Author: Doug Graham

The Traps (Trapezius) Muscles are those muscles on top of your shoulders that extend from the neck to the outer shoulders on both sides.  Some people refer to them as the “monkey muscles” because they are most prominent when they are flexed and you are slightly bent forward.  In bodybuilding, it is imperative that these muscles receive a goodly amount of attention during training.  The traps widen your neck, your shoulders, and your upper chest and upper back.  So, let me urge you to work them to death when they are next up in the training schedule.

My traps were pretty under developed because I did not give them the work they needed to grow.  I ignored them because I concluded that they got enough work during standing presses, posterior delt work and during lat pulls and lat rows.  As a consequence, my shoulders (which are huge) dwarfed my traps and they were barely visible during relaxation and during posing.  As soon as I aligned myself with Justin Dees my coach, I went to work bombing my traps more than twice per week.  I did heavy dumbbell shrugs, moderate to heavy barbell shrugs on the Smith Machine behind my back.  My traps today are much larger and respectable.  They are no longer dwarfed by my shoulders.  They are  huge.

My regimen for working my traps is easy, but requires tons of concentration and effort.

My Trap Routine

1.)  Pick up dumbbells starting at around 40 lbs.  I do 12 strict shrugs
Next, I pick up 45 lbs. dumbbells and I do 12 strict shrugs
Then, I pick up 50 lbs. dumbbells and I do 12 strict shrugs
Summary, I continue ascending in weight by 5 lbs. increments until I reach a level that I can barely do 12 reps.  This is where I begin doing 7 sets of 12 reps

2.)  After I do the dumbbell shrugs as noted above I go to the Smith Machine. Using a 45 lbs. I add a 45 lbs. plate to each side of the Olympic Bar. I place my back against the bar which is at my waist.  Next I add as much weight that will allow me to do 7 sets of 12 reps — barely!

One of my greatest heroes……Victor Martinez……

Please note that these two basic exercises are the cornerstones for developing world class traps.  My favorite bodybuider is Victor Martinez.  I have his picture on my wall in my bedroom to remind me that “he has what he has” because of a solid and very hard work ethic.  He pushes his entire body to exhaustion during every work out.  Victor’s traps are phenomenal and I have committed myself to chasing him and his super  human physique.

If you want gigantic traps then doing the exercises correctly while being totally committed to the work out and the results that you seek.  I hereby commend you to the task at hand, — to have the larest traps anybody has seen.

Stay the course you guys……Traps are important but they are only a single muscle group.  Work them like there is no tomorrow and you will develop something very special in your physique.

Keep on Keeping On!

This is ‘OUR TIME” — Do the trap work and round out your physique. We are in the business of winning.  So, let’s get about the business of elevating our effort to a much higher level.

Until Next Time!

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

Let’s face it.  People instantly judge our physique, more often than not, by the size and definition of our ARMS.  I love to work my ARMS for this very reason.  As Justin Dees, my coach would say, “We bodybuilders must look like bodybuilders year round.”  It makes no sense to do tons of work to get ready for a contest and then backslide into a poor conditioned specimen of humanity.  The ARMS are great motivators to keep our bodies in good shape always.  I find that the work on my ARMS pays great dividends to my physique and my ego.  I would like to walk you through an ARM workout that I do and then I would encourage you to do it yourself.  Let me introduce one caveat.  Please be cognizant of the poundages you select.  Go slow and go light initially so as not to over challenge the muscles being worked that may end up being injured.  It’s imperative that you get the movements and the sequence correct first in order to begin increasing the resistance for each set.  The principles in this workout stay the same however.

If you have questions or difficulties, you can call me at 808-386-8724 or you can email me at dgraham@pacificmedicalassets.com and I’ll try to help.

I like to work my abs, traps, triceps, and biceps on my ARM days which falls on Thursdays each week.

Traps

I use dumbbells starting at 40 lbs. doing 12 reps of shrugs.  Then, I move the weight up to 45 lbs. and do 12 reps of shrugs. and I repeat this process up to 90-95 lbs.

Abs

I do 7 sets of 12-20 reps of flat bench leg roll ups.  For this exercise I lie flat on the bench with my butt on the very end of the bench.  I lie back and roll my extended legs up to the chest and then continue upward until my hips are off the bench and my feet and thighs are up over my head.  I repeat this 12-20 times.  Rest for a minute and repeate for a total of 7 sets of 12-20 reps.

Triceps

I first use the straight bar attached to a cable.  I do 12 reps and then move the weight up by 10 lbs.  I repeat this process until I can only do 10 reps in a set.  Then, this is where I begin my heavy workout by doing 7 sets of 12 reps at the highest possible weight.

I then switch to the rope.  I do the same workout with the rope as with the straight bar. Keeping in mind that I begin doing 7 sets of 12 reps at the highest possible weight.

I then continue with the rope by doing over the back triceps extensions with the rope. Again, I move the weight up by 10 lbs. until I can only do 10 reps.  At this weight I begin my workout of 7 sets of 12 reps.

Biceps

I then attach handles to the cables at the lowest point in the cage.  I then do two hand cable curls starting at around 15 lbs.  I move the weight up by 10 lbs. for each subsequent set until I can only do 10 reps.  At this point I begin my workout of 7 sets of 12 reps.

Biceps and Dumbbells

I then go to the dumbbell rack and select 15 lbs. dumbbells.  I do 12 Reps each hand of seated dumbbell curls.

I then do bent over dumbbell curls using 70 – 75 lbs.  I alternate arms doing 12 reps each side.

I then repeat the seated dumbbell curls regimen!

Continue this alternating back and forth of these two exercises to failure.

My ARMS have grown immensely in the last two years using this regimen.  I also, do not get injured during these workouts due to strict form in performing the movements.

For now, please know that working ARMS is vital to rounding out your entire physique. Never give up and keep pressing to get bigger and more defined.

I hope this little walk through my ARM regimen has helped.  Best of luck to all of you as you push yourselves toward excellence.

This is “OUR TIME” — Let’s not squander the time and personal drive that God has given us to be our best.

Until next time.

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

Jose Raymond, Olympian Champion

I was recently speaking privately with my coach, Justin Dees and we were discussing all that’s required to be a Champion in the sport of Bodybuilding.  Each of us floated some ideas but we quickly came back to one basic decision point that must be incorporated into our psyche and operationalized.  “We will do whatever it takes.”

Justin very adroitly pointed out that when a person says that he/she “will do whatever it takes” to become a champion he is skeptical.  The words are easily uttered but usually the person making the commitment really does not yet know what is required and how much of is going to be demanded of them.  So, Justin mumbled, “When somebody says they will do whatever it takes, he thinks, —- really?!”  Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.  Here are some of the things that a person has to take into consideration when setting their sights on being a Bodybuilding Champion.  These are not eliminators but they are considerations that must be accounted for as he/she progresses.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE?

1.)  A solid, wholehearted commitment to excel.  This must be thought through very carefully and a covenant with ourselves has to bee made.  It’s not simply a verbalized “vow” it’s a contract with ourselves to pursue a course of action leading to the top.

2.)  Planning is essential.  You do not take on a life changing goal without outlining  generally and specifically how you’re going to do it.  You have to take the long look and the short look and then reduce your plan of action to paper.

3.)  Action must begin immediately or the commitment will fade to the level of nothing but a good idea.  “Strike while the iron is hot.”  Start training in earnest.

4.)  Get a coach as early in the process as possible.  He has years of experience helping champions attain their full potential so don’t try to go it alone.  I tried to do it myself and fell short of where I wanted to be.  I now have a coach and will always have a coach.

5.)  Time Management.  Schedule your workouts carefully so as to give yourself uninterrupted time in the gym or so you don’t have to cut your workouts short.  When forging a new body you need 1-1.5 hours per day to “GET IT RIGHT.”

6.)  Diet.  My coach preaches that about 90% of successful bodybuilding happens outsie the gym. This includes a carefully constructed diet program to enhance muscle growth and health.  Work with your coach and do what he says.  This part of the equation is often neglected due to laziness.

7.)  Supplementation.  Work closely with your coach and a reputable Nutritionist.  The correct supplements fills in the areas of your diet that need support or to make your diet complete.  Some of the supplements actually enhance the speed and size of muscle growth. At first, I  thought this stuff was bogus but as fate would have it, I am now a solid proponent of dietary supplementation to include things like, Branched Chain Amino Acids, Protein Shakes, Glutamine, L-Arginine and others.  All of these are in place to help us get into our best shape and condition in the most efficient way.

9.)  Posing.  I thought I knew everything about posing.  Boy, was I wrong!  It is hard work and requires daily practice and attention to detail.  There is a large requirement  that you engage your coach for him to evaluate you periodically in the run up to  your contests.  It will come!  Work hard and be patient!

Bodybuilding is not “JUST A SPORT” rather it is a “LIFESTYLE.”  As my coach says, “If you are a bodybuilder, you ought to look like a bodybuilder all the time.”  Thus, details to keep yourself physically sharp must be adhered to or you will look like something else, but not a bodybuilder.  “I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES” is to make a covenant with your mind and your body to “LIVE WHATEVER IT TAKES” not just “DO” whatever it takes.

“THIS IS OUR TIME!”  Turn today into a new start!  We only get one chance to attack our passions whatever they may be.  Don’t squander the opportunity God has give you to be the best!

Until next time.

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

If you are a maniac like yours truly, you will push yourself too hard, too often, and then with the determination of a Greek God you will repeat the process until there is a physical breakdown (injury), total core exhaustion, or psychological meltdown.  In any case the net results are very negative and counter productive.  Two considerations to anticipate and/or eliminate this total exhaustion phenomenon called “OVER TRAINING” come to mind.

First, “KNOW THYSELF”….. All of us instinctively knows when to slow down and try to get some extra rest.  So, we take our body’s advice and we slow down and we get that most needed extra rest.  We sleep in.  We stay home and read or take a nap or just plain down shift from our rigorous lifestyles and do nothing for a time.  When I train like a madman, I tend to ignore every possible signal that my body is in a state of being “OVER TRAINED” and I keep pushing. Eventually, my body simply cannot respond to the personal demands I place on it.  I, quite literally, cannot go to the gym that day.  I find myself sleeping in the middle of the day.  Eating more (and poorly) as my body takes over to replenish itself of rest and food.  It isn’t until the body is satisfied can I return to my “HERCULEAN” training schedule.  Moral of the story: Listen to your body and take steps to avoid a meltdown physically and mentally before it happens.  Space your workouts so that plenty of rest is gotten prior to the next training session.

Second, “TRUST YOUR BODY”….. When your body is telling you to slow down a bit…..do it!  It is a rare thing indeed that a body will not provide sufficient feedback to it’s owner so that he/she can adjust her training in such a way to defer “OVER TRAINING.”

Third, “OVER TRAINING WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF ALL THAT IS GAINED”….My coach, Justin Dees has preached that I, the maniac, who trained twice per day 6 days per week for three years, should give myself adequate rest for each body part trained so as to allow for muscle growth.  Of course, I tried to override his advice by not listening and my gains came by fits and starts.  I have always believed that you get back what you put into anything in the exact same proportions.  In other words, harder work, more frequent work, will give me bigger and faster gains.  WRONG!  In the last year, using Justin’s rules of engagement in all areas I gained over 40 lbs and 23 pounds of new lean muscle.  This is more change in one year than I ever got in 12 months in my entire life.

Summary:  Work hard!  Do not give up and never be satisfied.  However, give yourself that time to recover.  Take a long walk with your wife or girl friend or boy friend.  Get to know them and give that body a chance to rest and grow.  Fall desperately in love with the other aspects of your life during the times of rest.  By doing this you will move your training forward at a pace never before experienced.

This is “OUR TIME”…..Go for the gold but take time to capture the important “OTHER” things in your life too.

Until next  time.

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

I am a workaholic.  I love to train and thus my work ethic is “over-the-top.”  I perform a system for every body part that is designed to exhaust that particular muscle group slowly.  I start very low with my weight resistance and add minimal amounts of weight with each set. I keep  the number of reps per set in the neighborhood of 12-15.  I continue to push the resistance per set higher and higher until I reach a point where doing 12 reps is pretty hard and I’m barely able to do it.  This is where my workout begins.  I do 7 more sets of 12-15 reps and that part is “cooked.”  Then, I begin aother exercise for that same muscle and I do the same routine.  I then repeat it for exercise #3.  Sometimes I will do giant sets using 3-5 exercises but each time using the same philosophy of slow ascension to failure as discussed above.  It is called, “Make Haste Slowly.”  But, as Jose Raymond would say, “Keep at it!” This is day one and it’s a Shoulder Day.

On day two I select a completely different muscle group (Hamstrings, Calves, Abs) and I use the same rules of engagement to work the designated muscle or group of muscles to exhaustion.

Day three sees another muscle group (abs, Back, Lats, Posterior Delts, Traps).  Again, I use the same philosophy of slow ascension and heavy work at the peak for each exercise.

You get the idea.

Each day starting with Monday and ending on Saturday I train but I do a different muscle of focus for each daily session.  I use the Philosophy of “Make Haste Slowly” because I discovered that as I get older I am more prone to injury if I use too much weight for a given exercise too early in the workout.  Gone are the days of being a teenager when no matter what we did to our bodies it would recover quickly and completely.  So, over the last 5 years I have refined my workouts so that I eventually end up lifting as much weight as I would using the “teenage model” but I plug in the game of earning every increment as I ascend to that ultimate weight resistance.

I take great pride in handling big weights but I take even more pride in earning my way very slowly to that end point.  In doing so my way, I get tons more reps and sets in and I perform this exercise against mildly increasing resistance.  I have a rule of  thumb that says I will only raise the weight per set by no more than 5 lbs.  By doing it this way, the steady mild increases in weight force my muscles to adjust to the new resistance slowly.  It gives my muscles and tendons plenty of time to fill with blood and to be ready to lift the new weight. By doing it this way, I have had no major injuries related to my tendons, joints, or muscles in over 6 years.  But, I get to very heavy weights in my workout, “Slowly.”

I have also combined into this regimen of “Make Haste Slowly” my coaches’ admonition to do 7 sets of 12.  I just do it when I can barely do any more at my peak that I arrived at ever so slowly.  Somebody asked Muhamad Ali one time how many crunches he did.  He replied, “I do crunches until it hurts—–then I begin to work and count the crunches.”  Same principle slightly different mechanism.

Regarding Rest.  I am still tempted to get into the gym twice per day.  But, my coach Justin Dees really hammered me on this one.  He said if I keep pushing my muscles into a state of “over training” I would cancel out my muscle growth.  Everything I want to happen would, in fact, not happen.  Thus, we rotate the muscle groups to allow them to have time to rest, get replenished with glycogen, and grow.

Be sure to listen to your body.  It will often tell you whether you need to do more or less work on a given training day.  I’ve actually gotten to the gym and not gone in to work because I was “core tired” for whatever reason and I needed more rest.

Testimony:  I started weight training just to stay in shape.  I weighed 155 lbs.  I went up to as much as 210 lbs.  Since I’ve started competing I got into the competition as a Middle Weight weighing 173 lbs.  I then went up to 210 lbs again and I gained 23 lbs of new muscle.  I now compete as a Light Heavy Weight and today I weigh 193 lbs and my last body fat was 5% and my last competition in July 2015 I was at 2.4%.

All of these things are wonderful and it prepares us  to meet other great challenges as we apply the basic principle of “Make Haste Slowly,” rotate your body parts for training, and give yourself plenty of time to replenish and grow.

This is “OUR TIME” and anything is possible if we want it.  Planning and effort will usually be enough to get you where you want to go.  Remember!  I do Bodybuilding.  You may do something else.  But, the rules always stay the same.  Go for it!  Don’t look back!  Ignore Nay Sayers and those that would steal your dreams!  See you at the finish line!

Until Next Time!

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

We always have to keep our ultimate goals in front of us or anything we do will seem arbitrary and eventually we will conclude that they are note worth doing.  Aerobics, is one of those necessary activities that most Bodybuilders (and normal citizens) do not like to do.  It’s long, it’s boring, it is perceived as a waste of time and does not feed the ego.  At least when we are lifting weights I am totally aware of my swollen arms, shoulders, lats, back and legs.  But, with the performance of aerobics none of these things is very noticeable.  Thus, I am inclined to forget (very conveniently) to include aerobics in my regimen.  Recently, I saw something written that equated prepping for aerobics to passing through the various stages of grief outlined the book, “On Death and Dying” by Elizabeth Kubler Ross.  I laughed myself silly when I read this.

Aerobics is absolutely necessary to the Bodybuilder for various reasons:

1.)  Aerobics benefits cardiovascular health.  It Strengthens the heart and blood vessels through which our vital life force — blood — passes to deliver nutrient and oxygen rich blood to the entire body and transport all of the waste products produced by our bodies to the exterior of our bodies for disposal.

2.)  Aerobics improves overall fitness to our bodies allowing us to better perform daily tasks both mild and extreme.  It enables our bodies to engage in athletics and other very rigorous activities as we wish by increasing our conditioning to a point where enhanced sports activities is  possible and sought after.

3.)  Aerobics improves our internal organ capacity to work and do their designated tasks in support of our bodies.  The liver is much more efficient due to the increased blood flow sent to it.  The mind is much more alert.  The digestive system processes food at a much higher degree of efficiency.  The kidneys produce urine at a much higher rate keeping them open and flushed thus eliminating toxins that accumulate in the body during strenuous sessions of exertion.

4.)  Aerobics  as they interact in a more efficient way with the heart and blood.

5.)  For the Bodybuilder, Aerobics burns calories that otherwise would be stored as fat.  We train as hard as we can and then later we do Aerobics on the machine of our choosing to burn those extra calories that are on their way to our butt, guts, and legs.  Aerobics are particularly important the closer we get  to “Show Time.”

Here is a regimen that you may want to employ to aid your fat loss in your body as you approach a contest or are approaching your goal.  There is no “Magic Formula” so just see this regimen as one that works but can be modified to suit your goals along your timeline for  accomplishment.

Aerobic Regimen:

Start far enough out from your contest to allow your body to get into a rhythm of doing Aerobics and so that you can increase the intensity or duration to get the best results. Feel free to plug in a good book on Kindle or a movie via Netflix.  Music of your choosing also works

14 Weeks Out from Contest
Do Aerobics for 15 Minutes per day X 6 days per week

13 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 20 Minutes per day X 6 days per week

12 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 25 Minutes per day X 6 days per week
11 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 30 Minutes per day X 6 days per week

10 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 35 Minutes per day X 6 days per week

9 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 40 Minutes per day X 6 days per week

8 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 45 Minutes per day X 6 days per week

7 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day X 6 days per week

6 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day X 6 days per week

5 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day X 6 days per week

4 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day X 6 days per week

3 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day X 6 days per week
2 Weeks Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day X 6 days per week

1 Week Out from Contest
Aerobics for 50 Minutes x 2 per day until 3 days out from Contest—Then stop

Note that as you get closer to the contest the Aerobics sessions get longer  and then stabilize at 50 Minutes x 2 per day.  This regimen coupled with regular weight training, diet, supplements, and posing will greatly aid you in your quest to come to the stage as lean as possible.

Again, there is “No Magic Formula” but Aerobics is part of the overall plan to get Bodybuilders and anyone else who is seeking a lean frame to employ.

I hope you get a feel for the slow increase in the time spent doing Aerobics.  This gradual increase allows the body to adjust slowly to the increased time demand required to burn calories.

Never let Aerobics become an after thought  Make it part of the regular training routine.

This is “OUR TIME” so keep pressing no matter what the goals you set for yourself.

Until Next Time!

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret)

JOSE RAYMON, “THE BOSTON MASS”

Let’s try to get started on Bodybuilding priorities in some sort of rank order.  As my coach, Justin Dees pointed out during one of our sessions together, “This is a muscle game. It doesn’t matter how cut and shredded you are if you haven’t got any muscle.” So, there you have it!  Muscle mass building is where we start.  Here are some initial thoughts to get us started.

Muscle Mass (I highly recommend finding a trainer/coach to help you with this process)

1.)  You must first establish a “Starting Point.”  Get out a notebook, write down the date and time your first measurements were taken.  Weigh yourself.  Get a Body Fat % taken. Men, take some photos of yourself in gym shorts with no shirt on.  Women try a two piece bathing suit.  Repeat this process monthly for the first 6 months.  The first goal in gaining mass is to “set the bar”….i.e. How much do you want/need to gain over what period of time?

2.)  As a Physician Assistant for over 35 years and having managed very large weight management programs in the Air Force, I can assure you that “NUTRITION” is paramount.  So, I highly recommend that you find a fitness app and place it on your desktop and/or your phone. Determine how much weight you need to gain (or lose).  Set this as your goal. The app will allow you to set your ultimate goals.  Then, every morsel of food you take in needs to be recorded in the app for tracking reasons and accountability.

3.)  With constant guidance and in partnership with a respected coach, start weight training.  My personal mantra is the word, “RELENTLESS.”  I vow to never surrender and to always be in pursuit of the next set of goals in front of me.  Weight training is hard but necessary if you are to lay down the basic muscle mass required. So get motivation from wherever you can find it.  Start slow and be persistent.  Don’t give up.  The changes will happen as you are faithful to the task.

4.)  Three times per week in the beginning do about 30 minutes of  “AEROBIC” work on the machine of your choice.  I personally like the eliptical machine because it spares my knees, and allows me to either read a book on Kindle or watch weird movies on Netflix. Time goes much faster with a selected distraction.

5.)  Everybody wants to take the correct “SUPPLEMENTS” to help with muscle mass gains. In fact, most people believe that they cannot make gains without “SUPPLEMENTS.” Personally, I believe in “SUPPLEMENTATION” but it has to be placed in it’s proper perspective.  These are no more important than any of the other components of bodybuilding.  You have to eat right, train right, do the correct amount of aerobics, get proper rest, and use the correct “SUPPLEMENTS.”  This is another area that your coach HAS to be involved.  He/She are technical experts in selecting the best supplementation regimen for you to accomplish your goals.  Needless to say, not every “SUPPLEMENT” on the market is appropriate for you to use to gain the muscle mass you seek. Some are simply wrong. But “SUPPLEMENTATION” is essential.

Mass is the “FIRST GAME” for serious bodybuilders men or women.  Your coaches’ advice and guidance is absolutely essential — do NOT omit this wonderful person in your quest. If you need some help finding a good personal coach just let me know and I’ll help you find one in your area.

I will dig in a little deeper than this overview in the future so keep reading “Warrior Focus” as often as it comes out.  If you have questions that are urgent or related to anything I have written here, please feel free to contact me at, dgraham@pacificmedicalassets.com or maharg3@hotmail.com.  I will try to respond quickly.

Remember the Maxims:

1.)  Don’t Miss Workouts
2.)  Make haste slowly
3.)  Don’t talk during workouts
4.)  You own this gym and nobody works harder than you

BE RELENTLESS!

This is “OUR TIME”…..

Until next time!

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

Training like anything else that is worthy of our attention requires thought, planning, and execution.  We have to truly believe that this endeavor is what we want to embark on. This may take tons of upfront discussion with people of like mind mingled with some day dreaming and experimenting with various gyms and equipment.  Because bodybuilding is a total lifestyle change and commitment, the decision to engage in all that is required in the sport cannot be  frivolous.

Regarding “PLANNING” I would arrange my training around a 6 day per week regimen.  I will be going into depth on each exercise later but for now I will reveal the basic outline to be applied to a “six day per week training schedule” and her it is:

Monday:
Shoulders, Abs and Traps

Tuesday:
Hamstrings, Calves and Quad Extensions

Wednesday:
Back and Lats and Abs and Traps

Thursday:
Arms (Triceps and Biceps)

Friday:
Abs, Calves, Quads

Saturday:
Chest, Traps, Posterior Delts

Sunday:
Day of Rest

Note:  Each day of training also will be accompanied by 50 Minutes of Aerobics

Notice that there is a specific workout each day of training.  This specific attention to particular muscle group allows you to destroy them and then to let them rest until they roll up on the training calendar in the future.

Stick to the regimen.  Don’t try to do everything you think you need in a single session. Consistency each day will build a sound foundation of habits and progress that other muscle heads will envy.

Use this organizational outline for your workouts.  It’s easy to follow this outline and I will workout the particulars to share with you in the near future.  Just wanted you to have something to follow and around which you can organize your training schedule.

I will leave you with this for now.  Later, we will get into the actual selection of exercises for each training day.

This is “OUR” time and we need to use all tools at our disposal to be efficient in our personal quests to accomplish our personal goals.

Until next time.

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret), MHSM

Without going deep into the weeds, let’s talk nutrition and establish some basic principles that can/may apply to us all.

I am 3 months post contest(s) and I am still very lean.  My body fat % remains at 5% and my weight is starting to creep up just like I want it to.  I have to gain a total of 15 lbs. of new muscle over the next 9 months before I compete again in June 2016. As you have guessed, I will not only have to work very hard in the gym, take the best supplements that my coach can recommend, do the required amount of aerobics, practice posing, and stay highly motivated, but I have to take in the correct amount of food to make the gains needed.  This task, all by itself is daunting.  But, I am certain that my coach, Justin Dees will get me there so I can be the best “ME” on stage that night.

There is a new bit of wisdom that I learned last year as I prepped for the Nationals in Pittsburgh.  “When we are hungry the body is not demanding more calories. Rather, the body is demanding more nutrition.” This means that we must plug in our brains and our wills and select the food that is needed versus the food that is wanted. You guessed it!  As bodybuilders and for the most part, people in general, we need protein. Keeping our carbs down to reasonable (and counted) levels which disallows us to store the excess carb calories that we do not burn.  After we calculate the precise amounts of protein, carbs, and fats that each of us requires each day we then can select foods that have these nutrients. Eating these required foods is called “EATING CLEAN” and it is this clean eating that keeps us healthy, lean, and able to do most, if not all that we want to do on a daily basis. My coach says, “we have to put ROCKET FUEL into our bodies to get the best performance from our bodies.”  This ROCKET FUEL is the proper amount of protein, carbs, and fats.  So, selecting foods is an art unto itself.

To extend a couple of numbers as guides for you to apply are roughly as follows:

1.)  Protein:  You should take in approximately 2 Grams of Protein per pound of bodyweight daily.

2.)  Carbs: Roughly 1 Gram of Carbs per pound of bodyweight daily.

3.)  Fats: My guide is that I take in no more than 10-15% of my total caloric intake should be fats.

I will get into the particulars in a much deeper way in the future but these shoud help a bit for now.

Nutrition is a math based activity/discipline.  However, that math must be applied strategically to each individual and monitored closely to validate that the process is moving in the desired direction at regular intervals.

It is said that 90% of bodybuilding success is accomplished away from the gym and proper nutrition is one of the major pillars of effort that leads to success either in our persnal lives alone or on the stage where your physique is on display for thousands to see.

Recommendations:

1.)  Keep a food diary.  Write down all that you take in during a day.

2.)  Use the food diary entries to calculate the ratios of protein, carbs, and fats.  Be very mindful of the proper proportions and amounts required and make the necessry corrections.

3.)  Keep a daily record of your weight.  If you have a computer program that turns numbers into visuals on a chart, use it.  A visual representation of our numbers recorded is a helpful way to keep our progress ever before us.

4.)  Accountability:  Get a partner if one can be found.  Ask that person to hold you to the standard that is required to get you where you want to go.

5.)  Take pictures of yourself at the beginning and then monthly thereafter to document  your progress.  Carefully, document when each photo is taken.  Be sure to take the pictures in roughly the same position each time and try to wear similar clothes with each picture.

This is “OUR” time.  Let’s push on to greatness.

Until next time.

Douglas Graham, Lt Col, USAF, (ret)

This is the final “Maxim” regarding my training.  “Nobody Works Harder Than Me!” was, at first, a commitment that I made to myself early on in my training.  I decided that if I was going to put in this type of effort and time in the gym, I needed to know that nobody came close to out performing me or humiliating my work ethic.  Then, as I trained harder and harder, I realized that there were very few people who shared the gym with me who  were even coming close to pushing themselves to my level of exertion during workouts.  Thus was born this “Maxim”……and I am wedded to it’s demand and the results it provides. When you “Work Harder Than Anybody Else” you can expect some pretty marvelous and miraculous things to occur:

1.)  Very quietly, my “self awareness” begins to take hold.  I calibrate all that I do against others working out near me.  I notice whether they are doing it half way.  I try to understand what it means to  be the best there is. I monitor the amount of sweat I am producing.  My fatigue level is monitored carefully to be sure I am pushing myself higher and harder and longer with each set.

2.)  My “courage” to handle heavier weights for more reps.  In short, I am less concerned about injury than I am about lifting too much weight. I am becoming fearless.

3.)  Psychologically, I have determined to not look like everybody else — I want to look bigger, more defined, and better than anybody else.  I measure my succcess in this arena by making mental comparisons of my body with the best around me.  Some days I am a  “legend in my own mind” and other days I am not a legend.

4.)  As I turn up the steam on my workout I have an eye toward others to see if they like what they see.  Unsolicited compliments are the best kind. I feed off these like a main course meal.

5.)  Lastly, simple inspection of my physique and comparison of my body with other muscle heads training beside me.  If I find myself deficient then a brand new effort is born to correct my deficiencies.

Remember!  This gym is OUR house and we will always be the hardest working bodybuilder in the entire facility.  We owe it to ourselves to be the best we cn be ALWAYS.  These “Maxims” are put into place so I can be a better me at the next show.

Thiese days are “OUR TIME” and we dare not squnder them.

Hope these insights help.

Doug

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