jeff-alberts-blog

1 year ago!

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:28:43 +0100

Tomorrow is the 2010 California Natural Muscle Mayhem which is formerly known as the Capital City Natural promoted by Bob Bell And Tina Smith. This is the same show I based my comeback on last year. Let's take a look back to last year and what the crazy things us bodybuilders do to get on stage. It is a crazy sport if you think about it!

It started with a goodbye party to all that awesome junk food.

And then the self inflicted torture ensued.

It is always fun to paint yourself orange and look like a oompa-loompa from the Chocolate Factory

After saying goodbye to your favorite junk food, inflicting lots of pain on yourself and painting yourself orange, you get to go up in front of hundreds of people almost completely naked and hit some of your favorite poses. Just like you do at home in front of the mirror when no one is looking. Don't laugh, you know you do it!

Then trying to show everyone you have bigger muscles than the other guys.

After all that craziness and months of pain and suffering to lose by just a single point you would think "Was it really worth the sacrifice?" It sure was! Because in the end you get to meet new friends and enjoy your family and friends who supported you along the way.

After all the craziness dies down you get to be reunited with all your favorite junk food!

Because of the this crazy sport I have met 3 terrific individuals and we now promote this sport and coach others how to go through the same craziness I went through. I love it!

TEAM 3DMJ Coaching

3DMJ SEMINAR

Last Saturday July 11, 2010 we had our Natural Bodybuilding Seminar and it was a big success. Thanks to all of our participants and sponsors for making this a fun filled event.

My Training

Training has been progressing nicely with the exception of my bad shoulders. Although I was able to do dumbbell presses last night after not doing them for almost a month. The big three are coming up slow but steady, squats are at 400 on my last set, deadlift is at 405 for a double on my last set and my struggling bench is at 260 for a double on my last set. For my one and only powerlifting meet coming up in October at Brad Loomis' gym in Portola, Ca my goal is squats 425, deadlift 450 and bench around 280-300 if my shoulder allows me to.

Nutrition has also been steadily improving and my weight is down to 195lbs. after letting it climb up to 202lbs. I am aiming to get to 185 by late August. When I make my run in 2011 I want to be around 180 when I start my prep in January.

Misc.

I went to the Andre Ward Super middleweight championship fight on June 19th at the Oakland Coliseum. That was super fun and I got to hang out with a good friend, Ruben, who I used to work with at New United Motor.

As of late it has been super busy here at 3DMJ and look for bigger things ahead! Until my my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!!

Loads of fun!

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:21:26 +0100

There was so much fun this month that I cant even put it into words. I went to 2 shows here in Northern California and it was a blast! I also had a great workout with my brother-in-law David B. who came down to visit for a weekend. Instead of writing about it, I am just going to post up some pictures instead. Enjoy!

2010 INBF Northern California Classic

Luis getting his mud bath

Luis couldn't stop looking at his bronzed abs

Transformed into a superhero

Money

New WNBF Pro Luis Burgos

It was all because of the mud bath

TEAM 3DMJ with Luis after the show

The reward of turning pro! Inhaling a famous Kobe burger

2010 NGA Natural Mr. California

The two warriors the night before (Luis 2nd place & Robbie Overall winner)

Me and Luis

Eric is excited about our seminar

The two Luis'

Me, Luis & Eric

Luis after another mud bath

Robbie after his mud bath

The morning of the show

3DMJ heads in

Brad and Brian Bousman

Final touch ups

Superhero time again

Robbie is Conan

3DMJ with new NGA Pro Robbie Sardinia

After party at Bistro 33

Robbie reaping the rewards

Me & David B. Hit it Hard!

David B. putting in some good work for 2011

So am I

This is how we do it

My main focus for 2011 - Back

Looking to the 2011 Worlds

To check out Luis and Robbie's contest reports click on these links.
http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/articles-2010-northern-california-classics.php
http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/articles-2010-nga-california.php

I had a great month and I am looking to another one in July with the 3DMJ Natural Bodybuilding Seminar!
http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/team3dmj-seminar.php

Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!

I like to eat cookies, ice cream and all the other good stuff!

Sat, 22 May 2010 21:11:03 +0100

Today it is officially 70 weeks until the 2011 WNBF US Pro Cup where I will be making my WNBF Pro debut. As of late, I have been putting a lot of pressure on myself to really drop some of the excess weight I have put on since my vacation to San Diego. I tend to eat more and lose some self control when I am under a lot of stress. What types of stress? Well… normal everyday challenges in life and the fact I am unemployed can put some unwanted stress on you. My downfall for me and for so many people out there when under stress is junk food! Not the best thing for a natural pro bodybuilder, but I look at myself as a human being first, instead of a pro bodybuilder. I use junk food to make me feel better and after eating it, I usually beat myself up pretty bad! I usually ask myself, “Why did I eat that? It only makes you feel crappy.” I then get down on myself and the guilt starts to set in. After some time goes by I tell myself, “I will eat good tomorrow”. Tomorrow comes I eat bad and then the process starts all over. It becomes a very vicious cycle. Also, knowing I am 70 weeks away from my next show, I feel at times there is no sense of urgency to buckle down. Many people will say to me, “it’s easy for you to lose weight or you look great”, but it is not easy at all. I may look okay, but I hide my weight very well. I carry a lot of body fat in my midsection and that is easy to hide with a nice big shirt. My legs and arms are fairly lean so that is what people see. They do not see the extra weight in my mid section. I am like anyone else trying to lose weight or get in shape. It takes a commitment and the will to get in shape. I like to eat cookies, ice cream and all the other good stuff! Just because I am a pro bodybuilder does not mean I am this robotic machine that hits the gym and eats clean all the time. I am a human being and the same pressure exists for me just like for everybody else. It is very hard at times, but it can be done!

For me it usually boils down to a timeline. A 70 week timeline is not cutting it for me because I know in my mind it will take me roughly 24-30 weeks to diet down and to be in contest shape. So, there is no urgency to really be strict and that is my problem. However, with our (TEAM 3DMJ) upcoming seminar on July 11, there is now a real sense of urgency for me to get in shape. I have been really cleaning up my diet and I have shed a few pounds and I am now down to 198 lbs. I was at 202lbs. last week so I am happy with my progress. I am aiming to be around 190 lbs by the seminar which will be a much more comfortable weight to walk around in. It feels good again to set a short term goal in my mind. Now I just have to execute it! And I will!! Here are some shots at around 200 lbs. in which I am hiding my 40 lbs. over contest condition.

Training
Training has been going quite well with the exception of shoulder pain. My shoulder pain just does not want to let up. I had to make some further changes in my training to try and avoid the pain. I had already stopped doing any kind of pressing movements. I added in flyes for chest instead of barbell bench and dumbbell bench presses, but now I can’t even seem to do that. I am now doing the pec-dec only for chest. It’s very frustrating, but I just have to accept it and try to improve.

I just finished a 4 week block with my last training routine and now I am geared for another 4 week block with a different training style. I am going back to my roots and I will be doing high intensity training (HIT). I will be taking my sets to failure and beyond with the exception of shoulder movements, squats, dead lifts and bent rows. Those exercises are more prone to injury and going to failure on them can be very risky and it is not worth injury. I can’t do forced reps because I train alone, but I will be going to positive failure, static holds and some negatives. With this style of training I know it can be extremely taxing to your central nervous system. Because of this I will be training only 3 days per week with at least one day off, sometimes two, in between my workouts. I have 4 different workouts set up, 2 for upper body and 2 for lower body. I will be rotating the workouts each week. My sets will never go over 2 per exercise and rep ranges will vary from 4-6 per exercise. I will be using very strict form with little momentum and very slow movement. I am excited to be doing this routine for the next 4 weeks. I just started this week and WOW!!, am I sore! It feels great! Here is my set up for the next 4 weeks.

Workout 1 – Upper 1
Pec Dec
Bent Rows (under hand grip)
Side Laterals (delts)
Lying Triceps Dumbbell Press
Barbell Curls
Hammer Curls (with rope)

Workout 2 – Lower 1
Deadlifts
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Toe Press
Leg Lifts

Workout 3 – Upper 2
Pec Dec
Seated Rows
Moto Rows
Rear Laterals (delts)
Triceps Press downs
Cable Curls
Hammer Curls

Workout 4 – Lower 2
Squats
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Toe Press
Decline Situps

We will see how this goes and until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!!

Happy Mother's Day

Fri, 07 May 2010 22:18:41 +0100

I want to say Happy Mother’s day to my mom! It has been almost 5 years since her passing, but I am not sad today. Today I am happy and very proud I had a mom as special as her. I can say I would not be the man I am today if it was not for her. In loving memory of her, here is my post from last year on mother’s day, as I was making my way to the INBF Capital City Natural Championships.

I wanted to write about my mom today as this was her special day. My mom past away 4 years ago and she was an incredible woman. It seems like yesterday I just saw her, as on Mother’s Day 4 years ago was the last time I saw her. I think of her everyday and I owe so much to her for making me the person I am today. I think of all the struggles she had as I was growing up. She was a single mom trying to raise me as best as she could by waiting tables to provide for me. She was the kind of woman who always put her kids before her no matter what and for that I am truly appreciative of her. She inspires me to this day to do my best at what I do. I am striving everyday to be like her and to be a giving person as she was on a regular basis but I am far from being like her. She treated everyone she met as if she knew them as a long time friend and made them feel always welcome. She genuinely had a huge heart and I miss being able to just talk to her on the phone or see her on days like this. As I continue on my journey to the Capital City Championships, I will continue to train as hard as I can, even through the days where at times it can be a struggle. I will just think of her and all the struggles she had on the days raising me and I will push through in her honor and be at my very best! I will make her proud! I love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day!!

The day after the INBF Northwest Natural, May 2000

My mom lived in Oregon which made it very difficult for her to attend the many shows I have been in. In May 2000, my wife and I traveled up to Oregon so I could compete in the INBF Northwest Natural. It was an opportunity for my mom to see me compete and looking back on that show, it was definitely one of the most proudest moments of my career. It was only the second time she actually saw me compete, so it was definitely a special day. I had a good showing by placing first in the middle weights and second overall to the heavyweight winner, Elvernie McGee. What is so memorable about this show is my mom’s reaction after the show. She told me I should have won because I was the best looking one there. I tried to tell her they only judge from the neck down, but she wasn’t having it. How typical of a mom right? I could have been the worst bodybuilder there, but she would have said the same exact thing, “You should have won!” Just like a mom to defend her son no matter what!

Elvernie outweighed me by 33lbs. of pure muscle at the same height as me, but my mom still thought I should have won!

She was surely proud of me that day and I am so glad I was able to share that show with her. She also fattened me up the next morning with some good old fashioned homemade biscuits and gravy! It was so good I still remember exactly how it tasted to this day! There was nothing better than her homemade cooking! Looking back, I will never forget that show and the great time I had with her. With every show I have done since then I can still hear her telling me how proud she is of me. She still inspires to this day and I will continue to try to be a better person because of everything she has done for me. I love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!

Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!

73 Weeks Out!!!

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:36 +0100

Last Saturday, my fellow teammate, Alberto Nunez, told me we have exactly 73 weeks until the 2011 WNBF Pro US Cup, in which I will make my big pro debut! I have never really counted the weeks that far out before because I am usually enjoying my off season. Normally I will start to keep track about 6 months out from a show, but it really opened up my eyes to something new when he told me 73 weeks out. That something new is, I really better start to take a more serious outlook with my off season. What I mean by "serious" is to keep better information on my training, nutrition, and other key components to competing. Sometimes I get too relaxed in my off seasons and I tend to get too heavy and that only makes it more difficult to shed those extra pounds off for the stage.

Here are two awesome articles for more info concerning this topic:
http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/2010-05qa.php
http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/articles-common-contest-prep-mistakes.php

As of late, I have been in a funk with my eating habits and I have gained about 8 lbs. more than I wanted. It started when I went on my vacation to San Diego earlier in the month. I really enjoyed myself and I was eating a little too much, which is OK when you go on vacation, but since coming back I haven't stopped with the eating habits and I am paying the price now.

Enjoying the off season with a Skinny Cow, Sixlets and diet soda!

As of today, I am trying to get myself back on track and I am looking to drop those extra pounds and get my mind back on doing the right things to improve my physique. 73 weeks may seem like a long time, but it will be here before you know it! Time to get serious!!

April 28, 2010 Off Season 200lbs. Goal 190lbs!

Training
I decided to change up my training split a couple of weeks back to breakup my workouts so they are shorter in duration. I was doing an upper/lower split and I was training 3 days per week. Those workouts were starting to get too long and my recovery from those workouts were starting to suffer. Below is my new split which emphasizes shorter workouts by reducing exercises performed in a given workout. My sets will range from 2-4 per exercise and the rep ranges will be around 4-8. As far as intensity is concerned, I will stop all sets shy of failure, by at least 1 rep to ensure I do not put a damper on my recovery abilities. I will be running this split until I feel it is time to switch things up.

Day 1 - Back & Delts
Bent Rows (under hand grip) and/or Seated Rows (alternating sets by pulling low to waistline & high to sternum)
Moto Rows
Side Lateral Flyes

Day 2 - Hamstrings & Abs
Dead lifts and/or Stiff Legged Dead lifts
Lying Leg Curls
Decline Sit Ups and/or Leg Lifts

Day 3 - Off

Day 4 - Chest & Arms
Flat Dumbbell Flyes
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Lying Triceps Dumbbell Press
Barbell Curls
Hammer Curls

Day 5 - Quads and Calves
Squats
Leg Extensions
Standing Toe Press

Day 6 & 7 - Off

**As a side note - I plan on entering Brad Loomis' Power Lifting meet "The Billy Funk Memorial All Raw Power Lifting Championships" on October 9th if everything permits. In order for me to compete my shoulder will definitely need to get better. I have been having major issues with my right shoulder for a long time due to some sort of tendinitis. With the advice from my teammate/TEAM 3DMJ Coach - Eric Helms, I am dropping all pressing movements from my training for about a month or so. The plan is to see if this will help my shoulder heal up so I will be able to keep moving forward pain free.

San Diego Vacation
The first week of April my wife, my friend David L. and I headed to the San Diego area to visit her sister Tiffany and fiance, David B. It was a great week of fun by the ocean, lots of awesome food and fun family time! Here are some photos from a terrific week! Hope you all enjoy!

Simply a great photo by my wife Jhanna

Fabulous city by the ocean

Bird watching

David L. moving to higher ground to avoid the huge 2 foot waves.

David B. and my sis Tiffany

Myself and David L. Chillin!!

My beautiful wife and I

At Coronado Beach looking out at a Fighter Jet

One of the few jets we seen flying on the coast

Admiring the ride

3DMJ Horsepower!

All smiles! Going to eat some Italian food, one of my favs!

Little Italy in Downtown San Diego

Signing my name to a wine bottle we shared at dinner, as David L is in amazement!

Freeze! Drop that pizza!

It wasn't all vacation. I still got in my workouts at the Y!

David B. is in shock from that last 3DMJ leg workout!

Jersey Shore hits the west coast!

3DMJ makes it's debut in Southern California at Pipes Cafe! Check out the biz card!

My wife celebrated her birthday!

With family, friends and special cups!

What was in those cups??? One of Noushee's concoctions!

We made our way to the popular San Diego Zoo

My sippy cup filled with pure 100% Whey protein!

David B. enjoying his 3DMJ whey!

Tiffany and David L. having a happy time at the zoo!

After my coaching advice, the monkeys were able to do one arm pull ups!

The End.

Luis Burgos - On the rise!!

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce, Luis Burgos. Luis is good friend of TEAM 3DMJ. He will be making his natural bodybuilding debut on June 5th in Sacramento, Ca. With 5 weeks to go to his big debut he is sure to make a big splash with his tremendous size and symmetry. You would think as a first time competitor you would see him in the novice class, but this is not the case with Luis. He is primed and ready for the open class. Not only is his physique first class, but he is such a tremendous individual to be around. I had the opportunity to train with him last Saturday and it was very exciting to watch him go through his super intense workout.

Powering through an intense set of leg extensions.

After a grueling workout, Eric, Alberto and I put Luis through his paces during a tough posing session. He has been really picking up instructions very well, which has allowed him to acquire terrific posing skills and his high attention to detail are sure to show up on the bodybuilding stage this season.

Front Lat Spread

Side Triceps

Rear Double Biceps

Hands on Hips Most Muscular

With five more weeks to prepare we will definitely see a very much improved Luis Burgos. June 5th will not be his only showing, but he is looking to compete in 2-3 more shows and that will allow him to continue to perfect his performances. This is just the beginning to a very bright season for him. Remember the name Luis Burgos. He is on the rise!

Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!!

Miami vs. The Giant Spider

Sat, 01 May 2010 00:48:27 +0100

We made our powerlifting debut on April 17, 2010 to take three division titles and one second place finish. To read the complete write up click on this link: http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/articles-team3dmj-nw-powerlifting.php

Here is some fun bonus coverage from the days events. I hope you all enjoy!!

Chris looks calm and steady.

Brad practicing his karate kicks.

Hey Eric! Are you watching Aquaman?

Hey guys! It's not 2011 yet!

Oh my! Check out Jeff's receding hairline!

Hey Eric! What do you think of Alberto's sexy singlet?

Mmmmmmmm... So goooooood! Bet you wish you had a cookie too, huh Jeff?

Brad comes through for Jeff, but darn it, don't eat them all!

Thanks Brad! That was the best cookie I ever had! I love you man!

I can't believe it. Two trophies!

Look guys I have two trophies!!

By the power of Greyskull, I am HE-MAN!

MIAMI vs.THE GIANT SPIDER

Oh my goodness! Is that a freakin giant spider on the bar?!!

Look Eric! Miami is scared of spiders!

It's ok Miami. I used to be scared of spiders too!

There's that ugly giant spider again!!

HE-MAN, don't move. That creepy giant spider is on your back!

I will show you spider and drop this 550 lb. weight right on top of you!

Take that you stupid spider!!

Miami your my hero!

Miami's #1 fan!

Huddle up everyone, I killed the giant spider!!

Here is the great spider, now dead, thanks to the heroism by Miami!!!

We are saved Eric!!

We want our picture with Miami!!!!!

We can now ride off into the sunset!!

In all seriousness this was a day to remember and I am very proud to have been a part of it. Thanks to all the family and friends that came out and supported this great event. To my teammates, you all inspire me each and every day! Alberto, I could not resist! J I think you are a great champion and more importantly a great friend.

Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!

PROUD

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:10:33 +0100

I wanted to say how proud I am of our sponsored athletes, Natural Wheelchair Bodybuilder, Rich Knapp and Natural Bodybuilder, Jason Bosak. These two men have been working their a**es off to get in the best possible shape for their upcoming shows. Both of them have shown great dedication as they continue with their journeys to the contest stage. I am very inspired by their work ethic and their drive to keep pushing forward in the gym. I want to share a couple of recent photos of these two great champions, so everyone can see exactly what inspires me.

Natural Wheelchair Bodybuilder - Richard Knapp

Natural Bodybuilder - Jason Bosak

To learn more about these two great champions click the links below.
http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/team-3dmj-sa-main.php

MY TRAINING
Today was a great day! I actually worked out in the morning at 8:00 a.m. This is the third morning workout since my job loss. I have not seen morning workouts in about 10 years, so the change is really refreshing. I also have been getting 8 hrs of sleep per night and that is so much better than the previous 4 months of 3-4 hrs per night. I am so excited to see where my physique will be when I hit the stage again in 2011. Mentally I am in a much better place now. I am no longer dreading to do a workout as the case when I was working so much and not getting any sleep. I am feeling motivated again and for me I know that means improvement in the gym and in my physique. I am cautiously getting my body primed to really attack the weights, so for the next two weeks I am focusing on stopping my sets short of failure to ensure I do not over do it. Then it will be time to do some damage for a couple of weeks, then back off again to allow my body to recover. For today, I hit an upper body workout which consisted of:

Decline Bench - 230 x 5 for 4 sets
Seated Rows 165 x 6 for 4 sets
Close Grip Pull downs 170 x 5 for 3 sets
Side Laterals 30 x 10 for 4 sets
Hammer Curls(Rope) 70 x 8 for 4 sets

Nothing too extreme, but I felt it and it was a good workout.

Off season 193 lbs. Biceps have always been my strong suit.

Since changing my pressing with a close grip instead of a wider grip due to shoulder problems, I have noticed an improvement in my triceps.

Looking towards my goal in 2011, World Championships!

My goal is to be on the same World Champion stage with the rest of TEAM 3DMJ and the many other great lightweights in the world. Champions Shawn Clarida, 2x Champ, Brian Whitacre and the many other great bodybuilders out there. My placing is not that important, but saying I made it that far, will be a huge accomplishment in itself. I have a lot of work to do to get there, but I will be trying my best to make it happen! Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!

A New Transition

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:41:01 +0100

First off, let me say this is a very interesting time in my life. I am now in a new transition because as of tomorrow morning, April 1st, 2010 I will be laid off from my job at NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Inc). I have many different feelings about this, ranging from sadness to happiness. I will not miss the actual work itself due to its repetitive nature and the amount of stress it puts on one's body. Although, NUMMI has been very good to me and the many people that have worked there by providing great pay, benefits and many other luxuries that were available. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a house, cars and have the assurance of a steady income. I really appreciate everything the job provided for my wife and I. It will be very sad for me to say goodbye to the many friends I have been working with side by side for the past 16+ years. They have become my second family and to not see them on a regular basis anymore will be very tough for me. The people are what made NUMMI a success and the people deserve all the credit for building great cars and trucks. It's definitely a sad time to see the last auto plant in California close its doors and because of this, it's caused thousands of people across the state of California to lose their jobs. Things do change and I just have to adapt to this change and move on with confidence. I just want to say to all my friends at NUMMI, I will miss you and I will not forget the good times we shared together. I wish everyone at NUMMI the best of luck in the future.

NUMMI - Trim 1 - Part of the area I worked for over 16 years.

3DMJ - Taking it to another level!!
We plan on taking the site to another level! It will be just like the very last few weeks of a contest prep, when you have to dig deep within yourself to take your physique to a whole new level of conditioning. We will be pushing hard to bring natural bodybuilding to a higher level of awareness in the community and beyond. Since hitting the pages of IRONMAN magazine we have operated with a limited amount of time and in my opinion, we have done a great job with the site while having such little time. It is now time to push ourselves hard and help bring more recognition to the sport and most importantly to the athletes. The athletes are the ones who make this sport great! We recognize this and we want to give back to the sport and feature awesome athletes, articles, seminars, videos, photos, and many more topics that relate to our sport. Look for very big things to surface in the very near future!

3DMJ Fitness/Training Camp
We (TEAM 3DMJ) put on a great mini camp on March 6 and I really enjoyed the experience. It was great meeting new people and having the opportunity to help others. The whole week prior to the camp I was very nervous about talking in front of an audience. I am very reserved and it is hard for me to open up in that way. It seems kind of weird I feel this way since I do get in front of hundreds of people in those little posing trunks. Then I realized it is no different than me talking with someone on a daily basis about bodybuilding, so that is how I approached talking in front of an audience and I seemed to do ok.

We had inspirational speaking, open floor questions and answers, training stations, microwave demo, HIIT training, and some hardcore training as well. All in all it was a very good experience. I want to thank everyone who attended and I had a great time working with you. Also, I want to thank Brad Loomis for opening up his gym, Healthy Bodies Fitness, for this awesome event! Lookout for more camps to surface in the near future.

MY TRAINING
My training has been very inconsistent this month. I have been very frustrated with this and I am trying to get back on track, but with so many things that are going on in my life right now it has been hard to stay on track. I feel with more time due to my job loss I will be able to re-focus on my training and make some gains with my physique. It will be very interesting to see what my physique will do, now that my body does not have to try and recover from my daily activities from my physical job. I will also be getting the much needed sleep I have been deprived for quite some time now. I have been getting on average about 4 hours of sleep for the past 3 months. So, add in more sleep plus no physical labor, well I just might be seeing some good gains to my physique. I love to push myself hard in the gym and I tend to favor high intense workouts with low volume, but I have been open to different training methods lately which I have been learning from the coaches here at 3DMJ. I am very excited to try new ideas with my training and I look forward to the 2011 contest season where I have decided to set my goals for the World Championships in New York along with my fellow teammates.

MY NUTRITION
This is the one area where I have been doing very well. I was on a mini cut and I dropped my weight from 197 lbs to 190 lbs. That is a good weight for me. I have been eating typically 5 meals per day and my macro-nutrients have been averaging 180-200 grams of protein, 300-400 grams of carbs, and 50-80 grams of fat. I will continue with this for now, but I will have to monitor myself closely because with the job loss I will not be as active and I may have to modify my macros if needed.

PERSONAL NEWS
My wife's Uncle Oscar (Miles) and Aunt Anita along with their sons Forest and Canyon came down to visit from New Mexico earlier in the month. It was the first time meeting our new cousin, Canyon who is just a couple of months old. I got to hold him and for me it was kinda scary because I just feel like babies are so fragile, but I did good. My wife was very happy to meet her new cousin! She held him and gushed over him!! We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory in San Jose for dinner, where I ate more than I should of, but it was a special occasion, so what the heck! My wife's dad and grandmother were also there and it is always great to see them. It was a short visit, but we really enjoyed the time we spent with them.

We also went to my wife's family mini-reunion where I was able to meet for the first time her Great Uncle Dick and her Great Aunt Liz. Great Uncle Dick was a World War II fighter pilot, English teacher and he also wrote a couple of poetry books. He is truly an inspirational man! They are awesome people and I really enjoyed meeting them. My wife's dad and grandma were also there along with 2nd and 3rd cousins. We all enjoyed a terrific dinner and I enjoyed listening to everyone sharing their great memories from when they were younger and growing up in Indiana. Great times!!

UPCOMING EVENT
TEAM 3DMJ will be competing in the APA "RAW" Northwest Regional Power Lifting Championships in Sacramento, Ca on April 17th with the exception of myself. I will be covering the event with photos and videos and a article to go with it. Come out and join us if you are in the area!! Bodytribe Fitness 920 21st Street Sacramento, Ca lifting starts at 11:00 am

Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!!

REFLECTING BACK ON 3DMJ

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:19:43 +0100

It has been a month since my last blog and when I started this blog my intentions was to update it once per week. It has been a very busy time for me, but in a great way! Here at 3DMJ we have been excited about the progress we have made with the site. I wanted to take this time in this blog to reflect back on the 13 months since starting the site.

January 2009
I decided to come out of retirement and comeback to the contest stage. The initial idea was to document my journey with a video from start to finish. The idea was given to me by my wife's uncle, Miles Nelson, back when we were visiting him in Santa Fe, Nm back in December of 2008. Little did I know making a video is a lot of work and after about 3 days of filming my wife and I decided to start a website instead. The site was to be mainly for my family and friends to track my progress as I made my way with my journey to the contest stage. I needed a name for it and I firmly believe in the 3D's of natural bodybuilding - dedication, desire and discipline and back in 2004, I reserved the domain name 3DMUSCLE.COM, I had a vision back then of starting an online magazine, but I just did not have the resources or the connections and I did not want to use this name for my personal journey. So, after thinking about it for a while I realized it is a journey to get to the stage, hence www.3DMUSCLEJOURNEY.com.

May 2009
I started "The Natural Movement" to try and promote everyday athletes as well as inspire others to train drug free. Today we have 51 athletes on the site.

June 2009
On June 20, 2009 I had my 38th birthday and I also became a pro natural bodybuilder. This was an exciting day for me and my family. I remember writing my first contest report after the show and lets just say it was like competing for the very first time.

July 2009
I competed in the INBF Capital City Naturals and I was the lightweight winner. I was very fortunate to have all my family and friends in attendance as it was probably the best show for that reason! I also was fortunate to get to know Eric Helms, Brad Loomis(whom I met back in 2006), and Alberto Nunez.

August 2009
I went to Washington and attained my WNBF pro card with the push from Head Judge Wade Brown. I had no intention of going to Washington and I am glad he talked me into going for a few reasons. First, obviously I won my pro card. Second, I got to really know fellow coaches Eric Helms and Alberto Nunez. I also gained a friendship with INBF Washington Heavyweight Winner Luke Ehlis. Third, if I never went to Washington, I do not believe TEAM 3DMJ would exist today because I really got to know Eric and Alberto backstage. Thanks Wade Brown!

September 2009
I decided to start the featured athletes section on the site. My first athletes were none other than Eric Helms and Brad Loomis. All of a sudden I was doing photos, video, and interviewing. I have no experience, so it was very challenging to try and give these athletes the quality recognition they deserve. To this day I am still learning as I go! I remember before Eric and Brad's photo shoot I was at Eric's house and Eric and Alberto approached me with the idea to start contest prep coaching on the site and at first I was hesitant with the idea, but it did not take me long to open up to the idea.

October 2009
On October 31st TEAM 3DMJ was officially launched! We had a meeting to discuss plans of a contest for 2 athletes to receive a sponsorship by 3DMJ.

November 2009
TEAM 3DMJ launches the sponsorship contest and it was a huge success as over 30 applicants applied.

December 2009
The sponsorship contest came to a close and the winners were announced on New Years Day!

January 2010
Jason Bosak and Richard Knapp were selected as TEAM 3DMJ's first ever sponsored athletes to receive free online contest prep coaching. In the mean time the site was continuing to grow with more athletes and articles.

February 2010
This is the month where things really are taking off! I received information that the site is featured in Ironman Magazine. My wife called me after work to tell me and I told her I did not know anything about it. I went to 4 stores to try and find it and I finally found it at the 4th store. I picked up the magazine and turned to page 160 and there it was! I have won many bodybuilding shows in my career, but the feeling I had when I saw that was definitely my proudest. Thank you Eric Broser for writing that article!! I feel like our TEAM has really done something special for the sport of natural bodybuilding and the other athletes. Since that article in Ironman the site has made so much progress and everyone at TEAM 3DMJ are working extremely hard to give back to our sport. We want to see the site keep growing and we are adding more athletes, guest authors, fitness camps, future seminars, and much more.

As I reflect back it all started out with a personal journey to a contest stage. Now, it has grown into my dream of a real online magazine and I could not have done it without the collaboration of my fellow Teammates Eric Helms, Alberto Nunez, Brad Loomis and the many followers we now have. It truly has been an equal effort to make the site come alive! I also want to thank our co-editor, Eric's wife Barb for making sure our articles and features are of high quality. And finally, a very special thank you to my wife, Jhanna, for inspiring me and helping my dream come true. She has really supported me through all the good and bad times. Without her push, I do not think the site would be where it is today. I love you with all my heart!!

Moving towards the future, 3DMJ plans on making an impact in natural bodybuilding, so stay tuned. Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!!

UPDATES, UPDATES AND MORE UPDATES!!!!

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:52:32 +0100

Wow! It has been really crazy and very busy lately. So much to catch up on, but I will do my best to cover everything.

3DMJ NEWS
I have been working really hard this past month along with my fellow coaches at TEAM 3DMJ to get the site updated and running smoothly. We are slowly, but steadily expanding the site with more featured athletes, Natural Movement athletes, articles and contest preparation services. We have also added facebook and twitter so everyone can follow us more closely. It has been a learning curve to get the site the way we want to reach out to all natural athletes. We are really excited about expanding and improving the site for natural athletes.

We have also retooled the recipe page for other natural bodybuilders to submit their favorite recipes for others to try out. I encourage everyone to submit a recipe, I am always looking to eat a great healthy meal for my contest prep. Visit the recipe page by clicking the recipes tab at the top of the site.

We have added a suggestion/comment/complaint tab at the top of the site. We encourage you all to submit your ideas to help the site improve. Just like in natural bodybuilding, it is always important to get feedback to help improve your physique and the site is no different, we are really looking to improve the site. Send us your thoughts!

We are very proud to announce TEAM 3DMJ'S contest preparation services. If you are looking to get in great contest condition, take advantage of the experience of all four coaches. Click on the TEAM 3DMJ tab at the top of the site.

TEAM 3DMJ
I am very proud to be a part of this great team!! Each coach has unique qualities and their is no ego involved. We all complement each other very well to work together to make sure the athletes are hitting the stage in great shape. Many typical prep coaches have only one way of prepping an athlete, but with the collaborative effort from 4 coaches you are getting different angles and aspects which give you a broader knowledge base, which equates to a higher success rate. We are not only coaches, but active athletes still competing and looking to get even better.

Our sponsored athletes Jason Bosak and Rich Knapp are two great individuals and athletes. They have been training extremely hard to hit the stage as shredded as possible. Follow their journeys on our homepage. We will be updating their progress with pictures once to twice per month along with mini interviews up until their contest dates. It has been awesome working with these two great athletes!

MY TRAINING
The month of December was an off month, training was sporadic to say the least. January I have tried to bounce back, but with so much going on between work, the site, training and trying to find time for personal time, it has been really hard to find the time.

I have given a lot of thought to my powerlifting aspirations and at this time I feel it is a wise decision to withdraw from powerlifting. My fellow TEAM 3DMJ coaches will probably be a little disappointed because I know they were really looking forward for me to wear that sexy singlet. lol. The reason for this decision is I am having a lot of pain in my shoulder joint when doing the bench press. I am also experiencing a lot of pain in both forearms due to the repetitive nature of my work and trying to lift heavy on arm movements. My latest workouts I was able to bench 275 lbs., squat 385lbs. and deadlift 420lbs., so I already have achieved the 1,000lb mark. That was my goal for a powerlifting meet. I achieved that and in my mind I am happy. My main focus is bodybuilding and that is what I will be training for. I will be covering the coaches powerlifting meets for the site, that will be a blast!

Because of time constraints and many nagging pains, I have made the decision to train twice per week. I know, you all think, what!? Twice per week only!? 2x per week is definitely enough training if you push hard and intelligently. I will be doing high intensity training in which I will incorporate perfect form, negatives, static holds, rest pause, etc. I will keep my sets between 2-3 per exercise and sometimes just one if necessary. I have trained in this fashion in the past and in fact in 2004, I won the middleweight class at the INBF Capital City using this training routine. I was not at my best condition-wise, due to a late start in my prep, but I was not short of muscle.

2004 INBF Capital City (2 days per week training)

Here is my new training routine until I feel my progress stagnates and then it will be time to move on.

TUESDAYS - Upper Body 1 or Upper Body 2 (alternate from week to week)
**Upper Body 1
CG Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Bent Rows (underhand grip)
Supported Dumbbell Rows
Behind the Neck Press
Rear Flys (pec-dec)
Lying Tricep Dumbbell Press
Barbell Curls

Offseason practicing my posing in between sets.

**Upper Body 2
Decline Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
One Arm Rows
Seated Rows or Lat Pull Downs (underhand grip)
Front Shoulder Press
Barbell Shrugs
Tricep Press Downs
Hammer Curls

FRIDAYS - Lower Body 1 or Lower Body 2 (alternate from week to week)
**Lower Body 1
Squats
Stiff Legged Deadlifts
Standing Toe Press
Leg Lifts

**Lower Body 2
Deadlifts
Leg Extensions
Lying Leg Curls
Standing Toe Press
Decline Situps (weighted)

This routine will give my body the rest it needs to recover in between workouts. Some may think this is unorthodox, but if you think of a major league baseball pitcher, they pitch a 7-9 inning game and then they get 5 days rest in between their starts. Why? Because if they pitch with less rest days in between games they lose velocity and control of their pitches due to fatigue. I feel this holds true for some bodybuilders, you hit the weights at 100% effort and intensity, then wouldn't it make sense to get the proper rest to be at your very best the next time you hit the weights with 100% effort? Food for thought!

More posing practice, still maintaining
if not gaining size with 2x per week training.

PERSONAL NEWS
On December 29th my wife Jhanna and I celebrated our 19 year anniversary! I can remember it just like it was yesterday, the day of our wedding. We were so young, 19 years old! I love her with all my heart and she has supported me in my natural bodybuilding career and in life as well. We had a fun day at Jackson Rancheria Casino. We had fun, but we didn't win any money! We had a nice quiet evening at home watching movies in front of the fireplace. It was a great day!

Jhanna and myself during the holidays.

Our wedding day back on Dec. 29, 1990

On January 14th, we had a new addition to the family, as my wife's Uncle Oscar and Aunt Anita had their new baby. His name is Canyon Danger Torres Nelson, 6lbs 12oz, 19 inches. We congratulate Uncle Oscar and Aunt Anita and our cousin Forest, a new brother!

Aunt Anita and Canyon

Canyon Danger and proud brother, Forest Blaze

WORK
I have 9 weeks until I no longer work for New United Motor Inc. I have been working there for the past 16 years and lets just say I am looking forward to the break. I will be laid off on April 1, 2010 and no it is not an April fools joke! We were just informed last Thursday about our retention package and it is in my opinion very fair. The union still has to agree to it and then the team members have to vote on it. I am hoping it goes well, we will see.

I will be taking some sort of classes and I will definitely have more time to work on the site. It is an unsure time for me and to be honest, scary and intimidating, but I just have to stay focused and positive. I will just look at it like contest prep and strive to be my best and set daily goals and I will achieve success!

Nummi Plant, closing its doors on April 1, 2010 after 26 years.

A GREAT MAN
I was informed on New Years day that my former neighbor and my family's friend Chuck Dunnell past away. Chuck was a great and kind man. I know the word great is sometimes used a lot and it loses its meaning, but Chuck was truly a great individual. He was a big man physically, but his heart was a million times bigger. He was a very giving individual always fixing things for his friends and neighbors. I remember the times we would gather and have block parties, barbecuing and just enjoying the moments of laughter and friendship. We would even sometimes arm wrestle, trying to rip each others arm off, it was not in bad intentions, but in a friendly competition. We both enjoyed that a lot. All the neighbors would really get a kick out of it, it was all in good fun! I remember when he would get home from work and he would greet all of us kids on the street with his big and warm smile. It will be the little things I will remember and treasure most about him. Just the small conversations my best friend Mike and I would have with him, we very much respected him and really enjoyed shooting the sshhh with him. He always had this way of greeting us, he would grab our necks and shake our heads back and forth, not in a mean way, but in a playful way and that is how we know how he showed his affection for us. I will miss the good times Chuck, thank you for the great times. To Michele and Joelle, his daughters and my friends, I am thinking of you. I will Miss your Dad!

Myself, Chuck and my best friend Mike

It has been a very busy month and there were some good and bad things that have happened. Hopefully we will only get the good in the days ahead. Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!!