Muscle Musings

Results-06 Natural Northern USA

2006-10-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

Muscle Musings
I did my bodybuilding show this weekend-06 Natural Northern USA. It went great, this show was huge-120 contestants, and I took 2nd place as a heavyweight! Contest day I was 233lbs with pretty good definition-could have been a bit dryer... I'm pleased with how I was able to dial in my phisique-if I could have been about 3 lbs dryer I might have had a shot at 1st. But, still-big improvement from the past two competitions. It was a well run show, props to D. Liberman and his crew for running it so well. I'll post a link in a few weeks when they post pictures.

Slight change-06 Natural Northern USA

2006-10-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Muscle Musings
Slight change of plans. I'm still competing on the 7th. Unfortunately the clowns that were putting on the 2006 Southern States Natural canceled the show! Yeah, and only gave me a week week notice. It was put on by the INBA so be warry when competing in any natural shows sponsored by these guys, they have done this on more than one occasion.

Luckly, there is another natural show the same day in Ohio. So I'm moving forward and making the 9hr trip north to the 06 Natural Northern USA contest.

With one week to go, I'm weighing in at 245-1 day into my pre-show 4 day carb sodium depletion cycle. Counting the days!

Muscle Addict

2006 Southern States Natural

2006-09-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last update. I'm still training for the 2006 Southern States Natural show scheduled for Oct. 7. I started contest prep 8 weeks ago- 6'2, 260. At 3 weeks out I'm down to 250. Pretty much on target with my goals. This show, I've put a lot of treadmill time in and the definition is really improved over the past two year's competitions. Looking forward to seeing how I do on stage.

Train hard,
Muscleaddict.com

Muscle Musings

2006-07-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Muscle MusingsI'm going to try a contest in a few months, I was thinking about visiting a buddy in AZ and doing a show there, but I just found one in Georgia (Southern States Natural-Oct 7) a few weeks later so that's the one I'm aiming for.
That's about 10 weeks out. I'm at about 6% bodyfat, 260lbs, so my goal is to loose 1lb of bodyfat a week.

Muscle Musings

2006-03-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings

Some days, I think that heading out to the gym, is the only thing that keeps me from drop-kicking my computer monitor through the wall. Workouts have been great these past few weeks. I've been trying to superset everything I do. So instead of resting 1-2 minutes between sets, I go do a set to work a different muscle group. Back and fourth like that the entire workout. The only rest is the time it takes to walk to the next exercise or change weights.

It is supposed to have two benifits. It keeps your heart rate up, so it's like doing cardio. So that kind of kills two birds with one stone. The other benifit is that by stimulating more muscle groups simultaneously-your body is forced to boost your testosterone level. . . at least that's the theory.

Seems to be working. Bodyfat is down, bodyweight is up. It took a few weeks to ease in to being able to handle a full workout of supersets, but now I can make it through. . . just barely.

Muscle Musings

2006-01-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings
Leg sticking points? I don't know what you are currently doing, but usually the basics produce pretty good results. I've put on almost 2 inches to my thighs these past 6 months. I ripped a pair of shorts and pants along the way too. . . (see prior entry). The main thing I've added to my leg routine recently is barbell and dumbell dead lifts. Mostly straight leg with a nice deep stretch at the bottom of each rep. That and lunges are my leg favorites.

you do legs 2x a week, try focusing on quads one workout and hams the other workout. I've read a lot of articles advocating that type of approach. On your quad day instead of regular squats, front squats are better for quad isolation. Dumbell sissy squats are also good quad isolators.

Deadlifts and lunges on hamstring day is a good combo too.

Muscle Musings: Muscle Musings

2006-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings: Muscle Musings
The holidays were fun, but it's nice to be back home and back into my usual routine. It was tough trying to get workouts in during the holidays. When I was visiting the fam. with no gym access, I would go jog to a nearby school playground and do my workouts there. Pull-ups, dips, and I used the portable bleachers to do shrugs and deadlifts. Luckily, school was out on Christmas vacation or I'd probably have been arrested...

I'm about to amp up with creatine so I can do some heavy lifting for the next 2 months. I hope to go up from 265 to at least 270. Then I'll probably try do do another natural bodybuilding contest if everything looks good.

Ripped Shorts

2005-12-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

... Today I was doing deep squats at the gym and ripped my shorts all the way up my butt crack! The worst part was that I was wearing tighty-whiteys underneath! Luckly there weren't too many people at the gym. I tried to keep lifting, and ignore it, but I was too self conscious. After about 5 minutes of feeling the breeze, I got my over exposed butt outa there.

During these festive times, I must remeber to give thanks to the Lord--for keeping me humble.

Muscle Musings

2005-11-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

The chest is feeling a lot better. I used ice and this special Vietnamese ointment for a couple days and took lots of glucosamine. I still can't do a push up. I went to the gym today and did my workout. I'm on the 3 day workout for now, minus chest. I still did tricep and shoulders, and had a really great workout. Skipping chest gave me time to fit in a few extra sets for the other muscle groups. I think this injury will actually be good for my training. It will allow me to focus on my triceps and shoulders—which often take the back seat to chest training.

Muscle Musings

2005-11-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

The other day I was feeling really strong in the gym. I was doing decline bench on the smith machine. I had worked my way up to 355 and was on my 6th rep, feeling real good, when my left peck decided it couldn't take the strain. I could feel my chest muscles start to unravel like the fibers of an overstressed rope. Luckly I was able to rack the weight before it tore completely. Needless to say, my chest training will have to be put on hold for at least a month. Stupid bench press, the same thing happened a couple years age. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson. Well this time I swear, I've seen the light. When I'm healed enought to train chest again, the only bench press exercise I'll ever do is with dumbells!

Muscle Musings

2005-10-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Remember, the best way to loose bodyfat is to diet. I've know people who were working out sometimes 4 hours a day for a long time and that didn't shrink the gut, but when they went low carb, I could notice a difference withing 1 month.

Speaking of flab, I've put on a nice layer of insulation. Up to 260 again. On 5 day/wk. low carb I was able to maintain 250 easy. I acutally like the extra energy I get from eating more carbs so the extra weight is ok. Of the 10 pound gain, probably 4 is fat, 6 is muscle volume.

New leg exercise

2005-10-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

I found a good new leg exercise. Dumbbell straight leg dead lifts. I've been going them everyother week for the past 6 weeks and I get really sore in the hamstrings every time. And, it doesn't put much stress on the knees.

Muscle Musings

2005-08-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

Muscle Musings I've been listening to this online radio show called Pro Bodybuilding Weekly. It's a first time radio show that is all about IFBB Pro Bodybuilding. It's nice to hear a voice to match with the faces we've been seeing in bodybuilding magazines for years. Not much mention of training here but good insight into the sport.

Muscle Musings

2005-07-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

Muscle Musings
It's back to training full swing now. The lifting is heavy and basic for the next few months. Then I'll change it again and shock the muscles with a new approach that will keep 'em growing and guessing. In the mean time, with no contest in the horizon, I'm going to focus my efforts on training and revealing some of the benefits of training. One little discussed benefit of bodybuilding is the psychological influence it has over the bodybuilder and those in the presence of the bodybuilder. It's true. The same electromagnetic impulses that tell your muscles to curl that 65lb dumbell are released throughout the body and even extend to one's external environment. I am currently researching the influences and plan to one day publish a book on the findings.

Stay posted.

Muscle Musings

2005-06-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Muscle Musings
The post contest return to training has been bitter sweet. It's great to get back to what strength and size training should be. . . massive weights moved up and down, side to side, back and forth. Low and heavy reps. Then there is the frustration of not having done as well as I'd have liked at the last show. But I have learned not to put too much stock in the judgement of others. So I came in last place? I can either let it crush my spirits (never gonna happen), or use that energy for more motivation and focus (yep, that sounds right). I'll be posting show pics to www.muscleaddict.com in the next few weeks.

Later, Muscle Addicts

CA Natural 2005 Results

2005-06-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

CA Natural 2005 Results

The show this weekend didn't go as good as I'd have hoped. There was ok competition, but I definitely had the best size and symetry of the group. But the judges liked the guys that had more definition. I ended up taking 5th place out of 5 competitors. The thing was, there wasn't even a designated judges table or any organized judgement that I could see. Just a couple guys from around the league judging their buddies. B.S decision if you ask me.

CA Natural 2005 - Final 4 Days

2005-06-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

CA Natural 2005 - Final 4 Days

Tomorrow is the big show. The past 4 days of preparation have been a great learning experience. I started my carb loading on wednesday. I consumed about 400 grams of high GI carbs from 3pm - 10pm Wednesday. Yesterday and today my diet has been low GI foods, oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal... The muscles definitely filled out over the past 3 days. The only concern is my loss of some vascularity. Hopefully that will come back once I start my backstage pump.

Dar - signing off. I hope to be back soon with good news!

Don't worry muscleaddict.com fans. There is no one in the show that can beat me!

CA Natural 2005 - Day 6

2005-06-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

CA Natural 2005 - Day 6

Last night after getting back from the gym; another circuit training blaster, I was lounging on the couch. I was feeling pretty good, had just eaten a carb free protein packed dinner and noticed two veins making their faint emergence on my quads. This is a good sign! If I can keep this up the rest of the week, two veins surfacing a day, I'll be a vascular specimen when I set on stage this Friday. It's gonna be a blast. I can't wait!

CA Natural 2005 - Day 5

2005-06-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

CA Natural 2005 - Day 5

Day 5 of preparation. The show is only six days away. It's this Saturday in Covina, which is part of the LA area. Hopefully I will be able to tell all my fans who read this blog religiously; on Sunday, of my first place honors. Anything less than first place and all hell's gonna break loose.

CA Natural 2005 - Day 4

2005-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

CA Natural 2005 - Day 4

I'm loaded up on two bottles of bodybuilding tan spray. Also got the routine pretty much down. I'll probably have the choreographer critique it this weekend. I'm feeling pretty huge, even if I'm not as ripped as I'd like. The hugeness should give me an advantage. Most natural bodybuilders don't have the genetics to get this big. Look out babys! I'm huge!!

CA Natural 2005 - Day 3

2005-06-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

CA Natural 2005 - Day 3

These total body circuit training workouts are getting a little more tolerable after one week. I plan on keeping these workouts up throught wednesday. Then lifting ends and I start carbing up on thur. and fri, for the sat. show. I still ain't shredded like the guys in the magazines. I don't know what else I could have done at this point. My diet has been disciplined, if you don't count the two days off I gave myself every week. I haven't had any days off of the training diet for the past month though. Maybe that wasn't enough. My consolidation, is that I know, maybe I'm not quite 3% bodyfat, but at least I didn't loose any muscle with this diet. I'm 240 right now and about 6% fat. I'll probably bet to 235 and 5% fat by the time I walk on stage. That is pretty massive for an all natural bodybuilder. We're gonna wipe out the competition. See myself asserting dominance. Out

CA Natural 2005 - Day 2

2005-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

10 days to go to the competition! I've been doing circuit training all this week. Every muscle group gets hit. 10-15 reps each bodypart. Once I go through the entire cycle, I start over. By the third cycle I can't effectively move most bodyparts. I hope this works. It's supposed to deplete the glycogen supplies, then 3 days before the show, when I carb up it's supposed to allow my muscles to comphensate for the carb deprivation by overfilling with glycogen. It get's pretty scientific, and I ain't no scientist. So, I hope I can dial this in.

CA Natural 2005 - Day 1

2005-06-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

You know, only about 2% of the people that lift weights do
it properly. Meaning, including every bodypart
equally. In a gym of 100 people that equals you
and I.

I've been trying to get in bodybuilding shape for the CA Natural 2005
contest on June 11. I've been cutting the carbs and
watching the fats and salts for the past few weeks,
but I'm worried that I don't have the definition I'll
need. This show is way bigger than the Muscle Madness
one I won last year. It's in LA and is the largest Natural show in CA.
I'm finding myself trying to think of ways to weasle
out, but the fans are set on me doing it. 11 days to go.

Muscle Musings

2005-03-31T09:27:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings

How have your workouts been? I had a great traps,
shoulders workout yesterday. I lifted in a warmup suit
and took two caffeine tablets. The workout music was
just right too. It was one of those great workouts
where you go into a zone.

Muscle Musings

2005-03-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings
Resistance training is most successfull when the trainee utulizes the heaviest possible weights. The catch here is that the movement must focus on a select muscle group. Often what happens is the trainee loses sight of the goal of building muscle and becomes focused on lifting the most weight possible, regardless of muscle focus. Lifting becomes an ego bosting task rather than a muscle building task. If this has happened, then it is time to refocus.

Muscle Musings

2005-03-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings
A lot of people neglect working out their legs. The thinking is that they use their legs for enough activities, that weight training legs isn't needed. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Not if you want symmetry. Not if you want to have naturally elevated growth levels.

Your legs, specifically your quads, glutes, and hamstrings are your largest muscles in your body. Intense stimulation through weight training causes you body to release levels of growth hormones proportional to the muscle size. So working out legs benefits your entire physique.

The other obvious reason is proportion. Muscle proportion means that all your muscles match each other. If you have big arms, but you don't have a big chest, you don't have a proportional physique. If you have a big chest, but you don't have a well developed back, you don't have a proportional physique. And if you have a big upper body, and chicken legs, you look ridiculous.

Muscle Musings

2005-03-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

Muscle Musings

Yesterday's lifting session went pretty well. I always find out that working out is a great release for the day's frustrations. You may have been told never to do things when you are upset. Don't eat upset, don't drive upset, don't shop upset (oh, what that don't shop hungry) . . . well you get the point. These may be true, but when it comes to lifting weights, I always find that working out upset is a great way to fuel a workout. Whether you're frustrated from work, or you had a fight with your signifigant other, or just got rejected by someone or something you were really looking forward to; the anger, frustration, or sadness can all be released and transformed into a great iron pumping session. And I'm sure it's better than the alternatives... high blood pressure, ulcers, continued misery. It's not worth it, just channel that energy and move on. Try it.

Let's Go!

2005-03-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

3/14/05
Welcome to my Muscle Musings,
I'm not sure how long I'll keep this up, but it seems like a good outlet for my thoughts regarding the state of weight training. I've been lifting weights for about 14 years. The only time I didn't lift was one summer that I dislocated my shoulder. Other than that, I've been going steadily 3-5 times a week for 14 years. I have a lot to show for my efforts and consistency, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally; I feel that I have become a stronger more balanced person as well. It is my hope that I can encourage others to incoporate fitness into their lifestyle and recieve similar benefits. Again, welcome to the post. I'll update again soon.

DDMA