Author: Doug Graham

The very first thing that has to be done once you have decided to take up bodybuilding as a sport is to get organized.  Here I will present a six day per week regimen that if you adhere to it will keep you right on track and will eliminate the guess work. I have been uniquely successful making significant gains adhering to this regimented sequence of training.

It is important to be tuned into your body and the results you are looking for.  Each muscle group must be worked hard in a proper sequence to allow adequate rest between sessions.  Here is the regimen that I received from my coach Justin Dees that I’ve used faithfully with only minor variations for the last five years.  It has been a real anchor for me to know what I need to work each and every day of the week.

Special Note: I eat before each training session.  I also use a very good pre-workout drink called Galvanized (Nitric Oxide) from High Energy Labs.  It gives me that extra energy as I train without making me jittery. If you would like to try the pre-workout go to our website: Highenergylabs.com. When you order use the code DougGraham to get 15% off your order.

Six Day Per Week Training Regimen

Monday: Shoulders, Traps, Abs
-Seated Shoulder Presses
-High Cable Rope Pulls
-Cable Crossovers
-Lateral Dumbbell Raises-
-Front Dumbbell Raises
-Heavy Dumbbell Shrugs
-Reverse Pec Deck Flyes
-Abdominal Crunches

Tuesday: Hamstrings, Abs, Calves
-Standing Calf Raises
-Incline Calf Raises
-Donkey Kick-Backs
-Standing Hamstring Curls
-Abdominal Crunches

Wednesday: Back, Lats, Traps, Abs
-Seated Long Rows with V-Bar
-High Cable Rope Pulls
-Low Cable Rope Pulls
-Wide Grip Seated Lat Pull Downs to Front
-Wide Grip Seated Lat Pull Downs to Back
-Seated High Cable Rope Pulls
-Seated Close Grip with V-Bar Overhead Pull Downs to Chest
-Heavy Shrugs With Barbell in Smith Machine
-Abdominal Crunches

Thursday: Arms (Triceps, Biceps) Abs
-Triceps Rope Push Downs
-Triceps Rope Push Downs in Pike Position
-Triceps Curved Bar Push Downs Underhand Using Only Thumbs
-Triceps Curved Bar Push Downs Overhand
-Triceps Extensions With Rope Overhead (Atlas Position)
-Triceps Extensions With Curved Bar (Atlas Position)
-Triceps Push Downs With V-Bar
-Biceps Cable Curls
-Biceps Lying Cable Curls
-Alternate Seated Dumbbell Curls
-Traps Heavy Dumbbell Shrugs
-Abdominal Crunches

Friday: Legs (Calves, Quads), Abs
-Standing Calf Raises
-Incline Calf Raises
-Quads Leg Extensions
-Front Super Squats
-Hack Squats Squats
-Abdominal Crunches

Saturday: Chest, Traps, Abs
-Chest do Incline or Flat Benches
-Chest Heavy Dumbbell Pullovers
-Cable Flyes
-Traps Heavy Dumbbell Shrugs or Heavy Barbell Shrugs
-Abdominal Crunches

Sunday—REST!

Lastly, each and every day you should do 30 Minutes of Cardio

This is the sequence that I have used.  Each exercise needs to be done correctly and an all out effort must be applied. Consistency is the order of the day to build muscle.  This regimen will help you stay organized and on track.  It eliminates all the guess work from day to day.

Look For Future Instructive Articles

For the next several days I will focus on each training day and I will provide instruction and illustrations to help you solidify in your mind what and how to do these regimens.

Action Item: For now, I would ask that you print this out and keep it with you each day you go into the gym to train so you will always know what you are doing.

Biography Douglas E. Graham, Lt Co, USAF, (ret), MHSM, Competitive Bodybuilder

High Energy Labs Bio

Doug is a competitive bodybuilder and is regarded as an elite amateur athlete.  His next level goal is to become a professional bodybuilder.  He has trained hard since 2008 and has been competing locally in Utah and Nationally for the last five years.  He is the author of over 170 articles related to bodybuilding, training, nutrition, motivation, goal setting, and discipline. He continues to prepare for competition and to share his hard-acquired wisdom in the art of developing great fitness and bodybuilding. He is a retired Air Force Lt Col with over 35 years-experience as a Physician Assistant with a residency in Emergency Medicine and Trauma.  He is a Health Personnel & Police Analyst and has worked on the Staff of the Air Force Surgeon General. Currently, he is the President and CEO of Pacific Medical Assets, Inc.

Core Competencies
Weight Training, Conditioning, Nutrition (Off Season and Show Prep), Show Prep Training and Posing, Clinical Medicine with a Specialty in Emergency Medicine and Trauma, Budget Management, Project Management & Execution, Pace Setting & Leadership Development, Technical Writing, Concept Development

Education

1978 – Graduated from the Howard University Physician Assistant Program (BS/PA)

1992 – Masters Degree in Health Services Management from Webster University

1985-1988 – Masters & Doctoral work in Health Policy Science at the University of Maryland

19898-1990 – Completed Squadron Officer School, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR

1990 – Advanced Cardiac Life Support from Heart House, Bethesda MD

1991-1992 – Air Command & Staff College, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas

1980 – Fellowship/Residency in emergency medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine Biography Douglas High Energy Labs

GROWING UP IS TOUGH

Boy! Growing up is tough.  We arrive in this world without a known script.  We fumble around looking for the place we belong.  We are provided a whole menu of things that are supposed to make us better people.  We listen to them and we actually try to make these tidbits of experience and wisdom come alive for us.

We struggle with what we are all about.  Many times we end up comparing ourselves with others who have super talents that seem to threaten our very being when we are up against them.  We often come away from an encounter with a person of great talent feeling absolutely inadequate and defeated.  This scenario has happened to all of us at some time or another.

TWO PATHS

Fortunately, there is another path to be competitive with those that clearly have all the tools to be the best people ever.  It’s called “HARD WORK.”  I have found in my life’s experience that “HARD WORK” is required of everybody to succeed….even those to whom massive talent has been bestowed.  However, for us mere mortals that do not have great talent we must take the second path of “HARD WORK”….. there is no other way.

UNREALIZED DREAM

As I grew up playing multiple sports there is an example that stands out regarding  squandered talent.  Let me explain. This individual had it all.  From the time he was a young kid he was a fantastic baseball player.  He could pitch, hit, run, throw with the best of them.  He was a natural.  We played together for over 10 years on the same teams and sometimes against one another.  We were the best of friends and we were both pretty good ball players.

Then, he got a scholarship at a very prestigious university to play baseball.  He arrived at school and the coach told him that his grades were not high enough.  There was another player that played the same position who had better grades there also.  The coach dropped his scholarship and gave it to the player with the better grades.

Dejected, he returned to his hometown, found a job in a factory, married his sweetheart and lived out his days.  The sad thing is that he had all the talent in the world to be a big league player.  Instead of digging deep and “WORKING HARD” he let his God-given talent slip away and he settled for something far less than what he was capable of.  To be honest, I don’t know if I would have done things differently had it been me.  But, there is one thing that life has taught me is that “HARD WORK” is the common discriminator between those that win and those that do not win.

MY BODYBUILDING QUEST

As I took on this lifestyle called bodybuilding, I spent much of my time wishing I was bigger, stronger, and more defined than others around me in the gym.  Oh, how I wanted to be able to be better than all those that seemed be ahead of me.  I had to remind myself that I started this journey weighing only 150 lbs. and I was 58 years old.  Nobody in their right mind, in the conventional sense, would take on anything of this magnitude in the twilight of their years.  Everybody around me was younger and much more genetically gifted than me.

I literally had nothing going for me.  So, I trained twice per day 6 days per week for 3 years.  I had to face the hordes of talented and gifted and younger bodybuilders in the gym each and everyday.  I was on a quest to hold my own.  I kept my mouth shut, my head down, and I tried to work harder than anybody else training that day.  I never took off my sweats, t-shirts, pants, or anything else for 3 years.

One day I had to take my shirt off because I was over heating.  A guy close to me turned to me and said, “Bro, you should try doing bodybuilding.”  My first response was to say, “No!”  There was no way I was going to get up in front of thousands of people wearing only a “Speedo.”  Besides, I didn’t think I was good enough.  There were so many other guys around me who seemed to have it all and I believed that I didn’t have the natural talent required to be good.

MY WIFE SAID TO “GIVE IT A TRY”

I went home and spoke to my wife and she told me I should give it a try.  The rest is history. I’ve competed 15 times and I have done well.  My weight has been as high as 210 lbs. but I’ve mainly competed around 190 lbs. the last 3 years.  I had worked so hard that my “HARD WORK” eclipsed many who possessed the natural talent to be great.

In fact, I’ve worked so hard that my coach, Justin Dees, has had to counsel me to dial back my work.  He is always encouraging me to not overdue it so I do not get hurt.  But, I am stubborn and I am constantly looking for ways to work to my max and —-“STOP.” Justin reminds me that “beyond exhaustion there is only injury.”  Great effort is good.  Overdoing effort is bad.  I have never forgotten this simple truth.  I have not had a major injury in 5 years.  The basic truth here is that “HARD WORK” always trumps talent.

DECIDE TO “WORK HARD”

In closing let me reiterate that we can have anything we are willing to work for.  Because there are others with greater acumen or talent is no excuse for us. The big deciding factor is whether I/you are willing to put in the work to make us better than the gifted and talented people that surround us and compete with us daily. We have to believe in the process and the premise that “HARD WORK” will always defeat raw talent that is not developed.  We start every race behind and it is up to us to determine how we are going to win.  Decide today that “whatever it takes” is our mantra for success.

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret.), MHSM

HAVING A LITTLE IS A STARTING POINT

I guess I grew up at a time and place where there was not many kids with substantial means to get anything they wanted.  Oh yeah, there were a few but the vast majority of us in our small town in Iowa were very familiar with hard work to even have food on our tables and clothes on our backs.  We deferred to our parents for the big ticket items like cars and houses.  But, if I wanted anything I had to figure out how to get it.  Often times I had to obtain the things I needed by means that were anything but honest.  But this is a conversation for another day.  Suffice it to say that attaining anything was biblically monumental.

SELF-MASTERY AND SELF-DISCIPLINE ARE THE CORNERSTONES TO BUILD ON

I, and almost anybody else, has to develop a method of effort to get life’s essentials.  After these lessons have been learned we then must develop a plan to attain the bigger and grander things that we seek.  Enter the term, “SELF-DISCIPLINE.”  My favorite description of “SELF-DISCIPLINE” IS “SELF-MASTERY.”  Before we can apply ‘SELF-DISCIPLINE” to accomplish something outside ourselves in the world we must first develop “SELF-MASTERY” which is being able to discipline our thoughts, emotions, hormones, desires and urges.  If we cannot master ourselves by disciplining our temptations and impulses we sure won’t be able to accomplish anything outside of ourselves. In the New Testament it says, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor. 10:5) . This simple verse illustrates just how disciplined we have to be in our personal lives in order to keep us thinking right.  Another great quote is: “A Man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle.”……Buddha. I fact it is a maxim written in the hearts of all men. As Lou Holtz said, “Without Self-Discipline, Success is Impossible, Period!”

BODYBUILDING REQUIRES BOTH SELF-MASTERY AND SELF-DISCIPLINE

In the world of bodybuilding where my passion resides, nothing will ever be accomplished unless we first have “SELF-MASTERY” and then “SELF-DISCIPLINE” to attain that which we seek.

We have to decide that we want to be a bodybuilder (or anything else for that matter) and be about the business of becoming that Champion no matter how long it takes or how hard the journey is.  Bodybuilding, is a daily challenge to stay on track, to be moving toward the goals set before us.  Each morning my day begins with food, supplements, a review of the day’s training. Then training begins. This is where the lessons of “SELF-MASTERY” merge with those of “SELF-DISCIPLINE.”  We know ourselves and what it’s going to take to win.  At this point also we must decide to stick to the process to its ultimate end.  Go hard after the prize and do not let up.

MY FUTURE

This year (2018) has been good in that all my personal efforts have resulted in my best showing of my career. I really wish I could have cracked the top 5 at the Nationals in Pittsburgh but no matter the result, I know this was my best show ever.  I am now poised to do even better this year as I hunker down and do the hard work. I’ll keep you posted.

JUSTIN DEES

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND BLAME NO ONE ELSE

My Coach Justin Dees caught me complaining after the Nationals when I began criticizing those who finished ahead of me.  Ouch!  Justin retorted, “Stop being critical of everybody else. That’s a losers talk.  What you have to figure out is how those guys finished ahead of you and beat you.”  Once again! Ouch! My “SELF-MASTERY” since then has given way to “SELF-DISCIPLINE” as I prepare for the next few shows.  All effort is focused on improvement.  No more talking about others and their flaws and the unfairness of things.  My vector is onward with no looking to the right or to the left.

In closing let me admonish you/me to develop “SELF-MASTERY and “SELF-DISCIPLINE” which will take us to the victory circle.  Blame nobody and take care of your own stuff because nobody else is going to do it for you. Best of luck to us all!

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

TRAINING ALONE IS LONELY

Training alone is one of the loneliest tasks in the world.  It is required that we learn to train alone because there will be times when having the luxury of a training partner or a faithful crowd of fans is not possible.  We have to establish the mindset that we are the “Captains of our own ship (fate).”  In my experience, training alone is much preferable to having a gaggle of people around me.  It seems that I can focus much better on what I am doing and what I am trying to accomplish.  Others interrupt my brain as I try to stay on task and to plan the effort needed to progress.  Good meaning friends tend to slow down the pace of my workouts such that I spend way too much time standing around.  Many times associates in the gym want to do more talking than training.  All of these examples has a tendency to derail my progress and ultimately my “PASSION” for the sport.

Flex Lewis, Olympian Many times over under 212 lbs.

FLEX LEWIS HAS THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE

Flex Lewis said, “The Trophy is Earned in the Hours When Nobody is Watching.”  This ability to train alone is an extension of the ‘PASSION” that we have to have to possess in order to win.  There is not a thing in this world that would make me take time, or to perform, or to practice alone—unless it had money attached to it.  I train because it’s part of me.  There is no winning without hard training.  I do not have to be talked into training because winning and training are both part of my “PASSION” and I dare not disobey my desire to do better and eventually to win.

OUR “PASSION” IS THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES US FORWARD

I use bodybuilding as the back drop for me to explain my “PASSION” but all of us knows that “PASSION” is a part of anything we decide is worthy of our effort.  All of us works a job out of necessity in order to eat, have shelter, travel, to get a better education etc.  But, in this world, unless our work is our  “PASSION” we exist only to sustain life or to advance our lifestyles.  Quite apart from this world is a universe where we hold ourselves to a standard that demands our best.  Our best is directed toward the that which ignites our souls. This is “PASSION” summarized.  It is the very thing that drives us to accomplish the thing that we are called to do.  I would contend that each of us has something that lives inside of us that is bigger than us, that attracts us, that aims us in the correct soul driven direction.

“PASSIONATELY” PURSUING OUR DREAM TAKES SINGLE-MINDEDNESS”

When I was much younger I discovered an essential truth.  If I work real hard, miracles tended to happen.  One example was when I was 13.  Baseball was a big part of my life.  I used to play as many as five organized games a day in the summer.

Even in the off season I dreamed of being great. I practiced daily. I threw tennis balls and baseballs against concrete walls to practice fielding. I tossed rocks into the air and hit them with my baseball bat to see how far I could hit them. I coerced my little brother into pitching to me so I could hit. I played baseball and softball from dawn to dusk each and every day of the early spring and summer.  Every moment was filled with all things baseball.

After an entire season the league chose the All Stars to represent our city in the national tournament.  Much to my little surprise I was placed on the All Stars.  This is a pretty small example but it illustrates the point that if we want something it has to take first place in our lives.  It cannot be a “bucket list” item that you take out and execute in it’s own time.  “PASSION” to attain anything of value must come at the expense of other things, many of which are good. The bottom line is that when you love something or you want to have something all of us must turn our quest into an exercise of “PASSION” or it will not happen.  We have to be willing to go it alone because it is that important to you.

“PASSION” TAKES ME TO THE THING THAT “IGNITES MY SOUL”

Bodybuilding has to have an element of “PASSION” associated with it.  It is a world where mere mortals need not apply.  It is hard, it is daily, it is always there.  Effort is the name of the game and you must be “PASSIONATELY DRIVEN” so much so that we can be alone in the journey. I need to say no more.  It’s time for me to get back to work doing the thing that ignites my soul.

In closing just remember that working alone on something and loving it is a sure sign of your “PASSION.”  Work it into your life to paint the best picture of your life in this world. Don’t quit and don’t be talked out of your dream.  This is your time—make it happen.  Engage your “PASSION.”

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

DISCLAIMER

Well let me first say that I want to talk about the concept of us “Designing Ourselves”.….My disclaimer is that this is not an advertisement but the picture communicates our topic.

THE WORLD OF VICTIMHOOD

Wow!  What a bold statement by Frank Zane in the picture above.  In a world where victimhood seems to be the order of the day, it is refreshing to focus on the thing(s) that we control and what it means to us individually.  In the world of victimhood there are only excuses for not being what we want or for not looking our best.  The Victim Mindset says, “It’s somebody else’s fault and therefore I am incapable of changing myself unless those responsible for my imperfection fix it.”

SELF DESIGN IS TOTALLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY

In the world of “Self Design” the entirety of the burden rests on our shoulders.  We first must decide what we want.  Then we have to make a plan to get what we want.  Then, we have to begin taking the necessary actions to possess that which we seek.  In the world of bodybuilding I have had to visualize the body I want.  I have to keep that image in front of my mind always.  I can never forget what I want in the end.

MY COACH JUSTIN DEES GUIDES, DIRECTS, AND DEMANDS MY BEST

My Coach, Justin Dees is forever feeding me information on what I am doing and why I am doing it.  For instance once he said, “How are you going to get better if you train the same way every time?”  So, I’ve taken his training regimen and I’ve increased reps or weight here and there for certain body parts to attain a particular look.  I’ve changed my sequence sometimes just to get out of the rut.  Anything to keep the excitement with experimentation going.

BE ALWAYS ON THE MOVE FORWARD BY BEING CONSISTENT

In this whole effort I and you have to keep an eye on our bodies so we can know what we are doing.  I personally, like to take tons of pictures of myself training and posing.  My wife handles this task.  I also like to forward my pictures to my Coach for his perusal.  Finally, Justin weighs me, measures my body fat, and looks me over at least every week or two.  No matter what I think, his opinion is sacred and welcome.  Each time I think I am really doing well, Justin delivers suggestions (and sometimes he orders me to change) on my physique, nutrition, and training.  For this I am eternally grateful.  I’m older and my time to compete and win is very limited.  Because of Justin I will press forward to attain my best body to be competitive at any level.

START WHERE YOU ARE AND BEGIN THE “DESIGN OF YOURSELF”

In closing we have to ascertain where we are.  Then we have to develop a plan.  Lastly,  we execute our plan.  Along the way we need the input of a trainer who has your best interests at heart.  This is where we are truly sitting at our master’s feet to learn.  Always remember that we are responsible for establishing the design for our own bodies.  This will determine what we look like, our respect, and ultimately it will define us because we designed ourselves.

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

This is a tough sell to most of us because we have been raised to never draw attention to ourselves.  We must be humble and never boastful of the skills and gifts we possess.  So, we “hide our light under a bushel basket” rather than “letting our light so shine before men.”  However, we have to balance this idea of humility against knowing that we are up to the task at hand.  We have to have a significant degree of self-confidence in order to even step onto the field of contest.  The decision we face is whether we will see ourselves as winners or just passive observers.  It is essential for us to believe that we are significant and able to compete in this thing called life.

MY BEGINNINGS

I grew up in a very large family of 10 kids in Iowa.  We were very poor and everybody in our small town new we were poor and not very good.  They said things like, “They are Grahams.  We know your family and we think you are low lifes and dirty.  Get lost.”  We were the butts of many jokes about our clothes or our station is life.  I hated that existence and I was constantly in fights and competing like a demon on the sports fields.

Doug Posing at Vasa

When I was a boy around 10 years old I learned some very hard lessons about what its going to take to be respected.  The first maxim is that nobody is going to change my circumstances in life except me.  If I want anything I am going to have to work very hard to get it.  The second maxim is that you cannot trust anyone to be your friend all the time, especially when you needed a friend.  Thirdly, it does not matter what the currency is that I competed for that brought me respect.  I only knew that I wanted my share.

ACCOMPLISHMENT LEADS TO RESPECT

From this point on I played every sport available to me.  Baseball, Football, Wrestling, Track and I lifted some weights to get stronger. I would work hard in the alley out back of my house doing 50 yard sprints over and over again to get faster and to win at track. I would take extra batting practice. I would practice kicking off and kicking extra points in the hot summer sun at our local football field.  Anything I did I did it 100% with the belief that I could do it and win.  Needless to say I excelled at almost anything I put my mind to.  This time in my life became the template, the confidence crucible that I needed to develop for the rest of my life.  My life has been full and there are rare exceptions/failures to my experience.

So what’s next?  As I continue my journey as a bodybuilder this late in life I am forever astonished at the number of other men (young and old) who seek my advice on how to get better.  This happens no less than 5 times each day in the gym.  Guys and sometimes girls will come over to me and ask me a question about diet, weight lifting techniques, and sometimes just to talk.  These conversations and the dispensing of tips and advice has led me to know that I have been prepared for a much higher calling than just self respect and accomplishment.  Others need my (our) help to be able to see their goals through, or to get back on track in some area of their lives.

ULTIMATELY WE ARE SERVANTS

When I focus on others while I tread this training path I find that many in our circle are going through things that are dreadful, dangerous, and daunting.  A simple, “How’s it going?” can sometimes lead to a much needed exchange that allows me to help them.  This too has happened multiple times.  In short, serving others is the ultimate pinnacle of our life’s trek.  There is always somebody else who is struggling with things far beyond bodybuilding.  Some problems are life defining and I’ve had the privilege of being there to help.  Service above self is the best measure of a self-confident life.

In closing, please know that each of us has a personal responsibility to learn belief in ourselves so that we can teach others also, that they too can have a life worth living.  Progress is not an option.  It is a requirement.  So believe in yourself so that we will be prepared to help others believe in themselves.  Thus, we have life.

MOVEMENT OF THE SPIRIT IS NOT MOTIVATION

There are days when we are so tired that getting the internal push to workout is way beyond our reach.  There are days when we are so distracted by the things of life that we cannot focus.  There are problems that arise that demand our immediate attention.  In all these circumstances our MOTIVATION is not there.  We often try to convince ourselves that our MOTIVATION will return when the spirit moves us to get started. So, we set no particular goals and we wait for that golden moment of inspiration to hit us like a lightning bolt.  In the meantime we occupy ourselves with things unrelated to training and we waste our own time.

OUR MORNING LACKED MOTIVATION

This morning was a classic case of being under slept with the resultant sensation of core fatigue.  The tank was empty. MOTIVATION had left the station. If anything, I wanted to crawl back into bed and pull the covers up over my head and return to the “LAND OF REM.” I tried to get my eyes open and with them still shut I put my feet onto the floor and made my way to my bathroom scales.  I came back into bedroom and awakened my wife so she could go to the gym with me.  Since she is my best and only training partner we left the house under slept and totally UNMOTIVATED. 

We started our training and we quickly fell into the routine we have established for the “BACK.”  It wasn’t long before we were exchanging words of encouragement to keep going.  In short our “DISCIPLINE” gave way to the MOTIVATION we originally lacked.  In essence, by staying the course we found our MOTIVATION again.

SOMETIMES DISCIPLINE MUST TAKE OVER

I don’t have to talk myself into being MOTIVATED.  I am on a quest to do well in this world of bodybuilding.  I’m older than most bodybuilders so my hour glass has turned and time is running out for me and I have an acute sense of urgency to perform and get better.

I love this quote that I have written about, “WHEN MOTIVATION IS GONE IS THE TIME WE EXERCISE DISCIPLINE.”  Often discipline to stay on track leads us back to the MOTIVATION we lost.  Sometimes it leads us to a brand new reason to be MOTIVATED.  Either way, we have to overcome the temptation to abandon our journey to the top.

BE WILLING ALWAYS TO SEEK YOUR OWN MOTIVATION

Let me close this conversation with this thought from Flex Lewis one of the greatest Olympians ever, “The Trophy is won in the hours when nobody is watching.”  My Coach, Justin Dees emphasizes always that MOTIVATION is not a requirement if you know where you are going and what you want so long as you are willing to plug in discipline when MOTIVATION is absent.  Justin has said, “Don’t talk about it. Do it!” In my case, My Coach has to cause me to do less and be more strategic.

I admonish you to labor alone and get used to it. Find that “THING” that pushes you forward.  If you are UNMOTIVATED-—go find it.  All of us have to travel this same bumpy road.  See you on the trail to the next level.

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSAULT ON OUR DREAMS

All of us, at one time or another, had friends or associates that openly “counseled” us to stop wasting our time doing what we have been doing.  They like to say things like,”you don’t have to do this prove you are a man or that you are good.”  Another Biggey is to impugn your sense of “priority” in that “we just don’t have our priorities right and something else is being neglected because of our quest.”  Sanctimoniously, they try to leverage or extort guilt, and shame, and regret so that we stop what we are doing based on their logic and perceptions.  The whole goal is to discourage us and get us to quit. How sad that another person can even CONSIDER stealing another person’s dreams and then cloak themselves in righteousness and self vaunted wisdom.  Beware the relative or friend “who is so heavenly that they are of no earthly good.”

Vein running through bicep

“Most Muscular” on Stage 21 June 2014, Utah Valley University, Provo, Utah

OUR RESPONSIBILITY — CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE DREAM

When we face a person who is willing to denigrate us and our dreams (and all of us have at sometime during our lives), we have got to listen carefully and try to understand that their lack of confidence in us is driven more by their insecurities and regrets.  Many, if not all of the naysayers have succumbed to the pressure from others to abandon their calling in life.  They now are living lives of “quiet desperation” existing from day-to-day without a fire to drive them forward.  Another category of discouragers are those that have had tremendous success in their lives and they see their advice and opinions as superior to our own judgement.  It is “de facto” that our dreams are subservient to theirs.  This is where we have to decide to continue the pursuit of our dreams in the face of great opposition.

ANECDOTE

When I was getting out of the Navy I had decided to go to the University of Maryland.  When I presented and discussed my plans with a relative they said to me, “Now you are sure you want to do this?”  It was like a knife to my chest.  The tone of doubt and discouragement penetrated my heart.  I felt so low that I thought I ought to just give up, go home and get a regular blue collar job in my hometown.  This was the very thing I did not want,—but here it is!  I had to decide what I was going to do.  I returned to Maryland (we were vacationing in Iowa) and enrolled at the University of Maryland and jumped into my dream.  I have been uniquely successful academically in my family.  I am a clinician as a PA with residency in Emergency Medicine, and a Masters in Health Services Management, and I’ve done significant doctoral work in Health Policy.  Note that I did not buy into the destruction of my dream because somebody thought their opinion was better.  I did this right!

ACTION REQUIRED

We have to return to our workshops and press on.  In bodybuilding I would say that we will go back into the gym and train like there’s no tomorrow.  The people who don’t believe in us must be proven wrong.  Otherwise we will be dragged down to their level.  We have to double our efforts to be better and closer to our dreams.  In doing so, we do not give power those who have given up on their dreams from destroying our aspirations.  Hard work aimed at the attainment of our dreams or goals is the best response.  At the same time we have to control our emotions.  Think only of climbing our mountain and planting our flag at the summit.  Nothing can stop us.

In closing, we who do bodybuilding (especially this late in life for me) have to have pretty thick skin to continue. Many will seek to derail us.  I would encourage all of us who are on a quest, to dig in and do not let others steal the dream you have bubbling inside you.

Until Next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

I’ve been so focused on the trophy and all that it means that I forgot about all those of you who have been watching me.  I didn’t mean to but I did.  In my quest to be the best me possible, even at this late stage of my life, I didn’t think anybody else cared about what I did or what I accomplished.  I have dug in and kept my nose to the grindstone with a singular focus and purpose.  I’ve done well for an old fart with big ideas but I absolutely have to do more if I am to retire one day a champion on my terms.  To all of you who have taken a moment or two to look in on me, my progress, photos etc. I thank you from the depths of my heart.

MORAL VICTORY

As I have pushed to be better I have written extensively about the things that are required to start and continue toward our stated goals.  During this journey I started to received messages, texts, emails, and face-to-face meetings from various people from many different walks of life congratulating me on my success, effort, and appearance.  In so many ways they told me that I was an inspiration to them.  Often they would say, “I hope that when I am your age I look as good as you.” Others would not include age in the compliment as they would say, “You look fantastic!”  I routinely get these sorts of messages daily from numerous people who read my articles or see my pictures.  Needless to say, I am humbled.

COLLEAGUE ENCOURAGEMENT

I get scores of these comments, again on a daily basis, from guys and girls who train at my gym (University Vasa, Orem, Utah).  An example is a girl who saw me putting in the time posing (that Justine Dees asked me to do) in the gym.  She headed me off at the door to the posing area and said, “You are great.  You make all of us want to better.”  I was flabbergasted. It seemed to come out the blue.  One of my favorite compliments came from the “GREAT” Heather Dees when she caught me at Iron Ground Gym a month ago and said, “You are such an inspiration for so many people.”  When Heather said this I did not have a ready comeback so I mumbled something that was totally unintelligible.  But her encouragement caused me to ruminate on being an inspiration all the way back to Provo from Murray, Utah.  It turned into a trip that I cannot remember making — I was so deep in thought.  I just didn’t know what being an inspiration meant.

MY THOUGHTS

I never set out to be an inspiration but since this is hitting me in the face daily I cannot ignore it.  In fact, the chase for the trophy is a little less important.  Of higher priority is to keep going to be the best I can be so that others will want to follow.  I told my wife recently that, “since I’ve started this bodybuilding quest I have been given hundreds of opportunities to touch the lives of people struggling with their own aspirations and demons.” This topic seems to be a central theme of my bodybuilding conversations with Christine. Frankly, I am grateful to be directed into tough situations paved by my efforts in bodybuilding.

DIFFICULT TASKS AWAIT

It is sometimes daunting.  One time a fellow competitive bodybuilder told me, “I’m so glad to see you.  While I was gone I got so depressed that I went to a solitary location where I almost shot myself.”  Whoa!  I had no response except to say, “I’m glad you didn’t kill yourself.  Heck, I would miss you here in the gym and backstage at contests.”  He was in a better frame of mind and was off and running again.  I was glad he thought well enough of me to tell me his deepest and most dangerous urges that nearly took his life.  We talked for a little while and he left.  I saw him months later and he looked great.  These are the things that my quest to be my best has brought me.  In my estimation God could not have given me a bigger responsibility than that of others who want to be better and for those who are thinking of giving up on themselves, their marriages, friends, and personal goals.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In closing, there is not anything that I want more than to cause many to keep going when it seems much easier to just quit.  Heck, I am an inspiration for a lot of people though I never sought to be anything more than me.  Each of us has to realize that there are thousands of eyes on us whether you know it or not.  We have the capacity and opportunity to teach others to drive on through their darkness by our examples.  I have hundreds of other stories but you get the gist.  Keep on upward and onward because they are depending on us to lead and succeed.

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

Boy!  This is a maxim that we cannot step around.  Try to recall the last time you had to step out in faith with only a vision or a personal intuition to take the next step forward.  I’m betting none of us wants to repeat this situation but, none of us would trade anything for the wisdom that we gained in the effort.  In fact, the life we lead today is a direct reflection of confidence we garnered as we passed through these moments of continuing toward our stated goals despite not having all the pieces of the puzzle in place. Today we have personal self-assurance that we can make hard decisions and be successful.

My coach, Justin Dees exasperatingly  admonished me to: “not just talk about what I need to do but to do it.”  Believe me, he was pushing me to do better and to stick to the program he outlined for me. He was really saying that there isn’t always a clear path forward but you have to use what you know (that which Justin has taught me) and move out.  Take that step of courage and determination to push through my stagnant state and be the person he knows I can be.  I made a verbal commitment to up my game and prove I can do what I have been taught rather than just talk.  I needed to instantly develop a self-confidence to push on and to win.

MY NEW LIFE

My “NEW LIFE” in bodybuilding was born.  I was pushed beyond my mediocre effort to a new level of concentration.  This  “NEW LIFE” and its new trajectory has made getting up everyday worth it.  I have an old saying, “I can’t wait for dawn, my training clothes are waiting.”  I awaken each morning looking forward to the grind in the gym and the requisite time on the elliptical machine with super human anticipation.  Justin’s admonition is still bearing fruit. My body is responding in ways I could not have ever imagined by responding to “LIFE” elevated and the encouragement from my great coach.

LESSONS AND RESULTS

Confidence, self esteem, courage, and power to master our lives beyond that which is familiar and comfortable.  I think the key to all these great and wonderful attributes of a life lived on the edge requires that all of us are willing to walk up to the decision point that requires us to step out in faith even when all is not perfect.  If we remain in our “COMFORT ZONE” we cheat ourselves out of victory that propels us to greater things.  If we go beyond the “COMFORT ZONE” we will learn and we will have the greatest opportunity for success.

In closing, all of us need to be aware of our own risk aversion.  We have to spend some time understanding the things that hold us back from being better and that stall us out in our progress.  We have to learn to identify that point in our progress that will require something beyond that which we posses or holds us back.  When we reach this point we have to be thoughtful and courageous to reach out grab the “BEGINNING OF OUR NEW LIVES” because we dared to move out and “LIVE.”

Until next time I remain, Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM