PenteKing’s BodyBlog

A lot of ink has been used to extol the virtues of well-known bodybuilders. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the people here on this web site and within this community who have inspired me. The folks that I’m going to name probably don’t even know that they encourage me (I’m notoriously reticent about reaching out to folks), but the fact remains that these members are the men and women I admire. So without further ado, allow me to say THANK YOU (in no particular order) to:

These are the folks whose blogs I read first and faithfully. Their observations about life, training, blogging, this community and just things in general are usually uplifting, motivating, inspiring and sometimes, just plain damn funny. The advices they post (sometimes intentional, sometimes inadvertent) have helped me in my own bodybuilding journey.

You guys may not know the positive impact you are making on other people’s lives, but you are definitely making an impact on mine. Keep on doing what you’re doing.

For the past two days, I’ve posted what I thought would be fairly controversial posts - 10 mistakes most people make in the gym, and popular exercises you should avoid. Incredibly, I’ve not received a single comment on either post. Now, this means that I was either right on the mark and everyone nodded in sage agreement and then passed the posts on to their friends and relatives, OR, people read the posts and thought they were too stupid to respond to. A third possibility may be that no one AT ALL read either post. If option number one is true, then I’m okay with that because at least my message is getting out, even if I’m not aware of it. If two or three is the case, sheesh, what a revolting development.

Still, I write this blog mainly for myself, so I should bitch, moan and complain. In the immortal words of whomever, "It is what it is, man. Just go with the flow." 

This was taken from a lecture by personal trainer, Shaun Adamson, trainer emeritus, Powerhouse Gym.

1. Sit-ups. Although usually performed for the purpose of working the abdominals, the primary muscles they target are the hip flexors.
2. Leg Lifts. Another exercise usually performed for working the abs, yet the hip flexors (again) are the prime movers and shakers. This exercise can cause serious injury to the lumbar spine, especially when performed with momentum.
3. Machine Leg Extensions. Arguably, one of the most popular leg exercises for strengthening the quadriceps, this exercise is potentially dangerous because when only the shin is in motion, the exercise draws the patella back onto the femur, increasing joint compression forces damaging connective tissue.
4. Leg Press. Although this exercise CAN be performed without injury, many people use incorrect form and excessive weight, causing them to lift their hips off the bench. This flattens the back, and bends the knee to greater than 90 degrees – both no-nos.
5. Behind the Neck Pulldowns. This puts too much strain on the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. The only safe way to perform this exercise is by lowering the bar in front of the head.
6. Behind the Neck Shoulder Press. Same logic applies here as to the exercise given above.
7. Stiff-Leg Deadlifts. This is a double whammy because when the spine flexes forward beyond 45 degrees, it is natural for the lumbar spin to flex forward as well. It is incorrect form to maintain this position. It cause hyper mobility of the hip joint and puts excessive stress upon the vertebra of the spine.
8. Any Abdominal Crunch Machine. Using any sort of abdominal machine of bench to conduct ab exercises creates faulty motor engram programming. It also increases the distortion between the cervical (neck) flexors and the trunk flexors.
9. Upright Rows. With this exercise, it is not a question of IF you will hurt shoulders, but WHEN. The position that your arms get placed in when doing the exercise causes what is called “impingment”. Essentially, this means that every time you raise the bar, the bones in your shoulder pinch the tendons in your rotator cuff.
10. Squat on the Smith Machine. In a true squat, the bar doesn’t go straight up and down as it does with the Smith machine. When viewed from the side, the bar has some sway to it. On the Smith machine, the bar has no give, so it forces the body into disadvantageous biomechanical positions. People also tend to put their feet further in front of the bodies when doing squats on the machine, stressing the knee.

This was taken directly from a personal trainer at the Powerhouse Gym. His name is Shaun Adamson, and he’s been doing this kind of work for 10 years.

1. Not keeping a journal. Unless you’re recording your workout, you’ll never be able to accurately spot where your deficiencies are.
2. Not eating appropriately prior to exercise. You should eat a meal high in complex carbs and moderate protein.
3. Not warming up properly.
4. Not performing corrective stretching, or improper stretching prior to exercise. Static stretching (holding the stretch) fatigues the muscle prior to the exercise, increasing the possibility that the muscle will fail when most need.
5. Focusing on one’s strengths. Attack your weaknesses so that your body is in balance.
6. Not drinking enough water.
7. Improper exercise form. Check your ego at the door. It’s better to do four perfectly correct exercises than ten incorrect ones.
8. Not timing rest periods between sets. Here’s a good rule of thumb:
1. 3 – 5 reps = 3 – 5 minutes
2. 6 – 8 reps = 3 minutes
3. 9 – 12 reps = 1 – 3 minutes
4. 13 – 15 reps = 1 minute
5. 15 – 25 reps = 30 seconds to 1 minutes
9. Copying hard-core gym members or trainers. Your body is unique. What works for someone else, may NOT work for you. Find your own routine and blast away.
10. Not cooling down after any type of workout. It’s important to cool down as well as warm up. Don’t neglect either one.

There are, of course, other big mistakes that people make. I’ll post the others tomorrow, after my bike ride. Until then, happy lifting, fellow bodybuilders.

The two of you who have faithfully followed my blog (thanks, Mom and Dad) know that my old gym closed because the principal owner died. His partner didn’t want to continue on without him, and so closed the Athletic Center.  As a result, I was forced to find another gym. Hence, my reason for being at Powerhouse. It’s been a week since I’ve joined, and I’ve had the pleasure of working out there three times. I want to take a moment to compare the two.
Now, I understand that this is not fair. The two places are different, with different atmospheres, different owners, and therefore different ambiences. Still, I can’t help but notice the following:
The Athletic Center:

• Had better showers;
• Had better music;
• Had better lighting; and
• Was less crowded (cramped is probably the better word)

Powerhouse Gym:

• Has better aerobic equipment;
• Has more equipment;
• Has a more attentive staff; and
• Has NO female trainers.

I don’t know what to make of that. Powerhouse has WAY more woman members than the Athletic Center did, yet not one female trainer in the place. The Athletic Center had two female trainers – Coach, and Coach’s friend, Joanna (who, if you were a man, wouldn’t spit on you if your hair was on fire).

And in case you’re wondering, Powerhouse Gym had the option of hiring a couple of female trainers and passed on the opportunity. I know this to be true, because I asked the owner.

These are the kind of things that make you go ‘Hmmm’.

I went to the new gym today at the crack of dawn (or as we used to say in the Corps, ‘Zero dark-thirty’). Surprisingly, the gym had just as many folks working out as the old place. Why this surprised me, I can’t say. For some reason, I had the thought in my mind that there would be less traffic. In this assumption, I was mistaken.

The gym itself is okay. The men’s locker room leaves something to be desired (lockers are on the small side and the showers are narrow), but aside from that, it was a good experience.

It’s funny how you run into the same types of people no matter where you go. There is the guy who reads the newspaper between sets, all the while sitting on the piece of equipment that everyone else wants to use. There’s the guy and his personal trainer who are more interested in talking than in actually working out. There’s the gal who shows up for no other reason than to drape herself enticingly across the equipment in hopes of attracting attention. And then there are the hard-core bodybuilders (and trust me, I don’t include myself in this category) who have no regard for anything or anyone except their workout. This is proof positive that no matter where you go, people are basically the same the world over.

Tomorrow is bike day so no weights, but I’ll back pounding the iron on Wednesday.

After an intensive search, I have settled on the Powerhouse Gym in the little community of Hillcrest, not too far away from my home. The Athletic Center officially closed its doors on Friday, January 18, ending its 21-year run as the oldest bodybuilding gym in the San Diego area. I wish Ross all the best in his future endeavors.

Like the Athletic Center, Powerhouse is a small, intimate gym with a cadre of serious, highly motivated bodybuilders. There are no "cardio queens" or "bench posers" at this gym. The members here want to work out first, socialize second - which is the way it should be. Tomorrow will be my first official workout at the gym. I’m both excited and nervous. I’ll keep you updated on how things progress.

It’s amazing how relaxing the island lifestyle can be. For ten days, I didn’t have a care in the world. There was no cell phone, no Internet, no meetings and (most importantly) no deadlines. I suppose it’s different for folks who have to live on the island and actually work to earn a living, but I can’t help believe that they have a less rushed, more relaxed lifestyle than those shared by us here on the mainland. I enjoyed it so much, I actually started to look around for property to buy, thinking that I could seriously give up what I’m doing now and kick back for the rest of my natural days.

Kauai is truly a beautiful, beautiful island. True, there is development going on (I suppose that’s the nature of human beings - to screw up the environment, even though it’s perfectly fine, thank you), but even with that, there are still vast stretches of lush, unspoiled land. You can’t help but feel closer to nature. You can’t help but let your body rhythms slow down to match the vibrations surrounding you. Everyone (even the tourists) seem to understand that it’s different here. This is not the mainland - this is not Oahu - this is not Maui. This is Kauai, and here in Kauai, life moves at a slower, more civilized pace. Nothing brought this truth home with more clarity and vividness than stepping into the airport and being confronted by airport security. All of the tension and anxiety I thought I had discarded returned in a heartbeat. Is this, I asked myself, the way we’re supposed to live? I don’t think so. It’s just my opinion; I could be wrong.

At any rate, it’s good to be back. Aloha to everyone in the community. I hope you have all progressed steadily toward your bodybuilding and fitness goals. I worked out fairly consistently while on vacation, though I must confess that I drank more than was good for me. I gained three pounds (which I promise to lop off in the next few days), but it could have been worse. As my mother was always fond of saying, "Be grateful for the small favors because the big ones are few and far between." She may have had something there.

I’m off to Hawaii for ten glorious, relaxing days. I am SO looking forward to this vacation. Unlike the trip back East this past October to visit family, on this trip there are no agendas, no expectations, no obligations and (yea!) no timetables. The only goal is to relax and unwind - mentally and physically.

It’s been a strange and wonderful six months. There have been many good things (hiring Heather; reducing my body fat percentage; learning of my nephew’s engagement) and there have been some bad things (my stepdad’s quadruple bypass surgery; my mother’s incipient Alzheimer’s; my brother’s lay-off after ten years with the same company). On the whole, it’s been an evenly balanced year. The Lord gave - and the Lord took away. Still, all things considered. I am blessed. Every day is a blessing. Every day is a new chance to improve myself. Every day is a fresh start - a chance to make a positive difference in the world.

I will return refreshed, re-energized and re-committed to my goals. I will have to find a new gym, with a new community of bodybuilders, and I will. I will have to train like a madman for the ADA bike ride in April, and I will. I will have to look deeply into my soul each and every day to determine how far I have to go to become the man that I want to be, and I will.

I will. I will accept no excuses. I will take no shortcuts. I will.

The Athletic Center, where I work out, is closing its doors effective Friday, January 18th. With Bruce Brown’s passing, Ross no longer feels the compulsion to keeping the doors open. He’s lost money on the place the past two years, and his only motivation for keeping the concern going was his love and affection for Bruce. Now that Bruce has died, Ross has decided to close this chapter of his life and begin a new one. No one can blame him for his decision. He and Bruce have operated the Athletic Center for the past twenty-one years and have helped countless San Diegans achieve their fitness goals. I wish Ross all the luck in the world.

As I am leaving on vacation to Hawaii tomorrow, I will not be in the city when the Athletic Center shutters its doors for the last time. I’ve spent the past two days saying goodbye to the staff. This morning, it was Tracy to whom I had to wish farewell.

I’ve grown to like Tracy tremendously. I don’t know what it is about her, but her personality meshes well with my own. We haven’t been spinning together for very long, yet she has trained me well. My aerobic capacity is head and shoulders above where it was when I started. My legs are stronger; I have better balance and body control; and most important of all, I have more confidence. So much more, in fact, that I have registered for the ADA bicycle road on April 19th - a 70 mile trek through the hills and valleys of San Diego County. If not for Tracy’s coaching and training, I would never had had the strength and stamina to try something like this. For that, I thank her.

I wish I could have said all this to her, but for some reason, when it came to say goodbye, I found myself suffering from verbal strangulation. All I could manage to choke out was a weak and pathetic, "So long. Take care of yourself." There are days when I wish I were as voluble verbally as I am on paper. It’s one of the curses of being a writer.

Goodbye, Tracy. May health and good fortune be your continued reward throughout your life.