Heavy Ego? Take a load off.

Reminiscing about the first time I entered the gym, (and really took it serious) I imagined the videos you see on YouTube. Being a big dude just throwing weights around yelling, "Light weight!" "Nothin' but a peanut," but little did I know it’s not that simple. This long and hard road that you're about to embark on, so start with getting your ego in check!

Ego can be defined as, "reactions to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drive of an individual’s identity and the demands of the social and physical environment surrounding them" (dictionary.com).

Now, how does this relate to the gym? Take a look around the next time you enter the gym. Are there people that are bigger, stronger, and more ripped than you? Of course! How you take that into consideration is what will help you achieve your personal goals. You identify as being someone that is larger even though you are not quite there yet. Then take into consideration of your environment as you try and stack up, trying the same weight they use, or trying more, just to show them up. It would be great if it was that easy, but it isn't.

So STOP, right here. Think about this, do you want to be someone else or are you doing this for you? Who cares how much you bench? Who cares if you can squat 1000 pounds? It would be awesome to say you can do that but how practical is that for you?

Starting out for me, in a college gym, it was all about the numbers. I thought that that was what bodybuilding was all about, but quickly I found out I was wrong. I wasted a solid three months of my time (and supplements) trying to use momentum to move weights, rather than using proper form and stretching and contacting my muscles to build consistent strength and size. For example, I would try to bench more than I could handle, banging weight off my chest trying to get anything going so I could get the weight up. Not knowing that I could just have easily brought the amount weight down and slowly controlled the weight and lightly touch my chest then push it back to the starting position and see greater results.

With that being said, here are three main things you need to focus on:

Proper Form:

This will prevent injury, have a better transfer of power and hit the correct muscle you are trying to target. I never learned correct form until I got injured, don't wait, ask someone for help!

Full Range of Motion:

Full range of motion will make sure all of the muscle fibers are being activated and not just half of the muscle, or even the wrong muscle.

Mind Muscle Connection:

When you work on a specific muscle you need to squeeze that muscle and be sure you’re thinking in your head that specific body part. For example, if you're doing chest think about streching your Pecs as you come down and then squeezing your Pecs together has you come to the top of a fly or press.

It's not about the weight, it’s about the resistance. A bodybuilder uses resistance and is not concerned about the weight rather than the contractions within the muscle they are working. Eventually this resistance will need to be greater because your body will adapt.

Lifting heavy doesn't focus on the contraction and tearing of muscular fibers that will cause your body to create tears in your muscle that can then be rebuilt to be stronger and larger. Don't get me wrong it will create tears in your muscle and you will get stronger but, there is a far greater risk of injury. There is a difference between weightlifting and bodybuilding (I will write more about in another post).

Lifting heavy, I suffered multiple shoulder injuries as well as causing harm to my lower back from heavy improper squats. I also found out, from taking before and after pictures, my body composition didn't change, not even a little bit.

Dropping the weight down I have seen the most growth, and so have the pros.

Here is a video that sticks with me whenever I work out:



In order to grow, sculpt and change your physique your muscle needs to "stretch and it needs to contract," just like Kai said it’s not about the weight "I will never be a weightlifter." Full range of motion, like I said earlier, is the key to really getting the muscle fibers to tear and creating tears those tears your body will naturally rebuild those fibers. This also causes your body to adapt to the resistance calling for more resistance to get the same effect. It looks impressive when people fling their body back as they do bicep curls, but are they working their biceps? There are exceptions to this, like negative reps, but that is for another post.

Ask Yourself:

Do I want to move around as much as I can and try to be a power lifter? Or do I want to build muscle and try to sculpt my body the way I want?

The choice is yours, but ultimately, bodybuilding is a lifestyle and is a huge commitment. This is a sport that does not bring you instant satisfaction. These things take time, strength will come, size will come, and you need to be patient. Put that Ego aside and get contracting at whatever weight that may be as long as you perform the exercises properly there is no reason why you should be embarrassed or feel self conscious.

I hate to do it but, Tony Horton once said, "do your best and forget the rest." Live by this, because all you really can do is what your body and mind will allow at first. But don't be afraid to break free of that after you have your form and start building some muscle, that’s when the real fun comes in.

-NC

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Grinding out your grindage: All about easy food prep!

 This can be the biggest enemy of progress for a busy college student....... the diet.  I'm sure many kids think they have it down pat though; eat breakfast around noon, hit the cafeteria for a salad (cause they're mad healthy, yo) and then eat around dinner time or something (can't eat too late you'll get fat!)  That's nice but unfortunately it's completely wrong.

The average bodybuilder eats at least 6 times a day with the frequency ranging from every two to three hours from the crack of dawn until night.  A fast metabolism helps to not only keep you less hungry through the day (since you're constantly fed) but keeps a constant supply of aminos, carbs, vitamins, minerals and all those good jimmies floating in your system constantly.  Unfortunately this is the hardest part of being fit and achieving your goals healthily but don't worry I got you guys.

The best way to keep things simple is to start in the supermarket and figure out what you need.  I have a methodical way of deciding what to buy and it varies by week depending on what I want or can stand to eat that week but always have similar principles.

-Lean meat in bulk packages is cheaper and since you're going to need it! Lean beef, turkey, chicken, fish (if you have deep pockets) or tofu or whatever vegetarians get their swole from.
-Pick out a complex carb source!  Whole grain pasta, brown rice, Ezekiel bean sprout bread, etc.  If it's on sale... snag a bunch... why not?
-Milk... if you don't drink it... you better start.
-Eggs!  Fast absorbing protein in a vulnerable shell?  Yes plz.  Egg whites are great if you prefer but are much more expensive than their shelled counterparts. 
-Vegatables!  I prefer a few frozen bags to keep around (I'll explain why) and a few sweet potatoes too.

Now that you have all of this lovely food what the hell do you do with it?  Cook it... all of it.


One of my favorite tools for this involves my cast iron griddle/grill.  Invented by Emeril Lagasse in 1942, it was originally used to shield Nazi radio waves while he was on stealth missions into Berlin.  These days its purpose is to supply me with a great cooking utensil.  George Foreman also had a similar electric griddle which might be a better and more suitable for all you college dorm, bros.  Whatever you have, heat it up and get going. 

This week I went with my usual chicken breasts that I butterfly down the side in order to help it cook more evenly on the grill and usually portions slightly bigger than one serving when it's cut.  I'm not a chef so I really just cook it until it's done.  Sorry if that seems lame but it's true.  I also don't use seasoning or special sauce for the whole recipe, why?  I prefer to cook it plain just in case I decide to use the chicken differently per meal.  It might be cut up into a wrap, chicken parm, salad, or a sandwich.  It doesn't help me to have 4-5lbs of chicken seasoned in one particular way and get sick of it right off the bat. 

  While that's going on you can throw your pasta on and let that cook through.  This can be kept in a separate container and used with whatever sauce you feel like, or plain if you're into it. The same thing can also be done with rice or whatever grain you feel like using.  Just as long as you have some sort of substantial carbs to hold you over, pick what works best.

Don't forget to move onto cooking steak if you have it; always something I have on hand.

Once it's cooked, tupperware it up and let it chill for when you need it! 


 But what about frozen vegetables?  For me, I keep them that way and for a particular purpose.  When I portion a meal to go I throw the vegetables in there frozen.  That way when I heat it up in a microwave they're perfectly steamed in the container.  I've found that cooking them ahead of time and then reheating them will leave them mushy and unappealing. 

See not so bad, right?  The process usually takes no longer than 2 hours; including cleaning, cooking, texting, potty break etc.  This way you have a plethora of meat and food to pick up and go at your ready disposal leaving no excuse to not be ready! Now of course I don't eat 6 meals of solid food, this is in addition to any weight gainers and whey proteins around meals and post workouts as well.

Just the tips:
-Buy tupper ware!  Nothing fancy, it just needs to hold food
-Bust out a deck of cards!  A typical meat serving is 4 oz and about the size of a deck of cards.  This deck of cards will help you eyeball out each serving to take with you properly to ensure proper nourishment.  Each serving is roughly 23-25g of protein as well so keep that in mind while packing your food.
-Keep it interesting!  Experiment with different sources of carbs and different meats around different points in the day.  Sometimes I'll bring a sweet potato with me to eat before a workout and they seem to be an incredible source of energy.  I encourage you to try and figure out what works best for you.
-Keep no excuses.  This is it, you're prepared and ready for the battle against nourishment.  The gym is the easy part and now the hardest part has been tackled. 


What foods do you typically like to keep around?

-Pq

Fitness... it's maddening

If there was any profound quote that carries into my training as an adult, from my childhood, it's "Don't get upset, get mad."  When you're hanging around the age of ten this has a profound effect on you when said from either your father or master (tae-kwon-do or otherwise) and you get pissed.  Even at the fact that it's even said, you feel something drive you.  But I digress....  At one point or another, you've been asked to push yourself  and it might have pissed you off somehow; then what?  Did you curl up into a ball and stop or did you want to prove to yourself (or even someone who pushed you) that you were better than that.  This is what I would call "constructive rage" and it's the most important tool, above anything else, that comes along with me when I train.

People who might know me in my day-to-day life might not expect it because there it a time and a place for it while in the gym.  It isn't when you're driving to the gym and running people off the road to pump up, or standing in line at the grocery store, or at your job; it's in the gym and you call on to push yourself harder when necessary.

Go ahead and watch that clip with the big black guy in the hoodie, he's IFBB professional bodybuilder Kai Greene (2x Arnold Classic champion and 2011 runner-up Mr. Olympia).  Watch it.... I'll wait.....

Intense right?  But absolutely true and essential.  This doesn't mean that you have to be a hot-head in the gym or an angry person in the day to day life, but don't take for granted the ability of your mind.  Everybody has been hurt at some point in their life and when you're getting down to the nitty gritty of your workout and it starts to hurt, is when you start to try and hurt it back.  It becomes about being able to call on your anger and frustrations in order to use it as energy.  Whether it's about a traumatic childhood or running over your toe while wheeling around an incline bench, everyone's been angry at least once (Finals anybody?).

Whether it's pressing 15lb dumbbells or 450lb rack pulls there comes a time and a place to realize what your goals are, let go and push harder than your body will let you.  One point I must add is that this this doesn't mean be reckless or get to the point where you might make others uncomfortable or upset.  This is about you and the place you need to go in order to get done what is necessary. 

Out of the 168 hours in a week you might spend 6-8 in the gym while the rest is your normal and maybe boring life (sleeping, eating, school, work).  All I'm saying is you don't spend a whole lot of time in the gym in comparison, but when you're there harnessing this "constructive rage" is sometimes essential to get work done.  This isn't a powder you mix or a pill you take but we all own it, so call on it.

-Pq