My "Transitional Training Phase" is over, and my "Heavy Training Phase" has begun. The "Transitional Training Phase" provided me with much needed physical and mental recovery, and gave me the desire to really start training heavy again.  I am currently 2 weeks into my progressive 12 week training cycle.  I have begun my staple 5x5 squat program, and heavy pulling from the floor, along with heavy pulls out of the power rack. The heat and humidity in Minnesota this year, in a building that does not have air conditioning, has become a little bit of a factor. It has been brutal, and tonight was no different.  It was hard to keep the bar dry which made holding on to it difficult even with a hook grip. I had to improvise and go with straps, but I pulled a very nice 1050 from just above the knees which is a great mark this early into my training.  This Friday I have a 5x5x529 in the squat which will start to become more of a challenge.  I would like to finish with a 5x5x606 towards the end of my cycle.

I have changed up my bench training to include extra triceps lockout work.  My bench has really become a weak link for me.  I was an IPF Gold Medalist in the bench in 1997, 1998, and 2000. In recent years I have lost a lot of valuable Lbs on my total in the bench press, and find myself in the middle of the pack in this movement. I spent a lot of time last year rehabbing a shoulder injury that I suffered at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  I was successful in gaining back my strength in the shoulder, but my triceps strength has been holding me back. One of the things I experimented with during my down time was power rack lockouts.  Power rack lockouts used to be a big part of my bench training dating back into my teenage years.  Unfortunately, over time I have had a few pectoral injuries; notably a fairly severe injury in 2003 leading up to the 2003 IPF World Championships in Vejle, Denmark.  This injury, along with some problems with my warm-up in a cold building in Denmark, led to my first and only bomb-out in my 20+ competitive years.  From 2003 until this year I quit doing power rack lockouts.  I used to be very strong in this movement and over the years my triceps have become the weak link.  I have been very careful this time by very slowly adding resistance.  I am still a little hesitant to really push this movement, but so far it has been going well and my strength levels are on the rise.  To be honest, I am not nearly as strong in this movement as I was in my 20's, but I need to get the bench moving to be competitive in South Africa.   The great strength and recovery gains that I have acquired by supplementing my diet with GNC Pro Performance HMB have allowed me to train a 5x5 approach on my heavy day, and then throw in a light speed workout, followed by power rack lockouts on an alternative training day. 

Training is an ever evolving concept.  Over the years my staple program has not changed much, but I have tried to continue to add additional movements to train my weak areas.  This winter I added kettle bell swings to help a back injury recover.  Now this movement has become a very important exercise to me both for recovery, and added hip extension strength.  This training cycle I have added an exercise that I started training 30 years ago, and put on the shelf the last 7 years. An important lesson for all strength athletes to learn is that every well thought out training program will work for a while, but nothing works forever. Every strength athlete needs to continue to find innovative ways to train the weak areas.

Train hard, stay healthy, set your goals high, and don't forget to add GNC Pro Performance HMB to your supplement list!

Brad Gillingham

The Cardinal Challenge was a NAS sanctioned strongman contest that was promoted by Aaron West in Davison, MI. Aaron put on a phenomenal show that brought a ton of new strongman equipment to the state of Michigan, including some enormous circus dumbbells and gigantic wheelbarrows that had to be loaded and wheeled over 100 feet. I assisted at this contest with equipment set up and can honestly say that this was a phenomenal show, and no one should pass up the opportunity to compete in this one next year!

The countdown to America’s Strongest Man 105KG is down to under 3 weeks. My full time day job responsibilities have been minimizing the time I’ve been able to put into training, so I have been focusing closely on the specific events being contested whenever I get a chance. The meat of my training has consisted of partial deadlifts from 15”, sled drags, and dumbell presses. Since my training time has been minimal, the intensity has been increased even further, making HMB a huge help to my performance. With HMB I have been able to recover quicker between sets so I can get the most out of my time.

The contest weights and events do not look like much on paper, but I think that it will be deceivingly difficult. Here are my thoughts on the events:

160lb Dumbell Press – This requires a lot of endurance, as well as good balance and shoulder strength. 10 reps will be a good mark here. This will be the toughest event for me; if I can keep myself in the top 5 here I’ll have a good shot at re-gaining the title.

Car Deadlift – This event is always a wild card, it could be a light weight and 20+ reps will win, or it could be so heavy only a few competitors can lift it even once. I’m hoping for the latter of the two. An extremely heavy deadlift is essential to a well rounded strongman contest.

Truck Push and Sled Drag – This event will be a huge leg burner and will require a ton of endurance. Recovery after this event is going to be essential to finishing the contest strong.

Wheelbarrow load – These are the same wheelbarrows that were used at The Cardinal Challenge last month. This event is going to require a ton of grip strength to finish, in addition to endurance.

Atlas Stones – I have never gotten to attempt a stone series this heavy in a contest, and am really looking forward to it. The last stone is supposed to be well over 400lbs. That will be a huge lift at the end of a contest like this that requires so much leg strength and endurance.

I expect the points to be very close throughout the day and the final times on the stones will only be separated by tenths of a second. So it will truly be an exciting strongman experience. With The World’s Strongest Man contest going on at the same time in Sun City South Africa, everyone will be mentally hyped up to make some huge lifts, especially me!

When you may not have the opportunity for the hour or 2 workouts at the leisure of your home based gym, here are some key points that I adhere to stay on track health and fitness wise (being away from home for work or play doesn’t mean that you have to fall off the bandwagon):
1. Adapt to your surroundings – if you are in a safe place to “explore”, feel free to do so.  Lace up those sneakers rather than sleep in and go for a leisure paced run.
2. Get a travel pass to a local gym –being in a new gym gives me great reason to try out new equipment and new exercises…even new group classes like “Strip Tease Basics” (let me tell you that there was nothing basic about that class but it really hit some muscles that I haven’t used in quite some time)!
3. Try new cuisine – I have my sister to now thank for my new found love for Vietnamese food, never knew that it was so healthy and yummy.
4. Jump rope.  Anywhere anytime, wow what a workout and so many variations.
5. Never a better time to make sure you have those RTD’s handy – like my personal new favorite by American Body Building (ABB) “Pure Pro Protein” with 35 grams of protein, it’s a must have for my travel days!  And don’t forget to take it with your HMB!

Other than training a bit differently this past weekend, I was able to really catch up with some great fans and friends from the days of wrestling…which may be entering my life again in the near future!  I’d also like to announce that being a part of the weekend festivities got me in contact with some tremendous people that partake in the NPC and my desire to get on stage and debut in the Bikini Division has only strengthened.  I know I have a goal date in mind for my first competition on behalf of Team HMB in Atlantic City!!   It’s time to reevaluate my diet plan and strength training routines to get ready for the stage.  Being a “jack of all trades” I’d love nothing more than to master the art form of body sculpting with the help of HMB!

Until next time, keep training hard and taking your HMB – found @ NutritionMarket.com!!  And you can now follow me and what I’m up to 24/7, yes I have conceded to the world of Twitter, @TheJackieHaas

Pro Science HMB is the new version of EAS HMB Capsules.  It helps athletes by reducing muscle breakdown giving them greater results from intense training.  It also increases protein synthesis to help increase lean muscle mass and strength.  The recommended dosage varies by weight on this product, click here  to find proper dosing for you.

Pro Science Armor is another new formula that is similar to their old product Muscle Armor.  This product contains the patented Juven Technology which has a combination or arginine, glutamine, and HMB.  This powerful combination promotes muscle rejuvenation, strength and power support, and gains in lean muscle mass.

The last must-have product from EAS is Pro Science Reload.  This unique blend combines creatine, glutamine, taurine, and HMB to help support you during your most vigorous workouts.

Try the new Pro Science line of EAS products and see how these three products have the ability to increase strength, improve recovery time, and boost endurance!  Purchase here .

I am four weeks out from ASC 105K Pro Nationals.  I will be competing in Detroit, and I am pretty excited.  My training is going quite well.  I am leaning out to make the weight, but the numbers keep moving up.  I have added Juven to my typical Optimum Nutrition HMB to aid that, and so far it is working exceptionally!  There are several of the events that are going to test the lungs, so I have been pushing my conditioning pretty hard.  Everything is feeling good.

After nationals, my plan for the rest of the year is to continue to work on getting stronger, while doing a couple meets just for fun.  I plan on doing the Jackson Weightlifting Club Highland Games in Kirksville.  It was there that I first cut my teeth in strongman and highland games.  In November, I would like to find a powerlifting meet.  I might have to make my dad do it with me, which is always a blast.  That's it for this time around.  The next blog I write will be my experience at nationals.  Wish me luck!

My training is going very well.  Like I said before, I am dieting down a little for the Olympia.  I’m right at 310lbs and sitting very well.  My weight hasn’t really changed but I’m hardening up more and more each day.   I’ve went back to some of my old heavy lifts that I had not done for a while.  I deadlift and/or do pinpulls every other back workout along with some heavier close grip bench presses on my arm day.  There are things I have not done lately due to some nagging injuries that I have needed to fully recover from.   HMB has been one of the primary reasons for my recovery and my growth.   My left hamstring, as well as both my shoulders have bothered me while doing any kind of bar presses but they seem to be doing better now and I’m feeling better physically. 

I’m hoping to be working with Charles Glass sometime after the Olympia.  I had talked to him in March at the Arnold, but I’ve had to wait to start my training due to building my business.  Business has been pretty busy and takes an enormous amount of time, especially right now with working on opening up a supplement store.  I have called and left a couple of messages for him and hope to hear from him soon.  I just want to be the best I can be next year when I compete.  That will either be the USA’s or Nationals.  Either way, I know I need to make the investment into making the improvements to better my physique.

Speaking of the Olympia, it’s coming up fast!  And of course, the HMB team will be there to meet and see everyone who stops by.  We want to tell everyone about the benefits of HMB.  Not just for building muscle, but all the health benefits it provides.  The studies speak for themselves.  So please stop by and see us.  We’re looking forward to it!

To finish it off, the Iowa State Fair is going in full force.  And even though I’m not a fair guy, I will have a Holmes Health and Fitness/HMB team entered in the bench press contest.  I have some pretty good lifters here and so we thought to make a team and compete.  It should be a lot of fun!  If you’re there, then stop by and say hi,  I would love to see everybody.

So til next time, keep training hard, be smart and use your HMB and Optimum Nutrition supplements.  The best on the market just keeps getting better!  You will thank me for it!

I am now feeling like I am completely settled into the new bikini division. After switching from fitness and figure to bikini, I was excited about the change along with adjusting to the new division. The stage presentation is very different from figure along with no mandatory stances for your solo presentation. It is a nice change, since I am free to present myself as I would like. That stage time allows me to show my physique and personality in the best way possible.

 My physique has been very consistent with the help of HMB. I am continually reassessing and improving my presentation at each show with better placings each time. I also liked my choice of suit, hair, and makeup in this show as opposed to the others.

I am thrilled to get back on stage in less than four weeks to do it again at home in California. From now until then I will be practicing my stage presence for an even better show. I will keep my physique at top notch level by continuing to train hard and have optimal recovery with the help of HMB!

To find out more about this study and how HMB can prevent loss of lean muscle mass, read the abstract at here.

370lbs log/350lbs axle/285lbs keg/190lbs dumbbell
This event was the one I was looking forward to the most but was very disappointed with my performance and I wasn’t able to make up many points. The yoke/truck medley gassed me so much that I had trouble breathing between the events and was unable to do a single warm-up. The worst part was in strongman we go in order by last event placing. Since I was the last place finisher I had to compete first and I was also at the end of the lineup on the first event making it an even shorter break.   It was definitely not enough time for my current condition. Once I started the press medley, I went for the log but was unable to lock it out. Then I moved onto the axle and hit it pretty easy but the lack of air and short turn over quickly caught up with me. I attempted the keg but was unable to clean it. Lastly I went for the dumbbell, luckily I am really good at this and was able to get it pressed.  With the missed presses I finished 11th.

275lbs keg/330lbs keg/sled drag 75ft each
This is a hard thing to write, because of the two grueling events and my lack of conditioning I had to sit this event out. I was so winded after the two events I hit the ground and could not get any air and was unable to even talk.  My training partner Scott Tully said I lost all color in my face and my lips were turning blue, it was an awful experience but with help from Mike Johnston I was able to recover. He set up a table for me to stretch out on and got me ice packs for my head, neck and core. I was amazed at how fast I was able to recover and get back in the game, it was an unbelievably huge help!

410lbs stone over 54” bar for reps
With the breathing problems behind me I was really looking forward to this event, I needed any points I could get just to stay in the mix. Since I had problems earlier I was hoping for at least one rep figuring some people wouldn’t get any. Once I hit the first rep I felt great and tried to keep a good speed and not miss any reps. I ended up getting three easy reps but on the fourth I lost most of my tacky and just couldn’t get a good grip. Finished in 3rd place making up some huge points, was a great feeling to comeback from the previous events and get focused again.

Day 2
330lbs axle clean and press for reps
Always look forward to pressing events but cleaning each rep is a little less desirable. I was glad it was heavy and a few reps would place well. Once I started I had a pretty good speed and rhythm going but was cut short when I caught the bar on the spot I had surgery. From what I hit in training I was still very pleased with hitting 4 reps.  Only down side is I was in a 3rd place tie with 5 people splitting the points.

Car deadlift for reps
As usual this was the event I was waiting for and was in dire need to make up points. During the warm ups the car felt pretty light and I was worried it would be too light and just turn into a rep fest. After they added 200lbs to the trunk and a few of the other athletes went I was really surprised, most everyone was having difficulties and not hitting the big numbers I was expecting. When I was up the first rep was a bit tough but being allowed to touch and go I quickly knocked out 5 reps but about that time one of my straps was slipping bad. After I took a sec to reset it and catch my breath I was able to pull 1 more rep but ran out of time there for 6 reps overall getting a 4th place finish bumping me up even more on the overall total.

330lbs farmers/275 sandbag/sled drag 60ft each
This event was another I was not looking forward to but felt as if I could make it through it with a moderate time. The farmers went great, I had a good speed going and my grip felt great. Once I finished the farmers and went for the sand bag I hit a huge road block. No matter what I tried I couldn’t get a grip on the bag and kept knocking it out of my hands. Even with the bobbled sandbag, I was able to beat some on distance and came in 10th place for the event.

Stone run 235lbs-410lbs
At this point I was exhausted but still excited to tackle an event I usually do well in. A stone run is an essential part of strongman and one of my favorite events to watch and participate in. The only thing that could ruin the event is a set of dirty stones and being one of the first people to go or as I call it “stone cleaner”. The run was going great, a little slower than I wanted but the mission was to load all 5. Unfortunately, once I was attempting the 5th stone all of the tacky on my hands turned to dirt and stone dust, try as I might I just couldn’t get a grip on it. Even with only 4 loaded I was happy with my performance and placed 8th.

I was really happy with my overall performance, after everything I went through it was nice to see what has fully recovered and what areas really need work to compete at a national level competition. I have the best family and friends I could ever ask for, giving me support and help any way possible! After everything was said and done I was able to place 9th . Not only did I make a comeback from the very bottom, pretty much last place but I qualified for Americas Strongest Man at the Olympia in Las Vegas late September. I definitely plan on making adjustments in my training and show everyone there I’ve got a little more in me than I showed at nationals!

HMB has been a huge part of my recovery and I truly believe I wouldn’t be back where I am now without Team HMB backing me 100% and cannot thank everyone involved enough!

Also a huge thanks goes out to Dino Strength. For the longest time I tried to get by with as little equipment as possible but the past couple years I have been using a few different brands, nothing else has felt as quality made. The wrist wraps, knee sleeves and neoprene shorts have given me so much support on joints and relief with aches and pains. It has become something I won’t leave home to train or compete without!

The low back injury is almost completely healed. However, I will continue to play it smart in my training regarding this injury. Rack deadlifts are still out and will remain out of the program for a while. I still, however, have some alternative means to increase the top portion of the pull, which is the main objective for the realization phase.

Recovery has been the most challenging it has ever been. I am currently involved in a very demanding schedule in my professional life, a schedule that has thrown more curve balls at my recovery than ever before. I honestly consider it a great advantage to always be able to have a very tangible edge in my recovery with the use of HMB. Sleep is important, nutrition is important, and recovery modalities are important. However, sometimes (hopefully not very often) these variable are very difficult to control, but I can always control my HMB consumption and it definitely gives me an advantage in the recovery game.

I believe that being a student of the sport (whichever sport you compete in) is absolutely essential. With that in mind, I have been reading Principles and Basics of Advanced Athletic Training by Vladimir Issurin. I have learned some very valuable information from this book that I will use in future training phases in order to better organize my training and ensure optimal results. You never arrive in life . . . any area of life. Never stop learning, never stop growing, and will never stop surprising yourself as to what you can achieve!

Even though training is going fantastic for me, one thing that I have learned to live by is to take it one day at a time (until I get to be a little more selfish with my own time).  Putting in all the hours of training to sculpt my body is my goal by the end of 2010 and bring it to the stage in 2011.  Right now however, I have to be a “jackIE of all trades” and be a full time mom, full time business owner and full time workout professional.  So, what is it that I can do for myself to make it all come together and start to make an impact right here, right now?  Take advantage of what I have sitting there right in front of me – my shop; or should I say the parking lot!

Yes, for all of you that follow Custom Muscle and me on Facebook (thanks so much), you may already know what I am talking about.  Putting my true desire for health and fitness back into the “work” schedule I could not be anymore excited about.  Training others through a group training atmosphere is amazing – not to mention super sweaty in 104 degree Texas heat.  For those whom are brave enough with Charlie and I to get out there, we are now offering a ladies and gents boot camp!  Being in the second week of our first session, I could not be anymore excited about this venture.  Being a certified personal trainer and workout enthusiast myself, I felt the need to be doing something with it once again.  The “muscle confusion” circuit training is a different style of workout that will shock anyone’s system – from the total novice to the most advanced.  Simply taking one’s workout to a different environment and being in a group setting makes people push to their limits.  And I am there to also help push them!  While Charlie participates in the majority of the workouts, I serve as an instructor – especially for the ladies.  Even though the boot camp routine and set up is still fairly new to Charlie and me, we have gotten great feedback and are looking forward to making this explode for us personally and to give our community the chance for a hell of a workout 3 times per week.  By using tires and fires hoses as equipment for agility, strength drills, and an upper body blast, we are hoping to make this a truly different and exciting type of workout that we can expand on.

As for my personal training, I have incorporated longer interval training runs after my cycling classes 2 to 3 times per week to really gain my cardiovascular endurance back and work on leaning my legs as much as possible.  I am still struggling to get my pool time in as much as wanted but know that by the end of this triathlon season I hope to have competed in several on behalf of Team HMB.  And without the help of HMB daily, I can assure you that life would be much harder. 

Until next time, keep up the hard work, no matter what type or style your training is and what goals you have in place for yourself.  But take it from me, find something that you can take pride in and feel good about at the end of the day - and be sure that HMB and all the fantastic products by Optimum Nutrition are right there at hands reach (which can also be found @ NutritionMarket.com for fantastic deals)!

I attended the National NSCA Conference with GNC in Orlando a couple weeks ago. The NSCA is a great organization and a lot of knowledge can be absorbed by networking and talking with the top coaches and trainers in the strength coaching field.   Continued learning is the key to continued gains.

There will be 3 of us at our small private club we call "Jackals Gym" training for the 2010 IPF World Championships in Potchefstroom, South Africa.  This fall will be equally exciting and intense around the gym.  We are starting to put our training schedules down on paper and are all getting anxious to begin our Heavy Training Phase in August.

Train hard, stay healthy, set your goals high, and don't forget to add GNC Pro Performance HMB to your supplement list!

Brad Gillingham

Let's begin with my 10 Minute Solutions DVD, which has just been released. I also recently returned from Colorado where I led videos for Gaiam, followed by another shoot in New York, and then wrote and led 3 'sexy series' videos, for Exercise TV and for Crunch.

My one constant, amidst my crazy schedule of travelling to another city every week, was my consistent use of HMB. The research that is on-going, and the positive findings of HMB, continues to amaze, but not surprise me. HMB is a phenomenal addition to your regimen and fitness lifestyle. I remained strong, and was able to increase my training with less recovery in between. This was extremely essential, as I just didn't have the time to stop. Now, is the time to step back and take a look at all that I have accomplished.  Take a moment to breathe.

It is nice to have a break, but it has been getting a bit lengthy for me. Now, I’ve decided to shorten it and compete next month. I will be traveling to Dallas, Texas to happily represent Team HMB at the IFBB Europa Supershow on August 13th and 14th and will love every minute of it!

As for training, I’ve been adding some cardio to the mix in the past few weeks. Now that we are in the summer months, I’ve been doing much more hiking/outside stairs to enjoy the sunny weather and improve my cardio. Being a gymnast and sprinter, I obviously fit the muscle type of having explosive short bursts of power as a strength of mine and not as much of the endurance cardio. The beautiful weather and the challenge of endurance cardio, give me the motivation to improve in this area. I have also been brushing up on my boxing and jump rope for a cardio bonus.

I have been keeping up with my recent prior training of high intensity weights for that detailed muscle sculpting, plyometrics for agility and strength, and yoga to keep me in alignment. Whether it is short bursts of high intensity cardio in plyometrics and boxing, endurance cardio of hiking, or muscle fatigue of weight training, HMB keeps my recuperation continually improving and wanting to do more the next time!

• Power Cleaning 240lb x 6 reps on a 2-5/8” diameter axle
• Deadlifting a clean 705lb with just a belt
• Log pressing 280lb for sets of 3 with ease.

The log pressing was especially encouraging because of the ease of it, which all of the presses were completed. One important item to note is the time of day I took HMB. I have been taking my first dose about two hours prior to training instead of in the morning which is about 10 hours before I train. I have been much more energetic than in previous training sessions and power production couldn’t have been better. I attribute this to the timing change of the first dose of HMB.

I am currently two months out from the 105KG America’s Strongest Man and it is being held right here in my home state of Michigan at Cobo Hall in Detroit! This is the perfect time to be feeling like I’m on an upswing in training.  This week the events were announced and I will be competing in
5 events. They are the Giant Dumbell Press, Car Deadlift, Truck Push and Sled Drag Medley, Wheelbarrow load, and of course the classic Atlas Stone Load.

Keep checking in over the next two months to find out what I am doing to regain my title as 105K America’s Strongest Man. Also try taking your HMB
1-2 hours before you train and see what kind of differences it makes in your training.

To find out more about the event and athletes go grab an issue of Muscle & Fitness and turn to page 202 to read Olympia’s Strongest Event. To learn more about these two exceptional athletes check out the Team HMB section and testimonial section of this website!

During the week prior to little Phoebe's birth, I had some very good workouts, setting a front squat PR in the course of things.  Luckily, I was able to schedule my deload for the week we brought Phoebe home, but I was still able to get some lighter workouts in.  Then it was back to business.  Since that point all of my workouts have been great.

This past week, we found out the events for 105K nationals, and I am pumped.  We are about 2 months out, so it is time to dial in my training and diet in an effort to peak at the right time, hopefully while maintaining my health.  Losing weight while maintaining/gaining strength is something I have come to depend on my HMB for the past few years.  These were the first benefits I noticed using HMB.  I am sure this time will be no different.

Lastly, we moved all of the strongman training equipment into our new facility.  We are waiting on electricity, but have been able to train in there twice so far.  Once we get all our ducks in a row, it should be a great place to continue getting strong. 

I have lots of things to be excited about as well as thankful for right now.  I am incredibly pumped up about facing the challenges of being a dad.  I am pumped up about what is in store for me in the training/competition field.  And I am thankful to HMB for helping me in these endeavors.
 

Trying to have adequate sleep/rest is certainly the key to getting my body to where I want it to be after having my third child.  Requirements for an average active individual (and if you are reading this, chances are that you are above the average) are at least seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night.  When you are heavily training, whether it is in the weight room or endurance wise, the numbers jump to 10 hours per night. In this hectic day and age, let’s face it, it is very difficult to get the time to rest your body and mind as needed.  If a good night’s sleep is not in your cards or you simply are not a sound sleeper, then you need to rest your body when the time allots.  Taking a ‘cat nap’ may be an option to rest those muscles for even a few minutes.  This is what I have personally had to and continue to try fit into my daily routine. 

Now speaking of getting back on track, I am about to start my next phase of training on the track very soon.  With two weeks to go until the beginning of August, I am still concentrating mostly on getting my body accustomed again to being a calorie burning machine through five spin classes per week along with close to 30 miles of running spread throughout the seven days of the week.  My core routine is something that I switch up each time I hit my abs, to keep my body guessing what’s next.  Come next month, I will be incorporating two days of track interval work into my routine to really spike my heart rate and hit each of my fast and slow twitch muscles.  Alongside the track routine, I will start incorporating three days per week of a circuit routine in the weight room.  This will be done mostly with my own body weight resistance with no rest in between sets and only one minute rest in between circuits.  The routine will consist of the following movements:

• 2 minute lunge cycle
• 2 minute upper body band resistance exercises
• 2 minute core routine
• 2 minute jumping rope or jumping jacks
• one minute rest
• REPEAT 3 to 4 times
**this will be done on the days in which I am not on the track**

Keeping on top of my caloric intake is a must.  Without the help of Optimum Nutrition products (and the Hydrowhey that I live on ), I would be lost.  Things are really about to speed up here with my travelling, so I always make sure I have protein on hand to keep my metabolism up. 

With that being said, keep your eyes peeled for a venture that will again take me into network television within the next coming months!  To be followed by my stage presence in 2011.

Until then, keep up with your supplements that also help me stay  on track – HMB; found at your local retailer or if you prefer to shop online…www.NutritionMarket.com 

• I have five people now that I’m getting ready for contests in October.  (was four)
• The Olympia is coming up fast!
• I’m working on a supplement store, which is opening right next to the gym.    There are not enough hours in the day, but that’s what I thrive on.  

My training is going well.  I’m going to start my diet for the Olympia so I am leaner.  I’ve been holding my weight right around 320lbs.  I hope to be right around 290lbs at the Olympia so I will lean down a little bit.  It will be nothing drastic.  This winter is when I will be packing on the weight and striving to hit 350lbs or so.  Unfortunately, that’s the part of the sport I really don’t like; gaining a ton of weight.  I always hear people say, “Why don’t you just stay leaner, then it’s easier to diet?”  That may be true, but I also believe that if you don’t put on enough mass (and I mean quality mass, not fat and sloppy) your body won’t react as well to your pre-contest diet because you were already too lean.  Making gains means you have to eat a lot of food and with that you will gain some fat, but that’s what the pre-contest diet is for.  If it was easy, everyone would be a bodybuilder.  If it wasn’t for HMB, my gains each year would be even harder.  My health is better now because of HMB as well as my muscle recovery.  For me, I have been taking nine grams a day.  Three in the morning, three post workout, and three with my last meal before bed.  I have seen AND felt my best results with nine grams.  But like I said, that’s for me and what I need to help my body recover after my intense training. 

I always drink my Optimum Nutrition (ON) Hydrowhey.  I love how it tastes and how it mixes.  I use all ON supplements because of their quality and effectiveness.  If you buy junk supplements, you get junk in return. 

So my gym is doing well and it keeps getting better and better.  This summer has been great and I’m really looking forward to this fall.  So I encourage everyone to stay strong, train hard, and keep using your HMB and ON supplements.  You will thank me for it.

The goal going into this meet was to post a 200 Wilk’s score in the deadlift. I started with an opening deadlift of 320kg (705 pounds), followed it with a 335kg (738 pounds) second attempt, and finished with a 345kg (760 pounds) final lift, with all three lifts being passed with three white lights. This lift is only 5kg off of my personal best and resulted in a Wilk’s score of 201. Videos of the deadlifts can be seen on my YouTube site.

This competition was a big step forward after suffering the setback of the torn spinal erector in my lower back earlier this year. God really used the training leading up to this contest to teach me a tremendous amount about patience, a quality that has not been my strongest in the past. This has been a humbling experience. The best part of competing is meeting great people and developing new relationships, and this contest did not disappoint in this area.

Next up is USAPL Deadlift National Championships in Denver, CO on October 16th. This contest is a qualifier for the 2011 IPF GNC Pro Deadlift at the Arnold Sports Festival. The goal for this contest will be 352.5kg (777 pounds)-355kg (782 pounds). I think this goal is well within reach. Training will focus on RDL’s, heavy rowing and raw back squats. I need to improve the top end of my deadlift before this contest. This used to be a strong point for me, but has lagged as of late due to not being able to use rack deadlifts in training; these are a high risk movement for me right now in terms of reinjuring my lower back. I will be incorporating deadlifts with chains to overload the top end of the deadlift in the upcoming training phase.

HMB continues to be a staple of my recovery arsenal. Nothing gives a muscle recovery edge like HMB. A big thanks goes to TEAM HMB for all of their support!

For more information about how HMB can help improve strength and sensorimotor function, read the abstract at http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=70437d9d-390f-4d38-a317-c21e89b7174b&cKey=a800d10e-8d11-4cc3-96cd-204af05f19fe&mKey={24A58842-A6E4-47C5-889B-B8D603BBBA25}.

Log for Reps 305lbs-clean each lift
In training I hit 7 reps indoors with a familiar log. I was more confident that I would do well in this event but during the rules meeting it was brought to our attention once we started pressing we could not take our hands off the log. This worried me because it makes it incredibly hard to get adequate oxygen. Even with this set back I was ready to go since it was a pressing event.  When it was my turn the number to beat was 8 reps. I ended up getting 6 reps for 3rd place and it felt like old times.

Hummer Tire Dead Lift-last man standing
The starting height was 13 inches and 650 pounds. We were not allowed to wear suits but we could use straps. Lately my dead lifts had been progressing and this was the event I was most confident about.  I maxed out at 850 pounds and gave a solid tug at 900. Once again good enough for 3rd place.

Arm Over Arm Truck Pull
Going into the competition this was suppose to be a Conan’s wheel, so when I heard they changed it to a truck pull I was ecstatic. This is one of my better events and I placed 3rd. This was only 1.01 seconds behind 1st place. Being such a tight race it could have gone anyway for the top guys.

Yoke/Shield Medley
My yoke has been getting progressively better but it is still a weak event. The yoke was smooth and steady but when I got to the shield I couldn’t get a good grip to carry it. I ended up going 60 feet with the yoke but I was only able to hold onto the shield for 5 feet. Even with a rough event I still placed 5th, keeping me in the running for a top placing.

Tire Flip/ Sled Drag
The yoke was so hard on my body that my back and oblique muscles began to cramp up. When doing this event I had to take everything nice and slow to prevent cramps. I still managed 5 flips with a 1000 pound tire but struggled with the sled drag. Only one person finished the sled drag and the rest of us were inches apart from each other. Dealing with the cramps I finished 6th.This worried me about finishing in the top 3, but if I had to have the competition ride on any event it would be the atlas stones.

Atlas Stones
It is an amazing experience to perform in front of 9,000+ people. I was sitting in 3rd place, I knew all I had to do was load all 5 stones. My pace was steady and I knocked off the stones one by one. Once I completed the 5th stone, it was an amazing feeling knowing that after everything I had been through I could still place in the top 3 at a major competition.

 I know this would not be possible without the amazing people in my life. A big thanks goes out to Al Thompson in taking a chance on me in 2009 and letting me defend my title in 2010. My family and friends have been there for me every step of the way, giving me more support than I could ask for. I have gotten a lot of help from Dino Strength Gear with their knee sleeves, wrist straps, and briefs that have made a huge difference in my training. I would especially like to thank Team HMB for sticking with me through my recover process.   It has been a rough year but I am a stronger person because of it.

 
Our small private gym, Jackals Gym, located in extreme rural Southwest Minnesota continues to have tremendous success.  We had 6 members compete in Palm Springs.  Unfortunately, Greg Wagner, 2009 IPF Bronze Medalist, had trouble in the bench and bombed out.  Nick Tylutki, Jon Krogman and I each won Open National Championships. Nineteen year old Tony Schwebach won a teenage National Championship.  Hometown twenty year old Craig Peterson was a Junior National runner-up. These 6 members that competed range from age 19-44.  Regardless of age and training experience, we all follow a similar simple approach of heavy RAW training. Our training is based around a high- volume, percentage based approach that includes standard (5x5) or (5x3) sets and reps in the squat and bench, and incorporating various Olympic lifts and partial power rack overloads into our deadlift training. As indicated in previous blogs; “keeping it simple with a lot of hard work has been our formula.  There is nothing that can replace hard work when it comes to building maximum strength levels.” Unfortunately, there are not too many training gimmicks out there that actually work. Continued strength gains come from good old fashioned hard work in the gym. 

I am going to take a much needed rest and train light through the month of July.  Then it will be back to 5x5 squats and heavy pulls out of the rack.  The Gym will be a busy place in the next 4 months as 3 of us prepare for our trip to South Africa.  This will be the 2nd trip to South Africa for all 3 of us.  In 2004 Jon Krogman won a Sub-Junior IPF World Championship in Pretoria, and Nick Tylutki and I competed in the 2004 IPF World Championships in Capetown.

I am continuing to get great strength and recovery gains from taking GNC Pro Performance HMB.  I am currently taking 4-6 grams per day.  I typically spread this out by taking 1 gram with each of my meals, and 2 grams following a heavy workout. 

Train hard, stay healthy, set your goals high, and don't forget to add GNC Pro Performance HMB to your supplement list!

 
Really looking forward to getting on stage again soon, I think I will have a great showing in Kansas in September and might bring home another Gold!  I have increased my calories to 3,600 per day, doing cardio 2 times per week and lifting 5 days per week. I will keep that going until August, and then I will up my cardio to 6 days per week while cutting back calories by about 600 or so.

I am in the final stages of preparation for this contest. In fact, my heavy pulling was completed this past Saturday. I was scheduled to pull my opener in the new Metal King IPF deadlift suit. However, even with the help of an experienced powerlifting gear tailor, I have not been able to get this suit to fit right. As a result, the script for Saturday’s training session got altered a bit. I decided to do some heavy pulling with bands, and was able to work up to 600 plus 240 pounds of band tension with just a belt as my gear. A video of this lift can be viewed on my YouTube site.

The bad news is that I will not pull a heavy straight weight in a suit before this contest. The good news is that my strength levels are at an all time high. I have really focused on attacking my grip training with an intensity that I have not had before, and it is paying big dividends. My grip is stronger than ever. I thought my lockout strength would suffer in the deadlift after having to drop rack deadlifts for some time because they are a high-risk movement for re-injuring my torn erector. However, I have simply used alternative means to work the lockout, and have done so with great success. The band deadlifts, snatch grip RDL’s and heavy, high rep DB rows have ensured that my lockout strength is up to par. Finally, the leg strength is really coming along as well, which helps my pull off of the floor – nothing fancy here in terms of training, just the tried and true 5x5 raw squat program used with great success by Brad Gillingham. In fact, my last heavy workout before this contest will be this Tuesday, where I will attempt to complete my best 5x5 session yet. After this, it will be some moderate deadlift accessory work next Saturday and then an unload week before the contest.

HMB has continued to be a staple in my daily recovery. I highly encourage all those using HMB or considering using HMB to take your first dose BEFORE training. This continues to pay big dividends for me in the recovery process. In fact, it does not seem to be much of a process anymore. The pre- and post-training consumption has consistently ensured that I can train hard during each training session. A big thanks to MTI and Optimum Nutrition for their support!

In the past month, my gym time has been 2-4 times a week. Weeks when there are only 2 days available to train, I rely mainly on a combination of plyometric and circuit drills. For example, I will complete a circuit of squat jumps, scissor jumps, tuck jumps, lat pull downs, seated rows, burpies, and V-seats.  Then repeat the circuit 3-4 times with 15-25 repetitions of each exercise. In my next training session, I will do a similar type of circuit with different exercises. This type of training gets me in and out of the gym in about a half hour and completely taxes my body. I keep my intensity very high resulting in fatigued muscles and a cardio workout in one. When I have 4 times to train, then I can split up the body parts to add more exercises to each.

It is always beneficial to find time for the gym yet keep a balance. There are days when I can wake up very early to train, but I would not be getting enough sleep for recovery. Along with HMB, sleep is very important for repairing the body, mentally and physically. It’s about figuring out your own body to know when to train and when to rest. Training too much can have negative effects just as not enough training. Getting to the gym when you can, keeping your nutrition on key, and supplementing with HMB will give improved results.

Whether it is a quick 2 times per week training session or more, I always rely on HMB to aid in recovery. This supplement keeps me lean, strong, and ready for more training!

Now it’s time to get down to business.  Nearly three weeks to date of his birth, I set my goals and aspirations higher than ever.  With the help of HMB and fellow Team HMB members, I am super excited for all that is to come. It’s just a matter how I am going to juggle it all. 

* On a training note, in one more week I will be re-introducing my cardio/core structure:
Monday – 60 minute cycling class; 10 minute core circuit (planks/superman to regain general core strength before a more structured ab routine begins)
Tuesday – 3 mile easy run/10 minute stretch circuit
Wednesday – recovery/off day
Thursday – 60 minute cycling class; 10 minute core circuit
Friday – 3 mile hill interval run (sprint drills uphill 100 meters, recovery jog downhill 100 meters)
Saturday – recovery/off day
Sunday – shift & lift exercise class (30 minutes on the bike immediately followed by 30 minutes circuit lifting ((perfect combination to “re-awaken” all my muscle groups)).
**This will all be done on my own for approximately one month – then the fun begins with a more intense, structured routine (with a workout partner or trainer).**

On a nutrition note, it has never been more important for me to keep my calories high.  To incorporate workouts into my daily regimen, as well as to feed my little one, I have to make sure I have the fuel to do it all.  So, now more so than ever, my protein shakes/meal replacements are a must have.  I don’t leave home without my Optimum Nutrition (ON) hydrowhey plus orange juice (for the extra good calories and the bonus of the vanilla flavor, which makes it taste just like an orange creamsicle)!!  The new ON whey crisp protein bars & wholly oats (great alternative to that bowl of standard oatmeal) are another standard in my purse, gym and diaper bag for any and all nutritional needs when I’m on the go.  When it comes to supplementation, make certain that your HMB is up to par (check out NutritionMarket.com for the best pricing of HMB out there!)  Be sure to also check out ON’s line of pre-workout drinks for that extra boost that may be needed to hit your training goals.

The goal I have is to eat every 2 to 3 hours, approximately 200 to 250 calories, to make sure I keep my energy and metabolism revved up for the entire day and workout ahead.

Sleep oh yes sleep, yet another necessity….you truly take your Z’s for granted when they are far and few between.  Honestly, this is going to be my largest obstacle when it comes to making it all work.  Without adequate rest, anyone’s training is always going to be an uphill battle. 

I’ll let you know how this is going, and here is the top “Mama Jackie Fit Tip”: rest when your little one(s) are resting.  If it’s still hard for you, then get a baby sitter and make yourself rest.  You’re only making it harder on yourself to get that pre-baby (and then some in my case) body back!

Thanks again for all of your support through my amazing pregnancy journey. Can’t wait for what’s to come and what I have in store to share with you all.  Stay tuned for my training diaries, new video and photos, all thanks to the help of HMB!

The seventh annual Missouri’s Strongest Man: The Gus Lohman Memorial Challenge was held on June 12.  This year it was at an airplane hangar in the old Richard’s Gabaur Memorial Airport.  We had some exciting events including the circus dumbbell clean and press, oxygen tank farmers walk, Conan’s wheel, bus pull (we had enough room and enough buses that 3 guys were able to pull head to head), and a monster keg load.  Even though it felt like a monsoon blew through right during our rules meeting, with a short delay and some quick maneuvering, the show went on, and was quite successful.  There was a battle in each class.  When the dust settled, the final results were:

Masters:
1st Dave Kraft
2nd John O’Brien
3rd Todd Lowenstein
4th Tim Nassen
5th Lance Foster
6th Rick Newton

LW
1st Jeff Howenstein
2nd Zac Craig
3rd Sal Badali
4th Mike Prewitt
5th Alan English
6th Corey Kenkle

MW
1st Tyler Schuman
2nd Chris Anderson
3rd Mac Capello
4th Justin Cantwell
5th Jesse Jobe
6th Jason Oyler
7th Micah Rupp
8th Steven Slausen

HW:
1st Justin Wheeler
2nd Chuck Kasson
3rd Jeremy Moore
4th Adam Weaver
5th Jason Fike
6th Nate Butler
7th Billy Duncan
8th Ramses Arceo
9th Max Pippa (withdrew due to injury)

 
The greatest reward of the day was that between the contest, concession stand, and raffle, we were able to raise $4000 for Camp Quality!  Thanks to MTI/HMB and Optimum Nutrition for helping make this meet such a huge success.

 
Training has been going well, even as I recover from a flare up in my back that has been an issue since 2006.  Numbers are going up, and the injury is improving.  I got another chance to compete before the baby is born, as I competed with a few of my buddies at the Des Moines Highland Games this past weekend.  I was frustrated with a couple of my events, but overall the day went quite well, and I pulled away for another win in the B class.  The guys keep telling me that if I learned any technique, I would be hard to beat, since I currently rely solely on my brute power.  It was fun, and was great to get the experience.  That will be my last hurrah for a while.  I plan on continuing training and get prepared for ASC pro nationals in September.  I assume I will rely more heavily than ever  on HMB in my recovery as I become sleep deprived with the new baby,  and American Body Building’s (ABB)  speed stack to wake up for my workouts. 

I’m getting busier training more clients.  I’ve been getting more people asking me to take them to the next level because what they were doing just wasn’t cutting it anymore.  I’ve picked up a few more competitors as well.  That’s going to keep me busy this year so it’s probably a good thing I decided to take the year off from my own competing.   I really enjoy doing contest prep and it’s what I will continue to do even long after my days of competing are over.

My training is going well.  I’m staying right around 315lbs right now and will stay at this weight for a while because in another six weeks I’m going to diet down a bit for the OLYMPIA!!!  I’m really looking forward to another year at the Olympia and getting to see everyone again and talk about the best supplement ever, HMB!  I laugh because I can’t keep HMB on my shelves.  It’s great!  I love telling people about this great supplement.  When they experience the great recovery and gains, they just can’t believe it either.  What HMB has done for my recovery and gains is incredible and I’m having some of the best years of my career simply due to HMB.  So between taking my HMB and my Optimum Hydrowhey, I’m set!  It’s pretty much all I need.  And when I need a little boost, I’ve been using the ABB N.O. Speed Stack.  Tastes great and gives me the energy boost I need on days I’m dragging.

I’ve been filming some of my lifts and have a few of them up on YouTube and I will be posting them here soon too.  Recently, I’ve had fans ask me how I manage being a business owner, bodybuilder competitor, personal trainer and most importantly, a husband and father.  I will answer fans’ questions in an upcoming self-interview that will be posted on Team HMB’s youtube page.  I’ll talk about my upcoming competitions, what my prep is like and how getting ready for my current contests are different from past shows.

So until next time keep taking your HMB.  Keep drinking your Optimum Hydrowhey and keep training hard!   You will thank me for it!

The heavyweight class is the toughest it has been in the 4 years I’ve been involved in strongman here in Michigan, so I knew it would take a stellar performance to compete for the win.

Carry and Drag Medley
A 240lb atlas stone and keg had to be carried and loaded into a sled, and then the entire sled had to be dragged 60’. It was easy work loading, but I couldn’t get the sled moving fast enough to get a rhythm. I had to row it along, and I only made about half the course. I finished in 7th place here.

Log Press
The weight was 240lb and it had to be cleaned once and pressed for reps.  This is a NAS record breaking weight too! After multiple cleans, I was able to finish with 9 reps. I’ve always struggled to get the log positioned without re-cleaning it, and it showed here.  I knew this would be a tough event for me in the heavyweight class, so I was happy with 3rd place!

Yoke Carry Race
The yokes were loaded to an impressive 820lb and had to be carried 80’.  James Rude and Ron Shock had both put up times in the low teens, so I knew I would have to be perfect to compete with that. I haven’t gotten as much time under the yoke recently as I would like. Despite this, the weight felt comfortable, but I just didn’t have the speed. I finished with a solid 22-second time and another 3rd place.

Frame Carry
For the 4th event of the contest, we had to carry a frame over a 60’ distance. The frame weighed 620 lbs, which I’ve successfully trained with many times. However, today was a different story. The times from the other contestants were all very fast. I gave a 110 percent effort here, and as I was running toward the finish line with the frame, it jostled in my hands and I took a hard step. At this point, the frame ripped out of my hands and crashed to the ground. I felt blood and looked down to see that most of the skin on my hands was gone. I went to a pinch grip just so I could finish the last 5’, and then I went straight to the on-site ambulance to get some gauze pads, tape, and a quick hand cleaning. I placed 6th here.

Atlas Stone Load
JP’s new Atlas Stone platforms are awesome. They are set up similarly to the ones in World’s Strongest Man. Anyway, I no longer had a chance to win, and with my hands torn up so badly, as well as being excessively taped, I chose to go with a conservative effort on the stones. I took my time and was able to easily load all 5 in around 40 seconds. The stones weighed 260-350 lbs and the platform heights descended from 56” to 48”. This was good for another 3rd place.

Overall, I ended up 4th out of 8 in the heavyweight class. The competition as a whole was fantastic. Congrats to Dave Liepman, Shawn Allen, Jake Webb, and James Rude for victories in their respective weight classes.  I’m already looking forward to this contest again next year!

My next contest will be the 105Kg America’s Strongest Man on September 17th and 18th in Detroit, Mi. With HMB on my side, I’m looking to once again be America’s Strongest in the 105Kg weight class. So stay tuned for training updates and some video footage from King of the Mountain 3.

I jumped right back into heavy training following the Masters Nationals.  My heavy training cycle was completed this past week.   I now have a week of light training, and a week of rest.  It is important to rest prior to a big competition to allow the muscles, joints and central nervous system to recuperate.  I had very good training in the squat and deadlift, but the bench is still lagging behind.  In the last 10 years my bench has consistently been in the 600 lb range, but that has dropped to the mid 500's.  I injured my shoulder at the World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan last summer. The injury has recovered and the shoulder feels good, but I’m just not able to generate as much strength and explosion.  I also am not as strong as I should be locking out the weight. This has me thinking that maybe I am missing some upper back strength.  I dropped high pulls and powercleans from my training in order to let my back recover this winter.  My development in this area was always very strong in the past.  I think it is time to get after these again. I will be concentrating on more upper back work and more triceps/lockout work during my next training cycle. There is an important rule in strength training.  It is essential for continued strength gains to search out your weak areas of development and implement a training plan to strengthen these areas.  In this case, one of my previously strong areas of development has become weakened and now it is time to re-focus my training.

The past several weeks have been very busy for me, as I have been training 5 other members of the gym for the Nationals.  We have 2 Junior lifters and 3 other Open lifters competing in Palm Springs. We have had a tremendous amount of success over the years following a basic training template.  In my opinion, keeping it simple with a lot of hard work has been our formula.  There is nothing that can replace hard work when it comes to building maximum strength levels.  Strength is built through time and effort, not by fancy machines and gimmicks.  Jackals Gym and Southwest Minnesota will be well represented in Palm Springs. 

I am continuing to get great strength and recovery gains from taking GNC Pro Performance HMB.  I am currently taking 4-6 grams per day.  I typically spread this out by taking 1 gram with each of my meals, and 2 grams following a heavy workout. 

Train hard, stay healthy, set your goals high, and don't forget to add GNC Pro Performance HMB to your supplement list!

Stay Strong,
Brad

Ok, that is it for the life lessons. Now, on to the training. I have taken a slightly more conservative approach to training and have experienced some great results in the past two weeks. I have posted four new videos on the You Tube page of the recent successes I have had in my training. The lower body strength is finally coming around – I decided to kind of go off the script last week on front squats and just see where I was with my lower body strength. I managed to get 405x4. Decided to do the same on power snatch and tied a personal record, getting 220 for a triple with some still left in the tank. I have been doing more clean grip deadlifts without straps to work on the grip strength – hit a personal record of 455x5 on these, so the grip strength is starting to come around as well. Finally, I have been playing it pretty safe on the deficit deadlifts, and pulling from the floor does not seem to bother my back nearly as much as rack pulls. After a thorough warm-up, I decided to once again go off the planned script and see what I had in me for a set of five. I was able to pull a raw 600x5 from a three-inch deficit. This is also an all-time PR. That concludes the current three-week cycle. Next cycle I will move to a 5x5 back squat program, and really try to push the lower body strength up.

Rehab has focused on plenty of stretching, traction, and massage, as well as single-leg and double-leg reverse hypers for the lower back. Recovery has been unbelievable with the help of taking HMB on my training days. Often I literally feel like I did not even train the day before. I guess that is the way it is suppose to be. You know how the saying goes, “Today’s training is only as good as yesterday’s recovery.”
 

My pushing movements have been eliminated for now, but that doesn’t mean there is any less training! For my upper body, I’ve been doing pulling movements with a close grip or underhand grip to limit the shoulder involvement. I have incorporated hiking for some cardio on a nice steep trail up the mountain. It’s a great cardio session and very refreshing to be outside in the beautiful California weather. The gorgeous view is an added bonus to the fresh air.

I am also doing more gymnast training that I did as a teenager. It is not only intense physical training, but it mentally makes me feel young and extremely energetic! I will do sprints and plyometrics as one of my leg workouts during the week in addition to a day with weights. I complete about every type of jump for thorough training and zero boredom. My favorite plyometric exercises are bounders, traveling squat jumps, and alternating leg- tuck/pike jump. This type of training has my lower half burning along with my heart pumping.

No matter what type of training is on the agenda, I am always supplementing with HMB to aid in my recovery and prepare my body for a more intense session next time!

Looking toward the future, my next contest will be on June 12th. I will be defending my title at King of the Mountain 3, which is sanctioned by North American Strongman and takes place in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. There will be a good mix of heavy weights and endurance events that will challenge all the athletes. With summer temperatures and humidity beginning to sky rocket, remaining the King of the Mountain will be a daunting task.  Although it will be tough, I’m excited about it.

Now that I am getting back into the swing of training, HMB has been a vital part of my regimen. A couple years ago, a few weeks of time off like this would have me begging for mercy days after a vigorous strongman training session. However, after hitting my first event training session in 5 weeks, I woke up the next morning ready to go again!

Keep an eye out for a contest write up and make sure you supplement with HMB to maximize your strength, endurance, and recovery.

I want to give a huge thanks to all of those who have supported me throughout this pregnancy and given me the strength to keep training the way that I have.  Even though the anticipation of boy or girl this time around holds precedence over most, I cannot wait to hit training levels that I have not yet reached through the help of HMB.  Becoming a HMB sponsored athlete close to 2 years ago, I have yet to even grasp the beginnings of what there is to accomplish, from contest circuit to triathlete standings, writing and modeling opportunities within the health and fitness industry, and even into (or shall I say back into) sports entertainment!!

Even though the first stage of labor has already onset, I am so excited to share this amazing experience with you all and guide many of you mommies out there who have asked me for guidance along your own pregnancy journey.  Thanks Team HMB and all my fans for all the support along this amazing time of my life.

Until next time, stay stronger, leaner, faster, and recover with greater endurance levels than ever before with HMB in your daily regimen!! 

I have competed in Highland Games almost as long as I have done strongman.  The difference is that I have never really trained for it. I usually only compete in one competition a year, and I have not had much success in them.  As I wrote in a previous blog, I had been training for the Orlando Show of Champions Strongman meet when an issue with my back prevented me from competing.  Though my back is not 100 percent yet, it has been feeling much better, and I have been chomping at the bit to compete.  I know that after our daughter is born in July, competing will be on the back burner for a month or two, so I am wanting to get one in.  I saw that there were new Highland Games being held in Joplin, MO; so I decided to participate.

I talked my training partner Chris into coming out and competing with me.  On the way down, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I had not touched a Highland Games implement since I last competed in October.  I was in the B Class, and when we got there, I found out we would be starting with the weight throws.  I have never been that great at them, so I was fine with getting them out of the way.  In the heavy weight, I ended up getting 25’ 1”, which was just 1 inch short of 2nd place, but was good for a PR.  On the light weight, I have always been horrible.  I could never get the spin down, so I have rarely tried it.  Well, I got it to work for me in Joplin, and I hit 51’7”, which was good for 2nd, and was about a 6-foot PR.

We moved on to the hammers from there.  These have traditionally been one of my worst events, but last year, I figured out two things to focus on, and it has helped tremendously.  We threw the heavy first, and I hit a 74’1” throw for 2nd, just 6” off from getting 1st, and a meet PR.  In the light, I hit a throw of 88’3”, good for 3rd and a meet PR. 

At this point I was feeling pretty good about things, some of my weaker events had gone quite well, and it looked like my chances of placing were decent.  We moved on to the caber.  I have been hit and miss on this event, mostly miss.  This time I was able to turn the qualifier, but when it came time to turn the competition caber, I just couldn’t get a feel for it and got 3 attempts at 45 degrees each.  It ended up being good for 4th, but I was not pleased with it at all.  As it turned out, it ended up being my lowest placing.   After lunch and a bit of a wait, we started the sheaf.  This event has been my biggest nemesis in the heavy games, until last year when it finally clicked.  I was worried that I would have lost it, not having touched it since then, but it came back to me and I threw pretty well.  At 22’, I was clearing the bar by over 2 feet, but when we moved to 24’, I kept peaking behind the bar.  Three of us tied here, but when they went to countback, I was declared the winner.

Next is an event I have always excelled at, the 56lb weight over bar.   I ended up clearing 13’ by a few inches for the event win.  I felt like if I had needed it, I could have gone 13’6”, or maybe even 14’ with a good throw.

We finished up on the stones.  We did the braemar stone first.  I topped out with a throw of 29’, which was good for 2nd, but a couple feet off from my best throw.  Lastly was the open stone.  I have always struggled with the approach on this, so I decided to do a technique, which I will never let my junior high throwers do: the fat man shuffle.  It paid off!  I hit a throw of 35’ 6.5” for the event win and another PR.  When they tallied the score at the end of the day, I was declared the winner.  This was only the second time I have ever placed in the B class, and my first win.  I had a very solid day overall, and felt very good about it.  This win put me in the top 10 nationally in the B class.   With the help of HMB and a little practice, I am looking forward to seeing the progress that I can continue to make in these events.

I’ve been focusing on the competitive season, going in full swing, and have had some clients compete in a couple different competitions.  One of my clients, a female bodybuilder , competed in the Miss Iowa contest and finished with two second place finishes in her classes.  She does everything that’s expected of her, which makes my job so much easier, as well as a lot more fun.  Another one of my client’s had a show at the Muscle Mayhem in Kansas City.  He finished first in his Master’s 40-49 class, won the Master’s overall, and finished third in his open class. This qualified him for Masters Nationals, which we will get him ready for next July.   He’s 48 years old and looked amazing.  Again, he does all he’s supposed to do too.  I have all my competitors using HMB, and they all love the results, especially when you’re 48 years old and making gains each year becomes harder and harder.  All of my clients have become die hard believers in HMB, and are almost as crazy about it as I am.

Next contest prep is going to be a friend of mine, one of our group fitness instructors, another client and MY WIFE!  Lol, Yeah, that might sound crazy, but she does everything she’s told to do when it comes to contest training and her diet.  Modesty aside, I’m a good contest prep coach, and if my clients do as they’re told, they’ll always have a top three finish.  When they don’t do what they’re told, they pay the price with bad placings.  So I will have two male bodybuilders and two figure girls for the show in Minnesota this October.   

My training is going very well.  I’m back up to around 320lbs.  I will probably get up to around 350 before I begin my contest prep next year.  My HMB from Optimum Nutrition is one of the two most important parts of my supplementation, along with Hydro Whey from Optimum Nutrition!  My training split is going great and I will stay on it for awhile.  As long as I keep growing and recovering as well as I am, then I will keep going with what is working.  So that’s how my spring has been going, busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

So keep working hard and using your HMB and Optimum Nutrition products, and keep watching for my progress.  Next season is going to be good.  I’m working my butt off so I can have the best year I possibly can.  HMB, HMB, HMB!  I can’t even explain how important it is.  Make sure to get it!   You will thank me for it!

As of now it looks like I am going to have a very busy summer with competitions. My first is in Philly, then I have a couple in Canada, and then the US Nationals in Arkansas. Hopefully a good placing at Nationals will qualify me for America’s Strongest Man at the Olympia in Las Vegas.

Since I have recovered at a much faster rate than expected, and didn’t think I would be able to compete for a while, I wanted to do a small local meet to test out my body. Even though the events were light and short distance at Kansas Strongest Man, it was a great starting place to give me an idea of where I am and where I need to be before I do a pro show.

Kansas Strongest Man Demo
Press Medley: 130lbs dumbbell, 240lbs axle, 180lbs keg, and 270lbs 12'' log
17.8sec
I trained this event a few times and felt really confident I would hit a quick time. All of the implements felt light and went up without any struggles. I have been pretty lucky that the incision in my chest didn’t affect my shoulder strength, and I just hope it holds up under a heavy press event.

Arm over Arm Motorcycle Drag:
14.19
I didn’t feel confident with this event. Since my surgery, my cardio has been on the poor side, but recently I have been hitting it hard. It definitely paid off, and the pull didn’t even get me winded. I was really happy with the speed and think this will once again be one of my better events.

750lbs Yoke 60':
11.81sec
Since getting back to lifting, I had only trained the yoke one time. It went fairly well with a 750lbs run, but it was on the slow side. I guess all of the recent squatting really helped because I had one of my best runs at this meet. I usually have slow foot speed no matter what the weight is, but it felt like I was really improving and I am very happy with the run.

Max 18'' Deadlift:
800lbs
I have always been confident about deadlift events, but always had a problem with high pulls. Because of the way I pull, I get most of the speed and momentum from the ground, so when the bar starts too high it just throws off my entire body. For not training for this event in over a year, I feel that even an 800lbs pull was still good, and think if I had gone for 850 instead of 900 it would have been pretty easy.

360lbs Stone over bar:
2 reps
This is normally one of my favorite and best events, but I fell a little short at the meet. Through miscommunication, the stones didn’t get washed before the meet and I got the honor of cleaning them off, turning my tacky into sludge. The reps I did felt really easy, but I just couldn’t get a good grip on the stone, and I lost a few reps slipping away right before the top of the platform. It was a little aggravating when it happened, but since recovering, I have easily lifted a 420lbs stone, and even almost lapped my 24” 520lbs. I am confident it was just the stone condition in this event, and not a reflection on my loading strength.

Overall, it was a great meet, and getting to see all of my friends just makes it that much more fun. It was a great test of my strength and knowing that after everything I went through, I can still come prepared to a competition and give a good performance. Makes me more excited to get back to a pro meet and see where I rank!

With starting almost completely over, I have to give lots of credit to HMB. The rate I have recovered at has amazed everyone, even myself. I cannot think of a supplement I recommend more to people and encourage everyone to try!

For more information on this study, visit http://submissions.miracd.com/EB2010/Itinerary/SearchResults2.asp.  To read more about other studies on HMB, visit www.hmb.org.

Jennifer and I have been staying busy getting things ready for the birth of our daughter, who is due at the beginning of July.  I’m sure life will change drastically, and I will have to work hard to find the balance between family and training.  It will be a challenge, but one I am up for.
I have been working to get the new training facility done and functional.  It is getting close, and we have started moving some of our equipment in it.

Another thing I have been busy with lately is the preparations for our state strongman meet.  Missouri's Strongest Man: The Gus Lohman Memorial VII is slated for June 12 in Belton, Missouri, and I am the co-promoter.  It is such a huge undertaking.  This is a NAS platinum sanctioned show with the top 3 competitors in each division qualifying for nationals.  All proceeds from this event benefit Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer.  We have raised about $13,000 for them in the past, and with generous sponsors like MTI and Optimum Nutrition, I am certain we are going to add a large amount to that this year.  We would like to invite everyone to come and watch or participate in the event to help support this great fundraiser.  Hope to see you there.

With less than three weeks to go until my official due date, I am as ready as I am going to be.  (Except for all the anticipations of motherhood that come totally unexpected…and the neutral nursery being far from done).  Over the course of the last week or so, even though I am still going strong in spin class, the room that I share on the bike with my belly has certainly become a bit of a task.  Here are some of the Health and Fitness Mommy-To-Be Tips that I have lived and learned by now through several pregnancies:

1. NUTRITION IS KEY.  Now more than ever, you need to make sure that your body is getting all the correct nutrients for yourself and of course the life that you are creating.  Although, throughout all of your pregnancy, this may be the hardest time ever to get all those nutrients in.  From weird cravings to not being able to keep anything “down”, pregnancy is a perfect time to set you on a great path of eating correctly.  Small meals more frequently – I always have a protein bar on hand, a serving of almonds and a RTD protein shake.  (Visit NutritionMarket.com for some amazing deals and ideas on your favorite brands…although Optimum Nutrition’s Hydro Whey protein packets on the go are always on hand for the perfect 30 grams of protein that the baby and I need to keep us going throughout the day.  You won’t find me without ON’s oatmeal packets on hand either for a great source of balanced carbohydrates.)
**Your body needs only an extra 300 calories in the second and third trimester, so pregnancy is the perfect time to learn healthy portion control and will help you in getting back the best post baby body of your life.

2. PERFECT PREGNANCY EXERCISES:
a. Sit squat with an exercise ball – to keep that butt looking firm through each trimester.
b. Split lunge.  A must to keep your strength up throughout your entire body, while making your quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves look as long and lean as they can be.
c. Step-out pliés with kegal movement, which is crucial for labor as well.
Time to hit that upper body with the following circuit:
d. One-arm lat row and extension - strengthens middle back, rear shoulder and triceps.
e. Shoulder combo – one of my favorite, front to side lateral raises will give your shoulders the great look to complement your growing mid section!
f. Seated alternating curls - strengthens biceps.  Who said that the only thing that can “peak” during pregnancy is your weight, having defined arms is a must and you better believe that you will very soon have the arm workout of your life always having someone in them.  Not to mention the amazing arm workout that a simple baby carrier will give you day in and day out for the next year!
g. Pelvic tilts – your mid section, core and lower back strength has never become so important.   
h. All-fours abs - strengthens abdominals by getting on all four and contracting.  Sure, it’s not your basic crunch but don’t neglect your tummy time for nine months.

 
3. STRETCH– and I don’t mean your belly!  Remaining limber through this pregnancy has been super beneficial to me and helped for me to ride comfortably throughout the weeks.  Making sure that you have proper warm-up and cool-down stretching will not only allow your muscles to recover and support the changing body positions that you are happening day after day but it will help ease those not so pleasant pregnancy aches and pains with simply being able to still bend down and touch your toes.                  **I personally take ten minutes after each workout to stretch and work on becoming more flexible on and off of the spin bike.  And my sciatic nerve is thanking me for doing so and allowing me to still enjoy my workouts without much discomfort at all.

4. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  More than ever, now is the time to stay within your designated heart rate range for maximum exercise benefits.  Whether you are still running the trails or simply walking the dog, make sure that you know your limits…now is not the time to push it.   Exhausting your body too much of course is not healthy for you or your baby, so keeping your heart rate around 140bpm is ideal for whatever type of exercise you are partaking in; non contact of course!!

So, don’t be a bump on a log even if some of the days you feel like it.  Take each day of pregnancy as a true blessing and give your baby the healthiest start into this world possible.  I can’t wait to share the new baby news with you soon and get started on my next venture with Team HMB after our miracle arrives!

The Masters Competitions can really teach a man of 44 a good lesson when he sees 40-50-60-70+ year old men giving their all and lifting at a high level.  A 40 year should never complain about feeling old.  These guys are all great guys and they are tough competitors.  Competing in Masters Championships has taught me a good lesson about continuing to set my goals high. The human body can stay strong and keep getting stronger when goals are set. 
 
I am continuing to get great strength and recovery gains from taking GNC Pro Performance HMB.  With the enhanced recovery I am able to jump right back into my training for the Open Nationals.  I have 6 weeks to go to try and increase the squat, get the bench going, and feel comfortable about increasing that deadlift closer to my ultimate goal of 900+. 
 
Train hard, stay healthy, set your goals high, and don't forget to add GNC Pro Performance HMB to your supplement list!

The RDL Russian Cycle accomplished its objective – to allow me to load the lower back to some pretty high levels and build strength, while still ensuring that the torn fascia was progressing in terms of healing. The ideal situation for the injury that I sustained would have been to not load it heavily at all for 3 months and then gradually start loading it after that. However, if I am going to have the strength levels needed to compete this year and qualify for the 2011 Arnold Classic, taking 3 months off is simply not an option.

The next phase will continue progressing the front squat loads, while also introducing pulling from the floor, pulling from a deficit off of the floor, and pulling out of the rack. Of course, these will be submaximal loads to begin with and will hopefully progress to near max loads a number of months in the future. I have attached my next cycle with this blog. From here on out up until a pre-contest cycle I will be using 3-week pendulum wave cycles. The three week cycle allows the body enough time to gain strength and power adaptations from a given movement, while at the same time ensuring that the body does not get accommodated to the same movements over a longer period of time due to the rotation of movements every three weeks. The pendulum wave aspect of the cycle ensures that overtraining does not take place. The intensity is consistently waved up and down over periods of three weeks, rather than constantly getting heavier and heavier over very prolonged periods of time.

If anyone is interested in tailoring their HMB intake, I have started a more specific protocol for taking HMB. Note: the size of each serving will be dictated by bodyweight and the level of training stress your body is undergoing. The day of a heavy training session I take 3 grams of HMB about a half hour before training, 2 grams immediately after training, and 2 grams every 6 hours thereafter for the rest of the day. The day after a heavy training session I take 2 grams of HMB upon waking and 2 grams every 6 hours thereafter for the rest of the day. This tailored regimen seems to be even more effective. Give it a try and see what you experience!
 
 

To find out more, check out this article in the June/July 2010 issue of Inside Fitness on newsstands May 10th and read Team HMB Athletes Represent at the GNC IPF Pro Deadlift at the Arnold Classic on page 42! To learn more about these two incredible athletes check out this website further and be sure to check out the Team HMB section!

HMB comes in capsules and also comes in powder form.  Some of the products that come in capsule form include Optimum Nutrition HMB 1000 Caps and GNC Pro Performance HMB.  EAS Muscle Armor is one of the HMB products that comes in powder form.  Some licensed capsule products are combined with other ingredients, so it is important to read the label and check the ingredients in the product.  The recommended dosage varies for each individual by weight, so labels are not always the most accurate.  Click here  to find proper dosing for you.  Various HMB products can be found at www.hmb.org under “Where to Find HMB.”  These products can also be found and purchased at bodybuilding.com, nutritionmarket.com, GNC (gnc.com), EAS (eas.com), and at Optimum Nutrition (optimumnutrition.com).

Before purchasing any supplement or product, be sure to check the label to ensure there is HMB (β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate) in it.  All products containing HMB should have the patent number 5,348,979.

For more information about HMB and to see the featured products of each month, visit www.hmb.org.

So don’t forget to read “A2Z Guide to Supplements” found on page 126 of Musclemag’s summer 2010 issue.  Also refer to this website for more in depth information and research on HMB.

The first few months of this pregnancy, I was still competing in triathlons (of course not expecting any PR’s), still wanting to compete at a safe level for myself and my baby.  I was lucky enough to be able to share some of my personal experience in USA Triathlon Magazine Spring 2010 issue with an article entitled Competition in Pregnancy. – Athletics throughout pregnancy means healthy you and healthy baby.  Even more importantly than sharing my personal perspective of competing pregnant, I wanted to elaborate and encourage those expecting to continue competition and training throughout all of their pregnancy in a safe manner, through facts and shared experience, including that of Olympic Gold Medalist Summer Sanders!  Pregnancy is such a beautiful part of life and I would like to thank all those who have helped me along the way  with training throughout the ten months of creating another life. 

Through the process of expecting another child, I have learned to analyze my own life and levels of training even more.  First make sure you are medically cleared to continue to train.  I was running all throughout my first 2 pregnancies; however this time towards the home stretch cycling has become a lifesaver. Learning how to truly listen to your body has been what I will take away from this pregnancy the most and integrate into all my future training.  Even though maintaining a lower heart rate (average max heart rate during training while pregnant is recommended in the low 140s by most OB/GYN), I have learned a tremendous amount about what my body should and should not feel while training.  When are you pushing too hard and when is it just lazy?  Is my heart rate at a safe level for this extended period of time?  Should my joints, ligaments, and muscles feel like this?  I continue to take my body to the max with my cycling classes, because I’ve had to lay off the running at 7 ½ months this pregnancy due to sciatic pressure. Training gives me such satisfaction that I am giving my baby the best start to life as possible because I am able to give the gift of a strong heart and lungs to my unborn baby.  It’s amazing how after a successful training session I do not only feel accomplished about what I have done for my levels but for my baby as well. 

Even though I am preaching to maintain a very active lifestyle throughout pregnancy, one thing is for certain, that I have been blessed of being able to do so.  Some women do not experience the comfort, or at least most of the time, that I have.  However, even if it is just a walk around the block rather than reaching for that third donut within an hour, everything adds up.  I am not saying that all pregnant women should continue to train like they are competing in a marathon (although again this can be done safely); I am simply saying do what works for you and your baby.  Not only will your delivery be more pleasant but your recovery time and pre-baby body will be back before you know it.  For those of you who are still leading the spin class through every one of those 60 minutes, know that your baby is smiling in that beautiful belly!

Stay tuned for more “Fit Mama Tips” with my next blog.  From prenatal nutritional advise (what is the real truth verses myths), to belly “blasting” workout routines, and just some “motherly advise” about training not only yourself but the life inside of you; I’ll have it all for those interested. 

Until next time, one thing is for sure, I am counting down the days until the birth of our third “surprise miracle” (our third girl or boy we’d love to add to the “HaasHold”) and when HMB is incorporated back into my daily routine to prepare for my next venture, the stage!   For those of you, who don’t have a baby in that belly, be sure that HMB is a part of your daily routine, no matter what your goals are.  Visit NutritionMarket.com for unbeatable deals on your favorite HMB label!

Eating healthy and training intensely is a part of my daily schedule, so it doesn’t feel like hard work, since I enjoy it so much. I love pushing myself beyond my limits and watching my physique improve with the help of HMB, whether a competition is approaching or not. I also love walking on stage with the lights shining on me to proudly present my physique to the judges and audience. Besides a little extra time on some details, there is no hard work for me, just a lot of fun. :)

This weekend I will be traveling to my home state of Pennsylvania to compete in my second show of the season. I have a new suit, a physique that is always improving, and plenty of support to make me shine on stage!

 We had our open house on April 10th.  It was a huge success!  We had food, raffles and vendors here as well as a live radio remote.  The day started off with our ribbon cutting ceremony, with the Waukee Chamber.  During that time though, we got hammered with people coming in and it seemed like everything was chaotic!  Really wasn’t.  Everything just happened all at once.  I sold out of my HMB, which was no surprise, and people were getting the Holmes Health and Fitness/HMB T-shirts.  They look great too!  Already seeing our members and others wearing them out and about and promoting our gym!

 My training is going incredible!  I’m sitting at around 305lbs now and very solid!  I eat the same way each and every day and allow myself a cheat meal or two per week.  My strength is coming back quickly and I might even try to compete in the bench press contest at our state fair this year, just for the heck of it.  I’m having a power rack put in the gym and then I can train correctly.  If I can put up a 600lb bench, I figure that won’t be too bad for me.  Just need to see if my shoulders can handle it.  I’m trying a couple different supplements as well; ABB’s Speed Stack Pumped N.O. is a pretty wicked pre-workout drink!  I love it and have been getting some killer pumps during my workout and I don’t fatigue during the workout.  My HMB is a given and the best part of the supplements I use.  I upped my dosage even a little more due to my size, and my recovery and growth is going so well that I’ve been training six days a week and will be bumping it up to seven days a week.  I’m breaking everything down individually, i.e.: biceps one day and triceps the next, as well as chest, quads, back, shoulder and hamstrings.  As soon as I get all my ducks in a row at the gym I can start training with Charles Glass.  He might have different training he wants me to do.  So we’ll see.

 So I hope everyone else is training hard and taking their HMB and using their ON supplements, I swear by the Hydro Whey too!  It is an amazing protein to use.  Just remember, if you go cheap on your supplements, then your results will be cheap too.  Until next time, train smart and use your HMB and ON supplements.  You will thank me for it!

Don’t forget to check out Iron Man’s June 2010 issue and go to page 72 to read “Naturally Huge” by John Hansen to find out more about his experiences with HMB.  You can also explore this website to learn more about how HMB can help you increase lean mass and strength, improve endurance, and reduce recovery time. 

Day 1
Last Man Standing Log Press
The starting weight was 300, and I completed and easy lift here, as well as at 310 and 320 before failing at 330. The wooden Slater log was awesome to use.

Conan’s Wheel
The weight was heavy, just the way I like it, at about 700lb in hand. I usually carry the Conan’s wheel low but that could not be done with this one because the pick height was high. I’ll need to work on carrying it up higher from now on. Only 63’ here.

This was it for Friday’s portion of the competition, and I was in second place.

Kirk Nowack – 6.5
Justin Blake – 6
Dave Mihalov – 5.5

Day 2
Yoke and Keg Carry Medley
This event was all about speed. The 700lb yoke was easy to move but I never got my legs to turn over as fast as I wanted. I tossed the yoke across the line and went straight to the 270lb keg. I got a fast pick and ran it back 80’. My time was 27.1s for 1st place beating Dave by only 0.3 seconds.

Dumbell Press
This was supposed to be a monster dumbbell press, but it was just a plate loaded 2” handle for the 105K class. At 140lb the dumbbell was a little tricky because the plates wanted to spin at the start of the press. I’ve improved dramatically at this event since I first tried it, but am still no were near fast enough to be competitive with this light of a weight, 8 reps got me last place here and 0.5 behind Dave for the lead.

Farmers Carry
This event turned out awesome, it consisted of carrying 320lb in each hand for 150’ with a turn around a keg at 75’. Everything was going as planned and I foolishly tried to accelerate more through the last 20’, lost my balance and crashed across the finish line. Fortunately I crossed the line before I completely lost it for a time of 33.2 seconds. Dave followed my lead and also crashed across the finish line but in 33.0 seconds to extend his lead to 1.5 points. Justin Wheeler also finished in 33.8 seconds making it 3 guys within one second, which is crazy on a 150’ carry!

Atlas Stone Over Bar
The 360lb stone was brand new. I put up 2 easy reps and I grabbed the stone for the 3rd. As I started pulling the top layer of the stone came up but the stone didn’t. After rolling the stone over and then back into position I knocked out another 2 reps but wasted too much time trying to stay away from the nasty spot on the stone. I put the 5th rep over at 1:01, just a second too late. This put me in 2nd place for the event and overall. Congrats to Dave on his victory, it looks like it will be a fierce competition every time we meet.

At this point I was just disappointed that the contest was over. Although my body was bruised, cut and skinned up, muscularly I was ready for 6 more events. I am looking forward to competing as a Heavyweight amateur next weekend at the Motorcity’s Strongest man, and continuing to improve in this ever challenging sport. Contests like this always increase my desire to improve physically and mentally.

Train Hard and stay tuned for results from Motrocity’s Strongest Man!

Massage and band traction have been absolutely crucial to the rehab process. One of the biggest battles with the healing process right now is breaking up scar tissue and ensuring that inflammatory waste products get removed from the effected tissue. If these do not occur, the healing process is slowed a great deal and can even go backwards. Massage and band traction have been very effective in accomplishing both of these.

The heaviest weights of the Russian cycle are still to come. This Saturday I have four sets of five scheduled at 595 pounds. Things have been going well in this Russian cycle as of late. The 560 for six sets of five last week was not as difficult as I thought it would be. If things are going well I may go off of the script a little bit and try to hit a personal record set of five on the RDL’s. The best part of training for me is to get jacked up to lift really heavy weights and set personal records. Although this is not the time to get impatient and do something stupid that will set my progress with the injury back, I need to feed that desire inside of me every once in a while that craves the adrenaline rush that goes along with setting personal records. The John Deer hat will be out on Saturday and the AC/DC will be cranked up! I will be sure to post Saturday’s workout on my You Tube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/BDERM1?feature=mhw5#p/u.

This is the part of the blog where everybody thinks I am suppose to say something nice about HMB because I am part of Team HMB. Well, I have news for you. I would be on HMB even if I had nothing to do with the company. I would also be encouraging every person I know that trains to take HMB. HMB is not going to give you outrageous claims. If you are looking for a trendy supplement that is the latest fad then HMB may not be for you. However, if you are interested in a safe research backed supplement that has stood the test of time and will help you train heavier, more frequently and fresher, then HMB is essential to your recovery arsenal. Remember, today’s workout is only as good as yesterday’s recovery. Also, I found a great price on Optimum Nutrition’s HydroWhey protein. I take this three times per day. It is the best protein on the market. Here is the link for it: http://www.nutritiondiscounters.com/Platinum_HydroWhey_Choc_3_5_lbs_p/7412.htm

I discovered another energy drink that I will be utilizing in the future.  It is ABB’s Speed Stack NO.  It gives me the same focus that the Speed Shots give you, and tastes even better.  For those of you that like the NO, it contains that as well.  For all of us that are calorie/carb conscience, this product only contains 15 calories/4 grams of carbs.

Though it is less than desirable to get injured, but it is the nature of the game.  I could hide out and not risk the chance of injury or failure, but the thrill of the victory, whether it be on the field with a top finish or in the dungeon with a new PR or a great training day, is too great.  I always liked this quote by our great President Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

I think that I have many more days of feeling that thrill of victory.  And I know with the help of HMB, I will be back to experience just that.

 
Lifting has not changed at all, still doing mass exercises with heavy weights and low reps, trying to maintain as much size as possible while getting leaner.  Every exercise consists of sets that are 4-6 reps with failure coming between 4-6.  If I can’t do it at least 4 times, it is too heavy, if I can go over 6 it is too light. 

Lift                    Initial rehab 2/15/10     4/4/10     lifetime     Progress
Overhead press/jerk     175lbs          365lbs        385lbs       425lbs       41%-86%-91%
Deadlift                         425lbs         700lbs        785lbs       880lbs       48%-80%-89%
Strict Press                   155lbs          300lbs        330lbs       390lbs       40%-77%-85%
Squat                             225lbs         605lbs         725lbs      800lbs       28%-76%-91%
Farmers pick                   -                340lbs          385lbs      460lbs        0%-74%-84%
Log clean and press         -               300lbs          330lbs      410lbs        0%-73%-80%
Single max stone load     -                370lbs          405lbs      520lbs        0%-71%-78%
Bench press                   225lbs        365lbs          405lbs        525lbs     42% 70%-78%
Incline bench press        185lbs        315lbs          350lbs        485lbs     38% 64%-72%

ABB Speed Stack Pumped NO
Recently I have been using ABB Speed Stack Pumped NO and recommend it to everyone! I have tried several pre workout shakes from NO shakes to energy drinks and hands down prefer ABB over anything else. It gives me great energy and a pump but feels way easier on my body. Its does not make me jittery and bloated like I felt from other supplements. I get lasting energy from the start of each session to the end with great focus. ABB offers a great range of supplements ranging from energy to protein and I love them all. Individually packaged shakes can’t be beat, always accessible and easier to plan lifting when you don’t have to run home to a big tub of supplements.

NASA Powerlifting meet
Time has taken its toll on my nerves, six months with out a competition and I feel like a beginner again. A sleepless night and complete loss of appetite was actually a good feeling to have again.

Been having trouble in recent training with my squat suit, with my legs getting bigger it is pulling tighter and I have had trouble getting good depth out of each squat. I figured with more weight it would help push me down and it would be fine to compete in. I was wrong, as I look my first lift at 630lbs I tried to sink down an extra few inches and lost the lift. My hips just lost control and the spotters had to catch the weight. It was a great thing they were there; I would have been seriously injured. After such a big miss I decided to just use an old loose suit and figured less weight is better than no weight or a possible injury. It was my first dropped squat and I worried about it quite a bit for the next lift. Just had to clear my mind and knock out one good lift. Second attempt at 630lbs went as smoothly as I could have asked for, finally a number to put on the board. For my last attempt I wanted a good lift and was unsure what I had left I just went for 650lbs. Once again an easy walkout and squat with plenty left over.

Recently bench had been going a little better; I have probably only trained it three times in the last month and a half but still made progress. Last bench workout in the gym I hit 405lbs with a little left over so I was shooting for 426lbs. once I started warming up, I thought it was going to be a rough chest day and everything would feel heavy. Crossed my fingers and opened with 360lbs, surprisingly it felt easier than any warm up. Second attempt I went for 402lbs and it felt pretty rough, but still a good lift. For the last one I decided to go for it and attempt 426lbs, sadly I was unable to complete the lift. Even with the missed lift I was happy just to break 400lbs without a bench shirt.

At this point my body was not happy with the amount of stress it was going through, it let me know with a series of uncontrollable cramps from my hamstrings to my abs. Not a great way to start deadlift warm-ups. Went for my first lift at 670lbs and lifted it pretty easy but once I hit the top of the pull instant cramps. I was not paying attention to my water intake and got a little dehydrated. I quickly drank 3 bottles of water and went for my second attempt at 726lbs. Once again a easy lift but the cramps were persistent. For my last lift I drank as much as I could but being heavier it was a slower pull and I ended up cramping part way threw. 755lbs felt light and easy but next time I will watch my hydration a lot more. Over all I hit a total of 1780lbs, not quite what I was hoping for but was very pleased considering I didn’t use a bench shirt and used a squat suit that was pretty loose.

Squat
630lbs miss
630lbs
650lbs

Bench
360lbs
402lbs
426lbs miss

Deadlift
670lbs
725lbs
755lbs miss

Without encouragement from family and friends I know there is no way I could have come back this strong and motivated. HMB plays a huge part of my training and recovery and I can’t express how much I appreciate everything MTI does for me, from the start of my sponsorship to just coming out of the hospital they have been behind me 100%.

What is your mental state when you wake up first thing in the morning?
Do you have a “plan of attack” for the day?
Are your daily nutritional needs met?
Do you feel more accomplished at the end of each day?

These may seem like silly or simple questions to some but they are really some that should be evaluated closely.  At times, we put too much pressure on ourselves to look a certain way on the outside, that how we feel each day on the inside is neglected.  When in fact, it’s how healthy that we are internally that makes your outward appearance perceived in a certain light. 

Making certain that you are on track with your supplements is crucial.  There is a reason why there is a supplement industry.  Our bodies require nourishment that not always food can give us, for those of us who are training at a maximal level to those that are just beginning to learn what sweating feels like.  Learn your body, learn what it requires to fuel and re-fuel itself adequately.  You are not going to make those desired physical changes on the outside, without taking care of yourself from the inside. 
HMB has been studied and proven to help athletes and those who simply desire a better and more physically fit life.  So, do some spring cleaning with yourself from the inside out.  Just make sure that HMB is always in your regimen. 

My mindset going into the rehab process is to take things very slow and make sure that every step taken is forward. The first cycle of rehab was a three-week cycle aimed at increasing work capacity and getting in shape to train with higher volumes. The staples of this cycle were medicine ball circuits, sled dragging, barbell complexes, and escalated density training (increasing the volume each week in a set time period for antagonistic exercises). Reverse hypers have still been key to the rehab, along with various hip girdle movements. As usual, soft tissue work, flexibility work, and mobility are still performed regularly. The two most productive movements for specifically rehabbing the torn fascia have been squat shuffle sled drags and running. I know this sounds out of place for powerlifting, but I started performing 3000-4000 yards of tempo running per week and it has worked wonders for the healing of the fascia.

I have just started my second training cycle of the off-season. This cycle is a six-week accumulation phase. In other words, the volume gradually increases from week to week. The staple of this cycle, as far as rehabbing the lower back goes, is an RDL Russian cycle. Arched back movements do not seem to bother the fascia. This Russian cycle will consist of RDL’s three times per week in order of medium intensity, low intensity, high intensity. This should provide a good strength base to build off of when I start pulling from the floor again. I have posted my last heavy RDL session on my You Tube site. http://www.youtube.com/user/BDERM1?feature=mhw5#p/u. This is a good step forward. The most difficult training will be pulling heavy out of the rack and off of the floor – I am guessing the lower back will not be ready for this for a number of months.

The typical process for most rehab programs is to gradually increase the amount and intensity of stress that the injured tissue is exposed to. If you do this gradually and over an extended period of time, the injured tissue will slowly and gradually adapt by getting stronger and stronger. The key to the whole process, of course, is recovery. HMB has been absolutely crucial to the recovery process, not only to be able to handle the volume of a Russian cycle, but also to the actual healing of the torn fascia. Fascia does not have the same exact properties as skeletal muscle, but there are similarities and since fascia and muscle are so closely (and literally) connected, the same things that HMB does to enhance the performance of skeletal muscle (i.e. increase protein synthesis and decrease protein degradation) it does for fascia (soft tissue injuries) to a great extent. HMB is an absolute staple to the rehabilitation process!

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Q:  What sparked your interest in the fitness industry?
JD:  I was a competitive gymnast and track & field athlete as a child. I still had the same drive to train and compete as a top level athlete. I also love learning and teaching about health and training. My favorite class to learn and later to teach was Anatomy & Physiology.

 
Q:  Why did you decide to start competing in NPC competitions?
 JD:  After doing some research, I felt the NPC had top level athletes and the opportunity to turn pro. They also run their shows very well.
 
Q:  What is a typical day in the life of Jennifer like and what kind of training does it entail?
JD:  A typical day is training clients, writing or reading about health and/or training, cooking plenty of food, and training--the best part! My training includes weights 4-5 times a week and sprints/bleachers, gymnastics, and/or plyometrics 1-2 times a week. I include plenty of stretching on a daily basis and the occasional yoga class to keep my body in alignment.
 
Q:  I know that in order to be in this sport you have to have a strict diet, but do you incorporate a cheat day for the week or not?  And what is your favorite cheat food?
 JD:  I don't have a cheat day, but a cheat meal 1-2 times a week. My favorites are pizza and ice cream, although eating pizza is usually only done when I'm visiting family on the east coast(it tastes much better there!).
 
Q:  When you switched from figure and fitness division to bikini division did you have to adjust your diet and training? 
JD:  For fitness and figure, I followed an 8 week diet with a lower carb intake than the off season along with no cheat meals. I also did cardio for an hour 5 times a week along with my other training. For bikini, I eliminated the cardio and keep my off season diet. I do eat a very clean diet year round which allows me to train at an optimal level. Also, the 2 weeks prior to the show I do not have any cheat meals and cut down on my sugar and sodium intake 5 days before the show. I also have been taking HMB which has enhanced my natural leanness.
 
Q:  How did you feel after earning your pro card at the 2009 NPC Team Universe Championships?
 JD:  I had an overwhelming amount of emotion that came over me. I wanted to be a pro athlete ever since I was 12 and I was so thrilled to achieve that goal that I was crying.
 
Q:  What would you say is your most memorable experience you’ve had while competing in this sport?
JD:  I would have to say it was turning pro and feeling that emotional energy running through me. It was also the weekend of my birthday, along with a time in my life with a lot of positive changes.
 
Q:  What is your favorite part about competing?  Or do you enjoy the whole process of it?
 JD:  I absolutely love the training! Even at a young age, I was one of the few gymnasts who loved strength & conditioning as much as trying the new flips. I also would have to say that stepping on stage to show my physique is just as exciting.
 
Q:  Do you have any advice for women out there just getting starting in competing in the fitness industry?
 JD:  My advice would be to enjoy yourself, dedicate yourself, and enjoy promoting a healthy lifestyle.
 
Q:  What are your future goals and how do you think HMB can help you achieve those?
 JD:  My goals are to compete in the 2010 Bikini Olympia and continue to help others reach their goals. Taking HMB will continue to help me in recovery and leanness to refine my physique in preparation for the Olympia. It will also help my clients to reach their personal health and fitness goals.

Thanks for your time today Jennifer, and we are truly happy that you are a part of our team.

Go check out this month’s Planet Muscle magazine and go to hmb.org to find out more about this platinum super nutrient and what it can do for you. 

The summer is approaching fast, and it's time to break out those fabulous floppy hats, bikinis, and boardshorts.

This is suppose to be a relaxing and an exciting time, but for some, summer can be quite daunting and cause some undesired stress. As we all know, it's difficult to stay covered up at the pool, when the bikinis seem to get smaller and smaller and 'less is more' takes on a whole new meaning! When you're not feeling at your best, or on your 'A Game" as I like to say, wrapping the towel around your body, then sliding into the pool as you simultaneously drop it to the ground, making sure nobody catches a glimpse, can get quite tiresome, not to mention dangerous with the close proximity to the cement and your skin. Who needs that? Lets refocus and get our bodies ready to strut the pool side confidently. It's never too late to start. Sometimes the mere thought or anticipation of 'starting' is why we never do. It's easier to make excuses than to say, "today is a new day to reset my goals and get my mind ready", but that's what I'm asking you to do. I'm asking you to believe in yourself and to 'want change'.

This brings me to the importance of incorporating HMB into your daily supplemental routine. I cannot stress enough the many benefits of HMB. With HMB, you'll notice those muscles have worked (I love that feeling), only you will feel less sore, because it minimizes muscle damage. As an added bonus, in the next workout, you'll have increased strength because it helps you tolerate high-intensity activity over a longer period of time.

I want you to love yourself, feel proud of your accomplishments, and own that pool! Walk, run, take a yoga class in the park, join that gym on your corner, there are so many activities we can do and I want you to sweat everyday! Love your body, we're all different, listen to what works for you and how your body responds to it, and find that inner confidence that will radiate from within and help you become the new you!

On top of making sure that HMB is a supplement in your daily ritual, ABB’s new Speed Stack Pumped N.O. is something that will really boost your gears right before training.   Whether you are heading into the weight room to get your pump on or hitting the trails for miles on end, the intense boost leaves nothing but smooth results for an amazing workout period. 

Making sure that you have all you need for an amazing home stretch in your training regimen has always been of utmost importance to me.  Being able to put all those months of training together in order for it to all fall into perfect place the day of competition is almost like artwork.  Whether you are training on your own or have a coach in your corner, it ultimately comes down to how much you want it.  Whatever your goals are with your performance the day of competition, knowing that you gave it your all is where the real success lies.  I’d like to congratulate all of Team HMB members that competed in the Arnold Classic weekend and wish I was there in person to cheer them on.  Having such successful people around you gives you the drive and determination to give it your all, especially down that home stretch. 

Another huge thanks to all that helped in the Status Fitness Cover Model Contest for the month of February; hope to see more support in the finals.  Lastly but certainly not least, thanks to all nutrition vendors, wrestlers, and wrestling fans alike that helped to make Custom Muscle’s One Year Anniversary event a success.  It’s very rewarding to be able to help others out and reach their goals within the community.

So, with that being said, it’s time for this mama to lace up and hit the pavement with my training pals!

How did the current confusion arise?  Maximuscle Ltd. of Watford, United Kingdom, trademarked “HMB” shortly after Dr. Steven Nissen discovered the effects that β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate had on muscle metabolism.  However, this HMB trademark is not necessarily an indicator of what is contained in the product.  A closer look at the Maximuscle HMB-1000TM label shows that HMB, or β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, is not listed as an ingredient in the Maximuscle HMB-1000TM.  Instead, the label lists HMBTM and describes it as “enzymatic metabolites of Leucine.”

In a recently published scientific article (J Strength. Cond. Res. 24(2): 531-537,2010), researchers used Maximuscle HMB-1000TM as a test supplement and concluded that β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate didn’t reduce muscle damage after exercise.  After this study was published, Metabolic Technologies Inc. ordered a bottle of Maximuscle HMB-1000TM and tested the product for β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate.  Metabolic Technologies has previously tested every lot of the HMB ingredient distributed (and many HMB containing products), and in this case no β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate was found in the Maximuscle product.  Since Maximuscle HMB-1000TM doesn’t contain any β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, the researchers’ conclusion can only state that there was no reduction in muscle damage seen with Maximuscle HMB 1000TM.  Previous studies have shown that β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate does in fact reduce muscle damage caused by intense exercise.  These studies can be found at http://www.hmb.org/publications/publication_categories.cfm?PublicationCategoryID=1.

Buyers need to use caution when purchasing supplements and should not mistake “HMB” or HMBTM on a label for actual HMB, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate.  Products containing HMB, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, should always have the patent number 5,348,979 on the label.  For more information regarding HMB visit www.hmb.org.

My Arnold schedule started on the Wednesday before when we packed up the car and drove to Columbus from West Des Moines.  It was a 10 hour drive straight through, but with me having to stop to go to the restroom, from all the water I was drinking, to just needing to get my legs stretched out and walking around, it turned into a little longer drive.  We had two coolers full of rice and chicken, potatoes and sweet potatoes.  With the suit cases and supplements, flying was just not going to be an option! It would have cost a thousand dollars just to haul all my supplies. 

 What an experience the contest was!  It was a very tough contest.  Since it had been opened to international competitors and since the winner gets an automatic invite to the Arnold Pro contest after they turn pro, it’s pulled out all the top amateur competitors in the world.  I had a great experience competing.  I didn’t finish as well as I wanted, but was happy with my improvements.  I was still holding a little bit of water in my lower back and glutes, which didn’t help me, but the improvements over the last year was what were most important to me.  You can never control who will be competing so you just can’t worry about that, you just have to do what you need to for yourself to be better than you were the last time.  Of course you always want to do your best and win, but competing against yourself should be how you look at it first.  I know that I did what I had to the last year to be better than before and I contribute so much of that to HMB and my ON supplements!  I came in at 275lbs and was very happy with that, but now I will take off the next 17 months to get better and bigger!

On the Sunday of the Arnold, I had two great things happen.  I spoke with Charles Glass and looks as if I will be starting to do some training with him, once we get everything discussed.  I also had a photo shoot with Bill Comstock, over at the Metro Gym in Columbus, for a Flex Magazine series.  We shot for two hours and then did an interview about my experience at the Arnold amateur and about my arm workout, which was what the photo shoot was focused on. I was in there while Dexter Jackson was having his shoot with Flex. Then after my shoot, Phil Heath had his photo shoot with Bill Comstock as well.  It was a great time and a neat experience.  I’ve had a few photo shoots before, but this one was very different; a whole new experience.

The way home was just as exciting as the rest of the weekend.  The brakes went out on the SUV and then we ran over a nail on the interstate.  It had a slow leak so we filled it back up to try to make it home and then an hour later, it shot out of the tire and there I was, changing a tire in the middle of the interstate!  Oh well, what do you do.

All in all, it was a great weekend and always a great experience!  I had fun meeting the HMB fans and I am really excited about next year already.  My next competition will be Nationals 2011 and I plan on competing at over 300lbs.  I weighed 275 for this last competition and with 17 months for an off season, I should have no problem with doing that.  With much thanks to HMB and my ON/ABB supplements, it should be a much easier task to accomplish that goal.  I also want to send out a huge thank you to Shawn for being an amazing guy and a great friend. There just isn’t too many people like him anymore!  Also thank you to all the people who have supported me throughout my career.

So keep following my progress and training hard.  Keep using your HMB and ON supps.  You will thank me for it!

Legs day can be the most or least favorite depending on how you look at it. Leg training is very taxing, yet it is so satisfying to get such a muscle pump and cardio workout in one! That day is of utmost importance when focusing on improving the bowties. Along with various types of squats, there are also various foot placements. More importantly, there is also the emphasis on a certain portion of the foot.

Common among many, especially females, is the emphasis pushing through the toes and ball of the foot which relies heavily on the quadriceps. The backside can sometimes be neglected especially because it is not seen as often by our own eyes. When doing compound exercises, think of using the strength in the hips and pushing through the heels which relies on the glutes instead of the quads. The glutes will have more power than the quads and often require mental concentration to use them. Concentrate on pushing through the heel and using the glutes and hams. The quads will still come into play, but won’t be the main focus. You will be able to handle more weight and produce better results.

With single joint movement for glutes, the emphasis will still be pushing through the heel, whether it is against the floor or a machine. If no weight is needed for the exercise, then flex the foot to fully engage the glutes. In addition, using HMB will aid in your recovery and a shapely, proportioned lower body will be arriving in no time!

In preparation for my show, I train this area twice a week with an intensity that would not allow a third time in the same week. Along with a clean diet and proper amount of rest, the bowties become much more defined. When on stage and the judges tell us to turn to the back, I will smile at the thought of showing off the bowties under the bright lights!

I knew going into the competition that it was unlikely that I would perform all that well, considering the back injury and lack of training that resulted from it. I have actually finally gotten an official evaluation on the low back injury – I have a torn right erector and torn thoracolumbar fascia on my right side.
All the lifters that I warmed up with and hung out with treated me unbelievably and are great people. A big thank you goes to the following people for making my first GNC IPF Pro Deadlift a great experience: Brad Gillingham, Pat McGettigan, Nick Tyluki,  and Jon Krogman. I would also like to the thank Robert Keller, Johnny Graham, and Rick Fowler for putting on such a great event each year at the Arnold Classic.

As for the actual competition, I had initially planned on opening at 744 before the injury, but knocked my opener down to 722. I wanted to still pull heavy enough to set up a pretty heavy second lift that would result in a decent Wilkes score. Stepping out onto the main stage of the Arnold Classic with a great crowd was a rush in itself. The opener of 722 went up pretty strong, but I knew I did not have much more in me with the shape my back was in. I called for 755, hoping to be able to grind it out and end up with a decent Wilkes score. It was a very difficult pull. The moment the bar got to the locked out position, two big calluses ripped in my right hand and the bar fell to the floor.  My 2010 Arnold competition was over. Congratulations to Brad Gillingham and Roger Herring for their performances in the GNC Pro Deadlift.

God willing, I will be back next year to compete in the GNC Pro Deadlift and with a healthy body! The first step is getting my back healed. The next step is qualifying. The important thing to remember about this year’s event is that God used it to teach me a tremendous amount, and I am thankful for this.

The Arnold Sports Festival wrapped up this past weekend. Although I was not able to attend and compete this year, I am already looking forward to competing next year! There were some excellent performances in both the Amateur Strongman World Championship and the Arnold Pro Strongman.
Hopefully everyone who made it to the event got a chance to stop by the HMB booth, meet some of the athletes on our team, and find out why HMB is so important to improving recovery and building endurance.

Looking forward to the approaching competition season, I have a total of 6 contests planned so far. The first will be the Strongman Show of Champions at the Europa Supershow in Orlando next month. Training has been going well for this and Team HMB will be looking to sweep the top 2 positions in the 105KG Pro class.

I am currently in training for the Europa Show of Champions in Orlando this April.  Training has been going well.  My deadlift is still progressing, and I think I see my first 700 pound pull in the next few months.  My overhead press is still inching its way back up as well.  This past week I hit a 330lb log press out of the rack.  I am really looking forward to competing again; it has been a while.

As it turns out after the beginning of July, my competing might be sporadic for a while, as my wife, Jennifer and I are expecting our first baby.  We are very excited and looking forward to the challenges of parenthood.

Track season has started, so it is back to balancing training, nutrition, and the rest with my coaching duties.  I found that when I was coaching wrestling and coming home from practice drained, I was easily able to amp back up for a workout with ABB’s Speed Shot Intensity.  I am confident that it will help me continue to get the most out of my workouts during this season.

Anyhow, training is going well, diet is going well, and the weather is starting to look more promising.  I will continue to train hard, and hopefully with the help of HMB, will put up a good showing at the Show of Champions next month.

Jennifer Dietrick’s interest in athletics began at the age of twelve when she began competing in gymnastics.  From then on Jennifer’s fascination with the fitness industry continued, but she couldn’t find an outlet to pursue her competitive side.  Finally in 2007, Jennifer discovered the NPC organization and began competing in the fitness and figure divisions.  During this time she also started nutrition consulting and personal training part-time, on top of being a full-time teacher.  NPC began a new division, bikini and Jennifer decided her physique fit much better into this division.  She earned pro card in the bikini division in 2009 and has her debut show on March 27, 2010.

Check out Jennifer’s profile to see all of her accomplishments and watch for an interview coming soon!

We are proud to have Jennifer as a part of Team HMB!

Hope to see you there!

1. Make the most of what is in your control
2.  Learn from the situation

Things turn out the best for those that make the best of the way things turn out.

I finally pulled from the floor with a suit and belt to determine where my opener would be for the Arnold. I pulled an easy 715 and then pulled a considerably harder 755. Given some time to recover from training in general and to let the fascia heal a little more, I still think it is reasonable to think somewhere between 777 and 793 will go up at the Arnold. I will probably open up at 722 and see where things go from there.

The biggest deficit in my training right now is my top end strength. This used to be my strong point by a long shot. However, with the torn fascia I have not been able to train the rack deadlift work as heavy as I usually do and this has hurt my lock-out strength some. The one change I did make in training to try and compensate for having to back off on the rack work is to go from Serape RDL’s to regular RDL’s, so I could go heavier and give that top end some heavier loads.

Less than two weeks to go. I will probably go for a beltless 5-RM on the box squat this week and then hit rack deadlifts from 15” off of the ground for my final pulling session. I will still keep the weights conservative for the rack deadlifts – probably something like 3-5 singles at 90%.

Make sure to stop by the HMB booth if you are planning on making a trip to the Arnold!

If you are not Ohio bound, how about Texas?!  I am very happy and excited about our event March 6th at Custom Muscle Nutrition and Smoothie Shop.  Seeing that I am not able to attend The Arnold this year, I have put my full focus on still having my plate full and starting out March for my shop with a bang.  NFL Hall of Famer Randy White along with WWE Superstars will be signing autographs; we are looking to have a tremendous turnout for this year’s Nutrition & Fun Fair.  Massage therapists, video game challenge for kids, raffles galore, and of course oodles of nutrition and supplement vendors to promote their best products, it’s our mini version of The Arnold Classic Expo right in Frisco, TX!

On a training note, I have certainly been doing my fair share of cross-training.  With spinning over 100 miles per week and still keeping my running mileage up towards 35 miles per week, my leg strength has increased drastically through those two workouts alone.  It’s amazing what your body can accomplish without specifically weight training.  Seeing that I will be competing in the later part of this year, playing around with what will really shock my body onto a new level is what I am currently doing.  Finding that balance of being an athlete, mom, store owner, and still my hand into pro wrestling events is a task in itself.  But where there is a will, there is a way!

Until next time, thank you for all your support with the Status Fitness Cover Model contest and don’t forget to vote! And of course, as this mama always says, don’t forget about your HMB and top of the line ON products…all of course found at NutritionMarket.com.

I figured now would be the best possible time to try and clean up my form a little bit. On some lifts my form was never too bad but my deadlift and squat could greatly benefit from doing things the right way. Throughout my recovery I have thought about getting into powerlifting a little. Since I train the same lifts for carryover strength I think I could do pretty well in the sport. I’ve done one powerlifting meet in the past just for fun and totaled 1640lbs. I hadn’t been lifting long at the time, so I did all of my lifts 100% raw without a belt or singlet because I had no idea to wear one. I thought it would be a great way to keep me motivated in the gym until I get a little closer to my first strongman meet back. I’m not sure yet, but thinking about doing a meet in April if ready, it’s a high goal but hoping to hit a 2000lbs total with the assistance of a bench shirt, deadlift and squat suit. It is not a likely total to hit but I always perform the best with a high goal, always important in my training to never place a limit or restriction on my strength. I see it too often where people miss a lift before they even attempt it, just for doubting their abilities.

Throughout my rehab and healing I have been in contact with Al Thompson about defending my title from 2009 MHP Liberty Strongman Classic. So far with training going the way it is, I feel very confident I will make my comeback this July 4th in Philadelphia. I had such a great time last year and I am very excited to go back. Now don’t anyone count me out, I am not just going to show up to a competition to “do my best” or “just have fun”, if I am there it’s to win. I fully intend to defend my title and make it back to back wins.

For my first strongman training day back I kept all of the lifts pretty static with little moving, just to get back and get adjusted with everything. I was amazed how well everything went. Before even warming up I cleaned and strict pressed a 240lb apollons axle with out even thinking about my strength loss, I was so excited from the great sign of my returning strength. We then moved on to the log where I maxed out at 300lbs clean and press, it went pretty easy and I left a little for next time. On farmers picks I worked up to a 340lbs per hand with a tough pick but the grip felt strong. We ended with single stone loads; I was really excited for this event, always one of my favorites to train.  Worked up to an easy load with a 370 stone but just couldn’t manage the 405. Overall, I was thrilled with the first day back and can’t wait to train again soon.

Lift                              Initial rehab   current rehab   lifetime high   Initial/current
Overhead press/jerk      175lbs                365lbs                 425lbs            41% 86%
Deadlift                         425lbs                700lbs                 880lbs            48% 80%
Strict Press                    155lbs                300lbs                 390lbs            40% 77%
Squat                             225lbs                605lbs                 800lbs            28% 76%
Farmers pick                     -                      340lbs                460lbs                -    74%
Log clean and press          -                      300lbs                410lbs                 -    73%
Single max stone load       -                      370lbs                 520lbs               -    71%
Bench press                     225lbs              365lbs                 525lbs             42% 70%
Incline bench press         185lbs               315lbs                 485lbs             38% 64%

The amount of support I am getting from family, friends and Team HMB is what gets me through every workout. Throughout my training I have been taking HMB and protein/energy drinks from Optimum Nutrition and can honestly say it has helped training and I wouldn’t be making such great progress without it. I hope everything continues to go well and I will have a great blog entry next time with plenty of updates.

He has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice from Valparaiso University and a Masters in Criminal Justice from Lewis University.  These degrees led Mike to be a police officer for 12 years and he currently holds a position as a U.S. Secret Service Agent.   Mike is also the proud father of 5 sons between the ages of 2 – 11. We welcome Mike Kurzeja to Team HMB and are excited to get to know more about this accomplished athlete.

Q: Where did the athletic roots of Mike start from?
MK: I have always been athletic and grew up playing sports. (football, basketball, baseball, weight lifting, etc). During High school I raced motorcycles (motocross) and became quite good. I was a Professional Motocross Racer during 1988 - 1989 before deciding to retire and go to school full time in the fall of 1989.

It was during this time at Valparaiso University, I found Coach Taylor and my true passion.

Q: What got you interested in boxing and drove you to get where you are now?
MK: As mentioned above, I found the Gary P.A.L. Boxing gym during my internship at the Gary Police Department.   The more I boxed and the more I learned, the more I became obsessed with it. When I started, I really was not very good and I took my share of beatings.Boxing is not for everyone, as no one really enjoys being hit in the face. The difficult and sometimes tortured training is a love hate thing. Sometimes I hate the punishment I put my body through, but at the same time, I love it!!Boxing is a very technical sport and I have improved to the level of a decent super-middle weight pro fighter. I respect the sport and am basically living out a dream.

Q: What do you do in a typical training session?
Mk: I typically box 3 - 4 days a week and strength and condition train the other 3. Boxing days consist of 3 - 4 warm-up rounds of shadow boxing, followed by 4 - 8 rounds of sparring, ending with 4 plus rounds of various bag work or coach work with drill-mitts (usually 15 rounds total/three minute rounds with 30 seconds rest between). I usually end with 10 additional minutes of skipping rope or interval running for a solid hour of training on a boxing day.

Ten minutes of stretching at the end.

Strength and conditioning days consist of 3 - 6 miles of running (mixed up and varied between interval running, endurance running, side step and backwards running).

The majority of my weight training consists of kettle bell exercises which focus on explosive core movements. I also do a variety of core plyometric exercises which are varied to shock my body and keep it guessing.

I usually don't take days off of training. If I do take a day "off" I still usually run 3 - 4 miles on this "off" day.

Q: Do you follow a strict diet in order to stay in the Super Middle-weight class?
MK: Yes:  I generally eat a clean and balanced diet. My diet could be described as high protein, moderate carbs, and lower fat.

There is a lot to know about diet and eating properly. I believe "you are what you eat."

When preparing for a fight, I switch the majority of my carbs to fibrous carbs from simple and complex and cut out all refined sugar. It’s pretty easy for me to lose 10 lbs in a short amount of time.

I stay fairly lean all year round. I fight in the Super Middle weight Division (168 lbs) and am usually never more than 15 lbs above my fighting weight.

Q: What is your favorite cheat food from your diet?
MK: I love pizza and ice cream as cheats. I also love to over eat sushi!

Q: What would you say is your strength in the ring?
MK: My strengths are strength and endurance. I have been in many boxing matches where I probably won by wearing an opponent down (I have beaten other fighters who were probably better boxers than me).   I have been blessed with good physical abilities. My rigorous training and preparation has carried me a long way.

Q: Do you have a completely different mindset when you step into the ring?
MK: I try to be focused and relaxed. I try to be in control. I never understood the fighters who get all crazy and hyped up before stepping in the ring. For me, that's wasted energy. In any sport, I think it’s counterproductive to be tense and on edge. I try to stay composed, focused, aggressive, but relaxed!

Q: What is that feeling like and how do you prepare right before a fight?
MK: That feeling is what drives me. Knowing you have done all the hard work in the gym prior to the fight makes it fun to actually step into the squared circle.

Besides the obvious physical preparation, I do a variety of mental preparation as well. I believe the mind is a very powerful tool. I do a lot of positive imaging and picture the fight during the training camp. I imagine myself fighting well and of course winning!!

Q: In boxing what has been your most memorable/proud moment?
MK: Winning my First "Supercop" Belt in 2003 was my first memorable moment in boxing (for me this was like winning the Olympics). My second was my first Professional fight  (Lifelong dream/accomplishment).

Attempting to be a good father to my children is definitely more memorable and proud though... The day each was born was the four happiest days of my life (I have twins in there). My next happiest day was/is the day they can wipe their own butts!!

Seriously, boxing is not even comparable to being a father. Boxing is very selfish as there is a lot of "me" in boxing. I enjoy it, but keep it in perspective. I know I love boxing because I actually enjoy teaching and training others.

The ultimate would be if one of my sons followed in my footsteps and choose boxing as their sport. I don't push it on them though. If they want to do it, I will support them. If they choose something else, I will support that as well. I just want them all to grow up with respect and to be good people.

Q: What has been your experience with HMB?
MK: Small miracle! I almost stopped training and boxing a couple years ago as a result of many chronic over training issues. HMB has helped my inflamed/thickened achilis tendons and my elbow tendonitis. I have had the other positive effects of HMB as well (increased strength and endurance and faster recovery).

I am excited to be a part of Team HMB!

Q: What are your ultimate goals for the future and how do you think HMB will help you achieve those goals?
MK: A long term goal of mine would be to have my own boxing/training facility and to train fighters. I would also enjoy helping people with their diet and exercise in general.

I plan on fighting as a pro as long as my physical abilities allow me to.
My coaches and managers are good honest people and they will let me know when it is time to stop. I would like to fight for some type of championship as a pro. Right now I am taking it a fight at a time and loving every minute of it (training and fighting).

HMB is a large part of my recovery and performance. It is helping me compete at a level many dream about. Believe me, I am living my dream!

Thanks for your time today Mike, and we are happy to have you be a part of our team.

Just for an example here is my quad workout,
Start with 3 calf movements (4 sets of 25 reps), for example seated calf raise, standing double calf raise, donkey calf raises

1. Quad extentions (drop sets 12, 12, 12 reps) start with 185-225lbs and decrease by 10-15lbs each drop set…….4 sets total super-setting with stiff leg dead lift 95-135lbs.

2.  Leg press (4 sets, 30, 25, 20, 15 reps increasing weight as you go) super setting with walking lunges 25 reps each leg.
3. Hack or Smith Machine squats (4 sets 20, 16, 12, 10 reps increasing weight as you go) super setting with bench step ups (15 each leg w/ 15lbs in each hand)
4. Single leg quad extentions (3 sets, 15 reps back and forth each leg without stopping) use 65-80lbs
5.  Adductor machine 4 sets 20 reps (heavy)

 

That’s just my quad workout!  It is like that for every body part.  Lots of sets and reps and exercises.  It’s bringing me in so well and quickly, I just love how much my body has changed in these last few days.  It should be a good show and a great expo!  Looking forward to seeing everyone at the expo and if you can, make it out to the amateur show and cheer me on!   And do NOT forget your HMB!  I cannot talk about a better supplement and how it has changed my physique!   HMB really works.  Along with my Hydro whey protein powder and Optimum supplements, I can’t be happier with my gains and my results and at the Arnold you WILL see exactly what I am talking about!  Until next time train hard, train smart, be safe and get in your HMB and Optimum supplements!  You will thank me for it!
                                                    

I still have not been able to get comfortable in the new suit - the IPF Metal King Deadlifter. I had assumed it would fit the same as the original Metal IPF suit so I ordered the same size, but that is not the case. The straps are way longer on the King Deadlifter, which resulted in not very much pull through the crotch and not much benefit off of the floor with the suit. Eventually, I will get the straps taken down at the tailor, but for now I plan on using the original Metal IPF suit that I used at USAPL Deadlift Championships last year.

Since the suit was not working for me, I pulled six singles with no gear at 625 last week. All reps had pretty good speed off of the floor and very strong lockouts. Unfortunately, I re-injured the fascia in my lower back that I tore back in August. I actually consider this a blessing in disguise. The re-injury is not that bad and it was a sign for me to back off a little.  I took last week off of pulling altogether – just focused on the some accessory hamstring work and gave the low back a rest. Reverse hypers, ice, and vibration massage has been good for healing the fascia.

The 5x5 squat program has been good to keep my leg and core strength improving. However, this is my second wave of it pre-Arnold, so I am now changing things up some to keep my body adapting and getting stronger. This past week I dropped the depth a couple inches below parallel to complete 420x5x5 on a soft 12-inch box. This added depth, taxed the core and hamstrings tremendously. This week I upped the reps and dropped the sets to accumulate about the same volume for 445x8x3. Typically the 5x5 squat is performed free, but I added the box to work on starting strength in order to improve the pull off of the floor.

I also cut out one recovery day, switching to a seven day template in order to get one more pulling session in to make up for lost time with the re-injured fascia. This will work fine as long as I continue on my current HMB regimen. I am back on track now. This week will be a big test for the fascia and for overall strength levels. Friday is max 18-inch rack deadlift. I will be sure to post the video on You Tube.

Not only is my website something that I am excited to share, the Status Fitness Magazine Cover Model contest is in full swing and I am in need of your support!  For the entire month of February I am in the running to get to the finals for a chance to grace the cover of Status Fitness Magazine.  I am super excited about this opportunity and would love to have the help of all those HMB users out there to support me!  Click here to vote!

Be sure to check out HMB as the “Feature Product of the Month” on NutritionMarket.com and what we are giving out FREE with your purchase of HMB.

Training wise, I’ve been pounding out the miles getting ready for the inaugural Cowboy’s Stadium Half-Marathon coming up in April.  Even if they fell short of the Super Bowl this year, the race is going to be real exciting.  Now I’m off to get a new pair of kicks since I’ve been trail running so much!  Til next time, be sure HMB is the one supplement that you are never caught without in your gym bag!

This 5’10” and 168lb fighter has won 3 championship titles in Supercop Boxing, a law enforcement exhibition.  Mike’s daytime job as U.S. Secret Service Agent sounds like a thrill, but when it comes down to it his real passion is in the ring boxing.  Not only is Mike an accomplished Secret Service Agent and professional boxer, he is the proud father of 5 talented sons. 

To find out more about Mike Kurzeja check out his Team HMB profile and watch for an interview coming soon to hmb.org!

We are proud to have Mike as a part of Team HMB!

Q:  Where did the athletic roots of Brad Gillingham begin?
BG:  My father is Gale Gillingham.  He is a five time All Pro Offensive Guard with the Green Bay Packers. He played for 11 seasons in the NFL.  He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1982.  Back in the 1960s and 1970s, there were not many small towns that had gyms or training facilities. All of his training in the off-season was done at our home in the small community of Little Falls, MN. My older brother Karl is a World Class Professional Strongman Competitor.  My younger brother Wade has competed as a professional strongman and he is a World Class Grip Strength performer. My father introduced my brothers and I to weight training at a very early age.  We initially trained with weights to prepare for basketball and other athletic endeavors.  I had a really thin build when I was younger and I once high jumped 6'10". Karl and I were both Minnesota All-State Basketball players, and Wade was also very successful.  For various reasons our college careers were cut short, and we began getting more serious about weight training. 

Q:  How did you first get involved in powerlifting and get to the point that you are now?

BG:  My brother Karl participated in the ADFPA Central Minnesota Powerlifting Open in 1988.  This got all three of us hooked on heavy training, and we started focusing our efforts towards powerlifting. Eventually Karl and Wade drifted towards Strongman.  I entered my first meet in 1989 at the ADFPA Northwest Open.  I weighed 232 lbs at the time.  Over time, I continued to increase my strength and started competing in both national and international events. We have travelled a lot together, and my father comes along and coaches us on a frequent basis.  Powerlifting/strength athletics is very important to our family.   We help each other to get stronger and accomplish our goals.

Q:  Your total is 2342 lbs, where would you like this number to be and which lifts do you think you can improve to get there?

BG:  I still think I have a chance of breaking the 2400-lb barrier.  My bench press has declined the past couple years due to injuries.  I will have to start making progress in that lift if I want to accomplish this goal. Progress in this sport depends on avoiding major injuries and being able to consistently train hard.  My short-term goal at this point is to try and break the 900-lb barrier in the deadlift.  This will not be an easy task, but it is one I think I can accomplish with a lot of hard training and a little luck.

Q:  What is your favorite lift out of the three? Or do you enjoy each lift?

BG:  My favorite lift is the deadlift.  The deadlift is a basic movement that has no short cuts to getting stronger.  It depends on overall body strength that is developed slowly over time.  Generally the deadlift will get stronger as you increase your entire body strength.  This is accomplished by focusing on strengthening the posterior chain, legs, and  grip.  The more work you put in the gym the stronger the deadlift will get.

Q:  What kind of training do you do in order to be at the level you are?

BG:  I generally train with weights three days a week, and do other cardio-based exercises on my off days.  I have my own training program that I have developed through years of experience.  I also use this program to train a number of other top lifters and athletes at Jackal’s Gym.  On Mondays, I alternate partial rack pulls and full deadlifts every other week.  My assistance work includes front squats, box squats, RDLSs, bent rows, power cleans and high pulls.  On Wednesdays I train the bench heavy with progressive singles and a high volume of sets.  My assistance work includes front raises, biceps, and triceps work and some rowing movements.  On Fridays I primarily train a 5x5 squat approach in the 60%-80% range.  I train at a fast pace and try to complete all sets in 15-30 minutes.  My assistance work includes shoulder presses, light bench press, bent rows, leg extensions, and leg curls.  I occasionally add in leg presses or power rack partial squats.  A 5x5 approach is very effective but can really fatigue the body.  GNC Pro Performance HMB helps combat the fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness.  On occasion, I will add in various strongman exercises, and I continually add in extra exercises for rehab purposes as needed.

Q:  What would you say is your most memorable experience you’ve had while competing in this sport?

BG:  It is tough to pick one particular competition.  If I had to pick one event it may be my first World Championship Victory at the 2000 IPF World Championships in Akita City, Japan.  Powerlifting has allowed me to see the world. Overall, I have competed in five continents.  Every event has been memorable and I take nothing for granted.  I have been very fortunate to have a long career by training thoughtfully and listening to my body.  I have met a lot of great people along the way and have developed lifelong friendships.  I hope to continue to travel the world and compete on a high level.

Q:  I know you’ve been a lifetime drug free athlete, what has this helped you achieve and why do you think it’s important to be a drug free athlete?
BG:  I have trained and competed drug free for my entire career.  I do not look at this as a sacrifice but rather as following the rules of the organization and taking time to build muscle and strength gradually and in a healthy manner.  I don’t know any other way.  I think being a drug-free athlete has increased my competitive career.  I have trained hard, paid attention to my diet, and used sports supplements to help me perform at my fullest ability. I am still making gains at age 43. 

Q:  What are your ultimate goals and how do you feel HMB will help you get there? 

BG:  My ultimate goals are to keep training and competing at a high level as long as possible.  GNC Pro Performance HMB has been a great addition to my supplementation plan.  I have had less delayed onset muscle soreness and more endurance since I started taking the product.  This allows me to train harder and longer on a more frequent basis.

Thanks for your time today Brad, and we are truly happy that you are a part of our team.

The Banquet was a blast as usual.  We started this a few years ago, as the KCSTRONGMAN group grew and became more successful.  We ate a great meal, gave out awards to deserving individuals, and had a great time talking shop and telling lies.

Training has been going fantastic for me.  In the past couple weeks I have hit post back injury PRs in the pushpress at 360 and the axle press at 330, as well as an all time PR in the front squat at 430.  Even though it has been pretty cold, I have had some great gym sessions, and we have had some great strongman sessions on the weekend.  Intensity has been high, and I only see training improving as the weather gets warmer.

I am currently trying to decide what direction I want to take competing this year. I am looking forward to attending the Arnold Classic and promoting HMB.  My recovery has never been better.  This weekend past we did a sled drag medley where 4 of us took turns dragging the sled back and forth.  It was great conditioning and quite a challenge.  I ended up going 15 turns.  My legs were on fire, and I could hardly stand after the workout.  Before starting my regiment of HMB, my legs would have been shot for days after that kind of workout.  However, this time, the next day there was merely a hint of soreness and 2 days after, no trace at all.  I am ready to get back after it for another week of training!  Thanks HMB!

Following the below cross training schedule for my weekly routine has made my cardiovascular endurance and strength really increase.  By concentrating on new weekly goals, you too can see your body sore to new heights.  (Along with taking your recommended allowance of HMB of course!) 

The week consists of six workouts, 3 runs and 3 cycle classes.
Runs:
     1 - CT – cross training
          Approx. 7 to 8 miles and build a mile per every two weeks
     2 – Pace runs or Interval
          Most intense run of the week with elevated heart rate levels
          Half to ¾ of the distance of your CT run
     3 - EZ – easy paced run
          Let this be your “recovery” day to let your muscles just flush out
          2 to 3 miles less than your CT day
Cycle/Spinning:
      1 – Endurance Ride (hills and flat endurance roads for 90 mins)
      2 – All hill and leg strength work (very high resistance for 60 mins)
      3 – Combination Ride (of ride 1 and 2 OR outside ride for 75 minutes)

With late 2010 being the first year of on-stage competitions for myself, experimenting with new types of cross training and seeing what my body really responds to is going to be key here.  Learning how to shock my body with different types of routines is not only intriguing and necessary, it is fun.  Even though you live with it day in and day out, being rather surprised with how your body responds to exercise stimulus is mind boggling at times. 

So I challenge you this 2010 to make a plan and stick to it.  Make this year be the year of no more excuses.  Just be sure that HMB and Optimum Nutrition are also a part of your plan!

Be sure to check out NutritionMarket.com for HMB, it is the Featured Product of the Month!

 Your eating is 80% of your results and working out will help you build muscle and feel better, it’s the beginning, your eating is the means to the final result.  There are some good trainers out there, but make sure you check them out and that they REALLY know what they are doing.  Otherwise all you get are inexperienced people who think training is a cool job, but really don’t have a passion for it.  That discourages you, wastes your money, which is your investment into yourself, and causes you to become unmotivated and quit. I do this because it’s my life and helping people is greatly important to me!  Come see me at my gym and we’ll talk.  You will understand and see what I can do for you!
January 22, part of team HMB will be heading out to the LA fit expo in Los Angeles.  I’m really looking forward to it and getting to see and meet the new HMB fans as well as see the longtime HMB fans too.  I will be in the middle of my diet for the Arnold amateurs in March and that always becomes the tricky part when traveling, but I make it work!  I carry my chicken breasts and green veggies in my carry on then get ice after getting through security.  The security people just look at me funny and say they have never seen anything like it.  It is funny when you think about it, but it’s always been normal for me!  My weight is right around 290lbs and I think I’m coming in very well.  The long hours at the gym make contest prep harder than what it usually is, but that’s what this sport is all about.  You really do have to have a few screws loose to be a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or a strongman competitor.  You just truly do!  LOL

 The gym is going great and busy is good for any business.  Of course, I always want to do more!  Help more people, get more involved in the community and just do as much as I can to get more people healthy and active!

I hope everyone starts off 2010 happy, healthy and strong!  To do that, make sure you are using your Optimum Nutrition supplements and as always, your HMB!  So train hard and train smart.

I was suppose to end the last phase with a 5-RM deadlift off of the floor with suit and belt, and also completing my best 5x5 squat workout to date. These plans got derailed for a couple of reasons. First, I really lost my training edge at the end of last phase because our entire football staff got fired after the season – it is very hard to keep my mind buried in training while I am looking for a job. Second, I had wrongly assumed that I could pick up where I left off in my last competition in terms of feeling comfortable pulling in a suit. This was not the case.

Right now I almost feel stronger with no equipment on whatsoever. This is not a bad problem to have. I just have to spend more time pulling in the suit. In fact, I have altered my training plans somewhat for this last phase. The first change I made was to put in more suit work on my heavy deadlift day. Instead of pulling 6x1 with no gear off of the floor every other week, I will do 3x1 with no gear and 3x1 with suit and belt. The second change is to not do the Circa Max band squat phase, but rather go back to 5x5 back squat with no gear and work up to a personal record 5x5. I just felt I left things unfinished in terms of my squatting last phase. In order to benefit most from the Circa Max squat phase, I needed to peak out on the 5x5 squat phase. This did not happen, so I will go back and relay the foundation, even stronger this time.

I proceeded to train as normal and move on with my daily schedule with minor noticeable symptoms. On October 1st I had a good day with a chest and triceps workout and no new noticeable symptoms. The next day was a rest day and I had the usual soreness and fatigue from working out but nothing out of the ordinary. That night I woke up in intense pain, my chest felt as if it was splitting apart. On October 3rd I went to my doctor and had it examined, the only conclusion he could come up with was I shifted a rib or knocked something out of place. He prescribed pain medication and sent me on my way. The pain only worsened, I took so much pain medication I was getting sick so I made an appointment with a different doctor. After an examination and an x-ray the only thing he could come up with is that I tore a muscle and he prescribed me more potent medication.

Once again nothing was changing I could not eat a full meal with out vomiting; even drinking too much liquid caused me to vomit. The pain was getting worse every day and by then the medication wasn’t making a dent and I needed assistance to even sit up in bed. I found my self falling asleep in my computer chair in an upright position in many occasions just to ease the pain. Becoming increasingly worried my wife insisted we go to the hospital emergency room for a further examination. While there they took blood, an x-ray and an EKG. Not finding anything they hooked me up to an IV and re-hydrated me with two bags of fluid. The entire time I had a temperature hovering from 100-104°F. After that they just prescribed me more medication for pain and nausea and sent me home.

On October 9th the pain had reached a new level and I became increasingly worried and asked my mother to take me to the doctor again. Once there he checked normal vitals and did blood work. After finding out the results he noticed an extremely high white cell count and told us to go straight to the hospital. Once we got there we checked in and having to sit in a wheel chair I was wheeled to my room. This was the last thing I can remember. While in the hospital I was on so much pain medication I had a substantial amount of memory loss.

It then became the scariest moment of my life; I woke up with no recollection of anything with my arms tied down and a breathing tube down my throat. The nurse was talking to me but I was too frantic to understand what was going on or even where I was. I was so scared I thought it had to be a dream. After what seemed to be hours she pulled the breathing tube out and I had such trouble breathing.

After I became a little oriented my family came in the room and filled me in on what all happen…

I had a staph infection in-between my sternum and my heart. They found this by doing a CT scan. The CT found a 6cm x 11cm mass. After surgery the heart surgeon said that there was actually staph in the sternum bone and this is what was causing my chest to hurt so severely. They also did an echocardiogram of my heart to make sure that it was not infected. From the severity of the location and the fact that the infection spread to my blood the doctors gave me less than 50% chance to live pre surgery. From the surgery to a few days later they ended up draining over three liters of fluid out. With the surgeon scraping all of the infection out and the high dose of antibiotics it was beginning to heal and my vitals were returning to normal. 

Being unconscious for over four days atrophy set in pretty bad, I didn’t realize exactly how serious it was until I tried to stand up. I convinced the nurses I was one of the strongest people in the world and I could get to the restroom on my own. Once I tried to support my own weight, my body was shocked and it took everything I had just to hold myself up. Everything required a great deal of assistance. Little by little I was able to walk more, after a few days I was able to walk down the hall. After being in intensive care for 10 days I was moved to a normal room for 3 days. All I could think about was going home.

After frequent monitoring and extensive amounts of antibiotics they felt as I was ready to leave. While in the hospital they put a pick line in my arm which is basically a tube that runs threw an artery in my arm to within inches of my heart. This allowed me to go home earlier because I still needed weeks of IV medication. Every morning and evening I had to be hooked up to two IV bags which took about an hour each to drip into my body. It was a very lengthy process which required a lot of help from my family. Every week I had to go to the infectious disease clinic for blood work and a bandage change. I was on IV antibiotics from October 9th – November 24th. The entire time from before the operation until weeks after I got out of the hospital I was on a very minimal diet. Because of everything going on with my body it was rejecting food and even liquid. In the summer I peaked at around 410lbs and hovered around 385lbs but before I could start eating a normal diet again I had dropped all of the way down 282lbs.

It was the worse event of my life and it really put everything in perspective and made me grateful for the smallest things I once took for granted. I can not express how thankful I am for all of the help, support, and care I received form all my family and friends. Without them I know there is no way I would have made it through everything and still be here.

Now for the crazy part, the cause of the whole ordeal. At America’s strongest man the summer of 2009 we had a stone for height event. I made a decision to load a few stones shirtless, gripping the stone in a bad angle put the sticky part right against my chest ripping out a good deal of hair and skin. When it was growing back I got an ingrown hair that became infected. It kept getting worse and worse but I didn’t think anything of it just put Neosporin on it and went on like everything was normal. From the location of the infection on my chest the surgeon is sure this is where it got in my body and spread into my bone.

With all of this behind me I had recently started lifting again. The extreme weight loss and being inactive took away quite a bit of strength. But it will take a lot more than this to keep me down and I feel with a challenge like this I can only become stronger. I am very thankful even with a major injury like this MTI (makers of HMB) is behind me 100%. With their support as well as family and friends there is no limit to my recovery!

Brad, a Minnesota native, has been involved with athletics his entire life and began his powerlifting career with his first meet in 1989.  Since then, he has competed in the IPF World Championships 11 times and won them twice.  His current bench, squat, and deadlift total is 2342.  Even though Brad is over 40 he is still stronger than ever and continues to compete and improve. 

Check out Brad’s profile in the Team HMB section to see more of his accomplishments!  Check back to hmb.org for an interview with Brad coming soon!

We are proud to have Brad as a part of our team!

My core strength is at an all-time high. This is, of course, due to very aggressive specific core training, but also due to the fact that I have not worn a belt much at all these first two cycles. All band deadlifts, dynamic effort box squats and deadlift accessory work (i.e. zercher deadlifts, partial isometric deadlifts and 5x5 back squat program) were performed without a belt. The zercher deadlifts have been good to keep my strength off of the floor up, especially when the band deadlifts aren’t that heavy off of the floor. The partial isometric deadlifts are intended to strengthen the deadlift where it is typically at its weakest point biomechanically (when it is furthest away from the body’s center of gravity).

I am also really starting to see the benefit of the accessory work performed in the last cycle. The wide grip RDL’s and pause deadlifts off of the floor have done wonders to strengthen my core and upper back for the pull. I am a low back dominant puller that typically gets in a really bad position just off of the floor (rounded back). However, my back stays in a very strong position now when pulling off of the floor, as can be seen in the band deadlifts. As always, videos of all movements can be seen at youtube.

Within these past ten years, things have drastically changed for all of us, there is no doubt about that.  Venturing into the fitness industry as a track and field athlete was my goal towards the turn of the century, only to be “side-railed” by a profession that I would have never dreamed, professional wrestling.  From flying from the top rope as a WWE Diva and then onto tv show Total Non Stop Action Knockout, I then took my greatest challenge on, becoming a mom.  A mom that still cannot not get enough of the fitness lifestyle.  Incorporating what is IMPORTANT TO YOU into your daily routine is necessary.  For me, that meant training for triathlons but also readying myself to compete on the fitness stage for the very first time.  And who knows, if the door of professional wrestling comes “a knockin’” once again (*hint hint*), I may be answering. 

All of this could not be possible without the tremendous thanks to my family, Team HMB, and those at Optimum Nutrition (ON).  Having a support system in place is crucial to your own success.
Make a vow now to get it together for 2010 and carry it through ten years strong.  Whether it is to brush up on your general health and lower that cholesterol or attain that professional status of an athlete, HMB and ON should be on the top of your lists (through the help of NutritionMarket.com)! 

The following should also be on the top of your agenda to ring in of the New Year! 
1 – Make HMB and a source of ON protein a staple to your everyday regimen…no matter your goals, you NEED to start out everyday giving your body what it needs and that is fuel!  *I’ve recently added ON’s Pro Complex to my blend of protein sources.*
2 – Set a new fitness goal and STICK TO IT – choose to participate in an athletic event and get on a set training plan (99% of the way there is to decide to just do it!)
3 – Use technology to your advantage.  With all the “Wii Fit” games out there and the workout applications that we can now download on our cell phones, make the most of all the hottest gadgets that you have and incorporate them into your health and fitness goals.  PROGRAM THE TIME INTO YOUR LIFE TO BE THE HEALTHIEST THAT YOU HAVE EVER BEEN.

Thanks to everyone who has supported HMB, ON, and me through the years.  Be sure to check back for even more fantastic things to come, including the events that Team HMB members will be attending for 2010.  Cheers and have a very safe and prosperous New Year!

Arm over Arm – the implement was a giant wooden sledge with a huge industrial tire sitting on top of it and a 2 inch diameter rope to pull on. I drew the 9th starting spot so I got to see 4 groups go before I went. No one had finished yet, the best distance so far was 17m and there were a couple 0’s as well. I gripped up the rope and when the whistle blew I gave it hell. The sledge barely budged but I was able to fully extend and reel in some more rope for another pull. After 4 or 5 pulls I could no longer hold onto the rope and had to begin wrapping it around my arm. I managed to get 12.9m in the one minute time limit, which eventually placed me in 7th place. No one made a full pull.

Giant Dumbbell Press – Dumbbell pressing has always been a tough event for me, and at 175lb and long 10” barrels on the ends, this was by far the biggest dumbbell I’ve ever touched. The whistle blew and I barely missed my first two attempts. I took a short break to re-group lifted the dumbbell to my shoulder and locked out one good rep. I tried one  more and was close again. One rep was a huge accomplishment and despite finishing 10th in this event, this was a highlight for me.

Firetruck Pull – I was third to pull, and neither competitor before me moved it far. I was determined and tried several pulling techniques but was never able to get the truck into a roll. 1.7m distance put me in the lead at this point but was bettered by most of the remaining competitors. No one finished the course again.

Log Press Medley – The 4th event was four logs, weighted at 265, 285, 310, and 330lbs. I blew through the first two but had little left after I cleaned the third. The competitor from Russia completed all 4 presses, and he did it in a very impressive fashion. My performance here left me mid-pack again.

Farmers Carry – Two 285lb cylinders had to be carried 80’, set down while the athlete turned around, picked back up and carried back. The tanks were large diameter cylinders and the handles were inside but on the top half of the tank. This caused them to be difficult to walk with but the event would still be a foot race. I managed a time of 29 seconds, which again put me mid-pack at 6th place.

Manhood Stone Lift – The stone lift required a 375lb smooth granite (I think) stone to be lifted over a 52” bar for max repetitions in one minute. This event was definitely my chance to make up some points. The first lift was calculated but easy and aside from smashing my arm between the stone and bar on rep 4 I completed 5 without much struggle and tied for the event win.

Car Squat – The apparatus was comfortable until I hit the bottom 4” or so, the weight moved into an awkward position and buried me. Some practice on this type of set up will be useful in the future.

Overall I managed to walk away with 6th place, some great experience, and a desire to get better for next year. I’m definitely proud to have represented American Strongman and Team HMB on an international level too. A huge thanks goes out to God, my family, training partners, ASC and Team HMB for helping me make it this far and complete another successful year.

On that note, everyone have a great Christmas, remember the reason, and make sure you set goals for 2010!

The researchers were also able to note that HMB was able to attenuate the rise in CK (another indicator of muscle damage) and soreness in the quadriceps and hamstrings when the supplement was taken prior to exercise.  This new research explores the timing effects of HMB and ultimately concludes that taking it an hour before exercise might visibly reduce select markers of muscle damage.

To read more about this specific study, visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642830/?tool=pubmed.

For more information on previous HMB studies, visit http://www.hmb.org/publications/publication_categories.cfm?PublicationCategoryID=1.

I know what you're thinking and you can forget about fasting, as it doesn't work. Researchers say that you're dropping mostly lean muscle tissue, not fat, so please continue to eat five to six times a day. That's about every two to three hours, which will actually help with the cravings when you get to the party, and keep you away from those chocolate chip cookies with the big red bows that catch your eye!

The real issue, and a big part of this holiday 'growing' is that we get so busy, we forget to exercise. So I'm here to give you the gift of 'making sure' you stay fit and fabulous during this holiday season! First, I want you to start thinking about that workout as setting the pace for your entire day. You're staying up later than normal, which means it may be difficult to push yourself out of bed an hour earlier, but if you know how beneficial that 30 minutes of cardio is, how it will allow you to drink and be merry without the guilt, then it makes it all worth it! That brings me to the next tip. If and when you have a cocktail, follow it by a glass of water, this will fill you up and limit how many calories you consume. You must also try and show some will power against those ‘to \die for chocolates'. A few dainty treats will not harm you, so keep that in mind and don't go crazy! Last tip, is the best one. When on a dance floor DANCE (HMB can help with the soreness afterward)!!! It is the best way to burn those calories and hopefully come out of the evening "even"!!!

Working out should become a part of your lifestyle, not something you run away from, and in this time of indulgence, it's imperative that we remember that. 2010 is going to be incredible and it's never too late to start something great! Have a wonderful Holiday and I will see you next year!!!

Neglecting your own personal health and fitness goals are so easy to do, especially this time of year.  Recently going through some very tough times this holiday season, I simply want to help you realize the gift that most of us are given is our well-being. 

So amidst all the crazy shopping sprees and candy canes, here are a few tips that I would like to share with you all in order to stay on track of your health this season.

First things first, if you are not on your daily recommended dosage of HMB,then you are already off to the wrong start.  Give the gift of health this year to your family andfriends and to yourself.  To find HMB at the best prices out there, be sure to visit www.NutritionMarket.com and with every order of HMB receive a FREE gift from yours truly, NutritionMarket.com!

Secondly, when the times are hectic, neglecting the fuel that your body craves is also a huge “no no”.  Be sure to stock up on the best protein out there from Optimum Nutrition, like Hydrowhey.  Also, for those late night wrapping excursions or holiday parties we all must attend, give your body an extra boost with any ABB Drink. My personal favorite is the Diet Turbo Tea, while my husband can’t make it a day without his ABB Speed Stack.  The new ON Oats & Whey packets are also a great alternative to stuffing those stockings with sweets **hint hint**!

Finally, when it comes to putting those training hours in, now is the time when it seems more difficult than ever to hit the workout your body needs so much.  Here are a few workout ideas and tips that can help you make the time for yourself anywhere, anytime:

1. Kettlebell Workout – For those of you who need to get your weights in sometime during the day, try to change it up with Kettlebells (weights that have a handle attached to them).
2.   Push ups – Just yourself and the floor…where is the excuse?!?
3.  P90X (or any similar workout program) – We have all heard of it…why not try it out as your New Year’s Resolution and then “share it” as a Christmas gift for those who always have the excuse that they don’t have time for the gym!
4.  Abs – Get yourself a new and fun ab routine that you can do whenever the time allows.  There are millions of ways to avoid that bulge and look like the man in the red suit
5.  Run in the snow (just be sure to bundle up) or jump rope in the warm indoors – just be sure to do at least 20 minutes of cardio most days of the week in order to get into your fat burning mode and rid those mashed potatoes and gravy which you know may still be lingering around!

Most of all, enjoy this holiday season and enjoy the people you love.  Share stories and spend time with friends and family.  Wishing you and your family a safe and health holiday season; just be sure to do it with HMB, Optimum Nutrition and NutirionMarket.com (come on, you know I had to throw that in there)!

I’m stuck on all my Optimum Nutrition supplements too.  I use a lot of the Platinum Hydrowhey protein, speed stacks, diet turbo teas and of course my HMB!  I’m working some days 12 hours a day to 17-18 hours a day.  So all the recovery and energy is crucial to keep me going and growing!

My daily schedule is one of two ways - I wake up at 4:15 in the morning to open the gym by 5:00 and train clients from then til around 8:30.  Run errands or go to appointments then back to the gym to do whatever needs to be done in the gym, then train again starting at around 3:00 til 6:30 or 7:00.  Oh, and somewhere in there I get my workout in too.  My wife and I switch off with the opening and closing duties as I said before and so both of us have very long days, so even though we work together, we don’t really SEE each other, if you understand what I mean.

I’m staying right at 302lbs and will stay there til I start my diet again in January  for the Arnold Amateurs in March.  I’m really excited about doing this contest!  Our gym is open, so the anxiety of opening is gone.  Stress is still there though!  lol.  Now I can focus on running our business and getting ready for my show.  I just want to go in there and do well.  It will be fun competing and meeting everyone at the HMB booth!  It’s just neat I can do both at the Arnold this year!

Keep reading up on my progress to the Arnold. Keep taking your HMB, getting plenty of rest, using your Optimum Nutrition supplements and training hard!  You will thank me for it!

I’ve been adding volume and intensity to my strongman training and really am looking forward to competing again. My work capacity with heavy carries is progressing nicely and dumbbell pressing is consistently improving too.

The 105KG Strongman Championships are on for this year as well. I was given the nod to represent America based on being the National Champion last year. The contest is being held in Kiev, Ukraine starting December 11th. I will do my best to represent America and Team HMB as well as bring home a strong finish. The strongman events that are scheduled to be contested are:

1. Arm over arm Pull
2. Dumbbell Press
3. Truck Pull
4. Log lift medley
5. Farmer Carry
6. Squat for reps
7. Stone Loading

I’ve also made some changes to my nutritional program. With the HMB, I added in an additional 2 grams (6 total) on training days. Recovery is going very well. I’m also using the new Platinum Hydrowhey from Optimum Nutrition. This stuff is packed with all the necessary fixens for recovery from heavy training including a stout portion of BCAA’s. The ABB Intensity Speed Shots are great for improving your focus and intensity while training too. I’ve never had a problem in this department, but the Speed Shots took me to a whole new level of focused.

Train hard and look out for an update from the 105KG Strongman World Championships!

I was not really sure how to go about rehabbing torn fascia when this happened, mainly because I did not know how differently, if at all, fascia responded than muscle. I started the rehab/treatment with just ice and some very light soft tissue work (foam rolling the fascia). After that I progressed to one treatment of muscle scraping, along with more aggressive soft tissue work (rolling with pvc pipe and vibration massage) and very light, high-rep back extensions to facilitate blood flow through the injured area. Finally, I progressed to a high volume of reverse hypers, while keeping the icing and soft tissue work the same.

Next phase I will be using a phase of band deadlifts with very high band tension leading into a 5-repetition maximum in the deadlift with a suit and belt. Also, I will be doing raw 5x5 back squats to keep the leg and core strength progressing. We are about 12 weeks out from the Arnold. The emphasis has not changed:

1. Stay healthy – if training goes uninterrupted, a decent weight should go up at the Arnold

2. Improve glute and hip strength

3. Improve leg strength

4. Improve upper back strength

 I will keep you posted on the release of the DVD. It's an incredible workout and I am proud of it. May you all have a wonderful Holiday, allow yourself to breathe, enjoy your families, and truly be thankful!

Even though I am ready to tackle cycling and swimming again, I have decided to go “back to my roots” for the next month and a half and really concentrate on running.  Seeing that my travel schedule has been rather hectic and will continue to be so through the first of the year, I decided why make it harder for me to train on the road…why not make it “fit”.  I have found that the Nike 5. are the best running shoe for my needs!  Whatever your preference is, make sure that if you are about to start on any training plan, that you give your feet what they need.  If your feet are out of sync with their needs, you can be assured that the rest of your body will be as well and you will not be maximizing your training.

Currently, being nearly mid way through my 16 week training plan, my body is rapidly changing due to the ample amount of miles I am putting out.  Below is a chart of a typical week of training for me, normally running around 48 to 60 miles per week.  I like this plan because it can be done really anywhere and anytime.  (Hint, hint – no matter where you are traveling over this holiday season, there are always roads to run on!)

Day 1: 5 miles - easy
Day 2: 6 miles - increasing pace with distance
Day 3: 6 miles - fast paced and timed
Day 4: 6 miles - interval work of 200-300 meters (known as fartleks)
Day 5: 5 miles - easy (OR rest)
Day 6: 4 miles - easy pace OR cross train
Day 7: 13.1 miles (half-marathon race)

I am looking forward to being able to “reward” myself with the half-marathon Thanksgiving morning after all this endurance training.

The increase of mileage, increase of calories, and HMB have all played a key role in my training.  I am now taking 4 grams of HMB per day, along with a caloric increase of close to 1,000 calories.  In order to fulfill my daily requirement easily, I have added an additional ON Hydro Whey protein shake (now at 3 per day) along with ON GLYCOMAIZE pre-run in order to make sure that I have enough complex carbohydrates to fill my workouts.  A must post-run requirement is ON 2:1:1 Recovery in order to replenish my muscles after pounding out the miles.  What a huge difference this addition has made!  Not only do I not feel the buildup of lactic acid in my legs as much throughout the week (especially on speed days), but I feel as if my body has a “boost button” when I would otherwise be taxing. 

Until next time, please be sure to take care of yourself this holiday season; it will come and go before you know it.  And remember, it’s NEVER too early to plan that New Year’s Resolution…even getting a jump start on it with HMB and Optimum Nutrition through NutritionMarket.com!!
             
 

I will be starting my next macrocycle with a short phase that will focus on volume and getting in shape to peak for March, then getting more specific with heavier loading as time progresses. See the attached file for the details of the final three phases. I will continue to focus on glute and hip strength to improve my deadlift in the mid-ranges of the pull, but also work at ensuring my low back is stronger than ever. I think the partial ISO deadlifts will be great for pushing through the sticking point in the pull and I think the zercher deadlifts will be great for strengthening the pull off of the floor. I will be sure to post videos of these on my You Tube page in the future.

Still taking 8 caps of Optimum Nutrition HMB per day. In my own experience, HMB seems to work the best when I take the first 4 caps before the day’s training session, instead of waiting until after. I do not know all the specifics of recovery, but I do know that recovery starts immediately after the training session is finished. It makes sense to give the body a head start at making the HMB available when it needs it most. Also started taking Optimum Nutrition Hydrowhey protein. I take two servings twice a day, every day. It is a very high quality protein and tastes unbelievable!

So, the plan was for me to compete at NPC Nationals on the 20th and 21st.  Because of opening the gym, the plan for Nationals went out the window really quick.  My training and dieting took a hit due to the 16-17 hrs days.   My wife and I do everything except for a couple nights a week when our part time employee gives a chance to get away and be with our daughter.  Since the days have been very long, my energy has obviously taken a hit so I started taking the ABB speed shots and drinking a lot of the RTD 50 protein drinks (the cookies and cream is my favorite) as well as the Optimum Platinum Hydro Whey.  I mix it with my egg whites.  That stuff is great!  How it mixes is incredible and the taste is the best of any protein I have ever used!  And of course, HMB!  Even from all the long hours, days and the time I haven’t been able to train, I haven’t lost a thing!  Weight is still 296, and I look great! 

Now for Nationals… I need to be 100% when I compete, and when I can’t give it 100%, I won’t half ass it.  I won’t do it to myself or my fans!  So my decision was based on my commitment to the gym and the time necessary to prepare.  So instead, I have decided to do the Arnold Amateur in Columbus, Ohio during the Arnold Classic weekend.   I will then decide from there which national level show I will do; whether it is USA’s or National’s next year.  I will have had a year and a half off when I compete in March in Columbus, so I will be bringing a whole new package to the stage and since my decision to stick with Optimum Nutrition supplements, which are the highest in quality I have found, my gains and recovery have increased even more.  Finding what works for you is the key to your individual success, but the nutrition and supplements you choose should be a huge part of your program.  I will only recommend HMB and ON supplements!   So much so that our gym is an exclusive ON supplement retailer!

So keep checking in for my progress, updates about our gym and how my consistency of taking Optimum Nutrition HMB and other Optimum products continues to push my gains.  Until then, keep training hard and using HMB and Optimum Nutrition supplements.  You will thank me for it!
 

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you what I have put so much time and effort into lately, on top of trying to prevent my family from getting the flu, the re-naming and re-launch of CustomMuscle.com to NUTRITIONMARKET.COM.  Having a vision to make our online superstore so much more, we have merged with a few key partners to make NutritionMarket.com your one stop health and nutrition headquarters.  With over 4,500 products to choose from, most of which below wholesale. I have been researching over the past month on how to make the new site more user-friendly and of course more informative.  I invite all of you to check it out! 

Optimum Nutrition will be featured on NutritionMarket.com soon too!  And I am not only talking about the HMB that Optimum Nutrition has to offer (HMB 1000 Caps).  I am also very excited to report the top of the line protein on the market today; ON Platinum Hydro Whey.  I have been swapping from protein to protein for some time now and just have not found “that one”.  However, when I got a sneak preview of the ON Platinum Hydro Whey, I knew that my search was over.  Not only is it extremely soluble in whatever you choose to mix with, it actually tastes great too.  At 30 grams per serving and having a great fraction profile, it is a must for everyone.

So, there you have it.  I have been biking like mad, but not without my HMB and now my ON Platinum Hydro Whey.  Please check out NutritionMarket.com!  I’d love to hear your thoughts ON it!

Beginning in December of 2008 I started training for the USAPL Deadlift National Championships. This meet was a qualifier for the ASF and was held in Miami, FL on July 12th. The road to the qualifier was marked with a ton of learning experiences, as I had never trained for a powerlifting contest before. I had a lot of help along the way from people like Brad Gillingham, Chris Doyle, Shawn Baier, and Pat McGettigan. There is no way I could have accomplished anything without these great friends. The person I have to thank most for this journey is my Savior Jesus Christ – He has transformed me incredibly throughout the journey. Most notably, He has taught me that God has given me the great opportunities to compete in strength athletics as a platform to do His will.

Training has been going great for the ASF. Below you will find links to my current training plan, diet plan, and here is the link to a You Tube site where you can view videos chronicling the journey to the ASF 2010. Detailed plans of new training cycle will be posted soon. Videos and training updates will also be updated regularly. A big thank you goes out to Optimum Nutrition and HMB for all of their support. It should be a fun journey to March 6th!

EAS is a well-established sports nutrition company, known for producing highly-researched supplements. Muscle Armor is a multi-patented combination working to give athletes increased mass and power.

Juven TechnologyTM is a mixture of the essential amino acids, L-glutamine and arginine, and HMB.  All the components of Muscle Armor are clinically proven to increase protein synthesis while minimizing muscle damage and preventing protein degradation.  With these benefits, Muscle Armor rejuvenates muscles while working to increase overall body strength. 

EAS Muscle Armor is TJ Tollakson’s favorite HMB product. TJ Tollakson, a triathlete and a member of Team HMB, says using HMB helps him recover from intense training sessions. “HMB allows me to actively recover from the toughest training while minimizing the fatigue and damage to my muscles.”

To maximize the results of training and build overall body strength, give EAS’s Muscle Armor a try today! Order here.

Q: Where did the athletic roots of Erin begin?

ES: I was always athletic growing up!  I think my dad wanted boys, so even at a young age, my sister and I were outside climbing trees, riding horses, and running around.  It seemed like we turned many activities into competitions, like who could climb the tree faster, jump farthest, or run fastest!

Q: When did you start competing in track & field and how did it progress to what it is now?

ES: I started competing in track & field during Junior year of high school.  At that time, I was jumping the obstacles with my horse - running right next to him!  I went to UF for college, and was invited to walk on for the high jump.  I ended up earning a partial scholarship and competing in the multi-events.  I took a couple years off from competing after school, then joined USATF.  I have been going to track meets for the last three years - I love it!!

Q: Being an accomplished track and field athlete what motivated you compete in figure competitions?

ES: I started to compete in figure when I realized that I was close to my maximum potential in the high jump, and I was not quite at the elite level that I wanted to compete at.  I tried figure in the hopes that I could take it to a higher level of competition.  It would also allow me to continue to train like an athlete.

Q: What kind of training do you do in order to be in shape for both figure competitions and track & field?

ES:  I do sprint workouts, plyometric training, and powerlifting.  This has remained the same.  The only change now is that I have added bodybuilding type weight workouts to help sculpt the muscles.

Q: To be a professional athlete you really have to be disciplined and sacrifice.  In your opinion are the rewards worth the sacrifice? 

ES: Without a doubt!!  It's amazing what the body and mind can do - and it doesn't feel like sacrifice if you truly love your sport!

Q: When you’re in the off season of figure competitions what cheat food do you like to indulge in? 

ES: I really like pizza. Other than that, in the off-season, I do enjoy pretzels, frozen yogurt, hummus, and other foods I wouldn't ordinarily eat in the few weeks before a show. 

Q: Out of all of your accomplishments which would you say was your proudest moment? 

ES: Jumping 5'11" in the jump was a great feeling!!  In figure, it would be a tie between winning the overall at NPC Nationals and recently placing 6th at the Figure Olympia.

Q: What lies in the future for Erin?  What are your goals/aspirations?

ES: My short-term goals for this year include clearing 6' in the high jump, placing top three at the Figure Olympia (Arnold Classic), and helping others live healthier and get stronger!

Q: Being a long-time HMB user, why did you decide to start taking the supplement and why do you continue to use it today? 

ES: I started taking HMB in college.  My strength training coach recommended it to aid in recovery.  At that time, I was training twice a day, and I felt sore very often.  Once I started taking HMB, I noticed that I wasn't as sore, and I was able to do a higher volume of work during the week.  I still use it today because it works!!  I'm still training with two-a-days, and I feel like I need that help with recovery!

Q: Being you’re one of our athletes that has used HMB to help your training for a long time, could you tell us about your experiences with it and what you think HMB will do to help you succeed in for the future? 

ES: After I started taking HMB, I noticed my sprint times were more consistent - I think this is because I wasn't as sore and was able to continually run hard!  The intensity was also maintained in the weight room.  I think I'm able to see greater gains by taking HMB, and if I'm able to train harder than my competition, it gives me an advantage on the field and on the stage!

Thanks for taking the time today for this interview.  We are very excited to have you be a part of Team HMB and wish you the best of luck with your future training and competitions!

Metabolic Technologies, Inc. (MTI) has a high standard for the quality and purity of the HMB it produces.  MTI tests HMB for heavy metals, such as lead and arsenic, E. coli, salmonella, DHEA, yeast and mold.  With all of these tests, MTI assures there are no contaminants in the HMB produced, so it is pure and safe to use.  There have also been various safety studies on HMB, which have shown no adverse effects.  To read about the research on HMB’s safety and how MTI produces only high-quality and pure HMB, visit hmb.org!

Shaving off nearly a minute from my previous swim time gave me great momentum for the cycling.  I have been really working these past 2 weeks on increased pool time and hitting the weight room harder, I really wanted to kill my previous split.  I felt much stronger in my swim with my breathing patterns, kicks, and especially the ease of my stroke. 

Since I have not been concentrating in the weight room in quite some time, I really felt the effectiveness of HMB.  I was expecting my arms to be much more sore with the newly incorporated lifting schedule, which I did the following program 2 times per week. Nor did I feel the fatigue from the increased time in the pool.  Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed pounding out some reps again but it also grew my excitement for more training to come, on the course of triathlons and on the stage of figure competitions!

 As far as the cycling goes, I could not be more excited to be fitted for my very own bike within the next few weeks!  My splits have improved due to the fact that I am not on a mountain bike anymore.  I cannot wait to have one to call my own.  From what I understand, it’s like rocket science when you first really dive in and get to learn about your own ride, from the fit to the gears to all the maintenance and upkeep…I say bring it on!  I’ll be sure to have some pretty pictures and info all about what I decide to go with soon.  This is one thing that you do not want to do on your own, so I am lucky enough to have a great mentor to guide me along the process and share it with anyone who may be new to the experience like me.

The run, ah, the run!  With the wind picking up and my feet still numb, I left it all on the course.  At 34 seconds faster than my last pace per mile (for a total of 1:59 knock off of my total 5K time) I knew that I could finish this season strong.  One thing is for certain; having my strong point last, feeling the rush of the finish line cannot go ignored with each step on the pavement.  Even though the course was full of rolling hills, I took them strong in each stride.  Then, it was time for pancakes at the finish line…heck that would make anyone’s pace pick up, right?!

Maybe it was the cooler weather that had me super psyched about the event.  I was also very happy with how many people stopped me to inquire about HMB (I was wearing one of my HMB tops).  When training your body for an intense endurance sport, taking HMB has tremendous benefits.  I am very happy and excited to share this first season’s journey of tri’s with you and even though this is the end of the official tri season for me, the beginning of so much more to come.  Now, it’s time to get off to the pumpkin patch!

I have a powerlifting meet coming up in November, then I will be amping up for another season of Strongman with the help of HMB!

For more on Catherine Chiarelli, look for her Team HMB profile, which is posted on www.hmb.org/!

Q: Dane, welcome to Team HMB, we are happy to have you with us!  Can you tell us what sparked your interest in freestyle riding and how did you get starting in competing in this sport? 

DF: “In 2001 I got a sled to access Alaska’s back country.    I hated snowmachines for 2 years and only rode as a passenger on my own sled until one summer when I got into dirt biking. Then I took the time to learn how to ride and control the sled. I have only snowboarded 3 times since that day.  My aggressive riding style caught the attention of the Turnagain HardCore filming company. Two years later I was invited to my first freestyle event in Moscow’s Red Square.  And, I have been hooked on performing ever since.”

Q: What kind of training schedule do you have for freestyle riding? 

DF: “If I have a particular injury, I will go to the gym and focus on rehabilitating it.  As long as all my bones are healthy, my freestyle training consists mostly of riding. In the summers, I prefer to ride dirt bikes at the track for cardio and long endurance rides through the woods and mud of Alaska. In the winter, I like to ride as well. Bumpy unmaintained trails are in abundance around here and are a great way to tune my body and my sled at the same time. In my sport, I believe it is important to be strong and limber but not too bulky. Big crashes happen, and I need tone to be able to bounce back quickly afterward.  I would usually focus on freestyle 3-4 days a week all year round on either sleds or bikes, weather depending.”

Q: How long did it take to get the different tricks down?

DF: “Once I quit snowboarding, the back flips took me a year and a half to learn.  Some tricks come faster than others.  Sometimes trick variations leave you, and you have to relearn them.  But, the flip is ingrained in my muscle memory.”

Q: With all stunts that you’ve pulled off what has been your worse injury? 

DF: “The worst for pain and timing is when I was a rider/promoter for a show in Alaska. It was the first time I had incorporated bmx, dirt bikes and sleds in one of my own shows.   In practice, I was flipping for a newspaper photographer when my chain broke, the track locked up, the sled stopped rotating and landed on me.  It was a dirt landing, and I broke my collar bone and rib. I chose to stay at the show to make sure everything went as scheduled and helped with the announcing.

The most expensive injury was a spiral fracture in my leg.  Unfortunately, I was just horsing around, jumping my sled and body sliding down the snow landing. I tried one second base style slide, I caught my leg wrong and oops! “

Q: What’s going through your head when you do those crazy stunts? 

DF: “At the traditional ramp set ups, I don't have many thoughts. For the real gnarly stuff, I usually think like this. As I approach the stunt/jump for the first time, I have to attack it with full confidence in myself and not be worried of any consequences.  At the same time, I'm cautious – always keeping in mind what is most likely to go wrong and how will I get out of it safely. Then, usually I get into the air and all that goes away. Then, it's a pretty cocky feeling I get until I land and the the process repeats itself until it becomes traditional and thoughtless.“

Q: What was it like to win gold for Next Trick in the Winter X Games? 

DF: “It was a relief to win the Gold at X. I had many injuries and had spent a lot of time and money to get to that point.  Although all of the riders and I could have performed better that day, I was still good enough to win.  It leaves me more next tricks in the future. “

Q: What is your favorite stunt to do and why?

DF:  “My favorite stunt is the flip because it is still a bit scary but easy at the same time.”

Q: I know you’ve been doing a lot of demo shows lately, what do you see in the future for Dane?

DF: “Nobody knows what the future holds, but I'm sure I will continue entertaining/performing all over the world as well as organizing and promoting events in my region.  I'll see some more victories and hospitals along the way.”

Q: What are your ultimate goals and how do you feel HMB will help you get there? 

DF: “My ultimate goals are to stay healthy and always get back up. I would like to continue doing what I do but with more victories. HMB is important to help keep me riding day after day. It helps to maintain the body and helps greatly for keeping the energy levels up during the long competition season.”

Thanks for taking the time today for this interview.  We are very excited to have you be a part of Team HMB and wish you the best of luck with your demos and competitions in the future.

Log Press
All of my press training has been going very well over the summer; I knew this would be a great event for me to start the competition. It was a last man standing max log press, and we were starting at 320lbs.  I was a bit concerned about making so many jumps. The plan was to go up by 10lbs each lift, but they decided to go with 20lbs instead (great news for me). Every lift from 320lbs-380lbs felt like a warm up and took little effort to strict press each. Once we got to 400lbs, I struggled on the clean a tad more but the press was nothing. At this point, I felt great hitting my biggest log press in a meet, ever! On my next attempt at 420lbs, I just couldn’t get a good clean out of it and failed the lift.  I have no doubt it would have been a good press.  My clean is constantly getting better, so I am sure it is only a matter of time until I hit a big log in competition.  I placed in a tie for fourth on this event.

900lbs Yoke and Barrel Carry 50ft/50ft
The warm-ups on the yoke and barrel felt pretty tough. All I could do is hope for the best. Everyone made a decent carry with the yoke but really struggled with the barrels. When I was up, I tucked the yoke in tight and went as fast as I could go; unfortunately, it was not fast enough. The yoke is one of my weakest events. Once I went to set the yoke down, I got off balanced, and it hit me in the back of the head. This left me disorientated for a couple of seconds. When I got to the barrel, the yoke had taken so much out of me it became a very difficult carry. I was very pleased to finish, but 8th place really hurt my points.

Atlas Stones 300lbs-415lbs
As for training I couldn’t have asked for more on this event, I have been consistently loading a 400lbs+ stone for easy reps and also just became the first person in history to ever lap and load a 24” stone weighing a bit over 520lbs. But the conditions in training and the meet weren’t the same, the competition stones were filthy and no one could get a grip on any of the heavier stones due to all of the buildup on their hands and arms. My run was slow and steady, trying to clean off my hands as I attempted each stone.  When I got to the fourth stone, my hands and arms were pretty much done.  I still managed to get it loaded. But, the fifth was going no where; as soon as I grabbed it, all I got was bits of dirt, dust, and stone.

Night
Once I got food back to my hotel room, I ate as much as I could and fell asleep around 7:30pm. I was pretty worried because I was sick to my stomach with a slight fever, but when I woke up the next morning, I felt better and was ready to compete.

Day 2

Giant Dumbbell
This was the one event that was worrying me. The only thing I had to train with was the Inch Dumbbell, and every week, it was hit or miss. During warm ups, I hit an easy rep, and all the pressure was gone. I really hoped to make some points back, but I tied with 4 other competitors with 6 reps.  This was good enough for 4th place.

Deadlift 800lbs Frame 3 reps; 650lbs Axle 3 Reps; and 705lbs Max Reps
This was the event I was most looking forward to contesting. During training, I haven’t had a bad deadlift training day in months. When they blew the whistle, I hit 3 easy reps with the 800lbs frame. I then ran to the 650lbs axle and was the only person to pull 3 easy reps without straps. I took a few seconds to catch my breath and walked over to the 705lbs barbell. I strapped up and was able to pull 6 reps. I was a little disappointed in my conditioning but was still pleased with 2nd place. 

360lbs Farmers 270lbs; Keg Carry and Sled Drag 50ft/50ft/50ft
Watching the other competitors go, I was a little worried because of the difficulty they were having. When it was my turn, I picked up the farmers and kept a fast pace with no drops. At this point, I was feeling pretty confident. I ran to the 275 keg and ran it back 50ft to the sled. Once I started pulling the sled, I got winded pretty quick and had to take a breath, but with everyone screaming, I quickly grabbed it and finished the course with a good placing. This bumped me to third overall with one event remaining.

380lbs Atlas Stone Reps Over Bar
At this point, I was in 3rd place by 1point, and there were two guys tied for 4th.  Seeing one competitor go and only get 3 reps gave confidence in my abilities. I was head to head with the other guy that was 1 point down; who ever won this event would take 3rd over all. When the whistles blew, I made a quick and easy load but my bicep hurt, and I was questioning if I could do anymore.  I decided to go until I won or blew my bicep. Once I saw Matt hit five and couldn’t load anymore (and having 5 myself), I just stopped and took the tie for that event. When the final scores were broke down, I was a 3rd place finisher.

Expo/HMB booth
Meeting and hanging out with all of the other HMB sponsored athletes was a great experience. We handed out shirts and informed lifters of the benefits that HMB offers. At one point, Jackie was able to get us into the booth to meet and get a photo with Hulk Hogan. Team HMB and MTI is a great organization, and I am proud to be a part of it!

Braemar Stone Put – For anyone that is not familiar with the Highland Games, the Braemar Stone is a 22lb stone that must be put from a complete standstill. I had taken a couple warm up throws and felt comfortable with the implement and was looking to start the day with an event win. My first two throws were in the 30’ range and good for the lead in the Heavyweight class but second best throw overall. I had the opportunity to get the best throw of the day on my last put, and did! With a toss of 32’6”.

Farmers carry – This event required us to carry a pair of 280lb tanks for 50’, then turn around and bring them back. My goal here was a time 20seconds. With the grass and some uneven ground I knew this would be tough but made a dash for it when the whistle blew. I overshot the turn a little bit and finished with a time of 21 seconds which was still good for 1st place.

Caber Toss – The caber we were using was about 17-18’ long and my best guess is it weighed about 125lb. This was the next size up from what I had practiced with and I knew only a perfect throw would get me a full flip. (The goal in the caber toss is to get it to flip end over end in a straight line.) This event was probably the most fun, however it wasn’t meant to be and I finished with a score of 85 degrees (about as close as one can get to flipping it without it going over).

Log Press – a weight of 250lb was to be picked up to the shoulders and pressed overhead as many times as possible. I breezed through a quick 4 reps although pressing in the grass was tricky and set the log down to regain my footing. At this point I banged out 4 more quick reps and regrouped again. I had plenty of endurance left here and started in on the log again, but slipped a little on the 10th rep and ended up finishing with 9reps for the event win!

Weight Over Bar – The next event was the 56lb weight thrown over a bar for max height. I decided to take every height hoping that the starting heights would be a good warm up. This strategy worked out well. I have a lot of work to do to get the top of the arc of the throw over the bar, but my height was good. I got 13 feet on the third throw and had the height for 14 feet but the arc was short of the bar!

Keg Loading – We had 5 kegs to load to a flatbed tow truck, Weights were 160lb up to 250lb. The kegs were staggered from 10 feet down to 5 feet away from the truck. My goal here was 20 seconds and in knew it would be important to transition quickly between the load and grabbing the next keg. I was quick the whole way for a time of 19seconds! Another event win and first place overall.

Crucifix Hold – This was a bonus event. Two 23lb sledge hammer had to be held out to the side at arms length for maximum time. I put up the best time here at 48.9seconds despite being one of the first competitors to go.

Overall it was a good day and a great time. Since joining Team HMB I’ve had plenty of strength and endurance to handle anything a competition has thrown my way and this one was no different.  I look forward to doing another Highlander competition, but for now it’s on to training hard for strongman.

Catherine has been a performer since she can remember.  She studied classical dance at the Interlochen Arts Academy; which after graduation helped land her first Broadway show, The Phantom of the Opera.  She has also had the pleasure of guest starring in Nip/Tuck, The Starter Wife, Two And A Half Men, The Young and The Restless, Lizzie Maguire, and Cedric The Entertainer.  Besides acting/dancing Catherine has gotten involved in the fitness industry as well by spending time being a fitness host regular on Exercise TV, teaching various fitness classes, and recently is producing her own fitness videos.  Catherine is constantly involved in a variety of activities and continues to further her accomplishments in the fitness and entertainment industry.

Check out Catherine’s new profile in the Team HMB section!

We are excited to have Catherine as part of our team!

Yet again, it was great to hear how many people love the results HMB has to offer.  The best quote of the weekend I heard was, “HMB is like my air, without it, I’d be in bad, bad shape.”  I agree wholeheartedly.  There are many things in life that I really hope I have to never go without, air especially.  I also never want to go without my HMB because of the increase in my performance that it gives me.  Even though I wish nothing more in life at times for it to lessen its pace, HMB has given me the strength to keep up with so much that’s been going on week after week. 

In addition to the new path that I have decided to take into the world of triathlons, I have also added another goal to my list.  The atmosphere of the Olympia was something that could not go easily ignored.     It was this event that helped me realize who I really am, and  I’ve decided to compete in the Figure circuit of the fitness industry.  I have set 2010 as my year.  The year that I will bump up my triathlon distance to “Olympic” and take the stage under the lights for the first time as a competitor.  The missing piece to the puzzle now is to find the right training plan to encompass it all.  The training will be unlike anything that I have ever experienced before.  Training my body for the extreme change of taking on weight training again to sculpt myself for Figure competitions, the strict diet and nutrition plans will be hard to mesh with the heavy load of road (running and cycling) and swim training.

Did I just finish saying that I wanted life to slow down?

Seeing that the slower paced lifestyle is just not an option for me, I came to the realization that I just have to do it all!  Planning is crucial to my goals and aspirations for both.  If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, then why do it?  Opportunity is presenting itself in life and if you don’t grab it by the horns, no one else will for you.

So amidst the crazy schedule of being a full time mother and wife, CustomMuscle.com now becoming NutritionMarket.com and training for events galore, I must say that I could not be any happier to be part of Team HMB and have them aboard along the way!

Stay tuned for my first phase layout of training soon to come!

   We had fun at our booth meeting everyone and talking about our product.  I am a true believer in HMB and am a true testament to how incredible it works!  I have been bodybuilding for about 14yrs now and each year it becomes harder and harder to make gains as well as getting older makes it more difficult to recover.  I have neither of these problems with HMB.  I take eight grams of HMB per day. Like I have said many times, I have nagging injuries with my shoulders and knees that can really hinder my workouts. With HMB, I don’t hurt, I don’t lose muscle and, as a matter of fact, this year I will be competing around 280lbs.  Last year I was competing at 265.  I’m even speechless to my own progress!  I look so much bigger and feel so much better than I have in years!  My body is always in an anabolic state due to HMB!  I love it and I told everyone these same things at the Olympia expo.

   We did have a great time!  Everyone loves our HMB shirts.  Some even tried to come back for two.  We caught most of you though! Lol.   If you were by then you got to meet a couple of our new HMB members, Catherine and our mountain of a man John, as well as Jackie and myself.  We are all true believers in HMB and all the incredible benefits it provides.  Everyone asks me about my secrets and HMB is the first thing I mention.

  Caught Ronnie Coleman heading to his hotel room on Saturday night!   He was staying at the same hotel as Team HMB.  My wife and I caught him going to his hotel room that night and my wife took a pic of Ronnie and me in the elevator… with our throw-a-way camera because we forgot our digital at home.  This was funny when you think about it.  Then we asked him who won the contest, thinking that’s where he was coming from, and his response, “Contest? Oh, I wasn’t at the contest.  I don’t have a clue.  I’ve been at the gym.”  That was hilarious.  His response was not what we expected.

     
  My wife and I are still going hard on our gym.  It’s coming.  Just seems we keep having to push our opening date back due to some sort of hiccup; shipping dates, something with the bank, etc. etc.  It’s going to be a great facility and we are incredibly excited, it just gets frustrating.  It is especially frustrating when I’m dieting for Nationals coming up in seven weeks too.  Patience wears thin when everything comes at you all at once.  It will be good though.  Everyone is excited for us and for the facility to open.

   Speaking about dieting……  It’s going!  Lol.  It’s going really well actually.  I was 293lbs this morning and looking and feeling really well.  I’m looking forward to Nationals and looking forward to the package I will bring this year. 
   

   So keep watching for me and I will keep everyone updated on the last few weeks of progress.  So keep training hard and keep using your HMB!

Erin, an avid user of HMB, has been a competitive athlete her entire life.  She participated in track and field for the University of Florida; where she stood out in the high jump, pentathlon, and heptathlon.  In 2008 she jumped 5’11” in high jump, just missing the Olympic qualifying height by 3cm.  Erin has recently stepped into the world of figure competitions.  In the 2009 Olympia she placed 6th and was awarded Rookie of the Year.  She continues to stay busy training for figure competitions and the USA Track and Field team.

Check out Erin’s profile in the Team HMB section and watch for an interview coming soon!

We are proud to have Erin as a part of our team!

As I prepare to race in Kona on Saturday for the Ironman World Championships, I thought I would give a small insight into one important aspect of my training: my diet, more specifically, my diet to get “down to my race weight”. I know many triathletes never have to worry about their weight when racing. For most of the elite triathletes, losing muscle to get to the race weight is not a challenge. My mesomorph body type provides me many benefits for racing. I have an abundance of fast twitch muscle fibers, I have the ability to generate a lot of top end power in all three disciplines, and I am very strong. The disadvantages of my body type are that I have to pay close attention to my recovery since more muscles mean more time to repair, I have to supply oxygen to all of my muscles, and I have to carry around a little extra bulk (most notably on the marathon).

I spent a lot of time as a child wrestling. After all, I did grow up in the wrestling capitol of the world, Iowa, home of the great Dan Gable. Cutting weight is an integral part of wrestling even at a young age. My first cutting weight experience occurred in 1993. I was in sixth grade and wrestling at the AAU Iowa State Wrestling Championships held each year in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I qualified for State by winning my district qualifier. There are 16 districts in the state and the top two finishers get a trip to the state championship.
This makes the state championship a 32-man bracket. Wrestlers compete in two year grade levels, so I was wrestling in the 5th and 6th grade division. One year at this age makes a big difference, so it is quite advantageous to be in the higher grade. My weight class was 110 pounds. I didn’t have to try to make this weight at districts since I just stepped on the scale in the morning and weighed less than 110 pounds. I did have to make this weight four weeks later at the state tournament and I remember trying to watch my diet the day of the weigh in as my mom drove me to Cedar Rapids on Friday afternoon. I stepped on the scale and weighed 113 pounds. Oh boy! 2 hours left of weigh-ins. It didn’t take long to figure out a quick bathroom break would take care of most of the weight but then I was still about a pound heavy which meant I was a twelve year old running in my sweats trying to lose 16 ounces of water by sweating. It didn’t really take long, only about a 20 min jog, and then I was good to go. I went on to win that State Tournament beating several kids who eventually became collegiate national champions and All-Americans. I loved wrestling and feel it taught me more about winning and losing than any other sport.
After an undefeated season as an 8th grader I decided to swim in high school as a freshman. I came back to wrestling my senior year and wrestled varsity at 152 pounds; this is where I truly came to understand “making weight”.

As a rookie professional triathlete I never cared much about my weight. I knew I was quite a bit bigger than most of my competitors but I took the old Lance Armstrong approach thinking I could win any race regardless of my weight. It took a few people continually telling me I needed to lose some weight before I actually got on the process.
When I committed to losing some weight for racing, I determined I wanted to weigh close to 160 pounds about 10 pounds lighter than I was currently racing, and close to what I weighed before cutting weight in high school. I first started this process in 2007 in the spring. My first race at 160 pounds was Eagleman 70.3, which I won in a record setting time. It seemed to be working.

While I still struggle to keep my racing weight, I have a solid approach about training heavy and just dipping down to my race weight prior to an event. This helps me get the most out of my training and stay strong, healthy, and vibrant. Prior to a big race, I start monitoring my weight daily and slowly begin to catabolize my muscle while I sleep. I weigh myself each night and morning using a Tanita Ironman Body Fat Scale, which gives me an accurate depiction of body fat, weight, and hydration. I record the information and track it before my race. I can tell if I am on a correct trajectory before a race and adjust as necessary. I don’t want to lose more than 2 pounds in any week so if I start to lose more I adjust.

My method of losing weight is individual and one that allows me to recover properly from training while still shedding some unwanted excess muscle while I sleep. Here are my rules for my weight cutting.

1)      Twice a week do a short aerobic run (30-40minutes) in the morning with no fuel, this teaches my body to burn fat since my carbohydrate stores are depleted.

2)      Limit carbohydrate consumption at night and increase fat and protein intake

3)      Don’t eat after 8 PM

4)      Go to bed a little hungry, not starving, just a little hungry

5)      Fuel with whatever I want before, during, and immediately after my hard/long workouts. (if I want that pint of Ben and Jerry’s Mission to Marzipan, the best time is either mid workout or immediately after)

6)      Supplement with HMB, I prefer using EAS Muscle Armor but just about any form of HMB will help

A little bit about my history and use of HMB. HMB was developed at Iowa State University and is a dietary supplement. It is very popular amongst power and strength athletes but it also has great properties for endurance athletes, especially mesomorph athletes. HMB has anti-catabolic properties which help prevent the breakdown of damaged muscles. What this means for me when trying to get down to my race weight, is that I can catabolize muscle while I sleep, but target muscle catabolism that has the least impact on my training. In other words, the muscles I use least are the ones catabolized.

I am not in any way prescribing this method of weight loss to any athlete and would caution even the most experienced professional about experimenting with my method. I am simply informing about what works for me.

I am only 5 days away from Kona and happy to report that I am lean and mean and down to my “fighting weight”. Just in case I get in a fight.
I haven’t been on a wrestling mat in years but I would still take on any professional triathlete in a take down contest; you still get “two points for a takedown”. I’ll just stay away from the guys who now race triathlons after spending time wrestling at either the Olympic Training Center, or have spent time training under Dan Gable. They know who I’m talking about, and trust me you won’t find a more intense group than a bunch of former wrestlers.  I give a mental edge to anyone who knows what it is like to “cut weight” for an event.

Work Hard,

TJ

Make sure you read this feature in MuscleMag and check out the rest of this website to learn even more about how HMB can help increase lean mass!

Dane is an Alaskan that has been involved in sports his entire life.  As of recently he has taken fame in the sport of freestyle snowmobile rider by being one of the only to invent and complete a “twist off” back flip.  Last year Dane earned his first Winter X Games gold medal and has a busy season ahead of him this winter.

Check out Dane’s profile in the Team HMB section and watch for an interview coming soon!

We are proud to have Dane as part of our team!

Hope to see you there!

Day one
Truck pull
After watching the testing of the truck, we all expected it to be a pretty light pull. Still trying to get a comfortable technique but defiantly feel like I am improving with each truck I pull. Had a minor misstep in the start but got it corrected and finished around 30 seconds. Think I got around fifth place with all of the competitors only separated by a few seconds, I was pleased.

Max log press
Always one of my favorite events, I couldn’t wait to get some points back. Warmed up on a 240lbs log and felt great so I chose my first attempt at 340lbs. I was really surprised that most people were taking their third and fourth attempts before I opened up. I was actually getting nervous I opened up too heavy. But when my turn came it felt just as easy as the 240lbs, even strict pressed it to show boat a little. At this point I found out being my second attempt all I had to do was hit 350lbs for the win. Chose to play it smart and just go for the win. After an easy press I elected to attempt 400lbs just for the crowd, made an easy pick but being outside threw my balance off and I almost fell over. At this point I just put it down and passed on the lift to save energy.

Stone run
This has always been one of the toughest stone runs I have ever tried. Prior to this meet the most I have ever loaded was the first three and a close call in the fourth. After watching all of the other athletes go I knew I needed to load all five in a good time. As I started to load my tacky became pretty dirty and I took a few seconds at the third stone to reapply on my hands. At this point I felt like I was going too slow but with fresh tacky I flew threw the final stones finishing in 40 seconds for the win.

Day two

Car hold
This has to be one of my least favorite events, more of a pain tolerance than strength or conditioning. The car we used was 795lbs in the hands at lockout. When I was up, I knew with the long times from previous competitors I had my work cut out for me. Last year this was a tough event for me, only getting around 30 seconds so from the start I had a goal to better. After the initial lift I was already feeling the pain. All I could think is I had to be about thirty seconds by now then the time keeper announces ten seconds. Before too long my shoulders were giving out and my body slowly pulled down. I some how managed to hold on for a minute and nine seconds for a good placing.

Yoke
Never consistent on this event but this was one of my better runs. I got a slow pick and started out behind on the two man race but was able to catch and pass my fellow Karl Gillingham. As soon as I passed him I start to feel the yoke sliding down my back, as much as I tried I couldn’t keep it from falling. I had a fast repack but finished behind Karl. Finished the 800lbs yoke in about 24 seconds for around a fifth place finish.

Farmers
This was one extreme farmer’s run. Started out at 265lbs a hand for 50ft, 308lbs a hand for 50ft, 330lbs for 50ft and 365lbs a hand for 50ft. the first two parts went pretty smooth and felt great but the by the time I made it to the 330lbs my legs felt like rubber. I was able to go 20ft with the 330’s for a pretty low placing.

Day three

Hercules hold
The only time I tried this event it was in the rain so I am a bit inexperienced still. From the start my grip felt great the two cars pulling down on the ramps were pretty heavy compared to my normal grip training. Before I even knew what was happening my fight hand slipped and I lost all grip. I finished around 23 seconds with the winner only getting around 30 so I felt pretty good but still middle placing.

Tire flip
This was one beast of an event, a 955lbs tire for a 100ft. The last time I did this I was one flip away from finishing so I was determined to better my record. From the start it felt great but about half way I hit a wall. The one motion flips quickly turned to slow transition flips. But with the help of everyone screaming for me to finish I pushed on. I finished in a time of 74 seconds for a good placing. Extremely happy I was able to conquer this tire!

Train wheel load
Last year I loved this event but just ran out of time to finish. This year was similar. From the start I had troubles, the wheels kept rolling out of my hands on the pick slowing down my time. Pushing the truck from wheel to wheel also took more energy than I anticipated. By the time I got to the fifth wheel that weighed 400lbs I was spent. I picked it up but it quickly slipped out of my hands. With my slow transitions I placed pretty low and fell from a 5th place overall to 6th.

Overall I had a great time; the treatment of the athletes from Hugo is second to none! As a team we may have lost but I am sure by next year we will be a greater force. Also think the group of guys there American and Canadian was great, always encouraging one another and making it an awesome competition.

Without a doubt, I know there is no way I could compete at this high of a level for as many times as I have over the summer with out the support and supplementation of HMB! With a winter break approaching and only one competition left I look forward to tough and focused training with the help of HMB for a even better year in 2010!

Q: Because this was your second triathlon did you feel more confident and have a different mindset than the first one?
JH: “There was a huge difference in the nerves the second time around.  I definitely felt more confident being my second race, although still the total novice.  I was ready to tackle the swim this time, rather than just really hope to get through it.  Also, the bike portion of the race I felt a lot more confident in, seeing that I had a road bike this time.”

Q: Did you achieve the goals set prior to the event?
JH: “I am very pleased with the outcome of only my second tri.  The distances differ from one  Sprint Triathlon to the next, so again being so new to the sport, I did not have any specific goals set according to time, I just wanted to show a vast improvement from my first, which I am excited to share that I did!”

Q: What training have you done since your first triathlon to better prepare you for this one?
JH: “I wish that I can say that I had a lot more swim training in but the bit that I put in with the extra pool time this time around paid off.  Even though pool swims are a lot different than open water swims, I felt a lot stronger in the first leg of the tri, the swim.  I also have done ‘mock training tri sessions’, at least once per week, where I have taken ¾ of the distance of each segment and gone at approximately 70 percent of my maximum effort in each.”

Q: Do you feel that you have considerably improved since your last triathlon and if so what has improved?
JH: “I am confident in my improvement but truly have my eyes set on the training once this first season of mine is complete.  Just having several races under my belt for experience is the goal of this year for me.  I would have to say the largest improvement of mine was the swim.”

Q: What is the current news with the new expansion of your new store Custom Muscle?
JH: “CustomMuscle.com is where it is!  Ready to be re-launched within the next few months, the expansion of the online portion is what we are most excited about.  We have partnered with several different organizations in order to hit every market in the health, fitness and wellness industry.  It’s a huge work in progress but every day is one step closer to our goals.  Be sure to stay tuned for more details and visit CustomMuscle.com!”

Q: How do you manage your time to train diligently while you are raising a family and expanding your family business?
JH: “That is where I really have to keep myself in check with time management and organization…which I am still working on!  Even though I am excited about the beginning of my triathlon career, I cannot give my all to the training as of yet.  I need to make sure that I have ‘enough gas left in the tank’ to be there for my family first and foremost.  Being able to take my girls to the gym with me now that my youngest is of age is a huge help, seeing that I can get a great cycling workout in and then a run right after.”

Q: How has HMB contributed to your life?
JH: “HMB is seriously what has given me the strength to continue it all.  I believe that to the largest degree.  Every moment that I designate to train, has to be hard because I have to make the most out of every second.  There is no ‘easy day’ in my book.  With HMB in my life, I feel that every time I am getting the maximum out of my workload that my body can give and that I am not pushing myself to the way extreme. HMB has kept me well and strong when I believe that I would have gotten weak.  Not to mention the amazing Team that surrounds me with HMB!”

Q: Now what’s in store for the future?
JH: “What’s not in store?!   Training with a tri team to set goals for next season and who knows, maybe even get on stage in the fitness industry; okay, maybe not there quite yet! Along with the growth and development of CustomMuscle.com, as well as our retail location in Dallas, TX the future is about making sure that the ‘HaasHold’ is healthy and as happy as ever.  Large part due to how I feel and perform is thanks to HMB!”

Don't forget to check out Iron Man's October issue to read more about the benefits of HMB and check out this website to learn more about how HMB can help increase lean mass and decrease protein degradation!

  Training is going well.  Some days have been harder than others because of the long hours, but I am truly thankful for HMB!  As we get older, recovery time really slows down and the little nagging injuries can put a damper on training, but HMB has honestly helped with the recovery of those nagging injuries and my training has not been hindered at all.  Just wish I could get more sleep sometimes though!

   My weight is right around 302lbs. now and I’m right where I need to be.  I only have around 25lbs. left to cut and around 11 weeks to do it in.  I don’t want to come in too fast, as I have said many times before.  I’m doing an hour of cardio a day and I am also climbing stairs for 15 mins continuously for two sessions a week and will add more sessions each week to where I am doing them every day.  It’s like interval training and I focus on the pull up the stairs to really hit the glutes.  My legs burn from quads to hams to calves, but my main focus is bringing the glutes out.   This training has done wonders for my glutes! 

   Looking forward to the Olympia!  It’s two weeks and counting now.  HMB will be there in full force and excited about seeing everyone!  We just love being able to tell people about how incredible and truly beneficial HMB is and that adding it to your supplementation program will help you increase strength, recovery and, for me, most importantly, muscle!  So if you have any questions, please stop, say hi and ask.  You will be incredibly impressed with the studies and overall benefits of this incredible supplement!

  Until then, keep training hard, use HMB and we will see everyone in a couple weeks in Vegas! 

Hear how this young competitor, John Conner, was able to rise above the rest of the competition.  The story gives accounts from John Conner as well as other participants competing.  Powerlifting USA is a publication that has been around for four decades and provides reliable information on training and contest reports.  The magazine can be purchased at large scale retail bookstores or subscriptions are also available online. 

Be sure to check out this article in the September 2009 issue of Powerlifting USA!

First things first, my training has intensified now that I am working with a small group of triathletes.  Now, I still have quite a ways to go but now that I have been training for close to a month on the basics and mechanics of tri events, I feel like I will be more than ready for my next event on Labor Day (even though I still fall under the novice category f course).  My body is acclimating to the training even better than I thought. I have had to increase my complex carbohydrates due to the heavy workload of swim training that I am not so used to.  Swimming is my weakest link in the events but I am happy that I am tackling it head on! 

In addition to the advancement in my training, Charlie and I have been all over the Dallas area, “on air” as well as in print nationally spreading the word on the expansion of Custom Muscle – online as well as our retail location!  I am not too sure what tires me out more so, the hectic traveling schedules or keeping up with my little ones.  One thing is for certain, without HMB as the staple of my daily routine, I would be fading fast across the board.  IT REALLY IS AMAZING TO ME HOW I COULD HAVE NOT HAD HMB IN MY LIFE BEFORE A YEAR AGO…but I swear by it now!

Check out the latest addition of Planet Muscle Magazine…or you can get a glimpse of it right here!! www.planetmuscle.com

From “Good Morning Texas” health and fitness segments to the Europa Super Sport Show and Expo this weekend to appearances in Chicago and Orlando, I am most excited for what’s about to come – and that is on behalf of Metabolic Technologies and other member of Team HMB…The Mr. Olympia Expo!

So, if you are in the Las Vegas area – or heck, even if not – why not make a road trip.  The Olympia Weekend, September 24th and 25th is one not to miss out on.   Come and visit the HMB Booth (# 607) and chat with us in person!  www.mrolympia.com/2009/expo.html

280lb WSM Axle Press: Got it in warm ups but executed poorly in the contest, the axle kept slipping down my shirt on the clean much worse than it did in warm ups. Once I finally got it cleaned I had wasted way too much time and energy, 0 reps.

650lb Frame Carry x 50’/ 200lb Keg Carry x 2 x 50’: This should have been a good event for me, frame was easy, first keg was easy, running back to the second keg was tricky, third keg was easy. 29.9s was my time, which got me 5th place since I was on the bottom end of 4 competitors finishing with a time of 29.xx. 7th place overall after 2 event.

880lb Yoke x 50’: These yokes are officially awesome. This thing was solid and stable. I had one mis-step but recovered well for 12s time. 2nd place here and 5th or 6th overall.

315lb Husefelt Carry x 100’: we had to carry the stone 50’ turn and bring it back. Instead of picking it up of the ground, the stone was sitting on a keg. I didn’t like this but those are the breaks. My time was 13.7s for 3rd place and tied for 4th overall.

Atlas stones: Weights were 250lb – 350lb and descending platforms were about 58”-48”. I loaded all 5 in a quick time even though they were wet and much tougher to grip than usual. 2nd place here allowed me to squeak out a 3rd place overall after a very poor start.

Joining Team HMB has been a huge help to me over the last year, I feel very strong and competitive right now, just didn’t execute like I needed to at this contest to be competitive for the victory. I will be back stronger than ever in future contests with HMB on my side!

HMB has been a huge factor in my off-season and now in my pre-contest diet.  I can see and feel a huge difference in my workouts and physique this year.  My recovery and strength is incredible and as I get leaner, I’m maintaining my strength, which anyone who is in competitive bodybuilding knows can be a hard thing to keep up.

My workouts are not planned out.  I have a schedule for what I do each day, but primarily I just go in and I decide what to do that day.  My wife trains with me and has been my training partner since the day we met.  She is my main motivation in the gym and keeps me going.  Hitting workouts, cardio, she makes my food, and just takes incredible care of me!  I couldn’t do it without her.

Bodyparts are as followed:

Day 1: Chest/ Shoulders

Day 2: Back

Day 3: Biceps/ Triceps

Day 4: Legs

Day 5: Repeat

My workouts are short and sweet too.  I typically do between 6-8 total working sets per body part; heavy and slow, feeling the muscle contract with every rep.  That’s the key.  It’s not the weight but the connection you have with the muscle you are working.  Put the stress on the muscle, not the joints.  Allows longevity and prevents nagging injuries that will happen if you don’t train smart; taking the right supplements that help with the recovery process aid in this.  Nothing is better than HMB for that!

I take rest days whenever I feel like it, but do cardio each day for at least 30 mins per session.  That time will increase gradually, of course. As I have said before, keeping my diet 20 weeks long and doing cardio from day one of my diet allows me to eat more food.  Each person is different and you eventually learn what you’re body is capable of doing and not doing. 

All in all, everything is going well and as planned. Our opening gym date is looking to be October, which is great due to the fact I will be in Vegas, in September for the Olympia and seeing all the devoted and loyal HMB fans! 

So make sure you make it out and see us!  Until then, train smart and use HMB!

Tire flip sled drag

The tire was a bit lighter than I would have liked, about 750 pounds. To me it just seemed like a way to wear us down before the sled rather than challenge us, but the sled was very heavy. I believe only two ended up finishing the medley I got 15th place.

Max Slater Wood Log Press

This is usually a great event for me but having to use wooden logs threw me off. I opened at 330 pounds and struggled a bit, so I only jumped to 350 pounds for the next attempt, which ended up being easy. For my last attempt I decided to go for 380 pounds, but missed the lift and got around sixth place.

Farmers Keg Medley

This event was 360 pounds farmers for 60 feet and then two kegs for 60 feet. I started moving at a good pace, but I dropped the farmers. I tried to pick them back up, but my body just felt like it was shutting down. I finished around 12th in this event.

Max Height Stone- 380 lbs

Atlas stones are always in my favor but height is something I need to work on. I made all of the attempts fairly easily but just couldn’t get the load to 68 inches. I decided I need to work my technique a bit. I think I finished in 11th place for this event.

Day Two:

Truck Pull

As usual, I was expecting this to be a tough event but I have greatly improved and it went better than usual. Only three people finished and I placed around eighth, which was quite a surprise!

Truck Deadlift

This was a heavy deadlift, much heavier than I am used to. I started the repetitions and got to eight.  I took a few more breaths then tried for more but I couldn’t get any. It was a good event and I got eighth place.

Axle Clean and Press 330 lbs for reps

All through training this has been going great, but it was harder this time since it was after so many other events. I hit three reps total but the bulk of my energy was spent on the clean. I think I got eighth place and overall I was at 11th place.

Stone Run up to 410 lbs

In order to make it to the Olympia, I had to make top 10 and at 11th, a fire lit under me. As soon as the whistle blew I went all out and finished in 34 seconds, putting me around fifth place for the event, which was good enough to bump me to 10th place overall!

It was a great meet and well organized. American Strongman Corporation and Slater’s crew were on top of everything, making the event run smoothly. Other than being a bit over trained and hitting a few rough spots, I was happy with my performance and can’t wait to give all I got at the Olympia with the help of HMB!

Q: Bryan, welcome to Team HMB! We would like to get to know more about you, so why don’t you tell us how you got started competing as a strongman and how this led you into powerlifting?

BD: “I finished playing college football and took a job at the University of Iowa as a football strength and conditioning coach. I knew I still wanted to stay competitive, so when I found out the head strength coach at Iowa, Chris Doyle, was competing as a professional strongman I decided to give it a try. I was hooked the second I tried it. Chris taught me everything he knew about strongman. He coached me, he trained with me, he designed all of our strongman works outs and we built strongman implements together. As for powerlifting, a friend of mine, powerlifting legend Brad Gillingham, got me interested. He suggested that I should try to qualify for the IPF PRO Deadlift at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic. I seriously considered it and came to see powerlifiting as an opportunity to try to reach the top of a strength sport.”

Q: What has your experience with powerlifting been like, both in training and contests?

BD: “Training for powerlifting has been an absolute blast. It is not all that different from training for strongman. At times, training can be as fun, if not more fun than the competition—the journey to the destination is often more fun than arriving at the destination. I have only competed in one powerlifting competition so far, the USAPL Deadlift National Championships, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Another great thing about competing in powerlifting is that, just like in strongman, the same competitor that you are battling it out with for first place is likely the same person that is helping you between attempts, cheering you on or sharing advice with you after the contest. There are a lot of great people in powerlifting and the people really make the sport what it is.”

Q: What is your training schedule like for strongman and how has that changed now that you are training for and competing in powerlifting?

BD: “I use a 10-day training template, so my training ‘week’ lasts 10 days. I just found it was way too hard to recover from all that I had to train for strongman in seven days. That 10-day template typically includes the following: max effort upper body day, max effort lower body day, event day, accessory upper body day, accessory lower body day and Olympic lifts mixed in on other days. I typically train through four cycles of the 10-day template (40 days) and then it changes. When it comes to powerlifting, I do not compete in the full three-lift powerlifting meets. I only compete in the deadlift, so my training is set up in blocks, with each block emphasizing different strength qualities. The training season always starts with an accumulation block, a block that consists of higher volume and lighter loads with an emphasis on work capacity, strength endurance and sub maximal effort work. The next block is a transformation block, which is slightly lower volume than the accumulation block, but with much higher loads, emphasizing absolute strength and strength speed. The final block is the realization block, which emphasizes absolute strength and consists of lower volume but higher loads than the transformation block.”

Q: How is training for strongman competitions different from training for football, and how have you made the transition back to powerlifting?

BD: “When training for football you are training to be a football athlete, which is much more comprehensive, in terms of the physical qualities you need to develop. A football player needs to be strong, powerful, mobile, athletic, fast and in great condition. You need a lot of this in strongman, but what you need most in strongman, typically, is great static strength. Making the transition from football to strongman training was not very hard. A large part of my job is breaking down the physical needs of an athlete for a given sport, and then designing a comprehensive program to meet those needs. Training for strongman is fun because I try stuff out on myself that I would never try with an athlete. The transition back to powerlifting was not very difficult and is not very different from training for strongman. It doesn’t matter what the slice is, strong is strong. I trained to get strong for strongman and now I train to get strong for powerlifting. There is a lot of overlap between strongman and powerlifting.”

Q: How do you balance your job as assistant coach for athlete development at the University of Louisville and training for powerlifting competitions?

BD: “When it comes to strength athletics, nothing will ever be a higher priority than my job. However, it is very important for strength and conditioning coaches to know what the athletes have to go through in the strength and conditioning program. When we design a program for an athlete we better know how that athlete is going to respond to the physical stimulus we expose them to, and a large part of that is being active in training and competitive strength athletics ourselves. They really complement each other well in that respect. In addition, I spend eight to 12 hours a day in one of the best training facilities in the country, which makes the logistics of training pretty easy. I don’t have to drive to the gym after a long day of work. I can train in the middle of the day at work in between the training sessions of our athletes.”

Q: What do you think your best event is and what do you think you could still improve on?

BD: “Deadlift is definitely my best event in powerlifting. This is why I have chosen to focus on competitions that only include deadlift. The sport of strongman required that I trained the deadlift aggressively because lower back strength is needed in so many strongman events and there is typically some type of deadlift in each strongman competition. However, the deadlift events in strongman are often partial range of motion and as a result, my deadlift was stronger when I started powerlifting. I have had to focus more on the start of my deadlift (off the ground) though. I have used band deadlifts, chain deadlifts, front squats, box squats and deficit deadlifts to improve in this area.”

Q: How do you feel your experience and knowledge of strength training and conditioning helps you as a powerlifter?

BD: “They have helped me tremendously. A large part of my job is analyzing the physical demands of a given sport and designing a program to develop those physical qualities. This includes constantly evaluating your own strengths and weaknesses and then developing methods to attack and improve these weaknesses.”

Q: Why did you want to be a part of Team HMB and how do you think this will help you in training and competing?

BD: “When training at a high level and competing at a high level in strength athletics, you are only as good as yesterday’s recovery. Recovery truly is the most difficult part of the training equation. HMB provides a mean to fill in the gaps of recovery that are still left after sleep and nutrition. It drastically reduces the time it takes to recover after each training session. This allows me to train heavier, more often, and results in bigger and faster gains in the weight room. I trust Metabolic Technologies and their product. HMB has been proven effective, not only by my own experience, but by plenty of peer-reviewed research.”

Q: What are your ultimate goals and how do you feel HMB will help you get there?

BD: “Most people would say that their goal in any form of strength athletics is to reach the pinnacle of their sport, and this is true for me as well. However, for me there is also a much greater purpose behind competing in strength athletics. My goal is to be successful in strength athletics so that I can use it as a platform to positively impact as many people as possible. Life is about relationships. There is not much to live for if purpose ends at how much weight is on the bar. Also, nothing of significance is ever achieved alone. I am thankful for all the people that have been extremely selfless in helping me achieve my goals so far in strength athletics.”

How to express my knowing whole heartedly that I have found a passion of mine?  I simply can’t. 

One thing I can tell you is that this is the beginning of a new chapter in my life.  The 500 yard open water swim to the 17.6 mile bike ride to the 5K run is in my blood…now I just know it.  And I could have not accomplished it without HMB on my side! With the little training I had to go out and “wing it”, I had to be able to count on one thing, which was my endurance that I knew I would have because of HMB.  Through the past half year, I have been able to accomplish more than I ever thought imaginable with the use of HMB.

I knew that once I stepped onto the beach start at 6:45 am, there was no turning back; nor did I have the desire too.  Sure, I was nervous, I was not sure what to expect.  My initial plan was to indeed compete in my first tri event pretty much “cold turkey” – but was a “frozen Butterball”!  It was sink or swim (hoping for the swim), peddle and gear your mountain bike…yes, mountain bike…(I have been shopping around for my race bike and have not found it yet) and then finally, ah yes, the run (finishing the race with my strongest event).  I have been looking for my next fit in life and have found it.  With the support of my family, I was eager to start this chapter of my training and competing; this chapter of my life. 

The initial plan was to have about another month to get some more experience under my belt.  However, as life has it, “real world experience” can be the best learning tool of all.  After a rather “choppy” lake swim, eleven miles of my near eighteen miles on the bike with ONLY 1 GEAR (yup – my mountain bike caused big trouble L ) and the run, well I was never happier to go on a run after my bike fiasco.

I want to pass along what I have learned mostly from my first TRI experience to those who may be thinking about theirs.

1 – Be confident.  You are doing something that most individuals never do.  If taking anything away from your first triathlon, let it be the desire to want to compete in more!

2 – Listen to your body.  Know your weaknesses and your strengths.  Capitalize on your strong legs and put your best effort forth for what you may need to improve upon most.

3 – Take what you have learned and apply it.  I knew I could complete 500 yards of swim but need the most coaching in this area.  I knew I have been in cycling class for over a half a year so I could bike the distance. I knew my strongest leg was the last, the run. 

NOW, it’s time to apply my baseline (which happens to be my first event) to the training plan with certain emphasis on the swim and the bike.  Here’s a quick overview of the training that a beginner triathlete may embark upon:

  - Monday – Swim: 15 minutes  &  Run: 20 minutes

  - Tuesday – off day or cross train 30 minutes

  - Wednesday –  Bike: 35 minutes

  - Thursday – Run: 20 minutes

  - Friday – Swim: 30 minutes

  - Saturday – off (rest/recovery day)

  - Sunday – Bike: 40 minutes

  * Every week for the next 4 weeks (for the first month of training) increase the minutes per workout by 5 each workout, each week.

4 – Know this first event is for experience, have fun!  Even if you have been training for years, take this first tri in stride.  There may be hundreds or thousands of competitors at the race, use your first real race “to get the jitters” out and to get one under your belt.  Don’t put pressure on yourself to do anything but cross the finish line.

Ten months ago, nearly to exact day, we had “an addition” to the family.  I set a goal to compete within a year and all I can sum this up to is…if you believe, you can TRI anything.  Just be sure before you do try, you try HMB!!

My trip to the Quebec Invitational started off as a nightmare with all of the flight delays. Once I got to the airport I was informed that there was a delay and my flight ended up being almost two hours late. With that, I missed my connection and the best they could offer me was a flight that would leave the next morning. I made my way to the hotel, went to bed and only got around three and a half hours of sleep before I had to go back to the airport for the connecting flight. Yet again, I had another delayed flight. With the plane delayed over an hour, I didn’t have a chance to make it on time. Once we landed, I met up with my ride and we left for the meet but still had a two hour car ride. I got extremely lucky that they held up the competition until I got there.

Day 1

Car Deadlift

Because of all the delays, I had no time to properly stretch or warm up when I got there. Before I even made it to the competitors area for the first event, I saw a bar with 405 pounds on it and decided this will be my only shot to warm up, so I pulled it for two reps. I then went over with everyone else, sat down and started getting ready for the car deadlift.  After the introductions, we went straight into lifting. Everyone was getting low numbers and some were not able to pull it at all. When it was my turn, I went up thinking 18 was the winning number, but it was actually 22, which worried me a little. I didn’t know if I would be able to get enough air.  I decided to keep my deadlift suit down for less tension on the body and started pulling. I hit 15 then stopped for air. Once I recovered a little, I managed three more but was done. With only a few seconds I was going to have to settle for a second place tie. I felt like with the circumstances it was a great start, but my back was toast for the rest of the meet.

Viking press

After doing the car deadlift, my back completely locked up. I did everything I possibly could to stretch it out, but it was a miserable feeling. I skipped warming up on shoulder pressing or attempting to get a feel for the Viking press in hopes that the extra time would loosen me up. This was my first time to ever use or even touch a Viking press, but as always my shoulder strength carried me through the event when my back and legs were too worn to help out. The weight was 330 pounds and with seven repetitions I was in second place.

Hercules hold

This was another chance to try out a lift for the very first time. The area where we had the equipment set up at presented a problem. The car on the right was at more of an incline and was pulling harder than the other. My performance on this event was not very good. When they released the cars I was immediately drug to the right side but was able to still hold on. It was only a matter of time and the angled strain was just too much. I ended up getting fifth place with a time around 15 seconds. The winning time was around 23 seconds.

Farmers walk

Since it had been raining off and on the entire day, they put stones on day two and added an extra event on day one. We had to do a 320-pound farmer walk for 200 feet. At this point my back and legs were not happy, and what would usually be a walk in the park became very difficult. I felt out of control the entire time. As I went around the cone I dropped the farmers, hoping to regain energy. After the next pick I went another 60 feet. I managed one more carry and made it close to 180 feet overall for a fourth place finish in the event.

As soon as we got to the hotel I crashed. My body had been so stressed from the flight delays and the heavy meet that I slept close to 12 hours. But when I woke up the next day the damage had already been done. Mentally I felt recharged but physically I felt awful. My entire back was in pain and it was a task just to get up and eat breakfast. 

Day 2

Harness pull

The second day started off with one of my least favorite events, the harness truck pull. My technique is getting better but still needs major work. It was a tough pull. At the end of the course there was a slight bump in the road and everyone kept getting stuck. I finished with a distance of around 70 feet and placed fifth.

Tire flip

Finally an event I was looking forward to…the tire flip! This was an extreme flip, a 955-pound tire for 100 feet, which took about 15 flips. From the start it felt great, my technique was smooth and consistent, but the distance just turned out to be too great. I think that only two competitors finished the event, and when time ran out, I was only a flip away. I probably took fourth in this event.

Power stairs

Normally I love power stairs but with my back, every stair was a challenge. After sitting and watching everyone else struggle, I was up but still had a positive outlook, I completed eight stairs with the two 475-pound power stair implements and just couldn’t get any more out of my back. I again probably took fourth in this event.

Medley duck walk carry and drag

The duck walk is never a fun event for anyone, it is about the most awkward and painful event there is. And carrying a 475-pound power stair object makes it a bit tougher. I actually made it all 100 feet without dropping the duck walk, but after about 20 feet of dragging the giant boat chain, I was done. I had trouble staying conscious because I was out of oxygen, which hurt my placing. I ended up getting fifth in this event.

Atlas stones

Atlas stones have been going great but I have used this set before, and I know Hugo keeps them around just to be a challenge. The weights were nothing, only going up to 380 pounds, but the fourth and fifth are crumbling apart.  After watching everyone go, a couple people only got two stones and the others barely got three, so I was hoping for four or five. I hit the first three like nothing. Once I wrapped my arms around the fourth, I was immediately covered in concrete dust and I lost my grip. I gave it a few more tries but it wasn’t going to happen. Only one local competitor got four, and my time was good enough for third place.

Other than all of the flight problems, I had a great time competing and hanging out with everyone. I made some new friends and can’t wait to go back. Hugo really knows how to treat competitors and run a meet, and I appreciate everything he did for us. I was invited back to the North American Strongest Man in September for the Balloon Festival and can’t wait to go!
 

Bryan has been a long time HMB user, and recently, he just competed and won the USAPL Deadlift Nationals in Miami, FL!   Check out Bryan's profile in the Team HMB section of the site and watch out for his interview coming soon!

We are proud to have Bryan as part of Team HMB!

These two factors have me pushing the limits at every training session to maximize my strength while improving my speed and efficiency in multiple strongman disciplines. My typical training week usually includes a lower body gym day on Tuesday, an upper body gym day on Thursday, and strongman event training one day per weekend.  With the championships quickly approaching I am focusing more on strongman event training than normal, which makes proper recovery even more important. Here is what my event training has looked like over the last two sessions:

Session 1

Frame carry / Keg Carry - 680 x 60’ / 300 x 60’ x 2s

Frame carry - 780 x 60’

Keg carry bearhug style - 300 x 2s x 80’

Monster Dumbell press - 140 x 4r x 2s

Atlas stones - 350 x 3r – 54”; 350 x 1r – 54” and 330 x 4r – 50”

Session 2

Axle press - 143, 193 x 5r; 243 x 3r; 293 x 4r; 243 x 5r

Yoke carry - 480, 680 x 2s x 100’; 880 x 2s x 60’

Atlas Stone Load - 210, 260, 280, 310 – 56” x 3r; 330 – 56” x 2r; 365 – 56” x 1r; 385 – 48” x 1r; 410 – 48” x 1r

With training, rest, and diet all being a crucial part of this process, I am very happy to be part of Team HMB. HMB is allowed me to push the limits harder than I ever have before, and I look forward to showing it at 105K America's Strongest Man!

Training has been going very well.  I am very happy with my progress this off-season. I am stronger than I have ever been.  My lifts have been huge.  I just can’t believe how strong I have been and how I seem to do more weight, reps and sets!  It has been great and ever since I have been using HMB, I have been more and more amazed and impressed with myself and my own progress.  I just keep asking myself, why it’s taking me so long to discover HMB and honestly how incredible of a product it is!

By the time the Olympia gets here, I will have been dieting for around 12 weeks. I want, hope and look forward to everyone stopping by the HMB booth and people can see for themselves the progress I have made.  I will tell everyone who wants to know, my first hand experience of HMB and the difference of my off-season years before HMB and now after HMB.  It’s incredible! 

Our gym is coming along.  Slowly, but it is coming.  It’s a lot of waiting on reps to respond.  Sometimes I wonder who really wants to equip our facility!  When opening any business, you want it to happen now, but it just isn’t a quick process.  So, we are hoping to be opened, now by October.  No matter what though, it will be a great place and we will want everyone to come by and check it out.

So keep watching for my pre-contest progress, and I hope everyone will stop, see and talk to myself and the rest of the great HMB team at the Mr. Olympia Expo.  Find out for yourself how great HMB is, and you too, will keep spreading the word of this product and how great it is!

Q: John, welcome to Team HMB, we are happy to have you with us! Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got to the point you are at in your life now?
JC: “It feels great to be a part of the team! I first started lifting consistently my senior year of high school. I competed in Kansas’ High School Weightlifting Competition in March 2004 and had a really good day at the competition for only having eight months of experience. I hit a 350 squat, a 250 power clean and a 280 bench, just missing 315 pounds. I placed pretty low on the squat and the power clean, but ended up winning the bench press. After that, I casually trained off and on after work and when I had free time. For a while I tried to do a full-time job, school and lifting, but I had to let something go, so I took a break from lifting and focused more on other things. I decided to focus on school, so I became a full-time student while working part time. It was perfect timing because I was just learning about strongman. Through various Web sites I came into contact with Scott Tully in Salina, Kansas. I would have to say without Scott Tully I would not be where I am today. He has been the best partner I could ask for, always pushing me and giving me the confidence I need to achieve a higher level of strength and mental focus. He gave me a huge push into the strongman world, and has been right there helping me every step of the way.”

Q: What made you take an interest in strongman competitions and becoming a professional strongman?
JC: “I was always a big guy and my friends would always joke around with me about competing in the World’s Strongest Man. I never really took it too seriously until I was about 19. I had just started lifting weights and noticed I lifted a significant amount more than friends that have been lifting for years. Every time I lifted I seemed to make some gains and improvements. I happened to come across an episode of the World’s Strongest Man on TV and looked up on the internet and found out how I could get started to be a Strongman.”

Q: What is your training schedule like and does it change from competition to competition?
JC: “My training schedule stays pretty much the same year round with minor changes from competition to competition. I try to focus my training around specific events, but the biggest changes come in the number of reps I do for different exercises. For light endurance meets I really try to train with higher reps and little rest between sets, and for heavy meets I try to train with max effort lifts and a good amount of rest and recovery.”

Q: What was your journey in the strongman world like before Iowa’s Strongest Man and going pro?
JC: “It was a great experience. Everyone was so supportive and had so much faith that I would go pro someday. My first competition was only a week after I first started training and doing any of the lifts in the sport. I placed pretty low in the field but once I became familiar with the lifts, I started getting closer and closer to a win. Overall it was a just a great experience being able to travel to fun places and make a lot of friends along the way.”

Q: How did it feel to get first place at Iowa’s Strongest Man competition?
JC: “It felt great! Months before the competition I felt like I had already won and there was no chance I could lose. I even looked up the events for America’s Strongest Man, which I would qualify for if I won Iowa. When I won, I couldn’t believe it. I had the perfect mind set for what to do and how to do it. I think that’s why that whole day feels like a blur and why I don’t remember too much from the competition. There were a lot of great competitors and I truly feel like I deserved to go pro for winning such a stacked meet.”

Q: What was it like to get invited to and compete in America’s Strongest Man competition?
JC: “It was great, probably the least stressful competition I have ever been in. I was just so happy to be there that I didn’t have any expectations. From this competition I realized there were areas that I needed to make improvements in, and I have been working on them ever since. Now that I am weeks away from my second America’s Strongest Man, I have standards that I expect to meet. I will be stressing out until it is over and I walk away on top.”

Q: How was your experience at the World’s Strongest Nation different from the competitions you had in the United States?
JC: “It was amazing, I felt like a celebrity in the Ukraine. Everywhere we went, we were mobbed by spectators and fans. I never had to turn away so many fans asking for photos and autographs because of how many there were. Competing against the top pros in the USA is exciting, but when it’s the top athletes in the world, it just blows your mind.”

Q: What was it like to compete on a team instead of as an individual at World’s Strongest Nation?
JC: “It was very different. For the most part it was like a normal competition, but then there was the added stress of letting the team down if I made a mistake or did poorly on an event. When it came down to competing, we actually motivated each other to perform our best and to work together.”

Q: How does it feel to be competing with some of the strongest men in the world?
JC: “It is a great feeling and I feel like I belong amongst them, but it took me awhile to realize that.  Not too long ago I went to see a friend I haven’t seen in a few years and talked with him about lifting. I showed him a few videos of me and fellow competitors lifting, both in the gym and during competitions. I skimmed through my videos and started talking about what I consider to be some of the strongest men in the world. I started talking about how strong Misha Koklyaev is and he replied ‘yeah and you are the one competing against him…’ He just started laughing and told me he couldn’t believe how humble I am. ‘If you are competing against some of the strongest men in the world, then you are one of the strongest men in the world.’ For some reason, it took me until then to realize that I really am at a high enough level to compete with the best. I still have a long way to go to be a threat, but I feel as if I belong right there by the top strongmen in the world."

Q: What have you learned about training from all of these different competitions?
JC: “The biggest thing I have learned is to listen to my body. There is a time to push the limits and a time for recovery.”

Q: What are your goals for the future in the professional strongman world, and where do you think you are headed next?
JC: “My number one goal is to compete in the World’s Strongest Man. I would also like to set another world record. I had one for about two minutes until the next competitor broke it. It was the world record axle dead lift.  In July I am headed for Liberty City, Pennsylvania for a competition, then to Ottawa, Canada and then America’s Strongest Man 2009. From there I hope to get one of the 10 invites to the first strongman competition at the Olympia.”

Q: Why did you want to be a part of Team HMB and how do you think this will help you with your goals for the future?
JC: “I have heard nothing but great things about HMB products and HMB sponsored athletes. I feel as if proper supplementation knowledge is something that has been holding my training back. With the help of the team and all of the studies behind HMB, I think this is a great opportunity for me to get my body to reach its fullest potential.”

Q: As we worked on this interview you ended up winning the competition in Pennsylvania, how did it feel? Where does this put you in terms of your goals for this summer and the future?
JC: “I feel great. This was my first professional win and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to get it. Winning this competition puts me ahead of my goals for the summer. Going into the competition, I was hoping to place high in all four competitions, but getting a win is even better. I just hope to make this a common trend throughout the summer.”

Congratulations on your win John, and thank you for sharing your story with us! We wish you the best in future competitions, and again welcome to Team HMB!

Check back in to see updates on John’s competitions and to look for future interviews.

“I had a great time in Philadelphia. Al Thompson really knows how to run a meet and how to treat the competitors. I am looking to compete at this event again next year…and am already craving Philly cheese steaks!

The crowds at the event were absolutely amazing. In the baseball stadium, there were over 7,000 people screaming and cheering us on for the atlas stones event. They went absolutely nuts when I was the first competitor to load all five stones.

The other competitors are world class strength athletes that I have looked up to for many years and I felt honored just to be competing alongside of them. It definitely made me nervous, but at the same time it pushed me to show them and everyone else that I belonged in the competition. They were all great competitors, helping me all day and teaching me new techniques to improve my game.

Stones are one of my favorite events. It’s pretty rare that I find a stone I can’t load, so I had more than enough confidence that I would finish this event. The only tricky part is that they were placed 45 feet apart, so it was a pretty far run from one to the other. For being 400 pounds, my speed surprised everyone. I got through all five stones in a little over 50 seconds, only having trouble on the last stone. The last stone’s weight was a piece of cake at only 380 pounds, but it was difficult to manage because it was brand-new and still pretty slick and dusty. Once I got to it, I gave it a shot but couldn’t get a grip. I stood back up and briefly gathered myself, then bent down, dug deep and squeezed it with everything I had for the last load. Overall, even with a slight grip issue, I placed third in this event.

Truck harness pull was the one event I was not looking forward to, I have always had trouble with truck pulls in the past and haven’t had the space to train for them very often. Once the whistle blew I started pulling with everything I had, but I could feel that my body was not working together. The overall times were fairly close, but even being just a few seconds off from the leader put me in eighth place for the event.

Hummer arm over arm was my shot to come back for the win. It was a Hummer loaded down with people, but wasn’t even a challenge for me to pull 60 feet. I have a pretty solid technique where I pull with only one arm and use the other to hold and steady the rope. The other competitors were using two arms for the pull and kept getting the rope bunched up, which cost them time. I finished the course in a little over 15 seconds for the win.

Tire flip sled drag could go many different ways in a meet. I think the weights and distances that were chosen were perfect. We used a 1,000-pound tire and a sled with a police motorcycle. While warming up, most people were having trouble flipping the tire, but I flipped it a few times pretty easily, so I wasn’t too worried. I was going head to head with Steve McDonald and was determined to get the win because he is a serious competitor. The whistle blew and I bobbled the tire a bit, which put me behind. I don’t know what came over me, but I became extremely aggressive and easily started manhandling the tire, and in no time I caught up to Steve. After the tire, we sprinted to the drag and I pulled with everything I had. I started to gain a lead to finish, but ended up finishing second in this event.

Log pressing is definitely something I am known for. However, log pressing with 305 pounds as the fifth event was new to me and kind of shocked my body. I could tell warming up that I was a little off. Watching the other competitors struggle for the reps gave me confidence but I also questioned how worn out I was.  When I started, everything felt great, but I realized that I was getting tired. I hit six reps with a good deal of work and just missed the seventh. The winner got seven, so even though I only had six reps, I still tied for second place.

If I could choose one event for the competition to hold my fate, it was the Hummer tire dead lift. During warm-ups I felt great. From the opener at 600 pounds to a little over 800 pounds, I pulled the belt with ease. I ended up pulling 905 pounds for a new personal record and third place in this event.

This competition made me feel great. This was my first professional win and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to get it!”

I have cycled more “rpm’s”, I have ran faster times, I have felt stronger and had a cardiovascular advantage day in and day out.  And this is thanks for my regimen of 2 grams of HMB per day.

“One thing is for certain,” states Charlie Haas – WWE Superstar and HMB advocate.  “If it was not for the addition of HMB to my active lifestyle, I would feel a lot less active.  Being on the road week after week and needing to keep up with the demands of wrestling as well as gym time, HMB is like my ‘fountain of youth’.”  Here’s what Charlie is talking about.  While training with HMB over the course of the past 6 months, the following has occurred:
• Strength gains of nearly 20% on maximum bench and squat.
• Body fat percentage has dropped 7% - (with no change in diet).
• Now able to keep up with Jackie for a mile (and working on the longer distance) !!!  

Now, to get down to the cold, hard facts about it all.  Put simply, if I could rest more, I would.  Although, seeing that rest is not in my cards at this point and time, I have to take what I can get.  And what I can get right now, is the ability to count on HMB.  There is no way that training for my first ever sprint triathlon would be possible to the fullest without helping my body recover and by that I mean HMB!

I have made the decision to step it up a notch and give the work of triathlons a try, yes indeed.  This is how I plan to start my venture, the sprint triathlon:
Swim 600 yards
Bike 12—15 miles
Run a 5K
And be done under the hour mark. – that’s my goal!
**For a look at my undertaking, click here :
www.playtri.com/heat.php

Sit tight for the weekly training program…one week from now!

UNTIL THEN, REMEMBER TO TRAIN HARDER TO BE BETTER…and no better way than making that happen than through HMB!!

Al Thompson promoted the MHP Liberty Strongman Classic in a three-stage event in the Philadelphia area over the 4th of July weekend.  Al gathered some of the best U.S. professional strongman for the event... Mark Philippi, Don Pope, Karl Gillingham, Kevin Nee, Josh Thigpen, Steve MacDonald, Chad Coy, Walt Gogola, Gerard Benderoth, Sam McMahon and John Conner! 

Again, congratulations to John Conner on the win and great job goes to Al Thompson for putting on such a successful show!

John is an up-and-coming professional strongman.  He is competing July 3-4 MHP Liberty Strongman Classic in Philadelphia, July 11-12 in Ottawa and at America's Strongest Man 2009 Morgan Town, WV on July 25-26. 

Coming soon a full interview with John where he will discuss his road to turning pro, his future plans for strongman and his thoughts on joining Team HMB!

We are proud to have John as part of our team!

I’ve been working on my “what’s next” in life and come back with the following options.  Is it time to get back in the wrestling ring?  Is it time to step on stage and really push my training to a max?   Perhaps it’s time to get on the path of triathlons and put my new love of the bicycle to great use? Is it time for Custom Muscle to start not only advising our customers on the benefits of health and nutrition…but training as well!?!  Or is it time to concentrate on the world of reality television once again?  All are attainable - it’s just the matter of what to put all my extra effort into.