The Mythical Buff Asian Guy

“Damn, look at that super buff Asian guy!” …said no one ever.

Well, that’s probably not true, but it can be agreed that it’s not a commonly heard phrase. Why is that? What is it about a buff Asian guy that throws people off? Why is it that Asian men are never cast in the roles of leading muscular men, but only relegated to martial arts roles? Why can’t there be an Asian Conan the Barbarian, or an Asian Rocky?

Perhaps it can be explained in the culture of Asian men. Asian men generally have ectomorphic body types, which means that they’re of a slimmer and more slender stature. A prime example of this is Bruce Lee. Consider his body type. Although ripped to shreds and cut in places that you probably didn’t know you could be cut, his small stature and lack of bulbous muscles kept Lee from being the main hero, aside from his martial arts roles.

Even in present day, in Asian countries, the feminine look for men is sometimes ideal. In Korea, the slim, effeminate male who wears “guyliner” is the man of interest for most women in the country. Being large and muscular is not the main goal of these men.

However, many Asian American males are starting to break this stereotype of the wimpy Asian man. They are picking up weights in an effort to add mass and get buff. There is a general negative stigma towards Asian men and muscularity, but it seems that the stigma is being reversed in Asian cultures.

For example, take Hidetada Yamagishi, the first and only Asian bodybuilder to ever have competed in the Mr. Olympia contest. Although he is only 5’5”, he has competed with the best of the best on the grandest stage of them all. However, he has never placed higher that 5^th place. 

This is also another interesting concept. He may have proven to be worthy of competing with the best bodybuilders in the world; he is still miles behind the current champion, Phil Heath. Is this an issue of race? Or genetics? Either way, his prominent rise to fame in the bodybuilding world has prompted many Asian men to begin lifting weights.

Culturally, it’s difficult to focus on the gym, as many Asian parents see no value in bodybuilding, because it is not considered a viable career because it’s does not have a definite income. Many Asian parents prefer their sons to focus on education, rather than “wasting time” on the idea of fitness.

Either way, as an Asian male, I personally believe that there’s a need for more Asian bodybuilders, because we are severely underrepresented in the demographic. This potentially travels into media, because of the lack of Asian leading men in action roles. Either way, Asian men need to keep working out to make gains. Happy lifting!

Science of Steroids

“Dude, look at that guy. He’s way too buff. He’s GOTTA be on steroids!”

This is a scenario that occurs way too often. Genetically, there is an absolute limit to how muscular and how large and how strong a person can get. This is simply evolution and biology at work. However, some athletes turn to the usage of steroids to surpass these limitations, and boy does it work (sort of).

You’ve most likely heard about the allegations of steroid usage in professional baseball, and professional wrestling, and it should surprise no one that there are allegations of steroid usage in bodybuilding.Whether or not certain bodybuilders are using steroids is something that is between them and God. We’re more concerned about the science behind steroids.

Anabolic androgenic steroids, or AAS, make muscles grow faster, cause harmful side effects, have been banned by most sports leagues, and are illegal without a doctor actively prescribing. How does this proverbial spinach work for the Popeyes of the sports world?

AAS are synthetic versions of a naturally produced hormone known as testosterone. They’re active in promoting muscle growth, which encompasses the anabolic portion, and promote male characteristics of puberty. The original intent of these steroids were for patients who lack healthy levels of testosterone. These patients commonly suffer from diseases such as cancer or AIDS. However, when used by healthy athletes, the goal becomes to speed up muscle building. 

Think of it like this. The human body is similar to a stock car. There are limitations to the performance output. But, giving the body steroids is like putting a super-charged hemi engine in the car. The boost that is given allows the body or car to supercede expectations performance-wise. 

When you lift weights, you’re actually creating micro-tears in the muscle fibers. The body then repairs the tears by overcompensating for the tears and adding bigger cells to build a stronger fiber. This is also known as muscular hypertrophy. When repeated over and over, this results in muscle growth. This is the normal way to build muscles, the “old fashioned” way.

When an athlete takes a steroid, the AAS travels through the blood stream to the muscle. The muscle’s androgen receptor receives the steroid, and the steroid can interact with the cell’s DNA and increase the protein synthesis process that promotes cell growth. It effectively speeds up the recovery process, and allows for larger muscle growth.

These athletes experiment with different types of steroids and stack them together to promote the most growth. However, do not mistake a bodybuilder’s large muscles for simply steroid usage. A person could use every possible steroid known to man, but if he/she does not exercise effectively, they will never see the gains that some of these bodybuilders do.

I want to make a disclaimer: I am not condoning nor am I condemning steroid usage. I believe that each person has the ability to make their own choices, and if you feel that steroids are your choice, so be it. If you feel like steroids aren’t good for anybody, then good for you as well. Attached below is a video from National Geographic titled the “Science of Steroids” that is shot documentary style and does a great job informing the user about steroids.

Quality Over Quantity.

“Quality over quantity.” This is something that you hear about things in your everyday life, and it simply means when it comes to things of importance, for example, food, it’s better to have a filet mignon, that 5 Big Macs. The same qualities apply for working out!

One example of this is how some people hit multiple body parts in one gym session. Some people believe that they should work the shoulders, back, and chest all in the same day, or they will hit legs, arms, and abs all on the same day. While certain movements can be performed in the same day, for the most part, you should limit yourself to one body part a session. Consider this fact; when you just one muscle group at a time, you spend much more time focusing and perfecting the specific muscle. Now consider people who hit multiple body parts in one session. They focus on each muscle group significantly less, and therefore each muscle group does not get the individual attention it deserves for significant growth.

There are exceptions to the “one muscle per day” rule. If two muscle groups are complementary, then it’s okay to hit them together. However, the second muscle group should be hit as a supplement to the first muscle group. For example, if you hit chest, the secondary muscle group that should be exercised is triceps. You should work them at the end of the workout, but with less volume than you worked with for chest. Generally, weightlifters utilize a push/pull schedule when working out. For example, for push workout days, a combination of chest or shoulders and triceps would be utilized. On a pull day, back and biceps would be the combination used, because when you work out back, you’re pulling most of the time, as it is with biceps. 

This link will take you to an excellent web page I found illustrating the points I mentioned above, and outlines a sample workout regiment designed for the "push/pull" idea. Click here.

Another example of where the quality over quantity rule should be applied is in the area of supplements. Some beginners and “gym heroes” believe in stacking an insane amount of supplements. Just because you have the biggest stack in supplements does not mean that you are set in the world of bodybuilding. For many people, a simple protein powder and pre workout combination is enough for decent aesthetic gains. While professional bodybuilders take a multitude of supplements, it does not mean that you have to as well. Professional bodybuilders lift weights for a living, and are sponsored by supplement companies that have specially designed stacks for these athletes.

Honestly, when considering weight lifting, sometimes less is more. Some people who just start off are under the impression that they have to hit every body part all the time, and supplement their nutrition with a million different supplements. However, sometimes it takes a more modest regiment to see the most gains. In the world of bodybuilding, it takes multiple years to get a body that is deemed aesthetically acceptable for your standards. It takes time, a great workout regiment, and impeccable nutrition. Therefore, it is logical to agree that adding on copious amounts of supplements and working every muscle in a day is not the ideal way to reach your aesthetic goals.

Sample Annotation

I had previously posted a sample annotation on here, but I may have accidentally deleted said annotation. Regardless, here it is.

DuRant, R. H., Rickert, V. I., Ashworth, C. S., Newman, C., & Slavens, G. (1993). Use of multiple drugs among adolescents who use anabolic steroids. The New England Journal of Medicine, 328(13), 922–926.

This article is about researchers who explored the world of anabolic steroid use among adolescents. The researchers utilized a questionnaire and determined that a higher percentage of males admitted to using anabolic steroids without a doctor’s prescription. They concluded that users of the anabolic steroids were likely to use other drugs as well, and were sharing needles.

Progress is Progress

             For this open blog post, I think I will talk about my personal progress in terms of fitness. Growing up, I was always a skinny kid, and never struggled with any kind of weight issues. Fast forward to high school, I ended up joining the football team. I was still growing, and at 5 feet 7 inches, I weighed a meager 140 pounds. I had shoulder length hair, and a scrawny physique, but boy I thought I was a beast. Over the course of the 4 years I spent in high school I put on a lot of weight, and by my senior season of football I was 5 feet 10 inches, weighing about 200 pounds. After football ended, I had a difficult time adjusting to the weight, and was lethargic up to my college career.

            I began to exercise and lift weights in a different way. During high school football, all the weight lifting was carefully tailored to maintain mass and power. I began to lift weights the way a power builder would, and really only cared about how much weight I was lifting up. I continued to be bulky, but got my weight down to 190 pounds and was stronger than ever. A few injuries quickly saw to it that I would not maintain my progress. Once I recovered, I changed up my approach to weight lifting, and began training with a guy I met at my local gym. We lifted like bodybuilders, focusing on isolation movements more than compound movements. My strength diminished, but aesthetically, I was getting much better. However, I was still eating like complete garbage, and my weight was stagnating. I didn’t realize how bad I actually looked until a friend told me that I was looking way too bulky.

            Once I transferred to USC I continued on my weight training regiment and I noticed slowly but surely that my progress was improving. It wasn’t until recently (spring semester) that I began to realize that my diet was completely destroying all my gains. I began to eat cleaner, and lifted for volume, instead of weight. I began to do cardio, and noticed an increase in my stamina. I began the 2014 spring semester weighing 189, and now, roughly 3-4 months later weighed in at my lowest at 167. It’s not much of a change, considering the fact that some people lose 30, even 45 pounds in the same time. However, for a pre med student, this is pretty significant. My diet isn’t as strict as it should be; I slip up sometimes and cheat. My cardio consistency isn’t as strict as well; sometimes I just don’t have it in my to get in 30 minutes of cardio.

             But for the work that I have done, the progress is solid. I have a long way to go before I can comfortably take off my shirt in public and feel good about myself, and not have to hide the little rolls of fat on my belly when I sit down. I am not there yet, but I am closer than I have ever been before. When I weighed 167 in high school, I can guarantee you that I did not look as aesthetic as I do now. So, things have changed, and my body and mindset have changed along with it all. I treat my aesthetic progress the way I treat my progression towards medical school. I’m not there yet, not even close. But you bet your ass I will be.

Trifecta

Hello World Post

            When one person observes the evolution of the male figure from the early 20^th century until up until the present, two facts are certain: acceptable fashion has changed, but moreover, and arguably more important (for the purposes of this blog), is the change of masculinity. In the early half of the 20^th century, going to the gym, proper nutrition, and lifting weights were not primary concerns to men who were not athletes, let alone activities that were deemed acceptable for a profession to pursue. Men with large muscles were relegated to circus “freak show” acts, and were considered a phenomenon, a curiosity, and something for normal people to gawk at. However, in this day and age, gyms are now more prevalent in society, the supplement/vitamin industry is roughly a 60 billion dollar industry, and people can actually make a profession out of working out and lifting weights. Bodybuilding has evolved as a culture throughout the years, and millions of men around the world, both young and old have begun to embrace it as a way of life. Bodybuilding may seem as a trivial and inconsequential topic to discuss, but bodybuilding has become a cultural phenomenon. From the days of Eugen Sandow, the “father of modern bodybuilding”, to Arnold Schwarzenegger, perhaps the most famous body builder of all time, to today’s current Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath, the world of bodybuilding has evolved through time. The culture of bodybuilding goes much deeper than the superficial layer of simply going to the gym, selecting a weight, and lifting it.            

            Bodybuilding in itself is a science, a controversy, a social medium, and moreover, a way of life for many people. Within bodybuilding, there is a plethoric amount of subtopics that can be discussed and questioned. One such topic that was mentioned in the beginning was the way masculinity has evolved throughout the years. The physique that Arnold had when he won Mr. Olympia was considered the best in the world at his time in the 1970’s. However, by today’s standards, he would have been deemed “too small”, when being compared to his modern day counterpart, Phil Heath. Exploring this trend in an increased expectation of masculinity translates socially to how young men are developing, psychologically and physically. This blog can also explore bodybuilding from a cultural standpoint, and its impact in different cultures. For example, in some modern day Asian cultures, the image of an ideal man is one who is slim, sleek, and slender. It would be interesting to see how bodybuilders in these cultures deal with the fact that they are going against the accepted norm. Yet another topic that can be discussed is the obvious topic regarding steroids, and even broader, the seedy underbelly of bodybuilding. Steroids are a huge problem in any modern day sport, and in a sport that involves being the biggest, most ripped that you can be, bodybuilding is definitely not an exception.

             Personally, I am also in a pursuit of aesthetically bettering myself. As a university student studying neuroscience, I am already conditioning my mind with this mentally taxing subject; I feel that I should condition my body in the same intensity. With this blog, there is a vast world to explore: socially, culturally, scientifically, etc. Whilst there are much more pressing matters that I could be writing about, I feel that this blog is a good break from my constant academic ventures, and delve into a subject matter that is not discussed often, but is still very prominent today. Come join me in this venture, and hopefully we can uncover some insightful details about bodybuilding together!

Blog Profile Post

The blog that I have chosen to profile is my friend’s blog. His name is Christopher Kim, a senior accounting student at the Leventhal School of Accounting at the University of Southern California. The name of his blog is Fat to Fit! ~Day by day thoughts and feelings during my cut for the Bodybuilding.comChallenge. This blog relates to bodybuilding from an amateur standpoint. While the subject matter is about bodybuilding itself, this blog takes a very different viewpoint. Chris is a senior at USC for accounting, and his relation to the field of bodybuilding is limited beyond an amateur aspiring bodybuilder. Which is not to say he does not have knowledge on the material.

He is not a prominent name in the industry, has no sponsorships, and has no competitive show wins under his belt. However, he is just starting out, and he does extensive research on the field of bodybuilding. He maintains this blog while working out twice a day, going to school full time, balancing internships/projects, and studying for his CPA (Certified personal accountant) examination. Because of his hectic lifestyle, the frequency of posts is not set in stone, as posts may appear daily to reflect each passing day, or other times posts pop up and reflect on a couple days in a single post. This is to be expected, as a college student has significantly less time to blog about their daily routine as compared to a professional bodybuilder or even professional blogger. There are days when exams, homework, or studying come into play, and the daily blogging style is not ideal for these extraneous circumstances. The blog’s popularity is difficult to gauge, as the view count is disabled. However, Chris’ blog posts are linked to his Facebook account, and he gets a rather large amount of traffic because of this. The amount of likes and comments that he receives on his posts indicates that his blog is popular enough, at least in the realm of his Facebook friends. Two interesting blog posts that I would like to point out are his first post and his most recent post. His first post is interesting because it chronicles the beginning of his journey to lose weight, where he where he weighed in at 235 pounds. He mentions that he is fatigued, and exhausted from the caloric deficit that he is experiencing. His most recent post chronicles his 61^st and 62^nd day in the cut, and with his weight down to an astonishing 208 pounds. His blogging style has changed, and you can see the shift in emotion that he has. His posts are longer and more detailed, and he includes his daily workout routine and diet so that others can draw inspiration.

        Chris’ blog definitely relates to my blog, in the way that it chronicles a man who is on the bodybuilding journey as well. He is the epitome of a person who has ventured into the deeper layers of bodybuilding. He’s not an amateur, not a professional, but someone in between those two statuses that normal people can relate to. The blog itself is not intended to be scholarly or academic, rather more on the leisure side. It is a casual blog that is meant for the casual reader. The posts vary in detail, ranging from extremely broad to meticulously detailed, depending on Chris’ mood that particular day. He is always sure to include some type of meal plan or workout regiment so that the people who are following his blog can follow along. While some may think that his audience is other people whom dabble in bodybuilding, Chris wants to inspire people in general to take the pledge to physically better their bodies. This blog helps my blog personally because it helps me get a sense of what bodybuilding means to another person and it allows me to gather different opinions. My site differs because it is not about logging my progress; it’s more of a hodgepodge of advice, reviews, and ideas. Overall, Chris’ blog is a great read for people who want to find inspiration in all fitness, not just bodybuilding.

Voice Post

            Examining voice is an intricate process, and the blog that I have chosen to use to examine is a blog by Ross Enamait, titled rosstraining.com. This blog is a more serious blog than the previous blogs that I have examined, since Ross is a more experienced strength coach with a background in boxing, with a more advanced physique than most amateurs. His blog posts are more detailed, and are very well put together; therefore his voice is one of a more serious tone.

            The first blog post that I will examine is titled “Enough is Enough”. The post is essentially about how people assume that strength and aesthetic gains can come quickly as if shortcuts can be taken to achieve these feats. He starts off the blog post with the sentences, “As discussed within, legitimate strength is not developed in weeks or months. A few weeks are literally a blink of the eye when considering what is necessary to develop truly impressive strength”. He begins the blog post immediately with a serious, and almost stern statement, and uses the metaphor “a few weeks are literally a blink of the eye” to demonstrate to the reader than gaining strength is not something that can be done in a few weeks; it takes consistent and constant hard work. He is serious from the start so that the reader understands that this is an important topic that needs to be addressed. In the next paragraph, he talks about how his readers consistently send in photos from marketers in the industry that claim results in an unfathomable amount of time. He calls them “fitness hucksters” who talked the talk without getting their hands dirty. The term huckster in itself is a pejorative term, and the usage of this adjective shows the user that Ross is in fact very educated, which garners the reader’s trust in what he has to say, while also showing his discontent towards people in the industry who promise skinny men a Ronnie Coleman like transformation in a mere 12 months. He talks about how if the pictures are true, that he is genuinely happy for the person, but he is also not naïve. He mentions that he is not here to bash anyone’s choice in using performance-enhancing drugs. “What another person does with his body has no bearing on my life. It is not my decision to make, nor is it my decision to get upset about. I honestly don’t care”. He is more casual in this statement, but the intensity of his statement is very apparent, because he is making it known that while he chooses a certain lifestyle, he does not judge what someone else does. He goes on to mention the only vice he has is if there is deception involved with drug usage; i.e. claiming that a person can achieve the impossible in a short amount of time when in reality the person in pictures is using performance enhancing drugs. He shows a genuine concern for his readers, and does not want people to be misled by false information. He ends the post with “I’d rather be brutally honest about what it takes, rather than misleading you to believe that significant strength lies right around the corner. It is a long and difficult road to travel”. His voice remains consistently serious and tells the reader that being blatantly honest is much better than any deception on what it truly takes to make these difficult gains.

            The second post I want to examine is titled “Less can be more”. The seriousness in his voice remains, and he is consistent with that fact. In this post, he addresses the fact that some people believe that adding more workouts to a regiment will garner more gains. He states that, “To stack pieces on top of a puzzle that is already full does not add value. Successful additions often require subtractions. If it is not feasible to subtract from your current workload, additions must be made in very small doses. Anything more will likely hinder, not enhance, the existing routine”. He uses the metaphor of stacking more puzzle pieces to illustrate to the reader that just because you continue to add more pieces on top of a complete puzzle does not make the puzzle any better. This metaphor is serious in tone, but adds a casual message to the readers so that even the most novice of readers can understand his sentiment. He immediately dispels the rumor of adding workouts as a good idea by stating that most cases require a subtraction of workouts if anything, and we are immediately given his opinion, which sets a tone for the rest of the blog post. He uses another excellent metaphor to further drive his point across. “To drive home this point, I often relate exercise selection to clothes. Just because you own several nice shirts does not mean it makes sense to wear them all at once. And certain clothes may not match each other. Your favorite pair of pants may not match your favorite shirt. As much as you like both items, it doesn’t make sense to wear them together”. While still trying to maintain a serious tone, this metaphor is a bit more playful that expected from Ross. He explains the idea of workout routines in a way that a person who is confused by the topic can read this metaphor and understand Ross’ standpoint in a crystal clear fashion. It’s a casual metaphor that carries a very strong message. He goes on to finish the post with his own experiences, which helps the reader relate to Ross, a man who’s in obvious good shape and lets the reader identify with him. It helps the reader not feel so hopeless with their journey when they see that Ross has had the same issues as well.

            Overall, Ross uses a serious, and almost wise tone to write his blog posts. Nothing more can be expected from a man who is serious about his fitness and helping others reach their goals.

Voice Post

Examining voice is an intricate process, and the blog that I have chosen to use to examine is a blog by Ross Enamait, titled rosstraining.com. This blog is a more serious blog than the previous blogs that I have examined, since Ross is a more experienced strength coach with a background in boxing, with a more advanced physique than most amateurs. His blog posts are more detailed, and are very well put together; therefore his voice is one of a more serious tone.

            
The first blog post that I will examine is titled “Enough is Enough”. The post is essentially about how people assume that strength and aesthetic gains can come quickly as if shortcuts can be taken to achieve these feats. He starts off the blog post with the sentences, “As discussed within, legitimate strength is not developed in weeks or months. A few weeks are literally a blink of the eye when considering what is necessary to develop truly impressive strength”. He begins the blog post immediately with a serious, and almost stern statement, and uses the metaphor “a few weeks are literally a blink of the eye” to demonstrate to the reader than gaining strength is not something that can be done in a few weeks; it takes consistent and constant hard work. He is serious from the start so that the reader understands that this is an important topic that needs to be addressed. In the next paragraph, he talks about how his readers consistently send in photos from marketers in the industry that claim results in an unfathomable amount of time. He calls them “fitness hucksters” who talked the talk without getting their hands dirty. The term huckster in itself is a pejorative term, and the usage of this adjective shows the user that Ross is in fact very educated, which garners the reader’s trust in what he has to say, while also showing his discontent towards people in the industry who promise skinny men a Ronnie Coleman like transformation in a mere 12 months. He talks about how if the pictures are true, that he is genuinely happy for the person, but he is also not naïve. He mentions that he is not here to bash anyone’s choice in using performance-enhancing drugs. “What another person does with his body has no bearing on my life. It is not my decision to make, nor is it my decision to get upset about. I honestly don’t care”. He is more casual in this statement, but the intensity of his statement is very apparent, because he is making it known that while he chooses a certain lifestyle, he does not judge what someone else does. He goes on to mention the only vice he has is if there is deception involved with drug usage; i.e. claiming that a person can achieve the impossible in a short amount of time when in reality the person in pictures is using performance enhancing drugs. He shows a genuine concern for his readers, and does not want people to be misled by false information. He ends the post with “I’d rather be brutally honest about what it takes, rather than misleading you to believe that significant strength lies right around the corner. It is a long and difficult road to travel”. His voice remains consistently serious and tells the reader that being blatantly honest is much better than any deception on what it truly takes to make these difficult gains.

           
The second post I want to examine is titled “Less can be more”. The seriousness in his voice remains, and he is consistent with that fact. In this post, he addresses the fact that some people believe that adding more workouts to a regiment will garner more gains. He states that, “To stack pieces on top of a puzzle that is already full does not add value. Successful additions often require subtractions. If it is not feasible to subtract from your current workload, additions must be made in very small doses. Anything more will likely hinder, not enhance, the existing routine”. He uses the metaphor of stacking more puzzle pieces to illustrate to the reader that just because you continue to add more pieces on top of a complete puzzle does not make the puzzle any better. This metaphor is serious in tone, but adds a casual message to the readers so that even the most novice of readers can understand his sentiment. He immediately dispels the rumor of adding workouts as a good idea by stating that most cases require a subtraction of workouts if anything, and we are immediately given his opinion, which sets a tone for the rest of the blog post. He uses another excellent metaphor to further drive his point across. “To drive home this point, I often relate exercise selection to clothes. Just because you own several nice shirts does not mean it makes sense to wear them all at once. And certain clothes may not match each other. Your favorite pair of pants may not match your favorite shirt. As much as you like both items, it doesn’t make sense to wear them together”. While still trying to maintain a serious tone, this metaphor is a bit more playful that expected from Ross. He explains the idea of workout routines in a way that a person who is confused by the topic can read this metaphor and understand Ross’ standpoint in a crystal clear fashion. It’s a casual metaphor that carries a very strong message. He goes on to finish the post with his own experiences, which helps the reader relate to Ross, a man who’s in obvious good shape and lets the reader identify with him. It helps the reader not feel so hopeless with their journey when they see that Ross has had the same issues as well.

           
Overall, Ross uses a serious, and almost wise tone to write his blog posts. Nothing more can be expected from a man who is serious about his fitness and helping others reach their goals.

Profile Post

The blog that I have chosen to profile is a blog of my friend’s. His name is Christopher Kim, a senior accounting student at the Leventhal School of Accounting at the University of Southern California. The name of his blog is Fat to Fit! ~Day by day thoughts and feelings during my cut for the Bodybuilding.comChallenge. In terms of subject matter, it relates to bodybuilding from an amateur standpoint. It is in the subject of bodybuilding, but it is from a different viewpoint. As stated, this blog is written and maintained by Chris Kim, a senior at USC. His relation to the field of bodybuilding is very limited beyond aspiring bodybuilder. He is not a prominent name in the industry, has no sponsorships, and has no competitive show wins under his belt. However, he is just starting out, and he does extensive research on the field of bodybuilding. He maintains this blog while working out twice a day, going to school full time, internships/projects, and studying for his CPA (Certified personal accountant) examination. The frequency of posts is not set, as posts may appear daily to reflect each passing day, while sometimes posts pop up and reflect on a couple days in a single post. This is to be expected, as a college student has significantly less time to blog about their daily routine as compared to a professional bodybuilder or even professional blogger. There are days when exams, homework, or studying come into play, and the daily blogging style is not ideal at times. In terms of popularity, this blog is difficult to gauge. However, his blog posts are linked to his Facebook account, and he gets a rather large amount of traffic because of this. The amount of likes that he gets on his posts indicates to me that his blog is popular enough, at least in the realm of his Facebook friends. Two interesting blog posts that I would like to point out are his first post and his most recent post. His first post is interesting because it chronicles the beginning of his journey to lose weight, where he clocks in at 235 pounds. He mentions that he is fatigued, and exhausted from the caloric deficit that he is experiencing. His most recentpost chronicles his 61^st and 62^nd day in the cut, and with his weight down to an astonishing 208 pounds. His blogging style has changed, and you can see the shift in emotion that he has. His posts are longer and more detailed. His first post is more jovial, and has more enthusiasm behind his posts; you can see it in his voice style; the way his posts are written. His most recent posts is more somber, and while still enthusiastic, it conveys a more serious tone. 

            This blog absolutely relates to my blog, because it chronicles a man who is on the bodybuilding journey as well. He is the epitome of a person who has ventured into the deeper layers of bodybuilding. He’s not an amateur, not quite a professional, but someone in between that normal people can relate to. The blog itself is not so much scholarly or academic, but more on the leisure side. It’s a casual blog meant for the casual reader. The posts vary in detail, ranging from extremely broad to meticulously detailed, depending on Chris’ mood that particular day. He is always sure to include some type of meal plan or workout regiment so that the people who are following his blog can follow along. While some may think that his audience is other people whom bodybuild, Chris wants to inspire people in general to take the pledge to physically better their bodies. This blog helps my blog personally because it helps me get a sense of what bodybuilding means to another person and it allows me to gather different opinions. My site differs because it is not about logging my progress; it’s more of a hodgepodge of advice, reviews, and ideas. Overall, Chris’ blog is a great read for people who want to find inspiration in all fitness, not just bodybuilding.

Venice Beach, the Mecca of Bodybuilding.

Let me start this blog post by firstly saying that I apologize for the late post. I know this was supposed to be up on Friday, but I simply had to wait until Sunday night to post. This is because today I visited Venice Beach, California, which to those who do not know is considered one of the “Meccas” of bodybuilding.

Quite frankly, it was an amazing experience. There were numerous bodybuilders working out at Muscle Beach, and they were exceptionally down to Earth and humble. There seems to be a negative stigma regarding bodybuilders being extremely intimidating and hard to approach, but many of the bodybuilders are very nice, and will drop what they are doing to take pictures with fans, or give advice to aspiring bodybuilders. Interestingly enough, the bodybuilders of Muscle Beach have a large fan base; people gather around the outdoor gym to watch these professional athletes perfect their craft. Undoubtedly, these athletes draw awe inspired looks from little boys, bashful, flirtatious gazes from women of all ages, and pure respect from the older men.

           
There is also a different type of bodybuilder that works out at Venice, which are the calisthenics focused bodybuilders. These athletes utilize the pull up bars,Olympic swings, dip bars, etc. to get their workout in. While some people scoffat the idea of using what seems like children’s playground equipment, it’sactually an insanely hard way to work out. In fact, after long boarding from Venice to Santa Monica and back, I joined a group of people working out with calisthenics, and let me be the first to tell you that it is no joke. A circuit of pull-ups, push-ups, dips, and squats to failure is nothing to laugh at. It was extremely strenuous.

In general there is a richness of bodybuilding culture that is definitely felt at Venice Beach. From the moment you step into the area, you see remnants of the golden age of bodybuilding strewn across shop posters and murals. The culture is vibrant, and as a person who’s trying to aesthetically improve, I feel the immense respect that bodybuilders have for each other. Venice Beach is a place where the best of the best work out, and it’s a place where people go to draw inspiration. Honestly, I have been feeling a bit down about my body image, feeling like my gains are not good enough. But like a shot of caffeine to the mother of 5 trying to put dinner on the table on time, visiting Venice recharged and rejuvenated my love for working out and weightlifting.

If you have time, visit Venice Beach. Whether or not you have been involved in bodybuilding in anyway, you will learn to have an appreciation for the sport. To be honest, there’s an aura about Venice, and if you visit, you’ll understand. Happy lifting!

The Low Down on Squats

When you see a person who’s got an aesthetically developed upper torso, more often than not, their legs are disproportionately underdeveloped. Unfortunately, they don't work on their legs enough, and they look a tad disproportional in terms of aesthetics. 

Personally speaking, there are three weight lifting exercises that are pivotal in terms of core lifts. Those lifts are the squat, bench press, and dead lifts. These lifts are exercises that professional body builders use to build strength and size, and while they may seem intimidating, they’re key lifts that every beginner should utilize for physical gains. While your workout regiment may change various isolation movements to engage your various muscle groups, the three compound movements aforementioned are lifts that should always be incorporated into your workout routine.

While all the three lifts are challenging in their own ways, perhaps the most challenging lift is squats. Perhaps the most under utilized lift, there’s a lot to learn about how to do a proper squat’ whether you are a novice, or a seasoned weightlifter. There’s a lot of debate on whether or not a squat is safe, with some people saying that it’s a dangerous move that could seriously injure a person. However, the Huffington Post released an article stating that squats are in fact safe, if done correctly. One argument is that squatting past parallel is a dangerous movement, but in fact, squatting below parallel is a very natural movement for human beings, as people from non-conditioned areas of the world often utilize the squat position to cool off and rest.

The rest of this blog will go into detail on how to properly squat. If you’re a novice to squatting, utilize these tips to begin squatting; beware, however, because you mustn’t lift with your ego. This means loading on the bar with an absurd amount of weight that you’re incapable of squatting properly. Start light, even if it seems like too light a weight; with proper form comes increased weight. If you’re a veteran squatter, maybe you can use these tips to reevaluate your own squat technique and perhaps learn a thing or two.

            
The first technique to get down is a proper foot stance. Ideally, your feet should be a little more than shoulder-width apart, for maximum stability. When you place the bar on your back, try to rest the bar on the middle/upper portion your trapezius muscles. If placed to high, the bar can irritate your upper cervical bones of your spine, and if placed too low, the bar can put strain on your rotator cuffs. With that being said, let’s squat! Make sure you’re in a squat rack, with the safety bars in place at a reasonable height, and a spotter behind you, just in case you fail to achieve the rep (for safety reasons). Lift the bar up, step back, and get your feet in position. This is where the tricky part comes in. As you drop down to do a squat rep, it is CRUCIAL to keep your back completely straight. Rounding out your back can result in serious injury. You want to keep your back straight and chest out, and when you do the rep, your hips should drop back and you should feel like you’re sitting into the workout. Go down, and drop past parallel until you feel it in your quads and hips. It’s okay if your knees go slightly past your toes, this is necessary for maintaining balance. Then lift straight up, and don’t round out your back, and look up to maintain a linear motion.

Remember, form is key, and don’t be afraid to go heavy, if you’ve mastered the form. Don’t lift with your ego! Happy lifting! Please view the video above for any pointers, go to around 1 minute and 22 seconds. 

Pro tip: Ladies, squats are not just for guys who want to develop a symmetrical physique. They are excellent for the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and abs! In fact, many of my female friends have begun squatting in search of a larger, more toned and lifted butt! Do not be daunted by the seemingly difficult lift. Men twice your size are just as afraid to try squatting as you are. Just follow the tips above, and lift that weight! This is not meant to sound sexist in anyway, because I want to dispel the notion that squats are a manly lift only intended for males. That is false! 

The Austrian Oak. The Terminator. The Legend. The Governator. Ah-nuld. 

There are many iconic bodybuilders whose names are synonymous with the success of bodybuilding. One bodybuilder in particular became a household name, and continues to be an inspiration to aspiring bodybuilders to this day, even 30 years after his reign as Mr. Olympia. You may know him as the 38^th governor of California, or even the Terminator, but to bodybuilding enthusiasts around the world, he will be forever be known as the greatest bodybuilder of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Born in 1947 in Thal, Austria, Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was raised by strict Roman Catholic parents, and was regularly abused by his father. Vowing to leave Austria and become a rich movie star, Schwarzenegger decided to use bodybuilding as his vessel to do so. Schwarzenegger began to weight lift at the age of 15, and only 5 years later at the surprisingly young age of 20, won the coveted Mr. Universe title. Even after he arrived in the United States, Arnold continued to dominate the bodybuilding world. With his amazing symmetry and large stature, he eventually went on to win the most important bodybuilding competition in the world, Mr. Olympia. Not satisfied with one Olympia title, Arnold went on to win the title six more times with his final title in 1980, reaching a record that was unprecedented and not broken until Lee Haney in 1991. His legacy was immortalized in a bodybuilding competition that is considered one of the stepping-stones to Olympia for many up and coming bodybuilders, known as the Arnold Classic. Many of the current generation Mr. Olympia winners first won the Arnold Classic.

Arnold’s impressive physique led him to star in many film roles. Because he was such an imposing figure, most of his roles were of characters that were action heroes, cops, special agents, and other “macho” types. Some of his most iconic works came from the Terminator series and the Conan the Barbarian series. Due to this increase in popularity, Arnold Schwarzenegger name became a household name, and because of his physique, many young men began to take on bodybuilding, in hopes of replicating Arnold’s aesthetic success. He effectively turned bodybuilding into a widespread activity and hobby, which was a huge milestone, considering that bodybuilding itself was originally seen as an oddity to the general public. After Arnold’s retirement from bodybuilding, he continued to stay active in the bodybuilding community, in part of his ownership of many gyms and magazines, and presiding in many contests and awards shows. He even used the fame he had garnered over the years to launch a political campaign to run for the governor of California.

            
From a personal perspective, Arnold is the quintessential bodybuilder. He had the charisma, the physique, the discipline, and the personality that sport demanded. Many people aspire to look like Arnold, and some people even have his pictures on their walls to constantly remind them of what they could look like. Perhaps this is “obsessive”, in terms of the level of commitment. Regardless, no one can deny that the amount of hard work that Arnold put into his body is nothing short of impressive. Although he is now old enough to order off the senior citizen’s menu at Denny’s, he continues to be an inspiration to bodybuilders all around the world, old and new. He promised that he would be back, and he's never left. 

A deep look into my perspective

Waking up a few hours earlier in the mornings to hit the gym before class.
Hitting the track after a long day to get in ab work and cardio.
Eating 2300 calories everyday, and eating once every two to three hours. 
Eating cleanly, and sacrificing all the good junk food that you want to eat. 

Why would any student put themselves through this grueling physical/nutritional regiment while already putting themselves through an extremely demanding mental regiment with school and studying? 

The answer is simple: the pursuit of physical enlightenment. 

That’s what I tell people when they ask me why I “suffer”. Some see it as suffering; I see it as a necessary sacrifice that’s only temporary in order to reach my personal goals. What I do in the gym is for me, and only me. I don’t work on my physique to impress women, to make other men jealous, etc. I spend my hours in the hot weight room for myself, and myself only. I may not be as aesthetic as I want to be right now, but you better believe that I will be soon enough.

When I was in high school, I was rather scrawny, but I soon joined football, and I gained roughly 60 pounds within a time span of four years. I became accustomed to the physical demands, and working out because it became second nature to me. This mindset transferred over with me into college, and I continued to work out. However, as a new college student, I began to take working out lightly, skipping workouts for mundane excuses, such as hanging out with friends. I used to eat very unhealthily, just because I could. I may not have thought that it was a big deal, but my body sure did. I no longer looked muscular, yet very soft, and out of shape. This prompted a reconstruction of my mindset, and I began taking weight lifting and dieting more seriously. 

To be honest, the main reason why I work out can be attributed to my lack of self-esteem that has deep roots from my childhood. Some may argue that this is an unhealthy outlet for that kind of problem, but I argue that if it makes me feel better about myself, allows me to be proud of myself, what is the harm? Another thing that bodybuilding has helped me learn, is the value of discipline. Without discipline, you cannot gain aesthetics in any way; it’s as simple as that. 

Without telling yourself: “You must wake up early. You must eat healthier. You must do this. You must do that.”, you would slip up all the time and spiral into chaos. Bodybuilding is my key to structure. It is my path to enlightenment. 

After all, if I am going to get mentally ripped in college, why not get physically ripped as well? A perfect balance of brains and brawns. That is what I am striving for; the discipline to go and study for x amount of hours, or the discipline to go lift that heavy ass weight. Bodybuilding is my passion, and if you follow this blog, you will eventually warm up to the idea. I promise. 

In the immortal words of Hans and Franz...I just want to pump, (CLAP), YOU UP!