The Bodybuilding ‘Pencil-neck’ Eraser Exercise

If you are anything like me ‘A natural hard gainer’ or 6ft plus in height, It might just be that you suffer from having a long giraffe pencil-neck. If so then, and if you have decided to take up bodybuilding to help bulk it up a bit, then I know you have done or still are struggling to develop the ‘Bull-neck’ look.

Why Do You Want A Strong Neck?

Your neck is always on display

Like I stated in the tailor-made wardrobe post, your neck is one of the first things people will see when they meet you, and they will judge you by it. Your neck will alsobe visible in almost anything you wear, so it’s always going to be on show. Since that is the case, you will want to have a strong and powerful neck to show to the world, as a strong neck signals strength, power and determination to those you meet. (First impressions are everything!)

Withstand a blow

Having a strong neck will enable you to withstand a fatal blow, whether that be from a fight or when taking up a particular sport. It really is that serious. Having a strong neck will be the difference of whether you spend a few days resting or recovering, or whether you end up in hospital for treatment of a spinal injury when faced with a fatal blow to the head. From my own personal experience, building a stronger neck was the difference between me falling flat on my face or withstanding the weight and walking away when I helped lift a friend into my attic. It was actually quite frightnening. This guy was 14 stone of pure muscle, he accidently slipped while balancing on my shoulders and I lost my balance a little. But because I had been training at the gym (2 years at this point in my life), my neck had the advantage of bulking up from it’s previous pencil-neck form, and I was able to push back and withstand the force of his weight.

Protects your spine

If you want to avoid back problems in the future then start focusing on building up the muscles in your neck. I’ve seen grown men reduce to tears because of back problems they’ve faced, and I can tell you, it really isn’t a pretty sight. So do yourself a favour and take action.

Another issue which I know affects every single one of you is bad posture when sitting at the computer. This will put strain on your neck muscles and spine. But build a strong neck and you can beat the odds of back pain in the future.

The ‘Pencil-neck’ Eraser Exercise

Now, I’ve already shown you a few ways that you can build up your neck muscles here, even when you are at work. But here is one effective technique that you probably haven’t tried which you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Nash rubber like a canine

1. Go to your nearest bike store and buy a new bike tyre inner-tube
2. As you get ready for your workout, stand on the floor on all fours (Like a dog)
3. Place and hold one end of the inner-tube in one hand (or both)
4. Place the other end in your mouth and grip it with your teeth
5. Make sure you have a firm grip on both ends and make sure you have a good range of motion for the movement
6. All you do now push your head back in a upwards/ backwards motion. Back down again and repeat.

You can workout the number of sets you wish to do by gauging your own strength levels. But perform this exercise once or twice a week for a few months and you will feel the difference in the look and feel of your neck.

Note: If you suffer from a history of neck injuries, I would highly advise that you visit a physician before performing any kind of neck exercise or training. The above information will without a doubt help you build a powerful neck, but if you don’t have the right foundation for doing so you could well be setting yourself up for injury, failure and set backs (Which I do not want. I can’t have my stayfitbuggers out of action now… can I? )

See you in the comments

Why Playing Video Games Will Make You A Better Bodybuilder

If you are alive right now and reading this, it is very likely that you play video games in some way or another on one of these formats:

• PS3
• Xbox360
• Wii
• Nintendo DS
• PSP
• iphone
• Online web games
• MMORPGs

All of which cover a huge demographic in today’s world.

Games in general do get a lot of flack for apparently wasting our time. I don’t agree with that. I actually think you are living an experience when playing games, and any good experience you go through in life certainly won’t have a price on it (Priceless). But that’s another argument. One good thing that I see games doing is that they may start developing better mindsets for the masses. The mindset to succeed more often in other real world activities, and how this could help you be a better bodybuilder?

How?

Because games teach you how to fail a lot before you finally succeed.

Now, you may have not looked at things this way before and you have probably separated your gaming life from your real life. And what ever has happened in the gaming world has stayed in the gaming world. But open your mind a little. The next time you play that challenging game, try and stick it out to the end to earn that trophy or beat that boss or score that goal against that super good online nerd. I’m guessing that you probably give up and turn the console off when you begin to lose and decide to go back to it another time. It’s OK to do this if you are restricted by time, but if you simply give up because you cannot stand the heat of getting beaten, then you are probably the cowardly type. If this is you then I can bet money on it that you act the same way in other challenges that you face in life. Such as bodybuilding. In fact, if you want to see if you are cut out to build a great ’stand out from the crowd’  body, then start playing games more. This will be a true test of your character.

Play Hard Games

You will fail a lot. You will get fed up from endless failure. And it is at this time which will determine wether you succeed or not. And as usual, it is a very thin line between the two. But do yourself a favour and leave the console on. See the battle through until you succeed. Learn how to beat that boss properly, and when you finally do, the enjoyment and fulfillment you get afterwards is second to none. There aren’t too many great feelings like that in life. Quite like scoring a goal in soccer/football.

Some Games

Guitar Hero and Rock Band

(Nailing that 5 star difficulty track on Expert mode)

Viewtiful Joe

(Beating Fire Leo -- See the video and comments to understand how hard a task this was… and still is)

Comments such as -- ‘I traded in this game because of this guy i could never defeat him i think i should go and get it again’ thorgrim103

Devil May Cry 3

(Still probably one of the hardest games around)

Midnight Club 3/ Los Angeles

(The original was released back on the PS2. The cars you would race against were simply unforgiving. You crash, you lose… it was as simple as that)

Demon Souls

(A PS3 game that I’ve yet to play, but going by the reviews, It’s bitch hard)

Sorry folks, I’m a hardcore gamer. I don’t know many challenging casual games. Perhaps some of you could recommend such games that would fit the above criteria.

I personally love it when games are ultra hard and unforgiving. It keeps my mindset in ‘challenged’ mode. In fact, I often complain when things become too easy, because I know that I cannot progress with anything in life unless I face defeat every now and again. And whenever I hit the gym and face a challenge, I now will have more experiences under my belt of times when I overcame a challenge, regardless of the scenario.

The point is…

The point is… the more you begin to develop this mind set, the more likely it will be that you will succeed in your quest to build that body you deserve. You will begin to learn how and why failure is important at break neck speed, with your only cost being time, electricity and maybe an extra games controller or two. And guess what. The more you learn to adopt this mind set the faster you will begin to succeed too. I call this the ‘Reverting back to childhood mindset’, because as a child, you will fail more times than ever then as you do as an adult.. it’s just part of the process of growing up.

• Walking
• Talking
• Reading
• Writing
• Bike riding

To name a few.

But when the failure happens at this age, it is never questioned by anyone.

(Ahh, look at little Shauny trying to ride his bike. He’ll get there soon enough)

But as you migrate into adulthood, failure starts to feel like you are breaking the law, which is wrong. This is something that is wrong with the worlds mentality at present, and I’m not quite sure how it can be fixed. But all YOU need to know is that you will adopt the video games mindset, and fail in your workouts as much as you need to until you succeed. Because that is the proper way to build a near perfect body.

Fix the mind and you can fix the body

See you in the comments.

How To Find Your Own Bodybuilding ‘Map’ And ‘Route’

Most people that are already into bodybuilding are probably already fighting fit. But depending on your age, previous/current injuries and other things, you may want to ensure that you are ready to take up a weightlifting program, let alone taking things to the next level the stayfitbug.com way. You can do this by,

1.  Taking a PARQ (Pre Activity Readiness Questionnaire) – These questionnaires are designed to understand if there is any risk involved for the individual in question to take up an intense fitness program. Here’s an example of one PARQ

2. A lifestyle questionnaire – These can help determine what level of workout you should go for.

3. Determining your goals

The easiest way to write your goals down is by asking yourself 4 questions in this order.

1. Overall Goal(s)
2. Break down these goals into shorter achievable goals. Say 1-3 months.
3. The purpose of each goal
4. Look deeper into it… do these goals you now have seem impractical in anyway. If so how can you make them more practical?

Find Your Routine And Then Follow ‘These’ Articles

It’s simple… follow the rules of bodybuilding and you will get to where you need to be. Eat well, supplement well, workout with intensity and results will come. You will feel the burn, the pain, and the agony. If you keep at it, you will prevail.

However, there will likely come a day when you simply wont be happy with how your body looks. In fact you probably never will be. You will always look at someone else’s body and want what they have.

Yes, I have taught you to know better than to compare with others, but lets face it… It’s going to happen anyway. Especially when you catch your girlfriend eyeing up some muscle bound model type on a hot summers day. But hey, at least the jealousy will push you to work harder. Never the less, it is at this point when Shaun of stayfitbug.com will come to the rescue and show you ways to keep those muscles active. It is these exercises that you will use to find your own map. What tweaks work and which don’t? Here you will pick those posts that either unveil an innovative exercise or workout routine such as,

Hard Gainer Weightlifting Workout Routine

Shock Body Exercise Variations

Unique bodyweight exercises

How To Build A Sandbag For Your Weightlifting Routine

And use them to take your muscles to the next level… in your own way.

Understand Your Genetics

Unfortunately you cannot change the genes that you have been blessed or cursed with. Whether you have a big butt, high calves with skinny ankles, a long neck, small wrists or whatever… you are lumped with it for life. But the quicker you understand that, the quicker you can figure out what you can do in your workouts so that everything you do works to your advantage.

If you have small wrists like I do, then you will have focus on grip work and building your forearm muscles more (compound exercises can fix this too). If you have a long neck, then focus on neck exercises and building up your traps. Then make sure to build yourself a tailor made wardrobe so that your hard work is always on display when you are in public. You might not be a show off all of the time. But I bet you would like to show off that one part of your body that you have always been insecure about… right?

Once you have understood this, then it is up to you put more focus on the areas of your body where your genetics have decided to curse you.

Watch How Your Body Responds To Certain Scenarios

This is a key thing that you need to do. You can read everything that I tell you here and a lot of it may work. There will be times when you do something ‘right’ in your workout, different to what you have done previously, and that is when you will have found out what works for you! When that does happen, make sure you write it down. If it begins to work again then you know you can use that method over and over again. You will now have learned how to ride your own bodybuilding bike… just know that you will have to change the gears every now and again so that your muscles always have something new to talk about.

Now, this probably won’t happen often… well, it just might. But when it doesn’t, you will be faced with bodybuilding failure. You will either face a plateau or worse… lose muscle mass. I have personally experienced the pain of losing muscle mass, at a time when I was working out the hardest. I just couldn’t figure it out. Looking back now, it was probably a combination of things.

• Not having enough rest days
• Working the same muscle group to much
• Not taking my glutamine supplement
• Or just not eating the right food before my workout

Since then I haven’t really faced any traumas as I did then. I’ve managed to find ways to prevent that from happening. I guess you could say that I have begun to find my own map. But it’s not to say that the same thing can’t happen again.

The devil really is in the detail here. Just make sure you keep your eye on the ball. Watch how your body responds to everything you do. And when the good things happen, write it down… and celebrate a little.

Create And Follow Your Own Trial And Error

In the last couple of posts, you will have learned the about the importance of

• Writing things down

(If you don’t yet use a journal, here is a simple one that you can use)

And here’s another simple one, which you can just download.

However, I personally think I can design a better one. If I do, you will know about it.

• Following up what you did with what you had planned

• Understanding why you didn’t follow through with the whole plan

• Drafting a new plan to fix and improve

• Keeping a journal of that

• Tracking and analyze the results

• Using that data that as a base of progression

This is a much better way than following the leader for a few reasons

• You have different genetics – Your bodies will respond different to different things
• You may have slightly different goals
• You don’t know their ‘real’ lifestyle (What they eat, how they eat, how much they sleep etc.)

There are many factors in ones lifestyle that could affect the way one looks and performs in the gym.

But something that is beneficial is if you find a leader in the gym that openly states what works for them, but also recognizes what may work for you, using the same info. I might even be a contender to be your virtual gym partner. Time will be the decider of what happens with that.

The last thing you want to make sure you do is HAVE FUN!

I’ve already covered a few ways in which you can do this, both when working out and not.

Forget About The Gym! Play Rockband and Guitar Hero For Fitness

Help! I Can Barely Lift My Own Body Weight, How Do I Start?

Working Out is Boring! Lets Just Dance (part 1)

But there’s no point doing any of this if you aren’t going to have some fun along the way. (Don’t worry; I will always be on the quest to find new ways to have fun with bodybuilding)

Once you follow this map in this order, you’ll be able to see where all of the loopholes exist in your workout routine.

See you in the comments.

Why Hardgainer Bodybuilders Need Tailor-made Wardrobes

Shaun has changed his routine again! Have you?

I’ve only talked about what type of clothes bodybuilders should wear once here on stayfitbug.com. The conclusion was that you probably do build muscle to attract the opposite sex, so you might as well start dressing to impress, by wearing clothes that will compliment your body.

But one thing I didn’t cover back then was the advantage of going the tailor-made route.

Tailor made clothing…. isn’t that for high-end, rich and wealthy shoppers?

No… it is not. Besides, building wealth starts off in the mind, and since you are already working out, you are already on your way to joining the wealthy crowd as working out is all about improving body and mind. If you don’t know why you are working out (How… I don’t know) then here are some reasons. But really… you should know.

Anyhow, my point is this. You can buy clothes, designer or non-designer. Both can look good. But clothes that are made for everyone, that are based on common, ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph body types can in no way bring the best out of your body. This is especially the case with hard gainers. Notably tall ones.

Why?

It’s just hard to tell if these people have muscles when they are fully clothed. What ever your body type, you will benefit big time by going the tailor made route. And heres how.

The benefits for,

You

• Look better
• Feel better
• Be unique (You were born unique, so why should you look like anyone else)

Your wardrobe

• Will compliment you
• Your muscles will be your best feature (Unless you have a face as pretty as mine ) and your tailor made clothes will enhance your best features. Better yet, they will improve your lesser features,which often don’t even get noticed when wearing normal clothes.

Example: Your traps muscles. Which are often hidden, unless they look like this,

Mr. Ronnie Coleman

• Will last longer

Overall. Re-investing in a custom made wardrobe will make you feel good on the inside and out. You will feel confident because you like the way you look, and the way others perceive you. The first thing you will notice is how people approach, speak and react to you… different types of people too, and it won’t be with there mouths either. It will be with body language.

Who will notice?

• Women
• Model Scouts
• Other bodybuilders

And the great thing about this is that it may even bring new opportunities into your life. It all seems like all of this could cause a radical change, and it probably will. Just know that all you had to do to make this happen was to change your clothes.

Tomorrow I’ll show you just how and where to ‘buy’ this look on the cheap.

See you in the comments.

Forget About Bodybuilding, Be A Wrestler

Oh, So I didn’t give you my shock body talk today like I said I ‘might’. Besides, I’m just practicing what I preach… by changing up my routine.

We all want to find ways of overcoming obstacles throughout our mucle building endevours and I try my best to provide what I can towards the bodybuilding world. But one way that you could do this, is by becoming a Wrestler.

Now why on earth would I want to do that? Those guys aren’t even for real!

Well, take note of the following and let’s see if I can change your mind.

Why a wrestler?

You’ll Be The Fittest Athlete Of All Sports

I’ve previously talked the importance of balancing a cardio/ resistance workout for optimum fitness in posts such as this. But you won’t have to focus on any of that if you become a Wrestler. One typical wrestling match/ practice will work on cardio, strength, endurance and agility all at the same time in just one session. You will be,

• Aerobically fit
• Fully conditioned
• Have cat-like precision
• Have explosive power

And will be using explosive movements every 6-10 seconds through out the entire match.

High Intensity Training… whats that again?

Burn More Fat Quicker And Keep It Off

It takes ten hours of aerobic activity to burn 1 pound of fat. That’s like 10 workouts (2.5 weeks). That’s just too long for my liking. Once you become a Wrestler and start training like one, you will burn more calories in less time. In addition, intense training increases your metabolism and calorie burn long after your workout is done.

The College Admissions Officer Test

These guys have nothing to do with bodybuilding, but the two questions that they ask candidates are the same two questions which will determine if you really have what it takes to build real muscle.

1. Can you do the work?
2. Are you capable of the dedication needed to graduate?

If the answer is no to either of those questions, then you are not a worthy reader of stayfitbug.com, let alone trying to become a Wrestler. The sport of wrestling is an ”individual” snapshot of your discipline and willingness to dedicate yourself to something over an extended period of time. Stick to it and you will succeed in more ways than one.

You Don’t Have To Become ‘Great’

To succeed in most things, you often have to become ‘great’ at what ever it is you do.

It has been noted in various sources that it takes around 10,000 hours of work and practice at something until you truly become ‘great’ at it. That’s how long it took Bill Gates anyway. But the good thing about wrestling is that you will have to work hard, but you don’t necessarily have to become great at it. You just have to wrestle… and wrestling can be fun.

Fake Is Safe

People can knock wrestling all they want for it’s fakeness. But the fact is, wrestling is the best non-violent self-defense training you’ll ever get!

Confidence

Standing up and presenting things will give you butterflies…

Standing up and presenting on a stage will give you butterflies…

Performing on TV, making fake actions look real and getting everyone to love you at the same time…

That will give you…. Well, once you manage to do that you will have conquered

• Fear
• Confidence
• Attitude

All are behaviors which can only be learned, but which most will fail to conquer.

It’s quite obvious that most of you won’t become wrestlers, it’s just not going to happen. However, you could still train like one and take it up as a sport. That is a guaranteed fun and excisting way to build muscle, which will definitly starve your bordem and help you stay motivated.

Have you wrestled before?

see you in the comments

Shock Bodybuilding Preparation

In recent weeks I’ve presented various ways in which you can go about exploding muscles to look like this guy,

Well, you probably won’t get as big as him… he is a super hero after all. However, before you even decide on trying to take your muscles to the next level, you will  have to put some things in place before doing so. You will need to prepare!

Fail to plan… then plan to fail.

Cliche yes! But the fact still remains.

That is why I’m going to start you on a journey of how you can prepare for the exercise techniques that you have become aware of in recent weeks. Somethings you may already be doing, somethings you may not. What ever the case is, I’m going to set some guidelines for you to follow. You can fill in your own gaps.

Protect Your Hands

Prevent Calluses

Unless you want to be Mr crocodile hands, then you will take the time out to protect your hands. It’s not cool to shake peoples hands, while unintentionally yet unavoidably scaring them with yours. It’s not cool to stroke your hands over your girlfriends smooth skinned body, that she has taken time to perfect just to feel your crocodile roughness. But more importantly it is not cool bash your hands up.

Why?

Doing so will

• Decrease your ability to grip raw metal bars well
• Decrease the number of reps that you can perform
• Give you calluses and blisters
• Cause unnecessary pain

Once you suffer from all of the above, there is no way that you can take your bodybuilding to the next level. Shock body exercises simply will not work for you.

Some guys may act all macho and act like this doesn’t affect them. I say F**k ‘em. Don’t follow those leaders. Whether you are a human brick or a budding hard gainer success story, your aim should be to maintain baby smooth Fairy Liquid hands.

How To Protect Your Hands

Sponges

If you are on a budget then this is the way to go to protect your hands.

• Grab two thick rubber bands
• Two thick sponges
• Tie a sponge to each hand with the rubber band
• And you are good to go

This is really a temporary solution, but if you do decide to do this for the long term for what ever reason, then I would suggest to stack up on the sponges. They’ll fade away to nothing in no time, especially after a few washes.

Gloves

I could have chosen any old pair of gloves, but from my own personal experiences, many of the gloves on the market are crap. You wear them, they tear apart easily and some don’t even help prevent callouses.

So I have chosen two pairs of gloves. Both have their pro’s and cons, but both are effective for their purpose.

Newgrip

The palm protectors

I call these the palm protectors because that is the stand out benefit that you will get when using these.

The Pro’s

• Protects palms and fingers well
• Keeps hands ventilated
• Good grip on weightlifting equipment with rubber grips
• Prevents germs
• Nice on price

Con’s

• Wrist straps may get sweaty
• Not enough padding
• May be slippery when lifting cast iron free weights

Harbinger Training Grip Gloves

The padders

I’m calling these gloves padders because that is the key benefit of using these.

Pro’s

• Good grip on weightlifting equipment without rubber grips
• More durable than most gloves

Con’s

• Takes time to get used to the extra padding
• Padding may get in the way when using weights/ machines with rubber grips

The End Results

Perform more reps without,

• Grip fatigue
• Calluses
• Sore hands
• Wrist ache

And no more picking up germs from others.

See you in the comments.

The Secret And Most Effective Bodybuilding Weapon

You all know that bodybuilding can…

• Become boring at times… right?
• Become an addiction
• And do your head in, making you feel ‘out of flow’ at times

And you all know that I’m going to always try my best to bring something new to the table… right?

Well today, you will learn about the secret and most effective bodybuilding weapon there is… there really is nothing out there like it. It really is that fantastic.

And I call it…

The massage!

Yep… just like most of the secrets that I unveil to you, most of them have been sitting right under your nose the whole time.

The first thing you need to do is open up your mind a little.

Why?

Well lets face it. We are all brute force muscle heads and more often than not, we get way too caught up in our weightlifting routines. Caught up to the point where we lose all of our senses. And at this point our muscles will have either plateaued or we stop working out due to injury.

So instead of having the mindset of,

• Eat
• Lift weight
• Increase resistance
• Repeat

Take the mindset of

• Eat
• Lift weight
• Increase resistance
• *Effective non-weightlifting activity*
• Repeat

That one slight change will help turn your thinking from a closed minded person to an open minded one.

Ok, but why a massage?

A massage will give you plenty of bodybuilding benefits without actually bodybuilding, just like Yoga, Dance, Guitar Hero and Rockband. Each of these activities will do wonderful things to your mind and body which will make your life in bodybuilding much more sustainable over longer periods of time.

The massage will do a few things for your body. Namely

• Help remove lactic acid
• Lengthen your muscles
• Help relieve stress
• Help prevent injuries

And you should fit the massage into your weekly routine, right in the *Effective non-weightlifting activity* section.

Time For The Secret

The massage is great, yes. But I know that guys mainly view the massage as a girly thing. Something that only females do. Well let me dispel that myth for you. You see, there are different types of massages out there, and I’m going to let our good friends in the far east of the world show you how to add fun and exhilaration to the massage, that will make for a really interesting bodybuilding life.

Shiatsu – Japan

Shiatsu massage is basically a finger massage, where the therapist mainly uses their fingers to massage your body. Although the sequence is more like finger, thumb or palm. Shiatsu therapists use finger and palm pressure to energetic pathways, called meridians to improve the flow of qi (chee).

The main difference between this massage and others is that each pressure point is specific and localized, because of the use of fingers only.

The best way to describe this massage is ‘good pain’.  But as you are a bodybuilder you would be very much used to that, so I’ll rephrase that to ‘Different yet relaxing pain’.

Thai Massage

This is like yoga without the ‘work’. This massage has much more of a ‘fun’ factor than most as the therapist will use their hands, knees, legs, and feet to massage your body. It’s a lot more energizing and can be quite rigorous, especially the first time you do it.

Thai Body To Body Massage

Now, we are going to turn the heat up a little. If you can’t take the upcoming heat, then stay out of the kitchen you weak fitbugger.

The thai body to body message is… well… fun, entertaining, pleasing and probably one of the best ways ‘on this planet’ to relax. I’m going to break it down really simply for you.

1. Enter the building
2. You will see a group of girls in a glass gallery (All with no.s on them)
3. Pick a girl you like (Or two)
4. Go to the bar, relax and have a drink while you choose
5. Choose
6. Have a drink with her, have a chit chat
7. Time for the massage
8. Jump in a bath to get cleaned up
9. Jump out, lay on the rubber mattress. And then….

Now, stayfitbug.com is no porn site, but the video below will unveil the last part of the secret massage, which again… WILL make for an interesting bodybuilding lifestyle if you decide to make this a regular habit. Just make sure you 16+.

Full body massage video

Now… the next thing to do is to teach your girlfriend to do that

See you in the comments

Bodybuilding Mantra’s I Chose – Just For You

In yesterdays post, I talked about finding a mantra that you can use to help keep you motivated in your weightlifting workouts. I know that staying motivated is a challenge for many of you, but one way to overcome that is to drum some mantras into your brain and repeating it over and over on those days where you feel you are on the road to nowhere.

So what I did was take several mantras used by some of the greats… past and present. Mantras which I think will be great for you to use as a bodybuilding mantra.

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot;
But make it hot by striking.”
- William B. Sprague

“Nothing can stop the man
with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal;
Nothing on earth can help the man
with the wrong mental attitude.”
- W.W. Ziege

People often say that motivation doesn’t last.
Well, neither does bathing –
That’s why we recommend it daily.”
- Zig Ziglar

“People seldom see the halting and painful steps
By which the most insignificant success is achieved. “
- Anne Sullivan

“Far better it is to dare mighty things,
To win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure,
Than to rank with those poor spirits
Who neither enjoy nor suffer much
Because they live in that gray twilight
That knows neither victory nor defeat.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

“So go ahead and make mistakes.
Make all you can.
Because that’s where you will find success.
On the far side of failure. “
- Thomas J. Watson, Sr.

“Change will not come
If we wait for some other person or some other time.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
We are the change that we seek. “
- Barack Obama

“Success is a journey, not a destination.”
- Ben Sweetland
(I use this one often)

“Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.”
- Henry Ford

“Champions aren’t made in the gyms.
Champions are made from something they have deep inside them
- a desire, a dream, a vision.”
- Muhammad Ali

“The man who moved a mountain
Was the one who began carrying away small stones.”
- Chinese Proverb

“I have failed over and over again – that is why I succeed.”
- Michael Jordan

“The way to succeed is to double your failure rate.
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”
- Henry Ford

“You must have long range goals
To keep from being frustrated
By short-term failures.”
- Bob Bales

These were all hand picked by yours truly. You can add to this if you wish, or simply slate my choices. You choose. Stay tuned for tomorrows post when I give you the 3rd and final part of Shockbody exercise variations.

See you in the comments.

7 Stress Beating Foods (A Day In The Life At Work)

In last weeks post, I went into detail of how you can overcome the things that can cause delays during your life as a bodybuilder. One of the things I covered was how you can overcome stress from work, and how not to let work interrupt your weightlifting routine by ‘Identifying the office athlete’.

But today, I’m going to take things one-step further. I’m going to take you through

‘A day in a life at work’

And I’m going to share with you 7 foods that you can eat at 7 key points of the working day that will help ease stress.

7.00am -- The Morning Rush/ Gridlock

Regardless of which city you are in (London, New York, Tokyo, Beijing), that morning commute may often come to a halt because of some ’signal failure’ on the train and add an extra half hour to your commute ‘time to call the office’. That would have just given you extra unnecessary worry. Since you are already running late, you might as well take a pit stop and drink something to calm you down.

Agony Antidote

I do like Starbucks and I have my favorite picks every time I go there. But when you find yourself stressed first thing in the morning, try this for starters.

Skim-milk chai latte and half a bagel with cream cheese

The bagel = Carbs = Energy

The Milk = Protein = Alertness

That should get you back on track for the next few hours ahead.

10.00am -- Your Time to Shine… Gets Screwed Up

You have a big presentation in your department meeting and for some reason, the IT support guy forgot to reserve the projector for you the day before, leaving you running around like a headless chicken looking for alternatives. That will stress you out for sure, especially if you have a point to prove to the head honchos.

Agony Antidote

Serotonin = one of your bodies stay calm chemicals

Tryptophan = this helps build up levels of serotonin

When you are stressed, the levels of serotonin in your body may drop considerably. When this happens you will want to quickly build up your levels of Tryptophan. All you need to do here is drink Milk!

12.00pm -- Unexpected Invite to Lunch by the Boss

Because this is an unexpected invite, you have no idea what the Boss man has on his agenda for the next hour or so.

Agony Antidote

When it comes to food, go for a ‘manly’ salad. Add chicken and fish to the meal. Those foods will tickle his taste buds and appetite.

But why a salad?

Leafy greens -- Arugula, chard, spinach

All are rich sources of vitamin B, which are known for activating your feel good hormones. Lack of vitamin B can actually leave you feeling quite nervous or even sometimes stressed. If you both have the feel good factor running in your veins for the next couple of hours, good things may just swing in your direction.

4.00pm -- You F**k up a Pitch to a Client

When a pitch to a client goes smooth and well, you will feel like running into the men’s room, taking a look at yourself in the mirror and kissing it. But when a pitch goes horribly wrong ‘ironically on one of your biggest clients’, it will feel like death has just warmed up. Stress!

Agony Antidote

M & M’s (Peanut flavor)

Why?

The chocolate = Triggers the release of ‘instant’ relax endorphins

The nuts = Refills your protein stores and helps you regain focus

7.00 pm -- Your lady is Angry (At You)

Your Lady ‘ What time do you call this! It’s like the second week that you have worked late now. I think you are prioritizing work over ME!’

Very hostile! This probably means no sex too.

Agony Antidote

Grilled salmon

I’ve talked about the benefits of eating fish before back in Brain Foods for Working Out with salmon, mackerel and trout containing the highest level of fatty acids (Omega 3) of them all. But serving up a meal for two of this stuff will help reduce hostility in her by up to 20-25%

Your favorite (Baseball/ Football/ Basketball) Team is About to Lose

If you are a fan of sport and a devoted fan of a team, then I know you will be feeling edgy at this crucial time in the game. Stress!

Agony Antidote

Grab an Orange

You will probably be quite fixated at this time, and what you will need is a little sugar rush for a short burst of energy. Grabbing an orange will help keep your hands and mouth busy.

11.30pm -- Can’t Sleep?

Your team won the match, you called on your friends to gloat, it’s time to hit the sack but realize you are wide awake from that sugar rush.

Agony Antidote

What you need to do is re-active your sleeping hormone, melatonin. And this is what you need to guzzle down to do so

That is oatmeal and bananas.

Everyone’s day in a life at work will be different for sure, but all of you will face similar situations as the ones mentioned above. When you do, you now know what actions you need to take.

Stress? I don’t even know the meaning of the word!

See you in the comments.

The Super Calf Bodybuilding Routine

Recently I have been focusing quite a lot on building up my calves. In fact… this is not even a recent issue. This is an on going never ending issue with me and my 6ft frame with more legs than body. However, I have started to see some results since following and mixing up my workouts with the weightlifting routine I am about to show you.

Workout No.1

Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine

Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12 (Increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 3 minute rest between each set

Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12 (Increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 3 minute rest between each set

Rocking Standing Calf Raises
Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12 (Increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 3 minute rest between each set

Workout No.2

Single Leg Calf Raises

Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12 (try to increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 3 minute rest between each set

Seated Calf Raises
Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12 (try to increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 3 minute rest between each set

Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine

Sets: 3
Reps: 8-12 (try to increase the weight after each set)
Rest: 3 minute rest between each set

Now all you have to do is alternate! Have fun.

See you in the comments.

Next Page »