Apologies

I have to apologize for the lack of posts the past 5 weeks.  But as I prepare for my first Bodybuilding Competition on 12/3, I have also been changing careers.  Busy time to say the least.  I will be back in full swing in about 10 more days.  Here are some photos of 2 weeks out.  I feel like I have been preparing for this my whole life.  Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!! All I get is eggs and chicken.
-Alex

HCI - This missing ingredient in most Bodybuilder's diet

Ever wonder why you cannot stomach some foods that you could when you where younger?  You are not alone.  I used suffer through the worst heartburn just to eat the protein I need to maintain my muscle mass.  Then I re-read an old Muscle Mag interview with Franco.  Below is the basically what he taught me, again.

To digest food your stomach enzymes need help.  This help is usually found in Hydrocloric Acid (HCI).  HCI acts as a necessary medium for the enzyme pepsin to effectively digest your food.  Your natural production of HCI, like everything else, diminishes over time.  By age 65 you produce an estimate of less than 25% of the levels you produced at 18.  So to make it simple you might be wasting some of your nutrition, by an ineffective chemical balance.  Even Supplement companies are adding forms of Betaine into their whey products.  This helps in ensuring the highest level of protein absorption.   

So go  to your vitamin shoppe an fully utilize your protein production by helping your stomach with some HCI.  There are many brands and some have pepsin to help increase the good enzyme levels.

Here is to Smart Training
Alex

The Importance of Body Inventory

To create a perfectly symmetrical body you must routinely take a body inventory.  The first time I heard of the concept was while reading Arnold's "Education of a Bodybuilder".  The approach is two fold.

First, you want to asses the damage.  Where are you the sorest and where have your joints been taking a beating.  The second assessment is on weak points.  Take pictures and look to see where you need EXTRA work.  Weak point training does not mean ignoring everything else.  Be smart and think like a sculptor 

In July when we decided on the 12/3 contest we took pictures and had a complete inventory.  I looked for weak points and one was tricep development.  While I never stopped working biceps, I added extra reps, sets, or posing holds for triceps. After 6 weeks the proof was trully evident and now relaxed, my triceps stand out.

If you take a good assessment you will find that your energies will be shifted properly and you will avoid plateauing.

Train hard
-Alex

Goal Setting Part Two - Ignorance and Confidence

Mark Twain stated that to succeed in life you need two things; "ignorance and confidence".  This is very true, however the success part of the equation, comes from balancing between the two.  Let's look at both.

Ignorance- Obviously this is the one you want in the smallest capacity.  You do not want an ignorance against learning.  Life is about lessons and failure.  Each happens to us every day.  Someone is teaching us a lesson and we fail at something everyday.  It is how we react to this acquired knowledge and how we respond to our failures.  I have told my two sons that failure is part of life, ignorance to adapt and overcome failures, will lead to more failure.  You can apply ignorance here.  Be ignorant of failure.  Take it as a lesson; then adapt and overcome.  Also be ignorant of negative forces. If someone is constantly telling you that you cannot do something, it is your choice to accept their belief.   Confidence from others cannot ever outweigh your own self-confidence.


Confidence- Confidence is not conceit.  If you believe in yourself, you can accomplish something special.  It shows in your every mannerism. You will carry yourself with pride and conviction.  Also, you will have the diligence to learn from every failure with a renewed since of accomplishment.  And that is exactly what failure is, an accomplishment.  You have achieved a ceiling in your mind, body or soul.  The character of a man is how he build confidence from within and challenges those ceilings to rise above his failures.

To conclude, simply be ignorant of others confidence in you and be confident in yourself.  You will find that learning from your failures will allow you to reach your goals much faster.

-Alex

Goal Setting Part One - Will Power and Failure

Will Power

Friedrich Nietzsche believed: "that Will Power is the main driving force in man; achievement, ambition, the striving to reach the highest possible position in life; these are all manifestations of the will to power."

It is with this in mind that I set my goals.  Simply put, I believe that I am the only road block to my success.  Therefore when I set a goal I do it with a Will that Powers my ambition and achievement.  I visualize success and make sure that when I am in the gym my mind is focused on the task at hand.  So make sure you are fixed on your athletic goals when you train.  Do not be thinking about a football game, a movie or a girl.  It is only an hour or two a day, so don't cheat your self and concentrate.  

FAILURE

Nietzsche also said "that which does not kill us, only makes us stronger".

This is the best way to view failure.  We need to fail every day.  We learn from failure and our bodies do as well.  Do not always think about numbers when doing sets, instead push yourself to failure.  If you do this everyday you will break down barriers you thought were impossible.

Train to Failure and Will yourself to success

-Alex

Building a Power Frame

Back before there were pretty machines, extra pulleys and well greased Smith machines, there were power pads and squat racks.  I was taught how to lift weights in dark dungeons with sawdust on the floor.  My first lifting coach only let me start with three movements: Squat, Power Clean and Bench Press.

At the time all I wanted was to lift to get stronger.  I had no idea that my coach's plan was to provide me with a powerful frame. To this day I thank his plan and include a heavy amount of Olympic and Olympic training movements.  It makes for a much more athletic build and and aesthetically pleasing symmetry.

All of my early Bodybuilding idols began or had a strong history of using power movements.  These exercises helped me at sports on every level.  They have also kept me younger looking and more active then 95% of the men my age.  I pride myself in my ability to create new and challenging workouts and even exercises, but I always come back to basic power movements.  I promise they will make future muscle growth much easier once you have a stronger base to build upon.

-Alex

The Importance Calorie Counting and Label Reading

Ever met those type of people who have that established high metabolism and seem to be able eat whatever they want, and lead sedentary lives?  Well I am not one of those.  I have been actively in a gym for the past 26 years and until around 2008 I thought I ate well.  I played many sports and was never really concerned about size as long as I could play my position and remain strong.  

I then took a good look at my self, and decided that I needed to dramatically cut my fat percentage and the first thing I did was start counting my calories and reading labels.  The pictures below are of me during my rugby playing days weighing in around 220lbs and me now at 182lbs.  I am just as strong, but considerable less round.

The best thing is research the foods you plan on buying and or eating. Also looking into the "built" in Laboratories that you have around you.  Pick a guy out at the gym who has the physique you want to attain and ask him his eating regimen.  This does not mean it will work for you but it can start a though process that leads you to the right answer.  The other bank of information you have is your genetics.  Look at you family and what they eat and how if effects them.  Chances are if you eat and are active like your father, you will look similar. 

I find for me that I need to live by a few rules.

• Eat every two hours no matter what.  I vary the calories by my goal. The higher the amount: the more mass I am trying to add. I average between 200-400 calories every 2 hours.  (on a building phase, I will eat every hour from 11am-6pm).
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• It is OK to sub in a protein shake or bar as a replacement meal.  I recommend Natural and HydroWhey products from Optimum Nutrition.
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• Don't trust the USDA and FDA.  They have lobbyist that effect their decisions just like every other US agency.  A lot of what they allow food companies to put in packaged food is downright bad for you. (i.e. Hyrodrogenated oils).
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• Fat is OK and necessary. I try to get the majority of my fat from Nuts and Olives.
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• You need carbohydrates, but make sure they are the right ones.
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• Stay away from all bleached products (sugar, flour, etc).
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Just remember you only get one body and know one else is going to take care of it like you can.  And don't be more picky about what you put in your car then what you put in your body.

-Alex