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The following writing was sent to me by a female Ironman figure competitor who I have come to know over the years from her personal journey competing.  Her husband, Brandin Haynes wrote it for an english class he was taking and I was so moved by it I wanted to share it with you.  So with both Kim and Brandon's permission, I submit it below to you for your enjoyment in it's entirity.  My hope it that it will motivate and inspire you as you train for the stage.

Brandin A. Haynes   

5-17-2010

English-101

J. Delay

Paper #3

                                                Soldiers, Recruits, and Determination

            The alarm sounds, and like reveille wakes the troops, this soldier is prepared for battle. Not a battle over territory or ideology, but an internal struggle of uncompromising will, strength, and determination in the face of adversity. She squints her eyes, and her pupils dilate as the first rays of morning sun embrace her face. An internal spark flickers, igniting a kindling of desire. The flames of determination begin to fill her as she prepares to wage war on the many obstacles she is about to face, and neither man nor beast dares to stand in the way of her goal. This morning marks a new beginning, as does every morning, and this war-zone is the dimly-lit confines of a gym weight-room.

            Upon entering the battlefield, a blast of humid, musty air invades her nostrils, and the clanging and clacking of the weight-room plates are in perfect cadence. Surveying the equipment, our heroine hones-in on her first target. Excitement begins to bubble in the pit of her stomach in anticipation of the pain that she is about to endure. Contrary to popular belief, determination is a visible, an almost tangible concept. To see it, one only needs to look into the face of our heroine as she pushes through the pain. Her eyes are fixed on the horizon, focused on what must be a pleasurable experience, something to distract her from the agony. Jaw clinched, she  keeps in stride, one repetition after another, despite the beads of sweat that are rolling down the contours of her face and to the floor. As fatigue sets in, and her muscles begin to burn, our warrior calls-in reinforcements from the ranks of determination. Much to her relief, the reality of failure disappears, thanks to this new found cavalry of internal fortitude. Adrenaline is rushing through her veins now as her heart beats like a machine-gun. Victorious, our femme-fatale may have won the fight, but she hasn't won the war. Many enemies remain, and she zeroes-in on another victim. Foe after foe falls to the heroine, and an almost euphoric sensation erupts within her, due to the on set of endorphins, coupled with her determined focus to achieve a goal she set-out to accomplish.

            Many months before these battles were executed, a plan-of-attack was put into place. Like a general commanding her troops, our warrior takes command of her destiny, armed with a three-staged plan for success. The first stage is obvious, identify the goal. This seemingly simple task  must be precise, realistic, and will become her motivating factor in the face of adversity. Also important to note is her need to keep a detailed mental picture of the goal at the forefront of her mind, capable of maintaining her focus when she is faced with obstacles. Stage two requires a great deal of forethought as our general must evaluate the amount of time needed to reach her goal, in conjunction with the amount of effort she is willing to devote to attain her goal. Finally, stage three is the most time consuming and exhausting, yet the most rewarding. This step is known as the action stage. Through a daily regimen of focus and determination, inch-by-inch her goal becomes more attainable. 

            In the civilian sector determination is classified as a firm purpose or a fixed position, and is in relation to the word determine. Though these examples are adequate for day-to-day use, they don't display the needed emphasis to describe the internal fortitude and intense motivation required to reach our heroine's goal of physical fitness. In the late fifteenth century the Latin noun, “derterminare” was defined as a “fixed direction toward a goal,” which is far more accurate in describing a gym soldier of her magnitude.    

            Now, there is an obvious difference between gym soldiers and gym recruits. Gym recruits are soon-to-be soldiers that have only a drive to accomplish some goal, any goal for that matter. Yet drive is only a small component in the process of determination. Gym recruits have yet to

implement the three stages of success, as described earlier. They unfortunately waste time and energy in an effort to gain progress, lined-up like hamsters on a wheel, eager to go nowhere, sweating and working hard but lacking a plan, and a well defined goal. This is an unthinkable travesty to our warrior, punishable by court-marshal. She knows the difference between drive and determination, the necessary desire and planing involved to execute and complete her daily missions in route to her overall goal. Our general is aware that it takes more than an aimless drive to reach your destination, you must know WHERE you are going in order to get there. You don't spontaneously jump into your car and drive without a clue to where you are going.  In addition, some gym recruits tend to congregate near one another and often have strong jaw and tongue muscles. It's this display in lack of focus, that raises eyebrows about the determination of gym recruits, and their need to simply jump into the car and drive.

            Determination can be seen on a daily basis, in many animals and many people. Take a small business owner who's up to her eyeballs in IRS taxes, for example. Each day she plugs away at her job, committed to her customers, working tirelessly, determined to earn the chance of a brighter tomorrow and the opportunity to break even. How about a single, working, mother of two difficult teenage daughters? Despite the daughters' troubles with the law and their own selfish, demanding attitudes, their mother thanklessly provides all the necessities they need, displaying  much determination of patience and love. Lastly, is a woman who is the survivor of a grim, sexually assaulted childhood. Determined not to be a lifelong victim of some derelict's macabre fantasy, she refuses to let this event consume her psyche.

            So, like the business owner, our heroine is able to work tirelessly toward her goal, like the single mother she is determined and patient with the obstacles that stand in her way, and like the mistreated child she is determined to take control of her own life. Our warrior posses all of these traits because she was, and is, all of these women, and most importantly to me, she is my wife!

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T – CHALLENGE!!!!  That’s right, all you lil weedhoppahs out there in Cyberland.  Tony has officially issued a challenge to the Dr. in which HE GUARANTEES that he’ll take me out for the coveted “Best Poser” award!  Don’t know if you guys remember an old movie with Gregory Hines, his brothers, Scatman Crothers, and many other Tap Dancer greats.  The premise was simple…there were all these guys who claimed to be the best tap dancer.  Anyone who wanted a piece of someone else simply yelled CHALLENGE! It was on then.  You saw some of the most incredible tap dancing you could imagine.  A song would be put on and each man would have time to free-tap.  The beauty of those scenes was that they were not choreographed.  Every single tap dancer, during a challenge, would free-tap with the camera rolling – no second takes as that meant you couldn’t hang.  These guys wanted to make the movie as realistic as possible.  Don’t know how this is gonna work out, but I’m all for a free-pose off.  The fire within has been lit, the challenge has been issued.  Ya’ll don’t wanna miss the 2010 Washington Ironman Naturally.  The Dr. has a new genre of music that is off-the-hook!  He’s practicing new moves and puttin’ together new combinations that have never been seen on stage before.  Tony – say y’prayers.  This is gonna be like in the movie Friday, in which at the end Chris Tucker looks down at Tiny Lister, the movie’s bully, and says, “You got knocked the ^*%& out!” ~chuckle~

Now I gotta be fair…Tony, any time you wanna rebutt or diss back, I’ll give you equal time in the blog.  I don’t want this to be one-sided and be the only trash-talker.  I know you’ve got a lot to throw back at me.  I promise to print word-for-word what you say.  You can text me, email me, FB me…the choice is yours – I’ll post it.  No foul language, that’s the only rule…unless you hit below the belt and say I got skinny calves and no quads…then it’s on like Donkey Kong, Big Brotha!...oh…wait…I DO have skinny calves and no quads…ok T – nuthin’s off limit. 

Now America, in case you guys are wondering where all of this is coming from, some of Tony’s comrades’’ have been FB’ing me and giving me the 411 on what he’s been saying.  Years ago Turk talked trash in which he said his boy would take me out at the Ironman.  Every day he called me, egging me on.  All that did was light a fire under me.  Needless to say I took out his boy with ones straight across the board.  Lesson learned.  Looks like history will repeat itself…Hahaha.  Like mild-mannered Bruce Banner says, “Don’t make me angry…you won’t like me when I’m angry…!”  Ya’ll know I’m playin’, right?  I got big love for Tony if you read the last blog, but it’s always fun when one doesn’t take oneself so serious.

Hey, gotta give a HUGE shout-out to Jeff Kahrs, my old training partner, chiropractor, and now (once again) new training partner.  You gotta go back a long ways in the blogs but I wrote about my top 5 training partners.  If I recall, Jeff was number one or two.  It was close between him and The Farrison (Kim).  Just having Jeff back each day has been a blessing in more ways than one.  I can push myself hard, America, but when you’ve got that one person who somehow manages to get you to mentally and physically dig deeper without saying a word…that’s a great partner!  Jeff is like that.  I’ve been sorer the past three weeks with him than I’ve been working out with numerous other people over the years.  I’m making gains in the weights (which I hope will lead to gaining back some of the lean I’ve lost over the years) I didn’t think I’d ever be able to achieve again, attributing it to age.  I’m eating cleaner every day.  Foods are locked and loaded.  Cardio is a solid intense hour.  You guys know I’m a firm believer in 60 minutes of High Intensity Steady-State cardio (HISS) as opposed to 30-45 minutes of HIIT cardio.  The biggest thing is I once again WANT TO work out.  Over the past few months I’ve trained and done shows, but I was missing that edge that I had in my 40’s.  Now I’ve got two great ‘motivating’ factors (ya’ll know I STILL hate that word, right?) – the Pose-Off Challenge with Tony and Jeff back.  Life is good…

As I prepare for Spokane’s Night of the Champions, I’m really liking how things are coming together.  Now I’m no Joe DeRousie or Matt Porter, but I know that when I dial in to my best potential I don’t look half-bad.  Tall and thin, but there’s still a decent amount of muscle on these ole bones.  My old nemesis and buddy, John Shephard is training for the NOC and Ironman as well.  When John dials in to his best look, which is in the high 150’s/low 160’s, he’s a tough opponent.  Don’t know who else is gonna be there, but you guys know me…”The challenge is from within, the Opponent is yourself, the Victory is silent, the Reward is having met the challenge…”

Speaking of Matt Porter, I never blogged after the Tacoma show.  Matt looked absolutely incredible!  Big, hard, dry, and that color…Matt, I don’t know what you do (well, actually I do cause you told me) but under the lights you literally look like a Greek statue in some of your poses.  You have almost the same color as Niels Anderson statues.  Dude, you looked good up there – big ups.  It’ll be fun to see you and Big Joe DeRousie go head to head one day…Ali vs. Fraizer 4?

America, hit me up on FB as an add so you can know when I post a blog if y’wanna.  Gotta run…time to put in a lil posing practice.  The music is calling me…peace…

Hey, you know what I just realized?  I don’t hardly write about what I do in prep for shows anymore.  I’ll get back to doing that soon – promise.  But for now, I eat the right foods at the right times in the right amounts, I do my cardio, and I lift weights!  ‘Nuff said…?

The Dr.

http://www.facebook.com/drbuff

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

 www.personaltrainingsystems.net 

  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Mobile:  253.576.4859

Don't give me excuses...give me results!

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I’m embarrassed, America!  I’m embarrassed to say that once again I promised to blog more often and once again I failed to produce.  But I got lots of good excuses!  My dog ate my Cliff Notes…I left my computer at work…I was out of the country…I had emergency brain and toe surgery…my chiropractor had to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again…okay, okay…lies all of em, but I did have a busy summer!  Built a deck, had a HUGE 2^nd Annual 55^th Surprise Birthday Party (yes…I threw my own surprise birthday party – the surprise was whether everyone I invited showed up), re-landscaped part of my yard, tore up my wood floor in my kitchen and put in tile (no, I ain’t doin’ yours, so don’t ask…), tiled a friend’s kitchen counter (re-read previous statement…)…the list goes on and on and on.  Every time I felt like blogging I laid down until that feeling went away.  I just needed that “Calgon, take me away” month or two.  But no worries…I’m back as we’ve only got 5 weeks till the Ironman and I’ve got a whole lot to say!  Gotta get you guys caught up, so here goes…

When last I left you I was in preparation for Andre Scott’s Oregon State BB Championships and Jeremy and Tonia Williams Washington State.  I also did Chris Algeo’s Northern Classic here in Tacoma.  Won my class in each show, lost the Overall in each show.  Best Poser at the Northern Classic.  I went old skool love ballad at the Oregon and Wash. St. shows as I was so busy I just didn’t have time to choreograph my usual type of routines.  Bumped it up to my usual standard at the Northern. 

Speaking of routines…I understand there’s a guy out there named Tony Ruggerio who claims that he’s gonna win the Best Poser at the Ironman!!!  T – I’M CALLIN’ YOU OUT, BROTHA!!  Ok…lemme ‘splain before you guys get all trippy on me.  A couple days ago Jules hit me up on text and said…well…rather than write about it, I’ll just re-type our ‘conversation’.

Jules:  Tony is guaranteeing he is taking Best Poser at Ironman…

Me:  You tell Tony that the Dr. will once again operate…

Jules:  He says your plain Jane routine at Wash St. ain’t gonna cut the mustard.  Says you’re gonna need more than a pair of cowboy boots…J

Me:  That was to lull everyone into a false sense of hope…

Jules:  He’s laughing…

Me:  Tell him, “Keep Hope Alive!”

Jules:  Laughing harder now…

Jules:  He says he will say a prayer for you…

Me:  Tell him that I’ma beat him like a ghetto step-child…

Jules:  “This is the time weedhoppah surpasses sensai”…says Tony.  “He’s gonna hang his posing trunks up when I’m done with him.  He is DONE!”

Me:  “I floats like a butterfly n sting like a bee…cain’t nobody dance like me n Ali…”

Me:  Tell Tony that when I’m done with him his mama will hold him in her arms and say, “Thass alright baby…you knew he was always better than you anyway.  Maybe when he’s dead you can finally win a best poser…”

Jules:  Too bad you aren’t here…would be fun to hear you guys jab in person…

Me:  T can’t hang with me playin the ‘dozens’…

America, I’m from the HOOD!!!  You either rank or get ranked on!  And I promise you, if you got ranked on, you gonna run home cryin’ cause they come hard!  Nothin’s off limits…where ya’ll think the TV show “Yo’ Momma” came from?  That’s not new.  Crackin’ on someone has been around for ages. 

Now I hope ya’ll realize that Tony and I have been friends for close to 15 years and we roll like that, so it’s all good.  Everything said was outta much love and respect, so don’t be trippin’!  But I will say this…I’ma wipe the floor with him at the Ironman.  Got a new genre of song that you guys will hear – it’s off-the hook!  You don’t wanna miss this routine!  Ok…lemme stop before I can’t live up to my own hype…

Hey, big shout out to m’boy, “The Other” Dave Patterson!  I heard from him the other day.  Ya’ll remember him…we competed against each other back in 2000 at the Evergreen St over in Wenatchee and then two weeks later at the Ironman.  I took him out at the first show and he dusted me at the second one.  Lemme set the record straight here…Dave (the other Dave) is one heck of a bodybuilder!  I was lucky to win.  Seriously!  He was using the Evergreen as a tune-up and was about 10-12 lbs over where he wanted to be.  I won simply because I was harder.  He had the size, shape, symmetry, and muscularity!  I only had the hardness FOR THAT SHOW!  Two weeks later it was a laughing matter.  As soon as I saw him backstage I knew he would win…face drawn in, hands lean…the look of a competitor who’s ready to do battle and win.  For all you little weedhoppah’s out there, Clint Eastwood said it best…”A man’s gotta realize his limitations.”  I can never, with a capital N-E-V-E-R take out the other Dave Patterson when he comes in contest shape.  Too big, too muscular, too symmetrical. 

Why am I saying this?  Because at least once every single show, I hear someone backstage complaining about his or her placing.  Can I offer a bit of perspective here?  Before you start complaining, take a real long, hard look at that body in the mirror.  Ask if that body has done EVERYTHING it needed to do to prepare for the show.  If the answer is yes, then the judging is out of your hands as is your placing.  You’re dealing with subjective judges.  If they like your look, you win.  If they don’t, you lose.  What’s so hard to understand about that.  If the answer is no…well…you probably got what you deserved!  It’s okay to admit that sometimes sometime is just plain better than you.  That’s the case with me and Dave…he’s just plain better! 

Dave now lives in Wyoming with his wife and he works in law enforcement.  It was always my hope that I’d run into him again…not to beat him – Lord knows that wouldn’t happen unless he was off his game – but to simply compete against him and have fun with him.  How cool would that be to have had Dave Patterson take 1^st and Dave Patterson take 2^nd show after show?  Add to that he was a good poser as well who very well could have taken some Best Poser awards (hey…I’m sure he’d take the challenge to bump his game up when it came to posing – that’s what competition is all about…), and we’d have the northwest trippin’!  “Which Dave won?  White Dave?  Black Dave?  Big Dave?  Skinny Dave?”   Then, when he died, I’d just lie and say that I was the Dave Patterson who won everything all the time!!  Hahahahaha…Dave, I know you’re reading this, so you know I’m joking!  Seriously, I’m glad to hear from him, and glad to hear that everything is well in his life.  He hasn’t competed since the Ironman in 2000, but as he said, “I’m getting the itch!!!!”  I’m almost afraid to say this, but hey dude, the invitation is open to come on back out here for one more go-round.  You can even stay at my house and “The Two Dave’s” will walk in and walk out together – hardware in hand!

As I said, I’m 5 weeks out from the Ironman and 3 out from Paul and Ivan’s Night of Champions over in Spokane.  I’ll hit you guys up later with some of the stuff I’ve been doing.  For now…gots’ta run…gotta routine I need to put together…The Dr is out…peace…

The Dr

http://www.facebook.com/drbuff

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

 www.personaltrainingsystems.net 

  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 Mobile:  253.576.4859

Don't give me excuses...give me results!

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I don’t know about you, but taking a self-imposed break from training and dieting is a pretty big challenge for me. Training is a huge stress relief for me, both physically and emotionally. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you are well aware that my life has had plenty of challenges over the last few years and training has been one of the main ways that I have coped with that stress. Hey, when you think that I coulda’ been drinkin’ a little over-training doesn’t look all that bad. Unfortunately, my overtraining and dieting put my body in a place where it completely stopped responding. I pushed and I pushed and I pushed and finally my body just got too tired to keep going.

Last Wednesday I decided it is time to take a complete break from training and dieting. Now, don’t go thinking I’m eating Big Mac’s and milkshakes everyday, I’m not! I am, however, eating a TON of Parrillo bars to tie me over between meals. I’m keeping my foods very clean, eating every 2-2 ½ hours and watching my carb intake, but not being restrictive. Today is the 6^th day of my gym hiatus and, unlike the first few days, I’m not having any anxiety about not being in the gym. I know that my body needs this right now.

I am enjoying sleeping in…even if that means 5am…it beats 3:50am. One of the best things I sleep late enough for the kids to wake up before me and in my half-awake/half-asleep state I can hear them sneak a peek into my room and scurry off back to their rooms when they see I’m asleep. It’s a very sweet thing and I love it! I am enjoying some extra time with my children, playing outside on sunny evenings. I think the kids actually miss the gym more than I do. This break is giving me time to do some things that I’ve been putting off and the timing is good with school starting this week. I’m able to get things organized for the kids and all their upcoming activities and commitments.

I have not decided yet when I’ll get back to the gym. I’m definitely in for a full week off which would mean Thursday at the earliest. I’m planning to ease back into the training, starting with cardio. When I feel mentally and physically ready I’ll go back. I’m having my coach, Dave, help me put together a game plan for easing back into the training and structuring my diet to rebuild my metabolism. The past several months have definitely been a lesson in patience for me, but my body has my attention now and I’m listening and obeying…finally!

It’s easy for competitors to fall into this “trap” that I’m in. It’s so important to have good coaching, a solid plan and mostly to rest…both physically and mentally. Our bodies can only handle so much stress. Please listen to your body, follow the warning signs that it provides. I read this quote recently and it was my “ah ha” moment and inspired my “Gym Hiatus”…

“DO NOTHING WHEN NOTHING WORKS”

I’m enjoying the nothingness. J

~Julie~

Fearless, with cape in hand

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WARNING: Dieting competitors beware post contains details of cheat foods and may trigger cravings.

On Thursday Rob Thomas graced the Mountain View Plaza at the Snoqualmie Casino. It was 85 on Thursday, a gorgeous night to be out in Snoqualmie watching and listening to an equally gorgeous specimen of a man sing. Oops, I’m drooling again. My girlfriend and I had 3^rd row seats and not just any 3^rd row seats, these were PERFECT 3^rd row seats, almost center stage. Mad props to Brett for scoring such amazing seats for my friend and me!

Before the concert my friend Julie and I went out for drinks and appetizers. I have a client/friend who frequently dines at the Woodman Lodge in Snoqualmie and tells me all the details about the food, so I decided that Julie and I should go check it out. As it turns out the place is only 5 minutes from the casino…perfect!

The Woodman serves Happy Hour appetizers from 4-6, so, since calories didn’t count on Thursday, we ordered up 3 appetizers to compliment our apple martinis. If you like seafood and Northwest cuisine, you will totally dig this place! The Penn Cove mussels at this place are insane!! Make sure you order bread to dip in the spicy Cioppino sauce…um, delicious!!! We also had Dungeness crab cakes and coconut shrimp skewers with spicy dipping sauce. Being the daughter of a culinary arts teacher and foodie, I have dined at most of the top seafood restaurants in the Seattle area…this place was definitely right up there with the best of ‘em! In fact, as I sit here writing about it, reliving it, I’m sort of salivating.

Of course, since it was “calorie-free-Thursday” we decided to have a look-see at the dessert menu. I mean, I figured that since it was so close to the casino I should write a review on the place for competitors since it hands-down beats the casino buffet! You can’t really write a solid review on a restaurant without having dessert and my client had just told me the day before about the carrot cake, which is one of my favorites! Okay, so, first of all, the desserts at this place are ENORMOUS!!! Think Claim Jumper getting all classed up and sophisticated…that’s the size! I, of course, ordered the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and Jules had crème brulee. We shared. It was kind of an “experience”…we definitely got lost in the moment. While the crème brulee was amazing and wonderful, the carrot cake was probably the best I’ve ever tasted and I’ve tasted a LOT of carrot cakes in my day. I think I liked that it was a small 2 layer round cake with the most delicious cream cheese frosting EVER!!

While we were enjoying our calorie-free night at the Woodman, I thought of my fellow competitors who would be out at the casino on October 2^nd looking for some amazing food to eat after 12+ weeks of contest dieting. This place puts the casino food to shame, seriously! I talked to the owner and asked him if he would be willing to put a deal together for the Ironman competitors and he said…OF COURSE!!! So, stay tuned…I will post details when they are available. In the meantime, you can check out their website and menu for yourself at www.woodmanlodge.com. You can also find them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/woodman.lodge

On that note, it’s time to get my butt to the gym for Sunday’s total body metabolic training, followed by an hour of steppin’! Fun times!

~Julie~
Fearless, with cape in hand

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I was meeting Elaine this morning for coffee at Starbucks. We were waiting in line to order our drinks and just happened to be in front of a woman with two children with her. Somehow we struck up a short conversation with the woman who managed to point out that she is chubby despite the fact that she’s chasing around three kids all day. Elaine, in her matter-of-fact way, says to the woman…”Well, she (pointing at me) has FOUR kids so she knows exactly what it’s like.”

When we sat down with our drinks, we both commented about how quick people are to give excuses for why they “can’t” be fit. Obviously, being a mother of 4 children, the mom excuse doesn’t get very far with me. But it’s amazing how many women will use the fact that they’ve birthed a child into the world as a reason why they can’t be as fit as they want to or think they should be. As we talked about it, I remembered back to a time when my twins were infants and my son was a toddler.

I nursed my twins exclusively for 13 months. They never did take a bottle, which often made it hard for me to get away from them for much more than 2 or 3 hours. You see, infants like to eat like bodybuilders every 2-3 hours, 6-8 times a day. You think prepping all that food is hard work, try BEING the food!! All of my time away from the duo was strategically planned and I was always “on the clock” and had to be back to them for the next meal. When I started back to the gym when they were two months old, I had to plan my workouts according to their eating schedule. I would usually feed them around 8:30 and then go straight to the gym and do whatever I could for about 1 hour. Monday through Friday I managed to walk in the gym before 9am, carrying an infant seat in each arm and towing my toddler behind me. I managed to keep the girls in their infant seats for an entire year, at which point I had to start carrying them one on each hip, which got a bit tricky. Fortunately, by the time they were a year old I had a training partner who graciously offered to “carry a twin” for me.

Now that my twins are 4 and my son is 6, it’s much easier to corral them from the car into the gym. Although, most days I feel like a mother duck with her ducklings in tow trying to make sure they make it safely across the parking lot. There are still times, more frequent than I’d like, that the daycare staff fetches me off my step mill or from the weight room to take care of a “potty accident.” This is really not convenient during contest prep, but fortunately, I don’t know any other way of doing contest prep, so I can’t say it bothers me that much. Okay, it does. Pee in the potty for crying out loud!!!!

I actually have a long list of excuses that are pretty legitimate reasons for not being able to workout or eat healthy. If it’s not something that is a priority for you, you’ll find any excuse not to do it. And maybe you feel like it’s a priority, but it just seems like too much work and you’re not ready to put out the effort so rather than admitting that, you just use your excuses as a reason not to do it. If being healthy and being fit is something you really desire in your life, you will make the time to exercise and eat well. I guarantee, every one of us is busy, very busy, and we all have the same 24 hours to work with each day. That means you might have to get up a little earlier to get your workout in or you might have to stay up a little later at night to make sure your meals are all ready for the following day.

Almost every bodybuilder I’ve ever met is a busy person, usually maintaining a full time job, a rigorous training schedule and a full personal life. They are masters at time management. They know how to make the most of their time both in and out of the gym. I believe that’s what makes a great bodybuilder. So, if you want it “that bad”, ditch your excuses, quit talking about it and just make it happen!

“Today, be aware of how you’re spending your 1440 beautiful moments, and spend them wisely.” ~ unknown

~Julie~

Fearless, with cape in hand

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As you all know, this has been a tremendous time of emotional growth, stretching and pushing the 'limits' in my life. All I know is that I have never been so pressed and stretched by God in my entire life and it has been a remarkable journey. My journey to the USAs started out as my journey to my first national show - Hard work and dedication would be involved of course - But I simply wanted to step on stage in Vegas in my best shape yet. Little did I know, God had His own plan and it involved a journey between me and Him that sculpted my life and brought it to a whole new level. So this is how the weeks leading up to and the week of USAs began and ended...although I may have to make this a two or three part series ;) But this is me..my journey..raw and exactly how it was.

During my prep:

As I decided to do the USAs it started out as just another show. Yes...It would be my first national show and yes it would be a whole different level of competition, but it would be just another journey of dieting and training hard to build UP and sculpt my body as I prepared to hit the stage. Then God rocked my world. I was called to do something He wanted me to do and something that I did not want to do. As I stepped out in faith to follow His will for my life, I experienced heartache like no other, yet have also experienced blessings that I never thought were possible.

Training became my therapy. I hit it hard..I lifted hard and heavy. I knocked out awesome cardio and I loved it. It was something that I had control over and was able to dive right in exactly how I wanted. So I spent my entire prep for USAs hitting the gym hard and boy was I fierce. So that's a plus and it was a remarkable learning experience. I was able to channel my emotions into my training and push past what I thought were barriers to my training efforts.

Dieting...That is a whole different story. As I hit the gym hard every single day...Diving into supersets, dropsets and simple heavy lifting, I was also diving into muffins, candy, burgers and fries. I would release my emotional stress in the gym and then for some reason felt the need to release it some more with tasty food. As you all know, no matter how hard I was kicking my own butt in the gym, I was not making the progress I needed to make to hit the stage looking lean and mean. I felt so discouraged after being so in control of my eating habits for the past couple years...I would think to myself "Wow...why are you eating this...why are you drowning your emotions in food - this is NOT you!"...But thankfully with encouragement from John and Roxana Kreklo, with support from my amazing friends and after many prayers to God - I finally got my act together and I can honestly say that although it was tough and I experienced emotional eating at its worst - God was right there stretching me the entire time and He used this time to help me learn and grow and eventually overcome the emotional eating. At about 5 weeks out, I finally got my act together and began to eat clean food in order to build myself up!

Friends and Support: WOWZERS...this is one way God worked in my life that I never could have possibly imagined. He showed His faithfulness and love through all of my dear friends and I'm forever thankful. As soon I stepped out into the unknown and began my journey of faith - He threw AMAZING people into my life. I would get texts/emails/messages of encouragement JUST when I needed it most. My dear friend, Jessica Watson, in Florida would offer the PERFECT words of wisdom or Bible verses JUST when I felt too weak...God literally placed her in my life for such a time as this and wow.... Rose would offer that endless encouragement JUST when I thought USAs were not a good idea. Erin White...this girl would text me basically EVERY single morning as the show approached with the kindest, most inspiring words so that I could kick off my day right. Elaine Craig offered her words of wisdom about following God's will JUST when I thought His way would be too hard...Tanji did her thing and reminded me WHY all of this pain is worth it...why following God's plan is so worth it..Hillary Jones would send encouraging quotes every day.. The list goes on and on. THAT is what amazes me...This prepped was filled with so many flourishing, loving and grace-filled relationships that I would literally have to write all night to share them with you. That is why this prep has stood out above any other experience in my life..Through my pain and healing God worked His miracle and created this awesome and inspiring support system for the perfect time when I needed it most.

So that wraps up the months leading up to USAs. It was painful, blessed, amazing, testing...above all else: A miracle.

The week leading up to the USAs - Talk about peace. I was completely at peace about competing in Vegas. There was something in me that was just so thrilled and excited to be heading to the sunny state of Nevada to step on stage with some of the most beautiful and inspiring women in the country. To be honest, I was really not that nervous. I was joyful, thankful and simply PUMPED to be experiencing USAs for the first time. I carefully packed my bags - I wanted to make sure I had EVERYTHING I needed - and I prepped all my food for the trip. It's so different to compete in a show out of state because you have to remember and plan EVERYTHING...I had to make list and check it several times over just to make sure I had everything. I packed my cooler, my Bible, my clothes, my make up, my suit, my heels..Then off I went.

I had been praying the entire week before the show that God would use me in Vegas. That I would be sooo incredibly focused on Him that I would not be concerned with the competition. Yes I was prepared to compete, but God and His plan was what got me really pumped to be down there. I knew that if I kept my eyes entirely on Him the entire time I was there - He would guide me and keep me joyful through all circumstances. So I spent my plane ride listening to Casting Crowns, Third Day and other Christian artists and also read Crazy Love. If you have not read that book, I would definitely recommend it. It hit it hard and reaffirmed me of the true reason why I was going to Vegas. It's about the Lord and not me. It's about Him using me in any way that He needs to and me being open to that - It's about truly loving Jesus Christ and serving Him entirely. So that's what I did and the book was the perfect reminder as I landed in Vegas.

I headed to the host hotel and got myself all checked in. I could feel the energy from all the competitors in the hotel and it was such a great feeling. To look around and see so many people who had worked their butts off to get to Vegas really inspired me and reminded me of the bigger picture. It is about pushing yourself as hard as you can...reaching that peak physique..one that you possibly doubted was even possible. Its about dedication and discipline that is beyond what the average person can possibly comprehend. THAT is the energy I'm talking about and boy was it amazing. It filled me up and by the time check-in came around, I was ready to rock and roll with a huge smile on my face.

I met many amazing people at check-in including fellow ON/ABB Athletes and Pastor Mike and Fred from Stronghold Ministries. All I have to say is that THEY ROCK. They prayed with me, encouraged me, offered to grab anything I needed etc...They were there to truly serve all of us competitors and I'm forever thankful for all that they did for myself and everyone else around me to bring such a LIGHT to the show. They SHINED God's light brighter than many people I know and to see that in such a vain and self-focused environment was so inspiring.

After check-in, I headed up to my room and waited for Pastor Mike and some others to come up for a prayer meeting. As we all gathered in my room, Pastor Mike spoke an amazing Word that inspired each of us to stay focused on Serving God during USAs weekend and boy was that ANOTHER reminder from God about my true purpose for being down at USAs. God must have been trying to tell me something ;) We prayed and it was a great time to connect with competitors, Pro and Amateur, who love Jesus AND love bodybuilding!

After our prayer meeting, Alicia Harris stayed behind and helped me with my color. I ended up doing all my own color for the show and I'm SOOOO thankful that Rose was able to supply Jantana and that Alicia was able to paint me like a pro. Overall, things went SOOO incredibly smooth on Thursday and I was feeling so at peace with how the weekend was beginning. I had a chance to meet with GREAT and inspiring people AND my color turned out awesome. Let's just say I was floating...Floating in pure joy and that is a very rare experience the night before a show :)

So that's it for now. I'll check back in tomorrow and share my experience of Friday/Sat of the show.

Overall, what I learned is that if I truly surrender myself to God and His will for my life - He gives me more than I ever thought I'd EVER need. He fills me entirely and gives me the strength and joy to literally be BEAMING a big smile at check-in when I would normally be feeling tired, nervous, anxious and hungry! There's something about staying focused on the BIGGER picture that makes every day a miracle in itself.

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

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*Congratulations to all of the competitors who took the stage today at the Northern Classic! You should all be proud of your dedication and hard work. especially for my Team SF girls, I'm so proud of all of you for your endless inspiration and encouragement towards one another!*



It's been weeks since I've written, and I have no excuse other than I simply did not want to write this particular passage.

I did not want to admit what was, in my mind, defeat.

To get to the point quickly, I am not competing this fall. Doctor's orders, after two more hospital visits in recent weeks have proven detrimental in my prep. (Have you ever tried doing split squats on an IV? I have and trust me, it's not easy!)

My doctor has asked me to back off for now: that I am taxing a body that is already too stressed from the complications pertaining to my most recent surgery.

My first throught was relief, but BEFORE you read into that, let me explain. I was not relieved at not having a competition this fall....but rather I was relieved that someone else took control of the decision. I am not strong enough to realize that competing this fall was not in my best interests.  I began this awesome journey as a method of procuring my own health, and I am now scolding myself for having lost sight of that in the last few months. As the title of my very first passage on this blog described, I literally went from the hospital bed one day to deadlifting the next. I was (and am) too stubborn to understand this was not a good way to start competition prep. But it never became more clear that on last friday when I fainted at work and landed underneath my lab desk to the horror of one of my close friends.

Having a chronic illness (or several, in my case) is never something you accept in totality and that comes into play when I refuse to acknowledge that I have more limitations than the average person. Sure, I can accept my situation one day at a time, but the process must renew itself again and again with every symptom, with every limitation, and with every waking moment. I'm only 26 years old and I often have a very difficult job accepting that this is my burden to bear for the rest of my life. I still have that naive perception that if you come down with an illness, you go to a doctor and they fix you. That I not only have a disease that is always going to partially define the way I live my life, but one that is still poorly treated, is often too overwhelming to realize. For myself, and people like me, hope is the glue that binds our unsteady nerves. I hope there's a cure someday. I hope I don't get worse. I hope I can live my life to the fullest in spite of my subpar health status. And I hope I make it back to the sport I love very very soon.

I've been admittedly, struggling on an existential level for the past few weeks.  Competition has always provided an inherent structure to an otherwise chaotic life. For the first time in over four years, I am not actively pursuing a contest. I'm feeling a little lost and trying somewhat unsuccessfully to fill that void. No to mention my diet has been anything but consistent, which is what my doctor ordered in the first place.

Then two things happened that snapped me back into self-responsibility:

1.) My husband informed me that I was killing myself. And he wasn't kidding: poor eating habits can be deadly if I trigger an obstruction.

2.) A friend of a friend died very suddenly and unexpectedly last week from Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome, the rare blood clotting disorder that badly damaged my liver a few years ago. While my antibody levels have been mostly under control recently, it is largely in part to my healthy lifestyle. There is NEVER a guarantee that I won't meet the same demise as my friend's friend but the best measure of prevention I have is to take care of my body as best as is in my own control.

So thus begins a subset of competition prep: Erika's wellness prep 2010. I'm shaping up my priorities and focusing on my health. Because let's face it: the stage is never going to be in the cards for me if I don't take care of my body on a deeper level.

I am sad about not making it to the Ironman, of course, but I will be there front and center screaming for my Save Fitness Competitors and waiting for the day when I'm back there able to give it my 100% and bring home a sword! Will it be Vancouver? The Emerald Cup? I don't know yet, but rest assured I will be in the best shape of my life, both inside and out!

-Erika


--
-Erika L. Mott-
(253) 239-4205

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Alright guys...I have NOT forgotten about writing on here - Although it does seem like I have!

I had such an amazing time at USAs...Then came home to attend an amazing church conference: TC2010 at Champions Centre...

And now I'm enjoying my last day at Emerald City Smoothie and getting ready to start my new job next week!

I will be starting with Optimum Nutrition as their Washington Sales Merchandiser!

Anyways...So I have TONS to write about and TONS to share (I guess that is what I get for taking so long to write!)...far too much for me to write right now, but I wanted to stop by and let everyone know that I WILL be sharing my USAs experience with you ASAP :)

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

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So, we’re just 10 weeks away from the 2010 Washington Ironman, or, if you live in my world, it’s been 15 weeks since the 2010 Emerald Cup. But, I’m no longer in “recovery mode” and actually starting to feel more like my normal self everyday!

It was 2 years ago this month that I decided to do my first show, the 2008 Washington Ironman. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into…I thought I did, but looking back and knowing what I know now, I was absolutely clueless. I hired a 20 year old trainer from my gym who had assured me he knew how to train competitors. At 20? Really? No offense kid, but that’s doubtful. But, like the good student I aim to be, I followed his advice to the letter along with the advice of my “nutritionist” who as it turned out was giving me diet advice she was getting from some bodybuilder who didn’t even know me. Considering the fact that I wasn’t following the best protocol in training and nutrition, I ended up placing 7^th out of 15 in my class. Also not bad considering I only recently got serious about weight training and when leaned out didn’t have much lean mass to speak of. No delts. No lats. No butt. But there was one thing I could do well…walk in heels.

After that first show I met my friend Jon. He’s a bodybuilder and a CPT, CSCS and was looking for a training partner. He offered to help me with my diet and training and I felt like I had just hit the jackpot! To have his knowledge at my fingertips and to be able to train with him was really exciting. Meeting Jon changed my “competition world.” I learned what it was really like to eat and train like a competitor and then when I was 12 weeks out from Vancouver ’09 Jon turned me over to the “guru”, Dave Patterson. After my first show I knew I liked being on stage and I knew that I wanted to do well in this sport, so when I met Dave I was prepared to do whatever he told me I needed to do.

This sport is not for everybody. I think that the biggest thing you have to be able to do in this sport is SUCK IT UP and the “suck it up factor” is high in competitive bodybuilding. Contest prep doesn’t often feel good. It takes a level of commitment that most people aren’t willing to give. To be successful you must follow a plan and you must make the plan fit into your life somehow. As part of my contest prep I do a lot of cardio. I do morning cardio before my first meal. Given my job and my family obligations, sometimes that means I’m in the gym on the step mill at 3:30am. While I’d obviously rather be sleeping at that hour, I want the results more than I want the sleep. Then, of course, most of us go back to the gym for “round 2” to lift and maybe do more cardio depending on our current level of leanness. It’s a time-consuming sport, no doubt. And to do it right, you have to be intense, you have to push yourself when you don’t feel like it, when you’d rather stop your set at 8 reps when you know you really could make 10. The competitor that loves this stuff pushes for those extra reps because we know…those are the reps that matter.

I haven’t even started on the diet yet. Almost every client I work with tells me…”oh, but I just don’t have time to eat well.” Really, people? Y’all know I have 4 kids, maintain a household by myself, work full time and train twice a day. Please take your excuses somewhere else. The diet takes serious commitment. Sometimes I feel like eating itself is a full time job. When you’re in contest prep mode you can’t miss meals, you have to be impeccable with your meal timing and your supplements. You can’t go 15 hours without eating (uh-hum, not naming any names). Most of us work, so we have to be prepared in advance with our meals for each day. For me, this usually means an afternoon of food prep on Sunday and sometimes a second day during the week so I’ve got everything ready to go for the week ahead.

Anyone who has competed before can tell you that the final weeks of contest prep SUCK. I will never forget one of my sessions (actually, it was probably many) that Dave told me…”Jules, you haven’t suffered before. You’re gonna have to suffer to make this show.” And I was ready…bring it! I’m ready to suffer and suffer I did. It sucked. Managing my daily life, my kids, my other obligations was very challenging, but I did it because I wanted it and I wanted it bad. To achieve the level of conditioning and leanness that it takes to really look your best on stage, you don’t have any options, you have to suffer. You have to put in the hard work. If you don’t want it that bad, you aren’t going to do it. It’s definitely not for everyone. If achieving the physiques of a competitor was easy, you’d see everybody walking around like they stepped out of a fitness magazine.

This is my life now. Well, I don’t suffer all the time, but I know that for me to look my best at a show I have to put in my “suffering time.” But even when I’m not in contest prep, I do my cardio most mornings before my first meal and then I go back later in the day to lift and maybe do more cardio. I keep my diet pretty dialed in most of the time because it feels good to me that way and also because when I try to differently it just doesn’t feel right. It’s just become my way of life and I truly find it rewarding and enjoyable.

So…how bad do YOU want it? Is it in you?

~Julie~

Fearless, with cape in hand

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I have experienced such a peace with this prep and words cannot explain the feeling. Yes...I have my doubts. I sometimes wonder 'Will I be ready?", but there has been something truly amazing about this entire experience as I have prepared for USAs. God has placed so many people in my life JUST at the right time and He has used everyone around me to feed me bits and bits of encouragement just when I need it most. That support system is what makes the entire journey something so beautiful. It makes the journey itself SHINE when I look and see all of the God moments...all of the moments that God has used the people around me to keep me striving for my goal.

I have experienced a HUGE life change over the past two months. It was a change that needed to be taken, but let me tell you...It was TOUGH. I cannot explain how many days I busted butt in the gym and dreaded leaving just because it was back to the reality of my situation. BUT through all the tests, trials and struggles - Something absolutely beautiful is ALWAYS formed. I know that it sounds incredibly cliche..but each struggle sculpts, molds and shapes you into something more beautiful and strong than you ever thought possible. It gives you a chance to push your limits, build mental/emotional strength and literally rise ABOVE what you thought was possible.

So as I have endured this show prep I experienced heartbreak at its worst -- Yet I have also experienced God's love in a way that I have never experienced before. It's been a bittersweet experience and it gives this show prep for USAs a "zest" that has truly made me ALIVE in the experience. It goes to show that when you are following His will, things just feel SO right and He will provide you with all that you need and for me that has been the amazing support system that the Northwest has to offer for competitors. All of my fellow competitors up here in the Northwest have been so support, inspiring and encouraging and I am forever thankful for that! You have all said JUST what I needed to hear at the right time and I give God MAJOR props for pulling this all together ;) I also have to mentioned that I was connected with Pastor Mike Wenger from Stronghold Ministries - If you have never heard of his ministry for the bodybuilding industry, check out his website! He sets up booths, networks, builds relationships and prays with competitors all around the United States! - and he has connected me with two amazing girls, Jessica and Andrea, in FL who compete and have also supported me through this entire process. All I can say is WOW - Life is great, God is GREAT and the people that He puts in my life are such true blessings. So that's my tid bit for today...It's that support system that you NEED as a competitor. When you really open your arms to the people around you and build TRUE heart-filled relationships with other competitors, something truly beautiful happens and I'm so thrilled that through all this struggle I have had the opportunity to do so!

As far as my training and prep...Whew!! I am exactly one week out from stepping on stage and I'm feeling great! As I mentioned, I have my moments of doubts about being ready, but I do my best to shut those thoughts out and have faith in the process - Faith that it will all come together in the end as I continue to work hard!

I'm currently doing anywhere from 90 - 100 min of cardio/day and my lifting has been high volume as well. I'm keeping my lifting as heavy as possible, but also focusing on those high reps, drop sets and supersets! I'm doing what it takes to make me sweaty and get my heart thumping! In addition, I've been drinking tons of water and eating fairly low carbs! Overall, I'm feeling pretty darn good and excited to really push through the next week with everything in me! I can't wait to see what I look like at the end of next week! Woot Woot!

I'm also going to spend this weekend packing my bag for Vegas so that I do not have to worry about it during the week. I want everything to be organized and ready so that I am not stressing out as I prepare to fly out Thursday AM!

So that's it for now...I'll keep checking in to keep everyone posted! 1 week out and I'm ready to rock and roll! Woot Woot!

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

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Los Angeles- Golds Gym Venice

So, I call myself a professional traveler which leads me to get comfortable with traveling and a bit edgy when it comes to giving myself enough time to get to the airport. The main reason for this “edge” is that “my time is valuable to me, I wish I had more of it, and I really don’t want to spend time waiting in an airport”. So I tend to play this game of maximizing my time as much as possible and then gambling to give myself just enough time to make the flight. I know this is crazy, but it has become a very bad habit. Most of the time, I win! And you know how great that feels, relishing over the extra hour of emailing I got in, or that meal I got to eat at home, or the extra sleep that my body needed. With this being said, I notice that I have been giving myself less and less time to catch my flight.  I can typically arrive at SEATAC 45min-1 hour before my flight and still catch it…barely. J I am one of those people who prefers to wait until EVERYONE else has boarded before I get on…which is why I can usually make the flight in 45min…LOL! Most of the time! So this particular time I showed up 35min before my flight (This wasn’t intentional but I had trouble finding the parking garage I chose. No wonder it was cheaper…it was WAY further away. Geesh!) So of course I check in and the lady at the counter looks at me like I’m an idiot and informs me that the bag check in cut off time is 40min prior to take off. So, like a 5 year old with an upside down smile, I walk away and proceed to stand in another line to get my flight rebooked. Consequence: I had to cancel my gymnastics session with my coach Richard who is in Pasadena CA. Bright side: I got to go home and spend more time recovering from my last trip. Not sure how much I recovered though….I ended up getting a work out in and answering more emails. I have gotten pretty good at making the best out of any situation. If I could sell this ability in a bottle my friends, I would! J

So, that night I get into LAX, grab my rental car and proceed straight to my favorite gym in LA…Golds Gym Venice…the mecca of bodybuilding! IFBB Pros train for free in this gym but this time, I didn’t recognize the guy at the front counter. I’m thinking “Great, how do I let this guy know that I’m kinda a big deal (special quote from AnchormanJ) without sounding like a schuck! So, luckily the moment I walked in I saw Shawn Perine (writer for Flex and Muscle & Fitness) and Max Carlisle who is also from WA and did the music on my Posing and Save Fitness DVDs. They approach me and we share in our excitement of seeing each other as I sign in. The front desk gentleman asks me if I’m a Pro and if I had my IFBB card on me. Does anyone really carry this? I will now! LOL! I felt bad that I couldn’t prove that I was a pro. But I think one subtle flash of the guns did the trick.

So, for my workout, I enjoyed running on the treadmill for about 20 min while enjoying the breeze from the side opening of the gym. I love people watching at this gym. I could probably do cardio all day long. There’s always someone interesting to watch. One time, I saw this lady in her 70s (maybe 80s) working out or maybe she was just walking around saying hello to everyone. She had quite the array of fashion going on with her workout outfit. I was thinking “You go girl! You don’t need to care what anybody thinks! Not even me!” Lol! Fun stuff, truly!

Then I hit a good back and leg workout. I train my back with weights doing rows, pull downs and then burn out my legs with some plyos. There was this super tall bench (I have no idea what It’s for) so I got excited and started doing box jumps onto it. This is my favorite thing to do btw. Trying to find the highest surface whether it’s a bench, giant tire, or box in the gym and see if I can jump on it. I love when people look at me like I’m crazy. J My tuck jumps are getting better with this hobby!

I head back to my hotel to prepare for my photo shoot with Muscle & Fitness Hers the next morning. This entails exfoliating, shaving, body butter, deep conditioning for the hair, moisturizing the face and a good night’s rest. But before I sleep, I pray. I ask the Lord to give me peace about my physique. I think every model wonders if his/her physique is going to look good enough for the part. I ask him to wake me up in the morning fully aware of the beauty I possess. The beauty that HE, the mighty one bestowed in me. I pray that I am able to embrace every ounce of my sprit and soul and allow that energy and beauty to emanate at the shoot. I thank God for giving me this ability to connect and rely on Him. And with that, I get my beauty rest. J

Los Angeles- Muscle & Fitness Hers Shoot, Iron Gym Santa Monica

Gorgeous day! I arrived at the gym and have a mini reunion with the staff since I’ve shot with them several times. I have a new make up artist that I’ve never worked with before but she was great. Cindy, the stylist and the one responsible for picking out my wardrobe is a hoot. I love her. She is so fun to work with and had a great personality. So, just so you know…hair and make up usually takes about 45 min to an hour, shorter for this kind of shoot b/c it’s more of a natural look and the hair’s going up in a ponytail. I always love invading Cindy’s wardrobe rack. It’s amazing. She brings a rack of about 20-30 sets of workout outfits and we, ok “they” pick one. They bring everything…socks, shoes, outfit, and sometimes chicken cutlets J for people that need ‘em like me.

Once I’m dressed, a group of them….stylist, make up artist, asst, photographer, fitness editor all get together and look me up and down to determine if I’m good to go. This is always alittle uncomfortable b/c Im thinking “Great, I’m not lean enough” but they’re actually scrutinizing my hair, make up and wardrobe. LOL!

Of course I do my best to deal with this by turning on the charm with my fantastic bikini poses and put on a good show for them to get their approval to begin the shoot. J

So, we begin. We had to shoot 8 different exercises. This shoot actually went pretty fast and only took 4-5 hours. Most models are amazed at how long it takes to shoot a spread. But there is a lot of detail necessary to capture the right image with positioning, lighting and waiting for celebrities to get out of my shot. I can’t remember his name but there was an actor working out at the gym and he was always in my frame. He’s already famous, yet he HAD to try to steal my little bit of glory! Kidding! He WAS there, but I doubt he cared about being background in our spread. Lol.

Modeling for a TRAINING shoot is no cake walk. For this particular shoot “Intense Training Techniques”, they actually wanted me to use heavy weights. And then, of course, hold each rep for a few seconds. We did this several times because my body positioning had to be right, my facial expression had to be appropriate (ya know, intense but not quite the gas faceJ) and the lighting had to be on! For example, they shoot me doing a Pull up. So I’d have to hold at the top of the pull up for a few seconds. Side note: Being in shape and strong comes in handy at times like this J.

We had to make me look like I was sweating so the stylist was always spraying water and rubbing oil on me. They don’t even let you pull your own shorts down. They do all that for you. You really feel pampered sometimes, lol. The cool thing about technology now is that we can shoot a bit and then go straight to the laptop, put the zip drive in from the camera and view the shots we just took to figure out what we need to do different.

I was pretty exhausted when it was over so I went to my hotel to nap. I mustered up the energy to meet my good friend Mohamed Mohsen for dinner. Mo is the founder and owner of DreamTan. We had a great time discussing some new projects he has coming up and some that he would like me to be involved in. It’s always inspiring to be in the company of peers who are motivated to make a difference and contribute something great to our society.

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I was flattered that the owners of Max Muscle asked if I would begin contributing to their monthly newsletter. I LOVE to write and I do LOVE Max Muscle too! :)

We are so lucky that we have a local business supporting our local physique athletes. Max Muscle is THE place for quality supplements and the entire staff is very knowledgeable and helpful and the FREE samples are always great too!You should also know that if there's a product you're looking for that is not carried in the store, they will gladly special order it for you! If you're local to the Bellevue area make sure you stop in to support our sponsor, MAX MUSCLE BELLEVUE!!!

http://bellevue.maxmuscle.com/testimonials/1492/

I'll be back this weekend for more blogging! In the meantime, have an AMAZING day! And good luck to all of the athletes competing in the Washington State Championships tomorrow!

~Julie~
Fearless, with cape in hand

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America, I’ve hit a new low!  But before I get into that, let me say to the young weedhoppahs out there – Enjoy your youth!  Train hard.  Train heavy.  Train fast. Train with a ferocity that defies human logic and understanding. Do high reps, low reps, intermediate reps.  Do drop sets, strip sets, and descending sets.  Do straight sets, compound sets, supersets, and multiple sets.  Do slo-mo, quick tempo, and rest-pause training.  Do it all, young ones.  Train 5-6-7 days a week, twice a day if you feel the need.  Train as if your life depended upon it, even though it doesn’t. Train like it’s your last workout even though it won’t be.  Why do I say all of this?  Because one day it will all be over.  One day your warm-up weight will become your max weight.  You’ll spend 40 minutes of your 50 minute workout loosening up the joints and warming up the muscles for that one all-out 25% of what you used to do set! And you’ll be ecstatic when you get it!  Time catches up with us all eventually, America.  And it caught up to me this past week.

The Dr. hurts.  He can no longer operate!  Plain and simple.  I’m tired of playing the bravado game, pretending that life is hunky-dorey, a piece-o-cake, and full of sugar and spice and everything nice.  This body is broke down, tore up from the floor up, and about to cave in!  It’s a train wreck that’s already happened but hasn’t yet fallen off the tracks to the chasm below.  I’m barely holding together.  I give thanks to my Chiropractor, Dr. Jeff Kahrs, for that.  Jeff, an ex-training partner (and hopefully current one if I can ever get my butt in gear and complete the shower for him to use after the workout so he can go back to work in a pre-funk smell…) has put Humpty-Dumpty back together again so many times I feel like Frankenstein.  He doesn’t really fix me as I’m beyond fixing, but he keeps me from regressing faster than I normally would.  My neck goes out more often than Tommy Chong gets high.  My hips and back hurt worse than Lindsey Lohan looks with her new ‘enhanced’ lips.  Sleeping is like being the new guy in prison going to bed and your cell door is wide open – it ain’t gonna happen!  Hey Doc, I haven’t slept literally in two nights because of this blown neck, so The Dr. will be lookin’ for a lil’ hands-on tomorrow…as we say back in the ‘hood…”Cmon main…hook a brotha up!”

I pulled out all the stops this past week, America.  I had a level of conditioning I wanted to attain.  I knew what I needed to do, and doggone it, I was gonna do it!  My sis, who lives with me, watched me get out of the chair last night.  She just shook her head, it was so comical.  Both hands on the armrests, a couple of rocks back and forth, and then push off to the bent-over, hands-on-knees position which is held for several seconds as I catch my balance and wait for the body to say, “Ohhh, you wanna stand up?  Ok…”  She watched as I walked my hands up my massive Twiggy legs (hey…to Twiggy my legs ARE massive…) to my now-famous “Gorrilla-with-a-stick-stuck-up-his-butt-stance.”  I move from the Homo-Sapien to the Homo-Erectus position.  Elaine asks, “You alright, Daveed?”  I robotically turn to her (that’s the only way I turn now…) and respond with a silly grin on my face, “I’m good.”  She shakes her head and walks upstairs.  She’s learned better than to ask dumb questions, like “Why don’t you stop this insane madness called bodybuilding?”, or “Maybe you should go see a doctor…”  Like the guy in prison who dropped the bar of soap in the shower and wants to pick it up…again…it ain’t gonna happen!

We had a fashion show at our church a few weeks ago.  One of the outfits the Dr. modeled was an Adidas Sweatsuit with an UnderArmour sleeveless tight-fitting spandex type material underneath.  You KNOW the Adidas top came off once I hit the runway, America.   I’m not braggin’ but I didn’t look too bad for an ole man.  Best-built physique of the show, I humbly say to you.  Took out all the young’uns.  Prior to the start of the show, one of the young studs ambles up…

“I bet I could out-bench you…” 

“You probably could!”

“How much do you bench?”

“Not as much as I used to.”

“How big are your arms?”

“Bigger than yours.”

“I still think I could get you…” he snorts, nostrils flaring, mane waving, Banta Rooster feathers changing color in the breeze.”

“Dude, add y’daddy and I’d still kick your butt.  My toes have done more than you can dream.  Get outta here talkin’ trash.” I turn and walk away.  Good thing there wasn’t a gym there (yet) America, or my response likely would have been, “…Probably could…” as I hobble off.  What happened to ‘much respect’ in the world, America?  Young’uns…I tell ya.  Was I ever like that???

I poke fun because I don’t take myself serious anymore.  The glory days, if any, are long gone.  Regardless of skill level, athletic ability, or genetic potential, age becomes the great equalizer for us all, given enough time.  Jeff is the same age as me, but he’s still the Brahma Bull in the gym because of great genetics and chiropractic care.  ~chuckle~…give it another 20-25 years or so…we’ll be racing down the retirement home hallway in our motorized wheelchairs.  I can see it now…two geezers talkin’ trash to each other as they change our diapers…

“I always have been able to and I’ll always be able to outlift you, Dave.”

“Dude, you can’t even put your teeth in, you’re so messed up!  And who’s Dave?”

“At least I still got teeth, even if they ain’t real…”

I’m in the middle of the deep end of the pool with a 45-lb plate strapped around my waist treadin’ water.  I’m sinking fast.  Oh, I promise I’ll pull it together for Saturday and any other show I do.  That’s what “over-medication” is all about.  The thrill of entertainment is now greater than the thrill of victory.  So for all you lil’ weedhoppahs out there prepping for this weekend, to paraphrase the old grizzled desk sergeant from the classic TV series, Hill Street Blues, “Let’s have fun out there!”  See ya’ll in a couple…peace!

The Dr.

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

 www.personaltrainingsystems.net 

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Don't give me excuses...give me results!

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I love Clint Eastwood, America.  He has some of the greatest one-liners in movie history.  “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do!” “Go ahead…make my day!”  And my personal favorite – “A man’s gotta realize his limitations!”  This definitely applied to me this past weekend at the Oregon St. Bodybuilding Championships.  Lemme ‘splain…

After the fiasco in barely getting there in time to compete (read the previous blog to get caught up on what happened…I’ll wait…), I walked offstage with my trophy.  I don’t know what I was thinking, but I spaced on the fact that I needed to go back onstage for the Master’s Overall.  I grabbed my glasses and started walking back to the pump-up room when one of the backstage helpers yelled… 

“Dave…where you goin’?  You’re up for the Overall!” 

“Is that now?  Man…I’m really out of it.”  So I put my trophy down on the ground, dropped my glasses, and headed back out.  I was up against Carl Washington, a friend who’d competed in the USA’s or Nationals a couple of years ago and done very well.  Carl had the classic bodybuilder’s body – shorter in stature, thick upper body, wide flaring lats, small waist, and great quads.  He won the Overall Master’s a couple months ago at the Bill Pearl Classic with a great look. Me on the other hand…tall and thin, no quads or calves, and a crooked back!  It was the Budweiser Clydesdale going up against the broke-down racehorse about to be put out to pasture.  It was Optimus Prime bringing it to Jerry Lewis, Jet Li against Bruce Leroy, Michael Jordan against…well…you get my point, America.  This was No Mas - No Mas all over again!  But I was up for the challenge in my own inimitable style…

“Carl, this is a joke, dude…a no-brainer!  Be ready for me to have some fun with you out there.”

“Hey man, I’m game.  What’cha gonna do?”

“I ain’t got a clue, but just go with it, okay?”

“”Man, I’m always up for havin’ a good time….”

So Turk calls us out.  Carl first, me second.  Once we hit our mark I just look at him and smile.  A few people in the audience chuckle.  Turk starts calling out the ¼ turns and we hit them on cue.  Then he calls out the mandatories…Front Double Biceps.  We hit it.  Front Lat Spread.  Hit that too.  Side chest…I kinda look at Carl and start laughing.  He laughs and says, “I’ma back up close to you for this…”  Now you can really see the disparity between us, as if one couldn’t notice as soon as we walked out.  The audience snickered.  Someone actually had the audacity to yell, “This is a beatdown” as if I didn’t already know it.  Back Double Biceps, Back Lat Spread, Side Triceps…all those went without incidence.  On the Side Triceps, I just start crackin’ up and shaking my head as we’re posing.  How bad was this beatdown?  The head judge must have given Turk the Overall winner slip in record time – less than 10 seconds after we walked out.  I don’t think he even collected anyone else’s votes, not that it mattered.  Turk called, “Front Abdominal/Thigh…”  I shook my head again, started laughing, hit some funky ab shot and glanced over at Carl as he finished his pose.  The audience was rollin’ by now.  Turk calls the last pose, “Most Muscular…”  I just stopped, looked at Carl and bowed in respect and deference to him.  HE stops and says, “My momma always taught me to respect my elders…you first!”  He got me, America!  I started to hit the pose, and just fell out laughing – couldn’t continue.  I jumped on him and pretended to beat him down.  We gathered ourselves, stood waiting for the call, and just as Turk was about to announce the winner, I started backing offstage pointing at Carl.  I blew him a kiss, the audience howled, and that was that! 

If y’can’t have fun with this, America, what CAN you have fun with?  Never take yourself so serious that you forget it’s just a contest, and in the big scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter, does it?  Because we win (or lose…) a contest doesn’t change the oil conditions in the Gulf, doesn’t fix New Orleans, and doesn’t solve world hunger and Aids.  This is coming from a guy who still competes to win, but keeps his priorities in order.  Okay…enough of the philosophical stuff…

Hey, ya’ll know I didn’t like my look Saturday.  Even though I was on task the body didn’t respond as it usually does.  Call it age or whatever you want, but I didn’t get the desired results I was after.  So I changed things up starting Sunday.  I dropped the bottom out of my carbs and went to 2 hours a day of cardio.  When I say dropped the bottom out of carbs, it means I’m down to just enough to function mentally…about 65-75 gms/day from all sources.  I don’t like this feeling, but it’s already working.  I feel like crap though!  I can see a difference and feel a difference in the body.  I don’t wanna do nuthin’ but sleep.  I slept through my 3 alarms this morning and was late for my chiropractic appt.  Recently I’ve been doing an hour and a half to an hour forty-five minutes of cardio each day and have dialed in nicely.  This time it didn’t work so I went back to 2 hours a day.  America, I ain’t got no hair, but I’m sure if I did it would be hurtin’ right now.  Ahh well…this too shall pass.  Oh…and I went back to total body workouts for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Today’s workout was painful and I’ve still got tomorrow to go.  I wanted to slap Joyce ‘cause she was tellin’ me to suck it up, it’s my contest, you can quit if it’s too much for you, you can do this…all the crap I say to my people.  I hate it when my words come back at me…

I’m out, America.  Gotta eat my last meal for the night.  Just finished grillin’ some chicken breast.  Since I’ve eaten all my allotted carbs for the day, I get nuthin’ but chicken!  No veggies, no barbecue sauce, nada!  But hey…I ain’t complaining…I lied…I AM complaining!  Gimme a break, America – I got two more days of this crap…a brotha’s gotta be able to vent sometime.  And you know this to be true because after all…I am The Dr!  Peace…

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

 www.personaltrainingsystems.net 

  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 Mobile:  253.576.4859

Whining???  There’s No Whining in Bodybuilding!

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America, I haven’t been ignoring you, contrary to rumor.  But…I have been AWOAGE (absent without a good excuse) for over a month!  My last blog was June 7^th.  Actually I’ve got a lot of excuses…don’t know if they’re good or not but I’ll get to em one day. 

Yesterday (Saturday, July 10^th) was the Oregon State Bodybuilding Championships.  I went down to do Dre’s show as I hadn’t done it in several years and promised him I’d do it this year.  I’m also heading to Jeremy & Tonia’s show, the Washington State, this coming Saturday.  Ya’ll better be there – it’s gonna be off the hook as Jeremy is having a Vegas theme.  Hmmm…maybe I could go as “Belvis” (think for a sec, America…you’ll get it…).  N-E-Whoo…Dre’s show was great!  Had a good time seeing all the regulars and meeting new competitors.  I did okay…didn’t quite dial in the way I wanted but I lucked out and won my class.  Got killed in the Overall though, but lemme start at the beginning as this was quite an interesting experience…on par with the trip to Bend with Todd Scott and me.

So I ride down with Guy and Marga Overby.  They were nice enough to allow the brotha to sit in the back of their BMW, but I had to take my shoes off and have on clean socks before I got in.  Just kiddin…they actually allowed me to eat oatmeal in the car as they picked me up around 5:45 AM Saturday morning.  America, the last time I got up that early I was 23 years old and in the military!  Not even Halle Berry could get me to wake up that early…well…okay…maybe Halle…and Beyonce…but I digress!

The morning show goes smooth.  I did my thang, Guy did his, and a couple other young ladies who I worked with, Keri and Haley, did theirs as well.  After prejudging, Haley asked me what time the night show started.  I didn’t know, but Guy chipped in, “Starts at 7 pm.”  We were good to go, so we all headed out to the hotel.  Once we checked in, I went to Subway and got my usual foot-long double meat turkey on 9-grain honey oat – hold the mayo, cheese, and oil please. 

I went back to the room, and between bites, practiced my routine. I decided to go slow this time – throw an old-skool ballad love song at em by The Dells – “Stay In My Corner”.  Since I’d posed to this song 10 years or so ago, I knew it’d be easy to choreograph, so I only needed a couple of days before the show and 25 times or so Saturday afternoon.  After about 15 times through I had it nailed, and had half the sandwich down which was enough for me, so I took my usual post-prejudging nap at about 3:30 pm.  At 5 pm I get up, start working on the other half of the sandwich and continue practicing for another 45 minutes or so.  Guy texted me at about 6:10 and said they’d be ready to go in about 10-15 minutes.  “K”, I shot back.  A few minutes later I got the text, “We’re on our way down”, so I headed down.  Met em in the lobby and we were off to see the Wizard!  It was a nice, leisurely ride back to the venue, America.  We’re laughing, joking, and having a good time. 

We pull into the parking lot and I notice an abnormally high number of cars for such an early time.  I make an off-the-cuff remark..something like – “Man, there’s a lot of cars here.  Wouldn’t that be something if the night show started at 6 and we come rolling in late?”

Guy laughed and replied, “No worries…it starts at 7”.  Marga finds a parking space quite a ways from the entrance.  Just as she turns the car off, my cell rings. 

“What the heck…,” I say.  “Who could be calling me…?”  I see its Keri on the I.D.  “What up, Baby Girl?  You inside?”

“Dave, where are you?”

“I’m out in the parking lot…we just pulled in.  We’ll be in in just a minute…”

“Dave…they’re calling your name!  You’re up next!”

“WHAT??? WHAT TIME DID THE NIGHT SHOW START?”

“It started at 6…”  America, I couldn’t get off the phone fast enough!!  “Guy, the night show started at 6 – not 7.  We gotta get in there.  They’re calling me now...Marga – I need my bag, quick!”

“Marga’s like, “Huh??  What??  The night show already started?”  Guy’s sayin’, “Pop the trunk, babe…we gotta get our stuff…I coulda sworn it started at 7…”

I grab my bag and I’m pullin’ a Usain Bolt – making a mad dash for the entrance which is like a mile away (okay…it was more like a block, but it seemed like a mile…).  America, Usain Bolt I’m not – I’m an ole black man with two bad knees, an artificial hip, a case of scoliosis, and luggin’ a gym bag full of crap tryin’ to run across a parking lot – not a pretty sight to say the least, and outright comical looking back in retrospect!  I started out like the hare, leaving Guy in the dust, but ‘bout halfway there that ‘bear’ jumped on my back and by the time I got to the backstage entrance I was barely upright and holding onto the walls!  Oh…and Guy had passed me…and HE was a huffin’ and a puffin’ as well! 

I enter backstage and literally EVERYONE says, “Dave, they’ve been calling your name.  Where you been?  You’re up right now!”  My class was lined up America, and I was the first one scheduled to pose!  I literally jumped out of my clothes, grabbed some oil, but the expediter said, “Dave, you’re up – no time for oil.”  I dropped the oil, ran to the music guy, said “Hit it”…and went out and rocked the house.  If you didn’t know any better, you’d have thought I’d been there all along.  I was on automatic when I hit the stage, America – even with everything that had just transpired I was still able to pull it together and make it do what it do! 

But the reality of what happened hit as soon as I walked off.  It was then that I realized that Guy was in the Master’s 0ver 40 – the class BEFORE me!  That’s right America…Guy missed his class.  As ecstatic as I was that I’d got there in time for my class, it was bittersweet because my friend missed his.  I felt so bad for him.  But God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!  Guy thought he’d been DQ’d because he missed, but that wasn’t the case.  He also thought he wouldn’t be able to pose.  But Andre truly is a great promoter.  He allowed Guy to pose in the other category Guy had entered – Open Men’s Light-Heavywt.  Everything worked out just fine.  Like Ice Cube said, “Today was a good day…”

I learned a couple of good lessons from all of this America.  One, the responsibility to know what time a show starts falls squarely on each individual.  I do not blame Guy.  And I definitely don’t want him to feel bad about what happened.  But just as I teach all my people that they are ultimately responsible for literally everything that happens, so it is with me.  I simply didn’t check.  I promise it won’t happen again!  Oh…and in case you’re wondering if Haley showed up on time, she did.  She checked with someone else and verified the correct time.  Did I mention that this was her very first contest…shame on me!  

The second thing I learned (well…I already knew this…) is to be ready for anything when it comes to your routine.  I’ve said it before, your routine needs to be so nailed, that an earthquake could happen and you’d still be posing.  Speaking of that, one of the middleweight competitor’s music scratched, skipped, and stopped.  He didn’t miss a beat!  He just kept on posing and got great audience response.  Didn’t blame the music guy or anything.  He knew his routine so he did it.  That’s what I’m talkin’ bout!

Hey, I’m out America…still gotta get up early and knock out that first session.  I’ll holla at’cha later this week…promise.  You know this to be true, because after all…I am “The Dr.!”  Peace…

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

 www.personaltrainingsystems.net 

  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

 Mobile:  253.576.4859

Don't give me excuses...give me results!

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