logos712’s BodyBlog

Going back a bit to a previous post, pick up any of the big muscle mags and look at how many supplement ads there are compared to articles. Yes, there’s a huge contrast. The supps industry is a multi-million (billion?) dollar racket,… I mean, industry. Now, some of these supps are good and legit. But, I’m beginning to think, a lot of it is old fashioned snakeoil, not to mention pure BS. How many "fatburners" have been yanked, not to mention have dozens of pending lawsuits (spike in blood pressure, heart attacks, severe mood swings, vomiting, nausea…etc)? What the vast majority needs is some good ol’discipline, like proper eating (you know what you should and shouldn’t have) and exercise. What else did guys like Dave Draper and Steve Reeves do?Not to mention boxers way back in ye olden days. They didn’t have all the pills, powder, and liquids we have now. All I’m saying is do some research before you spend a lot of money. Supplements are to be used with and not instead of diet and exercise.

How I long for the days of when people went to the gym to lift/pump iron and maybe get some cardio in. Instead, the gym has become another place to discuss politics, how you almost beat some MMA fighter in training (eyes were rolling when I heard this), or some other inanity. I thought the only sounds you were supposed to hear in the weight room were grunting, breathing, and the sound of plates and iron bars being racked. The gym isn’t the place for talking on the cell phone (it damn sure shouldn’t be in the weight room!) I see it more and more. Nor is the gym another " senior rec. room" I don’t want to hear about your liver spots, spider veins, or who’s regular and who isn’t. The gym is a temple, of sorts. A place to get ‘away from it all’, to relieve stress, anger, and frustration. It’s you and the task at hand. Now, don’t get me wrong, asking about reps & lifting techniques are one thing. But, if you’re going to take up space, discussing the latest stock to invest in…..take it somewhere else. For those of us (guys & gals, young & old) who go in with intense looks on our faces, psyching ourselves up…looking forward to the weight room the way some folks look forward to ‘all you can eat’ night…do you/we really wnat to hear about gardening, or some douchebag going through a divorce…over the phone?! While you/we got to concentrate on that last rep? Didn’t think so. I’m currently looking for one of those ‘old fashioned’ gymns where those who are serious about fitness go to lift, sweat, grunt & growl.

Question: Why do you train? Seriously. Answer that one, and you have your whole modus operandi. I’m not bemoaning contests like the Mr/Mrs.O, I think they’re good and rewarding. Certainly a good use of time considering what else one could be doing. But, if you win great, if you didn’t, don’t take it too personal. I understand that there are those who really train with intensity. That’s great. However, keep things in their proper perspective. You are up there being  judged, using some sort of criteria, by fellow human beings (we each have a different view of what’s beautiful and what isn’t). Each judge looks for different things, has their own biases. Your double bicep pose may be your signature move, but, it may not impress everyone. Did you really train just to get a trophy? Or is it something else? Your very being doesn’t hang on winning contests. There’s so much more to the bodybuilding lifestyle than that. It cannot be contained in mere sprints and dashes. It’s all about the continual marathon. By the way, if you compete, good luck to ya’. Hope you win.

As I’ve noted in my first posting, when I look around this site at some of the others and their successes, I’ve got to think "What’s my excuse?". I’ve seen numerous guys who are in their late 40’s to early 50’s, that are in peak condition. Probably better than they’ve ever been. Women, who’ve had several kids, that look great. Then, there are others who’ve rebounded from serious injuries, coming back better than before. Take a look, you’ll find plenty of these folks who probably asked themselves…"What’s my excuse?" There’s an old addage that’s applied to boxing and life: It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, what matters is how many times you get back up. That’s lesson #1 in the proverbial ‘School of Hard Knocks’ If you want it, you’ve got to earn it….no matter what. No excuses allowed. Keep on, keepin’ on.

I’ve looked through just about all of the muscle mags, and most of them are good. But, there’s one in particular (M—–D———-) that encourages the use of"legal" steroids. In fact, it features ads by one of the guys implicated in the BALCO scandal. My take is this: if you have to use any sort of "help", you’re in it for the wrong reasons. If you want your biceps bigger than your head, thus looking like a cartoon character, you’ll win nothing. It’s about proportion (see Frank Zane, for example). Also, do you really want to screw with your health? What are the long term effects of these? Yah, I know..’everyone does it’. Well, no everyone does not. Why the need to cheat yourself by sticking a syringe inside your veins, I’ll never know. Look at some of the "old guys" who never did that…Dave Draper, Steve Reeves, …Jack Lalanne for that matter. Acheive what they did in the way that they did. Through old fashioned hard work and proper eating. Like in any other facet of life, there are no quick fixes or short cuts.

Yeah, it’s one of your best friends. It doesn’t lie to you, keeps ya’ honest. It’s always there for you when you need it. It takes your pain, sorrow, anger, and fury. So long as you don’t go overboard on the training (lifting too much, too many reps); keeping that balance, that harmony….the iron will treat you kindly in return.

If you’ve ever looked at the famous ad, usually found in the back of comic books, you got more than just an ad. You glanced at one of the most successful print ads ever. More than that, it was profound. Brilliant even. There have been psychology students that have done term papers on it. On one page it hit to the center of the male psyche. How many pro and aspiring bodybuilders were influenced by that ad? Training to become bigger, to be "more". Apparently, everyone notices. Especially women. That is our root cause is it not? To a large extent it is. It’s undeniable. More important, it gave us a purpose. Something to achieve.

When I was a young kid back in the 70’s, turning 40 was a big deal. It was time to start looking for a good, comfy rocking chair. There was plenty of denial going on. This one neighbor I remember, just turning 40, went out and bought a Trans-Am with the fiery-phoenix on the front hood. This guy was trying to be like Burt Reynolds from Smokey and the Bandit. Thought it a bit odd even then.

But now, with improved nutrition, exercise, and education, 40 is now young. I’ve seen more and more folks in their 60’s running marathons and pushing serious iron in the gym. Just look at some of the profiles on this website…..truly amazing! Guys and gals in their mid-forties and older are looking and performing as good, if not better, than those who are in their 20’s.

When you reach "that age", you’re supposed to lay down in that easy chair and wait for the creaky joints to set in. Ladies, wear that shawl and get to knitting. Gents, there’s a sale on those slacks with the expanded waistline, no grumbling about how they feel either!

But, seriously…we have finally broken through the cultural hypnosis that once condemned the old to a life of physical and mental weakness. Maybe this generation didn’t get the memo about that?

The beginning of this year was also my new beginning. Time to remake, remodel, and redefine. Out the window goes inaction, sloth, and the "shoulda, woulda, coulda’s". I’ve just taken off from the starting line and I already notice and feel a difference. There’s still a very long way to go. It’s not a race, per se, but, a marathon. The prize? Looking better to the females ? Improved mind-body connection? Sure those are both good reasons. But, how about this…..better quality of life. God gave me this body to cultivate, not pollute. When the blood is pumpin’ you feel better. You feel alive. Makes sense, right?

So here’s to the beginning, the initial start. To reaching ‘the top’.

Welcome to the Bodybuilding.com BodyBlogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!