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!!