Romantic1983’s BodyBlog

So, are you cheating on this Holiday? Not so much for me. More so the 3rd. Cheeses, a few hush puppies, maybe a MGD64. Nothing too over the top. Were going to Red Hot & Boom tommorow. Get a little walking in too.

Ya know I know not all machines are exactly alike, but just HOW different is one treadmill from another?  Im back to doing HIIT now. Saves time, really burns fat/calories. I usually do 20 min. Running at a very high pace for 1 minute (to a minute and a half) and then walk for 2 minutes. I am mostly doing that at Planet fitness. I usually run at at least 8 and walk at 4. Im fine. Thats not bad at all. I feel it. At LA? Dang. I was there for another leg workout Sat night and I could only get 2 running intervals at 8. That treadmill just really killed me. So, I just walked the rest of the way!

Its beach time in August! Means,now, I have to start leaning down from the bulking. I cant wait! Gonna buy a few bikinis and get my tan on!!

Need to get some more workout clothes too. Pretty big fan of www.workoutwear.com. I could prob go crazy there. It always amazes me when I see females at LA and planet who work out. So many look just amazing!! Theyre perfectly matched or what not. Im like: DANG! I look horrible compared to them lol. I remember having a conversation with my sister about this. I came in one day and this young woman was doing cardio with full on makeup (fake eyelashes included). I mean, yea she was really beautiful but at a gym…. doing cardio….? Ill save that stuff for afterwards and I do. Be hardcore in the gym and girly away from the gym!

Also tried ABB Body 50. Needed a good convenient protein source. I definitely recommend it! This
one is chocolate. 50 g of protein!!! So yummy!

I did take down that one video I had on here. I was talking with someone who said they liked it, but I didnt like the way it came it. I probably will be adding newer ones soon! Thursday afternoon I was feeling a little bit sluggish. I dont know why. It just happens. So, I figured I would have a speed shot intensity. ABB makes it and its pretty good! This one was purple frost. It really seems to help with energy and concentration (with my body it really helps with the concentration). I decided I would catch a few minutes of the national news with my family. Here I am trying to get energized and focused and thats when I found out the King of Pop had died . I probably watched the news for the next few hours before heading to the gym. He will be remembered for a lot of things, good and bad, but his music and the way he performed cannot be forgotten. It was just too important. R.I.P Michael Jackson.

One of my favorite clips

One of my daily dinners (chicken). See the things we bodybuilders do to have ripped abs!? Thank God for cheat meals! Its so weird. I have been discussing cravings with a few people recently. I still enjoy the normal foods, but I dont crave them very much. I usually crave sushi. Its my one weekly cheat meal. I also had one day this year that I REALLY craved calzones. Thats been it really. Its all about the metabolism. It just changes. I dont crave what you see above. I just eat it!

TOO FUNNY a Joke———> And God Created

 And God Created…

And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow vegetable of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. And Satan created fast food and the 99-cent double-cheeseburger. And Satan said to Man, “You want fries with that?” And Man said, “Supersize them.” And Man gained pounds.

And God created the healthful yogurt, that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair. And Satan brought forth chocolate. And woman gained pounds.

And God said, “Try my crispy fresh salad.” And Satan brought forth ice cream. And woman gained pounds.

And God said, “I have sent your heart healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them.” And Satan brought forth chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained pounds and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.

And God brought forth running shoes and Man resolved to lose those extra pounds. And Satan brought forth cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil to change channels between ESPN and ESPN2. And Man gained pounds.

And God said, “You’re running up the score, Devil.”

And God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fat fried them. And he created sour cream dip also. And Man clutched his remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in cholesterol. And Satan saw and said, “It is good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest.

And God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. And Satan created HMO’s

So, Wednesday is Ash Wednesday for us Catholics. Means, my diet goes downhill for a while. I normally consume at least 6 small meals a day, and now it gets cut in half! Thats gonna be pretty tough for me, and I may get a little leaner (although i am trying to gain more in my lower body). I think it will be good though. In the next two days I need to buy a gainer. I figure thats the only way I am going to get a good number of calories in to keep from losing muscle. Lent will not only be a time to grow deeper spiritually, but also physically. I may finally decide (because i have wavered too many times) if I want to compete. I think for me that decision is more about knowing the right people (I know a lot but can always benefit from the wisdom of others, particularly pre-contest). Bruised my finger during a shoulder workout last week, so kinda recovering from that. Im back with weights starting tomorrow (legs). Its still pretty sore!

So many good upcoming good things! Hope to start personal training asap. I am also thinking about getting another certificate at UCF. Maybe starting August. There arent that many classes and its related to the subject I would want to pursue with further education (i.e maybe for a doctoral dissertation). Im an "informal" Sociologist/ Criminologist at heart, so its hard for me to not be continously studying these issues constantly. On another subject, not long ago I did test my body fat % with calipers. Let me just say: you need practice for those! I think if we did them correctly im a little over 9%. It seems about right. Have a good one:)

So, figured I would add a regular face pic. A change from the body pics. I do mention this on my page, but I really believe the body is a holy temple. It’s really hard to bodybuild and not show off progress. Im not talking about porno like pics or bust close ups, just regular pics of the biceps, abs, glutes, calves, etc. I dont think there is anything wrong with it. Its all about ‘how’ it is done. So many people are joining and leaving here. I think they hope its either going to be a hook up site for them (some posting pics that make you wonder what it has to do with bodybuilding), or want to be the most popular and top profile. When they dont achieve one of these two goals, the site becomes meaningless for them. Their acerbic commentary focuses on how many people use bodyspace as an ancillary for personal motives like getting attention. In other words, this place allows them to remain vain and selfish. Consequently, they disassociate themselves from the site. This place, like success in general, hinges on personal determination, hard work, and connections. You have to put yourself out there. Thats why I could never leave here. This site provides a plethora of opportunities to learn, grow, meet new people, and share progress; particularly for me as someone who takes bodybuilding very seriously!

I will probably be posting more blogs in the new year.  Mainly on intellectual topics. Not just  progress details. I would have to say I am just as interested in research and intellectual topics as I am keeping my physique in great shape. You have to be well-rounded. In fact, I am really starting to become interested in Dr. G medical examiner. I watch it a lot now. She made the news recently because of her involvement in the Caylee Anthony case. Brillant woman! It also turns out that about 11% of the cases that come there are domestic violence related (my track for my graduate degree). So, I am becoming very interested in the topic of homicide. One of my upcoming New Years resolutions is to read every appropiate article on this topic and become as informed as possible (particularly focusing on religious and secular participation). Why am I mentioning this? Well, you would be surprised at the health of some of these men and woman before they died. Many suffering from high blood pressure, or heart disease/ atherosclerosis etc and didnt even know it while they were alive! In many cases it can be genetic. Other times, its merely a indication of a lifestyle problem. It makes you appreciate the importance of health and fitness while living!!! All for now. God Bless~

I must admit that I am loving my progress. I think one can look at previous progress pics and say I made great progress in some earlier phases. I am, however, lower in body fat right now. I am doing 1 hr cardio session almost every day (some weeks every day and not just Mon-Sat).

I am happy about the glute-hams progress. They are ’starting’ to take the bodybuilder form. Some people tell me "youre already there, they are firm but yet not small." Thats not my goal!!!  Ive never been a fan of big butts/ bubble butts. Thats not what looks good to me or on my physique. I dont want a big yet tight rear. I want the bodybuilder glute-hams.  To me that is sexy: Small yet firm/tight yet in perfect shape. I guess to each their own. I guess I am surprised when people now ask me for advice, because I am a long way off! I just do the normal stuff (now legs is twice a week). I do leg press, leg curl, regular squats to the floor, deadlifts, and hack squats. Those are the main ones I do every week. Usually 5 sets of 10. I hear a lot of people do 3 sets. 5 has always worked for me, since I feel the first 1-2 are more like warm-ups.

Abs? Well. I dont have a set routine. Most days, I do have like an 8 pack but its mainly from low body fat and a good diet. Maybe one day a week I will do reverse crunches (500) on the floor at home. Ill put a small ball between my knees and reverse crunch. Then maybe 1-2 other days at the gym, I will do hanging leg raises. Thats it right now. Those are my main two. I can honestly say that what helped for me (at the start of my path in 07) was just crunches!!! Around April-May of 07- some days Id do like 2000 PROPER crunches or 500 PROPER situps. It burned and some days I felt sick after the set! Now, its mostly maintaining, though I would like to see those lower lower abs pop out more.

Look forward to trying two new products: A-Bomb and Dark matter by MHP. I have them and just am waiting for an upcoming moment to start them. Im highly impressed by MHP. They have hit a home-run with many of their products (Cant complain about any product i have tried thus far). Hopefully, they will help gain some more muscle. I did hit 125 but started doing cardio frequently. So, I probably lost a little more body fat. Now, i am about 121. I need to kick it up a notch! Time to gain!

I graduate from the Sociology graduate program at UCF Dec.15th! Then, its time to focus on the personal training certification! Ive put it off for too long. So, its going to be an exciting couples months for me! Im probably not ‘done’ with my graduate education. I do love Sociology and at some point in my life would like to continue my education and get my doctorate. Time will tell!

God Bless

I was recently talking to someone and they commented how they noticed ‘maintaining femininity’ seemed to be important to me and I do mention it here (not that is bad, just that I do it). Ill admit- its true. Anyone who has talked to me or has read previous blogs understands that it is crucial to maintain femininity while bodybuilding. Often people will send me a good youtube video and i will look at it. I probably shouldnt because too many immature people post comments on there. Its actually kinda laughable. See any video where there is ’some’ muscle on the female and you will understand. They are often called a man. And they always want to attribute it to steriods. As if every female who bodybuilds uses steriods? Heck, I just saw a video on Lorena Cozza (I added one video of hers to my profile) and many guys posted comments thinking she was a man! OMG, youre kidding right? Shes definitely got some tone and muscle, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to looking like a man. You look at any muscle video of a female on youtube, and most comments are disgusting!

I have to say: the more muscle I have gained (leading to a decrease in body fat), the more I feel my body was supposed to be this way. I just am now starting to post glute pics because its taken this long (since April 07) for real progress to show. Its important to recognize the soul of a person, but humans were not meant to be overweight/obese. I LOOK better now. I think over time, with technology and the internet etc, we have become less active. Consequently, somehow as a society we have attributed muscle=masculine, and curvy and toned=feminine. Unfortuantly, thats not the way it should be.  I could gain 20 more pounds of muscle, and I would still feel 100% like a female. Thats just the way it is.

Now, thats not to say the majority of people dont find "thin" people attractive (though thin is different than being muscular). I have met FEW people in my life where a person has said "theyre just too thin" for me. Its rare. Most people just dont feel that way. It doesnt mean you wouldnt date someone who isnt thin, its just that I think its natural to find thin people attractive. Its sort of like glutes too. Ex) Go watch Lorenas video or Alessandra Tantari. Firm ripped glutes Look good. Its hard to deny.

Im starting now to increase my cardio. Trying to go back to the 3 miles (every day) before I head to the gym. I cant do that much consistently. There is one woman at my gym that does a lot. I admire her a lot and others that can do it. I just cant. 43 minutes is enough for me. Im trying to really pump it up so i can look good when i head to the beach.

Im not here very much. Just been busy trying to finish up grad stuff. Im trying,however, to get on here more so I can get to email more often and what not. Hope you all have a great day!

Recently, with my added gains, I have been thinking a lot about cell volumization. I use size on-creatine (can be used post workout as well) during my workout for this reason, and people definitly notice a difference. I came across two recent articles here that are very interesting.

I think my reps and sets have kept me from compromising the structure of sarcolemma. The intense training to increase muscle cell volume aticle explains this as the cell membrane of the muscle cell and if compromised contents can get out and there will be a drecease in size and muscle volume. I think a controlled movement is the key to preventing this. If one is going so heavy they are struggling by the 4-5 rep, youre going too heavy and not following a very controllable rhymatic form of lifting. If i find myself getting to that point. I decrease my weight so that I can effectively lift 10-15 times. I feel more blood flow and able to do what that article said and hold during the eccentric portion of the rep.

I am also curious about Creatinol-O-Phosphate (COP). This molecule has supposedly a high rate of absorption in the muscle tissue (performance enhancing compound). What I am wondering is how much creatine is generally lost through the process of Cyclization. That muscle tech article noted that: "During the process of cyclization, the muscle-building potency of creatine is lost when it is routinely converted to an ineffective by-product known as creatinine,which is completely useless for muscle-building." Do some recent products contain superior creatine thus making it easier to withstand this process? And is Aplodan, the new breakthrough? I have seen amazing growth with size on (go gaspari),just wondering how efficient this new product is, based on its chemical makeup