Another Free Program!!: Tenacity Strength Hypertrophy

It's been a rough couple weeks, but that's all by the wayside now. And in a good way!

Right now, I'm very excited! I finally bit the bullet and put out something I've been working on during my free time.


Some may not agree with me doing this. Some may even say "What shows have you won and blah blah blah." To that I say, I respect your opinion, but I feel I have enough knowledge to make people better.

I got into programming back when I was a senior at UNL and I've written workouts here and there. So without further ado......dive in!!!!!

Teancity Strength Hypertrophy

Big City Showdown: New York Pro Review

Contest time is upon us and one of the bigger shows of the spring season is the New York Pro. This show use to be called the Night of Champions until around 2006 I believe, then the name change occurred, but it's never lacked stellar competition.

I won't bore you with the history and all that of the show, so let's get into it.

5: Jon De La Rosa

The first thing I thought of when I saw Jon was that he was too heavy. But the NY Pro is a big man's show traditionally. So what do you do? De La Rosa sized up, but at the expense of condition. He shape was still in tact, but just needs to be in way better condition. It's an improvement from his previous shows this season, and he can still improve and make it to the Olympia. He should do the Chicago Pro, a show he's familiar with as he's won it before.


4: Josh Wade

When you can look good in shitty cell phone pics, that's how you know you're in condition! Josh Wade showed us what old school condition looks like. He reminds me of a shaplier Art Atwood (another conditioning freak.) Josh doesn't have the nicest shape, but he makes up for it in muscle and being in nasty shape. Hopefully he does the California Pro, which is right in his backyard.


3: Justin Rodriguez






















Justin got back at it after a 7th place Arnold Classic finish and it showed. The overall flow of his physique is really nice. His side chest could be better as he looks a little smallish in that pose, but his back poses are very good. He has a pretty good front double bicep too. Well deserved placing.


2: Juan Morel

This dude is big and the scary thing is that he is still filling in his frame. His chest is obviously a standout body part and his arms are crazy. Lower body lags in development and conditioning, but he's over six feet. Back is beefy, although more width is never a bad thing.




1: Nathan DeAsha

He's been a juggernaut ever since he stepped on the scene a couple years ago, and he's just been pounding and working hard. This show was no different. He's a big man with a small waist too. Although he was pushed by Juan in some poses, Nathan came out the winner. Watching his prep on Instagram, I knew he'd be a top finisher, but as pics came out as the weeks progressed, I knew he'd be hard to beat.


New York Pro 212 Division

3: Ahmed Elsadany

After a 4th place finish, Elsadany pushed and made top 3 in a pretty competitive class. I wasn't super impressed with the condition, but the lighting made everyone look off. Legs and arms are two standout body parts. His back is pretty damn good, but can for sure hold more muscle. Needs to be drier in the low back, glutes and hams.








2: Zane Watson

He came ready to play. Watson is like Josh Wade, just beating people with condition. And his shape wasn't too bad either. Could have finished 1st in my opinion. Great poser.




1: Shaun Clarida

Standing all of 5' nothing, this man brought it. He's been knocking at the door for awhile and he finally knocked it down.  His shoulders are crazy and back is just nasty when he's on. For me (I'm not a judge) it was a dead heat for Zane and Claurida until they turned around and that's when the clear winner was decided.

Overall, a great New York Pro once again. Cal Pro coming up next! Your turn West Coast.........

Photos: Courtesy of Muscular Development

Pumptastic: High Octane Arms

High Volume “Que Bomb” Arm Workout : 5-10-17

Biceps

Cable curl (Freemotion machine) 4 x10

Dumbbell Preacher Hammer Curl: 4 x 10

Barbell Curls: 3 x 8

Standing Alternate DB Curl: 3 sets of 8

Concentration Curls: 2 sets of 10

Hammer Strength Preacher Curls: 2 sets of 10 (rest pause)

Triceps:

Standing extensions: 4 sets of 12

Close Grip Bench Presses: 3 sets of 5-8

Dips: 7 sets of 10-15

Pressdowns: 3 sets of 10

As I said in the YouTube vid, this was supposed to be week four of Gamma Bomb with arms on deck. But the sun was out today and I felt like looking like I was a third member of the Legion of Doom, so I said fuck it and kept some of the workout the same, but not much because I had to be OWT! Because I’m the bruhz!

When I say high volume for arms, I mean HIGH VOLUME. Not Sergio Oliva level, but enough to get a solid pump (my bi’s in particular) and basically look jacked. 

Conversely, these workouts are NOT the norm for me. I don’t really push the sets and reps up because I get in a ton of torso work. It’s also a lot squeezing done for arm workouts as well. As i sit here before work and type this out, I remembered why I don’t go high volume for arms, because they hurt and cramp like a mofo right now. Jesus…………

But seriously, this type of training for bigger bodyparts can be an awesome change of pace if you’ve been doing low to moderate volume for some time now. The funny thing about training is that it definitely goes in natural cycles. Now that the sun is out and the the temps are up, I push the volume up on everything a bit, even as I follow a pre-programmed routine (nothing is set in stone with me unless it’s meet prep).

High volume also pairs well with intra-workout nutrition. The days of drinking plain water is gone (for the most part) and ingredients that help get good nutrition to the muscle is now key in getting solid gains.

As long as you have good nutrition, especially around your training, the sky’s the limit. Makes me wonder how guys in the 80’s and 90’s would look with the knowledge we have now. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm.

Speaking of the 90's.....here's a pic of Kevin Levrone doing cable curls

Chest/Shoulder destruction

Chest/Shoulders-Gamma Bomb

Banded machine press: 4 x 8

Incline Press: 3 x 6

DB press death: 100/20, (one min rest), 12, (one min rest), until I got to a HARD five.

Machine flyes: 3 x 8

Rear machine laterals: 3 x 20

High Incline Smith Press: 3 x 8

Had to cut out early due to time.  This session was ass. But hoping this will really blow my upper body up over time.

Let the work continue......

Collision Course: Lessons Learned From Totalling my Car

If no one told you....car crashes are a bit jarring.

More than likely you've seen a nasty crash, looked at it and went "whew...glad that ain't me...."

Well, last October it was me. Without going into the the details of what led up to it (there were a few and no, none of them involved alcohol, drugs or texting) I ended up totaling my car. The same one I got the summer after I got hired in Omaha. The same one I had while I was going through my process for Omega Psi Phi. The same one that got me too and from the gym...gone in an instant.

But I was alive, so that's a good takeaway.

As you can see in the picture I crashed head-on into a tree. I pretty much thought my life was over and I was in a seatbelt. But in those brief moments before the crash, I had a bit of an epiphany....

Goodbye Mach-5

 Little shit don't matter. Your anger, jealously, all that type of bullshit don't matter. We all out of here in the same box, so whatever issues you have with work, people and other shit....it's all for naught.

I also learned that you have to recover. Luckily I wasn't that injured. I only got a nasty gash on my shin, but other than that, I was fine. I actually went to train back and participate at D9 day at a local university.

In retrospect, should I have relaxed a bit? Yes. I was in a jarring experience and still needed to process the totality of what happened. But my mindset is that of a hard head motherfucker, so I just pushed through. Don't be like me. First is be thankful that you're alive...and then get back to the grind of life.

For some reason, I have the tendency to feel like a failure. More often than I would like some days. When I lost my ride, my mode of "freedom", I was devatated. How was I going to to get around? I hate leaning on people and it frustrates me when I have to. But luckily I have a good group of people around. The crash made me realize how important people are. People who genuinely care for you as a person.

It's human nature to think of yourself as a tough monolith. But we are all fighting some type of battle.  I know after this crash, I had more frustration with myself, still do to an extent, but another lesson I'm learning is that you have to forgive yourself for bonehead mistakes. My crash didn't have to happen, but it did....so no use beating myself up about it.

                    And no Chow.......I didn't die. But I learned. I learned like a motherfucker.

It's a Lie: The Fuckey of Post Grad Life Stories

It's graduation season or as the young folks say and hashtag "gradszn."

Despite what a lot of people say and think (especially when it comes to people of color) school still matters. People who finish and make their way into the workforce make more money over time and set themselves up for success. No I won't go into the whole issue of student debt and what not as my name should be King Forbearance right now, but know, overall, college grads make more.

But what folks don't tell you is that while sun, stars, bottomless mimosas and weekends off with activities fill your head......I'm here to tell you, at least for me.....it's been complete ass for the most part.


The First Job: The Real Masters Degree

I'm of the thought process, and it could just be me, that a Masters in certain disciplines is pretty worthless. As with anything, you can twist any degree into making it sound like you're a fucking Einstein. But by in large, your first job is your masters curriculum.

In my case, journalism is a doing field. So me being in a masters program will have done nothing to enhance my career. At best, I would've been employed in a newsroom part time while working towards an advanced degree. On top of that, a masters degree in journalism is essentially a teaching degree. I have no desire to do that in a classroom setting with how fucked higher education is.

The Role People Play

Life in Lincoln wasn't too fun on a personal level. Mainly because it was so different than what I was use to in Chicago. Even living off and on in Lincoln, the goal was to graduate, pack my shit, leave and never come back to Nebraska except for the occasional football game. Obviously that wasn't the case and God only knows why, but quality people made the stay more tolerable. When you interact with folks, always do so with caution, but understand that almost everyone is a potential friend. Now if you don't mesh, you don't mesh. There have been people in and out of the newsroom that I don't mess with, but that's life. But when you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen.

Finances

The elephant in the room that people in the business don't want to discuss for whatever is the low pay of most entry level jobs. They suck period. I've stood in the line of a payday loan store more than a few times. And that's in addition to two, sometimes three jobs....

"But if you major in something good, you won't have to worry about that."

Maybe so, but most major in their interests because they have a viable future. And it's about long term versus short term. But I digress......

Pay for my first job was terrible. Sorry to my ex-bosses reading this, but it was. But I enjoyed what I did. And again, all the bills were on me. No roommates to split cost with or anything of that nature. Having to borrow money sometimes was a DRAG (still is). Best I can say is learn to live very frugally (although that's easier saying than living).

Yes....it sucks and you have to say no to a lot of shit. But it is what it is.

This is Only the Beginning

One phrase I consistently utter to myself is "All you need is a start. Build from here."

The first job is just that. A start. Cut your teeth, keep bitching to a minimal and do things outside of your vocation that can add to your vocation. I'm writing more, I'm back to doing video. Doing the things that will make me more versatile, because those skills I'll need later on.


Self Care: Do It

First things first, I hate the word "self care." It has to be one of the most annoying words in human existence. But if you really think about it, you need to exercise it. Let's face it, you have to look out for you because companies won't really. Perks are nice and all, benefits are great, but you and I are replaceable. So don't stress yourself out over a job that could get rid of you in two seconds. Find a hobby, work out, write. My de-stresser was the gym and video games (I was also going through a contest prep at the time) so my version of self care was that.

Here's the one thing about it though....self care is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DESTRUCTIVE IN NATURE. If you're going to the bar, knocking back saki bomb after saki bomb, then guess what....you're not caring for yourself.

Working to Get Better

I am always looking for ways to get better and increase earning potential. I have some workshops I will be going to in my attempt to become a better blogger, producer, etc. All this will help. Actively engage in trying to get better at your career field. The people in your newsroom aren't enough. Facebook groups aren't enough. You need real feedback and workshops help. Save it with the whole "I don't have time" excuse. You do and you're being a wuss because you'd rather look at Netflix and fuck around. You're in #postgradszn for the rest of your natural life. Tighten up.

Undergrad life sucked for me, but I just wanted to share my experiences and hopefully give some advice on how to navigate it better. I realize I was all over the place, but you're a degree holder. Connect the dots.

Working as a Night Owl: Health, The Barbell and Working Third Shift

This is a subject I've been wanting to write about for awhile. The glorious hours of third shift and how to balance it with a barbell.

I'm not talking to those who work a normal 9-5. Not even those who work late into the night. I'm talking to those who work against what their body is supposed to do, and that's go to sleep at night.

I work as a news producer here in the beautiful resort town of Omaha, Nebraska. My work hours are 11 p.m.- 7 a.m. (or 7-ish). Not only that, I hold a part time job with a fast growing nutrition store called Rexius Nutrition. While I'm thankful that I have a halfway decent work ethic, it's taken time to get some type of routine down. And even still, that shifts around depending upon training.

If you're like me, you fit in my training sometime around late morning and I'm sure it's a struggle.

However, as terrible as an overnight schedule sounds, it's not the end of the yellow brick road for improvements in size, strength and overall health. So let's dive into somethings that can help mitigate the damage.


1: Sleep

Pretty basic here. You can't function at an optimum level without rest. You can try and mask fatigue, but it will catch up with you sooner or later. It will start small but will eventually build up. To give it perspective, only sleeping for four hours and then getting behind the wheel, is the equivalent of driving drunk. So keep that in mind of how big sleep is in the grand scheme of things.

2: Nutrition

Your nutrition needs to be on point, more so on 3rd shift than any other. I'm not sure what it is about working nights, but the propensity for snacking is high! Very high (I love chips).  How to cure this? More discipline simply. I've tried numerous approaches and you just need more discipline in how you approach the diet. I will say that if you are a serial snacker, take thinks like jerky or mixed nuts to help stave off cravings.

3: Get into a daily routine

As much as I can hate the same thing over and over, a daily routine is a MUST. It sets you up for long term success in and out of the gym. And the "night" routine is what will really help you. Because it's inverted, and your night is in the day, you need to really nail it in. Read, run some bath water, limit the caffeine during the shift. Anything to help your inverted night routine.

4: Get a physical

This is something that can't really be overstated. If you are messed up and don't know...you're throwing salt on top of a wound. Physicals and blood work still matter. Your hormones could be way the hell out of wack and you not realize it. Bloodwork and physicals will give you a chance to work with doctors to get you on a good path so you can push in the gym. Don't discount them.


These are just some of my recommendations living a vampire life, but also living "under the bar." It's a difficult life, but it can be done.

What are some of your strategies to deal with work nights, but living that fit life? Leave a comment and share!