My BodyBlog

The Pull-Up.  Always considered by me an exercise for the very strong and fit…after trying to do it a couple of years ago I realized I had a long way to go before they were within my reach.  For several months now I’ve been wanting to incorporate pull-ups into my workouts, but I’ve been putting it off due to minor injuries on my left side (wrist, arm, rotator cuff).  I’ve started a pull-up from time to time but it didn’t feel good and I didn’t want to take any chances making a minor injury worse.  So I’ve been focusing on lifting smart, giving each muscle group plenty of recovery time, and building my strength on bench press and deadlift.

The month of May has been phenomenal for me.  I’ve had great workouts, with no soreness or stiffness in any of the areas that had been giving me problems.  I’ve reached a couple of goals, 225 on flat bench and 350 on deadlift.  I haven’t missed any post-lifting cardio.  In a nutshell, I’m stronger, leaner and fitter than I’ve been at any point in my life!  But still I strive to reach new goals….

Last night was time to do back.  I was doing barbell bent-over rows.  The pull-up bar was right next to the rack I was using.  I started to wonder….do my accomplishments of late signal that maybe my back is strong enough that I’d be able to do a pull-up?  Time to find out.  I intended to be careful, just trying to do 1 good rep to see if I had the strength and had no pain in my arm.  I decided on a reverse grip (one palm-down, one palm-up), which I thought I had the best chance of doing.  I got set up and did the first rep with such ease and comfort that I kept going and did 3 more before I started to get tired.  Four pullups, a great achievement for me!  But of course I wasn’t satisfied.  I had to try them using a palms-down grip on both hands to hit the back better.  I grabbed the bar at shoulder width, and used straps to help my grip.  I did the first rep, went to full extension on the descent, then I was able to come back all the way up for a second rep and then hold it for a few seconds before going down again.  Two full reps!  I was amazed!  During that back workout I went on to do 2 more sets of two solid reps.  That’s 10 pull-ups in all.  Amazing!

This is another step on my journey towards being the fittest I can be, and I’m very thankful for the gift of my body and good health.  Now that I’ve added the pull-up to my arsenal I’ll continue to work on it, using wide grips, medium grips, and narrow grips.  I’m sure I’ll be up to sets of 10-12 reps in a few months.  Keep soldiering on and you’ll reach your goals too! 

I caught a glimpse of the back of my legs in the mirror today and I had one of those ‘holy crap’ moments! This is when you realize that all your efforts are paying off and you are getting some great results - in this case it’s my hamstrings that caused this reaction.  I guess I’m used to seeing the front of my legs and the changes don’t seem as dramatic, but man, those hamstrings sure made me stop and take notice today!  Looking at my legs overall, they are growing really well, and it made me stop and think about how I’ve done it (the exercise part, I won’t talk about the diet, but that’s a crucial part of course!).  I’m no expert, and I’m sure many out there do it better than I do.  I’m hoping my experience will be a help to anyone who has struggled with getting results, or even with getting motivated to work on legs.

I don’t have a ‘leg day’ very often.  I’ve read many posts from bodybuilders who do intense leg workouts that make them collapse, have trouble walking after their workouts or for a day or two after, or even workouts that finish up with puking!  Now that doesn’t sound like much fun to me!  Don’t get me wrong, I make my legs sore all the time, but it’s a good feeling that doesn’t make it hard to walk!

I think my success has come from a combination of a few things - first is walking.  I’ve been walking almost daily (thanks to my wife) for many years, long before I started bodybuilding.  I know this had a great impact on my leg growth, and still does.  My treadmill work at the gym doesn’t hurt either.

Another thing is that I’ve always treated legs on an equal basis with every other bodypart.  I think this is one thing many new bodybuilders fail to do.  It’s easy to put off doing legs when you can have fun doing chest and biceps and when you get some results in these areas that other people notice.  Not so easy for people to notice leg growth when they’re usually covered by pants.  I knew from the start if I was going to grow muscle I wanted to grow it everywhere and have some good symmetry between all my muscle groups.  To me, nothing looks sillier than a bodybuilder showing off a huge upper body while standing on stick-looking legs!

Like I said, I rarely have leg days.  Instead, I work legs 2 or 3 times a week, changing up different exercises every time.  I’ve never done the same leg workout two weeks in a row. Here’s an example:

Week 1, Day 1 - Quads (Leg extensions, thigh adduction, dumbbell lunges)

             Day 2 - Calves (Barbell calf raise, presses on leg press machine)

             Day 3 - Deadlifts (great for hamstrings, more on this later)

Week 2, Day 1 - Full Squats (great compound exercise, I use full range of motion using low weight and high reps and then next squat session I use heavier weights, lower reps, don’t go as deep)

            Day 2 - Calves (Smith calf raise, dumbbell calf raise) On calves I go for high reps (25-30) using the most weight I can.

           Day 3 - Hamstrings (Stiff-leg deadlifts, lying leg curls)

I do other exercises besides the ones listed.  For quads and hamstrings, I change from high weight/low reps to low weight/high reps randomly from workout to workout.  The legs never know what I’m going to throw at them from day to day, I think this is a very important strategy to keep the muscles shocked and growing.  For me, doing different things makes leg workouts fun, which keeps my motivation high.

Now a further comment about deadlifts.  I know I have this exercise to thank for helping my hamstring growth so much in recent months.  I have gone from lifting 135 lbs to 350 lbs and there’s no telling how far I’ll go.  The key to doing this lift injury free and for big weight is using proper form.  You lift with your legs, not your back.  It’s much the same motion as a squat, and you use your legs to give you the power to lift the bar.  When I’m in the grove I can feel my hamstrings working, and they’re sore the next day.

A last word about hamstrings - I used to have terrible cramps after working hamstrings hard - I solved that problem by stretching once in awhile during a workout - I just bend over, keeping my legs straight, and stretch to touch my toes 4 or 5 times.  This keeps the cramps away!

So keep working on those legs using a lot of different exercises and you can get great results too! 

This is the story of what happened to me at the gym two days ago.  It’s a simple story that’s probably repeated many times at gyms everywhere everyday…but for it to happen to me is something special.  This story illustrates how much bodybuilding has changed me, not only physically, but in other ways too.

It was deadlift night.  I love this exercise for how it helps muscle growth and for the feeling of accomplishment and just plain fun it gives me!  I’ve been doing it for 7 months and had gone from lifting 135 to 345 lbs up to last night.  I’m following a lifting program based on suggestions and info I’ve found on bb.com, with the goal being to increase my lifts by 5-10 pounds each month.

Anyway, I was doing my lifts, and there were only 4 other guys at the gym.  Nearby, 3 of them were working together doing bench press.  They are experienced lifters, strong guys, benching in the mid 200’s.  I don’t know them well, just to say hi.  I was using the barbell from the squat rack, just off to the side.  One of the guys asked if I had many more sets left, they wanted to use the squat rack.  I said I only had two more lifts to go, he told me they were in no hurry, take my time.

By that time I had set up for my lift of 330.  As I got into position I could see the 3 guys benching in the mirror, behind me.  The guy who wasn’t lifting or spotting looked over at me and I saw him do a double take when he saw how much weight I had on the bar.  I went ahead and did the lift, and he watched me.

I was feeling good.  I had little trouble with the 330 lift, so I decided my last lift would be 350, a new personal best if I could do it.  I took a sip of water and a brief rest, then I added the plates I needed.  At the same time, the 3 guys were finished their sets on bench and removing their  plates.  Soon I was standing over the bar, focused on what I had to do.  I bent over to grasp the bar and get a solid grip with the help of my straps.  I didn’t notice what was going on behind me until I heard one of them say (in a friendly way) "you’ve got 4 pairs of eyes watching you…can you take the pressure?"  I looked up and saw in the mirror that the 3 guys, along with the other guy working biceps nearby, had stopped what they were doing and were all standing in a group watching me!  I said "I don’t know, this is 5 pounds more than I’ve lifted before."  Something happened to me at that point.  My focus sharpened, I felt confident, I was ‘in the zone’.  I knew I was going to do that lift.  I finished setting up, took a couple of deep breaths, and nailed it!  It was heavy, but I didn’t labour too much, and I lowered the bar with great control.  The lift over, I wanted to shout with pleasure, but I kept my cool and just took off my straps and started to take off the plates.  One of the guys said ‘we’ll do that, a man who just lifted that much shouldn’t have to take off his own plates.’  The 3 of the them started at it, I said ‘are you sure?’ and they said ‘no problem’.  I know they were waiting for the bar and for me to get out of the way so they could do their decline barbell presses using the squat rack, but it was nice of them to do that for me.  As I got my water bottle, one of them said ‘that’s some heavy weight you lifted there, I wouldn’t even go near it."  I said ‘I started low and worked up to it gradually’.  Another guy said ‘I’ve never done deadlifts, I think it would kill my back.’  I said ‘Your legs do the work and if you do it right you won’t hurt your back.  I’ve never had any problems.’

They continued with their workout and I continued with mine, doing some Power Cleans.  A little while later, changing in the locker room, one of the same guys was there.  He said ‘You like powerlifting do you?’  I said ‘I started doing deadlifts about 7 months ago, I do them every couple of weeks, they’re a nice change of pace.’  We chatted about it for a minute and he seemed impressed with my accomplishments.  So, that’s the story of what happened to me at the gym last night?  What does it tell me about how bodybuilding has changed me life?

Physically, the changes are obvious.  I’m much leaner, muscular and stronger.  When I look in the mirror I’m happy with what I see and I want to keep it going in the right direction.  However, there have been changes in me that you can’t see on the surface, but when I think back on it, these changes are no less dramatic or important.  When I started working out over 4 years ago, I was very self-conscious about how I looked.  The body fat I carried weighed me down emotionally and I had always disliked how I looked.  In my mind that translated to "when other people look at me they see how fat I am and they won’t like me".  Feeling that way affected how I interacted with others.  I was shy, quiet, and hated being the centre of attention.  Starting at the gym magnified these feelings, since I was around a lot of fitter and (in my mind) much better looking people.  If some people thought me unfriendly in those early days, I apologize.  I was so wrapped up in feeling bad about how I looked I couldn’t reach out to others very well. 

Over time, all this has changed!  Transforming my body has given me such a feeling of pride and achievement that my self-esteem has improved and my whole outlook on life is much more positive.  I’m much more confident and out-going, and if anyone I see wants to judge my character based on how I look then that’s their short-coming, not mine.  I’ve now gotten to the point where I feel like an equal to everyone I encounter at the gym - we’re all just human beings with different bodies trying to improve ourselves.  To my surprise and delight, it even feels nice to be the centre of attention for a change…it felt GOOD to have a small audience watching me do my deadlift!  It’s another testament to how far I’ve come as a bodybuilder, and motivates me to keep working for new accomplishments.  So I say THANK YOU to bodybuilding for not only transforming my body, but also for helping to transform my outlook on life and making me a much happier person! 

Yesterday after dinner and having finished everything that needed to be done around the house I found myself alone with nothing to do and full of energy.  It was a planned off day from lifting but I had the desire to do something so I decided to take advantage of the time.  However, I only had a little over one hour until I had to be home for something important, which is normally not enough time for me to do the type of workouts I like.  Count the drive to and from the gym, it was exactly one hour I had to workout.

I decided to pick the muscle group that was most due for a workout and give it some intense attention!  It just happened to be quads, and I wanted to do squats but the squat rack and smith machine were both in use, so instead I went to the leg extension and thigh adductor machines.  I did six supersets, leg extensions first, and worked from high reps, lower weights up to heavier weights and fewer reps, the last set using weights that were personal bests for me on these exercises.  So I did a total 12 sets and 158 reps, lifting a total of 16,760 pounds!  I felt a burn after that, but so far today I don’t have any DOMS.  We’ll see how I feel later.

That was the first half of my hour.  The second part was spent on the treadmill, where I did 15 minutes of HIIT and then 5 minutes of incline walking.  I had a great sweat going by the end of it!  I had a protein shake and left for home, arriving just when I needed to be there.

This bodybuilding lifestlye is all about making positive choices every day.  I could have chosen to spend that hour last night in front of the computer, instead I chose to make it another step towards my goals, and I feel great for having made that choice.

Back to the gym tonight for a longer workout.  I’m going to do back, biceps, some abs, and then hit the treadmill again.  LIFE IS GOOD! 

My goal this month is to do cardio after every weight lifting session.  Period.  Regardless of how tired I feel, how sore I am, post-workout cardio is a must.  If I don’t do it, I’ll never know if what I’ve been reading is true, that post-workout cardio is an effective way to burn fat.  I’ve always done some cardio and have gotten some benefits, but its been slow.  As I work on my 2008 goal of seeing my abs, I know I’ve got to accelerate losing the fat that stands between me and my goal.

Yesterday I was active all day.  Housework in the morning, yardwork mid-day, and a bike ride in the afternoon (including going for awhile with my young nephew who’s just learning), followed by a late-afternoon walk with my wife.  A couple of hours for dinner and rest, then off to the gym at 8pm.  I warmed up for 5 minutes on the bike, then had a great hour and a half session doing triceps, hamstrings and abs.  By the end of it, I was exhausted.  It had been a long day and I was ready to call it quits…but wait!  I’m supposed to do cardio after lifting, ideally HIIT.  The thought of it last night was not appealing.  But the thought of waking up this morning and feeling that I had let myself down was even less appealing.  So I dragged myself up over the stairs at the gym to where the cardio machines are and I pushed myself to do 15 min of HIIT on the treadmill.  I was drenched with sweat by the time it was over, and not feeling too bad at all!  Best of all was the feeling of accomplishment that I had for pushing through and just getting it done. 

I’m keeping my fingers crossed about the impact the after-lifting cardio is going to have on my fat loss.  My scale weight has been stuck at 210 for a few months now, even though when I look at myself in the mirror it looks like I’m still losing some fat.  Hopefully my strategy this month will accelerate the fat loss and I can see some scale movement too.  I would love to see how I look at a lean 200 pounds! 

I just had three full days off from the gym due to work load and travel.  I was able to get back there tonight and it felt just great.  More than great, it’s amazing how fantastic I feel after an intense workout!  My body responds so well to bodybuilding, is it the same for everybody?  I did shoulders, biceps and traps, followed by a little cardio.  I can’t imagine life without bodybuilding - I know there will be little interruptions in my workout plans from time to time - I can cope with that and work around it.  Leading a healthy lifestyle with bodybuilding as the central activity feels like what I was born to do - when I’m at the gym I’m relaxed and it feels like home.  I vow never to let any circumstances in my life get in the way of my bodybuilding and healthy living - I can’t live without it!

I read blogs where people are expressing sadness, frustration, disappointment, anger and even dislike bordering on hatred towards themselves, all because their body isn’t changing in the way that they want it to or as fast as they want it to!  All these negative emotions are extremely counter-productive and are usually a result of people’s ‘great expectations’ which in reality are ‘false expectations’.

The reality is, body transformation is a process which takes, knowledge, commitment, self-discipline, hard work, and most of all….time!  Some people can have dramatic transformations over a few months by following a strict workout and diet plan.  But I don’t think this approach is realistic for the majority of people who have to balance work, family and other commitments with the limited time they have for looking after themselves.  I also believe that most people’s bodies and minds do not react well to sudden changes in activity levels and nutrition habits.  An approach where changes are made gradually is more realistic and will give greater long-term success.

Instant gratification is desired by most people these days, but it is just not to be expected when it comes to bodybuilding!  If you’re one of those who can make all of the pieces come together and achieve a fast transformation, more power to you!  But I know that the vast majority are not like this, even though many beginners think they should be able to accomplish more, faster, whether it be in terms of pounds lost, body fat reduction, body part measurements, or lifting strength.  When their goals don’t happen, they start to feel like they are failing and the negative emotions listed above can begin to happen and then the worst thing of all sometimes happens….they give up.  I read one blog of a young guy who is weighing himself several times a day and thinking he’s not doing something right because his weight is increasing during the day!   Talk about false expectations!

My advice to anyone feeling badly about their progress is to stop worrying about it!  Aim for a lifestyle change, take one day at a time, learn about exercise and nutrition, set short-term, realistic goals, do activities that are fun for you!  A permanent lifestyle change requires a transformation in thinking and attitude.  The physical transformation is the easy part and I guarantee it will happen if you give it enough time and do all the little things well every day.

Last night was one of those workouts where something is accomplished that makes you feel on top of the world!  The title of this blog says it all, but there’s a story behind this accomplishment I want to share that might be helpful to someone.

When I started to lift just over 4 years ago, it took me about a year to reach my first bench press goal - 135.  After that, I wasn’t too concerned about making gains on bench press - I worked chest every week, but only did bench once in awhile.  I didn’t really keep track of what weight I was lifting, but I know it was in the 135 to 185 range.  It was just another exercise out of many.  I saw guys at the gym putting on 4 plates, total of 225, and doing a lift with this much weight really impressed me.  These guys had big upper bodies and had worked hard to get to that point…it never even crossed my mind that I could one day do it too.

Then, last fall I got on this site and what I read changed everything.  People older than me, who weighed less than me, and frankly, who looked smaller than me, were doing bench press of 225+ regularly.  I was motivated to work on my bench, and that new motivation, combined with cleaning up my diet and supplementing with whey protein, helped me increase my bench numbers (along with all my other lifts too!)  By mid-December I was doing 185 for 10 reps, and lower reps on weights up as high as 215.

When I go for a heavier lift for the first time I like to have a spotter watching me.  It really boosts my confidence since I don’t have to worry about getting into trouble.  The problem is, the times I work out there is often no one there I can call upon to spot me.  One night near the end of December I was working on bench and I felt strong.  It was the right time for me to go for that monumental 225 lift!  There was a guy there who I’d seen spotting before, so I asked him to watch me.  I said just give me a little help if the bar stops moving.  To make a long story short, on the ascent he put both hands on the bar and helped me, even though I didn’t need any help at that point.  Guess I wasn’t moving the bar fast enough for his liking!  So, I lifted 225 but with the help of a spotter, so I felt like I ‘cheated’ in a way and I wasn’t satisfied.  But I was so close I knew I could do it next time!

The next time I did Bench Press there was no one there to spot me, so I didn’t go for the 225.  I did lots of reps at lower weight.  Then, a setback.  I had a fall at the skating rink in early January, landing on my right arm and hand.  I sprained my wrist and hurt my arm between the shoulder and elbow.  It was several days before I could use my hand normally again, and my arm ached.  I was very disappointed since this injury totally threw off my split training at the gym.  For the next six weeks I did mostly legs, abs, and back, and gradually started lifting light dumbbells again as I waited for the injuries to heal. The first time I tried a barbell again I couldn’t even lift the barbell alone without pain.

By the start of March I was able to use the arm and hand normally again.  I had no trouble lifting the same weights I was using before the injury, except for bench press!  I had lost a lot of my strength gains, and struggled to do 200.  During March and the first 3 weeks of April I worked diligently, and had gotten back to an unassisted lift of 221.  That same night I tried 225 but couldn’t get it (only 4 more pounds I know!), the side I had the injury on was the problem, it was lagging behind the other side.  But I knew I was very, very close.  Next time I did bench I would warm-up and then go for the 225, while I was still fresh.   But wouldn’t you know it, before I tried bench again I re-injured the arm while doing flat bench dumbbell press using 90 lbs. Thankfully, it was only a minor thing and I gave it a few days rest and it felt fine again.  But, I knew that for awhile I would have to be very careful not to put too much strain on it.  For the next two weeks I I didn’t do chest, which brought me up to last night.

I was feeling good, I had someone to spot me, so the time had come to go for the 225.  I did a warm-up of 135×10, then put on two more 45 lb plates.  I had waited so long to do that lift, I was determined to give it my all.  The worst that could happen is if my arm wasn’t fully healed I would agrivate it again, but I didn’t care.  Success was so close, I wanted it bad.  I told the spotter not to touch the bar unless I said ‘OK’.  I got into position, took a couple of deep breaths, and then I nailed that sucker with no trouble at all!  All of my hard work and patience had paid off and the feeling of reaching that goal was one of the best things I’ve ever felt!  I’ve joined a handful of people at my gym that I’ve seen lift 225.  Best thing is, I know from how that lift felt I can do more.  I’ll continue to train to get reps at 225 and increase my maximum lifts.

I have achieved something I didn’t conceive possible a few years ago.  To do it I needed to work hard, have patience, and overcome injuries.  If I can do it, anyone can!  

I love the British show Coronation Street.  I’ve been watching it for 4 years.  It’s just so different from typical North American ones, it’s hard for me to explain.  The characters seem more real.  Anyone who’s watched it will know what I mean.  Watching lately I’ve been wondering, do the way these people abuse their bodies reflect the reality of every day life in England?  I mean, if these characters living in Weatherfield who congregate at the Rovers Return Inn are typical of the average Brittoner, then that nation is in big trouble as far as health is concerned!  There’s a crowd drinking in virtually every episode, someone is usually getted drunk, and everyone seems to think its perfectly all right.  Then there’s the smoking…several of the characters are lighting up every chance they get!  What kind of message are they sending to young viewers?  Next comes the food…some of the characters are overweight and I have no problem with that fact, it’s just that no one seems to care about what they eat!  They have constant ‘fry ups’, eat bacon butties(sandwiches) regularly, buy sweet pastries for their work breaks, eat truckloads of greasy fish and chips, eats ‘crisps’ (potatoe chips?) at the bar, and the latest thing is a donair shop (or ‘kabobs’ as they call them).  No one on that show seems the least bit concerned about their health! (LOL)

My workout yesterday proved to be just as good for my ego and confidence as it was for my body!  I was doing deadlifts, nothing unusual for me, doing lifts from 225 to 315.  Not huge weight, but good for me, and something that I don’t see being done in my gym.  The deadlifters at my gym are few and far between, and those I see doing it don’t go to 315.

A couple of younger guys came in, one that I talk to regularly (I’ll call him John) and one that I’ve ever just said hello to (I’ll call him Bob).  John showed up when I was lifting 225.  He did a double take when he saw me, and then said ‘you’ve gone mad!’  We chatted a little, I didn’t make a big deal out of what I was doing, but I could tell he was impressed.  Now this boosted my ego because he’s really fit with huge arms, but he’s never done the deadlift.  Then, when I did my 2 reps at 315, I saw him in the mirror and he stopped his set of lat pull downs to watch me!

Bob was doing his own thing near where I was lifting.  I did my last lift and was taking off the plates when he came up to me and started talking.  He asked how much I was lifting, then he said he used to do deadlifts years ago but he hurt himself because he wasn’t doing it right, and he’s been afraid to try again.  He said how hard they were and that it was a great exercise, especially for the back, and that he can see that they are really working for me.  I didn’t know what to say!  I just said I enjoy doing them, I’m careful not to hurt myself, and I’ve been increasing the weight slowly over several months to get where I am now.  He seemed impressed with what I was doing, just like John.

For these two regular gym goers, both who are probably 5-10 years younger than me, to react like that to my deadlifts was a great ego boost to me!  All my life I’ve just been average at anything I’ve done, wether it be sports, hobbies, academics, or work.  I’ve been searching for something I can be above average at.  I know that having a fit body at my age (42) will make me stand out from the crowd, and it seems like my ability to deadlift makes me stand out at the gym too!  Getting this reaction just increases my motivation to keep working hard and it makes me even more dedicated to keep up with this healthy lifestyle.