Tim Martin’s BodyBlog

Last Wednesday I had my second hernia repair ( 1st one 10 years ago), so I find myself unable to train or do cardio for a while.  I definately have some sort of "body dysmorphia" or addiction to exercise, so lying in bed for the past week has been killing me.  I’ve been telling myself that a 3-4 week break will actually benefit my body and allow all the aches and pains to heal up, but that doesn’t make the prospect of no gym any easier.

I reached my offseason goal of 230 "hard" pounds, and am afraid to set foot on a scale for the next few weeks.  Also, I’m not sure how I should keep the diet, as eating 4,000 calories a day with no cardio or lifting will definitely get me fat.

Oh well, getting some stitches removed tomorrow so I should feel a little more normal, and hopefully the next few weeks go by fast!

I just saw some photos from the 2007 IFBB World Championships.  Talk about a freak show!  I haven’t seen the full results but it appears the U.S. team didn’t fare so well.  Seriously, with all the talk about bribery and politics at this show, I’d be interested in what some of the U.S. team members have to say about it.  From my perspective, I think winning your class at the Team Universe is a good enough reward in itself, and really don’t see the purpose of prepping all over again 4-5 months later to basically get spanked at the Worlds.  

I hate to catch myself discounting the possibility that most of the competitors are natural, as I hate when people who don’t know me question my own status, but all it takes is to look historically at some of the past winners who have moved into the upper echelons of the IFBB.  The difference between these guys and even the U.S. team is startling.  I’m not naive enough to believe that all of the T.U. athletes are drug-free, but deep down I still believe there are those who have won while legitimately playing by the rules.

Bodybuilding will always be about competing within yourself, and we all choose which contests to enter based upon our individual goals.  I have mad respect for any athlete who puts himself up on stage to be judged, but especially for those who pick shows that they know may be long shots, but for some reason feel compelled to test themselves.  To all the T.U. class winners who knew the history of this show going in and chose to compete anyway, you guys are real warriors!

After dieting from January through July and doing five shows you would think that the off-season would be a welcome change.  Well, just like most bodybuilders are OCD regarding the lifestyle, I’m no different.  I miss having a goal looming in the not-too-distant horizon and working towards a palpable outcome.  I know the off-season is a necessity, a time to make the improvements that you’ve identified during the pre-contest phase, but thinking about a show one year out just isn’t the same!

I also miss the whole process of going to the shows, both the ones I compete in as well as the ones in between, where you’re just checking out the competition.  At the shows I never really feel like I fit in with most people who choose this lifestyle, but I still like to be surrounded by the experience.  It’s the only place in my life where bodybuilding is viewed as important.  At work and even in the gym most people don’t really know anything about our sport.

Training is going well.  I’ve kept my committment of doing 30 minutes of cardio every weekday morning.  I’ve also been good about the diet, and bought myself a rice cooker which really makes eating brown rice both super convenient and tasty!  Yeah, my body hurts, specifically my left shoulder, right thigh, and lower back.  Chalk it up to age, and I’m hoping the Oseobolin-C will help with all my inflammatory problems.

I’m keeping focussed on my goal of adding thickness to my frame, specifically 5-10 pounds of quality muscle.  I know this sounds like a huge amount, epecially after 19 years of training, but I honestly believe that the changes in diet and training will accomplish this.  So far I’m at 225 pounds but SIGNIFICANTLY harder than last year’s 230, so stay tuned…

I just started using Applied Nutriceutical’s supplements today.  I’ll be trying:

IGF-2 - Test / GH booster
Neovar - Creatine Ethly Ester with herbal extracts
Lipotrophin AM - Morning fat burner
Lipotrophin PM - Evening fat burner
Osteobolin C - Anti-inflammatory / recovery aid

I was considerring several supplement companies for sponsorship, but either I didn’t like the products or the marketing.  Getting sponsored by a company is nice, but it provides no money, and if I’m going to use a free supplement, I better believe it’s going to be beneficial.

Keeping diet and training constant, it’s going to be interesting to see what difference these supplements will make.  Stay tuned…

Went into New York today to see and orthopedist from the Hospital for Special Surgery.  After reviewing my MRI and evaluating my shoulder, he recommended NO surgery, just rehab!  It felt like I won the lottery, as I had been dreading taking so much time off for surgery and recovery, especially since I believe I’m making some really good gains after adding calories back after such a long diet.

In the back of my mind I was holding out hope that the initial radiology report wasn’t accurate, so I maintained my diet, cardio, and training.  Now it feels like I can maintain my momentum, which I plan on carrying all the way into next summer.  Also, I posted on the Team Universe thread over on GetBig, and found out that Kyoshi Moody and Jeff Rodriguez will be returning next year at the TU.  That will provide some great motivation for me during the next few months.

On the way home from the hospital, I got a call from Applied Nutriceuticals saying they will besponsoring me, and I look forward to using their products and giving feedback about the results.

All in all a pretty good day!

Just when my motivation couldn’t be higher and when gains are coming fast and furious, things come screaching to a halt.  Throughout preparations for the 2007 contests I had significand left shoulder pain, but I modified my exercises and was able to train with enough intensity to get the job done.  Little things were becoming more difficult to do, like putting a shirt on or reaching for things.  On Thursday I decided to get an MRI on the shoulder, hoping it would be just inflammation of the tendon or bursa.  Unfortunately my worst fear came true, and it showed a full thickness tear of the supraspinatus, the main muscle of the rotator cuff.  This means surgery followed by wearing a sling for four to six weeks.  I think the hardest thing to immagine is not exercising for that period, as anyone who bodybuilds knows its basically an obsession!

Living in New Jersey I’m planning on going into New York for the surgery, as the best orthopedic doctors work out of The Hospital for Special Surgery.  I’m hoping to go under the knife as soon as possible to get this behind me and continue my progression for next season.  Wish me luck

MuscularDevelopment.com has up to the minute contest coverage including extensive prejudging photos, so as the NPC USA’s were happening it was interesting to follow along this weekend.  First I am a fan of bodybuilding, and secondly I’m considering doing this show next year, really just to be able to say I did it as I have no expectations of even placing near the top ten.

The interesting thing about bodybuilding is that when you watch a contest or look at pictures, your opinion is really the only one that counts, not the judges.  How many of us have a favorite IFBB pro?  We may like Ronnie Coleman for his muscle sweep and insane body parts, Jay Cutler for his mass, conditioning, and symmetry, or Victor Martinez for his God given shape.  The same holds true for watching and competing in amateur shows.  I was proud of Jose Raymond for winning the middles, even though I think it was a very close class.  The lightheavies was disappointing, as Peter Putnam looks to be given a gift in that class.  In the heavies, I thought Brandon Curry clearly won the class with perfect symmetry, but was only awarded second place.

Watching questionable calls like these helps give me objectivity regarding my own competing.  I’ll be the first to admit that I have been given generous placings in a few contests, and have many shows where I absolutely thought I was robbed!  I guess the trick is to be able to look at the pictures, assess the competition and accurately criticize the athletes, and be comfortable in your own mind as to where YOU thought the placements should have been.  You may not get that first place trophy that you pictured during you hour long cardio sessions, but if you can say that you brought your best ever to the stage that day, that says a lot!

Well, the "offseason" has begun.  To many this means lower intensity in the gym, a vacation from cardio until next contest season, and relaxing the diet after a grueling pre-contest campaign.  I just finished reading Skip LaCour’s "Top Ten Secrets of the Drug Free Champions", and once again it feels like we’re on the same wavelength.  After seemingly increasing my musculature during my 28 week "diet" of 2007, I decided to employ the same successful strategies to my offseason program, albeit with some important adjustments.

In the gym my focus will be to always include those exercises that I feel are the most difficult, thereby the most beneficial.  Three key movements for me that I shied away from during contest prep were squats, deadlifts, and flat bench dumbell presses.  These will now be the anchors to those workouts.  In the past once the contest was over, so was my cardio.  This year I will continue with 30 minutes before breakfast Monday through Friday.  I feel great after I do it, built a cardio room complete with a bamboo floor in my house that I love to use, and realize that I have an average metabolism, so in order to stay lean it is a necessity for me.

The biggest focus of my offseason program will be to "diet" with as much discipline during this time period as before a show.  This means keeping daily caloric intake high, but with an emphasis on quality foods to build muscle.  I’ve always kept protein high year round, and that will stay the same at 350 grams over seven meals.  I’ll also eat 15 grams of good fats at every meal (almonds, flaxseed oil, and peanut oil).  This helped me last year to increase my testosterone levels, which had fallen to below accepted ranges, probably due to years of low fat dieting.  Lastly, I will consume 400-450 grams of complex carbohydrates (exept post workout [simple carbs]) spread evenly throughout the day.

After a contest, my motivation is always sky high to make the improvements I feel are needed to take me to the next level.  Right now I feel like I’m in an anabolic  window of opportunity, finally giving my body what it needs to put on muscle.  In the past week I’ve put on 10 lbs. and still feel very lean, so I’m very excited to see what this year has in store for me with my continued discovery about how my body works.

The Team Universe was last night, and I’m still numb from the results.  Coming out of Friday night prejudging I actually thought I won my class.  Of the thirteen heavyweights, I was in the first callout of six.  We were arranged numerically, so I was on the end.  After one rotation of the mandatories we were rearraged and I was put in the middle (between the top two in my opinion).  We then did a final rotation of poses before leaving the stage for the second group.  Several competitors congratulated me afterwards, so I felt confident about the way it went.

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/browse/index.php?mode=contest&eventcode=1134 posted photos immediately, and I honestly thought I won most of the mandatory poses!  I did have an anxious feeling all day Saturday, thinking something would go wrong.  Well, when I was announced fourth place I don’t think it registered immediately.  The class was very deep, so I don’t want to take anything away from the other guys, I just felt after reviewing the photos that I was definately first or second.

There were several other questionable calls on Saturday night in my opinion.  Women’s bodybuilding:  I was surprised the heavyweight won her class, let alone the overall.  Men’s welterweight didn’t go the way I thought.  Chris Faildo was the clear winner in that class, but after that it was strange.  Men’s lightheavyweight was another surprise, as I had Miguel Neil winning clearly from the photos.

As for me, I guess my marathon diet is over.  I have an empty feeling right now, but hopefully in a few days I’ll appreciate this year’s accomplishments, as well as knowing I brought my best ever shape to the show this weekend.

With about two weeks out of the Team Universe I’m exactly where I want to be, still getting leaner without losing any size.  Now the trick seems to be to stay positive and just focus on myself.  That means not who else might be competing, not friends and co-workers who don’t understand the level of committment necessary to compete, and not ignorant wannabees on internet message boards.
Last night I stumbled upon a forum thread basically devoted to whether or not I was natural.  Now I don’t know a single person who posted, but there were over three pages of statements that I am a liar and a cheat who uses steroids!  Initially I was enraged, but soon realized just who these cowardly internet people are.
To my surprise, Skip LaCour emailed me a short note of support, as he must have seen some of these same forum posts.  This guy has been dealing with this sort of thing his whole career, so I really appreciated his help.
For you natural bodybuilders out there, just stay true to yourselves, and ignore all those people who will try to bring you down to make themselves feel better.
Peace