Bandit’s Blog

Reading "Just Dave"’s recent blog of Sep 21 motivated me to supplement it with my experiences.  First of all, our gym is not a "lion’s den".  We are blessed with having all the "toys" and, being a medical rehab fitness facility primarily, we are sparsely attended and everyone is friendly and helpful.  However….the regulars…you know, the same 5 or 6 that are there the same time every day (yea, I’m one of the band members), have the urge to get a little creative and impose some "turf flexing" because we think we "own the place" now (hey, I regularly pay my $35 a month!!).   And, by the way, this is not a MAN THING.  Two of the six are ladies.  So we have a rule - -  Any gruntin or spittin’ on the mirrors results in a 25 cent fine in the "grunt jar".  Same goes for throwin’ dumbells on the floor.

It’s funny…I’ve seen the biggest muscle people never make a sound, then the "casual once or twice a week guys" come in and you think they’re hollering a goblin’s "death cry" - grit their teeth and exhale a water spray on the mirrors.  Never mind, we make lots of $$ off them.  Sometimes they get pissed and we don’t see them again (can’t take any amusement flack!).  Hey….it’s the rule  ;)  If you can’t take the "heat, then onto another kitchen."  LOL- you gotta have some fun in this journey.

Oh, we haven’t figured out what to do with the "piggy bank" yet.  Maybe we’ll buy the owner a couple of cases of Windex???  After all, the mirrors……. are "sacred" territory.

Had my annual physical last week.  Since I took up bodybuilding just late last winter, the Doc, of course had no history that I had jumped into it "big time".  Since I had read on this site and elsewhere that Bodybuilders can "throw askew" blood work and Body Mass indexes, I had a chat with my Doc about that.  Of course when he initially looked at my height/weight stats from the Nurse, the first thing he did was to pull out the BMI graph.  I said….hold on….that doesn’t take muscle mass into consideration.  Oh, he says, you’re right.  I encouraged him to view Body Fat as a better measuring tool for me.  "Oh, good idea - let’s see 6.5%…you have no worries in that department".  Duhhh.  Then came time to order routine blood work.  Again, I cautioned him that I was taking creatine and high protein supplements.   "Well, OK, let’s see how it comes out".  Sure nuff….three days later the letter arrives at the house with a breakdown of the all the blood work.  All looked great, however, the Creatitine Kidney levels (waste creatine levels) reading was at the "top edge of the normal scale" - - which is what I was wondering if it were going to happen.  Doc says to make sure I HEAVILY hydrate during the day if I was going to continue to do that.  We’ve all been told to drink plenty of water to help our muscles mend, but this is another reason to do so.   Also, he says I should alternate months and NOT stay on creatine mono supplements permanently.  He was’t too familiar with Creatine EE (like what Animal Pump has - which is the only creatine I take), so he couldn’t medically comment on that. So there’s some info for everyone to consider. 

….that a month and a half would have made a difference.  Not I.  Top comparison pix are Jul 10 and bottom are Aug 26.

Read on…
 

Every once and a while you come across, or hear about an injury directly related to the sport that you are pursuing. And, although you hadn’t experienced the injury yourself, you can certainly share in “somewhat” equal agony.   Well, that’s what’s been happening to me.  Over the past two months several of my friends and my son’s (he’s a Personal Trainer out of state) clients have sustained injuries while Bodybuilding that I’d like to share with you.  Right off the bat, let me inject a disclaimer that I don’t have an exercise physiology degree, any medical degrees, nor am I a Personal Trainer.   Even though I have only been Bodybuilding for six months (six days a week, often with an aggressive personal trainer), I believe I have developed a sense of caution and respect for the sport, though.  Enough for me to be inclined to “blog” some perspective. 
 

Here we go:
 

Bicep tears.  A nasty injury that has occurred to two friends.  One severe enough to require surgery to reattach “parts” and the other the doctor says to “wait it out” to heal.  Both admittedly over reached their limits by doing that “last curl” with too much weight.  They’ll recover in two to four months, yes, but have been told that they probably will never do “positive stressed curls for the girls” again.  In the meantime…arm workouts are off their schedule.
 

Rotator Cuff .   I tell whoever I can, that shoulder injuries suck big time.  If it involves surgery, your upper body will be negatively impacted for Bodybuilding initiatives for a long time – and maybe even “longer”.  The shoulders interplay with so many other muscle groups that you’d be surprised as to what an injured one will limit you from “working out”.  One friend just came out of the hospital from surgery that was a result of an overweight “overhead barbell press”.   A dangerous enough exercise for many to deal with using “light weights”, never mind anything overly ambitious.
 

Knee injury – Patella ligament tears (Such as PCL) (knee cap stuff).  Full, standard Squats are a great exercise, but you’d be advised to have healthy knees, shoulders, and back to successfully attack this routine.  44 year old “blew out” (for lack of any technical term) his patella by tearing the PCL ligaments associated with it..  He was on the “upward” motion of the squat.  Surgery required.  No more squats OR any leg routines for a long time.
 

Crushed larynx – Barbell bench press.  Yup, it dropped onto his throat.. the entire 220 lbs -16 years old.  The kid died of suffocation.  This one was in the national news about a month ago.  Neither I or my son had any acquaintance with him, but I thought that it was significant enough to bring up here.  The kid was at his home gym, home all alone…..no spotter.  Father came home and found him draped over the flat bench. Everything was NOT in this kid’s favor.
 

That’s probably about enough…I think you get my point, so let me summarize.
 

Bodybuilding is an exciting sport, a great journey for us all to embark on.  What’s wonderful about it is that It doesn’t take a special person to make significant gains in posture, muscle development and “mind feeling”.   NO IT’S NOT INHERENTLY DANGEROUS.  But, believe me, it is terribly unforgiving of neglect, over indulgence, lack of attention and, yea…. lack of common sense.  I tell everyone I see who either asks me or I happen to be discussing the sport with, that it is so important to recognize your own limitations - temporary OR permanent.  I always emphasize that there are three MAJOR body areas to always keep in prime shape:  Shoulders, back, and knees.  They’ll thank you forever if you guard them “with your life” while bodybuilding!  Injure any one of them and you’re behind the “8 ball” for an unexpected while – it’ll negatively impact everything else you exercise, and it’ll even mess with your….. MIND!    Also, never be shy about asking questions and to seek help or guidance from a reliable source.  For example, there are many variations of the Basic Squat that you can do that achieves the same result, but perhaps in a safer, more comfortable form for YOUR body.   Spotters….man, you gotta have ‘em!!…..Shoulders and knees…warm up those joints with low weight routines prior to “stepping it up a notch”, seek alternative exercises if you have recurring pain or cartilage issues….PEC muscles…do chest presses before you do chest flies so the muscles warm up first.
 

Believe me, I’m not so naïve to think that all Bodybuilding injuries are preventable – some just happen, I know.  But it’s the “others” that I draw your attention to.
 

No need to be scared of the sport,  there’s no valid reason to be.  But be cautious and safe - - you owe it to yourself.  You only have one body, and I think both you and I want to see you make it last….a lifetime. 

Four month journey….and….the road keeps on goin’

Top Pic: March 15 (day one - 154 lbs - 8% BF)

Mid Pic:  May 30 (160 lbs - 8% BF)

Bottom pic:  July 12 ( 160 lbs - 7 % BF)

I know that it doesn’t compare to what alot of people on this site can do…but it was a significant achievement for me.  Three and half months of blood, sweat and tears…….it paid off this morning!……OOOHHHH yeah baby!

The moral to my story is simple.  It’s not about ego at all - - just cast that away - it’s about mentoring.  There’s someone that we all need to "look up to"…yea, particularly in bodybuilding.  Mentoring is embedded in our success formula.  It becomes a beacon for us.   Right here at BB.COM I’ve found several "mentors" over the past three months.  And, as you saw in my "Ego story"…I found one in my gym recently, too.  The interesting thing is that they all don’t even know it!    And perhaps even more evident is that each of us needs "support" in our pursuits, in our "falls", and in our accomplishments…and that comes from everybody.  Plenty of that here at BB, for example.  Just count the "Friends" list, your gallery comments,  and the Blog remarks as a start.

And, by the way, don’t even think for a moment that our "minds" aren’t developing along with the physical aspect of this journey.  That will be our "foundation" that we will return to over and over and over again.  Being a success in bodybuilding is not measured by a "finish line"…we will always be working at it.  Each of us will define several points of success along the way, yes, but in reality it will be an unending journey.  So relax, let it happen, work at it, enjoy it!…And don’t forget to look back from time to time so can you can fully experience…….the "RUSH".

For the last three months I have been working out at 6:30 AM, five days a week with my two workout partners - one guy..one gal.   In addition, my trainer is "in the other room at the front desk" (he just casually watches us and is avail for questions by now - great guy, too)  The four of us are great friends…everyone is supportive to each other.  It’s a wonderful social hour, too, in addtion to the workout.  They workout a bit slower and more casually, so I’ve been kind of their mentor.  They "spot me", encourage me,  etc. while they pretty much stay on the Nautilus stuff.

Well, this morning, in I come at my normal time.  My two friends are already there (as they usually are).  99% of the time, we are the only three people working out at this hour in the AM - sometimes there are a couple in the other room on the cardio machines -  (not a very busy gym at all - but it’s new, so it’s loaded with all the "toys")  However, being ritualistic, I immediately note anything "out of place"…so there’s  two 90 lb dumbbells on the floor next to my normal decline bench where I warm up at.  Now, I have NEVER  seen anything over 70 even lifted off the rack.  The 70’s and higher usually have a coating of dust on them.  So, OK….someone is playing a game on me this morning.  But…I thought…who would have lifted them off….my trainer, maybe??…nah, he was busy with someone up front…hmm…….then… I saw him.

The gal who I work out with comes up and whispers to me…..meet "Claude"…he’s the "hunk" who’s gonna work out with us this morning…he’s new in town trying out the gym.  So I looked over and BAMMM….up goes one 90 in each arm on the decline bench….with an effortless push of the chest, I stared until one of my "buds" (the gal, of course) told me that it wasn’t polite to point with my jaw dropped open.

Now, believe me, I am not naive enough to think that other people don’t come into the gym during the day and evening and use the HIGHEST weighted dumbbells available in the gym……but he could have waited just one more hour!

Within minutes I got over it.  We introduced ourselves, worked out together…and he, of course, showed me some tips which I gladly received and opened up to.  He’ll be a great addition to help me,  I hope he joins the three of us.  The more the merrier…..yes, really!!

There’s a moral to the story here….I’ll get back to you soon as an addendum to this blog as to what I discovered it is.  You of course, are always invited to share your humor, thoughts, opinions, or a little of each even!…I just thought it was alot of fun….jeff "the bandit" 

Yup…my "lean ass body" lost 3 lbs this week which I really didn’t want to do.   Muscle Mass is maintaining - - lifting routines are fine… but I’m afraid "wifey" and I are gonna be on separate diets starting right away.  I need more fuel and she’s "semi-southbeaching" it for a while.   So…to the grocery store this weekend we go.  No problem, there are a lot worse things in the world to worry about….

Ughh….6 AM came early for the Gym today…and the residual beer and hamburgers and then the more beer, was still “wearing out” from my system.    It was a little rough “pumpin the ole’ iron” today I tell you…and then my normal cardio afterwards….Oooohhh baby….that was a show, too.  Never mind…I had a blast and I even got the “class award” for being the best “preserved” (!)  since graduation….”fifteen or so” years ago.  Gotta love that “iron”