ROCKLOCKRIDGE’S BLOG

It looks like I am not going to be transformation of the week.  I have waited for months and no response.  Therefore, I am posting it here.  I hope you read it and give feedback.  Thank you. Rock on and Rock Strong.

ROCK

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Vital Stats:

Name: Roger “ROCK” Lockridge

Email: rock23@bodybuilders.com

BodySpace: rock23

Before:

Age: 17

Height: 5′9”

Weight: 125 lbs.

Bodyfat: 20%

After:

Age: 27

Height: 5′9”

Weight 245 lbs.

Bodyfat: 15%

Why I got started:

I started my bodybuilding on March 9, 1999. I treasure that day almost as much as I do my birthday. It means that much to me. I started at 125 lbs. and had virtually NO supporters. My family thought I was wasting my time, my mom signed up for me because she thought it was a phase, my doctor told me it was impossible, my P.E. teacher wouldn’t let me lift weights at school, I got picked on constantly at school because I was trying “the impossible”, and my girlfriend thought I was insane and eventually dumped me on my 18th birthday because she wanted to date someone bigger. When I maxed out on bench press for the first time, I got 95 lbs. I couldn’t squat at all, and my personal trainer worked with me for the first few days and then basically abandoned me. The only motivation I had was a dream to be bigger.

How I Did It:

I used the Body-for-Life plan.  I had to modify it since I was gaining weight. I had to add extra carbs to each meal.  I actually entered the Body-for_Life contest twice in 2000 and 2002.  My arms started at 10.5 inches flexed. By the end of the first 12 weeks, they were 13.  They are over 18” now.

I started training in Body-for-Life as well. But I started working out with a powerlifter/bodybuilder and this was the workout we did that helped me make the biggest part of our gains.

Chest

Pec Deck – 3 sets 12,10,8

Flat Bench Press – 5 pyramiding sets 8,6,3,1,1

Incline DB Press – 3 sets 8-10 reps

Decline Bench Press – 2 sets of 20

Flat Flye – 1 set of 50

Back

Barbell Shrug – 3 sets 12,10,8

Bent Over Barbell Row – 5 pyramiding sets 8,6,3,1,1

Pull Up – 3 sets 8-10 reps

Close Grip Pulldown – 2 sets of 20

T-Bar Row – 1 set of 50

Legs

Leg Extension – 3 sets 12,10,8

Squat – 5 pyramiding sets 8,6,3,1,1

Leg Press – 3 sets 8-10 reps

Lying Leg Curl– 2 sets of 20

Squat – 1 set of 50 This set is HELL!

Biceps and Triceps

Hammer Curl – 3 sets 12,10,8

EZ Bar Curl– 5 pyramiding sets 8,6,3,1,1

Seated DB Curl– 3 sets 8-10 reps

Preacher Curl – 2 sets of 20

Cable Bar Curl – 1 set of 50

Rope Pushdown– 3 sets 12,10,8

Close Grip Flat Bench Press – 5 pyramiding sets 8,6,3,1,1

Dips – 3 sets 8-10 reps

Skull Crushers – 2 sets of 20

Close Grip Bench Press– 1 set of 50

Abs and Calves varied every week.

Did not train shoulders. They got enough during the heavy benching and rows.

I did the Body-for-Life 20 minutes HIIT cardio. Increasing levels of intensity up until the 19^th minute which is a full sprint to the end with a one minute cool down.

Supplements

Animal Pak – best vitamin pak ever.

BSN N.O. Xplode – pre workout super formula

Optimum 100% Whey – best tasting protein on the market

BSN Cellmass when I could afford it. - great post workout creatine

Suggestions for Others

Remember these 10 statements and your transformation will be that much more wonderful of an experience.

1. Patience is a great virtue and the reward is worth the wait.

2. The strength you gain physically is 10% of the strength you gain mentally.

3. In order to truly appreciate the big achievements, you must recognize all the little ones that build them.

4. In order to inspire, you must be inspired.

5. If the world had more bodybuilders, the world would be a better place.

6. The biggest reward of all is the reward of inspiring others.

7. You can read all the magazines and see all the pictures, but the desire to succeed must come from within.

8. You never fail if you never quit.

9. Sometimes the biggest sign of progress requires the smallest of steps.

10. If you don’t notice the scenery of the journey, you never truly appreciate your destination.

This applies to all aspects of life. It can be family, business, relationships, anything in life at all. I can’t think of anything that these principles couldn’t apply to. If you recognize these and accept them as your own, then my journey is all that greater and you will make the journeys of those that you inspire that much better.

Although I try not to get too personal with these, I am feeling I need to clarify something.  In doing so, I am not taking anyone’s comments personally.  I want to make 100% sure that is understood.  This is not a retalitory statement at anyone as I have heard this more than once.  I can’t make that clear enough.

According to more than a couple of people, I need to consider that people do more than train at the gym all day and that fitness isn’t the number one priority on all of our lists every day.  Apparently, in typing these blogs, it is being assumed that it is number one on my list.  I am not certain, but I think it is assumed I get to go to the gym and train all I want.  Not so.  I have quite the plate on my schedule.

I know you don’t care about my personal life, but I am going to give you all an insight on what I have going on in the back woods of West Virginia.

I am engaged to a lady who has had quite a few personal issues on her plate and it is a team effort to get through all this load.

We are raising her 17 year old sister.  I don’t mean as in we help her with occasional homework and give her rides to the dance either.  We make sure she is up for school.  We meet with teachers as well as Health and Human Services regularly.  Legally, we are her parents.

I help my mother on a regular basis.  Legally, I am her caretaker.

I am on the Board of Directors for the Family Refuge Center, a nationally recognized and respected domestic violence organization.  I don’t mean I go to an occasional meeting either.  I am very active on a weekly basis with this group.

I do public speaking for Family Refuge Center. I am the first person to be a victim, resident, volunteer, staff, and board member for the organization.  Being male, that is unheard of.  I tell my story often.

I am the co-founder of the Greenbrier Valley Dodgeball League.  Games are weekly and promotion is almost daily.

I am working on the new website, rocklockridge.webs.com

I am now working on articles for bodybuilding.com

On Friday and Saturday nights, I am a bouncer at Spare Time Bar and Grille.

My day begins at 6 am and ends anywhere from 11pm to midnight.  If I am lucky, I might get an hour nap at some point.

On a good day, I am in the gym for 30 minutes.  On a great day, I can get cardio in too.  I am quite busy on a daily basis.

Even with all that, despite all that, I put my heart and soul into this sport.  When I walk into that door, I am going to give it all I have to give.  Whether you do or don’t is a choice.  It is to be admired that you do it when you don’t quite have the ambition to on a particular day.

I also want it to be understood that I know not everyone on here wants to be a bodybuilder.  They are going for general fitness.  I speak and write to motivate you to achieve YOUR best.  Not what I consider the best.  Do not read the way I write these as me saying that you either have to train like a pro or you aren’t training hard enough.  That is not my message at all.  My only goal with these blogs is to motivate you to train to YOUR best.  I can’t emphasize that enough. Most of the folks on here enjoy how I write them, but I clearly understand if that is not your cup of tea. Turn it into whatever your goals are and take the motivation.  If you don’t get motivated at all, I apologize for not meeting your standards.  Rock on and Rock strong.

ROCK

What has been happening with these folks saying how they are "going to try" to get through legs tomorrow?  Why is it that you have to "struggle with cardio"?  Some of you are on the brink of greatness and you can’t see the forest for the trees.  Some of you can’t see the ends because of the means.

If you are trying to "get through" a workout then get out of the way of those of us that want to get to the gym because we can’t wait to start.  I never try to be negative in these blogs but dammit if you just don’t want it then go back to being fat, being lazy, and living a humdrum lifestyle.  Go ahead.

I don’t think that any of you seriously want to go back to that.  So maybe…just maybe you aren’t having the right attitude about this bodybuilding thing.  How about giving being positive about it a shot, huh?  How about instead of "dealing with doing cardio", you do the cardio that no one else is willing to do.  How about instead of just "doing" legs, you train balls to the wall on leg day?

You are on the verge of living your dream.  You are this close to being in the best shape of your life.  You know what is great? Tomorrow, you get to be in better shape.  Let’s drop the negative, depressing "heading to the gym" bullshit. You are training harder than anyone you know.  You are not just going to the gym, you are training as a bodybuilder.  You bust your ass and pay the price every day to maintain that status.  By God, don’t let it go to waste, don’t waste your time doing it and don’t waste our time supporting you if you don’t want it as bad as we want it for you.  Go out and be the champion that we know you can be, and more importantly, be the champion that deep inside places you don’t talk about with your co workers, you know you can be.  Rock on and rock strong!

ROCK

Come on over and check out my site.  I have a new delts vid up and a couple of new blogs that will only be seen there. While you are there, please leave comments and give me your honest opinion. I appreciate any and all support whether it is praise or criticism.  Signing up on the site is FREE.  Again, FREE.  I would love to see my new site succeed and hope you all will enjoy it. I will have a new motivational blog up in the next day or so.  Rock on and Rock strong!

ROCK

P.S. The arm workout I posted on my site is insane!  Go check it out and try it.

March is quickly approaching and I read somewhere that March is the month that the most "New Year Resolution people" drop out and go back to their previously unhealthy lifestyle.  I wonder how many of these folks have the encouragement necessary to endure those moments of wanting to quit and keep going.  Bodybuilding requires a lot of support.  Not only by those that are close to our new fitness journeymen, but by those that have taken that initial journey and succeeded.

It is not only our duty, but I feel it is a privilege, to help those that have yet to develop the willpower to accomplish their goals.  We understand better than anyone what it is like to brave a whole new world that we are unfamiliar with. As great as family and friends are for support and motivation, nothing beats old fashioned experience.

If you are reading this and you are one of our new fitness friends, please don’t quit.  I know the diet sucks and the training hurts.  Hoofing it on a treadmill or a street is not how anyone wants to start a day, but the end of this road makes all the early mornings, all the meals and all the muscle soreness worth it tenfold at least.  You have to ability to make it, you have the willpower,  and by God, you are not someone who quits at anything in life.  There is no quitting in this sport.  If you fail, that is not quitting, you just haven’t succeeded YET.  Every step is a success, every bite of healthy food is success.  You have gone 8 weeks, do you really want to stop now and wonder what if?

Yeah, it is getting warmer.  You are telling yourself you will exercise outside since summer is coming.  No you won’t. You must keep going.  You can’t quit.  You have momentum on your side, don’t derail now.  The rest of your life depends on your success with bodybuilding.  Yes, I said it. The rest of your LIFE.  I am that serious and you should be too.  Be the example for all of your people.  Be the example for us.  Be the champion we know you can be. Your friends support you, your family supports you, I support you and the entire fitness world supports you.  You will do this and congratulations in advance for your success.

ROCK

I can’t believe I made it to 100.  This just goes to show that persistence and dedication to what you do pays off.  If any of my blogs has inspired one person, then these blogs are definitely worth the effort.  I try hard to come up with something new and exciting every time I write to inspire you a little more. Thank you all for your support and taking the time to read.

I found out that my articles will be on the site in April.  I can’t wait to see my writing on the site I looked at every day as an inspired 18 year old kid with big dreams.  I am humbled by all of this taking place.  Thanks to Kris Gethin and everyone at bodybuilding.com

Check out rocklockridge.webs.com to see everything else going on with my life.  I post a lot of stuff that doesn’t get put on BodySpace.  I hope you look at it and enjoy it.  It is still in its infancy, but it has a lot of potential in my humble opinion. Then again, i am kind of biased.

If you haven’t trained yet, get to it.  I was talking to the iron earlier today and it said that no one could tame it. I said that was bull shit and proceeded to set all kinds of PR’s.  If I can do that, imagine what you can do.  Suit up, get in the weight room and smack the iron around.  Make the iron beg for mercy, and give it none.  Whether it is legs, chest, or whatever.  Go be the champions that I know you can be.  Rock on and Rock strong.

ROCK

So now that I am going to be writing articles for bodybuilding.com and my own website, I have been getting a lot of questions about the future of my blog.  I know this is something I have to address sooner or later, so I will address it now.

Let me say this.  I am very appreciative of all the support that I have received.  The start of this thing was a fluke to be honest.  I was frustrated and was writing something to motivate myself and the right people saw it and that was how it began.

Over 1,000 people from all corners of the world have read my blogs and gave me much inspiration and support.  I am eternally grateful for it all.  I never dreamed it would get as big as it has gotten and it has humbled me.  I never thought that I could inspire the number of people that I have.  I am amazed every day that it has happened and will now that I begin my new venture.

With that said, I have to answer the dreaded question. Will the motivational blog continue?  *Deep breath*

OH HELL YEAH!!!

Bet your ass that ROCK is going nowhere.  I will ensure that all of you reach your goals and make the iron your bitch.  Every single step of your journey, I am there.  I am going to practice what I preach.  I will NOT quit. I will NOT falter.  The real-world heavyweight champion is here for life, just like your commitment to bodybuilding is for life.  You go to the gym, bust your ass, raise Hell in the gym, meet your goals.  I will be here congratulating you, verbally kicking your ass, or whatever it is you need.   I ain’t gonna be one of those that go off and don’t remember where he came from.  I came from BodySpace. I will stay BodySpace and I will talk to all of you often and enjoy being a representative of the greatest sport of them all.  You are not readers, you are friends and it will stay that way.  I say it now stronger and with more passion than ever.  ROCK ON AND ROCK STRONG!!!

ROCK

To:          Friends on Facebook

Friends on BodySpace

Supporters of rocklockridge.webs.com

From:    Roger “ROCK” Lockridge

Now that the agreement has been signed and pending everything is approved by the appropriate people once they receive it, I am proud to announce that I am going to become a featured writer on www.bodybuilding.com in the near future.  I am looking forward to this opportunity to showcase my writing ability on what I feel is the greatest sport of them all, bodybuilding.  I will be turning in at least two articles a month and I hope I do the folks at bodybuilding.com proud and thank them for the opportunity.

I would also like to thank my family, friends, and especially thank those on BodySpace that have had the faith in me to read and support my writing.  Without those wonderful people, I never would have had this opportunity.  I want you all to know you will be in my thoughts as I am working on my new venture that I hope to turn into a career.

Again, thank you all, and I look forward to your support and honesty in my writings in the future. God Bless you all.

ROCK

I have blogged on here numerous times about how I think bodybuilding is the greatest sport of them all. And although I still believe that, I have another belief about bodybuilding.  If you want to teach the next generation about life, get them involved in our wonderful sport.

Bodybuilding teaches us all about dedication, determination, failure, success, self-confidence and the true meaning of hard work.  Name another field where sticking it out when you don’t feel you can is more crucial. You have to eat, train, rest, and work harder than the normal person in order to succeed.

It takes great planning and organization to devise a strategy to meet your fitness goals.  How many calories do you eat? How much cardio and weight training? How much rest do you take between sets? These are a fraction of the questions that have to be answered.

When you are tired and you have that last ball busting set to grind out, you have to dig down in places you never thought existed and come up with enough heart to finish strong.  We have all missed goals and max attempts in our lives.  If you want to succeed in this sport, you have to lean how to fail fast and move on.

I cannot think of a better way to show those around you all about how to live life than as a bodybuilder.  Our children and grandchildren would exemplify class and success in a way that none of us could imagine.  In doing so, they would seal our legacies as being the example and the standards to which others are compared.

Bodybuilding is without a doubt the greatest teacher of all.

You are on your journey, well on your way to destination.  Everything seems to be going smoothly, all the meals are on schedule, training couldn’t get better, and you are as motivated as ever before. Then it happens. You hit one helluva roadblock and you are stuck just waiting to move again.  That, my friends, is adversity.

It can come in many forms such as illness, injury, disease, loss of a job, or many other forms.  Regardless of how it arrives, it is inevitably going to make itself known.  How you deal with it is what separates you from the rest.  Sure, you can put bodybuilding on the backburner and pick it back up later. Then something else will come up, and so on. Next thing you know, you are back to your old ways and you forget all about meeting your fitness goals.

Or you can do what a champion does, you can do what a bodybuilder does.  You can tie your shoes a little tighter, lift a little heavier, run a little faster, and decide that no one or nothing will stop you from doing what you can do better than anyone in the world. You will overcome, you will meet this challenge head on, and find a way around it or through it and move on with your journey.  I have done this myself and I know thousands of others have too. Once you overcome your adversity, you are a better athlete and person for it. Show the others that nothing is impossible and nothing can get in the way of a bodybuilder.