I Didn't Want to Flip Out But I Did

So last Tuesday I'm at the gym having a wonderful back and chest workout. Yes, I started slow because of this stupid cold that I have but I gained steam and I was crankin' it out. I finished back in an honorable fashion and now it was time to move to flat dumbbell presses. The gym was crowded but not too bad. I was going to do my second set of presses but next to me were two skinny high school kids. They were clowning around more than working. I have nothing against kids working hard at the gym but I'm skeptical of High school kids acting like children in the gym. I said to the two kids please watch your back I'm going to lift. The two kids only half heartedly listened to me. I reached down and grabbed my pair of 90's for the next lift. I had the weights in hand, I brought myself down to the bench and then pressed. Everything was going great until the 6th rep. As I was bringing up the weight the clowning around kids stepped back and smashed into my left arm while I was in mid lift. Thankfully my arm wasn't fully extended, my elbow was still angled which I think prevented injury. No sooner did the kids bump me (please remember I told them I was about to engage in a lift) another side of me took over. I slammed the weights down, (not something that I believe in) got up off the bench, got in their face and just screamed at them WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM? I TOLD YOU TO STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY! HOW FUCKIN' STUPID ARE YOU! THEN I KEPT GOING. They sheepishly said sorry dude and I just wanted to kill them. Other people that I know at the gym came over and I assumed they were going to shut me up and bring me back to a better place. Instead they yelled at the kids too. In the end there was no harm done.

I'm not an angry guy, I'm not a trouble maker, I don't like yelling. All I want to do is go to the gym lift hard, push myself and leave. If I'm lucky maybe along the way I can talk to some folks about bodybuilding or help someone with a spot. I feel bad that I flipped out but what's done is done. I'm annoyed with myself.

Now that all this is all said and done and of course behind me it reminds me of how important gym etiquette is. All the rules may not be written down but we all need to approach the gym with common sense. The gym is fun but it's also work. People can get hurt at the gym and it's up to all of us to stay alert understand gym safety. I wish more gyms would teach people more about how to act. If nothing else maybe people wont read magazines on benches and act like they are the only ones in the place.

I'm not happy with my behavior but maybe these two kids learned something.

There will be less preaching in my next post. In my next post I will write about the flex pro which happens in February and I will give my predictions for this much anticipated event.

Oh Snow!!!!

Please head over to my wife's blog and check out how she's helping me keep on track with my eating while I am dealing with an unexpected change in plans...
www.girlsraiseirontoo.blogspot.com

DON'T GIVE YOUR MONEY TO PLANET FITNESS

Hello All,

Has anyone seen the new ad campaign by that dreadful gym called Planet Fitness? I will just say that Planet Fitness is the gym that has pizza Fridays, free Tootsie Rolls and if you grunt when you work out the lunk alarm goes off and you get thrown out. I could ramble on about this so called gym and their horrid new commercial but instead I will post a commentary that was written by Ron Harris. Ron is a contributing writer for bodybuilding.com as well as the author of Body Building 25 years in the trenches. I think Bob said it all about Planet Fitness. I'm so glad that he posted his opinions. I hope you enjoy his commentary. Thank you Mr. Harris.

Thank you.

Planet Fitness has really gone WAY too far!

01/05/2011

I'm a pretty low-key guy, and things don't get me upset very often. But last night as I was watching the premier of the new season of "The Biggest Loser" with my family, I saw a commercial for Planet Fitness that both infuriated and nauseated me.

A man who is about as stereotypical of a 'dumb bodybuilder,' dressed in tiny shorts, an open sleeveless shirt, oiled up, and carrying a gallon jug, is being given a tour of a Planet Fitness by a nerdy little guy in glasses. Oblivious to the employee's questions and comments on the facility, he only repeats with a German-sounding accent, "I lift things up and put them down." The dolt is tricked into exiting the facility, and the screen cuts to the slogan that has now appeared in three Planet Fitness commercials: "Not his Planet - yours." Behind this slogan is a chorus singing, "Dumb, dumb, dumb."

It took me a moment to process that this degrading portrayal of bodybuilders, along with the clear message that this national chain of gyms was using the fact that they don't want them in their clubs as their major selling point, had actually been broadcast during one of the highest-rated primetime shows on television.

What this constitutes is a particular minority group being mocked, and letting the mainstream public know that if you join their wonderful gyms, you'll never have to see them. Imagine for a moment if a gym ran TV commercials to assure prospective members that they would not have to share the place with African-Americans, homosexuals, Jews, or obese people. What if they portrayed any of these groups as being stupid, lazy, cheap, etc? They would be slapped with lawsuits for defamation and discrimination so fast their heads would spin. But because bodybuilders have no NAACP or anti-defamation league, Planet Fitness is free to attack them with no fear or reprisal or backlash.

Here is the Planet Fitness mission statement, taken directly from their web site:

"Our Mission Statement

We at Planet Fitness are here to provide a unique environment in which anyone – and we mean anyone – can be comfortable. A diverse, Judgement Free Zone® where a lasting, active lifestyle can be built. Our product is a tool, a means to an end; not a brand name or a mold-maker, but a tool that can be used by anyone. In the end, it’s all about you. As we evolve and educate ourselves, we will seek to perfect this safe, energetic environment, where everyone feels accepted and respected. We are not here to kiss your butt, only to kick it if that’s what you need. We need you, because face it, our planet wouldn’t be the same without you. You belong!

The Judgement Free Zone® I(note - Judgment is actually spelling incorrectly on their corporate web site)

As the most innovative health club brand in the United States, Planet Fitness is known for a lot of things – our absurdly low prices, our Lunk™ Alarm, and most of all perhaps, for our Judgement Free Zone® philosophy, which means members can relax, get in shape, and have fun without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists in too many gyms."

How's that for hypocrisy? Planet Fitness prides itself on being 'Judgement Free (sic)." Apparently that doesn't apply to those who work hard, eat right, and value their appearance. Those people are judged - and condemned - for their dedication.

Planet Fitness is infamous for having Monday night 'pizza night,' keeping jars of Tootsie Rolls at the front desk, and for driving personal trainers out of their clubs - because God forbid anyone actually get in shape! This chain does not seem to me to be remotely concerned with their members actually improving their physical fitness and their bodies. They just want you to come in, pay them, and 'feel accepted' by not exerting yourself too much. Yes, real effort is not only discouraged, it's forbidden. Witness the 'Lunk Alarm.'

The Lunk Alarm is activated by management whenever someone drops weights or 'grunts.' I'm all for not dropping weights, but grunting? There is no way you can put out any degree of effort and intensity without making some noise. But do it at Planet Fitness, and you'll be met with an alarm, shortly followed by suspension or expulsion from the facility.

I find this absolutely disgusting. Rarely do I ever hope that a business fails, but in the case of Planet Fitness, I would be overjoyed to see them driven to bankruptcy.

What can you do? I would ask you to boycott them, but I don't know too many bodybuilders or serious weight trainers who would go there in the first place. Talk to everyone you know about their insulting and discriminatory ad campaign. If they respect you, they will see that this chain does not deserve their business.

Planet Fitness should be ashamed of themselves, but I am sure they are quite pleased. So please, I urge you all to make sure you don't give them a dime, and tell everyone you know the same thing. It's the only way they will 'pay' for their appalling business practices.

RXMUSCLE.COM

Hey all,

For my final post of 2010 I thought I would endorse a website. I would like to highly recommend that you check out rxmuscle.com.

rxmuscle.com has tons of podcasts, incredible content, great historic knowledge, interviews with men and women bodybuilders and they cover the sport of strongman too. The site is the brain child of Dave Palumbo who is was a world class bodybuilder and he knows his shit from A to Z. Check him out he rocks. He's funny too. He's got it all going on. Since network TV doesn't have the balls or brains to cover bodybuilding we need a man like Mr. Palumbo to keep our the sport alive and well, better yet we need him to help the sport grow.

For now I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope you had a great holiday season! I'll catch in in 2011 both online and at the gym!

Peace be with you.

FROM CONCAVE TO BULKING

As the year comes to close I feel compelled to look where I have been. Lately from a physical fitness point of view I can’t help but to be proud of what I have accomplished. Ok, I’m neither Jack Lalane or Jay Cutler but all things considering my body is doing well. So I thought that in this post I would share a little more about myself.

When I was a kid (elementary school and on) I was “that kid”. By that I mean the kid that was tiny. I was the smallest in the class. Anytime we lined up I was always first no matter what grade. (At least in High School) we were not lining up anymore. Growing up I wasn’t just the short kid, I was the short skinny unhealthy looking kid. I was the kid that should have gotten beaten up but luckily I was so small that the mean kids would beat up the next smallest kid.

One of the things that I always had going for me was that I was athletic. I excelled in little league baseball. I was small, short and skinny but I pitched and won games and I was an all-star first baseman. I was a pretty good hitter. I had zero homers but I had plenty of singles. My role as a leadoff batter was lucrative for the team. When I got into Junior high I was always asked to be on the wrestling team. Not because I could wrestle but because I was small. The coaches just wanted me on the team so the school could compete in all weight classes. I had no interest in being their token small kid.

My other passion growing up was music. Aside from my small stature & excelling at sports I was also excelling as a guitar player. I graduated High School in 1982 and back then kids had to choose their identity. You were either a Jock or a rocker. I chose Rock N Roll which automatically (within the social structure of the kids and teachers) excluded me from playing sports. Coaches didn’t want the long haired rockers around they assumed we were all trouble. Years later MTV broke down those barriers with the MTV rock and jock classic specials. After those aired then you could rock and play sports but before then there was a harsh line in the sand.

I grew to a whopping five foot 6 inches in High School and my weight topped off at 117. As my wife says when she met me in 1983 my chest was concave. My arms had potential but they didn’t have any definition. Shoulders? I guess that’s what they were. My legs were thin and looking back I’m not sure I can come up for a name for my calves.

As years went on I managed to weigh 122 pounds. I rocked hard across the country and loved sports. Rock N Roll is hard work, there’s a lot of lifting to be done. Then one day about eleven years ago I woke up one morning and could not move. My back totally gave out on me. I could not even tie my shoes.

I went to multiple Chiropractors and Doctors and nobody had a cure nor were they very helpful. Everything just hurt. By the way I was now tilting the scales at 127 pounds. Then the revelation came while I was trying to help my Aunt pull up her carpet. I realized that my back was weak. My back muscles were weak and although the Doctors could not tell me this I figured it out. I might be small with a concave chest but I’m not dumb. So I joined a gym. And over the next few years my back started to get better, I got stronger and looked better too. Hey, no more concave chest. I was serious about working out but I wasn’t crazy serious. I can’t complain my weight was about 135 pounds. I felt huge but most important my back (it took time was doing much better. Then about two years my gym closed down and I had to switch gyms. I learned quickly that the new equipment in the new gym made me gain (over time) more muscle. I now topped off at about 137 pounds. I could dumbbell bench press using 60 pound weights; EZ bar curl using sixty pound weights and Leg press about 400 pounds. But then something hit me. It was about a year and a half ago I said that I wanted to re-invent myself. I wanted to get bigger and stronger and I started to study diet, (legal) supplements and bodybuilding. I incorporated that with tenacity and a new vision. I went from eating a minimal amount of food to taking in seven meals a day and today at the age of 45 I am the biggest, fastest and strongest version of myself. When I started at the gym my Biceps were 10 inches flexed. At the beginning of 2009 my biceps were 14.25 inches flexed and at the end of 2010 my biceps are 15.5 inches flexed. I also have shoulders to speak of, a chest that’s far from concave and legs that reached their goal of pressing 1,058 pounds. It doesn’t seem like much but I now weigh 153 pounds.

I certainly don’t think that I’m great or should be put on a pedestal for my accomplishments. There are many people out there that have dome more than I have. But these are my accomplishments and I’m grateful. My mindset is that of a bodybuilder and I plan to continue to grow. To an extent I have defied my genetics and at the age of 45 I’m certainly defying the stereotype of a typical 45 year old male.

I can’t stop now nor will I. I plan on putting a new set of goals together. Over the Christmas holiday I was thinking about the things I need to do to increase the peaks in my biceps, get a little more out of my triceps and push my shoulders out a little more. As I thought about it a big smile came over my face. With my body type life is a bulking phase. Once again I plan on going to Olympia this year. As a fan, I’m certainly not competing but I know that I will walk the event bigger and stronger than I did in 2010.

New goals, new visions bring on 2011!

My Thoughts on Robb Wolf and Iris Kyle

Normally I write about body building and when I think about it this post won't be much different but there will be a little bit of a twist.

What do Robb Wolf and Iris Kyle have in common? They both rock!

First I would like to tip my hat to Robb Wolf. barb (my wife) has discovered Mr. Wolf and he's made a huge change in our lives. barb originally found Robb Wolf through some cross fit training sites. Over time Robb's name and career took off and as that happened she discovered the Robb Wolf pod casts and while listening to the pod casts she learned about a Robb Wolf book. I really like what Robb Wolf says and and how he uses his nutritional ideas. I love that he talks about nutrition but he also talks about working out. He's into cross fit, he has done power lifting and simply put you can say he's an athlete. Robb even gives a lot of solid advice on supplements and working out. Most important his nutritional theory (which I'm not going to go into I suggest you pick up his book) has really changed barb's life. As barb posts in her blog (girlsraiseirontoo) she has autoimmune issues. Robb Wolf's nutritional theory has changed barb's health for the better. She has a greater understanding of how foods specifically Gluten has a negative impact on her. Rome wasn't built in a day but with Robb's assistance a new barb empire is being built. This is evident with her everyday health as well as her gains at the gym. Thank you Robb, we owe you one.

The next person I need to tip my hat too is Iris Kyle. Who's Iris? Iris is the seven time Ms. Olympia champion.

I was getting to a point where I was starting to hit some plateaus at the gym. My lifts were strong but I wasn't going over the top. Within a couple of weeks I started to get my edge back but I still feel I need to ad more to my biceps, specifically the peaks of my biceps. I had an idea of what I wanted to do but I felt that I should seek some professional advice. While at was Olympia Iris Kyle said during a press conference that she will always try to make herself available to her fans to help them/us out. So I got up my courage and wrote her an email over the Thanksgiving weekend. I was shocked when only seven days later she replied. Iris didn't just reply to my email, she was kind and wrote back to me giving me the advice that I was looking for as well as inspiration that we can all use. Let's be honest, how many NFL players or MLB players are going to make themselves available to their fans and teach them tricks of their trade............FOR FREE!. Body builders are known for this and Iris has proved to be a class act. She's a seven time Ms. Olympia champ and she could very possibly be an eight time champ come September 2011 and she took some time for a fan. That rocks. Thank you Iris. I owe you one!

Back in the Saddle Again

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted anything. The last post that I wrote was all about my shoulder injury. I did see the Dr. about my shoulder and he determined that I didn't have a tear nor did I have Bursitis he thought it was Tendinitis. He gave me script of a NSAI called Indocin. The stuff worked great and within three days and a lot of ice the shoulder was feeling better. I wasn't able to take the all the medicine, that stuff killed my stomach and it was very strong. In order to help the shoulder along I added a lot of shoulder stretches and I took a week off from the gym. I hated doing that but long term it was in my best interest. When I returned to the gym I did everything at half weight. I hated doing that too but again I'm thinking long term. Once all that was done I went back to full blast. I will admit that going all out was pretty tough. I felt that my shoulder was tired but overtime I felt the strength coming back as well as my stamina. While I was going through the healing I felt like I lost a little bit of confidence and some of my bodybuilder mentality. Along with that I felt a bit weaker overall. Then it hit me. As I started my rest week I was also ending my 42 day cycle of Animal test. I can certainly say that when I'm off cycle there is a difference. I have already bought another can of pills and I will go back on it on around December 15th. As for now my focus and outlook has returned 100% and most important my shoulder is feeling great. I'm still going to keep the shoulder stretches as a regular part of my stretching routine and for a while longer I will ice my shoulder right after working out.

Now for something very important. Knowing that my shoulder is on the right track and that the Animal Test has positive results is leaving the window open for me to intensify my workouts. I'm adding in new things and more sets. Of course I'm not competing at Olympia but my goal is to be bigger by the time Olympia rolls around in September 2011.

While I was on my shoulder rest week I got sick. I feel like I got lucky with that. It was great luck to get ill during my rest week. I didn't miss any gym time due to illness.

Last week was a terrible food week. My work hours were long and that caused me to miss a few meels and drop two pounds. I'm looking forward to getting back to my proper food routine.