Have you ever noticed how ignorant people tend on the aggregate not to be the most open minded, creative, passionate people in the world? Now I don’t want to color all ignorant people with the same brush, however let me just say this. Bodybuilding is an art form like it or not….and for all those who disagree, watch Pumping Irons 25th anniversary edition. Now who funded the film after the producer ran up a huge American Express bill while filming the movie? Short answer many people in the art community fascinated by what the Human Physique was capable of looking like when masterfully sculpted through handwork, dedication, and most importantly "Training Smart".

Most ignorant people follow everyone else’s lead, and don’t have a thought or opinion of their own…some are even scared to think for themselves…SCARY! They might ask me "Why", and I immediately ask them "Why Do You Care"? Look at guys like Jim Cordova who Get It and many of the great bodybuilder of the "Golden Era"….they also "Got It". Now I’m not saying allot of guys in the IFBB don’t get it today, but what I am saying is that there is also allot more criticism today…the comoradry of the 70s has all but vanished amongst most pros today. When I look at guys like Frank Zane, I see "Art", just look at his physique when he was in his prime…it’s incredible. And what I like even more about Zane is the fact that if you saw the guy in street clothes even in his prime he didn’t look "Freaky Big". This is an art from make no mistake about it….and art form which can change some lives for the better or worse depending on which path they choose to embark on. Like many art forms which are pushed to the edge, and deal with extremes. this art form is no different. Be happy, be proud you are part of community such as Bodspace where you can mingle with other "Artists", who have similar passions and desires…and who will ultimately help assist you in creating your own "Rembrant"!

You know sometimes I just get some dam tired especially this time of the year here in Las Vegas when it’s extremely hot outside! The culprit however is usually something which is totally fixable and something we are mostly comprised of as human beings. Yes you guess it, the culprit is water….which always knows exactly what to do when it’s in the human body, it has no agenda etc…it goes exactly where is supposed to go. Unlike other sugary drinks etc, which require a massive insulin spike water is pure, and goes right to the source. Remeber we are all Bioelectrical units, and every cellular process in the human body is dependenet on water or H20. Try purchasing a Poly Carbonated 1 Gallon container and take with you when you leave the house in the morning….I guratnee after a while you will notice a little extra bouce in your step.

I think of the biggest challenges for me and other fitness body builder enthusiasts is training only when fully recovered. I was watching the following video seen here on Bodybuilding.com today http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/insidethelife11.htm, and DR JOE Klemczewski.

makes  some really good points. There is nothing that frusterated me more then doing (IE) deadlifts unless I’m 100% recovered! Deadlifts are probably the greatest growth stimulator for the human body, however if there is some overlap in your routine, or you haven’t slept enough, ate properly they can be a pain in the ASS no phun intended. Today for instance I trained quads, I won’t be able to deadlift until Saturday…..that’s just how long it takes me to recover. The same has always held true when training chest for example. I wouldn’t be able to adequetly train Shoulders and Triceps until 72 hours rest has lapsed. I can really relate to DR Joe, as I’m not a genetic freak like him and layne Norton, and have to really train intelligently if I’m going to make progress. I hear how some people can do leg extensions before squatting etc….that’s great however that simply doesn’t work for me. I need / want to be 100% fresh in the quadricept / hamstring area if I’m going to squat…I want to really overlaod the region stimulating growth.

Okay so after a long layoff I have found that squatting for the first time in my life is rather unconformable…probably attributed to muscular imbalances throughout my body. I decided to use the leg press machine at the gym today doing the following.

 Leg Press
2 Warmup 100lbs 12 reps

1X 200lbs 6 reps

1X 400lbs 6 reps

1X 450lbs 4 reps

Now I go all the way back until my knees touch my chest on every set. I figured out the problem, my legs are extremely week after the the long layoff. I also did the following immediately after performing the above

 Hack Squats

1X200lbs 6 Reps

1×275lbs 4 Reps

Ham String Curls

1X 140lbs 6 reps

1X 160lbs 4 reps

I’m going to perform the following routine for the next 3-4 weeks, ofcourse with an emphasis on getting stronger each and every workout…otherwise what’s the point right?

Nutrition

Immediately following workout 60 Grams Of Why Isolate Protein, 2 Scoops Of TOR, 5 Grams of L-Glutamine. 45 Minutes later Potato, banana. 15 minutes later FREE FORM AMINO ACIDS by Jomar Labs..I take both their Wack blend and FREE FORM Blend as directed.

In my attempt to put on 10lbs of lean rock hard muscle mass spanning over the next two months, I’m going to have to both train and eat smart. I started taking Cell Mass again today, which should give me a nice little "Lift", no phun intended while training(-: Tomorrow or specifically Monday 5-26-09 I’m going to train Triceps, Shoulders, Biceps….here is how my routine will break down. **(Note I Will Update My Progress Via This Page Before / After Every Training Session)**
(Shoulders) 3 X 4-6 Reps of standing Smith Machine military presses.

(Triceps) 3X 5 Reps Close Grip Bench

(Triceps) 2X 6 Reps Skull Crushers

(Rear Deltss) 2X 8 Reps  Rear Delt Machine

(Biceps) 3 x 6 Reps Standing Barbell Curls….will vary grip.

It’s pretty simple and straight forward training with an emphasis on getting stronger each and every week.  If your not getting stronger, chances are your now growing either. Pre Workout I will take Xtend 2 Scoops, as I can’t tolerate food in the morning before a workout. Post Workout I will consume 2 Scoops of TOR, Mixed With 2 Scoops or Specifically 50 Grams of Whey Isolate Protein, and 5 Grams of L-Glut amine. 1 hour later I will again either take 2 scoops of Xtend, or my free form amino acids by a company out of California called Jomar Labs….they have Great Stuff.

Okay so I’m going through a nasty divorce right now, and instead of dwelling on all the negative crap / energy….I’m instead immersing myself in training. I just finished reading Russel Simmoms "Do You", which is also available on Audio Book by the way. Russel discusses the importance of meditation, and yoga…two huge staples in his own personal life for relieving stress. I personally have found that running (IE) 5 miles in the scorching sun here in Las Vegas can be a "Godsend", when I’m feeling stressed to the brink.

Lets face it we are living in incredibally stressful times, and although all this modernity was supposed to make our lives easier there is always (IE) one more email to answer, or one more text message to send to our beloved friends and family members. This all equates into less time for many of us who are business owners / eutreopreuners to focus on our businesses. This morning after dropping my 4 year old off at day care I almost elected not to go train, and started telling myself mentally all the reasons I couldn’t train today. However I counteracted those thoughts with all the reasons I needed to train and ended up going to the gym and having a fabulous workout.  I think I read on Super Maines profile where he stated the only thing we really own are our "Minds And Our Bodies", so true buddy! Take care of your body, which has an effect on your mind and good things are bound to happen for you!

All I have to say is WOW as a classic ectomorph this have been instrumental in helping me get shredded. I’m not looking to get huge anymore, just want a nice physique with nice lines. One aspect of bodybuilding I always hated when competing was the grueling nutritional regimen I had to be on when I was training….I couldn’t stand litteraly "Force Feeding", myself. I rarely eat breakfast anymore, a cardinal sin to most in the bodybuilding world for hormonal reasons….just ask Layne Norton. Anyways I learned along time ago that "Ones Mans Bread Is Another Mans Dead". In a Nutshell this might work well for many others and be an absoloute nightmare for "Many Others"….the key is finding out what works for you not what works for your favorite bodybuilder, fitness model, athlete, etc!

As a competitive natural bodybuilder in my early teens, I won 1st place and then third place in a couple NPC based shows or in laymen terms…"Non-Drug Tested Shows".  Back in 1996 when I was competing in Bodybuilding I took a basic whey protein powder, creatine Monhydrate, and a good multi Vitamin.."That Was Pretty Much The Extent Of My Supplementation". I manged through sheer will power and desire to bench press 340lbs at a weight of only 169lbs, as a classic ectomoprh even though I really didn’t know what the hell I was doing when it came to nutrition.
So when I decided to start training again seriously two months ago at the age of 32… I made a commitment to myself that I would shatter every record I have previously set as a teen. So like many of you I started doing a little research and really started focusing on PRE / INTRA / POST nutrition. I decided initially in relation to the "PRE", portion of my nutrition to start taking BSNs very popular NO-XPLODE! For the first 6 weeks I felt like a mad man in the gym, giving 100% intensity while working out powering through my training like there was no tomorrow…funny I mention "No Tomorrow", considering as you will soon read I almost missed tomorrow! I laid off NO-XPLODE for two weeks, and then decided to start taking it again stacked with Controlled Labs "Blue Up", which is a a nautral Testosterone Booster "PRE Workout"
So this morning after waking up at 9:30 AM I took the following.

1.)2 Scoops EAS Whey Protein Powder

2.)15 Grams Of L-Glutamine to increase GH or Growth Hormone Levels Prior to working out.

3.) 5 Grams of L-Arginine

4.) 1 Bannana

5.) 1 Scoop Of Cell Mass

9:50 AM before getting in the showe (QTY2) cups of coffee.
So at this point I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary and felt great, however as you will soon read what I did next was put myself in a very precarious, or dangerous situation.

10:50AM

I started drinking NO-EXPOLDE on the way to the gym and foolishly stacked it with Controlled Labs "Blue Up"…a natural testosterone booster as discussed above. I arrived at the gym with my Brother In Law around 11:30AM, and immediately we both jumped right into Flat Bench Press as we had planned on hitting both chest and back throughout the training session. I warmed up with a casual 135lbs for 6 reps before throwing 335lbs up for three reps. Still at this point no problems felt great, strong and incredibly pumped even after performing a fast twitch set. Next I dropped the weight down to 275lbs for 5 reps, and again not to be redundant but I felt great…full of piss and vinegar as I always tend to be when I train in general. Now on my third set I decided to recruit some slow twitch muscle fibers and banged out 225lbs for 11 reps with my hands out really wide. Whenever I go wide on Flat Bench in the (IE) 10-15 range it gives my chest a killer pump….this time unfortunatly "Killer", was a a little to close for comfort.

Immediately after performing the set I knew something was wrong. I felt dizzy and my resting heart rate was going through the roof. I couldn’t accurately gauge how high it was, as my main priority at this point was simply not passing out, and trying to figure out a way to get my heart rate down. I then started hearing all these weird sounds etc, and felt like I was moving in slow motion. After 20 minutes my heart rate continued to race out of control and I confided in my Brother In Law that it would be best if we left the Gym…maybe to the nearest hospital? He asked me if I was okay to drive and I replied I’m feeling a little better so with that we vacated the Gym Parking lot. After only driving for two miles my heart rate really started to skyrocket, so we pulled into a vacant parking lot where I decided I would drink a ton of water and force myself to puke it up. I jumped out of my Explorer drank to 12 oz bottles of water I have in the back of my Explorer for emergencies and stuck two fingers down my throat in an attempt to empty out the contents inside of my stomach. At first I had limited success however after around 5 minutes everything started to come up in droves. However now unfortunately my heart rate was beating faster then ever…and Brother In Laws cell phone was ready to call 911. I decided to wait it out a little longer and after around 15 of the most Excruciating Painful, Body Shaking Violently,  Downright Scared minutes of my life my heart rate started to come down…..Yeah I’m  FREE… FREE at Last or at least I thought! For the next two hours these violent attacks would come and go, and finally after around three hours my Resting Heart Rate was normal, even though I still have at the time of the writing a massive headache!

Okay obviously I broke what should be a Cardinal Rule, associated with the use of BB supplementation. Whenever trying a new supplement such as Controlled Labs "Blue Up", make sure you don’t stack it with anything else initially and maybe even possibly take less then the recommended dose when first experimenting with the supplement. Here is where I think I went wrong…if anyone has any advice I’m all ears, and eyes(-:

I usually don’t train in the morning but rather around 5PM. Because I trained early I had my usually two cups of Coffee / Protein, L-Glutamine, L-Arginie, drink not to mention my A-Typical Cell Mass Drink right before taking both NO-XPLODE stacked with "Blue Up". I think the combination was just to much for my body to handle digestivly speaking in around an 1 hour time frame hence the absolutely horrible side effects I derived were probably attributed to this. I have also come to realize as a result of this whole ordeal that "More Is Most Definatly Not Better", and after doing some research can even be fatal. Hey Lets face it we all want to put on as much lean quality head turning muscle mass as fast as hummingly possible, however as natural bodybuilder aren’t we supposed to personify health and fitness? When I was puking up my guts in some vacant parking lot, as a direct result of mixing to many supplements to fast I felt anything but healthy. I also want to mention that I don’t blame either supplement(s) for the aforementioned reaction but rather myself for foolishly mixing to much "Stuff" together way too fast!

As stated above I have had tremendous result with NO-XPOLDE as a stand alone PRE WORKOUT drink, however still have no definitive conclusion(s) about what "Blue Up", can do when taken as a stand alone supplement prior to training.  All I can definitvly say is I will never take the two of these together prior to training weather I’m training in the morning or at night…..that one ladies and gentlman you can "Bet The Farm On"!

I found the following form useful for those including myself who wish to use this supplement in the future discussing both the PROs / Cons associated with this supplment which can be found here http://reviews.bodybuildingforyou.com/BSN/NO-Xplode.htm. I found one post in particualr intriguing regarding the use of taking this in conjunction with a protein drink.

"TRY USING NOXPLODE IN YOUR PROTEIN SHAKE BEFORE A WORKOUT AS I DO

I have been taking protein shakes for 25+ years and NOxplode for at least 3 years….

When you take a protein base supplement with a product for energy stimulation…you slow your absorbtion rate down, but more importantly you digest the product with protein this way for better absorbtion into the muscle cells, you stablize any blood sugar swing, and create a better balanced preworkout in my opinion…

This should help over energized or headaches or any other reactions to NOxplode !!"
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You bust ass in your gym, and then you do the unthinkable or commit a major atrocity against your body. The atrocity your just committed is failing to saturate your muscles with enough of the following within 1 hour of Post Workout!
1.) Whey Isolate Protein Powder.

2.) Rice Cakes, or Dextrose…cup of white rice will do.

3.) L-Glutamine 10 grams is what I take…play around and find what works best for you.

4.) 3MG of quality Vitamin C

5.) Multivitamin

6.)L-Arginie

Now what scares the crap out of me as a "Natural Bodybuilder" is (IE), driving home from the gym and god forbid my car breaks down on the side of the road. Now if I my car does indeed break down on the side of the road I’m in a a really tough or "Sticky Situation" aren’t I?! I know if I don’t get the aforementioned  nutrients in my body within 1 hour post workout….I basically just wasted 1 1/2 F&*(% hours in the gym! See folks this how you got to think…this has to be your mindset when your trying to pack on as much lean quality shredded, Head Turning muscle mass as hummingly possible. And it’s not just a matter of training really hard, and subscribing to a number of often times faddist Bodybuilding nutritional regimens which are out there. No folks I hate to break it to you…..but the river runs far deeper then that! I was reading one Layne Nortons articles today on Bodybuilding.com, and came across a book Dave Goodin, recommended in relation to really  getting everything dialed in as a natural "BodyBuilder". The Book is titled

Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition

Now I haven’t read the book yet, but plan to very soon. As some of you are aware of I competed briefly as a teenanger in two bodybuilding shows. In hindsight with 20/20 vision it’s a miracle I won 1st place in my first show, and a disappointing third place in my second show considering I knew very little about the Science of "Natural Bodybuilding"! There is a method to this madness.. a system which I believe can help many of us, overcome inferior genetics when compared to  the genetically gifted freaks who it seems can look at a weight and GROW!  Now I’m not talking about a "One Size Shoe Fits All", approach but rather an individualized system which will help you get the most of your body, mind, and spirit! It’s not a journey for the weak, but a rather a journey tailor made for the warrior. The warrior who wants more out of life then to just merely exist! See most people conscious of this or not are just merely existing! These people go to work everyday, come home drink a beer eat a TV dinner what have you and then do it all over again the next day….sounds like a freaking blast doesn’t it(Sarcastic)! It’s kind of like growing up poor, if you have never known what it’s like to have money, then you have nothing to compare it to right? Well what about being in the best shape of your life, and I’m not just talking about being lean here. I’m talking about having a physique even the great Leionardo Devinchi couldn’t have  imagined in his wildest artistic dreams! 99% of the people reading this will probably never know what that feels like, because there not willing to pay the price. This price tag is far different from any other commodity out there which has an actual "Price Tag", and can be purchased with money etc. You can’t purchase the body of your dreams, you have to earn it though sheer pain, a nutritional regiment tailor made for your body, and sheer willpower…remember Warrior! Allot of you might Cringe when I mention the "Pain", aspect, however this is what "Gets Me Going", a test of mind, body, and spirit.

I have to be totally honest with you guys, back in 1996 when I was competing in bodybuilding shows as a teen I ate really well, drank a gallon of good clean water everyday, and took a basic whey protein…..that was pretty much it. Creatine was around and I did use it occasional in High School, stirring it vigorously with Grape Juice for the intended insulin spike…however it was always really hard on my stomach if you know what I mean. Fast forward 13 years…and wow how the supplement industry has changed…..I think for the better?

So I have been researching what to take as far as supplementation goes, and here is what I’m going to start out with…..and "Why" I’m going to be using them.

EAS Whey Isolate Protein (5lbs Bag)- I’m taking this because I have always taken EAS protein and it’s a steal at $29.99 for 5lbs at my local Sams Club here in Las Vegas.

No-Explode-Taken 45 minutes before training and 1/2 scoop following training
Cell-Mass

Animal Packs-"Pre Workout", for an extra burst of energy to fuel my training session’s.

5-Tetra- I know nothing about this supplement at the time of this witting.  I just finished reading "The Power That Moves Muscle", by John Pavlik, who raved about this stuff…so I’m going to give it a try.

Now if I remember one thing and one thing from my teenage bodybuilding days it was "Staying Organized". I do take quite a few Free Form Amino Acids, Vitamins, EFAs, and minerals for various health related reasons, (Note) if anyone wants to learn more about supplementing there diet with Free Form Amino Acids check out http://www.aminoacidpower.com. I take around 40 different capsules daily so what I usually do is put them all in a set of 30 individual Baggies for the month which takes around 1 hour every month. If I had to open each bottle individually every day it would be come extremely tiresome, and boring….so I usually put everything in baggies while watching football…etc.The bag is comprised as stated above of FREE FORM Amino Acids, Vitamins, EFAs, and Minerals. I take everything in one shot in the morning on an empty stomach so there are no absorption issues. 1/2 later I take EAS protein 2 scoops or 50 grams, coupled with 10 grams of L-Glutamine, and 5 Grams of L-Arginie.I usually mix everything in my Vitamix…basically a blender on steroids with soymik, banana and crushed ice…it’s dam close to drinking something from Dairy Queen…yes it’s that Good, not to mention dam good for you!