makattack98’s BodyBlog

Yesterday I was in the gym again for the second time since school officially got back in session. It was the busiest I have seen it in almost 8 months. Not to mention our school has opened its doors to the local Goodlife chain as they begin their major expansion at a new location. So not only is every student trying to hit the gym but so is every Goodlife client in the city.

At first I really hated the fact that the gym was so busy. It’s almost impossible to get a bench or squat rack. Also, so many first timers are in the gym half killing themselves and having tea parties near the dumbbell rack. I sound like a complainer, I know.

The big "however" comes with what happened to my workout partner and I yesterday. We finally locked up a bench and went to it. Neither of us had done bench in a while so we decided to start fairly low. So we did a set of 155, then 175, then 195, then 225, then 235!! "235!" I thought to myself. I had never even come close to lifting that kind of weight. I was freaking out, I was in the friggin zone, we were in the friggin zone.

So I asked myself today…was it just a good day? was I trying to impress the two incredibly beautiful girls doing curls right next to us? or was I just using the rare opportunity of snagging a bench in a packed gym?

Whatever the reason, I surprised myself, and I feel amazing today. I can’t wait to get back in there tomorrow.

Hey all,

I just wanted to write a quick post to share my excitement about being chosen as the ‘teen transformation of the week’ for the week of August 26th.

I want to say thank you very much to the people at bodybuilding.com who chose me to be featured. I consider it a huge honour to be picked.

Please check out the page at http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/transt46.htm

Thanks.

So I have finally returned from ended up being one of the best adventures of my young life. I left for New York City this past Sunday and returned last night. However, things did not go as smoothly as I had hoped.

On Sunday, I flew into Detroit from Toronto and waited to board a plane to New York. That flight ended up being delayed, then cancelled due to weather, so of course, chaos ensued and I managed to secure a spot on the next day’s flght at noon. I went to a hotel in Detroit and killed time until the next day.

After a short delay of my rescheduled flight, I made it into NYC and to my hotel without a real problem. That day I went exploring as much as I could before I had to meet my Master for training. The real purpose of my trip was to train in martial arts, specifically Kempo Jutsu, Aiki-Jujutus and Iai/Kenjutsu (Katana techniques). So I scoped out lots of great stuff like parts of Central Park and most of 5th Avenue. I have to say, New York is an amazing place to be when the weather is nice and people are out and about. Later that night I did some training for a few hours and returned to my hotel to rest.

The next day I woke up early to hit the tiny little fitness centre in the bottom of the hotel called New York Underground Fitness. I got my entire normal workout in despite the limited machines and racks. One thing did strike me as quite odd. I don’t know if I am just oblivious because I am Canadian but at least 3 or 4 times when I went to get a drink, someone would steal my machine like my towel sitting on the seat wasn’t a marker of anything. And this gym was small, there was no way they didn’t see me using it. I was really taken back.

After my workout, I hustled to Central Park and walked almost its entire length to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was my favourite part of my trip. That museum has so many beautiful things inside that left me speechless. I was really impressed. After the museum I did some training in a park in the Bronx, then went back to the community centre for more sword training. At the end of class, my master presented me with my blackbelt in Kempo Jutsu and Iai/Kenjutsu and my dojo headmaster’s license so that I can teach at my University this fall.

All in all, the trip was an experience to say the least. I had a great time, and apart from the little things in the gym, everyone was incredibly nice. Anyone who says New York is scary is in the wrong part of town or is a sissy.

So I will be heading to New York City tomorrow morning, specifically Manhattan to do some martial arts training with the Soke of Fukasa Kai Kempo Jutsu. ‘Soke’ means master. This guy is the highest ranking person in the entire organization and he has asked me to come train with for a few days so I can earn my dojo headmasters license and official blackbelt so that I may teach properly come the fall term.

I’ll be teaching Kempo Jutsu, Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu (Katana arts) and an MMA Instructional Training Class at my University’s Athletic Complex. I am really jacked to get a chance to share what I will learn from the Soke.
I’m staying in midtown Manhattan, right near Central Park and seconds from 5th Avenue. I am excited for my training, but I am more excited to be in the big city. (I’ve never been outside of Ontario or Michigan!). So while I am in Manhattan I was hoping to do some sightseeing and soak up the experience of being in the Big Apple. I’m a little nervous, but super psyched to be taking on this venture alone. So with that said…
Does anyone have any suggestions for cool things to check out in Manhattan?

Anybody know of any gyms around Central Park that would give me a free workout session?

Has anyone been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Is it worth checking out?

So this was a conversation I had with my father the other day. I figure I would share a slice of B.S. pie with anyone who reads this. Here is my transcribed version of the converstion we had.

Me: …"I drink almost a bag of skim milk everyday man."

Dad: "You shouldn’t drink that much milk, you shouldn’t drink any at all. A cow’s milk is made for baby cows to drink…Milk blocks your body’s natural ability to produce calcium."

Me: "What the hell are you talking about?! The human body is incapable of producing enough calcium to sustain itself over a long period of time. Ever heard of osteoporosis old man?" (My dad just turned 50 and I like to remind him of that)

Dad: "I think you need to look into that son."

Me: "No offense, but I’d rather not take health tips from a guy who smokes and drinks regularly."

So that was the end of that convo. He was pretty pissed that I was such a prick. But his statements made no sense to me. But just a note here, my dad and I are really close, so me being a prick usually doesn’t make him made, but I got kinda personal on this one.

Has anybody else heard his claim? 

What other nonsense has someone tried to convince you of in regards to nutrition and overall health? Hit me up with some comments, I would love to hear some stories.

I am 19 years old and recently got my personal trainer’s certification. At first, I decided that I would take the course for the sole purpose of learning more about fitness, training, nutrition etc. But after looking into the business itself a little bit more I realized how incredibly lucrative a career in personal training can be. However, there are several questions that have plagued my mind and have held me back in a few ways. Hopefully, anyone that reads this can give me some feedback about my doubts…

- Can a 19 year old be taken seriously as a personal trainer?

- Is youth an advantage to a club or disadvantage?

- (I have tattoos and piercings) Would anyone be willing to hire someone with my look?

Let me know what you guys think. I mean, I feel confident in my abilities to help someone meet there goals. I have personally accomplished quite a few goals myself and feel that my experiences could be beneficial to a lot of people. But being 19 and what some call "punked out", I assume, would turn people off from requesting my services.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

On April 8, 2008, the Minister of Health in Canada introduced Bill C-51 into the House of Commons.

This Bill proposes significant changes to the current Food and Drugs Act that will remove critical checks and balances from Health Canada.

Many natural health products that have been sold in Canada for decades would become unavailable, and remaining products would cost much more (Sections 13 & 18.7);

The government could designate any natural health product a prescription drug, making it available by prescription only (Section 15.1(4);
You could be fined thousands of dollars or go to jail for giving your child or friend a natural health product (Sections 31 & 3(3) - expanded definition of "sell");
Researchers would lose academic freedom: they could not study the beneficial effects of natural health products without first getting the government’s permission (Sections 3(6) & 18.2);

International laws that restrict access to natural health products could be made law in Canada without the approval of elected officials or any debate in the House of Commons (Sections 3(6) & 30(7);

To enforce this new law, inspectors could enter private property and (Section 23)  take anything at their discretion; never pay the owner for it;  charge the owner of the property a fee for shipping it to a secure storage unit  charge the owner of the property fees for keeping it in storage; keep it in storage as long as they want; and/or dispose of it at will.

Though very long in length, here is the link to the bill itself. You can cross reference the section references above with the actual bill and see much more clearly how the bill affects everyone…

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3398126&

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