I enjoyed myself. 

Its just what I needed.  Life is grand now.

Ha ha, projects, projects, projects galore.  Is there an end in sight?

I haven’t been to the gym since Saturday.  Eh, I’m going tomorrow and may go tonight but still, it just seems like a fleeting memory.  Better yet, my diet has been cruddy all week too.  No, I didn’t eat bad stuff, I just didn’t eat enough good stuff.  Tsk tsk tsk …

oh well, better luck next time.  This is hilarious.  Back on the grind I go.

At any rate, since I’ve gotten a new project (who is also on bodyspace), in a method of further pushing the madness I had us go to the SNBF southern open which was held on July 19, 2008.  It was a great contest, well, put on, and everything.  I enjoyed myself there. Last night, August 17, 2008 I went to the NPC Coastal USA.  I enjoyed myself there as well and it was a great contest, barring the technology issues, bad handwriting (I’m assuming it was a handwriting issue because they said 50 when it could have been either 58 or 60, but I digress), unorganization, and the like.  Which brings me to the point of this post.

Which do we like more?  Natural or "Unnatural".  Of course, I put "unnatural" in quotes because of … talk to me later on that one.

So when I went to the SNBF show, which is a completely natural show, I wrote a big, long assed set of notes.  Very detailed about the classes and everything.  I was amazed at how much I wrote in my journal.  Judging classes and the winner was pretty much easy save for a few exceptions.  I even got to find out about all of the competitors, where they train at, and some other useful trivia.  I even realized houze one of my bodyspace friends was up there.  I wish I had known this the time of the contest.  I’d have invited him to iHop.
The coastal show, there were 107 competitors.  There was NO WAY I was going to write notes on all of them and all of their classes.  Man, I got so friggin’ annoyed with my seat and everything 2-3 hours into the thing I got up to walk around and stretch my hamstrings.  I made a comment like "the planners must think the audience is on too.  Keeping this thing going on long and making me miss a meal.  Next time, I’ll smuggle my protein shake in."  I did write notes though and this is the thing that bothers me.  The winners weren’t necessarily all that clear cut sometimes.  Save for the one guy who looked like he could move some serious weight but probably should have started precontest dieting a lot earlier.  Props to him for getting up there though despite that fact.  Takes a lot of courage.  At any rate, maybe this is why in pro-contests, you have judges making some boo-boo decisions.  Hell, they make them in amateur divisions but its all subjective anyway.  And another thing with this contest.  I know next to nothing about the competitors when they come out on stage.
So what is it about the NPC that makes 107 competitors sign up to kill themsevles so they can get up on stage as opposed to the 40 or so competitors at the SNBF competition that kill themselves to get up on stage.  What kind of drug usage is there in figure?  I have no idea why there were that many figure competitors at an untested versus a tested show.

However, the NPC bodybuilding show had a caliber of athletes that clearly would have dominated the SNBF show.  The genetically elite freak at the SNBF show that people thought was juicing (but trains at Dino’s, so I know he’s not.  Stop by that gym if you ever get a chance the next time you’re in Warner Robins) there would have done well at the NPC contest BUT it wouldn’t have been as much domination as clearly a bunch of the genetically elite with ’sorcery’ were there.  It would have been hard.

So, this presents the question.  Do we all like "unnatural" bodybuilding because EVERYONE looks the same for the most part.  Not too many varying levels of size, but varying levels of conditioning on the NPC side versus a variety of sizes and conditioning levels on the SNBF side??  Do we like seeing a whole bunch of freaks as opposed to a few or so in a line with a bunch of hardworking and training people that probably look normal in plain clothes?

:-/

He he, then again, all of these guys are really hard workers, whether they manipulate their environment with hormones or with food, SO congrats to them all.

And I better not see any posts about when I’m getting up on stage.  I won’t be hapy.

Have fun guys.  Order up!!!!

Is it because the muscles are too damned big?  Am I not training them enough?

I even avoid taking no-xplode and other preworkout supps like that on leg day just because, I don’t ever really feel it in the legs department.  Maybe I’m missing something.

Anybody else feel like this?

Alright, so today’s the day before my birthday and I really want to go buy something instead of going to train these damned legs with these crazy giant sets of drop sets.  Its something I’ve been avoiding since I started the insanity and lets just say, I’m feeling kinda bitchy, but smart at the same time.  So I’m about to go but then I remember one of my roommates saying the sneaking thing of "Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight".  Great, these bastards are going to surprise and kidnap me tomorrow.  I’ll make sure to train and no nap on the way home from work tomorrow.  Or just … trick them like the dastardly bastard I am.

And someone’s going to do something silly and waste money on cake.

You know … if  trip to pleasant peasant or lot of steak isn’t in the festivities, I’m going to be a fuddy duddy.  I’m really good at that.  BTW, things to post about next.

1)  Pics for blog 2 days ago

2) Georgia’s strongest man

3) Training insanity and how fun it is

4)  Supplement insanity and why everyone should dose 30+ g of fish oil per day for 6 weeks

1)  I’m able to do a crap load of a lot more volume work without becoming extremely winded

2)  Intervals on the stepmill at a slightly higher setting than my usual wasn’t bad at all.  It means I need to go up.

3)   The sledgehammer nor the tire totally floored me this weekend.

Unfortunately, its not like I gained significantly noticeable amounts of muscle and lost crazy amounts of fat during this time off like I was hoping.  I’m just … better.  Well, maybe I did.  Guess I’ll take pics next time.

Phew, but geez … I gotta do this crap again for 12 weeks.  Madness I tell you.  Madness.

I must first detail the goal and aims of the Bodyspace state tour.  Recently, I’ve become slightly bored with the hohums of my usual training week.  Doing my prescribed number of sets and reps with various exercises, changing it up just for me, and throwing in bits of GPP on the weekend.  Before I’d just find another workout, add and subtract some of its methodologies or even more fun, make up my own thing.  However, I got tired of asking people what they were doing and incorporating it into my own so I decided to do the next best thing which is, go do what other people are doing.  So I got the idea after asking a bodyspacer for a workout, “Hey, why don’t I just stop by and workout with a different bodyspace when I’m in their area?”  So this is how the bodyspace state tour has been born.

At any rate, my first stop was to go workout with snlewis25.  This was the weekend I had to go talk to kids at my old high school about doing well in school and how it can contribute to them doing well at life.  All of that good important stuff.  At any rate, I went to go visit him on a Saturday.  After enjoying family, chilling with one of my semi-pro wrestler friends who will probably be featured here later, and delicious barbecue.  After being content and eating this deliciousness in Morven, GA I made the hour and a half drive to Douglas, GA.  Nice, long winding roads, crisp country air, and a wonderful breeze.  I got to his place at about 8 pm.

After getting lost in Douglas, having a few “aaahhhh, you drive crazy moments” and talking with snlewis25 on the phone I finally made it.  So of course, I get there to be greeted by a lovely female  and himself.  We introduce ourselves, talk a little bit, and me being the ever industrious training nerd, am pretty much able to get dressed and be ready to go in 30 seconds flat.

However, before getting to the workout I notice the previous used supp stack on the refrigerator.

HOLY GEE WILLIKERS!! I’m thinking to myself.  “That is a huge stash”.  We go over the effectiveness of a few of the supps he’s used, something I can think of thats comparable to it, how much we like it, and well, what else we plan on buying in the future.  Then of course, it was time to go out to the back for the weight training.

For those of you that don’t know, snlewis25 works out in his backyard, away from the hustle and bustle of a crowded gym with limited hours.  However, just because its in his backyard does not mean this man is lacking in training equipment.  He has just about everything one would need to build an awesome, rock solid physique of their choosing.  I would almost say the only thing he’s lacking is a station for doing pull-ups/chins but he actually happens to have that too.  The problem is, using that requires an extreme amount of grip strength that a fledgling probably would run away from before he attempted to try it.  So what was the workout piece for the day.  ARMS!!!!!!

snlewis25 trains 4-5 days with a Heavy-day/light day alternating routine.  His fifth day is usually devoted to arms if he can find time to do it.  He’s been using his current routine for about 5 months.  On with the show.

This workout begins at 20:12.  First we start off with 2 sets of 20 on the rope pulldown.  He goes through his set easily.  My turn, I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, 20.  I’m definitely not a high rep guy.  This is so going to suck.”  I get through it though.  Too bad this is a warm-up.  “Damn, this is just stop 1 and I’m about to be a bologna sandwich this whole workout.”

Second set begins.  Its not so bad.  So of course, I adjusted my weight from snlewis25’s weights just because I had to get the neural patterns for various exercises.  Then we followed up with 3 sets of Close Grip Bench Press in a 12, 10, 8 respective rep scheme.  This was followed by Skull Crushers with a 15, 10, 5 rep scheme.  Of course this was with a straight bar so that of course makes life oh so difficult.

Skull Crushers introduced a new concept I haven’t seen written about but what snlewis25 does in practice.  Its called a “continuation set”.  After the last set of skull crushers, it is immediately followed by the first set of 15 dumbbell triceps extensions.  After the continuation set, there is one more set of dumbbell tricep extensions for 15.  He he,  I’m laughing because throughout the whole triceps portion of the workout my weights were considerably less than his.  Go figure.

Then we got to the biceps.  Bicep curls with 3 sets at a 12, 10, 6 rep scheme.  In an effort to try to sound slightly useful, I had him try them up against the wall and man did we both feel it.  Then that was followed by 2 sets of 10 Reverse Grip Curls and Hammer Curls.  Then there was the interesting wrist curls.  Its a technique that has to be seen and experienced.  I can’t really describe it but it was awesome.  2 sets of 20.

Our workout ended at 21:06.  Afterwards we ended the workout, talked more about supplementation, wrestling, bodybuilding.com prices, drank some syntha-6 and overall I had a blast.  Then it was time to leave so I made my 2 hour drive back to quitman and well, spent time with my family.

Closing thoughts:  I really enjoyed this workout, mosquitoes and all.  Yeah, I was also a bit too stubbon to put on insect repellent so I got my ass eaten up and pretty much itched all of last week.  I have scars to prove it.    It goes to show that although you may not have a gym membership, with a small investment you can build yourself a damned good home gym that can be used for a multitude of exercises.  Quite awesome how that all works out for him.  I also realize that I’m going to have to train a heck of a lot harder to be able to keep up with him on any of his other workouts he might have in store.

So, on to the next person.  Pictures of this journy will be put up later.

This was our first time using a sledgehammer for cardio and well, it seemed like a good way to let off some steam.  Lets just say, I feel like I did several sets of full contact twists with a crazy amount of weight.  And that was just an 8 pounder.  I might go pick up a 10 on wednesday.

:-)

Hhhhhmmmm, now if only I were strong enough to move that tire by myself or I had a lighter one.  I could see myself doing that instead of running/walking for 30 minutes.  He he, oh well.  Hhhhmmm….

People don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.  You won’t even be able to understand the majority of it.  Your posting will be brain dead stupid.

 Then people will laugh at you and you’ll laugh at yourself.  Or well, for those of you with no willpower, you’ll commit suicide by either playing in traffic or one of the myriad of methods listed here.

 http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=manly_suicide