This week did not go according as planned. I attempted to have a hardcore week with HIT, but instead I had to go with lower intensity and higher volume training. For the past few weeks I have been talking about my bad shoulders and to be quite honest I am tired of talking about it. They simply hurt and I just have to deal with it. I have a strained lat and it hurts too, but it is what it is! I need to stop stressing over it and just keep my focus. Instead of trying to game plan around these setbacks in advance like I have been trying to do…it only makes sense to start training instinctively. I can’t foresee into the future 7 days from now or even 1 day in advance what my shoulders and body will feel like, so why plan a workout that far in advance. Sure I can say I am going to work upper body on a particular day, but I cannot say how my body is going to perform until that day comes. As I start my future workouts I will gauge right away what I am capable of for that particular workout. I have been in the gym long enough to know what is smart and what is not. The past few weeks I have been trying to do something my body does not want to do and guess what? I am finally listening! I need to train more instinctively and if I can be more aggressive on some days than more power to me and if I can’t then I can’t.

In October, I will be training with Eric Helms and we are scheduled to train using HIT (high intensity training), but I may have to train at times using less intensity and more volume. I may have to adjust some things, but I am looking forward to training alongside him. It is gonna be a great time!

Keep it Positive Folks
I wanted to share with you a terrific forum post by Alberto Nunez from 9/21/10 in his forum thread over at bb.com. 

“On a side note here....We have all at one point dealt, and ran into people who for the lack of a better term, are negative, and seem to go out of their way to make others feel like less than. I am sure we all recall those people who would bully, verbally molest others, and make it a priority to make others feel like garbage such as "those kids" in high school for example. I am sure in our adult lives we have ran into similar individuals as well, and its no different as it stems from insecurity as well. Understand that people who behave this way, because they feel like less than themselves, so they make it a priority to make others feel that way. So don't feel insulted, or take it too personally, feel sorry for those people.

Lastly people who are uplifting and try to make others feel great about themselves, tend to be the people with the healthiest outlook in life. Make it a priority to compliment those who are deserving of it, and make others feel the way you want to feel. If you are not in a state of well being, nothing will make you feel GREAT again, like complimenting others, and picking up those people who you interact with on a nearly daily basis. So go compliment your jerk boss, that guy who probably doesn't deserve a pat on the back, but surely must be in need of one. I am sure even these people have flashes of brilliance, and you might see more of that if you acknowledge their good qualities. Make it a priority to do this on a daily basis, and you to will feel so much better about everything in general. You purvey positive, it will boomerang back.

Nothing here is based on expert opinion...just my own experiences so take it with a grain of salt. Keep it positive folks ” -Alberto Nunez

After reading Alberto’s post it took me back to a very dark day in my past when my way of thinking was way off base. I recall backstage at the 1999 Capital City Naturals looking at one of the most ripped natural bodybuilders I had seen in person up to that point in my career. I remember thinking to myself, there is no way he is natural. I thought in my mind he must be using some type of cutting drug. I was nowhere near his level of conditioning and I was in disbelief that he was all natural. So, instead of asking him some really great questions like what his training and nutrition were like…so maybe I could learn from him, I immediately tore him down in my mind by thinking it was drug use. Not one of my proudest moments I must say, but a lot of it had to do with my maturity level, background in the sport and lack of knowledge. When I began competing in the early 90’s natural bodybuilding was not in the forefront and there were really no natural shows to speak of in my area. My experiences were with non-tested shows up until 1999, so it was easy for me to accuse the guy of using drugs because the only athletes I had seen with his level of conditioning were the non-natural guys.  That show in 1999 was only the second natural show I had done to that point and seeing someone that lean naturally was a first for me. In 2000, Bob Bell opened my eyes to new training and nutrition strategies and I attained almost the same level of leanness as that guy in 1999. Only then did I truly realize it can be done naturally. If you are interested, here is an article I wrote titled “Learning The Hard Way”.

At almost every natural show you see nowadays there are many guys with striated glutes and feathered quads. This level of leanness is now considered mandatory to win many natural shows out there. Are all these guys who win natural shows using drugs just because they are shredded? Nope…last year I attained striated glutes and great conditioning, so it is very crazy to think I used to be so quick to judge others who achieved super shredded proportions. My way of thinking changed with broadening my knowledge base, maturity and opening up my mind to others ideas. I am no longer quick to judge or willing to tear someone else down to make me feel superior. I myself have been accused of taking steroids by the Average Joe and it does not feel good to hear.  I think back to the day I thought the same about that guy backstage in 1999 and how he would have felt if I accused him out loud of using drugs. Who was I to question his character? Not my best days, but thankfully I have grown from it.

Why is it that when someone achieves greatness the first thing that pops in someone’s head is “he must have cheated?” Top natural athletes such as Layne Norton, Kiyoshi Moody, Philip Ricardo, Martin Daniels and many others are constantly seeing their names associated with cheating, but did it ever occur for 1 split second…they work extremely hard and their knowledge in the sport might be far superior!? I would guess probably 10 times as much as the average bodybuilder. So before you go accusing someone of cheating or tearing them down in a public forum or even in your own head, just ask yourself, “How would I feel if I was the one being accused of something I did not do? Instead of negatively accusing the person of something…open your mind up to learn and grow from these individuals. You may just end up learning a thing or two which might catapult your physique to greater gains. Food for thought!

Until my next blog, keep training hard and naturally!