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Rhys
12-14-08, 9:56 pm
0630 this morning I'm up and moving around getting my day started. As usual I start it off with a breakfast from a blender that consists of 12 oz whole milk, 4 oz egg whites, 2 whole eggs, half banana, quarter apple, half cup frozen blackberries, half cup oats, along with the always required 2 scoops of whey protein.

As usual on the weekends I drink breakfast while checking out the words of those who I have learned from the most here on the Forvm. Once breakfast is done and I've got my Forvm fix I proceed to stretch out a little and figure out exactly what I'm doing for training today. At first I think about going right across the street to the YMCA I just joined last week to continue stretching then run some stairs and do some treadmill sprints. But then I notice my lower back and ankles aren't bothering me like they have been the last couple few weeks. In fact my lower back and ankles are feeling pretty damn good. Adrenaline hits my body giving me goose bumps as I consider the possibility of getting on the bus to hit the track for training today instead of going across the street to the YMCA.

I look outside and get even more excited as I see a little snow on the ground. I've been hoping for a day like today ever since I started to train again for the 110 hurdles this last summer. Last year at this time I was weighing in at close to 240 lbs at a height of 76 inches. I was bigger and stronger than I had ever been in my life. Finally after almost a decade and a half of frustration and injuries and never getting my body weight barely over 190 pounds mainly due to overtraining and under eating, I had figured out how to train my body and eat enough food to get bigger and stronger (much thanks to those who make this site and Forvm what it is)...something I had been trying to do since I was about 14 yrs old.

At close to 240 pounds I had put on plenty of legitimate muscle as well as fat at the same time. During that 2 year phase of putting on almost 50 pounds the only form of exercise I got was from working as a foot messenger and lifting weights as heavy as I could in the 4-6 rep range in all the big exercises. Especially squats, stiff leg deadlifts, barbell and dumbell rows, pull ups with 30-40 pound dumbells and of course lots of heavy pressing movements.

Though I was bigger and stronger than I had ever been in my life I was also slower, fatter, and generally feeling very stiff most of the time. The fatter part really didn't bother me to much, and I've never been all that flexible so being a little stiff wasn't really all that big of a deal. Though it did get to be a little much, mainly due to not nearly enough stretching and not taking the time to warm up and cool down properly.

But the being slow part is simply not something I can accept.

I love the Iron. I love Bodybuilding and moving as much weight as I possibly can. However the urge to run one of the most technically demanding and intimidating events in track and field has become the main focus of my training since last June. Weight training and bodybuilding are still foundations of my training of course. Always been...will always be.

So back to this morning...0830 after stretching out a little bit and deciding to head to the track for some sprint and hurdle training in the snow I adorn the appropriate attire for cold weather training and pack my bag with my track spikes, water, and a protein bar while snacking on some apple and raw mixed nuts washing it all down with plenty of egg whites.

Waiting for the bus stop I stretch out a little more and notice a bunch of runners up the street a couple blocks. When I say a bunch it must have been at least a couple thousand. They were all running down 5th ave in downtown Seattle. 5th ave was literally full of runners streaming by for about 10 minutes. None of them were moving very fast. Just a bunch of slow moving runners. I started to think how it was a little weird how so many people run but most of them only run slow. There were literally thousands of people out jogging down the street on a cold sunday morning, and here I was stretching out to go do some sprints at the track. And no...there was not a soul to be seen on or anywhere near the track this morning. I had it all to myself and it was beautifull thing. Being able to move as fast as I could without anybody or anything around to slow me down. It's not something I get to experience often enough in this life of mine that's for damn sure.

On the bus ride to the track I think of Machine's opening sentence in his latest article Breaking Bread...
"There is a strong and distinct possibility that you will never become an elite athlete."

How very very true that is. In fact the odds are quite against it...even for me...even if your born with an innate level of athletic ability far beyond average. Odds are...it just ain't gonna happen.

But for some...for a very very few. There is a chance. But guess what...that doesn't really matter. What matters is getting done what you gotta get done today so if fortunate enough to be given another day you are prepared to move forward and simply become more of what you already are.

As I arrive to the track I find it covered with snow and ice. Though I was really hopin to go over some hurdles I decided the snow and ice simply made a dangerous athletic activity even more so. But all was not lost..I came to the track to train in the cold and snow and that's what I set out to do. Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome.

After doing some sprint warm up drills down the homestretch I head around the curve to the backstretch where I start my first set of sprints against a strong and cold headwind.

First sprint isn't a sprint...just a fast jog to get more warm blood in the muscles and to make sure my back ankles and shins are holding up okay. My lower back was still a little tight and my shins were feeling the impact pretty good but warming up takes a little while when it's nice and cold out. I wasn't expecting it to be pretty. But it got the blood flowin. I walk the back curve and do more sprint drills and lunges down the homestretch to loosen up the lower back and warm the legs up more. The wind is pretty strong and I'm lookin forward to my next sprint against it down the back stretch.

I get to the backstretch again and use a little more power this time so I'm running more than jogging. At about 60 meters I turn the power up to about 80% and cruise for another 60-70 meters. That felt pretty good but my legs still needed some more encouragament.

I head around the back curve again to the main stadium to do some stair drills. Thankfully it's an old covered wooden stadium so I can do some power stair lunging and jumping. Jumping and plyometric training is completely new to me even though I've been training in some capacity or another since I was quite young. Taking stairs anywhere form 2-4 at a time is becoming more and more common in my quest for explosive speed.

After spending some time makin the legs a little rubbery in the stadium I head once again to the backstretch for another sprint. This time I push the power a little more and a little earlier at about 85-90% and keep it until I feel my form faltering then I simply lay off the gas and let myself slow down to a walk.

At this point I am pleased with my training session, especially since I haven't been able to run in almost 3 weeks due to lower back and ankle issues. For a minute I entertained the thought of calling it good. After all at my age and current conditioning level 3 good runs and sprints with some stair drills against a strong headwind in 3 layers of clothing provided a pretty damn good workout. It was a new experience on familiar ground that proved to be nice and challenging. Even though my lungs were already starting to feel like they wanted to pop out of my mouth there was still one more sprint left in me. One more chance to push the speed and power just a little more.

I walk around to the backstretch again for one last sprint. I get to 80% full sprinting power within 10 meters. Around 30-40 meters I accelerate to about 90% full power concentrating most of the extra power on quickly bringing the knees forward and high for about 20 meters or so. Effectively shortening my stride and increasing my rpms. Then with about 40 meters left to go I let my stride out and hit full power with a monstrous stride that only that only a tall ass ectomorph like myself is capable of. Now that I've hit full sprinting power I concentrate on relaxing every muscle in my body as much as possible while focusing all my energy to the muscles in my legs propelling my 76 inch 220lb body at a speed that feels like I'm cutting through the headwind instead of running against it. I keep the speed well into the back curve before I feel my leg muscles start to falter and am forced to let off the gas to let my body coast back down to a walk.

All in all it was about a 50 minute training session with maybe about 90 seconds of actual running. Only about 6-7 of those 90 seconds were spent at full speed. But those 6-7 seconds at full speed...all alone on a deserted track with not one person in the stands. It was my moment. A very brief moment to be sure. Moments like that whether on the track or in the weight room setting a new PR are moments I wouldn't trade for all the money and fame in the world.

On the bus ride home I think of how much further I have to go in order to make a comeback in this most difficult and intimidating event of track and field. I wonder If time and circumstances will allow me to train the way I need to train in order to run the 110 hurdles faster than I ever did in high school. Which would put me in shooting distance of a US Championship in masters track and field.

But that is a very long shot indeed. Even for someone with my God given natural athletic ability. Chances are it just ain't gonna happen.

So why do I do it...because it is who I am...It's what I was born to do better than just about anything. Because for those 6-7 seconds when I am moving at full speed and power I get to touch immortality. And that's not something anyone or anything in this world will ever be able to give me.

Maybe I will become an elite athlete...maybe I won't...but one thing I do know. I will keep training, I will strive to become more of what I already am every day that I am given to walk upon this rock. Because it's not about the money or fame. It's not about getting the cute girl or impressing other people.

No one was there at the track to watch me run and cheer me on this morning in the cold wind and snow. I didn't get handed any trophy or get to stand on the winners podium like I have done so many times in the past.


Because today I simply got to do what I love to do...I got to train...I got to experience what it was like to move my body with an extraordinary level of speed and power.

And that, my fellow brethren in Iron, is why I do what I do every day. And will continue to do for as many days as I get on this rock we call planet earth. For those are the moments when a mere mortal man such as myself get to touch immortality.

Rhys
12-16-08, 10:00 pm
Sitting here reading through my first post I wonder if anybody read it all the way through without thinking...Damn, this dude really ain't all that there is he? And why in the freakincockledoodlegoddamndoo! did this guy name the thread Touching Immortality?

I mean really? am I nothing more than mental?

After all...I do spend most of my time alone. I am a solitary man. With solitary pursuits.

Is that because people don't like me? well, not exactly, You see...how do I explain this to those who may read the words we write.

It's just that I am much better at keeping ourselves company than other people...see what I'm getting at? You probably don't but that's ok. Really...I understand.

We are madmen...and I am a dreamer of many dreams. I am the Immortal Warrior Spirit of man.

Listen carefully. Can you hear it? Do you hear it?

Can you hear them my brothers and sisters in iron? For they are the drums of war. A war on all that enslaves and kills the spirit of man.

Rhys
12-25-08, 1:44 am
Whenever I try to sit down and write something of meaning. Especially here on the Forvm, thoughts race through my mind much faster than I can write them down. Thoughts race through my head at around a million miles an hour. Seemingly chaotic but all revolving only around 3 or 4 central themes.

First off, as always, there is the might & muscle. Like having it, like using it, plan on gettin me some more of it. The evolutionary process of training ones body to become better, stronger, healthier, and more capable as time goes on has been a passion of mine since as long as I can remember.

All around athletic training has been something I've largely ignored since training in Muay Thai & Pankration in my early 20's. Recently though...the urge to compete in athletic competition is almost getting difficult for me to deal with. Balancing the training demands of becoming faster and stronger while paying the bills in a line of work that consumes huge amounts of physical energy ain't exactly something new to me. Been doin it that way since about as long as I've been training, which is about 20 years.

But the road to progress can be a bumpy one. First off, assuming you have a decent diet to begin with, (which most people clearly don't) You gotta learn how to train. If your like me...and you've been training regularly throughout your life to one degree or another, then you probably know your never done learning how to train your body. Training to me is an ever learning and evolving process. It changes constantly due to the demands of my life, and the demands of my body.

Right now my lower back is not doin to good. Pulled it real nice just a few days ago after it had been feelin so good for a couple weeks. Being a tall bodybuilder can be especially risky for the lower back, especially it that tall bodybuilder prefers big free weight exercises. Couple that with doing physically demanding work to pay the bills ever since the 4th grade...well, let's just say I've put a little wear and tear on my body over the years.

This of course has changed the focus of my training recently. Though I've trained intensely to some capacity since my early teens. It wasn't till my mid 20's that I started exclusively focusing on getting bigger and stronger. Being a person that prefers to remain physically active all day long doesn't exactly make that an easy goal. Doing a heavy squat workout friday after work. Then goin to my weekend gig working security at the most popular club in town. And feeling the soreness hit at around 1:30-2:00 in the morning as I get off work to head to an afterparty. Although a fun and rewarding experience in its own right, ain't exactly gonna help the goal of more muscle and strength along to smoothly.

But you live and you learn. You improvise, you adapt, and you overcome. No matter how many times you screw things up for yourself. Or how many times the fecal matter hits the proverbial oscillating mechanism for seemingly no apparent reason. Or you find yourself rambling random writings on a thread you started to keep track of some thoughts, and you realize your having trouble making any kind of real point whatsoever. But hey...at least you managed to sit down and write for awhile. Even if only to realize your writing needs a decent amount of work.

Rhys
12-25-08, 2:20 pm
Life is a tricky thing sometimes, and most times. For most people on this planet, life can be downright brutal. "Tough times don't last. Tough people do." I remember first hearing that phrase and giving it some thought in my late teens. It didn't take me long to figure out that "Tough times don't last. Tough people do." Was one of the biggest piles of Hippopotamus poop I had ever heard.

Compared to your average teenager growing up in the late 80's and early mid 90's I didn't exactly have things easy. But having spent a couple few months living in a third world country at the age of 15. I've always been well aware that there are many people on this planet who lived through more struggle on a daily basis than myself.

Sure I've seen my own share of tough times in my 33 years of livin on this rock. Things sure as hell in a handbasket haven't exactly turned out as I expected or envisioned for myself back in my younger days. I could have never imagined my own path in life would not become fully apparent until my darkest hour. I could have never foreseen becoming what I have become.

I'm not simply talking about the iron here. The iron is certainly a part of it, a big part of it. The iron is the foundation of my path in life. Without the Iron, my path in life would not be possible. Or to say the least it wouldn't exactly have the same ring to it.

simpleguy
12-25-08, 3:28 pm
long but def a worthwhile read... I can def relate to your first post regarding sprints

as a kid I was overweight, had no muscle, and I was the kind of lazy boy... I was always really bad at any physical activity... like soccer... I always liked this sport, and while I was somewhat good at it (precise passing and shooting, offensive awareness, marking, tackling), my speed sucked... in the modern game, as in most sports, speed is imo crucial in soccer

ever since I started being serious about my training and diet, my strength in general has improved, and so has my speed... for some reason I now enjoy sprinting quite a lot... probably just because I was always so slow; and those few seconds when you're in full 'throttle' feel so good, it's a unique sensation

Rhys
12-26-08, 5:24 pm
Right on Simpleguy. Yeah...my posts can be a bit long winded sometimes. I've been here reading the words of the Forvm ever since the beginning. Finally decided to join up and become a member a while later after seeing that the negative needless bullshit was always kept to a bare minimum at most. Developing my writing skills has become much more important to me recently so I'm getting back into a regular writing habit.

Bodybuilding done the right way can be a huge boost to athletic performance. I still can't believe there are articles on the internet that say bodybuilding is not for athletes. But that's another rant for another time.

But yeah man...it's pretty amazing what eating right and training with weights will do for an athlete. Especially if the athlete never really had a good diet or trained with weights properly in the past.

I just started doing some sprint training again this last July. Having done hardly any running whatsoever since my early 20's when I trained in Muay Thai, it's been well over 10 yrs since I've done any actual sprinting till very recently.

I've made good progress getting my speed back so far. But it's safe to say at this point, flexibility, or the lack thereof is what's causing me problems. Talk about some serious hamstring and lower back pumps though. I had forgotten just how demanding sprinting can be on those muscle groups.

When I started training for sprints again last July. I could tell I had more than enough power to move at a very high rate of speed. It honestly felt like if I turned it up to full throttle, the muscles and ligaments in my legs and lower back would literally tear themselves apart. It hasn't been easy getting my body capable of full power sprints again. Mainly due to the fact that I've never put much focus on developing my flexibility. These days my training sessions consist of more stretching than moving iron around. And I gotta say the benefits of more stretching plus doing some sprint training is making the old physique look better than it has for a long time.

But I can say that if I hadn't been for bodybuilding and lifting weights throughout most of my life there would be no way I could even think about competing in the 110 hurdles at my age. I thank my lucky stars everyday for the fact that I've made training legs and back a top priority since day one.

From a general athletic standpoint I believe it's much more important to have well developed legs than well developed arms or chest. Besides...having huge arms or upper body with puny legs just looks kinda ridiculous.

Rhys
12-27-08, 1:55 pm
What do you think of when you hear or see the word? "Foundation"

That upon which is built.

To me at least, those 5 words sum it up pretty good. But let's see what our pal Webster has to say about the word.

Foundation-1. a founding or being founded; 2. a fund or endowment to maintain a hospital, charity, etc. the organization that administers such a fund. an institution maintained by such a fund. 3. the base on which something rests; specif., the supporting part of a wall, house, etc., usually of mason, concrete, etc., and at least partially underground 4. the fundamental principle on which something is founded; basis 5. a supporting material or part beneath an outer part 6. same as Foundation Garment 7. a cosmetic cream or liquid, etc. over which other makeup is applied.

From my point of view, seems like Webster and I pretty much agree on what the word "Foundation" means. Sure...Webster gives us a much more detailed and I would say geeky, explanation of the word. But that's what our pal Webster does.

Lately I've been thinking about how much bodybuilding has been a foundation of my life for so long. Bodybuilding isn't the only thing in my life by any means, but it is the first thing that I ever remember becoming truly fascinated with.

Bodybuilding can mean different things to different people. If I had to sum it up in my own words I would say in it's simplest explanation, bodybuilding is the process in which one engages to build more muscle mass. Preferably as well proportioned and aesthetic as possible.

I personally believe that bodybuilding is one of the most healthy, and long term beneficial activities that any person of any background of any kind can engage in. Skinny people, fat people, short people, tall people, smart people, dumb people, athletic people, and clumsy people. Bodybuilding is something that can benefit them all.

I am also well aware that bodybuilding can be the most treacherous of minefields. Both for the mind, and body. Especially in the ego and money motivated marketplace we find ourselves living within at this point in human history.

The fact that there is more information on proper diet and training available now. Than at any other point in human existence. As far as we know. Has not seemed to help the health and wellness of most people I see walking around on this planet.

This is not something that should cause any body who makes this same observation to much stress. I'm not saying don't be concerned. It's just important to realize that human beings in general aren't really all that smart. And most people are really only good at doing what they are told. Many people in general are pleasure and security driven creatures. Matter of fact, there is not a person reading this, including the one writing this, that is any kind of exception to my above statements. It's just a matter of degree.

After all...I'm sure I'm not the only one on this Forvm who would agree that more muscle mass does give one a greater sense of security and confidence. So we can't really say we are all that much different than the person who does not choose to regularly engage in activities that build more muscle mass.

But I will say, that those of us who invest our time and energy into building up our bodies to become consistently bigger and stronger. Or simply more athletically capable in one area or another throughout our lives. Are making an investment in life that can give far greater returns than anything Wall Street will ever be able to offer in it's best of times.

When I say that bodybuilding is the foundation of my life. I mean exactly that. I have learned more lessons about truth, myself, and how to deal with the harsh realities that is life in general. Than I ever did in any school I attended, or the dogmatic institutions I grew up in. Where truth was proclaimed by loud, arrogant, ego driven leaders.

I have spent my life searching and seeking truth in many areas. So far the most I can tell you is that I'm a little bit closer to it than when I started. And that I will continue this way for as many days that I am given to reside in this body of mine. But the iron is what has brought me closer to the truth than anything else I've found. The truth ain't easy, and it ain't purdy either. In fact, I truly believe that there has never existed a human on this planet who could ever fully grasp, and understand truth. Without having a complete mental and physical breakdown.

Rhys
01-07-09, 2:16 am
Yeah...my training is mainly focused on the 110 hurdles. But you gotta appreciate the beauty and power of throwing no matter what your physical or athletic pursuits may be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7EANpzV21s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HepxfyVPhck&feature=related

These guys sure as hell know how to move some serious weight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkBm4VmYUx0&feature=related

Of course I'm not gonna leave out bodybuilding...sheeeiit...that would just be crazy...No really...it would just be crazy. So here's a video of one of my favorite old school bodybuilders, the original freak himself. The music is a bit cheese, but it still gets ya goin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yefNuMQbEtY&feature=related

Rhys
02-07-09, 1:52 pm
Eventually, you realize that what may have worked out okay in the past may not be the best thing for the present. Sometimes you just need to change gears and go in a completely different direction. Or if your anything like me and tend to go in more than one direction at once, be willing to eliminate one path to better walk another.

BB
02-10-09, 6:24 am
Holy....you got some long ass posts there brother, but some great shit in them motivating stuff, the forum is a great place to vent with people who understand and have the same passion as you...keep em comin

Rhys
02-15-09, 2:45 pm
Thanks for the words BB. I haven't had a long ass post in a while...almost 2 months now. Just not able to spend as much time on the internet these days. Life has not exactly been smooth sailing the last couple few months. In fact the last few months have been some of the stormiest and unstable times I've seen in quite some time. Both within my own emotional and spiritual self as well as the reality I find myself waking up to every day.

You ever open up a fortune cookie and the fortune reads, "May you live in interesting times"

BB
02-15-09, 10:09 pm
Im sorry to hear that just stay strong, keep lifting and hopefully everything will blow over. Can't say i have ever had a fortune cookie like that but i dont believe in that kind of stuff i believe i control what happens in my life maybe im right maybe not but its the way i live.

Rhys
02-17-09, 10:33 pm
Nothing to be sorry about BB. I've ridden out quite a few storms in my time, and I've certainly seen worse. No doubt I will see many more in my days left on this rock before I encounter a storm that puts me down for good.

I've always had a somewhat twisted but ultimately true saying.

Tough times last forever...Tough people just see more of them before they die.

We can control many things in our lives for sure. The scope of our control and influence in this world reaches far beyond what we are readily able to perceive with our limited cranial capacity. But of course there are many things we have little to no control of whatsoever.

Tornado's for example. Those things are pretty much damn near impossible to control.

BB
02-23-09, 11:18 am
Thats true, and a great quote i must say haha brought a smile to my face.

Rhys
03-01-09, 9:16 pm
Guess I'm finally due for at least a somewhat decent entry in this here thread I got going. Not able to spend much time online these days as I haven't had internet access at home for about 2 months now. Like I mentioned before...things haven't exactly been all that stable the last few months...or even for the last year or so for that matter. I've been up against a rock and a hard place more than a couple few times over the course of 2008...and the first few months of 2009 haven't exactly been a picnic.

But sometimes you have to battle through a deep valley before you can once again climb another mountain. I can't say 2008 was all that bad really, just more unstable in many ways I'm not all that used to. After all it's not every summer that you get to spend getting paid to drive exotic sports cars around. But the exotic sports car rental business ain't exactly doing to well these days. I also learned that getting in and out of a Lotus Elise can be somewhat damaging for the lower back when your 76 inches tall. They didn't make those cars for stretched out lanky fella's such as myself. But it is quite a kick to drive a street legal race car around. And Porsche by the way really does make a phenomenal sports car. Never drove a Porsche until last summer...talk about a driving experience that makes you smile ear to ear no matter what the conditions. The Dodge Viper however has to be one of the absolute worst handling vehicles ever built, and is in my opinion a complete waste of 500 horsepower. It does sound AWESOME though. But I have literally driven cargo vans that handle better than that sorry excuse for an exotic sports car.

Talking about cargo vans...and going from one extreme to another. Once September rolled around the owners decided to shut down the sports car rental business as they were losing thousands of dollars every month. I quickly landed another job with a gourmet pasta company making deliveries to local Italian restaurants. The free pasta was a great benefit and sure as hell was the best pasta I've ever had by far. But loading and unloading a cargo van with about 2000-3000 pounds of pasta everyday didn't exactly do my lower back any favors. My training slowly grinded to a stand still as my lower back kept getting more strained as each week passed by till eventually I had to quit with a cumulative back injury that put me down bad enough to where it took me over a month to just start walk normally again.

So there I was at the end of 2008 with no job, barely any money to my name, and a gnarly back injury to top it off. The fact of the matter is that at 33 years old, doing intense physical labor to pay the bills, while also pushing my limits in the weight room and getting myself back into condition to compete in the 110 hurdles with the goal of making it to the final heat at the US Masters track and field championship isn't exactly the best formula for attaining the level of athletic ability required to compete at that level. My recuperative abilities simply weren't keeping up. So I finally decided it was time to find a less physically stressfull way to pay the rent so I could put the majority of my energy into training.

Not the easiest thing to do in this day and age when your whole work history involves jobs that are very physical by nature. From high rise window cleaning and being an 0311 in the USMC, to working as a foot messenger for 7 years walking 8-10 miles everyday in a hilly city with 30-60 pounds on my back, to rebuilding fine grand pianos worth upwards of $100,000 dollars, yeah, putting 228 strings on a 9 foot concert grand will put some tension on your lower back to say the least. Did you know that the strings on a grand piano create around 20 tons of down pressure? Yes I did say 20 tons...40,000 lbs. Most of the instruments I worked on weighed in excess of 1000 lbs. Sheeeiit...the Iron plate alone can weigh up to 500 lbs or more. And of course how can I not mention the many nites of standing in one spot for hours on end bouncing in high volume niteclubs. Or the many nites I spent as a driver/bodyguard for an escort company...not exactly the most physically demanding job but an interesting experience to say the least.

So yeah...my background ain't exactly all that typical...but I ain't exactly the typical type. And beleive me when I say this...I'm not exactly your typical mover of Iron.

Rhys
03-08-09, 8:25 pm
You ever look back on something you wrote and think to yourself...why did I write that? If anything, writing is a very good way of organizing one's thought process. Most often I find myself having written something that was not anything like what I was originally planning on.

Up until now, writing has merely been something on my list of things to do. Not a top priority by any means, just something I do when I get around to it. But the times they are a changin. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. So that we may continue on the path of consistent growth and progress in all areas of life. Now onto writing about something that relates to all of us here.

I really don't care whether someone wants to be a big huge bodybuilder or not. The fact of the matter is, everybody on this whole freakin planet can benefit from basic applied bodybuilding knowledge. Whether your a 15 year old just getting started and dreaming of one day becoming a pro. Or your a 50 year old who has never even picked up a pretty rubber coated 5 pound dumbell in your life.

Matter of fact...properly applied bodybuilding knowledge is even more important for the 50 year old than the 15 year old...though not by very much.

So we've got two completely different people with completely different goals and objectives. One wants to be a big huge monstrous bodybuilder when he grows up, the other simply wants to be healthier and more mobile in old age. Let's say they're both beginners just starting out. Both know basically next to nothing, and when they enter a gym to train in order to reach their goals, it is quickly revealed to the experienced eye that they may end up doing themselves more harm than good.

I've been spending more and more time in commercial gym establishments lately, and it is almost maddening for me to see just how much people in general are misinformed about proper exercise and nutrition.

It's pretty rare for me to talk with someone who wouldn't like a stronger, leaner, healthier, more athletically capable body. Sure most people don't want to be a big huge massive bodybuilder like many of us here on the Forvm. If you don't want massive huge muscles you don't have to train as hard, or eat nearly as much food as those who do want a massive powerfull phyisque. But you still need a good understanding of basic bodybuilding principles if you desire a stronger, leaner, healthier physique.

Just don't try to tell me you shouldn't bodybuild just because you don't want to be big and powerfull. I simply cannot stress enough just how important a good thorough knowledge of basic tried and true bodybuilding knowledge is for anybody. No matter what they may want to accomplish with their bodies. Whether you want to step on stage and win a bodybuilding contest, compete in your first triathlon, or if your a whacko like me and you plan on competing in the 110 high hurdles at old geezer track and field meets.
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Seeing as how I'm writing this at work which happens to be a gym right smack dab in the middle of Downtown Seattle, I'm going to have to end it here. Once again not exactly what I was planning to write, nor did it come out as well as I hoped when I first sat down this morning to write on this subject. But since it's now my job to explain the benifits of bodybuilding or health and fitness to people so they can get a proper start. You can expect to see more frequent posts on this subject from my own experience from here on out.

Until the next time just remember this...If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava...don't reach in and grab em...cause man...they're gone.

Rhys
03-11-09, 1:21 am
For most of my life, training is something I've primarily done in isolation. For the last 8 years I've trained in a small private weight room owned by the company I worked for as a foot messenger. It's not easy for a tall hyperactive ectomorph to make quality gains while working in an occupation that requires substantial caloric energy. Especially if said ectomorph happens to be misguided enough to try building muscle and burning fat at the same time. It's safe to say that up until almost 3 years ago, most of my bodybuilding efforts were spent in an overtrained and underfed physical state of being. The thought of eating so much that my abs might vanish beneath a layer of fat, was something I probably couldn't have fathomed. Until reading some articles on a certain website, ran by a company some of you may have heard of, called Universal.

You always remember those moments. The exact moments you look back on that changed the course of your life. On the surface, I find it somewhat odd, that an advertisement put out by a supplement company could be so powerfull and have such a profound impact on one's life. Odder still is to think back and shudder at what might have been if it never happened in the first place. After all, I had been buying, reading, and thumbing through bodybuilding magazines and books since around 13 years of age. Safe to say, that by the age of 30 I'd seen a couple few supplement advertisements and spent a small fortune on them as well in my day.

For the few years before I turned 30 I more or less put the need to get bigger and stronger under wraps. The need was still there, but I generally tried to ignore it, since up until that point my efforts for a month or two of consistent training ended up with me getting sick or injured. And then having to pretty much start all over again after anywhere from 1 week or up to a couple of months depending on the injury or illness.

I still lifted weights during those years, but only because it was something I needed to do to stay sane. If anything I'd at least get a decent squat session in most weeks. But nothing all that serious. Just something I needed to do because it didn't feel right to me to not lift at all.

I also partied quite a bit during those times. Stayed up until early morning hours every weekend at electronic dance music events. Other than House music I can't say I really found anything of any meaning during those years. Especially the deep stuff.

Then one spring day 3 years ago I walked into a magazine store on my work break and picked up a bodybuilding rag, Flipped through some pages and ran across this ad titled "The Power of One" I remember thinking that ad was the most badass ad I've ever seen and made a mental note to check out the website listed at the bottom of the ad.
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Took me awhile to get all that down. Sometimes the words don't flow all that easy. Which is more or less usually the case. Of course as usual I found myself having gone in a direction that was not exactly intended from the start. But hey...sometimes you just gotta enjoy the process. After all it's all about the journey, not the destination...as the journey is the destination. And my own journey is far from over.

Rhys
03-22-09, 7:35 pm
I want a stronger core, what should I do? Squat. What if I want to put on more muscle? Squat. How do I strengthen my knees for skiing? Squat. What exercise will improve my ability to poop in the woods? Squats. If I could only do one exercise, what should it be? Deadlifts, followed very closely by squats.
Squatting is natural, essential, and powerful. It develops amazing strength in the knees, back, and hips. Squats, being a functional exercise, allow us to move large loads, long distances, quickly. There is no movement that is a better indicator of work capacity and this goes all the way down to minimum standards of survival and self sufficiency. The basic act of getting up off the toilet can be viewed as an indicator that the ability to squat is core to our existence. Developing effective and forceful hip function is one of our primary concern as we seek a greater level of athleticism. Variance in the type of squat, bar position, foot position, all have very impacts on how we develop that strength. Overhead, front, high bar low bar, sumo stance and others mitigate the recruitment of certain muscles while enhancing the contribution of others. Collectively we have a fantastic wealth of opportunity to train the powerful hip drive, and 360 degrees of midline stabilization.
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The above was written by Jordan Holland, an exercise instructor who works at a gym a couple blocks from where I live. Just though I'd share it here for anybody who might stop by.

Rhys
03-27-09, 3:15 pm
Why is it that when I'm thumbing through a muscle mag, it feels like a HUGE breath of fresh air every time I run across an Animal or Universal ad.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that their ads are just a little bit different than the norm.

Rhys
05-07-09, 3:03 am
Reflecting on the path lying ahead, the path of simply becoming more of what I already am.

I find myself working in an environment with more potential for growth than at any other point in my life. Don't know how long it's gonna last, but I plan on riding it all the way.

If there was ever a time for me to take advantage of every waking moment towards digging deep, and working with as much passion, intelligence, diligence, and discipline as possible...That time is NOW!!

Flexibility and meticulous planning will be the areas concentrated on to improve most over the following weeks and months. Which will provide for a much smoother flow of progress. If I remember correctly there was a saying in The Art of War..."Today's preparation equals tomorrow's victory."

Attaining the level of physique and artistic mastery I know that I am truly capable of requires a level of steadfastness and focus of a level previously unattained. Though my previous efforts have yielded significant results under the circumstances. It's the combination of knowledge and experience combined with what is becoming an all consuming passion if not full blown obsession, that propels new growth on all fronts.

It takes 10,000 hours to attain a true level of mastery in any given discipline. That works out to 3 hours a day for 10 years.

My recent past has been chaotic and unstable. But my foundations were laid deep into hard ground.

Rhys
05-27-09, 1:21 am
So far...making a comeback in the 110 hurdles at the age of 33 hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. Over 10 months have gone by since I first did some short winds prints after having not done any running whatsoever in almost 15 years. Since then I've injured my lower back twice bad enough to where I was unable to stand or walk more than a few minutes for 1-2 weeks. I've also started having strains in the back of my left knee. Which is my lead leg over the hurdle.

One of my biggest mistakes when it came to training for hurdles this past year, was probably going straight into running hurdles. When I first started training with the intention of once again competing in this event I entertained thoughts of competing in the 2009 Masters Track and Field Season in the 30-35 age group. Clearly...that is not going to happen.

So now I look towards June of 2010 with the experience of 10 months of training that did not produce the desired results. The last few month or so I've been doubting whether or not it was really possible for me to get myself into the kind of condition needed to compete in this event without seriously injuring myself.

But like I mentioned before...I do think one of my biggest mistakes was going right into running hurdles again. Today was the first day I was able to run on a treadmill at a 5 minute mile pace in over 2 months.

I only ran at that pace for about 45 but it felt more smooth and pain free than it has since probably last December when I made my first post on this log. About a week later my lower back gave out due mainly to working one of the most physically demanding jobs I ever had in my life. Which brings me to one of the biggest things I've done right since starting on the comeback trail...Finding ways to pay the bills without subjecting my lower back to unnecessary work loads that take energy away from my training.

Well...writing time is over for now. Gotta spend some time in the kitchen cookin my meals.

weedlewott
05-27-09, 1:40 am
brother, you've got some drive in you. i like seeing that. great posts. I don't know how I missed this one, but i'm in for the ride man. Keep it coming. Touch immortality. No, fuck that, attain it.

Rhys
05-27-09, 2:51 am
Thanks for the good words weedlewott. I checked out your journey, from the looks of things you obviously have some serious talent for the Iron Game. Good stuff on that NCO test as well bro. Reminds me of going through the Crucible many moons ago.

weedlewott
05-27-09, 3:03 am
Thanks bro. I should be the one thanking you for the good words though. Talent? ha. Appreciate that. Something tells me that an NCO of the Month Competition has nothing what so ever on the Crucible.

Rhys
06-09-09, 1:34 am
I don't necessarily do what I do in life to get pats on the back or make friends. But I'll fully admit that it's good to know someone is reading the words I write and finding it worthwhile stuff to read.

I've always walked solitary paths in life. Growing up tall and fast everybody was always telling me to play basketball. I played a little bit in grade school, but once I hit junior high, the pressure and expectations for me to join the basketball team was pretty intense. I hit puberty in 3rd grade and by 7th grade I was at my full height of 6'4. I only weighed about 146 pounds, but I was still far stronger and faster than all the other kids in my class.

Instead of playing basketball though, I chose to join the wrestling team. And instead of being a superstar basketball player, with all the attention, glitz, and so called glory. I spent the next 2 years getting tossed around the wrestling mat by the wrestling coaches son. As well as a few of the high school varsity wrestlers. I wrestled my freshmen year of high school as well, but after that, I chose to only compete in Track and Field during my sophomore and junior years. This decision was mainly due to heavy responsibilities at home taking care of my sick mother who had a severe case of chronic fatigue syndrome.

To be honest, I've always thought the game of basketball was a bit goofy. Of course it's impressive to watch someone like Micheal Jordan do his thing. As it is impressive to watch anyone who is considered the very best of what they do. Do what they do.

At my school, Basketball is what got all the attention. It was the schools biggest sport by far, and was the same season as basketball. Basketball games were always loud as hell, the bleachers were always packed with tons of people, cheerleaders dancing around with a band playing, all that good stuff.

At wrestling matches though, there was always more than enough room in the bleachers. Hell they were practically empty most times. The cheerleaders were never there. And we sure as hell didn't have the high school band playing during our matches. Often times there was only one light on during our wrestling matches. The light that hung over the middle of the mat. And the loudest sound was often that of a body getting thrown to the mat.

I've often found more satisfaction in giving my all up against a superior opponent and losing. Than to go up against an inferior opponent and winning. Though both experiences have their merits and valuable things to teach you.

And then there is of course the unique experience of completely dominating your opponents.

Rhys
02-14-10, 2:45 pm
Eight months since my last post in this log I got goin. About time I put some of my thoughts into words, which I haven't done in quite some time.

Never really easy to put my thoughts into words, as they seem to happen much faster than my ability to type at around 60 words per minute. My mind is always sorting and sifting through information and subjects, circumstances and moments, strategies and application of said strategy for any given circumstance or objective. Often times though, it's simply a matter of stopping my thoughts for a few moments and writing what illuminates in my mind in those specific moments. For every moment or picture frame in my minds eye that I actually manage to key in on. It seems anywhere form 5-20 or more pictures or thoughts flash upon my inner-cranial-memory-projection.

These thoughts many times have to do with what I know about the world, the circumstances and reality I exist within upon this big rock we all inhabit, and how my actions in the past, present, and future affect the state of reality I find myself living within.

Since last summer of 09 I started having some fairly serious back and ankle problems. Which of course made training somewhat difficult. Especially when your on the long road of a comeback to get into the kind of condition one needs to be in to successfully sprint 110 meters over 10 hurdles anywhere from 36-42 inches in height.

Running on flat surface at a pace of 1 mile per 8 minutes your joints are absorbing at a minimum, around 4 times your bodyweight every time your foot hits the ground. And that's one leg at a time. And I'm a sprinter...not a runner. Big difference.

Sprinting or jumping can create an impact force of between 8-10 times ones bodyweight. So at a bodyweight of 220 pounds, my bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles have to absorb up to just over a ton of weight every time each foot hits the ground.

In a typical hurdle training session I'll typically set up 3 hurdles. The take off and approach to the first hurdle takes 7-9 strides depending on whether I take 3 or 5 strides between hurdles. The minimum strides I'll take for each set of hurdles is 16, and the maximum would be 24.

The 16 strides per set of hurdles are done at speeds within 80% of a full sprint. 24 strides are probably done at a pace of around 55-70% of full speed.

To make it easy on the math let's say that at 24 strides per set, I'm absorbing at least 5 times my bodyweight each time my foot hits the ground, which at a bodyweight of 220 lbs is just over half a ton, or 495 kilograms. A typical hurdle training session would see me doing at least 15 sets of 3 hurdles, but we'll go with 10 to keep the math simple. If I did 10 sets of hurdles at 16 strides a set. That's an easy low estimate of at least 160,000 pounds of impact force my body has to absorb per training session.

Damn...no wonder I've been diagnosed with arthritis in my ankles and lower back recently.

Rhys
05-08-10, 7:43 pm
So here you are...34 years old with over two decades of battling the iron on a regular basis under your belt, and a lower back that sure as hell ain't what it used to be. The ankles and knee joints are feeling your time in the gym for noticeably longer than anything your remember. In fact your spending way to much damn time with your mind focused on the lingering pain in just about every major joint of the body on one side or another.

Granted you've got a decent well balanced muscular body with capacity for levels of both speed and power far beyond 99.9 percent of every human being on the planet. (Though these days that's not exactly saying a whole helluva lot.) That muscular speed and power doesn't do you any good when your lower back is screaming at you every morning, and you need to stretch for twenty to thirty minutes just to get it warmed up and loosened up to go to work for the day. Your right shoulder is screwed up so bad you can barely stay in an extended push up position without feeling like it's tearing apart. Needless to say, progress and performance in the gym has been severely compromised

But on the road to recovery, you gotta start somewhere. And if that means the only chest, shoulder, or triceps work you get for the day simply involves getting down on the floor to hold yourself in the extended push up position for as long you can, then you simply gage your progress by counting seconds instead of reps, and get to work.

When your joints simply get to the point where they are no longer handle the stress of regular heavy weight training, yet your still determined to become stronger, faster, and more powerful than you've ever been in your life, well then my friend, we've got some work cut out for us don't we.

So you begin to study ways of training the body while putting as little stress directly on the joints as possible. Soon you find yourself learning whole new ways of training and challenging the body to become not just bigger and stronger, bust faster, more powerful, with more athletic agility than anything you've experienced in your life.

Though your shoulder joints may not be able to handle the stress of heavy military presses, or my all time favorite, the clean and press. You find that at least you can hold yourself at arms length in the push up position long enough to get a good burn going. So this is what you do to get a training effect on your chest, shoulders and triceps. The weeks and months go by and you find yourself getting strong enough to put your feet up on a wall and walk on your hands from the push up position to the handstand position. After a couple months of holding the handstand position balanced against a wall for as long as you can, you start working on one arm handstands.

Your lower back may not be able to take the heavy squats and bent over rows like it used to, at least you can still bang out a good number of pull ups without any difficulty. But pull ups can become somewhat mundane after a while. So one day you get some crazy ass vision in your head of doing an upside down pull up. You thought you got some weird looks in the gym for using chalk on deadlift day. Try doing some pull ups with your feet pointed straight up in the air and your pulling your hips up past the bar while you hang upside down.

Then there is always the L-Sit Pull up option. Where you do pull ups with your legs locked straight out in front of you as close to or even beyond a 90 degree angle from your upper body. When you get to where you can do 6-8 of these bad boys with strict good form, all the other abdominal exercises you have ever done look like childs play. Not to mention they hit the lats and back unlike anything you've ever done in over two decades of training.

Adapt
Improvise
Overcome

Rhys
05-13-10, 6:17 pm
No matter how things change, some things always stay the same. Maybe that sounds a little to cliche by now, as I'm sure the few people who bother to read this crazy thread of mine have heard that one before.

For all the people who have come in and out of my life, which, because of my nature is far fewer than most people, with more emphasis on out rather than in. There are certainly a few people in my life, literally only a few, that have been with me for about as long as I can remember. Doesn't matter whether times are good or bad, I feel pretty damn lucky to have at least a few people I know I can rely on even in my darkest days.

Life is always going to have it's up and downs. Sometimes you climb the mountain, other times, you simply fall down the mountain. It's after those falls when your forced to take time to recover from your wounds.

Injuries happen in all aspects of life. Mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and even financial injuries can all set you back. Or at the very least, keep you from making maximum progress towards whatever vision you have firmly entrenched in mind.

No matter what happens in life, or how your surroundings and circumstances may change or seem chaotic, the visions we hold in our minds eye of what we are to achieve and become is what keeps you going and pushing through the darkest and coldest nights. Your vision is also what grounds you and keeps you on task when things may seem to be going just a little to well.

However, I have personally found that a stagnant vision, is a dying vision. Your vision must evolve, just as you must evolve.

In this day and age, there is absolutely no time whatsoever, to worry and complain about those who get caught up in all the stupidity of modern culture. If we are to achieve and become the
the vision we seek within, it will not do any of us any good in any way shape or form, to spend time worrying, fretting, bitching, or complaining about the absurdity and insanity one must wade through on a daily basis in this reality we find ourselves.

If you happen to be one of the very, very few people on this planet who truly knows who you are, despite the bullshit that's been crammed down your throat on a night and day basis since day one. Then you my friend, are a truly lucky individual indeed. Easily one of the luckiest human beings to have ever walked the face of this planet.

If you really do have your own path in life, or if your like me and you've veered far off the path only to hack and slash your own path through the dense unforgiving jungle of this world. Keep your eyes focused on the task at hand, and remember the lessons that life has taught you on this journey well.

For rest assured, you'll need to apply all that you have learned in the days ahead.

And then some.

Rhys
05-13-10, 6:22 pm
Wow! I finally made it to over 100 posts and have the title of Plebeian under my name. Only took me almost 3 years.