Bro Habits - Part 1

Time and time again we frequent the gym and do things that we typically would not do on a day-to-day basis.  On the other hand, we also see things that other people do and frequently judge them.  No matter what skill level they are, or even yourself, we still find a way to point out those things that "that douche" does or even "that chick" (to be fair to both sides).  We're now going to explore a few gym pet peeves otherwise overlooked by the majority of the fitness community that often give real athletes and bodybuilders an embarrassing aura.  These are Buff-U's Bro Habits Part 1

Yoga Pants
Now as any real member of the male community will proudly admit, we can appreciate a decent pair of yoga pants.  Not only are they functional for exercising in the gym but are greatly appreciated by the male population for a woman being able to pull these off going out to the bars and strolling around campus when there is little time to prepare a decent outfit for the day (yup we appreciate that).

This is not ok...

 










Unfortunately with every upside to a fad like this, there is a downside and it strikes with a furious vengeance.

 The real issue is not that larger women wear these in public (you can do whatever you want, I'm sure there's a market for it) but the fact that they become labored with holding in, well, yourself, that the wearer's skin tone becomes apparent.  Knowing how white a white girl is and how black a black girl is only exacerbates how vulgar wearing a pair of pants can be.  Please stop this.  I admire you're willing to sweat in these for further self improvement but there has to be a limit and courtesy for anything living around you must be considered.

That Stupid Half Shirt Thing

Sick kutz, brah.

 I'll admit that I don't know the name for it and really hope there isn't a technical one.  From my early high school gym adventures there were always a group of guys who had the urge to butcher their favorite athletic oriented shirt in an effort to modify it into the worst looking tank top on the face of the planet.  Not only that, the majority of the guys who do this are nowhere accredited enough in their physique of lifting credentials to warrant showing off their "sick cuts, brah."



Brah quite frankly, if there's a need to modify a shirt to accentuate how "jack3d" you really are then the fashion should be the least of your concerns.  Sometimes a tank top is acceptable, a wife beater is pushing it,  but this is just too much.  I hate this and I hate you for doing it.

Curling In Front Of The Mirror

The more you watch yourself, the more anabolic...it's science.

Every single gym I know has a mirror and every single gym that has a mirror has their typical set of dumbbell racks.  Now directly in front of every single dumbbell rack in every single gym is a set of egotistical dirt bags checking out their pump in the mirror while doing half-assed bicep curls.  

I'll admit to doing this because of purposes of form but it's done about ten feet away from the dumbbell racks and away from any walking zone of high traffic.  Understandably it's ok to watch form and sometimes you want to check out progress, we understand, but get the hell out of the way.

With love,

-Pq

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

Follow me on twitter! @BIG_SIPS

 

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