Six Pack and Senior

Posterior Delts Using Rope with High Long Rows

To help round out my shoulder workout I do these simple but very technical movements.  After I have done my anterior delts and before I do my lateral shoulder lifts I focus on the Posterior delts using a rope and doing high Long Row Pulls.  See the video above as an example.

It’s very important to include the posterior delts as part of our shoulder routine.  This exercise places particular stress on the rear delts to cause them to grow.  On stage it is imperative that when you show your back to the judges and the crowd that our shoulders cap off the perception of our back width as they reside just above the lats.  I implore you to not leave this muscle group out of your shoulder routine.  Rather, I place tremendous importance and effort in making these muscles huge.  Also, as I lean out as I near contest time, these muscles stand out prominently.

Please note that as you lean forward in the exercise you must open up your lats fully.  Then, when you pull back on the rope you don’t lean back but rather push your chest out and up and complete the pulling motion by moving your elbows as far back as possible to contract the rear delts.  Repeat this exercise at least 7 times with 12 reps per set.  When complete, move to your next shoulder exercise.

In conclusion.  It is absolutely necessary to include rear delt work.  The movement in the video above is only one of several exercises that can affect major improvement to the rear delts.  I will be placing more videos aimed at other muscle groups on this site in the near future.  Please tune in.

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

Biceps Curls

Briefly, on my arm days I do Biceps “AFTER” I have totally destroyed my triceps.  I start my biceps training by doing lying cable curls doing as many sets of 12 as possible.  Usually, the total number of sets tops out at around 12 sets of 12 reps.  I will post a video of this exercise in the near future.

As soon as I’m finished doing lying cable curls I go to the mirrors with an E-Z Curl bar with only 25 lbs. plates on each side and I do standing biceps curls facing the mirror.  I keep the movement as smooth and steady as possible. I try to control the descent of the bar to my upper thighs so I get some additional work. I do 5-7 Sets of 8-10 reps.  Then, I add 5 lbs. and I do another 5-7 sets of 8-10 reps.  Note that in between each set of standing biceps curls I do a set of dumbbell shrugs.  I start at 40 lbs. and then I move it up to 45 lbs. then up to 50 lbs. then up to 55 lbs. etc.  I try to go as high as I can and still be able to get 12 reps.  I continue this back and forth between standing curls and shrugs until I do 2 complete cycles of 5-7 sets with sets of shrugs between sets of curls or until failure.

For the sake of instruction and example refer to the video posted above.  Please note that what I have described is only a fraction of the exercises that I do for my biceps.  When these are done I have alternating dumbbell curls, cable curls low and high.  Each of which I will demonstrate in a future blog post.

For now, just know that biceps curls is a basic exercise that can help build solid mass gains to the arm.  I like doing them as early in the biceps workout as possible so I can then focus on further isolation exercises for the biceps.  Each exercise should be done to failure but be sure to start out with a mental goal for the number of sets and reps that you want to do. Then, exceed that goal.

I hope this helps!  Work hard and do not look back.  It’s not where you start that matters it’s where you end up.

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

Attitude is everything!  In my world, and being an older bodybuilder it is imperative that I determine to outwork everybody else in the gym.  I have no choice because “father time” is not on my side.  I have to be always at my best if I am to be competitive and if I am to progress in the ranks of bodybuilding.

My Best Days to Train

There are days when I go into the gym to train that I am perfect.  I feel good, I am strong, and I am able to work long and hard with seemingly little effort.  My mind is focused in accomplishing what I have set out to do.  Nothing can stop me on these magnificent days of total commitment to being better because I am ready to train.  There isn’t anything that can deter me from performing at a very high degree.  These are the best of times.

My Worst Days to Train

As I noted above, attitude is everything!  When I run into days when my body is totally racked with pain, I have a nagging injury, I am ill (sometimes with a fever), or I am mentally distracted, I have to reach deep to find the drive to do my training.  Luckily, I have determined a long time ago that when things are not good in the gym I instantly look for something that will push me forward.  For instance, when I have a nagging injury and my training is in jeopardy that day, I think hard about how to work around that injury without exposing my body to further injury or to exacerbate my existing injury.  If my biceps muscle is torn, I shift my emphasis to using my triceps muscle.  I minimize the stress on the injured muscle.  It’s amazing how hard I can still train despite being hurt.

Another example is when I am sick.  I know!  I know!  Conventional wisdom and advice would dictate that I forget training and go home.  There are times that I follow this advice and head back to my bed.  But, before I leave I make a herculean effort to get into my workout to see if I can still train though I don’t feel well. If I can get into a rhythm during my workout I will stay in that rhythm throughout my time training.  Sometimes, I notice that the fever goes up and I sweat like crazy.  The big thing here as in any other hindrance to training, I have to put my mind in gear and be determined to never quit.

Even on my Worst Day—I’m Killing it!

Its imperative to know that nobody can or will out work me.  I have four goals when I train: 1.)  I never miss workouts 2.) I don’t talk during my workouts. 3.) I work harder than anybody else in the gym.  Nobody out works me! 4.) . When I am finished I have to know that this gym belongs to me.  This is my “MY HOUSE.” I own this place!  All these goals are in place to push me to be better—even when it seems impossible to perform.

What I Seek

I only want to be better and I cannot be better unless I do the work.  I have to do the work all the time and when I am not at my best I “STILL” have to be at my best.  Nobody gives us anything.  I have to work for what I want and expect nothing from no one.  It is me against the world and I have to be sure that all that I do qualifies as “KILLING IT!’  There is no tomorrow and my success is dependent upon my ability to “KILL IT” even on my worst days.

In closing I would advise that you, like me, must learn to “KILL IT” even on our worst days in the gym because the goals we seek demand this level of effort.

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

WE ARE WHAT WE DO REPEATEDLY

When a person makes a decision to not do what they know they should do they are only cheating themselves.  They are self-eliminating themselves from the race they have set before them.  Every one of us has something we want to accomplish or contest that we want to win and if we do not put into place on a daily basis all the things that are required we will lose.  To state it another way, “a habit of focused, intense, directed, activity on a daily basis will always yield a winning attitude and a goal accomplished.”

Body building

Daily Events Repeated Form a Habit (to Win)

Daily, we exercise our personal agency to do or not do things.  In my world it is important to plan and then to execute those things that improve or enhance my life.  Mostly, the things I plan for are related to personal goal achievement.  Remember that most personal goals are attained out of the sight of others.  We set the goals, we plan to accomplish the goal, and then we set about the task of getting to that goal.  Usually, nobody else knows a thing about what we are doing.  This is a good thing.  As Flex Lewis has said, “The trophy is earned during the hours when nobody is watching.”

In any case, we have to develop a standard of excellence that is put into play each and every day.  We have to nurture an attitude that demands our very best on a daily basis as we strive to win.  This attitude must be so ingrained into our psyche that it is second nature and habitual.  The sheer act of doing what is best in the very best way always produces a champion.  If we want to win we dare not take our small steps toward the winners circle lightly.  Each thing we do repetitively and daily brings us that much closer to our end game.

I learned a long time ago from some friends of mine that escaped from North Korea’s Communist regime that if you want to win or to excel you have to be willing to work while others are playing or sleeping.  In other words, I and you have to be willing to do what we do not want to do on a daily basis.  We have to do these things well or they are not worth doing.  The secret to anything that is done well is attitude and repetition.  To perfect something it must be performed to the best of our ability over and over again until it is second nature and as close to perfect as possible.

One of my weak areas in bodybuilding is my personal discipline to pose daily.  I have to do it first or it will not get done.  So, when I awaken as I prepare for a contest, I put on some tight shorts and head for the mirror to do several rounds of posing, each time trying to make every pose better than the previous pose.  As I do this daily it becomes a habit that will bring out the best in me on stage.  Thus, I address my achilles heal problem first and completely daily.  This is a habit a dare not ignore.

In closing, If we want to be winners then we have to establish daily habits that align themselves with our ultimate goals.  It’s important that we select where we are going and then arrange everything in our lives in a manner aimed at getting to our goal. An act is a singular event.  When these singular events become daily repetitive events then we have a pattern established to win.  So, go about the business of making your goal known to your heart.  Repeat daily the disciplines that will enable your goal to materialize.

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

There two parts to this article that I want to discuss.  First, Following your dreams.  I would submit that life is about discovering what drives us forward.  Following a dream also means that we will not always have access to a cheering, compassionate, crowd of well wishers.  In fact, I believe that those of us who truly follow our dreams have determined that the cost is reasonable and, if necessary, we will invest ourselves completely and alone.

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

Front lat spread backyard 2 days post contest. 23 June 2014

Dreams

Dreams are the things that we are made of.  They are the fabric that bridges the gap between our souls, our minds, our physical selves and the things we pursue.  All of us welcome the excitement of a vision that takes place inside of us when we realize that we can have something better for ourselves or the people we love.  When a dream takes hold of us we have to decide whether that dream will remain nothing more than an image inside our minds or whether we will put together a plan to obtain and live that dream.  All of us have fantasized about something we want and have concluded that the dream we want is not obtainable so we fold it up neatly and return to our mundane daily existence.

In the hearts and minds of another group of people dreams are guides, they are objectives to be reached.  This group sees dreams as goals that beckon them to pursue them and to obtain them.  This type of person next goes about the process of developing a plan for “dream attainment.”  They have ruminated about the dream for so long that they know what is required to get there.  After they have counted the cost to win their desired goal, they get the plan into place and they simultaneously go about the business of  “dream pursuit.”

Walking Alone

Most of the time our dreams cause others around us to cringe, they back away from you, they conclude that your dream is false and that you are self deluded.  The sad thing is that they actually tell you that your dream is foolish, too risky, and ultimately they do not wish you well on your pursuit to obtain the dream.  At times their discouraging words devolve into hostility and hatred for you.  It is here that walking alone must be implemented if you believe in what you see inside yourself. If you decide that the dream is worthy of you and that you will mot be supported in your quest each of us must be willing to go it alone.  There is no other course of action except to pursue the dream in silence and alone.

When I decided to compete in bodybuilding I had to do so in the face of multiple points of discouragement.  Because I am old tons of people automatically concluded that I could not be successful and this bodybuilding thing was a fad and it will pass.  They also thought that I should not do this because of my age.  It’s as if they were saying, “grow up! Men your age do not and should not think that these goals are still alive and well inside you.”  I like what Arnold Schwarzeneggar says in his second rule of success, “Ignore the naysayers.” I also would add, avoid them like the plague.  Instead, surround yourself with men of like mind that will add fuel and encouragement to your forward progress toward your goal.

My very first goal was to first get into the best shape of my life.  I trained twice per day, 6 days per week, for three years.  The next step was to prepare to step on stage for the first time.  So, I did! I got 1 4th place trophy and 2 fifth place trophies in one night.  The bug had bitten me and the excitement was just as I had imagined it to be.  The next thing I had to do was improve as fast and as well as I could.  I competed two more times and did ok but I knew I needed help to do better. So, I hired a world class coach in Justin Dees.  He is my partner, friend, but when he has to he is my Egyptian Task Master Coach.  He demands much but leaves the effort to me.  Since those early days he has taken me through all the gates of learning and progress.  I’m old but I am also new at this stuff.  I’ve had to take the hard knocks of rookie mistakes and I’ve had to pick myself up and continue to train and get better.  I’ve concluded that there are only three people that I need to please in this sport: 1.) My wife. 2.) My Coach. 3.) The judges.  Everything else is a bonus or a curse and I deal with them separately.

My biggest dream these days is to turn pro.  I plan to do that this in July 2018 at the Nationals in Pittsburgh, PA.  I’m finally feeling ready and able to do this.  Justin has made it clear that I’ve got the physique to win but I’ve got to work overtime to present well when I’m on stage. Thus, I practice posing daily until I think I’ve got the posing down. Justin measures me weekly monitoring my weight, my body fat, and my lean muscle mass. He makes adjustments at each session to my training, my diet, and training techniques.

Much of my training is alone.  I do not use a training partner.  I keep blinders on when I hit the gym.  I keep my headset on and my eyes on the clock to be sure I’m using each moment of my training efficiently.  I, like everyone else, has a life to live and thus I have to work hard and get home.  I cannot allow myself to be distracted by socializing in the gym.  This is where the construction of a world class physique occurs. Being alone and dependent on nobody to push me is my calling card.  I believe that nothing gets done unless I do it myself and if necessary, I will do it alone.  Flex Lewis, the five time Olympian Champion, at under 212 lbs. has a great quote. “The trophy is won in the hours when nobody is watching.”  I’ve made this my mantra.  It has paid off handsomely for me with a greatly improved physique and a better performance on stage with each contest.

In closing: Keep your dreams present.  Keep planning to accomplish your dreams.  Keep at it!  Keep pushing your limits toward having your dreams in hand.  Nothing, nor anybody, can come between you and what you dream about.  Do not depend on somebody else to win for you.  If you must walk alone—-Perfect!  Winning is about me and you and nobody else.  Go for it and don’t look back.  Being alone is the best because you/I will work better and learn more.  Go for it—ALONE!

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

What a summary of the road map to success!  All of us need some type of template that tells us how to do something.  A plan is the ultimate cue card that can point the way toward us accomplishing our goals.  Each thing mentioned in this article are maxims that we violate at our own peril.

Dream Big

My first bit of advice that I give a person that seeks advice about being successful in their chosen endeavor is for them to consider whether their goal is “worth it.”  Does it hang out there as something that will be rewarding and worthy of maximal effort.  In other words, is our “Dream” or “Goal” bigger than ourselves?  A maxim concerning our “Dreams” is to determine whether that “Dream” scares us or not.  If it does not scare us then the “Dream” is not big enough.  A dream is just a dream unless we decide to chase it.  The goal starts as a “Dream” with only visions of what it is and and what it will take to accomplish that goal.  Once these components are in place it migrates from being a “Dream” to the development of a “Plan.”

Please note that if your “Dream” is big and scary a significant amount of time and initial fumbling will be required to move forward.  It is here that you must exercise “make haste slowly.”  Be anxious to get it done but take your time to get it right.

Start Small

Bite off only that which you can chew.  When you begin the journey by dropping your plan to paper, be sure to include the very first baby steps that will be required to get started. Do not set a goal for accomplishing something that will easily take 3 months and shortening the timeline for it’s accomplishment to one week. Don’t try to do too much too fast.  Make each required item small enough to accomplish in a manner that will not frustrate or defeat you.  But, nonetheless, get started!  “Start Small” and gather steam as you go.

I remember when I first met Jose Raymond, “The Boston Mass” and I was so impressed that he can get up to 230 lbs. in his off season bodybuilding career.  He is only slightly taller than me and so I decided that I wanted to be as big as Jose. I weighed only 176 lbs. at the time so I was anxious to get started.  I told my coach about my goal to get as big as Jose Raymond.  He did not make fun of me or condescend me.  He very quietly put together a meal plan of 7,000 Calories per day which is augmented by a training program that was very intense and designed to cause massive muscle growth.  Well, after about 4 months my weight hovered between 205 lbs. and 210 lbs.  I looked like a tennis ball with arms.  I was absolutely massive but I had developed some significant side effects that made life very uncomfortable.  First, I developed high blood pressure.  Wow, I had never had elevated blood pressure in my life.  My wife subsequently purchased a blood pressure cuff to monitor myself.  I was taking my blood pressure 3 times per day and it was higher than normal.  Secondly, I developed reflux esophagitis (stomach acid splashing back into the distal esophagus) which caused me tons of pain.  I ended up taking Zantac tablets to reduce the acid reflux.  I also, elevated the head of my bed to allow gravity to keep my stomach acid in my stomach and out of my esophagus.  It worked!  Thirdly, I began having sever episodes of sleep apnea.  My periods of no breathing were long enough to cause my wife and others to worry that I would never start breathing again.  In fact, my buddies would stand around my bed in the hotel and they would take bets on when I would take another breath while I slept.  I made some guys a bunch of money it seems.

At about this time, Justin Dees, my Coach says to me one day, “Are we done yet?”  Meaning, can we get on with real training and stop this absurd exercise to gain massive amounts of weight before I was ready?  It’s here that I learned that gaining that much muscle took Jose nearly 10 years to put it on.  I surrendered and Justin developed a reasonable plan of diet and training aimed at making me lean and strong.  I’ve never tried to influence my coach in this area again.  Rule!: Never get ahead of yourself.  Do what’s next on the logical timeline and agenda.

Work Hard

Nobody works harder than I do!  This is my clarion call to myself.  I set up my workout in such a way that disallows me to take rests that are too large between sets of exercises.  I often have 3-5 different stations going at the same time that I work through.  Each station hits the same muscle in different ways.  I work to failure and then I switch to a different muscle group with designated stations and repeat the journey to exhaustion.  Never take on a workout unless you are willing to start small and ascend to bigger weights slowly until you reach failure.  The muscle is found in the last couple of reps with each exercise.  So, by all means finish the anticipated number of reps and then get a couple more for good measure.

I have labored under the delusion that if I perform a certain number of things I will automatically grow.  Well, much to my chagrin I learned that unless I keep challenging my muscles to do more I will get the same or lesser results for my effort.  Now, I push myself to failure plus a couple more reps on each exercise.

My three maxims for training day are: 1.)  Never miss workouts.  Consistency is the name of the game and missing workouts breeds inconsistency which slows muscle growth. 2.) Do not talk during your workouts.  Per my conversation with my Coach, Justin Dees, “When you allow people to talk to you during training, they essentially are stealing your workout time.”  I put on my headset and my blinders and I keep my nose to the grind stone. 3.) I work harder than anybody else in the gym—bar none. I have to know inside myself that I have put all colleagues in the gym in their places with my work ethic.  4.) When I leave the gym I say to myself, “I own this place!”  Nobody does it better than me….It’s more of an attitude but it’s my mantra.

Huge shoulders!!!

Stay Focused

Never lose track of what you are doing in the moment and where you are going.  These items are not mutually exclusive.  As you focus on the ultimate goal you must keep an eye on what you are doing at the moment.  The two points of focus will converge and I will never get lost.  All things I do count toward the end game.  Often I am prepping for a contest so I am constantly asking myself what I need to do to be better and to be prepared to take on athletes that are in superb shape.  I never look back! I always have my eye on the prize and all things between here and there are aligned to make this a greatly successful show.

Keep Going Forward

Somebody asked a Marine what he and his company of Marines would do if they were totally surrounded. He replied, “CHARGE.”  There is no direction in the sport of bodybuilding except, “FORWARD.” You cannot wake up one morning and decide to go back to where you started.  This is not called retreat, this is called quitting.  The worst thing you can do to yourself ever in any situation is to quit.  Failing is ok. You can recover from a failure but when you quit there is no place to go.  It’s been my experience that you can “Unquit” but it is extremely difficult to recover from quitting.  It’s like trying to resurrect yourself to life after death.  The odds are not great that you will be successful. So, push forward even if the going is tough and sometimes stalled.  Figure out a way to move forward.  You have to take the hits that may knock you out or knock you off your game, but moving forward is the only direction.  This is where discipline comes in.  You can be motivated but it takes discipline to get the job done.

In closing.  The only direction is forward.  The rest you have to figure out as you go.  But, if you are certain of your ultimate end all other things will fall into place with ease.

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

I ran across this quote and it resonated inside me in a big way.  Let me explain what I mean.  Everyone of us knows that there is no such thing as “Ying and Yang” when it comes to personal accomplishment.  I would submit that we should subscribe to the philosophy of “asymmetrical Living” —-Let me explain.

When I set out to accomplish anything worth my effort I do not spend any time wondering if my biorhythms or chakra is in balance.  I immediately organize my life with single-mindedness aimed at reaching my goal.  All things are arranged to contribute to the end game.  The last thing for me to worry about is whether I can recite my Sanskrit name or term in a hypnotic monotone over and over again. I don’t have a minute to spare.  I give 100% of my attention and effort toward the goal.  I meditate on the prize. I dream about it. I assemble all things that will be required and then I plan a way forward that accounts for the essentials to win.  I then write out the plan using a blank sheet of paper and a calendar.  Lastly, I get started!

The final thing to keep uppermost in my mind is that I can never stop believing in my dream.  I have to keep the image of my vision forever in front of my minds eye.  I let that vision become the reason I breathe.  There is not a nanosecond of time that goes by without the review and inspection of the goal.  That goal is the destination but we have to never lose track of what that goal is and how we plan to get there.

I’m an older bodybuilder and I’m in the hunt to become a professional before it’s all done for me.  I started with just an eye toward getting into shape, but after I had been training twice per day, six days per week for three years I was recommended to consider competing in bodybuilding.  I at first said no, but the more I played with idea the better I liked the challenge.  So, I relented and entered my first competition and the first time out I got a 4th place and two 5th places.  The bug had bitten me and I was off.  Since then I have competed at least 2-3 times per year.  Each time I have sought to get better with each new competition.

I took on a Coach, Justin Dees and he has guided me, the novice, through the various stages of learning “the art” to be a competitive bodybuilder.  The best way to describe Justin is that he is my friend and he is forever my coach.  He describes our relationship as a partnership between us.  He sets the pace, gives the instructions, provides the timeline for contests and has helped me focus on the ultimate goal which is to become a pro.  Together we are getting much closer while I get better and better each time I have a contest.

Since starting down this road to the Pro ranks I have had to trim away many good things that I would prefer to do.  My mind is constantly reviewing the areas that I need to improve in. I try to never leave anything to chance. I do not cut corners in my training, my diet, my supplements, or cardio.  Besides my everyday living, I am 100% committed and I totally believe that I am going to make it—-this year.

My day starts early around 5:45 am when I rise, take my supplements, eat breakfast, dress for training, get to the gym and work today’s designated body part.  More eating, errands, do cardio, continue eating every two hours.  In all this execution I do not forget why I am doing what I am doing.  My favorite quote is from Flex Lewis, —- “The Trophy is Won in the Hours When Nobody is Watching.”  In other words, I walk alone with nobody pushing me except my wife and Justin.  I never want to lose because I did not put out the effort.  My other favorite quote is, “I Am Coming for All the Things They Said I Could Not Have.”  Translation: Nothing will stop me from attaining my goal except me.  I am careful to keep myself 100% on track.  I will rest when I have won.

In Closing:  I repeat Arnold’s quote: “If you want to turn a vision into reality, You have to give 100% and never stop believing in your dream.”—Arnold Schwarzenegger

I cannot add anything to this quote that can help.

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

My Shoulder Days all begin the same way.  I first do my abs. then my calves, then I do SOME leg presses and then leg extensions. I then begin my “Shoulder Workout.” I do this routine each day, six days per week.  My primary body part comes AFTER I do my abs, calves, and LIGHT quads.  Note that on “Quad Day” there is no primary body part because my Quads are the primary body part on that day.

Station one on Shoulder Day:

Today was my “Shoulder Day” my goal today was to get up to doing seated 230 lbs. presses to the front with a barbell in the Smith Machine.  Let me explain:  First, I warm up with the bar very slowly doing seated front presses.  Next, I add 25 lbs. plates to each side and I do a set of 20 front presses.  Then, I add 2.5 lbs plates to each side of the bar and I again do 20 reps to the front.  I then add 5 lbs. plates to each side and again do 20 reps. I keep going up by 5 lbs. with each set until I reach 230 lbs.  At this point I will be lucky to do sets of 6-8 reps.

After reaching my goal of 230 lbs., I drop the weight down to 205 lbs. and do 5 sets of 8-12 reps.  I then drop the weight to 185 lbs. and once again to 5 sets of 12 reps.  At this point I drop the weight to 165 lbs. and again do 5 sets of 12 reps.  Finally, I drop the bar to 135 lbs. and finish up with 5 sets 12+ reps.

Moving along to Station 2 on Shoulder day:

Here I do high rope pulls to hit my posterior delts. 10 sets of 12 reps

Station 3 on Shoulder Day:

I use overhead crossover cables doing sets of 12 starting at the lowest plate on the machine.  I move it up by one plate with each set and keeping the 12 reps in place. I do this until I cannot do any more cable crossovers.  This exercise hits my lateral shoulders like no other exercise.

Station 4 on Shoulder Day:

First Exercise: Dumbbells starting at 15 lbs. I do one arm lateral raises for 12 reps. Then switch arms.  Do 1 Set of 12.

Second Exercise: I then do dumbbell shrugs starting at 40 lbs.  Each time I return to this station I use a heavier dumbbell that is 5 lbs. heavier. For example: 40 lbs. x 12 reps.  45 lbs x 12 rep, 50 lbs. x 12 reps etc..

Third Exercise: Then with about a 50 lbs. straight barbell I do front delt raises x 8-10 reps

One time through these three exercises constitute a complete set

Repeat for 4 cycles

STOP!  Go Home!

Huge shoulders!!!

Shoulder training for me is my “go to” workout.  I have pretty good shoulders and I believe it is because of the long arduous training that I impose on them.  I push myself as hard as I can to reach the goal that I set for myself for the current training session.  I believe that one of my “calling cards” when I am on stage is my shoulders.  I think my shoulders defines me and separates me from the other competitors.

There you have my “Shoulder Routine!” Nothing fancy except the determination to be bigger, leaner, stronger, and more defined.

In Closing: Try this routine and stick with it for a three month period of time. Daily measurements must be taken Daily and recorded.

Keep at it!  The way home is hard but absolutely worth it!

Until next time,: I remain, Douglas E. Graham

Group think is the order of the day for this generation.  Nobody seems to do anything until they have polled all their friends and have gotten every opinion available.  In the end, what they decide to do is the sum total of all input.  The point here is that a single person with a single-minded desire to accomplish something is a rare commodity.  Rules of engagement and common sense do not apply.  Thus, the aim of this blog is to point out the obvious when it comes to deciding to win and understanding that this victory can only occur because you or I decide to win and it’s up to us “alone” to make it happen.

Push yourself!

There is no effort that is more sacred then the effort that we personally decide to put forth.  Effort is the backbone of accomplishment and it must be put into play in order to win.  We have to want something bad enough that we will willingly push ourselves to get it.

When I started bodybuilding I had to spend a considerable amount of time thinking about what I wanted to do with the effort that would be required to gain muscle, be conditioned, and to be stage ready.  Once I made up my mind to compete on stage as a bodybuilder it became painfully obvious that it was totally up to me.  There was nobody else to turn to get the job done.  I was walking alone and this project belonged solely to me and no other human.

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

Neutral Position on Stage 21 June 2014

Nobody is Going to do it For You!

It is imperative that I understood that what I had set out to do could not be done by anybody but me.  I did not have a surrogate who would do the work so I could see my body change and so I could get the glory. I had to “set my face like flint” toward the goal.  The goal has 3 components: 1.) Be in the best shape of my life at the time of the competition. 2.) Do not embarrass myself. 3.) Place and move up with each competition.  Since I have adopted these components I am totally aware of what I want to do with my time on stage.  I look to no one else. I dig deep inside to motivate myself and plug in the necessary discipline to be ready.

I am open to learn anything that will make me better.  But, the greatest lesson is also the first lesson: “I have to push myself because, no one else is going to do it for me.”

In closing, go about the business of taking control of what is required to “Push Yourself” toward any goal you choose to pursue.  Never, never, never, expect anybody to do it for you.  Your life belongs to you and nobody can live it for you.  Go out there and take control of your destiny…..Nobody else is going to do it for you!

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

It is one of the greatest maxims of life.  It’s sort of like the old saying, “Birds of a Feather Flock Together.” I must be around people who have big dreams and big plans to possess those dreams.  These champions of vision have taught me that in order to have something you have to be able to focus on that thing that we seek.  This focus must mature to the point of obsession and a firm conviction to not retreat in the face of difficulties of failures.

Front Lat Spread

When you go to the gym pick your friends and training partners carefully.  Select them because they are going somewhere.  Don’t ask to be their friend, just become their friend.  Integrate yourself in a very unobtrusive way into their training regimen.  Show them that you are serious about your goals.  Train as hard as they do within your own limits.  Keep setting the bar on your own goals higher and higher in their presence.  Most of all, learn from your cohorts. Pick their brains to get them to guide you and to give up some of their best advice.  Try to catch their vision and see how that vision can influence you to be better than you are.

I personally have tried to train in the presence of the best guys in our gym.  I don’t like to interrupt their workouts so I reserve my face-to-face conversations for times when training is not underway.  By doing this I am respecting their space and their training time.  I have a particular training partner that I hook up with a few times per week to train.  His name is Josh and of course he is much younger than me.  We laugh when we see each other about stupid things, then we get down to work.  He is always talking in my ear admonishing me to keep going for more reps or to go higher with the weights.  He pushes me hard because he himself is a competitor and knows where he is going and intuitively knows my goals.

Another resource that I pull on is my coach, Justin Dees.  He has taken a guy who knows very little about bodybuilding and has been my partner in moving me along to each new level.  He provides training goals, diet advice, supplementation guide, and show prep coach.  This is one of the best people in the world to be their as I progress.  I started competing later in life so I am very far behind the vast majority of my foes on stage.  However, Justin has been patient as I learn  the fine art of prepping for competitions and gaining the necessary body that is required to win.

These are just a couple of the great people that have surrounded me with the will to continue and excel.  These partners provide the motivation I need to attack my goals each and every day.  Justin can see things that I can’t.  He sees my potential in ways that I can only imagine.  He pushes me to be better always.  He is my coach and sometimes being my coach means that he needs to treat me like a child who has to be taught.  Other times I am a colleague with whom he shares the “tricks of the trade” in order to bring out the best in me.

The key is to befriend the best so you can be the best ever.  The ones that are not going in your direction or seem to not have the fire required to win should be treated much differently than the great ones that you bring into your sphere.  If you choose your partners well you will have armed yourself with the great ones who think and act bigger than yourself who will, in turn show you the way to your goals by their words and their example.  These champions are worth their weight in gold to you.  Not to mention, they will become close friends forever.

In closing, surround yourself with people who possess a god-like iron will that they use to accomplish their goals.  By being in their midst you will also learn and attain that same persistence to win.

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