As with many know as you age, life takes twists and turns that change the nature of events that take us in directions we seldom see coming. My family is doing good. To catch you up and remind you of them, I have 5 children. 3 boys, all grown men and 2 girls all grown woman. My youngest daughter, Crystal married and had a beautiful grand daughter that will be 2 years old this April. Her name it Cora Jean. They live in Portland, OR. My oldest son lives in Eugene and is a cab drive and is very happy. My oldest daughter is a professional trainer in Tampa, Fl area. Has her own gym with her fiancée they run together. My youngest son is in Vancouver, WA working in construction and is a Sports Model for Nike. My foster son is in Fairbanks, AK doing wilderness rescue. He's getting married in March of this year. They are all doing very well and I'm blessed to have them!

As for me, I divorced June 2010. That's all I'm saying about that. From there I moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL. I was a personal trainer there and managed a Worlds Gym from 4PM to closing. I started building an online training and coaching men and women in bbing, Ironman competitions, models and actors. I still have an intertainer I'm conditioning and several bbing competitors. The majority of my clients are MD's and I have several nurses and med techs as well. I handle all their training, supplements, diets and conditioning. I left Florida Aug of 2011 for Charlotte, NC. I took a position working for a roofing company and continued to train my clients. Unfortunately after a year the economy took its toll on many of us that worked for them and our positions were terminated. Fortunately my clientele has picked up for my to survive.

Now far as my training is going? It's been going well. I took a pic today I'll post for you to see. I resently signed with a marketing company and branded with a fitness product. I just got back form Dallas where I filmed an informercial for it. That's all I can say about it for now until it's released. I'll keep you all informed if you're interested? Anyway it's very exciting.

If I compete again it will be in a year from this July when I'm 60 in Pittsburg, PA at Masters Nats. I'm floating between 225 and 245 LBS depending. Right now I'm 225 because I had to lean up for the filming. If I compete I need to get up to over 250 and about 10% BF. I truthfully don't think I can pull it off. Yet I'm going to hire my old coach back as he's been the best I've seen and ever used. Time will tell how that road will be travelled.

Good to hear form you and hope you all are doing well and loving life?! Love you all.

Popps

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/video-becoming-oldsuperman-how-ed-cook-saved-his-life.htm

Link to story
http://www.muscledog.com/article/view/116/ED_POPPS_COOK_ON_MUSCLEDOG.html#

Link to transformation on muscle dog
http://www.muscledog.com/forum/TRANSFORMATION_STORIES_MEN/504/TRANSFORMATION_STORY_ED_POPPS_COOK.html#

My first video blog with Jason Morgan my client the night before the NPC Oregon Ironman 2010

This is my first video blog. Jason Morgan and I. I hope to do about one a week.

WOW!!!

What a great time! The DeLuca's and all their BB.com staff were just amazing hosts! I was there is the Cellucor booth for the two days! Brandon Lyons, http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/JRBBCHAMP/ my training coach and Tiffany Forni http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/31233/ was with us too. I love these guys.

Soon as we arrived and checked in, they took us to Bodybuilding.com Headquarters! It was great to meet the staff and see the activity. Truly an amazing place. BB.com is righting on book of which both Tiffany and I are being spotlighted in and we met with Kris Gethin the one organizing and writing it. He is an amazing competitive bodybuilder himself, so it was great to meet and talk shop with him.

Then off to the Expo to do our pitches with CELLUCOR! I LOVE THOSE GUYS! Between them and Bodybuilding.com, we were treated like kings!  UFC Fighter Clay Guida, Jens Pulver, Thiago Silva, Joe "Daddy" Stevenson was straight across from us! San Diego Chargers Pro Football Shawne Marriman was there too! Jami Eason, who BTW is a sweetheart was there as nice as ever.
Friday night we went to the BodyBuilding.com after party at the "Knitting Factory"! Lots of fun hanging out, talking and cutting up with all the peeps! Look for the pic's of us on the opening Bodybuilding.com's "Super Site"!
First thing Saturday morning I was picked up and taken to Golds Gym for a video shoot all about bodyspace and oldsuperman! It was great and fun. After filming the interview, we hit the gym to film some lifting! I did a few sets of incline bench and arm curls. After some coxing by the film girl Jill http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/jtothaill/, I took my shirt off and did some flexing for her! Afterwords, I found out at the VIP party, that it is Jill's goal to get all the guys shirt off during the shoots! Sorry Jill! Had to out ya! LOL!

That night we went to the the Expo Quest Arena to party in the BodyBuilding.com skybox and watched the fights!  All in all a great time with lots of fun and excitement! I want to personally thank BodyBuilding.com and Cellucor for a wonderful time and successful event!

Popps

AM Outa bed

5g Glutamine
1000mg C
Multi Vit
5g L Arginine
50g Cellucor Ultra Lean Protein 4g carbs
BCAA

Pre training

Cellucor M5 stacked with NZero drink has in it 16g waxy maize carbs
5g Glutamine
1000mg C
5g L Arginine
50g Cellucor Nutro Sport which has 30g way maixe carbs and 3g L Arginine

Post training

5g L Arginine
5g L Glutemine
Cellucor R3 Extreme Recovery
Kre-Alkalyn
1000mg C
50g Cellucor Ultra Lean
50g Waxy Maize
50g Dextrose
BCAA

Bed time

5g L Arginine
5g L Glutamine
BCAA
Cellucor R3 Extreme Recovery

This is what I take during my muscle building phase of training. During my prep I add some fish oils, and drop the shakes about the last 2 to 3 weeks before show time and replace with real food.

For a fat burner, which I use from time to time, I like Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock! AMAZING stuff!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cellucor/cellucor.htm

Can you do it on your own? Certainly! Many do and most will fail. 97% of all peeps who start an exercise and diet program will fail in the first year. WOW! That's not the best odds is it?

My goal has been of late, is to help inspire others to do more then just "get in shape". My goal is for peeps to change the whole being. Yet if one is to change, you have to change from within first, or the outer part will be temporary if any change will occur at all.

Most who do change, will fall back into old habits and ways and gain all their lost weight and forgo all the success in improving their bodies from the work accomplished in the gym.

Yet, stats show that when a person can solve their problem that are the genesis of their issues, IMO finding out who they really are and how beautiful they are, the outer shell, the body, will respond and they can and will forever change their life and behavior. They will be committed to change their habits and their bodies will improve.

IMO, a GOOD trainer can help you on this path of healing and do more then tell you to push and pull steal. A good trainer will help you understand what needs to change in your heart and mind to make a lasting change. He is a mentor, guide, leader that can make a difference in your life forever. To be the real you that is being held inside you trapped by a belief system that you are unworthy, not good enough, undeserving, and too pitiful to change to free yourself from the chains that hold you in the bondage poor health.

There are such trainers out there. Many of them. Find one and employ one. You will never regret it if you choose wisely.

I wrote this in response to a post on the O/35 forum in response to this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuygZX3HKSQ

The average can do this, it's just they "WON'T" do this. Realistically then Stu is right, NO, the average Joe "CAN'T" to do this. To "Look like that guy" that he talks about in the adds isn't normal. I will be taking promo pic's, as do all bbers, just before and after my comps when my BF is 3 to 4%. I do not live at 3 or 4% BF, more like 10% BF which still is better then most. YET, if you are to compete in bbing, you better be below the 4% mark, because with decent competition, you will not win your class. Noticed Stue, even as good as he looked IMO, still couldn't pull of a win. He placed decent and respectable, yet I knew when I saw him, when he said he was 4% plus, he would not mostly likely win.

Look, the movie in my opinion was right on in its approach and theater. I have felt the feelings and cried the tears Stu did. I have said the same thing he said, "WHY AM I DOING THIS?" "ONLY A CRAZY PERSON WOULD DO THIS!"

And maybe that's what it takes to excel above and beyond what is seen in society as the "NORM." A little craziness!!!! It isn't normal to push iron around to the excess so muscles are bigger then needed. It isn't normal to drink water by the gallons everyday. It isn't normal to do cardio, 30 to 45 mins 4 to 6 days a week. It isn't normal to get your BF down to 3%. It isn't normal to thin your skin by dehydration to the point you can every fiber of tissue and blood vein on your body. Then parade around naked all but a very little cloth that hides shrunken shriveled, dormant reproductive organs that have shut down because you're too stressed physically, mentally, and emotionally to breed! Nothing normal about any of it.

Yet that is the way it is with all athletes in every sport. There's nothing normal about it. It's unique. It special. And mostly, IT'S HARD HARD HARD WORK!!! Otherwise, everyone would be doing it.

I have a great life. If you've read my blogs you know of my struggles and trials of my past. Yet it isn't the trials and pain that threaten our joy of living. It is choosing to stay in our pain that steals our joy! It is the rising above the trials and pain of life that will determine if you are happy...... or not.

I get at least 30 or more messages a day. Many just checking in to say "hey! How's training?" Yet, many asking for help with everything from training to diets and sups, etc. Fortunately my blogs are full of helpful info to help them and all I have to do is to refer the peeps to them.

I'm one of the top "Inspired Members" on bb.com and was "2009 Bodyspace Member of the year". I've been pickup as a sponsored Athlete for Cellucor, an amazing company that is taking amazing care of me, teaming us up the a Marketing company to help us with our quests. They're working to help me with my book and the marketing of it with motivational speaking, seminars etc. Lots of great stuff.

With all this great "STUFF" going on, sometimes it's hard to remember what it's all about.

Then every.... now.... and..... then.....  I get a message like this that blows me away. Humbles me to the core. Helps me understand what the meaning of life is truly about! After I read this PM, I asked Ken, http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/kenwhoo/ if I could copy his message to write a blog and post to help others that they might be inspired by his words. He said,

"I would be happy to help you in any small way to inspire others & I would be honored to have you put my message in your blog."

Take note here..... ken didn't ask me for ONE THING in his message to me! He, a person that you would think would want something, yet all he wanted to do was express his THANKS for being inspired!!

I AM THE ONE INSPIRED!!! I AM THE ONE WHO IS GREATFULL FOR THIS MAN HELPING ME TO SEE ONCE AGAIN, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE. NOT THE GETTING, YET THE GIVING IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT.

Enjoy!
52 year old guy with Cerebral Palsy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Ed,

I just wanted to say that you have really motivated me. I was beginning to doubt that I could make significant changes in my body at my age until I saw your profile. I am 52 years old & use crutches to get around because of my cerebral palsy. I have worked out off & on for over thirty years with limited success. Because of my disability, I have always had trouble building my legs as I am somewhat limited in what I can do. I am currently doing a modified version of dumbbell squats in which I hold onto the kitchen sink with one hand for balance & then hold a 25 lb dumbbell in the other hand & perform a squat of 8 to 10 reps. I then, switch the dumbbell to the other hand & work my other leg. I have never done this with, what would be high reps for me, say 100 reps. I am going to try 10 sets of 10 reps & see how that works.

Thanks again for the inspiration.

Ken