PenteKing’s BodyBlog

I work out very hard. I put a lot of effort into what I do because I want very much to improve. I have a very definite picture in my mind of what I want my ideal body to look like. The problem is that my body is not progressing as fast as I would like it to. I’ve hired a trainer and a nutritionist. I follow their advice religiously. I eat clean (90% of the time), and I take high-quality supplements (Universal and Nature’s Best). And yet…and yet…

I am measurably stronger than when I started this journey. I have more endurance. My shirts are tighter across the chest, and my trousers looser in the waist. Those are all good things, yet I remain unsatisfied. I want more. I want to lift heavier. I want…more.

This is my eternal lament. I want more and I want it now. Are my desires unreasonable? Am I deluding myself? Some of my friends tell me that I can’t make the gains that I want to make because I am too old - that I do not have the same levels of testoserone that younger men have. They say that I lack the hormonal base required to have the body I want. To all of this, I say, "Poppycock." (Actually, I use a different word, but this is a family-oriented web site.) I aim to prove my detractors wrong. When I’ve achieved my ideal, I want to grin evilly and say, "I told you so."

By their very nature, bodybuilders are a lonely breed. What we do is basically a solitary pursuit. A few of us have steady workout partners, but for the most part, bodybuilders walk their path by themselves. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Being an individual is not easy. The mob wants you to conform – they want you to go with the flow – they want you to “fit in”. People who are unique and different are looked at suspiciously. “How,” people wonder, “can he (or she) do that all by themselves? There must be something strange about them.”

I celebrate the individual. No achievement in the history of the human world was ever conceived by committee. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the one’s ancient seven wonders – was realized through the imagination of one man. Einstein formulated his theory of relativity without consulting anyone else. Mohandas K. Gandhi freed an entire nation through his single-minded belief in his creed. In the spirit of these (and countless other) rare human spirits, I offer the following thoughts.

“The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely.” – Lorraine Hansberry

“I am not eccentric. It’s just that I am more alive than most people. I am an unpopular electric eel set in a pond of goldfish.” – Dame Edith Sitwell

“The enthusiastic, to those who are not, are always something of a trial.” – Alban Goodier

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in confederacy against him.” – Jonathan Swift

“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” – Barbara Kingsolver

“If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it.” – Marcus Aurelius

And lastly,

“Every single one of us can do things that no one else can do. We are like violins. We can be used as doorstops, or we can make music. You know what to do.” – Barbara Sher

…but if you’re a gambler, go for the quick and strong. It’s a safer bet.

This weekend, I’ll be doing a 70 mile ride in preparation for the 100 mile jaunt on April 18th. I do this ride every year to benefit the American Diabetes Association. My maternal grandmother suffered from diabetes, and died as a result of having the disease. My younger brother has type 2 diabetes, and this is probably a result of his poor diet and lack of exercise, but I can’t help thinking that he was pre-disposed to diabetes via his genes. My niece - a lovely girl, but way too heavy - is a candidate for the disease as well. I preach diet and exercise to them, but my words fall on deaf ears.

It saddens and angers me, because there simply is no excuse to succumb. One of the reasons why I support the ADA is that they sponsor clinics where they offer information detailing how diet and exercise can help one avoid the disease, even if one is genetically disposed to it. Every dollar I raise will go toward the fight to eradicate this loathsome disease. I’ve been soliciting my friends and family, but this is a tough year to raise funds. Everyone - it seems - is hurting or laid off or both. Still, I soldier on. Diabetes won’t take a day off, no matter the economic environment and so then neither will I. This is a crusade in which I deeply believe and I intend to do everything in my power to help stamp diabetes out once and for all.

If any of you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to my cause, you may do so here: http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=5632&px=4006704. It will take you to my personal web page where you may make an online contribution. Every gift - no matter how small - will help. Thanks for taking the time to listen to my story.

You are a bodybuilder if:

1.       You’d rather go to the gym than to Happy Hour

2.       You pass up the coffee break doughnuts in favor of a protein shake

3.       You know EXACTLY how much protein there is in 6 ounces of lean chicken

4.       You spend more on supplements than you do on clothes

5.       You have six pairs of posing trunks, but only one pair of blue jeans

6.       You have exercise videos on your iPhone instead of sports clips

7.       You can argue the merits of Casein over Creatine for hours and not lose focus

8.       You know more about the anatomy of the human body than a first-year intern

And finally, you are a bodybuilder if:

Your web home page is www.bodybuilding.com

Amen, brothers and sisters in iron. Amen.

I slept poorly last night, and woke this a cramped muscle on the right side of my neck. Despite this, I trudged downstairs, did my 30 minutes of HIIT, and then took myself off to work. Once there, I attended my first meeting of the morning, only to have it interrupted by a colleague who let me know that a fellow co-worker had died the night before.

The news stunned me. I had talked to the person only the Friday before, and he seemed fine in every respect. Details were sketchy, but the speculation was that he had had either a massive stroke or heart attack. Either way, he was gone. The paramedics could do nothing for him.

It’s things like this that act like a cold bucket of water in one’s face. Life is fleeting and impermanent. One moment you are here; the next you are gone. And the world just keeps on spinning around, oblivious to your passing. If you have a loved one, tell them how much they mean to you. If you have kids, give them a hug if they are nearby. Call or write a friend you haven’t spoken to in a long while. You’ll feel better for it, and so will they.

Sorry for the maudlin post, but my colleague’s death has shaken me.

I hired Goddess Athlete (Chrissy to her friends) to help me kick start my body into doing something more than being a disappointment to me. Goddess Athlete has designed a workout and diet plan for me which I plan to follow religiously. I have decreased my intake of protein, upped the carb count, and have cut down on fat. I’m eating fresher foods more frequently and am feeling lean and mean. (Well, not really mean. I’m a placid individual, but you know what I mean.)

Tonight I started the workout routine she has designed for me, and it is tough. I thought I was pushing myself before, but I now realize that I was living a life of delusion. I have the feeling that when my rest day rolls around, I will have the strength to do nothing more than lie on my sofa, moaning pitifully.

But, feel no sorrow for me, my friends. This is what I have signed up for, and I am perfectly willing to accept the torture. I know that pain is weakness leaving the body. I know that I have to suffer in order to craft the body of my dreams. It is a long journey - one I am wiling to undertake.

…in one of those, edgy, jittery, the-world-doesn’t-feel-quite-right type of moods. I know that part of the reason for my unease are events at work, but I also think there is something else bothering me that I can’t quite put my finger on. I don’t experience these moods often, but when I do, they are usually harbingers to something larger - something that I heard or sensed that has activated my alert systems on an atavistic level. I thought writing about it would help, but so far, it has not assuaged my sense of anxiety. If I don’t get over this soon, I’m going to jump right out of my skin.

Have been eating super clean the past two weeks, and am feeling great. Had a terrific fava bean and asparagus riosotto last night, accompanied by grilled prawns. The dish was absolutely out of this world. I ate at a new restaurant that has opened within walking distance of my condo. They use nothing but farm-fresh, organic ingredients and you can tell by the taste and smell of the food. This is the way human beings were meant to eat. Down with processed foods!!

…is a bitch. Forgive my earthy rawness, but there is simply no other way to express it. Losing weight while trying to build quality muscle is HARD! It is especially hard for me because I’m also training for a century bike ride to benefit the Amerian Diabetes Association. I know what some of you are thinking - concentrate on one thing at a time. That is good advice, and believe me, if I could focus on only one thing, I would. For reasons that I will go into here, I cannot give up the bike ride (which is the thing I would drop if I could).

Luckily for me, Goddess Athlete is helping me on my other two tasks. With her expert help, I have every confidence that I will achieve my goal. I’m consuming about 2400 calories of high-quality food every day. I’m accustomed to eating clean, so have no bad habits to shed, but because of my bike ride, my body is trying to hang onto the weight for the energy it will have to expend next month. This is just another barrier to crash through - another obstacle to overcome. I will succeed.

…is the legend across the chest of my favorite workout T-shirt. It’s a quote from the play "Avenue Q" (which is hilarious, by the way. If you have the chance, go see it.) It’s meant to be a parody, because everyone in the play complains about how hard and tough their life is - only to be one-upped by the next person in line. I like to wear the shirt because I’m amused by the comments I get when I have it on. Most people laugh; others sadly shake their heads. A random few will make a passing comment (favorable and unfavorable). And then there are those others - the ones who stop me with looks of ernest sympathy and ask me why I feel as though my life is so worthless. And before I can offer a word of explanation, they launch into their prepared spiel about the goodness of life and the people who are in it. They tell me I should be grateful for what I have and that I shouldn’t envy others.

I mean, what do you say to people like that? They don’t even get the joke. How can I possibly explain that my wearing the shirt is my way of affirming the life I lead? It would take too much time and energy, and so I usually thank them for their concern and go about my business. I only hope that the majority of people who take the time to read the legend on my chest will understand what it is I’m trying to say - if you think your life is bad, you should walk a mile in my shoes. It sucks to be me. Be grateful for what you have - how little it may be. There is always someone worse off than you.

Gran Fondo means "Big Ride" in Italian. They hold the event every year in Milan, Italy. It consists of a torturous route, populated by nearly unscalable hills, and roads narrow enough to give mountain goats the shivers. Of course, it draws bicyclists of all levels like flies to honey. They held one of these events in San Diego yesterday, and in keeping with Italian tradition, this bike ride featured a 7 mile timed hill climb. That’s right…you heard me correctly. Seven mile timed hill climb. What this means is that only the fittest and strongest survive. And if that wasn’t bad enough, this climb came during the course of riding 100 miles in total.

The question I keep asking myself is, "WHY DO YOU DO THESE STUPID THINGS?" Sadly, the answer always comes back to, "I love it." There is no other way to put it. I love it. I love the competition, the challenge (against myself as well as against others), and I love biking. God bless the little genuis who invented the bicycle. Without his or her talents, a thousand crazy bicyclists wouldn’t have had the opportunity of braving heat, sunshine and hills in the quest to cross the finish line first.

I finished the race. I was not first, but I was also not last. I finished the 7 mile climb. I wasn’t first, but again, I wasn’t last. I posted a respectable time (6.5 hours) for the entire event. I didn’t pull any muscles; I didn’t faint; and I didn’t vomit. Am I winner? I think so, but I’m willing to talk about it if you have a contrary opinion.

Now that that is over, it’s back to lifting iron. See you all in the gym.