THOUGHTS OF A FITNESS FREAK

What to write?  What to bitch about tooooodaaaaaaay?  Funny thing is, I don’t bitch much on the outside world.  I’m pretty reserved with some goofiness thrown in.  Bitching here is different, you say it, you get it out and it’s like releasing an overfilled tire…..pfffffffffttttttttttt…………..
….relief.

Oh, funny thing happened to me today (as usual)  I get in my car for lunch , turn on my AC and immediately something gets sucked up my nose….BLEW right up my nose, so I blow out like its dust and its a friggin insect wing!!!  What the Hell?  Why does all the weird stuff happen to me? Now I am just hoping it was only a wing and I don’t have a termite living in my brain………..Jeez………

I don’t like non training days.  I think my ass is “sofa flat” right now….instead of the sofa being the flat part, my butt is. So, what to chat about? I have sofa guilt. I did get a photoshoot offer from this great photographer, but he is in florida  and you can visit his website though it does contain nudes at http://www.michaelnicoletti.com/portfolio.htm (the site is under construction at the moment).  I really want to be painted gold and be photographed.  I think that is the utmost of “cool”.  I will attach some samples to this page.  (obviously you see them and I dont mean to offend anyone here!)

Talk to ya later.  Oh would you pose nude if you thought it would be portrayed as artistic?  Implied nudity? A thong?  I have a love of Greek Statues.  I think it would be beautiful to look like one………..even with a fig leaf.

I had to paCK UP MY WORKHORSE EGO AND decide not to do legs today because of my (possible) sciatic issue.  I trained chest heavy instead.  The guilt has been lessened and instead of missing a nice workout day, had a great chest day.

Flat bench 125

incline 125

pec flies 135 (up from 125 max) only got 2 reps, but its something

chest press machine 110

chest/tri dip machine I got 90, but had to use my whole body just to get the weight going

db press, just used 25’s at the end of my workout.  Everything else I did was heavy and I did some light seated abs and single leg, leg extensions with 35 lbs just BECAUSE………

I often get asked how many sets and how many reps I do.  I don’t stick to a certain criteria.  Sometimes if I am going heavy, I will stick to 6-8 reps, 2 sets or more and up the weight with each set until I can only get a couple out.  If I am enjoying myself and feel alot of energy, why not? 

"Perfume lady" came into the gym again.  I guess she is probably really nice, but her perfume kills me. I have complained about it before, yet nothing was done.  I have gotten severe sinus pain before when she comes in, its THAT bad. I suppose she just doesnt know she is using far too much. Luckily, I dont run into her that often.

Im looking forward to my birthday this weekend.  the big 4-0.  My sister is having a party for my great nephew who was born on my birthday and is going to be 1, so we are both having ‘milestone’ birthdays. I’m looking at 40 as a beginning, not an end.

Have a great Sunday

Ok, ass still hurts.  You should have seen me trying to get my sock on my left foot cus I can’t bend over. It t’warnt purdy……….

I did go to the gym, I did shoulders light today and didnt want to do too much.

Behind the neck smith presses

lateral raises

standing raises on smith

I trained with cables, did some raises and some crossovers super light weights though.

assisted dips, pull ups and chinups as usual

and some pull ups unassisted

I threw in some hammercurls.  My bis are actually sore from yesterday!!  And did some flexing/posing practice.  Im totally excited at the whole FBB idea.  As for figure, I don’t even need to diet, just jump into a show here and there for fun. I was looking at the OCB website and they like their girls hard, but require a T walk and that might stop me from doing it.  I have never really been comfortable doing a t walk.  I’m not sure why, just am. I walk ok in heels too!  We’ll see.  I have until september 13th to decide. 

Here is my new flexing/posing upper body video. I was just messing around in the locker room

So, I was feeling great and then….got a cramp in my left glute like a charly horse and it kind of shoots up my back and in my hip.  I think I hurt myself napping……….seriously.  I took a nap on my old sofa with a soft sag and woke up broken.  This sucks.  I never take medicine, but I had a muscle relaxant someone gave me and so I took  it. I just want the knot to subside.  Piece of crap sleeper sofa!!!!!!!!!!

I went to the gym tonight.  I did back and bi’s but partway into back, the arse starting hurting, so I stuck to bi’s.  I did not have alot of carbs in me, so my pump wasnt up to my standards, but I trained pretty heavy.  I got up to curling the 40 lb dumbbells a few times, and got a video of the 35’s , but was tired by then.  There were more people than normal for a friday night, so I had to wait to break out the camera.

the rest of the visit I did

single arm cable curls, ez bar curls 50 lbs ( getting too easy I can pass 12 reps) preacher curls 40’s and for back I was doing seated cable rows, bent over rows on the smith, single arm db rows, lat pull downs, lat press downs and single arm lat pull downs.  Like I said, I quit back early. 

I also taped a freaky vasularity video.  Im getting used to the idea of being a bodybuilder and entertaining the though so much more. Im scared though, but I was scared before figure too.  Guess thats normal. 

Well, gotta go to bed.  I will post the other videos, they are kind of funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnctjTF4cuo&eurl=http://www.zimbio.com/Cosmetic+Surgery/articles/11/MISS+BIMBO+WEBSITE+CONTROVERSY+TEACHING+GIRLS

Miss Bimbo is an online game designed for girls as young as nine, where players are invited to meet the demands of a voracious, virtual teenager whose needs include binge eating and fasting - and plastic surgery. Since its UK launch a month [ago, the website has attracted more than 200,000 visitors.

With a cursory glance at the rules of the “game”, parents of today’s computer-obsessed youngsters will quickly understand its insidious appeal.

Like so many virtual worlds designed to draw in the young, Miss Bimbo calls on the child’s instinct to nurture.The girl who chooses to play on this website is invited to adopt a character and provide for her care by performing online tasks to earn “virtual” money to spend on her charge. The more you play, the higher you climb up a ladder of skills.

She is a teenage mannequin, a “Bimbo” - complete with bunny-girl ears, pouting lips, blank expression and pneumatic breasts.

In stark contrast to the fluffy “virtual pets” which became a fad on the internet a few years ago, the Bimbo’s needs are not for food, shelter and exercise.

She must be provided with modelling jobs, diet pills, breast augmentation - and a fabulously wealthy man who will pay for her expensive tastes.

So, for example, when a player reaches skill level seven, she is advised: “After you broke up with your boyfriend, you went on an eating binge! Now it’s time to diet.”

At level nine, she should “have a nip and tuck operation for a brand new face”; at level 11, secure a breast operation because “big is best”; and on level 17, “meet a billionaire on vacation, catch his eye and his love!”

The website’s creators - two young men named Chris Evans and Nicholas Jacquart - have spent the past week touring the television studios defending the game as a bit of harmless fun.

“We are not encouraging girls to have breast operations,” Mr Evans explained, rather disingenuously. “It is just part of the game.”

According to Mr Jacquart, the game is itself a joke: “It simply mirrors real life in a tongue-in-cheek way.”

Neither denied that Miss Bimbo was designed for children as young as nine; instead they insisted that it is not a bad influence on young minds.

And yet child experts, doctors and eating disorder specialists have been queuing up to point out that whether or not the Bimbo game is intended to be ironic, irony is lost on little girls, who are much more likely to absorb the instructions as valid advice.

At nine, a child’s over-riding desire is to fit in with the herd, and this game sends out a powerful message that to be size zero, famous and rich is the ultimate goal, whatever must be sacrificed in the quest.

Many good things are starting to come my way.  Lots of hard work of course, always working, always training,always writing…….BUT last night I got an email from Clark Bartram “Americas Most Trusted Fitness Professional” (see photos above).  As it turns out bodyspacer and my honey SteveW31 gave me props to him in the gym they share and so he emailed me and asked me to be a contributor to his new site www.clarkbartram.com.  I suppose I am somewhat of a fitness adisor, author and blogger there as well as here. Clark has graced almost every cover of every fitness magazine there is, writes (here on BB.com too)and is a fitness consultant.  He is also working on his own product lines from what I have seen.  The site is fairly new, but its great to get asked on board! I’m sooooo flattered!!!

I also exchanged an email with Collette Nelson (pro bodybuilder) in regards to figure ladies be moved into bodybuilding.  Collette did and interview with Dave Palumbo kind of in regards to what seems to be happening at nationals.  I really admire Collette and her ability to bring “sexy , sultry and fun into her posing routine!!  She is really a sweet lady. She would like to see the numbers improve in the competitors.  I don’t plan to get to her physique, but admire her strength and style. watch her video below

I trained forearms, abs and calves tonight, not much to blog and I am tired anyway.

I will catch up with you tomorrow.  Oh and ladies and gentlemen, if you want to ‘get ahead, you have to ‘have a head’…….post a smile once in awhile!!! Torsos are nice ( I understand the married or self concious people) but be proud of who you are and what you do….<strong />

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iTS ALWAYS AFTER i HAVE HAD A BUNCH OF CARBS (friggin caps lock) that I get to feeling super energized and super jacked in the gym. My carbs came in the form of a large roast beef ‘grinder’ (we call the up north) or a ’sub’ with MAYO and white bread cus they dont have whole wheat at this place.  Ding dong me woke up late and didnt have food to bring to work, so food was all I thought about.  I scarfed a bran muffin off a co worker and had a protein shake earlier though.  I ate the whole damn sub in one sitting, so don’t go thinking I am starving myself lean.  I eat like a drunk truck driver without the grease. 

So  tonight was chest and tris heavy and supersets of bodyweight exercises in between sets. 

chest;

bench press (smith machine) 105 about 6 sets total as I lose track and revisit it a few times

seated chest press machine 90 lbs

pec flies 85 lbs, slow and steady….really squeezing the weight and holding the full contraction.  I like to do this with this type of exercise as it seems to add fullness

single arm crossover on cables, stuck to 60 lbs and supersetted with low cable crossover at 20lbs til failure

tri/chest press down machine 60lbs

tri extension machine 60 lbs

laying extensions

rope press down on cables , I can get a good 90 lbs going now and I did single arm as well 50 lbs.

my bodyweight exercises were bench dips, hanging leg raises, assisted dips to assisted pull ups, to assisted chin ups all on the same machine, 10 of each non stop.  I did some donkey calf raises, leg extensions and used the roman chair as well.

Dinner was chicken and broccoli, I skipped the rice because my body had sufficient carbs to hold me over.  I had the best pump tonight, so I knew my carbs were right on, even if they were white carbs. I was super vascular with the aid of my Superpump…right into my shoulders and I have discovered I can flex and hold my breath and I turn into a freaky roadmap of veins.  Okay, not so girly……..but its my secret pleasure.

Thanks for your figure comments. Glad you guys understand!!! 

Major controversy, but I want you to discuss this with me.  Okay, you are probably not going to sway my opinion as I am pigheaded and stubborn….I yam what I yam.

As you have probably heard, figure in some orgs is going soft, women are not allowed to "flex" in their poses, so they stand there all slack……droopy butts, no lats, blah blah blah.  Here is my bitch and I will explain why I am bitching.  I picked up my muscle and fitness and opened the pages to Michelle Flake and was like "wow, she is gorgeous, she has muscles and she DOES NOT look like a guy" and in my own "newbie ignorance" realized that women don’t  look like men if they have some muscles.  I wanted to look like that and so my path was chosen. As of late, the "new figure girls" do not impress me.  Only a few competitors from one of the Nationals show I would ever choose to ‘emmulate’.  Some look like women who walked off the street, got the darkest tan ever and slapped on a rhinestone bikini and hooker heels.  Where is the glory in that?  Where is the hard work showing?  I looked like that after 3 kids and no exercise at the age of 20 something.  So, who shall inspire or what shall inspire the new girls and women when the "wow factor" has been removed? My notion of the traditional figure women like Gina Aliotti ,Monica Brant and the late Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell was "Holy shit, she is a muscle Godess" and now It’s like "Ah, Um, Er…….she looks OK".  I always go back to the video tape "what the judges are looking for in Fitness and Figure" with NPC Judge Sandy Rinalli (spelling?) and her saying something to the effect of "Figure was created for women who work hard in the gym, who do not have the dance and gymnastics background, to show off what they have worked for".  

Now, I hear that this may be happening because they want to bring back womens bodybuilding numbers.  Closing the women with muscles out of figure would force their competitive juices, for lack of a better term, to go into bodybuilding.  I like womens bodybuilding and yes , it does get a bad rap.  If I even mention bodybuilding, everyone is like, "so you are going to get all huge and ‘roided’ out like a dude?". There are all different weight classes, you can weigh whatever the hell you want and still compete.  BUT there is this part of me that loves the heels, that loves the sparkly suits and the big costume jewelry.  Who knows, maybe there is a little bit of prom queen that I didn’t know I had in me. Some of the poses in bodybuilding are certainly not feminine.  What the hell is up with the pose that looks like they are squatting while doing a double bi? I don’t like that one, rocking some other poses is pretty cool, but THAT one………nah……..AND you know what?  I would go up there with my hair and make-up and  unlike what seems to be the norm in local and some national competitions, plain face and a bun. This probably turns people off to some extent.  Even if you are pretty , no make up and no hairstyle is not a required thing.  Let the ignorant , like I was, see you are still a woman, even if you are all shredded muscle. When I do it, I am going to try to bring a little sexy to it as I will probably be the only FBB competitor at the show….and you bet your ass I will be wearing earrings and a rhinestone suit in my posing routine!!!

I will still compete in figure because I love it, even if it doesn’t love me. I think that I will still do okay and as long as photographers want to shoot me, its all good.  I am satisfied being the little chick with the muscles. Maybe they will create a new category for us in the future? Call it the "IronDivas" or something.haha!

Take care, feel free to bitch, discuss or tell me to blow it out my ass………it doesnt matter because I will always prefer the muscular figure look to the standing slack on stage so my butt droops look……..

I dont know if this happens to anyone else, but when I workout (mostly legs)  I get a feeling like I want to cry.  Its usually when I am lifting heavy and maxing out at 8 reps or so.  Like today, leg extensions, back up to 110 and right after I explode with 8 reps max…..I kinda feel like I want to cry.  Maybe thats just hormones or something.

I did the usual legs, but went a little heavier with some things

cable kickbacks 80 lbs

leg extensions lots of 110’s, but the last trip over I drop setted until I got down to 50.  I maxed out on every set, but sometimes just dont feel like I am trying hard enough.

Leg curls (seated) these I can only get to 95.  Any higher and the pad doesnt seem to protect my shins from the pressure.  Lying leg curls I got up to , crap I forgot……85? I started at 55 and kept moving up until I got ony 5 reps or so.

Super deep squats, butt to the floor on the smith.  Now this can be hard on the knees, but I stuck to 65lbs and when I added more, didnt go down quite as far.

Leg press 325 easy, but I might have gone higher if I wasnt afraid of my bad knee.  I think 325 is a good weight for me. There is always a feeling like I should add more, but my body says "what are you an idiot?" because I have no medical insurance and a tear would mean I would have to rob a bank.  I look good in light orange, but prison orange is hideous with my skin tone. Makes me look sallow……….

I think thts it for today.  I know I usually do more, but as I am going heavier and doing them 2-3 times a week, I think I can spend less time per visit.

I hope everyone had a safe weekend, didnt eat too many hotdogs ( I love hotdogs…shhhhhhh) and trained like they were stepping on stage tomorrow

I increased my dumbbell curl today!  I know I have to max out for more gains and got 6 with the 30’s so I decided to go for 35’s.  I did 3 with each arm and was pretty proud of myself.  Ok, that wont sound like alot to a guy who weights alot more than me, but I was thinking I was dead in the water and stuck repping the 25’s forever and to go to 35, suprised even me. Today I feel really good.  I know its somet5imes hard to drag your butt to0 the gym, but when you get there you are always glad you did.

Today I trained shoulders mostly.  I did shoulder presses , lateral raises increased to 25lb dumbbells!, Lateral rows on the cables (sort of like lateral raises I suppose) , bent over laterals as well (more like posterior delts) smith machine presses 85 lbs,  upright rows on smith 90lbs,.  I threw in my usual chin ups unassisted then did several sets of assisted dips and pull ups as well.   I also did some traps with dumbbell shrugs.

People often ask how many reps and sets, but I just add weight to anything I can do 12 of and as for sets, I will sometimes do 2 or 3, then go do more after another exercise in between. If you can do 12 of something easily, sadd more weight or you are just toning.  I go for 3 reps in my max and sometimes after adding more weight, only get 1 or 2, but a couple more weeks and the strength increases come and you find yourself doing more and more.

I did some leg extensions as well, just to work the legs on a regular basis.  I am going to make sure i do them a few times a week, but save the heavy days for sundays.  Now I get to go mow my lawn…..oh thats exciting, sweating balls and choking on grass pollen.  Where is a man when you need one?