Speak it, believe it, achieve it!

This Figure athlete competed at yesterday’s (April 26) OCB Eastern Regionals. The emcee reported her age as being 62. That’s SIXTY-TWO.

P.S. Here’s a lnk to my Photobucket album, too.

Maddi wrote a blog. A great blog, but one that I disagreed with. Am I cowardly or smart?

She’s right. Something should be done. I just don’t necessarily agree that a steroid user speaking out would be the most effective approach. Or maybe I misunderstood her.

Things won’t change until someone (a great mass of “someones”) protests the current insanity. BUT I wouldn’t want to be the first person to take on the current regime. They’ll be cut down like nothing.

Marion Jones is in prison now for doing what the U.S. citizens demanded she do - become a champion for us to be proud of. She had so much natural talent, but then to go against the world’s best - a world’s “best” who are all using gear, how could she not be tempted or coerced into taken similar drugs?

It’s a fine line between supplements and drugs. What’s the difference? It’s semantics. Arnold used back in the day and it was legal. Now the same action is ILLEGAL simply because of a law. Words on paper.

The substances used haven’t changed much, but the legal consequences certainly have. I don’t believe human growth hormone was used as much years ago, but I’m no steroid guru.

Regardless, I don’t think it’s time at all to speak out. Not as an individual who uses (which I’m not). What we need is a spokesperson for sanity who does not use. The Pope? An AIDS or HIV patient? Someone innocent and without an agenda.

OCALA, Fla. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced the actor Wesley Snipes to three years in prison for willfully failing to file tax returns.

Mr. Snipes, who was convicted in February, received one year for each count, to be served consecutively, and an additional year of probation. The sentence was handed down by Judge William Terrell Hodges of Federal District Court.

A member of Mr. Snipes’s legal team said they would appeal. “We were hoping for a complete acquittal,” the lawyer, Linda Moreno, said. “I have faith in the process, and I have faith in the jury system. We will appeal.”

I’ve enjoyed lots of Wesley Snipes films over the years. His physique and athleticism played a big part in his popularity. That seems pretty obvious. It’s also obvious that he was pointed in the wrong direction with regard to paying his taxes. I hope he wins his appeal. Snipes did offer $5 million towards his $17 million back taxes prior to the sentencing. The judge refused the payment, but someone from the IRS eventually took the money. Big surprise there, eh?

Snipes in a scene from Undisputed

In happier days…

P.S. According to the following clip, Snipes was facing up to SIXTEEN years in prison. Zoinks!

The OCB 2008 Eastern Regionals were held yesterday, April 26, in Baltimore, Maryland, at the New Town High School. John Puskarich always puts on an entertaining and fast-paced show. Ticket price for the evening show (which started at a very comfortable 4 p.m.) was $25. I got there at exactly 4 p.m.

It was a nice two-hour drive there and back. Left around 1:30 (took a few wrong turns) and got home at 10 p.m. Monster storm on the way home and some monster muscle while I was enjoying the contest and all its different categories - Figure 101, Bodybuilding Novice with two weight classes, Figure Novice with two height classes, Bodybuilding Junior, Bodybuilding 101, Figure over 35, Women’s Bodybuilding both novice and open, Bodybuilding 40+, Figure Novice, Bodybuilding Men’s Open with three weight categories, and Female Fitness Models.

P.S.

Here’s a video of the biceps contest that was held during a break in the bodybuilding and figure competitions:

Experience counts, of course, but quite literally tons of people have experience. What separates individuals - for better or worse and whether it’s a valid measuring stick or not - is often that piece of paper.

http://nsca-lift.org/ - National Strength and Conditioning Association

I’m heading back to bed in a few, but I Googled NPC and OCB to see if there were any bodybuilding contests today. The OCB Eastern Regionals are being held today, April 26, in Baltimore at 4 p.m.

OCB is an acronym for the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders.

I’ve been to at least one excellent OCB competition. The promoter had a push up contest, trivia contest during breaks in the action, an on point and informed emcee, and, yeah, a decent group of competitors.

It’s just under a two-hour drive for me.

P.S.

Remember Robert Fulghum?

He’s the man who wrote All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

Wonderful words.

And then THE REAL WORLD comes along, steals your nap blanket, and takes your milk and cookies, too!

Here’s a possible follow-up for Robert Fulghum to investigate. It’s called All I Really Need to Know I Learned in the Gym and the book might feature the yellow triangle and its familiar exclamation point!
  

Do you see these stickers on the weight equipment at your gym? They’ve got that symbol and text that reads, something like, FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY RESULT IN SEVERE INJURY OR EVEN DEATH!

Nice.

Pay attention or this sh!t might hurt you and kill you. It seems almost absurd, but obviously the warning labels are necessary. There was a hole in the wall at the gym attributed to someone flying off the treadmill. I’ve never seen anyone actually do a face plant on one of those things, but I have seen people stumble and then quickly recover.

…

Okay, Okay, I have been that person. But, hey, I quickly recovered!

And anyone can recognize pinch points on various weight machines, though you’d have to be seriously NOT PAYING ATTENTION to place your hand under a moving weight stack.

Training partner: “How many sets are you going to do on this machine?”

(places hand on weight stack)

Other guy: “Well, about…”

(weight stack descends on training partner’s hand)

Training partner: “AAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!! OMIGOD, MY HAND!!!!”

I’m sure it has happened.

Warning labels and stickers are a surefire indicator that a lawyer has run some company through the ringer due to the absolute stupidity (or rotten luck) of some otherwise fantastic individual.

There’s a standing calf machine at the local Gold’s Gym. The cable runs directly in front of your face as you use the machine. It’s normally in the back of my mind, “Where would that cable fly if something snapped? Would it simply drop the weight or would that thing crack me between the eyes?”

Anyway.

P.S. (Edited to reply to my own question below. D’OH!)

Ah, of course!

P.P.S.

Just an amazing athelete. And what a smile!

That’s Kim at the 2007 Arnold Classic finals.

According to her Bodybuilding.com profile, Kim is 5′5″, 138 lbs., and single.

Although she placed lucky 13 at the Arnold, Kim was the silver medalist at the 2007 IFBB Sacramento Pro Bodybuilding Grand Prix.

I just ordered another bottle of Hydroxycut.

And I’m adding Anator P70 to my arsenal for the transformation attempt.

I’ve had it in the apartment for a loooong time and figured now would be a good time to apply the MuscleTech leverage.

VOTE!

Update: cnn.com