbbells and I can carry them away from the benches and do my sets.  Just consider moving them extra work.  Hell, you’re the gym don’t shy away from working.  Don’t be a wuss. 

Another thing I consider bad etiquette is hogging the equipment.  If you’re resting someone can use the bench.  Allow them to work in if they ask you.  Especially, if you are sitting on it just resting.  Now, if you are moving quickly and trying to limit rest then it shouldn’t be a problem because you’ll be off the equipment quickly and you’ll be pretty much using it non-stop while you’re on it.  I’m talking about those gym goers that just sit there and rest on a piece of equipment for 3 minutes.  Let someone work in.  Don’t be a tool. 

 And last but not least is socializing in the gym.  Cruising along on the treadmill or elliptical while talking on your cell phone?  C’mon…how can you talk when you’re exerting yourself?  I know it’s because you’re not exerting yourself.  So, you know what?  Get off the damn machine and let someone else actually use it.  Or hanging out there with your buddies or girlfriends lolligagging through a shoulder workout over by the dumbbell rack?  Just leave the gym and go for drinks with them.  Some people are actually there to work and don’t want to hear your chatter nor do they want to see you in the way just trying to look cute and/or cool.  I’m all for enjoying your workout and I’m all for being friendly with people you know when you’re at the gym but it doesn’t need to be a long drawn out discussion where by the end of it your sweat (if there was any in the first place!) has dried up. 

This rant is done.  Keep it real. 

Peace, love, and hair grease,

Ed C.

This is my first blog.  I don’t really have anything crazy to tell ya but I am looking for some advice, tips, etc.  Does anyone else out there have a stubborn trouble spot on their body where they pool or store an usually greater amount of fat than anywhere else on their body?  Okay, dumb question.  I’m going to get hit with just about everyone telling me they have a trouble spot.  Here’s what I’m talking about:  around my umbillicus (belly button) I carry a good deal of fat more than anywhere else on my body let alone my torso.  For instance just six or so inches lower and to the left I have a prominent vein.  On my lower abdomen I can barely pinch anything but skin.  But around that umbillicus I can pinch a good bit of fat.  By pinch I’m talking about a skinfold caliper kind of pinch.  On my chest I can only pinch skin.  My triceps pretty near the same.  My legs?  Not that much there.  Now, I know fat can only be reduced homogeneously.  And I know true way to get rid of it is to lower my overall bodyfat.  But I almost get the feeling to do that I’d have to drop my bf% down to the level of a highly competitive bodybuilder.  That’s not my goal so I’m wondering two things.  First, what the heck causes this?  If fat is reduced homogeneously shouldn’t it also be stored that way?  Second, what can I do to get rid of it or reduce to match the rest of my body without dieting to the level of a highly competitive bodybuilder or having cosmetic surgery?   

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