Category General

Progress Pictures Of One Of My Clients

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I had recently gotten an email from this client, lamenting what she felt was a lack of progress after ten months. Since she has a significant medical issue, I have been extremely cautious with her nutrition and supplements. Thankfully, she has had no issues with weight training, so I have been more aggressive with her lifting regimen. Upon receiving her email, I pulled up her baseline images from last summer, and WOW. I am very impressed by her progress and so proud of her! The images on the left are from mid-June of last year, and the ones on the right are from April of this year.

6.15.14 front ML 4.24.15 front ML

6.15.14 back ML 4.24.15 back ML

It’s All Just Stuff: Decluttering Your Home

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Creek
Despite the fact (or perhaps BECAUSE of the fact) that my mother’s family is full of pack rats, I cannot stand the idea of accumulating tons of items which just take up space. Since my mom and I had different philosophies about objects and belongings, the subject of decluttering was a point of contention between us.  My mom sequestered all kinds of things in boxes and tissue paper for decades, never to be worn or used, frozen in a static, pristine state and kept hidden. After dealing with tremendous guilt over my mother’s attachment to things which I had somehow held myself responsible for, I let it go, and was able to purge items which only collected dust in closets and the garage. I just had a garage sale last weekend and it felt GREAT to finally let go of large, bulky items such as two very traditional oil paintings which simply were never my style to begin with, and which sat in museum boxes in my garage for nine years. I also got rid of a bunch of hot little mini-dresses which I had worn during trophy presentations at bodybuilding contests from 2010 through 2013. I must have pulled about 40 dresses from my collection, all of which were only worn once or twice. It was like shedding old skin, and it felt fantastic.

One of my friends had asked me if I had ever gotten rid of something and later regretted it. There have been a few instances in which this occurred, even as recently as last weekend when I realized that a re-seller who had purchased several groups of items had gotten a few gems which I had foolishly forgotten to remove when I was organizing and displaying items for the garage sale. Though I had a moment of sadness, I let it go since there wasn’t a single thing I could do about retrieving those things. Oh well, I thought, it truly is all just stuff. There are some items I will NEVER get rid of, things which hold huge sentimental value. But for the most part, just about anything which is damaged or worn down or sitting on a shelf unused in my residence will eventually find its way into a garage sale.

If you haven’t used something in a while and it is collecting dust, get rid of it. There is probably someone out there who will use it and will appreciate it. If there is something you haven’t used or worn because you are waiting for the right occasion, either USE IT or let it go!  

Rich Person Quirks

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white sock feetMany years ago, when I was in the midst of a divorce, I reluctantly signed up for a dating service. One particularly persistent guy kept messaging me, asking if he could call me. Though I was quite cynical and skeptical, and didn’t think the guy was really my type, I acquiesced. He called me, and right off the bat came across as extremely controlling, but what really ruined any chance he ever had to ever go on a date with me was his admission of several strange quirks. After about five minutes of strained conversation, this man told me that if I went on a date with him, that I HAD TO get my nails done in a French manicure beforehand. He stated that I could choose any salon to fulfill this request, and that he would pay for the service in advance. He then told me that he was fastidious about wiping down his vehicle twice a day with a soft chamois cloth. I didn’t think that was too odd, but it did seem a bit excessive to perform the car-buffing ritual twice a day. Obviously this guy was financially well off and flaunted it in a bizarre way. I have never been impressed by affluent men, especially those who are nuts like this guy was.

Somehow we got on the subject of weightlifting, which caused more oddities to come crawling out. He explained his pre-lift routine and post-lift regimen in great detail, emphasizing the fact that he had a tall dresser jammed full of brand new white athletic socks, and that he wore a fresh, BRAND NEW pair of socks for every workout. Once he returned home, he would immediately remove his shoes and socks, then toss the socks in the trash. Considering the fact that this man worked out six days a week, that meant that he threw out six pairs of brand new athletic socks per week! His garage was also full of boxes of brand new socks to ensure that he would have a steady supply. What made the whole ritual even worse was that he didn’t give those socks to charity, he just threw them in the regular trash bin, which meant that his once-used socks were contributing in a big way to landfill overflow. It was such an obsessive-compulsive, extravagant, wasteful habit that I couldn’t wait to get off the phone with this weirdo!

Falling Off The Radar

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I will never understand how and why some people will expend a great deal of energy discussing potential projects or other opportunities, displaying enthusiasm and expressing a strong desire to get started right away, only to completely drop off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again. Instead of mincing words here, I will come right out and say that I detest such people and think they are cowards, liars and bullshitters. Once someone tries to bait me with incredible promises and then disappears with no explanation or apology, I cross that person off my list. Seriously, what is WRONG with people these days? Is the concept of honoring one’s own word and upholding a certain amount of integrity dying in this fickle society?

It is impossible to endure countless lures with no follow-through without developing a biting cynicism. I have heard some individuals remark that flaky behavior is confined to major metropolitan cities like Los Angeles, but I beg to differ. For one thing, I have dealt with people all over the country, ranging from small towns to large metropolitan areas, who have displayed what I call “empty promise behavior”. Secondly, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and have never been the type of person to make a promise I cannot keep. Accordingly, the majority of my friends who are also native Californians are blessed with complete integrity and do not make false or empty promises.

Please don’t be one of those people who talks big and can’t deliver on ANY promises made. It’s tacky and it makes you look like a complete douche.

Bullshit spray

My Five Favorite Booty Building Exercises

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A15Q9940-Edit

There is no doubt that we are in the Age of the Booty, with celebrities like Kim Kardashian and J Lo worshipped and admired for their rather prominent rears. The trend is completely supported by social media platforms which are replete with images of gluteal mounds which may be taut, toned, fleshy, round, enormous, or compact.

What if the butt fairy didn’t bless you with round humps, red beans and rice DID miss you, and the ravages of time have made your tush look more like a pancake than two luscious lumps? Here are my five favorite booty building moves to sculpt an admirable tush.

Hip Raises On Bench – This can be done with a weight plate or a barbell balanced across the hips. It can also be done using a Smith Machine and bench.

Another interesting variation is to perform hip raises on a leg extension machine: https://youtu.be/BrTpdpck1_c

Cable Kickbacks https://youtu.be/1CWNwSnDFCI

Plie Squats https://youtu.be/PVIuc4cL5fE

One Legged Presses On Assisted Dip Machine https://youtu.be/tTvg9AT_gbo

Butt Blaster – This can be done on a traditional Butt Blaster machine, a prone leg curl machine, or https://youtu.be/cyVRPZDDnq4
(variation: perform glute presses on mat with ankle weights or resistance band if you don’t have machine access)

My Go-To Protein: Royal Sport Ultra Clean 100 Whey

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royal_whey

I am not kidding when I say that Royal Sport Ltd.’s Ultra Clean 100 Whey is my staple whey protein source! It mixes quickly and thoroughly, is gluten free, and has no preservatives, no added sugars, no hydrogenated oils, and no artificial colors, dyes, or fillers. One scoop delivers 20 grams of protein in 100 calories. Oh, and then there are the flavors: Ice Cream Sandwich is my absolute favorite and has a decadent flavor which has me tricked every time into thinking that I am having a dessert! I also love the other flavors, Chocolate Cupcake, Cinnamon Bun and Vanilla Cream, and rotate through all four of the flavors during the week. If you are looking for an ultra clean whey protein which won’t cause digestive upset, definitely check out Ultra Clean 100 Whey!

https://royalsportltd.com/ultra-clean-100

Set A Contest Date And Stick To It!

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Shut up and do it

I am writing this blog post in honor of those of you who have a tendency to constantly change your proposed competition date. I am not talking about situations in which your coach advises you to select a different contest as a means to give you sufficient time to be in proper condition. Instead, I am talking about competitors (new or seasoned) who keep changing proposed contest dates for a multitude of reasons, and end up frustrating coaches, friends and family as a result. Sometimes the reason for pushing back plans to compete may be solely financial, which is understandable since competition expenses can be quite high, especially for national level amateur NPC events and international IFBB Pro events. However, some people fall into a dangerous and self-sabotaging habit of pushing contest dates back because they are anxious and afraid of stepping onstage. This fear of competing is often accompanied by self-sabotaging behavior which includes eating too many mini-cheat and full cheat meals, skipping cardio, and skipping parts of workouts or entire workouts. In my experience as a coach and trainer, I can smell this behavior from a mile away, and always get confirmation when I see progress pictures. Sometimes the competitor is so ashamed of his or her deviation from the prep program that progress pics aren’t taken and sent over to me.

I honestly wish I could completely ignite that flame of INTENTION and DRIVE which is essential for success in competing in every single one of the clients I have worked with, but unfortunately, one or two have slipped through the cracks as a result of their defeatist thoughts and behaviors. Complete focus is critical for success as a competitor. Every dip, blip, obstacle, bad day and negative thought needs to be pushed aside. Watch any competitor who has an eye on the prize at all times, and you will see someone who never gives up, who doesn’t switch from one contest to another as a goal date, and who almost moves like a machine, determined to get things done. The phrase “I CAN’T” doesn’t exist for the successful competitor.

Make a decision to stick to the plan. Don’t deviate. Quit overthinking and analyzing. Get into a groove and stick with it. Be a beast. Be a machine.

FOCUS!