Strength for the Soul

I worked out with WNBF Pro Rich Lauro on Friday.  The reason was that I was trying to get a handle on his dieting strategies and mindsets to see if they matched mine for contest prep.  They did.  While we were talking, I decided he will be the one to help me with my prep, and we also picked a date for my show!  I will actually probably do at least two shows, the second one being my main goal.  The second show will be the Natural Buckeye Classic, on April 25th, in Columbus OH!  Everyone mark that date down!  I will be there, and I will be RRRIIIIPPPPED!  Its a INBF show, so if anyone else is going to be there, let me know!! 

Got some new straps the other day.  After breaking them in and making sure I like them,  I found myself a sharpie and started to write on them.  First one got my favorite verse: Psalm 18.  I love it because it talks about how the strength we have in the gym doesn’t come from ourselves, but from God.  The other strap got something a little more down to earth: "If somebody beats me, it’s not because they outworked me"  I like these two in combo together cuz to me it shows that God gives the strength, and I’m willing to put the gift that God has given to good use!

 In other news, I paid my acceptance fee for my spot in optometry school yesterday.  next big step towards my OD down.  coming up: trying to prove my residency!

There was a little column in M&F this month about emailin in a pic if you were hopin to do some modelling for them, I sent one in on a whim and we’ll see what happens!  wish me luck!  prayers are always welcome!

Ok, so I have had trouble walking all night.  I love it!  Wanna hear about my workout?  of course you do!  thats why you’re here!

Warm Up

Leg Extenions (10-10-2-20 Style) 2 sets+warmups

Leg Press 4 sets+ drop set

Walking BB Lunges 4 sets

SLDL 3 sets

Leg Curls 4 sets

Seated Calf Raise 6 sets (15 reps, 15 seconds rest, 15 reps….)

Standing Calf Raise 4 Sets

Donkey Calf Raise 3 sets

I’ve been crammin bannanas and had over 2 gallons of water and I still can’t control the cramps and contractions i’m havin, which for me means great workout!  Give it a shot!

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points our how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly… who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high acheivement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so this his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.”

-Teddy Roosevelt

I have no idea how to go about doin this.  I wanna start looking for a good date/time for my first show to give me something to work towards.  anyone know of a place to go to start the search?  I want something about 8 or so months out, in or around the columbus area (not the arnold! haha). 

 By the way, for anyone who’s been readin these, the new gym opened yesterday and its pretty cool!  lots of new stuff to try and people to meet, as well as alot of friends from the old gym that came over as well!  Kinda makes me feel bad for the old gym because i know for sure they lost a huge base of people that are over at the new gym.  I think God has big things in store for this gym, and I hope that I can be one of the people he uses to get them rolling!

http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-gaming/article/2008-07/sweatin-planet

Basically, you can retrofit your cardio equipment to take the extra energy you generate (by the rotating motion that i assume drives a generator) and pumps it back into the electrical grid.  Not only does this save you money (by giving you credits from the electrical company) but it also is good for the environment!  Did i mention this is the kind of thing you get tax breaks for?

Hey there! 

I’m in the process of applying to optometry schools right now, and I am wondering if anyone on this site is actually a practicing optometrist or optometry student right now!  if you are, I would love to talk to you for a little bit about your experience and the profession!  Thanks!

Matt

So i didnt post this update, but just wanted to let everyone know, that im so pumped about my tests recently!  first off, ended up with a 3.75 this past quarter, (got an A on my ochem final!)  and that was as low as it was only because A-’s count at 3.67 instead of 4! 

Other, more important test though, the Optometry Admissions Test!  I scored in the 99.5th percentile!  ahhhh!!!  started off in the 80s, dont ever let anyone tell you that its no use studying cuz they cant get better at a subject!  i sucked at physics and worked my ass off, and it really turned out well!  ahhhh! 

So, how many people actually use their workout trackers?  or, better yet, how many people see someone whos physique they respect and say, hmm thats kinda what i wanna look like, I think I’m gunna look at their workout tracker to see what they do??  I’m pretty sure the answer is no.  And here’s why I think it is (feel free to respond to this in the comments, bb.com developers, pay attention!):

 1. Its misleading with your progress!  First off, as far as set, rep, and volume numbers go, a leg day is on the same page as an arm day.  I don’t think I know anyone who does near as much volume on an arm day as someone does on a leg day with leg presses or squats.  As far as I know, theres no way to seperate these out so that you can track only volume on leg days or something.

2. If you want to look at an old exercise, or at someone else’s past exercises, you have to view them one at a time, and its like a three step process to get to them!  By time you get to the next days workout that you’re reviewing, you forget what happened in the one you just looked at.

 3. Too little variability!  How do you enter drop sets?  what about 21s?  If you’re doing 1 armed curls, do you put in the weight as if you were doing it with both hands or one?  If you do negatives, you can do them much heavier than a positive rep, yet there’s no way to specify, so it throws off your PRs and all your other tracking. 

 Anyways, that’s why I stopped using workout tracker.  If anyone wishes for me to re-continue my workout tracker, please let me know and I will be happy to.  If you would like to use this blog as a complaint board, also feel free!  PEACE!