Speak it, believe it, achieve it!

Well, the dollar signs certainly catch your attention, don’t they? Nice source of motivation, naturally, but changing your physique to a shape, size, or dimension previously unvisited? That’s some powerful motivation as well, right?

Saw MuscleTech’s ad for the contest on my profile page in that little ad section that’s there. I used Hydroxycut last year during my cut. I was limiting myself to 1500 calories per day or less, doing cardio five times per week, and lifting three times per week, so I’m not sure how much of my weight loss to attribute to MuscleTech. Regardless, it sure didn’t hurt, in my opinion.

Here’s a part of the text advertising the contest and a couple of links, too:

"MuscleTech® has teamed up with BodySpace to officially launch The MuscleTech® $50,000 Transformation Contest Presented By BodySpace. Find all the details below. Do you have what it takes to win nearly 50 large?"

MuscleTech® $50,000 Transformation Contest details page!

And here’s the corresponding Forum.

Remember fire drills in elementary school? The teacher would line you up and lead you out of the building? You’d be standing with your classmates wondering if it was a real fire or just a drill. The drills were important to raise awareness and to practice lining up and maintaining some order leaving the building.

What would you do - by way of dealing with or preparing for emergencies - if you had a Victor Martinez-like rupture or muscle tear?

Your hamstring rolls up the back of your leg or your biceps is suddenly bunched up around your shoulder? What next? Do you have a plan for such a serious accident? Do you have an orthopedic surgeon on speed dial?

I guess most people (myself included) would go to their family doctor and get a referral to the next doc on the food chain. Anyone have experience in this type of scenario? I started thinking of this last night while I was icing my left arm. Tweaked something while doing back and biceps.

YouTube must have increased their limits. Previously, I couldn’t upload the entire video from last year’s New York show because it was too big. And I couldn’t get a video splitter to work to save my frigging life.

Anyway, they upped their limit, apparently, and here’s the full six minutes I recorded that night:

I participated in a product review of Gaspari’s Lemon Burst SuperPump250 from November 26, 2007 which was the date I began my journal until January 6, 2008 when I posted my final wrap up.

SuperPump works. I loved it and am still using it. I purchased my first container before I had been selected as a participant in the review. They chose me as one of the finalists and I began to scribble and snap photos.

The process was very enjoyable. As great as the supplement, in fact. Camaraderie among the reviewers, reading their journal entries, writing my own, posting pics, just fantastic. The journal (and an increase in size and strength, of course) was the reward and so I was very surprised when I read a post by deserusan where he stated in part:

“Curt,

We’ve selected you as the testimonial of the month which means you won the full line of products.”

And here they are! The works.

Like I said, participating in the review process was the reward, but I definitely appreciate the bonus of additional Gaspari supplements. For those with budgetary concerns (hey, it’s not lost on me), the dollar value of these products? Almost $310 regardless of whether you purchase it from Gaspari, MD’s CyberStore, or our beloved Bodybuilding.com Store! And tack on an additional forty to fifty dollars for the initial container of SuperPump250 plus the free Gaspari t-shirt I received in that first delivery, well, I’m looking at just about $375 of Gaspari Nutrition products at no charge. Zoinks!

Seriously, thank you, Daniel and Gaspari Nutrition.

Keep an eye on MsFitness’s profile and BodyBlog for updates on future review opportunities. Her post was my introduction. Thanks, Fern!

Many thanks to my fellow product reviewers.

And a special thank you to Zachary Adkins. Your comments and visits to my Gaspari journal were a great boost. Thanks!

So when do I get to look like Richie? I DON’T??? :(

TRUE!

Aaliyah’s debut album was titled Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number. I agree with that in part, however when I get out of bed in the morning, well, I disagree with that in part, too. I’ve earned or accumulated some aches and pains since I was 20. Since I was 30. Since I was 40.

During lunch today, a woman at work commented that 30 was nothing for her, but she was concerned about turning 40. I told her that I had a high school classmate - and then co-worker - who literally stayed in bed and cried all day over turning 30. It’s not just a woman thing either. A guy I know, his wife told me that he had considerable anxiety over hitting the big three-oh.

Those days are gone and I’m looking at the big FIVE-oh! Sure, it’s four years (and five months, three days, 15 hours, 55 minutes, and 12 seconds) away (not that I’m counting or anything), but that time will certainly fly.

I’m not worried about 50, though. It’s 60 that troubles me. Now SIXTY is oooold. Or that’s what I told the woman as we waited for our food to microwave. But I reconsidered and said that I bet when I reach that age then I’ll be upping the What Is Considered OOOLD limit. I’m guessing (if I make it that far) that at age 70 I’ll be saying, “Oh, 70 is nothing, but 90? Now THAT is OLD!”

My training partner is 26. I’m 45. Another regular in the gym is 75. There’s the three of us on the treadmill and the 26-year-old is telling me that a 29-year-old co-worker is old. I love that. What am I, dead?

…

Ahem. Excuse me.

Yeah, Aaliyah was right. Age ain’t nothing but a number, but it’s curious how your viewpoint changes as the time passes and the lumps and bumps add up.

I’m listening to No Bull Radio  from about a year ago. Dave Palumbo and John Romano are interviewing Gerard Dente. During the course of the interview, Dente commented on never getting his pro card. He drew a parallel with Dave Palumbo who also never earned his pro card, though both men competed at a very high level in national bodybuilding competitions.

Dente is the president of MHP supplements and Palumbo is the editor of MD’s online magazine as well as the president of Species Nutrition, his own supplement company. I’ve seen Palumbo driving a Mercedes in at least one of the MDTV episodes and Dente’s company is currently sponsoring IFBB Pro Victor Martinez. These two seem to be two examples of successful bodybuilders regardless of their pro status.

Dente spoke of retiring from bodybuilding and a large Twinlab contract in order pursue other interests. He decided that he no longer wanted to wait for that nod from the judges and, instead, wanted to follow a course of action where he had some control over the outcome.

Likewise, Dave Palumbo’s competitive career ended before being awarded a pro card yet he is currently very much involved in the sport and making, I’m certain, more money than many IFBB Pro athletes.

So the question I have is would these two men have achieved the level of success they currently have if they had been awarded their pro cards?

Maybe so, but maybe not. Did the disappointment at not getting that aforementioned nod in the form of a pro card spur both competitors to go after and ultimately achieve success in a different area of the bodybuilding world?

Definitely applies to the humor in the following BodyBlog courtesy of JJanet:

http://blog.bodybuilding.com/JJanet/2008/03/11/the-many-uses-of-a-cheesecake/

P.S. I really think a website similar to icanhascheezburger only substituting cheesecakes for cats would fly. Sign me up!

P.P.S. What do you do if you have short clavicles? What steps can you take if you have narrow shoulders? Perplexed? Supersets not working? Try CHEESECAKE!

BEFORE cheesecakes and… AFTER cheesecakes!

Easy fix! Insert one cheesecake in each t-shirt sleeve and presto! HYOOOG delts!

Mike Price, a.k.a. yngrich has been conducting interviews with BodySpacers recently. I think he does a fantastic job and thought I’d throw this unsolicited pointer up to share his talented and entertaining Q&A segments with anyone who regularly reads my BodyBlog and/or for those who stumble in here by accident or stride in purposefully! :)

I was relieved to get a 128/80 reading during a recent trip to the local blood donation center. The readings I’ve been slapped with at Walmart, the Giant grocer, and Target have been about 150/100, so the one by the donation office personnel was rockin’ for me.

Someone pointed out that those self-help machines are covered with blood pressure medication advertisements. Maybe they’re trying to motivate people to encourage their docs to put them on their drugs. Not me. I want no part of a lifelong drugging protocol. Keep your little pill.

So hopefully the machines are off and the nurse’s reading was correct. On the other hand I’ve seen people get 115/70 readings on the same machines, so…

Tonight I was thinking about the one sticker (not a medication ad either) that mentioned something like, "This machine designed for an arm of average size, 9 to 13 inches in circumference. If your arm exceeds this measurement…"

With my 13-inch exceeding pop gun (okay 13 3/4 unflexed and straight, hanging by my side) squozed all up in that sleeve thing, well, mayhap that put my typical reading in a tailspin.

I purchased Jason Ferruggia’s course maybe a year ago and am slowly (very slowly, right? A year ago?) wrapping my head around his workout plan. The workout only amounts to eight to twelve sets and is supposed to take about 30 minutes to complete. That’s worrisome. On the other hand, what do I have to lose? I’m ready for a workout change. I’m a lifelong hard gainer (I think that’s just a euphemism for a skinny son of a… who has never developed the 1975 Arnold physique, which, hey, is just about everyone on the planet, actually) and perhaps this training system will be the one that opens the doors to The House of Diesel for me.

Regardless, I’m going to be in the gym hopefully until the day I die. Hmm. Has anyone ever actually died in the gym? I’ve seen those stickers on the weight machines, something like, misuse of machines could cause injury or even DEATH!

Ouch.

For more info on Jason and his training philosophy, check out: http://www.relentless-athletics.com/