Author Archive
A slippery slope and a grey line with steroids and what is considered cheating
Posted by: | CommentsSo I just finished watching the documentary “Bigger Faster Stronger” on youtube and I just have to say it was fantastic.
Chris Bell is a man who did his homework and produced a well thought out and informative documentary that really does make you think. Now it is rather well known that Mr. Olympia competitors are all on the juice (steroids), apparently a lot of pro football, pro baseball, pro anything athletic people are on the juice. So if all the cool kids are doing it, is it still cheating? And if it is, what else is? Is use of creatine cheating? How about coffee? How about proper nutrition? Would it be considered cheating because I use tension and better training modalities to gain an edge? I can do a pullup and a pistol with 106lbs which is something that isn’t easily attainable and for many people they probably will never do it and I did it with well thought out training. The 106lb press is kind of like my white whale though. If I did a cycle of steroids I could probably achieve that…but would I really have achieved it? Or would the accomplishment belong to the steroids?
What do you think? Is steroids cheating if all the cool kids are doing it?
By the way for the record, I don’t take steroids, I haven’t taken steroids, I don’t plan on ever taking steroids even though it’s something I have been accused of doing more then once. People that accuse me of that are usually the sissy’s that even steroids can’t cure.
Should you train while on vacation?
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t know how long you have been keeping up with my blog but a little while back I took my girlfriend on a cruise where I proposed to her (and she said yes). Well the time has come for us to book our honeymoon because our wedding is coming up in November. Well for me being the stingy bastard that I am I wanted to get a high bang for my buck place (kind of like my exercise programs) and checked a lot of places and what they have to offer. One thing I noticed under the amenities was that just about all of them have a “fitness facility” listed under a place that could have very easily been titled “Here are a bunch of reasons you should stay here.”
Now I have a hard time understanding a lot of people’s mindsets. For one thing is pushing yourself through a workout while you could be on a beautiful beach or an excursion really the way you want to spend your vacation? Contrary to popular belief you aren’t going to lose your results after a single week of indulgence and relaxation. Actually you could come back refreshed since back off weeks are a part of just about every strength and conditioning programs out there. Some of my clients even ask me right before they leave what they should do while on vacation. I answer “Whatever you want. Relax and we can undue whatever damage was done when you get back.” Most of the facilities don’t give me the eye of the tiger anyways.
Would you rather be here or in the gym.
One thing I have also noticed is that some people will avoid training just about every other week of the year and suddenly while they are on vacation they get the inspiration to train. Hey I guess late is better then never but the major problem here is that they spend their entire vacation limping around from delayed onset muscle soreness. Not a pleasant way to spend the vacation and you aren’t going to have any visible results from the single workout that pretty nearly ruined your trip.
So to wrap it up what I recommend is to pay your dues BEFORE your trip. Spend the vacation enjoying the fruits of your labor.
The fruits of my labor
The Expendables and Sylvester Stallone’s REAL secret
Posted by: | CommentsSo last Friday I went out to see the uber epic movie “The Expendables” and absolutely loved it. Hey I love old school type shoot em up action movies and Stallone was one of my favorites. In fact he was a huge inspiration to me as a kid and judging from how bad ass he was in this movie he’ll still be an inspiration for years to come. Hey the dude is 63 years old and still has a chiseled physique that is tough as nails.
63 year old badass
Now yes I know he got busted with human growth hormone but it is legal with a prescription and I don’t think he abuses it. Since natural human growth hormone declines in the body as you get older his amount simply leveled the playing field. If he were abusing it he would have a big gut even while ripped like the Mr. Olympia champs have.
notice the gut? that is from abusing hgh
And yes I had already talked about his real secret in this video
Here you want a little clip about how Sly trains?
That’s the real secret.
Here is another secret for you. Pavel Tsatsouline (the one I blame for the kettlebell invasion) and Jason Statham are one in the same.
Is this man the leader of the kettlebell invasion?
Did you watch the Expendables? What did you think?
Good enough never is
Posted by: | CommentsSo I was driving home from my client’s house this morning and was just kind of self reflecting and all that Eastern wisdom style mumbo jumbo and had thought about what I wanted to blog about. By the time I got to my computer I lost it. So instead I got up, made myself a cup of coffee (excuse me…uh pre workout supplement) sat down with my cup o joe and logged onto facebook and checked out what my internet peeps were talking about. Then I read RKC Dale Buchanan’s facebook update where he was quoting Debbi Fields.
“Good enough never is”
It was the exact thing I was thinking to myself this morning. You see by most people’s definition I am pretty darn good. I can strict one arm press half my bodyweight, I can pistol squat 88+lbs (haven’t tested it higher yet) and can do a pull-up with 106lbs tied to my waist. I did the 300 workout in 16mins12secs and I’ve done a one handed chin. Like I said by most people’s definitions I am pretty darn good. By my definition there is still plenty of room for improvement because good enough never is.
What if Roger Bannister thought to himself “Oh I ran a 4 and half minute mile. I guess that’s good enough.”? He never would have broken the 4minute mile previously thought impossible. If Yury Vlasov was content with being able to clean and jerk 150kg he never would have been the first man to do over 200kgs, never would have been proclaimed “The strongest man on the planet.” and never would have been the inspiration for Fedor “The Last Emperer” Emelianenko.
Someone once said that the biggest dissappointment is not living up to your potential. Only way to live up to your potential is to chase it, never give up and stay hungry. Good luck.
Got thoughts?
Building habits to promote behaviors
Posted by: | CommentsSo the other day I was watching some good old fashioned mixed martial arts with my fiance in our home after dinner. The dishes were left in the sink so that I could wash them after the fights which I had waited all week to see. My fiance is starting to get a little more into the fights but I guess this night was too much for her and she said to me “If I skip the main event I’ll just wash the dishes so you don’t have to.” Normally I would have jumped at the chance because I absolutely hate washing dishes. I don’t know what it is but when spaghetti is at the bottom of the sink it’s really gross even just to touch.
The thing is I told her to stay and watch the fights with me. I really dread washing dishes but I know that if I start breaking the cycle then that would start a whirlwind that would leave our house a mess all the time. I know the importance of starting good habits and just sticking to them.
Beer isn't exactly the right habit to build but you know what I mean.
On the other hand I had put swings and turkish getups on my fiance’s “to do” list. I am going to do that 5 days a week. I am doing this to imprint good habits with her because I know she has the same kind of traps as me. If she drops off she will literally have no fitness program and it isn’t in her system yet to train consistently. With me being on her case if it happens like I plan it she will get addicted to the stimulus of training and learn the thrill that comes with physical strength. Like I said we are building good habits. Me to clean up everything right after I use it so the mess doesn’t accumulate and her to make fitness a part of her lifestyle.
So what can you learn from this? Do whatever habit you are trying to build every day until it is a part of you. Habits create lasting progress.
