Big Is Inside

Have I ever mentioned to you that you are ready to begin prepping for a contest?

Seriously, you are ready.  In spite of what you may believe, you are ready.  If I have mentioned it to you, then TRUST MY JUDGEMENT; it’s time to step up.  

See, I have a "good eye" for recruitment.  I am a coach, so some of what I do is separating out the posers from the players.  If I couldn’t spot that early, then every team of bodybuilders I’ve coached would have floundered and gone belly up.  

(DISCLAIMER ON THE PICS IN THIS POST: These are all bodybuilding.com/bodyspace.com members whom i have had conversations with about this very topic.  Including them in this post is to signify they are among the MANY guys who I feel are ready . . . if anyone is uncomfortable being mentioned this way let me know and I’ll gladly pull you off.  Meanwhile, it is intended in the spirit of recognizing your efforts for the positive.)

Now, I can usually spot readiness when it comes to an athlete’s attitude, physique and methodology.  That’s why, if I mentioned it to you, I was serious.  It was not a compliment, but a fact; I “spotted” you.  You are ready; no matter what YOU think ready is, as the guy with the experience I can tell you that you are ready to begin NOW.

But “ready is willing” I always say.  Although I can spot readiness, willingness has to be told to me.  If an athlete is not willing to believe he has what it takes, then he is not ready.  Not by a long shot.

And then my suggestion to begin just seems like flattery.  If an athlete does not believe that he has it, and you won’t listen to the “old dog” who has spotted your talent, then you’re is not ready.  Ready is willing.  If you hear my suggestion as only a compliment, then you ain’t ready.

But that doesn’t change I have spotted you, and that you got what it takes RIGHT NOW.  I have found the qualities in hundreds of guys who at first didn’t think they were ready.  Most of them stayed stuck in their belief.  Eventually some stepped up to compete, long past the point  when it would have made sense to begin competing, and then had a crappy experience and became embittered.  Yet most just took the suggestion as an idle compliment, and never acted on their readiness at all . . .

The few who did step up went far, made huge gains, and were glad they listened to me.  Even if i did not directly coach them, they trusted that I was not flattering them.  They put faith in the fact that, as a coach (and thus as sort of a “recruiter), that I could spot the qualities better than they could.

Often, I can find these qualities fast, without even much interaction with an athlete.  That’s why I may have suggested it to you.  Usually, these qualities become evident in just a few, little, seemingly subtle details which I pick up on.  ]To list whatthese cues might be would take a long time; besides, much of it is just an intuition I have built up from years of coaching and recruiting.  I have seen the jokers, and learned what they look like.  And I have seen the true athletes, and know how they are spotted.  

And, like I said, I may have spotted YOU.  If I did, it wasn’t a compliment . . . .  It was a fact.

You are ready to become an athlete.

Take that not as a compliment. Take that as assessment.

As a coach, one of the greatest obstacles I have to push athletes past is their own perceptions.  In bodybuilding, 95-95% of the popular media and popular image is based around “body manipulation”, and not based around the competitive field. You see tons of anecdotal imagery and writing about this guy and that who got his weight up to so many pounds or got leaned down to such-and-such body fat percentage. But these are all manipulations of the body’s properties. They are not assessments of a guy’s competitive abilities.

So, what happens is decent athletes like you evaluate their competitive ability based on a comparison of their physique with their ideal. But this comparison — between what you got and what you “think is awesome” — is not anywhere near an assessment of how you would fare in competition. It is only an assessment of your “social cred.” Know what I mean?

Bodybuilding is not about “who has the best body.” Bodybuilding is about “who PRESENTS the best AESTHETIC.” And there are OCEANS of difference between those two concepts.

Popular media makes a LOT more money off the “get the best body” message. So, that is mostly what gets snagged in people’s consciousness. But this leaves the competitive arena out in the cold. usually guys have no idea how “close” they are to being competent in this sport. Instead, they just listen to the anecdotes out there, and compare themselves to these ideals.

Likewise, in bodybuilding all athletes make progression. Which means NO ONE in ANY SPORT starts out being Mr. Win-It-All. There is NO ATHLETE or team that started out winning. In fact, MOST start out losing. And for good benefit. How else could you improve if you do not first compare yourself to other athletes?

Most guys do not want to go near competition based on the foolish and lofty idea that “I am not ready until i can go in and WIN.” But think about that: go in and win at a sport you’ve never played, much less experienced in any other way than anecdotally? That would be like saying “I am going to copy what i see in EVERY FOOTBALL MOVIE EVER MADE, and then I’ll be ready to win a football game.” Sacked.

You have to remember that no amount of web-surfing will communicate the competitive arena to you. Now will it give you the perspective on your abilities.

This sport is about a set of skills rarely talked about in all these forums. The skills of presentation have, ironically, little to do with training and dieting. Training and dieting merely “get the equipment ready for the job.” But massive size and cuts are NOT a guarantee for success. They are merely “better equipment.” The worst athlete in the world can have the best equipment in the world, and still only play a mediocre game . . .

I face this SO OFTEN in my coaching. The kid with the killer body who is basically a competitive botard.

For what YOU would need in terms of equipment, you are ready. Remember, you would go in first to learn. Learn the sport, learn how to be competitive, learn ways to master your game, and learn ways to improve your equipment. The first three or four shows a “winning strategy” is to forego the idea of winning. That may SOUND counter-intuitive, but you need to learn how to play.

So, your EQUIPMENT is ready to begin to play. Ironically, most athletes find they make more mass gains and get leaner by regularly competing instead of by constantly training. Faster “personal improvements” get made when one approaches their physique work like “training for a sport” as opposed to just like “body manipulation tactics.”

So, in short, saying you’re ready for a contest is, in fact, NOT a compliment. It is an ASSESSMENT.

I am saying, in short, you are ready to begin playing, and to personally begin reaping the benefits of the pursuit — far more benefits, and far more PERSONAL GAINS benefits, than you may at first imagine.

Do not be flattered. Be informed.

Like I said before, I am always telling athletes the same thing: “Ready is Willing.”

To be “ready” merely means to be “willing” to take on the task. Do not assess “readiness” based on the equipment you DON’T yet have; base “readiness” on your willingness to USE the equipment that you DO have.

Your equipment is more than ready.  I spotted you.  I pulled you out – maybe even CALLED you out.  You’re ready to begin if you so choose.

So, all that’s left is: are you WILLING?

No compliment necessary!

THERE’S A NEW SPORT OUT THERE!  IT IS BEING CALLED BODYBUILDING, BUT IT IS WAY MORE POPULAR!

it looks JUST LIKE bodybuilding, but it is about getting huge freaky mass . . . I suppose THAt is why they call it "bodybuilding".

Bodybuilding does NOT equal "get the flesh bigger no matter what." There’s bodybuilding the sport of creating an aesthetically competent physique, then there’s this new game that’s been around for 10-15 years. It’s called "manipulate my flesh".

Now I do not discount the HARD HARD work of the "flesh manipulators." But their standards of success are simple: did I manipulate my flesh? Did I continue to a new level of manipulation? How far can I manipulate my shape? Etc., etc.

Again, if guys want to do that, I actually give them a LOT of credit. it is a CRAZY commitment. it even over-rides "normal life" at times.

These guys are the ones who think that there is no upper limit defined by aesthetics. Theirs is a purely numbers game: how many inches around can my legs measure? How many pounds can I weigh? Chasing endlessly bigger proportions is DEFINITELY hard work and a BRUTAL level of commitment . . . but it ain’t bodybuilding.

So, to claim that by sheer merit of being a bodybuilder the presumption is that getting all dimensions bigger is bullsh1t.

The "flesh manipulation game" is defined by "dimensions." Bodybuilding is defined by "proportions."

"Dimensions" are exactly what they sound like: numbers and measurements. They are perceivable by everyone. They are what they are. They go up and down in absolute terms.

Yet "proportions" are about RELATIONAL dimensions. How do dimensions RELATE to one another, relate to the perceiver, and relate to their context. This is what bodybuilders are as athletes: they build the body’s RELATIONAL dimensions, not just the absolute dimensions.

This is where we enter the concept of "aesthetics" versus "appearances." "Appearance" is the description of a physique in terms of it’s dimensions: how much it weighs, how big it measures, etc. But "aesthetics" is a description of HOW THE PHYSIQUE RELATES.

Aesthetics deal with INTRA-relations, like how legs match the arms, how cuts describe balance, etc., as well as INTER-relations, like how the physique is perceived in terms of density, vascularity, symmetry, etc.

So, of you are a bodybuilder, then you are NOT automatically obliged to chase dimensions. THAT IS NOT THE DEFINITION OF A BODYBUILDER. Sure, you may yourself have that mojo to chase bigger size, and that’s cool. But that interest is NOT what DEFINES you as a bodybuilder.

if the intent to maximize and manipulate dimensions was a defining factor to "what makes a bodybuilder", well then a LOT of athletes heralded as "great bodybuilders’ would have to be removed from the list because these athletes did not chase endless dimensional increase.

in fact, if you look CAREFULLY, even through current days there are probably MORE bodybuilders who LIMIT their dimensions for the sake of aesthetic proportionality. Sure, they may continue to "grow" per se, but the best of the best are careful, and do not demand endless growth at the expense of proportional aesthetics.

A true bodybuilder athlete is ALWAYS aesthetics FIRST, dimensional manipulation second.

And to add some perspective, let me qualify this by saying that in my MIND I absolutely fantasize about absurdist dimensions. That bug has NEVER left me. I would LOVE to be able to become that 320 lb 4% bodyfat impossibly built uber-bodybuilder. However, I also know that, in the end I prefer the chase of the aesthetics over just the dimensions. However, I, too, share the mojo for dimensions; I just temper that interest with my sport: bodybuilding. I don’t so much think that "bigger is better," but just simply that "bigger is more fun."

But in the end, what is "better" is bodybuilding.

And bodybuilding is about relational aesthetics, NOT about absolute dimensions.

A "simple plan" is not always the same thing as an "easy plan."  ESPECIALLY in bodybuilding . . .

This was the crux of posting I had made in the forums.  It was addressing the idea of how many meals bodybuilders eat — and how some people struggle with it.  

It ended up being a sort of "mini-primer on food theory".  Sure, there was practical advice, but sort of "anecdotal" stuff.  In the end, though, no matter what you call it, I got a TON of positive feedback about the piece, so decided to blog-o-cize it.

Now, enjoy your meal . . .

First off, understand what is meant by the term "meal" . . .

People hear "eat six, seven, eight meals per day", and then assume that means sitting down with a fork an knife and eating all that food. They believe that every "meal" is about "chewing food."

In some cases, this is CLOSE to accurate, but in reality the term "meal" in physique development has a VERY SPECIFIC MEANING.

Here’s the equations . . . FIRST:

"eating" = "consumption of ANY kind"
which means even protein drinks, snacks — anything outside of a glass of water is considered "eating" in the physique development game. A glass of milk? That’s eating. Anything WITH CALORIC VALUE is to be considered "eating".

SECOND:

"MEAL" = "eating" / "time"
Basically, a "meal" is when you CONSUME according to a TIME component. Nothing radical here — heck "normal" meals also are regulated by time, right? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. . . .

But now HERE IS THE TRICK:

When a bodybuilder or athlete says "I eat SIX MEALS A DAY", they are simply saying "I CONSUME CALORIES AND NUTRIENTS AT SIX TIME-POINTS DURING THE DAY."

Emphasis: CONSUME CALORIES.

Too many people get hung up on the idea that a "meal" MUST be an elaborate affair. Often, there are means of consuming calories that are far less taxing than complex large meals.

One trick is to MEASURE CALORIES. Often, guys will eat what they have always considered a "satisfying meal", and then try to eat that much food six, seven, eight times. Well, when eating more frequently, the strategy is to SPREAD OUT THE CALORIES. Often the meals you consume will NOT be PHYSICALLY satisfying. In fact, they will often leave a little room in your stomach. So, the earlier advice of making the meals smaller makes a LOT of sense. But do not do this randomly. Figure out what your CALORIC BEST INTERESTS are first, THEN divide up your meals.

Now, most people roll their eyes at this point. "Math?" they think. "I don’t want a whole complex deal. I just want to look awesome." Well, bear with it. First of all, you only need use the measuring to get a "basic standard" down. If you are not competing, the math only need last a number of weeks to teach you portion sizing skills. You will NOT be chained to a caloric obligation forever. Man up and do the extra work — it’s YOUR goal you’d be copping out on if you don’t.

Likewise, remember that many bodybuilders will use PRE-WORKOUT, POST WORKOUT, and WAKE-UP drinks, and count them as "meals". I will not here go into the strategies employed by pre, post and waking nutrition, but will say that many bodybuilders use FAST DIGESTING nutrients at these points of the day. If you were to consider these quick-absorbing protein/carb drinks as "consumption which happens at a moment in time," well then you technically have three "meals"; specifically a "pre workout" meal, a "post workout" meal and a "waking" meal. Even though these meals are liquid and easily digested, they still "count" as "meals’ by the definition I provided above.

So a guy who is jacked who says "I eat 7 meals a day" may, in fact, only be "chewing food" four times.

Now, let me say that I am, personally, a STRONG advocate of WHOLE FOOD MAJORITY. I DO NOT LIKE diet schemes that are heavy on the powders and shakes. But I did want to point out that this is often how the "six meals" strategy is accomplished without discomfort; by considering drinks as "meals" because they are "nutrients consumed as a product of time."

So, don’t get mislead. Don’t just take the "eat six, seven, eight meals" advice at face value. ANALYZE CLOSER. So many guys are so horny for a "quick solution" that they don’t bother to deconstruct a suggestion, and then get saddled following a piece of advice that is not only uncomfortable, but ultimately counter-productive.

Yes, being "stuffed’ can work AGAINST you. It is a stresser on the body. And guess what the #1 catabolic (destructive) force is on a physique’s musculature? That’s right, stress. So being stuffed is NOT a good thing for a dude trying to grow. You may get an "A" for effort in eating the meals, but a flat-out "D" for doing what is wise for growth. We’re not trying to BE all about hardcore determination, here; the goal is just simply to grow, be it through hardcore determination or not. And most often, forceful methods cause the body more destructive stress than they do constructive benefit.

And on that note, I have to say that a "being stuffed" problem seems bio-physical, so to speak. One true thing is that the stomach is a remarkably elastic organ. It can grow several times it’s original size. Imagine it like a regular old balloon. If you pick up a balloon and try to blow it up, it will be a little difficult; the rubber is stiff and it needs to "loosen up" before it can stretch maximally with little effort. This is why people often tug and pre-stretch a balloon before blowing it up. It "warms up" the rubber and allows the balloon to expand maximally. Then, if you deflate the balloon, it does not return to it’s ORIGINAL deflated size. It is just a little bit bigger; a little more stretched out than it was originally. If you were to keep blowing up the balloon and deflating it, eventually it’s "resting" size would be quite larger than it was originally.

The stomach behaves similarly to that balloon. You can stretch it until it begins to "loosen up". So, the LONGER you eat several meals, the more your stomach becomes "stretched" to accommodate that level of food. Comfort GRADUALLY sets in. This process takes at least a month or two; therefore, as with ALL THINGS in bodybuilding, A LOT OF PATIENCE IS REQUIRED.

One not-too-cool trick people occasionally use is to stretch the stomach is to drink lots of water at one moment. I mean a LOT. I do NOT mean all day, but maybe just every few mornings, guzzle down a lot of water. This is an "okay" trick (and one I use the day after a contest so I can enjoy my inevitable end-of-diet celebratory pig-out), but it is NOT the best solution., Your healthiest option is a gradual method, allowing your stomach to slowly get used to it.

Don’t evaluate the method on just one day’s experience, or even a couple days experience. This eating habit is NOT an overnight adjustment, in spite of how people often regard it. Sure, your MIND doesn’t think it will be difficult; it is, after all, such a SIMPLE solution. But when put in practice, the advice takes on a number of elements you never would have foreseen without prior experience. Often the simplest things are the most challenging.

In the end LOOK CLOSER at the suggestions and advice which you choose to follow. NEVER take a quick solution as the best solution. if a plan SEEMS super-straightforward and simple, then that should almost an INSTANT red-flag for you to anticipate unforeseen snags. Like all of life, but seemingly ESPECIALLY in bodybuilding, a "simple plan" is rarely the same thing as an "easy plan".

How many pebbles would you need to throw to knock down the Great Wall?  Heck — how many pebbles would you need to throw to even make a dent?

I need to know.  Why?  Well, you see, that guy down there — the one chucking pebbles at the wall?  Yeah, that’s me.

I believe that the SPORT of bodybuilding is a powerful and brilliant endeavor.  Yet I am also convinced that the sport is lost and buried behind the Great Wall of the industry, the media, and the competitive “powers that be.”  In short, we have a sport with NO RULE BOOK being practiced by people who claim expertise.  If there are no rules, then how can one be an expert?  Fling — there goes one of those pebbles . . .

Now, there ARE base rules and practices to the sport.  They have just not yet been academically delineated and published under peer review and approval.  The only thing CLOSE to standards that we currently have are based on PRIVATELY OWNED regulations.  They are not impartial, and thus not fair.  Each league has it’s own “version” of the sport.  No one has the same rules.  How can this sport be regulated without a standard set of rules for practice?  

The answer: it can’t.  it would be like McDonald’s owning the police force.  If McDonald’s was the police, well, just imagine what would happen if a Burger King got held up . . .

Fling . . . another pebble.

Ironically, if you ask for rules and criteria for judging, you rarely get clear, academic standards.  Most often, all leagues will offer is some arbitrary verbal explanation that is not only convoluted, but often self-contradicting.  it’s like they’re making it up off the top of their head.  The few that can offer a written document (and VERY FEW CAN offer one), it is equally vague, and often uses terms that are not defined within the document itself, making it essentially ineffective as an explanation.

So, here I sit, on the OTHER side of that wall, flinging pebbles.  Given enough time, i’ll make SOME sort of dent.

In the meantime, I am trying to incorporate voices from the OTHER side of the wall in my radio show and podcast.  (If you’ve been asleep at the wheel, I have a podcast called The big Inside — listen to episodes art thebiginside.com, or subscribe for free on iTunes.)  I figure that relevant voices might add some power, and turn pebbles into rocks.

One of the first notable voices will be Eddie Robinson.  Eddie wiill be on The Big Inside on the Monday January 7th broadcast (the podcast version will be uploaded to the site a day or two after the airing).

Eddie is no stranger to the “game” of the bodybuilding world.  He has been awash in the arena for nearly two decades.  Sure, it’s obvious he was not among the most “integral” (a.k.a., “non-drug-using”) bodybuilders when he was at his height.  But much of his decision to pull back from the IFBB heights was based on the insanity of the demands.  

On the program, I do not intend to herald him as some sort of unsung hero of bodybuilding reform.  Yet I also do not intend to roast him alive, either.  Those who know my “style” know I am pretty sharp at “pulling responses” from people (which is a polite way of saying I am a brilliant conversational saboteur when I am getting fed a line of crap).  My pebbles may not harm the Great Wall of the IFBB, but once I separate a warrior, a single pebble can easily take down a mighty Goliath.

Yet that is not my aim.  My bag of pebbles are saved for that massive wall of bullsh1t, behind which is hidden the authentic sport of bodybuilding.  So, I have no intention of beaning Eddie square between the eyes.  

No no.  It is much more useful to hand him his OWN bag of pebbles . . .

I find that, when allowed to toss, most people also take aim at the Great Walls of nonsense in their lives.  Eddie and I may not share similar paths, or even similar goals.  But on The Big Inside, we’re all about the HUMAN journey.  And since the Great Wall of the IFBB is about anything EXCEPT for human compassion, well, Eddie need not even have a contrary opinion to be of use in the war to set bodybuilding upright.

In short, I am excited to talk to him.  Indeed, on a total side note, I remember Eddie from my teenage years from the old mags.  He was — among others — notorious for over-the-top, in-your-face photo shoots — the kind that romanticize bodybuilding as uber-heroic and where SOMEHOW guys who wore daisy-duke cut-offs, stripe spandex hot shorts and string Y-back tanktops all looked, well, TOUGH instead of cheesy.  

Eddie Robinson’s image was profoundly controlled.  He was always represented as both over-the-top as well as almost a goofball.  (But MOSTLY as over-the-top.)  He was part of a media generation that made bodybuilding a bigger-then-life series of mythological characters.  

In the media, Eddie’s generation (with Matarazzo, DeMay, Quinn, DeMayo, Baker, etc.) was about the imagery of the bodybuilding MYTH that got built up from the Schwarzenegger/Zane/Ferrigno/Columbo media that focused on the LEGENDS surrounding the sport.  

Legends (the attainable destination) became transformed into myths (the unattainable goal) during the era Robinson was big in the IFBB.  What is it like to be part of THAT media machine?  And wasn’t this same sort of media skewing a large part of the problem we now have today — that there is a lack off standard in the sport?  Did not the myth-touting larger-than-life boys of the late 80’s and early-to-mid 90’s set a stage for a sloppier competitive field?  Were they just obeying a mandate, or are they culpable for perhaps having laid some bricks into the Great Wall itself, thus helping hide away the "authentic version" of the sport for the next generations?

Fling.

You see, people like Eddie become important to interview because they will shed light on these questions, if not perhaps offer viable answers.

Although it may at first, on the surface, seem like I am "fraternizing with the enemy," when you take a closer look and understand the focus it is actually about building an ally.  Regardless of whether Eddie Robinson — or Lee priest or ANY of the upcoming "bodybuilding and training insiders" — agree with my standpoint, their willingness to share and speak and talk frankly is where their value comes in.

Each word from their lips becomes another pebble for my hands.

And lord knows it’s gonna take a lot more before that damn wall finally starts to crack.

REMEMBER: LISTEN TO XN’S INTERVIEW WITH IFBB PRO EDDIE ROBINSON ON THE BIG INSIDE PODCAST, FOUND AT THEBIGINSIDE.COM.  (Episode # TBI-009, available after 1/8/08.)

He’s 5′10".  Maybe 5′11".  Juiced to the gills, his traps start at his ears.  He’s got a skull cap pulled low, or maybe some buzzed spiky hair number going; $30 in product, easy.  Either way, those eyebrows are a little TOO waxed . . .

He’s got a tribal tattoo . . . that SAME tribal tattoo worn by every guy worried that people might mistake them for not being "one of the cool guys."  

He’s 242 pounds, all shoulders.  he claims to like MMA/ultimate fighting.  His stomach looks like a galapagos turtle.  No matter where he sits, he slouches.

And he leans into the mike and growls in a tone of voice which he practiced in his bathroom mirror for months . . .

"I’m gonna win.  I know it.  I’m confident.  I don’t compete to lose.  I don’t see how I am gonna lose.’"

Then there’s a pause.  A silence where no one QUITE knows what to say.  Should we agree?  Should we let him know that he is a little lost?  Or do we just praise him, pretending this personality-less ball of beef is supposedly a true bodybuilding hero . . . ?

Well it doesn’t matter how we regard him.  Lord knows another one will be in front of the microphone next week.  We can figure it out then.

Or the next week after that.

Or the next.

Ahh yes . . . the endless chain of videos, podcasts and "shows" that are supposedly catching the "essence" of physique sports.  We know them well . . boring, poorly edited, endlessly repetitive, and the same old schtick over and over.

Of course, in between these bipedal moose who interview like crap we also occasionally get the inane supplement review (N-O supplements have been around since 1982 . . . are they REALLY a "new" pump?!), or maybe a feature from an embittered, opinionated, science-horny hard-ass who can say without a doubt that "everyone else does it wrong."

Imagine if that know-it-all told the "I don’t see how I can lose" juicebag he was doing it wrong?!  THAT would be an interesting show!  That kind of mayhem would be a show FINALLY worth tuning in for!

And good news, kiddies!  THAT SHOW IS FINALLY HERE!

Bodybuilding podcasts are usually either absurdist, boring or dry — or worse: a comination of absurdist, boring AND dry!  

How the HECK are we supposed to sit through them?  THIS is meant to motivate?  

Wake me when they turn off.

Or better yet, tune into MY new podcast, THE BIG INSIDE!

What the . . . ?  “XN IS IT TRUE?!” you are asking.  “You took your sarcastic bodybuilding blog schtick and put it to the airwaves?”

Yes, my loyal readers (all three of you), it’s true.  Now, not only can you READ my mispelled ramblings, you can also LISTEN to my mispronounced ramblings!

It’s The Big Inside . . . and it is the biggest physique challenge you can experience while using ONLY your ears.  

AND I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAST, OR CALL IN TO THE SHOW!  (I will explain how to do THAT a bit later . . . read on . . . )

Now, so you can rest assured, I WON’T EVER be having “that guy” on the program . . . you know, that dude I described earlier: the boring, steroid-busted bodybuilder who is deluded with his own Flex magazine fantasies . . . well, not unless we can poke fun at him.  Then he’s welcome.

Meanwhile, we WILL be having interviews with VERY cool people doing VERY cool things in the physique world.  People like you.  

And we won’t throw crazy science out there and expect you to follow along.  Who wants to have to take notes while listening?  No, we want to get you motivated and informed — but not try to cram a physiology degree into 12 minutes!  In other words, we’ll talk to you NORMAL.

You know, like you were not only an athlete, but like you were also A HUMAN BEING.

THIS IS YOUR SHOW MY FRIENDS!  And I want it guided by YOU!!!  (So email me SOON with ideas: info@thebiginside.com)

And we will laugh, my friends.  Oh yes.  And if there is nothing to laugh at, well, we’ll laugh at ourselves.  I find learning new stuff is SO much easier when you’re having a good time.  Tell THAT to dry Mr. Embittered “Pro Trainer” Smarty-Pants Man.

In short, The Big Inside will be turning the physique world inside out.  Sort of like what I do in this blog.  

So, if you are one of the nine human beings on the planet who actually LIKE what I do here on “Big is Inside”, you’ll LOVE when my weird insights and snide remarks come at you in REAL TIME!  (Ahh, yes . . let the law suits begin!)

The coolest part is that you can CALL IN AND GET INTO THE SHOW!  I’ll explain that later . . . but first you might need to how how to even listen to the darn thing.

There are lots of ways to listen . . .

Go to www.thebiginside.com.  There you can click “show notes’, and you’ll get a list of all the episodes.  Click on the episode you want to hear and — voila! — you are whisked away in a cloud of protein powder to the episode of your choice.  Free for the taking!

If you have actually made it into the new millenia with the rest of us, you have iTunes.  In the iTunes Store, you can do a search for “The Big inside” and the show is under podcasts.  Download away!  Or better yet, SUBSCRIBE TO IT!  Then you get each new episode as it airs . . . cool . . .  And be sure to LEAVE A REVIEW! (Meanwhile, if you don’t yet even HAVE iTunes, well, get with it — my show is reason enough to finally break down and download it for yourself.)

The show airs LIVE on 1510 The Zone, Boston’s Sports Station — the Boston area’s “alternative” sports radio (meaning they have cool shows).  Every Monday night at 5:00pm (eastern time).  So if you want the beauty of LIVE radio, you can just go to the website, www.1510thezone.com, and turn on the live feed.

IF YOU LISTEN LIVE ON MONDAYS, YOU CAN EVEN CALL IN!  Seriously.  ANYONE CAN CALL IN AT ANY TIME.  Questions, opinions, thoughts — or just to harass us live.  

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To deadlift or not to deadlift?  DOES a bodybuilder REALLY need to deadliftingt?  Deadlifting is for powerlifters, isn’t it?  You know those guys; the slightly nerdy mountain men with barrel chests and disregard for "ab definition."  

So MUST a bodybuilder deadlift?  

And for that matter, do I ABSOLUTELY need to squat to get big wheels?  Is there ANOTHER way, or are squats a MUST?

And what about snatches, jerks, cleans, good mornings, roman chairs, decline press, dips, preacher curls, cable cross, hamstring curls . . . and on . . . and on . . .

Do I NEED to do certain exercises?

Well, this week, I pulled something in his back — NO not from lifting.  Just s minor pull, just due to my usual being a clown.  But this little temporary boo-boo prompted some smart-ass kid to ask, “do you think it’s because you do deadlifts?”

Short answer: “No.”

But then they came back with: “Well, does a bodybuilder even NEED to do deadlifts?”  And THIS question reminded me of a thread in the forums — and a topic that REALLY gets my wheels turning.    

I so often see this doubt from people about the power movements.  There is always this lingering line of questions . . . all revolving around “whether it’s necessary to do power exercises.”

When asking “should I do such-and-such exercise?” it is kind of like you are at 100 feet up in the air, looking down at the problem.  From this height, you are able to look at one particular exercise.  And this vantage point is useful; it may help you figure out the efficacy of THAT ONE exercise.

But even if an exercise is “effective”, does it mean EVERY lifter MUST incorporate that lift in their program?  And how does one know whether squats or deads or any power exercise is “really necessary” . . . ?

Well, instead of looking at the specific exercise (whether it’s right to squat, or clean, or do deads), try to look at a bigger version of things. Y ou need to get up to 1,000 or 10,000 feet up to really see the lay of the land . . .

From up there you can not only get the facts, you can BUILD A THEORY . . . Which is a better process in general.

ALL BODYBUILDING METHODOLOGY IS BASED IN THEORY.

Let me repeat . . .

Now, a LOT of people are probably not gonna buy that.  All bodybuilding is THEORY?  "No way DUDE!  ALL the top guys are ALWAYS on abotu science!  It ain’t THEORY, man!"  

Many folks are convinced; they want to believe that solid bodybuilding is based on fact, not theory.

Well, by saying bodybuilding is based in theory, we are nOT throwing our scientific fact.  Indeed, we NEED scientific fact to even have solid theories.  All the most solid THEORIES of bodybuilding are, in fact, based in scientific facts.  One must USE science to SUPPORT a theory.

But in the end, your bodybuilding –from the 10,000 feet view — is only ever just theory.  

To see how this is so, let’s be clear on what a theory IS.  A theory (simply put) is anything:

- you can SHOW TO BE CONSISTANTLY TRUE
- you can NOT 100% PROVE TO BE TRUE
- you can NOT 100% PROVE IS WRONG.

For example, one very popular theory applied in bodybuilding doesn’t even SOUND like a theory:

"Individuals will best progress by determining unique specifics of to do their individual work."  Or, in short, This is what people are referencing when they say "do what works for you."

This "do whjat works for you" concept is actually just a theory.  Think about it . . . we have TONS of proof to show it is accurate and consistant.  Meanwhile, we can also see how there is NO final way to prove this theory is 100% true 100% of the time.  However, you also can’t totally PROVE that this theory might be untrue.  Some may disagree with the theory, but that alone does not prove that it is false.

Now, like I mentioned before, good bodybuilding theory can be supported by FACT — typically science.  Two different bodybuilders may take a fact and build two different theories based on that fact, but the fact itself remain the same.  

For example, let’s look at a couple theories behind deadlifting . . .

Some bodybuilders emply deadlifts because "deadlifting builds core strength, which you need for stability in OTHER lifts."  This is based on the FACTS of which muscles get worked in the deadlift movement.  And logically, to get bigger, you need to have ALL your lifts be powerful, so the deadlift is a means to encouraging this advancement of other lifts.  According to this theory, a bodybuilder would use deadlifts almost as a means of "cross training," sort of similar to how a football player might employ deadlifts.

Yet other bodybuilders theorize that "heavyt deadlifts build mass."  This theory is based on the FACT that deadlifts cause a HUGE neurological impact on the body — an impact that triggers adaptation and growth.  So, here, a bodybuilder might treeat deadlifts similar to a powerlifter, shooting for a maximal lift.  Deadlifts become their own focus in the training.

Two different theories, both based in fact, and both are valid.  Both provide an athlete with a "template" for how to use the exercise in question — in this case, deadlifts.  They result in two different approaches, and although the two are not in perfect agreement, both bring results and both can be defended by fact and logic.  

When you see people arguing on "which method is better" and "which exercise is a must," they are NOT discussing facts, they are discussing THEORIES.  This is also true in dieting issues, and even in discussions of steroid ethics.  people can USE facts to SUPPORT theories, but in the end, all we have is our theory.

This is why there has yet to be one "master plan" in bodybuilding.  The broader your vision — the higher up you go to 10,000 feet, 20,000 feet or even higher — the more you see how the landscape is theories.  It’s sort of like the borders between countries or states.  The "line" between Nevada and New Mexico is imaginary; it was drawn on a map.  The LAND is a fact — it exists.  But the LINE drawn across the land, well, that is just a theory . . .

Now, you can not determine the borders on the ground when you are only 100 feet up.  That is not enough of a view; how do I know if I am in Canada or Greenland?  Is this Brazil or Lima?  Am I standing in France or Spain?  To know where you are, or where you want to be — you need a view that is REALLY HIGH up.  

Bodybuilding is like the land, and our theories are like the borders we draw on the map.  And, like any borders drawn, there will ALWAYS be arguments and border skirmishes . . .

Some people think that their theories on lifting are the BEST ones.  They are tired and frustrated with how the other theories work.  They run campaigns of attack, thinking their borders should be expanded . . . their land should be bigger.  They try to conquer neighboring lands — trying to push their theory forward towards becoming a "bodybuilding theory empire."  They use facts upon facts to attack other theories . . . sometimes ruthlessly.  And sometimes needlessly.  Because just like the real world, some borders are just fine left alone.  Some theories work fine all by themself.

However, when you get high up you can also see theories that are just plain wrong.  Bad theories use innacurate facts as support, use poor logic int heir construction, or can be PROVEN wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt. Yet some people still stick with these theories anyway, and even defend them . . .

and then, sometimes, a GOOD theory can BECOME BAD!  A lot of guys base their lifting on what other people tell them.  They just take plans and suggestions from other people and trust that they are "good."  The people who they got the plans from may have themselves been using solid, sound theories, but often lifters don’t bother learning that.  They just want a lifting plan.  "Tell me what to do," they say. "But I don’t have time to learn WHY . . . "

If you just lift without knowing the THEORY behind WHY you are doing what you are doing, then that is just as bad as  a BAD THEORY.   A good lifting theory that you do not understand is automatically a bad theory.  If your theory is based on "copying what I saw," then that is also BAD theory.

You wouldn’t live in Moscow without owning winter clothes.  You wouldn’t live in New Mexico without having a water supply.  You wouldn’t live in Paris without learning French.  When you live in a country, there are certain things you need to do to live there . . .

And bodybuilding is the same way.  You should not adopt a lifting method unless you knwo the theory BEHIND it . . . you should not use a lift unless you have a theory which addresses that lift.  

I find a lot of new lifters do not have ANY solid theories working for them. Instead, they try to mimic and copy what they see around them. Then they see something nthat is new to them (like you with deadlifts) and try to incoporate it. They take everything in the gym on a case-by-case basis.

This will get you only so far. Eventually, you need to develop (or at least align with) solid theories. These theories will help you determine what exercises to use, how to use them, and why.

So, for example, I hold to the theory that "anything which builds the body’s strength can be useful for mass gain." This theory is not radical — MANY people most likely hold similar "master theories" in their workout methodologies. it is pretty basic — but pretty useful.

But think about what this theory now allows me to determine. When it comes to ANY exercise, all I have to assess is if it can be used to build my strength. My theory can take me the rest of the way there.

Deadlifts can be shown — through fact AND anecdotal evidence — to build strength. If my training methodology employs the above theory that "anything that builds strength can be useful for mass gain", then I know to use deadlifts.

I do not need to ask "if" I should use them. My master theory — which is solid and based in fact — tells me whether or not I should.

I am NOT addressing the usefulness of deadlifts in this blog. Nor am I trying to address the relationship between strength and mass gain. Nor am I explaining HOW to use deadlifts. I am just trying to address how to answer those "should I or shouldn’t I" types of questions.

All bodybuilding is based in theory. KNOW WHAT THEORIES YOU ARE WORKING WITH. This mode of thinking will not only answer many questions, it will likewise take you much further in your bodybuilding than trying to work everything on a case by case basis.

Not to mention that operating under solid theory will save you a LOT of time.  It is like seeing the landscape from 10,000 feet.

You FEEL small.  And you know how THAT goes.  That low feeling like you’ve shrunk, or like you’re suddenly not quite so jacked any more . . . or like you just aren’t gaining the BIG size you want . . .

You know how it is to "feel small" . . .

But there’s a funny thing to remember about feelings.  Feelings come to pass, they don’t come to stay.  (Even when how they “feel” is the ONLY thing a bodybuilder wants to talk about: http://blog.bodybuilding.com/The_Real_XN/2007/03/23/bodybuilders-are-the-most-sensitive-dudes-i-
know/)

So if you keep having a sense that you’re small, you have to remember that sense is NOT actually a feeling.  That sense of “small” is actually coming from your HEAD.  It is a THOUGHT that you are stuck in — THINKING you are small.  And those thoughts bring up feelings, sure.  And like I said, feelings pass — usually relatively quickly.  But thoughts?  Well, THOUGHTS are what stick around.

Keep nurturing a thought, and it gets stronger.  Starve it and neglect a thoght, and it eventually dies out.

You USED to feed thoughts of confidence.  You used to do things and dress in ways that fed your strongest, most heroic thoughts.  

But right now, you’re choosing to feed the thoughts of smallness.  You think those thoughts so intensely that you beging to BELIEVE your small — thoughts so strong you swear you can “feel” it.

Soon, you believe it: “CRAP!” you think.  “I AM SO SMALL THESE DAYS . . . !”

And then you start to compensate.

You start wearing baggy clothes.  You start debating heavy drugs.  You spend tons of money oon supplements — WAY past your budget.  You lift poundages that not only leave you open to get hurt, they aren’t putting you ahead . . .

But all through all these things you just KEEP FEELING SMALL.  All these compansations are just feeding those thoughts.  You think you are small, you choose loose clothes, and this REMINDS YOUR BRAIN ALL DAY that you think you are small . . . like, how can you abandon a thought if you are WEARING a constant reminder of it?

Changing thoughts SEEMS hard, but it is actually as easy as changing clothes . . . which in THIS case may be the start ot the process.

This is a thought plaguing you, though.  It is NOT a “feeling”.  

YOU CAN NOT CONTROL FEELINGS.  But you CAN CONTROL THOUGHTS.

You ave a choice where you put your energies . . . you have a choice what you focus on, and where you put your attention.

Put your attention on all the things that remind you of being small, and sure enough, you will think small thoughts most of your day.  

Put your attention on things that make you think BIG, and soon you will be back to believing you are of INCREDIBLE size and quality.

No one can TELL you you are big.  Big is INSIDE.  Big is not a set of feelings . . . it is a set of thoughts and beliefs.  Big is something bodybuilders DO, not necessarily always something we ARE.  It is something you think, not always something you see.  Big is something you BELIEVE.

And, via bodybuilding, your body is a way of EXPRESSING those big beliefs.  

What was it that made you think big in the past?  What brings your big OUT to the world to witness?

Was it the pump in your pecs after a heavy bench?

Was it when you wear that one killer tank that fits just oh-so-right?

Is it when you advance in strength at the gym, and write down a BIGGER number in your log?

Is it when you dream, about your big future?  Dreams are just big thoughts about the big stuff that hasn’t yet happened . . . do dreams of mass and powerful strength in the future bring your big out?

WHAT BRINGS YOUR BIG OUT?  What thoughts are big for you?

And then, once you recall those big thoughts, now go relocate the BEHAVIORS that encourage those thoughts.

Bodybuilding is not a sport of thinking.  Bodybuilding is also not a sport of “feeling”.  Bodybuilding is a sport of DOING.  it is not just enought o have big thoughts . . . you also have to ENCOURAGE those big thoughts in your behavior . . .

Wearing baggy clothes encourages SMALL thoughts.  Those thoughts bum you out.  That low feeling is a FEELING.  And it would go away . . . except you keep getting reminded of small thoughts because of what you’re wearing . . . . those reminders then keep you THINKING about small . . . and then you get that low feeling . . . and it would pass EXCEPT for the fact that you’re still in those clothes . . .

And on and on.

See the vicious cycle?

It is NOT your feelings that are the problem.  Those feelings would just as easily go away quickly.    VERY QUICKLY.  Then be gone . . .

The problem is your THOUGHTS.  You are NOT doing enough to REMIND YOURSELF TO THINK BIG.  And you are doing TOO MUCH THAT MAKES YOU THINK SMALL.  Your thoughts are trapping you the maze . . .

Start picking things to do that bring back those big thoughts.

But it is ABOUT THE DOING.  Like even now — DON’T JUST SIT HERE READING AND THINKIN!  Get your butt up!  GO DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU THINK BIG!

Go lift something!

Go change clothes!

Go hit poses!

GO DO THE STUFF THAT REMINDS YOU OF THE BIG INSIDE!

And then that big on the inside will come outside . . .

And you’ll feel definitely feel that.

"Natural bodybuilding" is done for.  It’s FINISHED folks.  Over.  Pack it up.

"Natural bodybuilding" doesn’t stand a chance.   Neither does "drug free" bodybuilding for that matter.

And I for one am RIGHT THERE to see it go, tossing out the bon voyage confetti and HAPPY to see it set sail.  LATER!  Good-bye!  Asta asta asta, baby!  No more "natural bodybuilding"!  HOORAY!

And while we’re at it, let’s toss "enhanced", "juiced" and "Clean" on the bonfire as well, shall we?

Time to face reality, people: the SPORT ain’t going anywhere, but the TERMS we use are old, clunky relics from a by-gone agenda that, quiote frankly is meaningless.  This  CLASSIFICATION system we currently use is broken, meaningless and FOOLISH to continue employing.  It is a farce of reasoning, a denial of logic, and the FURTHEST THING from academically substantiated.

Bodybuilders so OFTEN toss out their science-horny reasoning, and claim that solid research and logical study is our backbone.  We are SO proud of our smarter-than-thou science, and are VERY quick to demand back-up references and PROOF of every new idea out there.  

Yet meanwhile, in spite of being SO profoundly horny for science, science, SCIENCE! we are still meanwhile using a classification system for defining “natural” that is about as flawed as they come.  It is the LEAST scientific thing we have — yet we use it VERY AGGRESSIVELY!

No academic authority worth their salt would take the term “natural bodybuilding” as a SERIOUS classification.  It would mush like play-doh under scrutiny of definition.  

Like I said, “natural bodybuilding” on the endangered species list.

And I say: GOOD RIDDANCE!

When you look at classification systems, the BEST and most accurate systems are usually ones are not judgemental.  The BEST systems of classification to not IMPLY anything beyond category.

An alphabetical classification does not favor the letter "M" as more "ideal" than the letter "V".  

The word "heterosexual" does not by itself imply a "correctness" over the word "homosexual."  

The scientific classification of "feline" does not claim to be "anti-canine."

So, understand that the term "natural" is impotent and useless.  It is a relic from a time frame and an attitude that does not always apply to today’s athletes.  It is based more int political righteousness than in clear, concise reasoning.

It saddens me to see the term "natural" used so aggresively by those who simultaneously put themselves out there as leaders in the sport.  I myself slip up and use the word "natural" from time to time — not because I believe in it, but out of force of habit.  Meaning that it is HARD to change our language.  New terminology ALWAYS causes static.  Yet it is the LEADERS who will make the most profound impact in correcting this miscatagroization.  Or rather, I should call it a NON categorization . . . if "natural" can mean almost anything to anyone, based solely on the whims of what they WANT it to mean, then therefore "natural" actually means nothing.

"Natural" often ONLY means they "passed a drug test."  Not that that test was accurate, or that it was even conducted perfectly.

"Drug free" does not address a lot of the "steroid like supplements" currently out there on the market.

"Clean" . . . well that is just a flat out UGLY way to describe something.  

And besides, sometimes of these bodybuilders who use these terms — "natural", "drug free", "clean" (ugh!), etc. — are athletes who can not actually be considered to have done it "ONLY by the means integral to their innate human ability."  

When you classify it THAT way, things shift a little . . .

"Integral" bodybuilding is pursuing practices that are within the realm of your human capacities, or which reasonably mimic those capacities.  In other words, if you could (in theory) kill it, pick it, cook it and eat it, then it falls within the realm of INTEGRAL bodybuilding.

All the -drol supplements, and the andros and other similar hormone products are NOT things you could INGEST by YOUR OWN HUMAN CAPACITIES.  there is nothing you could pick, kill or eat that would supply these substances.  It is ANCILLARY to your abilities.

"Ancillary" bodybuilding is pursuing practices that fall OUTSIDE of your human capacities.  This not only includes supplements described above, but also steroids and growth and all the other thinggs you could not technically "find, kill and eat" all by yourself.

Things like SYNTHETIC vitamin C are still considered integral.  Even though it is manufactured in a factory, the substance "vitamin C" is still within your INTEGRAL abilities to consume.  So the source does NOT dictate whether it is integral or ancillary.

This therefore covers things like the aminos (glutamine, taurine, creatine, etc.) that people supplement.  Although the "powder form" is made by a factory, the "ability to consume" these substances is still within your human ability.  Likewise with other substances such as caffeine, tryptophan and even the improperly maligned ephedra.  If it can be consumed as a food source then it falls within the bounds of "integral" to your innate ability.

All told, the whole idea that "natural is how you define it" is finally going extinct.  SLOWLY.  The "natural" bodybuilder is is becoming a relic — the terminology is an endangered species.  Too mired in morality, politics and personal preference, it no longer means anything substantial.

Hence newer, more understandable criteria like "integral" versus "ancillary."  

The leagues, however, will take time to catch up and catch on.  Leagues move slow, and are operating on a judicial and business model established a few decades ago.  In short, leagues can NOT be reasonably seen as the definers — or DEFENDERS — of these terms.  Do NOT look to leagues for any clear understanding of what it means to be natural . . . because the term "natural" is itself undecipherable.

As a bodybuilder, we all make the choice of whether to use ancillary methods, or stick with our integral methods.  The ethical dilemma can be compared to taking Viagara.  If a man takes Viagara to have sex, iis the sex now considered "unnatural"?  Of course not.  However, the man DID use an ancillary method to HAVE that sex.  This was his choice.  

Whatever morality or authenticity one prescribes to these methos remains their own.  The fact of the matter is that there are two CLEAR categories.  All these sub-terms — "Natural", "Clean", "Drug Free", "Juiced," "Augmented", etc. — they all imply IMBALANCE.  They imply heirarchy (upper, lower), morality (good, bad), ethics (better, worse), politics (ours, theirs), and a number of other perspectives that are NOT based on clear classification.  

"Natural" is often politicized, and IMPLIES one is "anti-steroids."

"Enhanced" implies that these users of pharmeceuticals are "better" than others.

"Clean" implies others are "dirty."

The terms we currently use IMPLY a lot, but SAY very little.  Which is why a departure from these terms is necessary ON THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL.  Just by YOURSELF you must be more selective in how you categorize your bodybuilding.  Use a NEUTRAL term, yet a DESCRIPTIVE one.

The  terms "integral" and "ancillary" can be used OUT of context, and their MEANING remains understandable.  Of course these meanings are not yet COMMON — all new language takes time to catch on — but they are at least EASY to understand, and therefore QUICKLY usable.  

Perhaps we can all "begin being leaders" and begin changing our own language.  Just you — as an individual.  Start speaking and classifying things CLEARLY.  Start making your OWN choice to clear up confusion.  It won’t cost you anything.  We use the same amount of breath to say these words.  Within a few weeks you may even become completely accustomed to saying these new terms.  Sure, we may have to stop and occasionally EXPLAIN these terms to people, but that need to stop and explain will fade sooner than you think.

Change language and you change understanding.  Change understanding and you change people.  Change people and you change society.  Change society and you can change the world.

Even if it is only the world of bodybuilding.

Be it ancillary OR the integral.

I intend to be 270 lbs at about, oh, 8% body fat in no time.  I figure my chest will measure around 62 inches, my arms clock in at 22, and my quads?  Well no less than 34 inches.  All the while, my waist will remain no more than 32 inches.  Maybe 33.

That’s the ultimate goal.

Seriously.

Now if you’ve read this blog’s past articles you’ll know that I have never used steroids, nor ever intend to.  I am what is called an "integral athlete", as opposed to the "ancillary athlete", which is a dude who uses drugs or other enhancements to reach their goal.  (Check out the Big Is Inside entry "Don’t call me natural any more" from May 2, 2007 at http://blog.bodybuilding.com/The_Real_XN/2007/05/02/do-not-call-me-natural-anymore/)

So, if I am not gonna use drugs, this goal is WAY out of my reach right?

Nope.

Gonna make it.

In fact, let’s up the ante to a weight of 285.  See, I forgot to mention my calves will be 21 inches and my neck will be EASILY 23.

THAT I think I can hit.

No problem.

Or at least THAT is what I HOLD IN MY HEAD.  That is an image I cling to as I progress.  FREAKISH size.  OUTRAGEOUS proportion.  INCREDIBLE shape!

It is all stored neatly in my head.  

Now, for people to get a glimpse inside my head can typically be, well, a little disturbing.  But once you move aside the stacks of newspaper get past the file ccabinets cluttering up my skull, on the back of my mind wall posted next to some artwork are the images of my dream body.  

Yes, hanging in snapshots inside my brain are pictures of my physique at 307 pounds.  My chest is a bulging 64 inches, and my arms are 24 inch vice grips.  And yes — that is MY face pasted on top of the neck.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I LOVE WHAT I ALREADY GOT!  And love what I am doing with it.  Wouldn’t trade it for the world.  So understand that these visions in my are FANTASY goals.  They are not being held because I am trying to get AWAY from what I have.  They are held so that I can to keep a DIRECTION to where I will go.

I recently got a provocative email EXACTLY on this topic from a user shose handle is “tryingto”.  He wrote:

“Christian,
I wanted to ask you a question between the difference a natural bodybuilder like yourself and the more “chemically enhanced” bodybuilders. It seems, from the profiles I’ve seen on here, that the natural bodybuilder isn’t so much concerned with size as they are with being ripped and cut. I’ve read some stats where some natural bodybuilders have 45 or even 46 inch chest and some biceps that measure under 18 inches. Is this typical? I’m sure bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman and Lee Priest HAVE to be something un-natural to their bodies–I even wonder how safe it is for them!”

In other words, even observers know that I would need to hop on steroids in order to get the dimensions I dream about.  

But, yeah I understands that.  I get it.  I won’t reach my goal of 317 pounds at 7.2% bodyfat unless I use steroids.  

But bid deal?  So what?  Does it mean I shoudl therefore NOT keep my dream of 27 inch arms and 39 inch quads?  Of course not.

You must understand: THESE GOALS I HOLD ARE NOT BASED ON THE IMMEDIATE MOMENT.  They are not “MUST HAVE” goals.  To even call them “goals” is a little misleading . . . they are more like GUIDES.  And they are ONLY held inside my head.  These visions are there to shape the DIRECTION of my goals.  

And yes, they are based on my fantasies . . . they represent where I want to go if I HAD NO OBSTACLES.  And when I train and diet, I want to behave as if my power was UNLIMITED.  To go into bodybuilding assumine “I’ll never get 23 inch calves” or “my chest will NEVER measure 67 inches” would keep me too tame.  I want to REACH BIG!  So I hold onto these fantasies, and let them INFORM my goals.

This might be news to tryingto — that a guy who isn’t huge might cling to huge images.  But I think it does happen.  Even with us guys who never get freakish proportions and stay integral (aka “natural”); we too hold WILD proportions in our fantasies.

Yet I think what happens is a lot of guys HIDE their fantasies.  A lot of integrals take the moral label “integral,” and then maybe feel some sort of social pressure to polarize themself with a certain mindset.  A lot of integral athletes even hide the fact that they want the kind of muscle typically possessed by guys on steroids.  NOT ALL NATURALS DO THIS (so PLEASE spare me the argument emails!).  But I certainly see a LOT of guys cupboard away their visions of freakish proportions in the name of upholding some sort of pseudo-political “natural stance”.  I think THIS is what tryingto was noticing in his letter to me.

I think many bodybuilders often misuse their fantasies by IGNORING THEM.  That’s right.  They literally MISUSE their ability to fantasize, to imagine and to hope.  

Look, just because you are not going to go on steroids does NOT mean you are not allowed to fantasize about proportions that are usually the domain of steroids — or beyond for that matter!  

In fact, the dream of the 337 pound physique PRE DATES steroids.  For millenia (literally) men would dream of EXCESSIVE proportions as a representative of their prowess, power and drive.  Even sculpture in ancient Egypt that are over 4,000 years old often depict body proportions that are EXAGGERATED.  Dreaming of the freakish physique ain’t nothing new.  And it is fair-game for EVERY athlete.

A problem lies in how a lot of people silently think that in order to be a “true natural” (oh, how my stomach curdles at THAT political term) they must downplay their desire for these exagerated forms.  It seems a lot of bodybuilders imply (either accidentally or intentionally) that to try to be freakish in size you are “almost “betraying” the “natural cause”.  (Ewww . . . a “cause”?!  What a bunch of pseudo righteous GARBAGE, huh?)

So, I WONDER how many guys who are NOT on steroids are LIMITING THEIR PROGRESS by abandoning their WILD fantasies.  In the name of being a “good, sensible, natural athlete” are a lot of guys not letting their MINDS run wild?  

Big bodies, huge muscles and freakish proportions are NOT THE SOLE DOMAIN OF THOSE WHO USE STEROIDS!  Excitement for freakish proportions is NOT the same as steroid-friendly mentality.  And just because sometimes our fantasies might slightly resemble guys who use steroids does NOT mean we should abandon those fantasies.

Yet a lot of integral athletes do abandon their fantasies.  They start claiming they never dreamed big.  They often wiull even equate the desire for ultra big muscle with the “weak mindsets” of steroid users (an UNFAIR description to say the least).

And so, yes tryingto, we get a breed of natural bodybuilders who don’s always shoot for as far as they COULD.  

Instead of natural bodybuilders, many of these guys should be called “tame” bodybuilders.

Or “obedient” bodybuilders.

Or “bland” bodybuilders.  Or how about just “bodyblanders” — guys whose bodeis are always just shy of exciting and inspiring, but instead remain BLAND and without signs of ever having contained an imagination.

Meanwhile, I occasionally see bodybuilderswho built VERY impressive mass BECAUSE they follow the lead of their fantasies.  You see this a lot in younger bodybuiders, whose heads have not yet been pumped full of doubt.  Young guys have not yet been exposed to the false belief: “Sorry kid, freakish fantasies are ONLY for dudes who are using steroids.  Keep SENSIBLE.  Do NOT try for anything outlandish.  A TRUE natural bodybuilder ignores wild proportions . . . ”

And slowly, the young natural athletes fantasies get dampened, diminished, and even sometimes snuffed.  SOME fellow competitors whom I have asked if they want to be freakish look at me like I just asked them if they had ever held a desire to murder their own mother!  They are nearly OFFENDED by the idea of holding such fantasies.

Meanwhile, our fantasies are are actually very useful tools.  ESPECIALLY if for those of us who wish to remain natural/integral in our methods.  

Our fantasies create direction.

Our fantasies provide motivation.

Our fantasies help us understand our desires.

Our fantasies keep us excited.

And, very importnatly, our fantasies KEEP US CONNECTED TO OTHERS.

Not every one shares the same goals.  Yet many people’s fantasies are very similar.  This helps us bond as bodybuilders — or in ANY community.  Why would I hide that I dream of 28 inch arms, and a 69 inch chest?  Why would I ever hide that I want to be 364 pounds at 6.4% body fat with a 33 inch waist?  If I did not put THIS out there — right along side all my NATURAL WORK — how else would I find fellow athletes who SHARE my passion?

These visions are not in my mind because I think i can get them.  No — they are there because they keep me excited, and dreaming BIG!  

It’s kind of like Superman, or the Incredible Hulk, or Hercules, or Mighty Mouse (hey — to each their own, right?)  A lot of us cling to fantasies of being LIKE these characters — either in strength, size or ability or all of their characteristics.

Yet at the same time that we idolize these figures, we KNOW that we will never TRULY be as strong as superman, or as massive as the Hulk, or, um, a . . . um . . . rodent . . . like Mighty Mouse . . . okay, but you GET what I am saying here.

These visions are both informed by mythology, as well as are the basis of new mythology.  (And YES — bodybuilding DOES have it’s own spin on mythology.)  We hold these impossible-to-achieve fantasies and myths as a way of keeping our bearings.  These fantasies help us always point in a specific direction.  They keep us on track should wefalter.  And they make us get excited for our work. Even thought hey are impossible to achieve, they are CRUCIAL for progress.

Bears repeating:

FANTASIES IN BODYBUILDING ARE CRUCIAL FOR PROGRESS, ESSENTIAL FOR SETTING GOALS, AND VITAL FOR KEEPING US ON TRACK WITH OUR GOALS.  

We must not try to BECOME our fantasy any more than we should put on a cape an leap off a skyscraper, turn green and lose our temper, or, um, be a mouse.

So, you can understand why I am aiming for 389 pounds at 5.8% body fat.  And you can see why when I train I try to get 29 inch arms or a 72 inch chest.  

I do NOT hold these fantasies because I am trying to make them REALITY.  I do not hold these fantasies because I want to BECOME them.  I do not hold these fantasies because I think they will all become true.

I hold these fantasies because they help me set lofty goals.

I hold these wild fantasies because they make me excited for the process.

I hold these crazy fantasies because they help maintain fun and play in my bodybuilding — keeping it fresh and even silly.

I hold these intense fantasies because they contain a BIG vision of just how powerful I am capable of FEELING.

Regardless of whether I will ever actually BE them.

These fantasies are PART of the Big that is INSIDE of me.  

And if I want to bring that big to the OUTSIDE, well, I better not abandon any big that is INSIDE.  

Otherwise, how else will I ever achieve my 32 inch guns?

How to get an impressive "teardrop" shape to the quads . . . how to make that happen . . . ?

I have mulled this one over for over a week now.  I am trying to wrap my brain around it, actually.  It’s like ANY "spot development."  I have been asked for specific arm routines, specific adb routines, specific jaw muscle routines (see, I can talk a lot, so people want to know just HOW I developed a yapper that just NEVER seems to fatique . . . I tell ‘em "that’s nuthin’ — you should see my BLOGS go on and on . . . )

See, I HAVE to admit something: I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO DO FOR A SPECIFIC BODY PART.  

Routine?  

You want a really hard hamstring ROUTINE?  

A killer calf routine

A monstrous bicep blitz ROUTINE?

Heck — the only routines I know involve 60 to 90 second of cued music and posing . . .

But I want to GET you guys SOMETHING.  I want to ANSER all your questions about lat width routines and rear delt routines and left shin routines and . . . well you get it.  I WANT TO BE USEFUL.

And it all came to a head with ONE SPECIFIC REQUEST FOR A TEARDROP SHAPED QUAD.  It came from a mamber whose handle is iBswole:
“hey man - do you have any tips on developing the tear drop muscle? I know the quads grow as a whole but mine are severely lacking. I’ve recenlty encorporated vince goronda frog squats on the hack squat machine - on my toes heels together etc. Would appreciate the advice thanx. ”

Wait — Vinnie Gondola who?  Toes in ballerina position numer six?  Wait — DID I MISS SOMETHING?  Clearly iBswole has done his homework — and done it well.  But I PANICKED!  Here I am with something he wants help with, and he is running circles around me!  

JUST WHO THE HELL IS THE COMEPTITIVE BODYBUILDER SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, ANYWAY?!  I have no ADVICE?  I have no pre-written ROUTINE for the mighty teardrop quad?  WHAT GIVES?  WHO THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO BE?!?!?  

And my world comes crashing in around me . . . I am a sham . . . I am a farce . . . I am a charletain . . .

No — wait a sec.  I am an athlete.  That’s all.  

Not a fake.  

Not a goon.

Not a quack.

Just an athlete.  A plain old bodybuilding athlete.

See, I am not just a bodybuilder, I am a SPECIFIC KIND of bodybuilder: one who COMPETES.  As such, my “sport” of bodybuilding is NOT about how my body looks.

“Wait, wait, wait,” you must be thinking, “Now just HOLD ON A SECOND!  XN, are you trying to tell us that BODYBUILDING IS NOT ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK?!  Are you freakin’ NUTS?”

Well, yes of COURSE I am nuts.  But that is NOT why I am saying what I am saying.  

The SPORT of competitive bodybuilding is about PRESENTING A PHYSIQUE AESTHETIC.  As far as the competition is concerned, it is NOT about how big you are — it is about HOW WELL YOU PRESENT A CONCEPT OF DENSITY.  It is NOT about how lean you are — it is about HOW WELL YOU PRESENT A CONCEPT of VASCULARITY.  It is NOT about how you “look.”  It is about how you PRESENT an aesthetic.

So, a GOOD bodybuilding athlete is really a good PRESENTER of a physique NO MATTER WHAT THAT PHYSIQUE IS ALL ABOUT.

Now, CERTAINLY if you have a lot of mass and sharp cuts, this enhances your job of presentation.  But in the end, the skills I focus on are the skills of solid presentation.  And so THIS becomes my focus in the gym, out of the gym, and with ALL my training.  <