Friends, I wrote this article on 29th oct 2008. It was supposed to be posted in bodyblog officially but unfortunately it is still not posted. Can’t wait anymore…that’s why I have decided to post it here………plz go through and comment……
Bodybuilding is a Journey
By Tanzeer Assad
Date: 29 October 2008
Biography
Name: Tanzeer Assad
Age: 21 years
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Occupation: Buyer Development Manager
Height: 5’4’’
Arms size: 13’’
Chest: 39’’
Waist: 32’’
Weight: 62kg
Favorite body part: Biceps and Chest
Favorite exercise: Barbell Bicep Curl, Bench Press and Push ups
How The Journey Started?
My journey of bodybuilding started during my childhood when I first saw my favorite actor Salman Khan (Bollywood Actor) exposing his muscles in a song of his film. I was astonished when I saw him. He was a skinny guy and in one year he changed a skinny figure to a well-built figure. I was also astonished the way girls got crazy about him that time. So from then on I always had in mind that I will do bodybuilding too and will turn my body like Salman Khan. That time, my age was about eight or nine years. I liked to do push-ups that time. Though I was skinny too, but had a lot of strength. I can’t remember the exact number of push-ups I used to do but whatever I used to do seriously needed strength. I just used to do such exercises whenever I felt to do. My father, who was and still a regular morning walker, used to go to a park named Ramna Park in Bangladesh. I also used to go with him during Fridays, as that is the only common weekly holiday in our country. So my father was also an inspiration for me from the childhood for doing exercises.
At the age of 17, I became a bit serious than before and thus started to do free hand exercises like stretching, push-ups, bench dips and body weight squats. Meanwhile, I also became a regular visitor of the Bodybuilding.com website. I used to see and read the exercise instructions, and other articles. For my help, I also took the printouts of all the exercises that are available in Bodybuilding.com. Since then there have been times when I stopped doing exercises and started again, i.e. I was not regular.
However, as I said before I always had in mind that I will do bodybuilding and thus for my so much interest in bodybuilding, my father made a gym room for me and my elder brother in our house.
After my completion of A’Level under EdExcel International, I went to Sydney, Australia for my higher studies. I bought a pair of 4 kg dumbbells there and used to do some exercises like alternate dumbbell curls, triceps extensions, hammer curls etc. After I completed my Bachelor of Business degree from Australia, I came back to my home country Bangladesh and started weight lifting in my own home gym.
Motivations During My Journey
Motivation is one of the major things that help in bodybuilding. Not only in bodybuilding, everyone needs some sort of motivation in running things perfectly. My life is no exception. I have many people and things that had motivated me, and still motivating me to do my exercises.
The first person that acted as motivation for my bodybuilding life was Salman Khan. My father can also be said as the first person that motivated me as without him, the word ‘exercise’ wouldn’t have come in me. Then, comes my elder brother. My brother Sanzeer Assad acted as an important role for me to get more involved in weight lifting. He was the man who bought all the required instruments that we have in our home gym. I used to enjoy the moments when he used to lift weights and used to dream that I will also lift them one day. My brother really got well built figure. However, he got a bit off from weight lifting for a year now.
Bodybuilding related sports like World Wrestling Entertainment also acted as a motivation for me. I am a big fan of Triple H, Batista, John Cena, and The Rock. I watch the Raw and Smackdown shows regularly on television.
My all time best bodybuilder is Arnold Schwarzenegger. I mainly came to know about him when I first saw his movies like Predator, Commando, and Terminator 2 during my childhood. I was really astonished when I first saw him and became a fan of his immediately. He got such great definition then. Really he is the one who defines and rules the world of bodybuilding. Apart from Arnold, I am also a great fan of Lou Ferrigno, Lee Priest and Jay Cutler. All these people also acted as a motivation and still doing.
Journey In Planning My Workout Routine
From the first day of my bodybuilding life, I have been researching on what exercises to do to get a well-built physique. I went through Bodybuiding.com articles and exercises number of times and still do. I also went through the workouts that all my favorite bodybuilding stars used to do and does. Thus after a long and well research, I finally came up with a workout of my own creation that includes a four day split workout. The workout is shown below.
Sun: Chest, Triceps, Abs Workout start time: 6am
Mon: Legs, Calves and Abs
Tue: Off/Cardio
Wed: Bicep and Back and Abs
Thu: Shoulder, Traps, and Abs
Fri: Off/Cardio
Sat: Off/Cardio
Sunday Chest, Tricep, Abs Working Sets(set x reps)
Tricep Extension 3 x 12
Close-grip bench press 3 x 12
Bench dips 3 x 12
Dumbell flyes 3 x 12
Incline bench press 3 x 12
Flat barbell bench press 3 x 12
Push ups 3 x 12
Ab crunches on a bench 3 x 15
Hanging leg raises (knees bent) 3 x 15
MondayLegs, Calves and Abs Working Sets(set x reps)
Leg extensions 3 x 12
Lying leg curls 3 x 12
Squats with Barbell 3 x 12
Standing calf raises 3 x 12
Ab crunches on a bench 3 x 15
Hanging leg raises (knees bent) 3 x 15
WednesdayBicep, Back and Abs Working Sets(set x reps)
Dumbell rows 3 x 12
Wide grip pull-ups 3 x 12
Stiff legged dumbbell deadlift 3 x 12
Concentration curl 3 x 12
Hammer curl 3 x 12
Barbell curl close grip 3 x 12
Barbell curl normal grip 3 x 12
Ab crunches on a bench 3 x 15
Hanging leg raises (knees bent) 3 x 15
ThursdayShoulder and Abs Working Sets(set x reps)
Bent-over rear delt raises 3 x 12
Front dumbbell raise 3 x 12
Arnold dumbbell press 3 x 12
Military press 3 x 12
Barbell Shrugs 3 x 12
Ab crunches on a bench 3 x 15
Hanging leg raises (knees bent) 3 x 15
My Nutritional Journey
I really lacked the knowledge on the importance of proper nutrition in growing muscles. I never thought of nutrition when I first started my workout. However, in this case, I really got help from the nutrition related articles that are being posted in Bodybuilding.com website. I would have never gained such knowledge on nutrition if this website was not there. So I would like to thank Bodybuilding.com for all the help I got from the website.
However, after knowing the importance of proper nutrition, I have tried to make my nutrition as proper as possible. Since I live among a poor nation, thus it is really hard for me to maintain a good nutrition to build muscles. Thus, my foods are not consistent everyday. Though we are an upper middle class family, still we live a bit conscious life in spending in foods. Since, my father runs the whole family from top to bottom, so all the money pressure is on him. However, being a part of poor nation, I still take some good foods and I am thankful for that to my Creator. Following is an average food list that I take in a day:
Breakfast: 2 whole fully boiled eggs, 2 pieces homemade bread, and vegetable curry, 1 cup raw chickpeas.
Lunch: 2 and ½ cup rice, 4 small sized chicken pieces, and pulses.
Afternoon snacks: 2 pieces chicken sandwich
Dinner: 2 and ½ cup rice, 1 small sized fish, and pulses.
I know my nutrition is still not proper, as I need to have at least good six meals a day. Keeping that in my mind, I am trying hard and of course one day will come up with a six meals each day.
My Supplement Journey
As far as the supplements are concerned, I only take 1 local multivitamin tablet at breakfast everyday. The supplements like protein powders, creatine and others are not sold in our country though our country have worldwide famous gym like Gold’s Gym. It is quite hard for us too to afford to buy online from other countries. However, I managed a whey protein made of India, which one of my cousin brought for me. I took that for some days and then stopped, as I did not find it good.
Now, I am not taking any supplement. However, I would definitely take them if they were sold in our country. So, it is my request to the world well known brands and Bodybuilding.com to think to open a store in our country Bangladesh, so that bodybuilders like us can fuel ourselves with some good supplements.
My Journey Continues…..
My bodybuilding journey is still continuing and I am still far ahead to reach my goals. I am still far ahead to gain the type of muscles I want. I want to be bigger than now and really working hard on that.
My journey in bodybuilding also includes my dream gym. I want to open a well-equipped gym of my own in my country so that people can become more athletic and muscular. I also have planned to throw some bodybuilding competition within my own gym. However, that will only be possible when I will be a gym owner.
Bodybuilding has been a journey for me since my childhood and it is still running. Bodybuilding is such a journey that will never end once started. This journey may turn ones life. This journey has many good ways and the more you go ahead, the new ways will come in front of you. The only thing you have to do is give your body the right direction and it will find its path.
I hope I can reach my goals one day!!!
I hope all of you enjoyed reading my article. If you have any comment or want to know anything from me, then please do not feel hesitate to contact me at tanzeer@bodybuilders.com .
My URL: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/tanzeer/
Fuel Yourself To Burn The Gym!!!
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