Uncharted Water

 

Well, I have gone as far as I can with all the tools and experience I possess.  It’s time to take everything I am to a brand new level.  The experiences, training, and lessons learned are the things that I now stand on which enables me to see how far I have come, where I am at, and where I need to go.  The view from the top is always amazing and clear.

Looking back

I can see where I began this journey and how I decided to pursue this quest to be the best.  I can review all the victories and defeats and injuries along the way.  /the pain of pushing myself to lift heavier and with higher reps. I see the long hours spent pushing the limits of my own endurance to be better.

Today

There is only a sense of satisfaction with the my position on the timeline of this journey.  It’s not to say that I am resting on my accomplishments or reputation.  I am just happy to know that I am still able to push through to bigger and better things and that today’s status is just a status not and end point.  All of us must accept who we are and where we are in our own personal goal attainment.  It is here where we regroup, and then decide how to advance toward our own goals.

Tomorrow

This is the focus of our being.  We have to lift up our eyes and SEE where we are going and WHY we want to go there.  The very first  thing we have to do is get “a big belly full of WANT TO.”  It is here that we define what it is we are and where we are going. Direction and drive is found here.  Tomorrow will never come unless we plan for it and execute a plan to go where we have decided to go.

As Jose Raymond said to me the first time we met.  “Keep at it!”  He saw where I was going and that I wanted something far more than I had.  He could see that I needed to persist in my effort.  So, he says to me, “Keep at it!”  That little admonition from Jose Raymond increased my motivation level beyond my wildest dreams.  Since that little exchange my focus and effort has gone through the ceiling.

Uncharted Water

What I mean by this is that I need to come into this next contest in October 2016 totally shredded.  In the past I have done my best but I have never gotten as shredded as I could.  Justin Dees, my coach has made it his personal priority to guide me through the process of training hard and getting shredded for this next contest.  As noted, this severe process of getting as lean as possible has never been attacked by myself with such gusto.  I am determined to be as lean as possible for the next contest.  This effort is “Uncharted Water” in that I am learning so much while I execute the chosen process.  In fact, I am disciplining myself to not analyze but to obey my coach and “Trust the Process.”  This mindset, all by itself, is a Segway into the world of “Uncharted Water.” Trust is not easy nor does it come naturally so there is an solid element of surrendering of yourself to the will of another to advance yourself.  This takes super human trust…..Nonetheless, I am learning to “trust the process” as I pass through “Uncharted Water” to my next level or goal…..”SHREDEDNESS” ON STAGE.”

This is how I see my efforts in these timelines and from these perspectives.  This is my world thus far.  Thank you for wishing me well always.

This is OUR TIME!  Take a chance and sail through some “Uncharted Saters.”

Until next time.

Douglas E. Graham, Lt Col, (ret), USAF, MHSM
Instogram: benesar3

 

 

Expect the Unexpected

I am now one week after the National Bodybuilding Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  My mind keeps going back to the great experience, the new friends, the multiple lessons learned, and the bonding time I had with my wife and my Coach Justin Dees and his wife Heather. I have flashes of events, conversations, on stage performance, dieting, pre-contest training and the rest of it.  All of these things serve to indelibly imprint the Nationals on my mind.  The whole experience was rich!

In the midst of all these memories is the lesson that stamped itself on my quest to be the best.  “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.”  Let me illustrate.  I came out of the pre-judging in 4th place and feeling good that if I killed my posing I had a chance to move up even further.  I went back to my room feeling that if I made the necessary adjustments that Justing would help me make, I would do even better.

Ten minutes before going onto the stage my coach looked me over and said I was ready.  I was shredded, big, vascular, and dry. When I stepped onto the stage to do my music posing selection it was obvious that I had smoothed out significantly—-ALL WITHIN A TEN MINUTE PERIOD OF TIME! My coach was be waffled as was I.  I could not think of a single thing that I had done to cause such a major change in my appearance.  I was not “fat” mind you, my subcutaneous fluids just smoothed me out.  I was easily the largest competitor but I lacked the sharpness required to win the trophy. THIS WAS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED AND NEITHER I OR MY COACH COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE FLUID RETENTION THAT CAME ON SO STRONG.

Thus, the truism of the hour is to “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.”  The action to this bit of truth is to be “OVER PREPARED NEXT TIME.” I can’t change the past but I can for sure do things to change that mistake or unaccounted for phenomenon.  As a result, I will be doing the Utah show in the next 2 weeks to see if I can correct this game changer that hurt me at the Nationals.

Justin is working up a new regimen to meet the demands of the new contest.  All is focused on my conditioning and my shreddedness.

Moral of the Story: “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED” and plan as if it will occur.  No matter how dark things seem to get because of a glitch, we have the capacity to make big changes if we pay attention to the perceived or anticipated “UNEXPECTED EVEN.”

I leave you with the admonition to get started on the path to your goals.  When we face the “UNEXPECTED” we make the adjustments necessary to effect positive change.  Never give up and never stop learning even when we do not know what is about to hit us.

Until next time!

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

 

Effort & Trust

With three weeks to go until I hit the stage at the NPC Nationals Bodybuilding Championships in Pittsburgh, PA there are so many competing variables that demand attention.  Each has it’s own set of things that seem to steal time and energy that deters my best work away from the challenge at hand.  Managing these items is a full-time job and it takes tons of concentration to stay on track at a highly motivated level. There a few distractions that need to be discussed and put before you for your analysis so that you can learn to be consummate professional in your quest for world class performance and accomplishment.

Effort:

Under no circumstances will I lower my level of effort in any area as I prepare.  This is more than a credo.  It is a commitment of my heart to put out whatever energy that is required to prepare to win.  If it means getting up earlier to be sure I get to the gym then I do it.  If it means staying longer in the gym to insert more training then I do it.  if it means turning down food that will add unwanted pounds to my frame, then I turn the food down.  Whatever is required —- I must do it.

CONFESSION: My hardest item to control and to adhere to is cardio.  I am assigned 2 hours per day of cardio and it seems like the more I do it the more interruptions I encounter.  I am averaging 1.5 hours of cardio today but I am getting it done in 30 minute increments.  So, each morning my anxiety is to get my 2 hours of cardio done and I perseverate on the cardio task at hand for that day.

Trust:

Each time I go down this path it’s as though I have never done this before.  Each trek has it’s own set of difficulties, it’s own direction, it’s own end point along with a multitude of distractions and tributaries.  These things keep me from becoming too complacent with the process.  I have to “trust” the process and keep my eyes on the road ahead and goal that is chosen.  It’s very hard to keep your eyes on the prize and believe with all your heart that the tools you have and plan to win are perfectly in place for you.  No matter what, my coach, Justin Dees has designed a plan and has invested in our relationship such that losing will be an anomaly.  The process Justin has implemented with me is so good and I’ve made such great gains that I now possess a proverbial “chip on my shoulder” as I approach this competition.  This is my time!

Distractions:

Focus:  This is a huge distraction.  Unless I decide that my goal is worth my effort and that I want it more than anything else in the world, I will not get there.  Having a healthy thought life is the bedrock of my success. I have to know my goal better than my own life.  I’ve got to place it’s accomplishment at the very center of my being.  Nothing else matters!

Food:  No matter where you go, food is at the center of nearly all social activities.  I love food and I would eat it all if I were allowed (or nobody was looking).  To make food a non-player in the distraction category, I must have a plan to eat “MY WAY” or the best way or I will not develop “the look” that is required to compete in bodybuilding.  Food is important but it also can be a stumbling block to success —- so plan!

Sleep: I am a chronic insomniac.  I sleep less than 3-5 hours per night and that is on a good night. The consequent of being an under sleeper is daytime fatigue, mental sluggishness, and also physical exhaustion that directly impacts the intensity and quality of my training.  This state of tiredness is way too hard to carry for very long.  My training will not improve unless I can master my sleep.  A little hint is that I take something to sleep that is natural (Melatonin, or Benadryl) and thus sleep ensues.  Sometimes, my nightly sleep goes to around 7 hours, which is my optimal number of hours of sleep.  As my sleep goes up, my training intensity and quality goes up proportionally.

I could go on with distractions but I won’t.  We only have to focus on our goal, put in the effort, and trust the process to get me there.  This is the path and these are the distractions that keep us from getting the goal.

This “IS OUR TIME” and we dare not squander the opportunities that are presented to us.

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

 

 

 

Descent to Game Day!

Six weeks out from the Nationals and I’m feeling better than ever.  As my Coach Justin Dees reduces my carbs to near zero levels and pushes me to train harder in the gym and to do 2 hours of cardio per day, the changes to my body are coming daily and fast.  The low carbs reduces my mental alertness to an “octave” above clinical depression.  The fatigue in the gym leaves me wanting for energy to tear through my workout.  Nothing is right and it’s all because I am nearing “Game Day” in Pittsburgh 20-24 July 2016.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve witnessed my body becoming much leaner, vascular, and more cut.  It’s interesting to watch my skin become much thinner — seemingly right before my eyes.  My coach says that we are “right on the money” with 6 weeks to go. I am learning to trust the process  and to stop thinking.  My whole effort is to follow instructions, work as hard as I can, eat as I am directed, and perform the requisite 2 hours per day of cardio assigned by Justin Dees.  Ouch!  My days are long and tiring and I miss zipping around performing my daily duties with ease.

I find it curious that as I get closer to the contest that I worry more and more about how I look.  How my posing is coming.  How much I am eating.  I sleep less each night due to the ravages of anxiety.  The mornings are very hard because often I did not sleep very well the night before and the sleep deficit follows me into the gym and it affects my training.  I have a philosophy that says I should, “go to another place” as I train.  So, I close my eyes while I work and often the workout goes by much more comfortably because I worked hard but I was absent in mind and spirit while the pain was experienced.  Lately, when I close my eyes I find myself nearly falling asleep during training rather than just being absent. This is a problem and I have had to overcome it.  Trust me!  I’m better.

We have registered for the show in July.  We have our room reserved.  We are waiting on the plane tickets to be sure of when I should arrive at the venue in advance of the show.  All is in place and plans have been laid.  Now, I only have to continue to train and hone my body for the stage.  This is the important time and it deserves all my attention.

I am looking forward to seeing all of my “muscle head friends” again this year.  What a great time last year to get to know such great competitors and now friends.  One of the guys I met was a retired Marine Corps veteran of 27 years.  I absolutely loved the conversations with him prior to our heading for the stage.  These relationships are really the bedrock of all the effort to compete.

This is a quick review of some of the things that are occurring and the thoughts that accompany them.  I hope that giving you a little glimpse into the stages and occurrences of these last 6 weeks prior to the show is entertaining and helpful.

Until next time.  This is “OUR TIME” and we dare not squander our best efforts to be great.

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

 

 

 

 

Pain is Where the Muscle is!

In the last 3 months I have been asked by increasing numbers of people about how I am able to get such big gains.  Believe me, sometimes the gains that occur are a big surprise to me too but gains are usually made by choice, planning, and all out work.  Sometimes, the gains we get are localized and due to very intense focus on the gains desired.  In any case, answering this recurrent question from my perspective and experience has taken a little thought.

First Principle — Evaluation

Before anything else we have to know ourselves.  We need to be able to “SEE” what we look like “RIGHT NOW” with no filters.  In the beginning this takes real courage for most of us.  We have to look imperfection dead in the eye and accept ourselves as we are and not how we otherwise imagine ourselves to be.  Ouch!  Take some pictures of yourself and date them.  Put them into some sort of journal where all subsequent photos can be placed in chronological order.  This line of pictures will serve as a living document of your progress for yourself and anybody who asks for proof that you were not always perfect.

Second Principle — Desire to Change (Win)

I always tell prospective bodybuilders or fitness entrepreneurs to think about what they want and where they want to go with the sport they choose.  Once they have decided they have to internalize their decision.  By this I mean, they have to get a “BIG BELLY FULL OF WANT TO!”  The road ahead is going to be hard and frought with setbacks, frustrations, and pain.  They have to determine before they even start that the outcome is already won and that pursuing it is worth it.  I highly recommend that each newcomer to bodybuilding keep a journal daily about their feelings, training, improvements, and setbacks, and frustrations.  Anything to do with training and their journey goes into pages of this book. It establishes a paper record of this mighty transformation that they are undertaking.

Third Principle — Planning

Nobody starts a trip without first consulting a map to check for the best route to get from home to our desired destination.  Such is the case with bodybuilding.  I encourage my friends and muscle head buddies to put together two items that they can hang on the refrigerator or the bathroom wall so they do not lose track of what they are doing.  I still do it today.  Firstly, an exercise program designated for each day of the week except Sundays. Each aday has to have a designated body part that is pushed to the limit and punished. we have to understand that real muscle gain occurs when that particular muscle is taken to it’s end point.  This end point is marked by pain as the muscle is filled with blood and lactic acid.  This is the muscle gain zone.  Secondly, in order to fuel the muscles to make the improvements desired we have to feed them with the appropriate amounts and types of food required. As my coach, Justin Dees says, “We are driving a Nascar race car and we we have to put the highest quality fuel into it.”  Such is the case as we feed our bodies.  We have to eat the highest quality food required.  Each person needs to meet with a nutritionist or a bodybuilding coach to determine the types and amounts of food needed for a diet that will give us the correct results.

Jose Raymond Back Training 14 January 2014

Fourth Principle — Training

At this point it is absolutely required that each workout be performed correctly and to the max.  It is important to have a Coach who can help you/me do the exercises right and then to establish the parameters for number of sets and reps per set for each exercise.  This has to be a routine that is constructed and trusted to give the best results in the most efficient manner.  Also, it must be understood by the bodybuilder that no gains occur when you do your training in a half-hearted manner.  Forging a new body is hard work and it’s imperative that we push ourselves to the level of pain and failure with each set.  THIS IS WHERE THE MUSCLE IS! If you run 5 miles per day and you weigh 150 lbs and you do this for 5 years there is a good chance that you will still weigh 150 lbs (give or  take a pound or two) at the end of the 5 years.  Why is that so?— you ask!  Didn’t the runner move 150 lbs. over 5 miles each and every day thus performing work?  Shouldn’t this have caused his musculature to grow and thus get heavier?

The answer lies in the amount of resistance over a distance and period of time.  The muscles required to run the 5 miles are never challenged beyond that which is required to perform the task.  Thus, they adjust to a predictable amount of work and that becomes their max and their threshold all at once.  No increase in resistance equals a steady state of unchanging size, density, and performance.

For the bodybuilder he/she must continually challenge our musculature to lift more weight more times with decreasing rest between sets.  Our muscles in response to this increasing demand will grow (hypertrophy) and in some cases new muscle (hyperplasia) will occur. Let me emphasize again that pushing our muscles to do more work will fill them with blood and increase the levels of lactic acid.  This state will be very painful but, as noted above, this is where the new muscle is.  We have to push into and through this pain barrier to get maximum growth from our muscles.

The difference between a weightlifter and bodybuilder who is a champion is defined as PAIN. We who aspire to be champions in this sport must master ourselves as we step into the crucible of pain.  We have to keep telling our muscles that “we” are in charge here, not you! This is my path.  I chose it.  I will win.

This is  “OUR TIME” and we must learn, even at this late date in our lives, that “if we want something we have never had before, then we will have to do things we have never done before.”

Until next time!

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

 

 

 

 

When You ARE Good BUT You Must be Better!

Time is going by and each day before the next show is precious.  Each day is another day to train hard and to excel, to push your body to the next level of strength and appearance. The workouts are so intense that finishing becomes a singular goal.  Fatigue, sweat, pain are the hallmarks of my march to the Nationals in Pittsburgh 20-23 July 2016.  Of necessity, these elements will manifest themselves everytime I step into the gym to train. Nothing can get in my way!

I have trained long and hard to be in a position to “deserve” to be on stage next to some of this country’s great amature bodybuilders.  The evidence of the journey have added mightily to my physique from even a year ago.  I’m bigger, more dense, leaner, more cut and much stronger.  These changes have been noticed by many of my friends, relatives, and colleagues and they regularly tell me how good I look.  These unsolicited compliments are ever so welcome and they make me feel more confident and good about my chances to do well in July.  In fact, it’s pretty “heady” stuff.

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Vein running through bicep

The reality and the challenge is that I do not depend on the opinions of others to validate my improvement or whether I am ready to jump up on stage to compete against several worthy athletes.  Being “good” is only a starting point and cannot be trusted.  It’s just a descriptor of our present status and by itself, will not be enough to win.  The real wisdom is knowing that there is always a demand to be “better” because this same demand is also part of the mindset of all of my fellow competitors. The essence of the contest is for each competitor to be “better” than anybody else who steps onto the stage with us.  This idea of being “better” must totally occupy my mind and drive me forward each and every day. There is no room for a half-hearted attitude or effort.  Paul “Bear” Bryant, Hall of Fame Football Coach for the University of Alabama once said, “Winning?!  Hell, everybody wants to win.  But, winning belongs to him who “PREPARES”  to win.”  Thus, I go about the business of “PREPARING” to win—-each and every meal, supplentation regimen, workout, cardio session, and the rest I an required to get each night.

As always, there are only two people I need to make happy in this quest.  First, my wife. She is the backbone of all that I do.  She cooks all the right food for me to eat.  She does endless hours of cardio right beside me in the living room on our eliptical machines.  She whispers in my ear that she believes in me, even when I don’t believe in me.  She pushes me harder to be better during training by talking to me and telling me to do more when I want to quit.  She, by her very nature and commitment to us is the torch that ignites a brand new me to emerge on this journey.

Secondly, my Coach Justin Dees.  He continues to believe that I am improving and that I can be pretty good.  He sets the tone for the win and monitoring my every improvement and gain.  He can be critical as only a Coach can be.  He asks alot of me and depends on me to do the work that is required to excel and so I keep at it.  Justin is the Maestro and I play to nobody else.  My appearance, my performance, my winning is under constant surveillance by the best Coach I have ever had.  Lord willing, I will not disappoint either my wife or Justin.  I cannot do any better than this.  Winning will take care of itself.

I am “GOOD” but I must be better than I have every been before.  This is my quest and I dare not shrink from the challenge. I will be at my absolute best as I step onto the “stage of Contest” in Pittsburgh.

This is “OUR TIME.”  Thank you for coming along on this march to be “BETTER”, I doubt that you will regret the trek.

Until next time.

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

 

 

 

 

 

When Training Is Boring — “SUPERSET”

Jose Raymond’s Back                                             Doug on Kauai

We have all been there!  The grind of training 6 days per week with particular body parts on specified days and a regimented array of exercises that “must” be adhered to because that’s the “PLAN.”  So, we push ourselves through our workouts each and every day without looking to the left or to the right.  Sameneness, boredom, and the drudgery of routine soon take over and our training becomes less than optimal.  We have so bought into the notion that to vary workouts is heresy and we press on with our perfectly tuned and orderly march through the week’s alotted workload.  Predictably, we stop seeing the anticipated changes in our physiques and/or our strength.  When this happens we are in crisis to do something different to get a new fire lit under us.  I personally, have been very fortunate to have a Coach like Justin Dees who has introduced the concept of “SUPER SETS” into my routine to challenge me to improve and to take me out of the mundane.  Let me share with you a couple types of “SUPER SETS” Justin has set up for me.  I’ve definitely benefitted from the routines and my hope is that you will too.

Doug at Nationals 2015                              Jose Raymond Posing

MY WEEKLY WORKOUT SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Shoulders, Traps, Abs

TUESDAY: Calves, Hamstrings, Abs

WEDNESDAY: Lats, Back, Posterior Delts, Traps

THURSDAY: Arms, Triceps, Biceps, Abs

FRIDAY: Calves, Quads, Abs

SATURDAY:  Chest, Anterior Delts

Going through this regimen in the manner described by Justin is great and it has enabled me to make very significant gains over the last 2-3 years.  My Coach encourages me to push myself through the workouts doing at least 7 sets of 12 reps using a respectable or ascending weight with each exercise.  This discipline to stay on task has taught me much about “staying the course” and trusting the process.  The gains have followed and I am very happy with them.

Recently, I have asked Justin to show me more exercises aimed at particular muscle groups that I felt may not be getting the appropriate amount of work.  At first he added a couple here and there and they helped immensely.  Then, as if he could read my mind he had me go through a series of exercises with very little rest that were aimed directly at my Lats and back and then another series focused strictly on my arms.  These have destroyed my preset expectations that I had before.  I am better because of these adjustments.  My numbers at 12 weeks out now are: Weight: 196 lbs. Body Fat: 4.8% and my Lean Body Mass: 186.5 lbs.  I am a happy camper.

LAT AND BACK SUPER SET DESCRIPTION:

Note: This series of “SUPER SETS” must be performed 5 times through

1.)  Seated low long rows with straps (I will let you choose the weight resistance) doing 12 reps

2.)  Standing rope pulls: First do 12 reps of high pulls and then without stopping do 12 reps of low pulls to the waist.

3.)  Seated Lat Pull Downs with straps for each hand. 12 reps

4.)  Seated Lat Pull Downs with bar to back. 12 reps

5.)  Seated High Pulls for Posterior Delts with straps

Do this series in the sequence above times 5 with very little time between sets

Then, finish your Lat and Back training as you normally would.

Give it a try and FEEL the burn!

TRICEPS SUPER SET DESCRIPTION

Note:This series of “SUPER SETS” must be performed 5 times through

1.)  Standing Rope push downs for 20 reps (use a goodly amount of weight).  With this exercise split the rope apart at the bottom of the push down with each rep.

2.)  Without letting go of the rope bend over at the waist and push the rope straight down toward the floor “without” splitting the rope at the bottom.  Keep your hands together for 20 reps.

3.)  Immediately turn aroud and go to the cable on the opposite side.  Using a straight bar do 20 reps using your thumbs on the bar in an underhanded fashion.

4.)  Then, turn your hands over and using the same bar do 20 reps of straight bar push downs.

5.)  Now return to the rope and this time turn around and do over the head rope extensions foer 20 reps.

Do this series in the sequence above times 5 with very little time between sets

Then, finish your triceps workout as before.

This routine will destroy your triceps.I have done this with every arm workout and the pump is fantastic and the burn is intense…..My arms have grown hugely.

Flex Lewis and Doug                                 Doug  by pool

Remember!  Routine makes all of us very boring characters with not much personality. Stale training will eventually lead to a state of regression and failure.  Don’t let this happen!  Use these “SUPER SET”  routines to spice up your workouts.  Devise new ones that can help push you to the next level.

Let me know how you adjust your training to maximize your effort and your gains.

This is “OUR TIME” and we dare not fall into a life that is too predictable.  There is no excitment or adventure in being in a death spiral of routine existence.

Until next time.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Trust the Process”

Doug Posing to Phantom of the Opera

It’s “Official” — Show Prep is on for me once again for 2016.  It started a couple weeks ago and my coach, Justin Dees, has outlined the way forward with my diet, supplements, cardio, training methodology and intensity.  Posing is to become a daily ritual for about an hour hitting all compulsory poses and basic turns.  I had so much trouble with the mechanics of posing last year that I thought that I would never get it right….but I did, thanks to Justin!

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Firstly, Justin pointed out that I should concentrate only on what I want to look like and push it to the limit.  When I told him what I was most afraid of, he replied instantly, “whatever your fears are they will grow.”  I took this little comment to mean that if I am afraid of something going wrong then it is a “self-fulfilling prophecy” and it will come to pass.  Conversely, if I focus on what I want to look like then that will “come to pass.”  Each focus will multiply as I give it full reign in my psyche.  I am now focused on what I want to look like only.

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Secondly, the diet Coach Dees has placed me on is fixed and all I have to do is follow it faithfully with no wandering to  theright or to the left.  Dieting is the cornerstone of getting lean and at the same time, keeping all the muscle I have gained in the last year.  The prep for a contest seems rather schizophrenic at times.  We want to lose fat and keep muscle and all efforts seem to compromise one or the other.  But, as my coach has taught me that sticking with what he prescribes is the only way forward.  I just do not have enough experience all be myself to do it correctly and arrive at “game day” in the best shape of my life.  So, I like you, must trust the diet that our coaches uses to make you “world class.” Suffice it to say that you have to take in astronomical amounts of protein daily and sufficient grams of carbs to keep your training intensity high.  I will leave the actual calculations to you and your trainer.  I eat 6 meals per day each laden with chicken, steak, eggs, or very lean pork as my protein.  I use rice and white yams and asparagus as my carbs.

Doug Nationals Pittsburgh 2015 #6

Thirdly, the supplements that I use are carefully selected to give me all the proper augmentation that my diet and training requires. I like to take in Branched Chain Amino Acids, Complete Protein, Creatine, Citrulline, L-Arginine (Nitric Oxide), Glutamine, Colostrum, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Omega-3 Fish Oil Caps to name a few.  Each of these plays a significant role in rounding out the dietary requirements and to enhance performance and appearance.  In addition, I use C-4 and Glucoject as a supplement before and during my training.  Also, once per day I drink a Protein Shake as prescribed by my coach.

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Fourthly, cardio is of paramount importance.  I do two 30 minute sessions per day which burns any extra calories that are ready to be stored as fat.  It also strenghthens my heart so I can continue the heavy training that is required as I get closer to “show time.”  I like using the eliptical machine because it spares my knees.  I like it so much that my wife Christine and I bought two identical elipticals and placed them side-by-side so we can do our cardio together.  During the 30 minute sessions I try to do some interval training….3 minutes fast alternating with 3 minutes at a slower normal rate.  DO NOT OMIT CARDIO DURING SHOW PREP!!

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Fifth, My training intensity must remain high.  I like to use lighter weights with a push toward maximum sets and reps of selected exercises for each body part. I will be writing and article on my triceps routine that Justin has inserted into my workouts in the last 3 weeks.  It is a crusher and my arms have grown by at least a 1/2 inch in just that time frame.  It is important at this stage of the game to work hard but seek finishing exercises that maximizes the pump.  Keep at it until failure and/or the pump is gigantic.  I will let you and your coach walk this path together.  If you have a training partner, make that person responsible for not letting you “pussy out” on your workout. Tell them what you want to accomplish and demand that they help push you to that end.

Neutral Position on Stage 21 June 2014
Neutral Position on Stage 21 June 2014

Sixth, posing for me has always been a daunting task.  Last year, just before the National in Pittsburgh, Justin says to me, “Bro, your posing sucks!”  With five weeks to go I dug in and posed 30 minutes per day remembering and applying all that Justin fed to me in his office.  In the end, coach was reasonably satisfied to let me go onto the stage.  For these contests coming up I am committed to working as hard at posing as I do training.  It must flow and only constant repetition of the compulsory poses is going to make it happen well for me.  I will write more about this in the coming weeks as the contests get closer.  This is hard but it cannot be neglected.  By the way, I finished 6th in my category at the Nationals last year as a light heavy weight.  I plan to do much better this year…..Like win it all!

IMG_0869  Training in Hawaii

Doug and Flex Lewis 14 March 2016 My golden moment with Flex Lewis

These are the basic challenges that I am facing this year during show prep.  My last meeting with Coach Dees revealed that I was at 5.3% body fat with 187 lbs of lean muscle and I weighed 197 lbs.  I feel I am getting very tight, dense, veiny and in general, closer to copetition shape.

Thanks for joining me on this insight into the “Process” that I am learning to trust which will take me to “center stage” and the first place trophy.

Thank you ever so much goes to my wife for cooking for me, encouraging me, and for being the best training partner I have ever had.  I love you Christine!

Also, thanks goes to my coach Justin Dees who harps very little but expects much for his willingness to take on a guy like me.  His patience and direction will always be the things that I need to win. It is my goal to make him proud to have me as his client and champion.

This is OUR TIME!  Go out there and win!

Until next time….

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

 

 

“He That Walketh With Wise Men Shall be Wise” .. Proverbs 13:20

 

                                       Great Champions and Mentors to hang around with

Jose Raymond                               Victor Martinez

This is a maxim that is written in the Universe.  If you want to be wise, or be the best at what you do or what you want to do, you must be in the midst of the best men/women.  By being around these successful personalities you wil gain insight into their methods, the way they think, the way they act, how they handle stress, how they plan, and most of all you will eventually learn “why they do what they do.”  These many areas of insight cannot be gained any other way.  As they taught us in medicine during our training, “In order to learn medicine, you have to be there.”

Over a lifetime I have personally benefitted from rubbing shoulders with the best.  When there was a need or an opportunity to sit at the feet of the best professionals around, I took it.  Often, in order to get the exposure to an expert it would cost me something. Sometimes it was money, sometimes it was time, sometimes it required choosing between the expert and something else that I was planning to do.  So the lesser item was sacrificed in order to get a chance to be in front of the best professional in my career field. A hard choice had to be made and I made the best choice to learn from a giant.

A couple of years ago I decided that I needed help with bodybuilding.  I had taken myself as far as I could alone and I had done ok.  But, it had become painfully clear that I needed more than I could provide to my effort alone.  I was paddling around  with no direction and no way forward.  I had peaked on myself and it was time to run up the “white flag.”  I contacted Justin Dees and he said he would be willing to work with me.  I was elated to say the least.  I couldn’t wait for the first session.  His reputation went before him and I believed (and still do) that he will take me to center stage for the win.

As soon as we had our first conversation at his gym in South Jordan, Utah I knew I had greatness looking over my shoulder and guiding me.  Justin liked what he saw but instantly identified how I was to improve if I was going to be competitive in this sport. Starting with the very first session he layed out the path forward and he painted a picture of what would be possible given his direction and my effort.  We were off.  We have maintained this sort of relationship throughout my competitive days thus far.

The next super thing was that Justin introduced me to some of the greatest bodybuilders on the planet right now.  Jose Raymond, Johnny Jackson, “Tricky” Jackson, Branch Warren, Victor Martinez, and most recently, Flex Lewis.  I had the privilege of spending a little time with each of these bodybuilding greats and the wisdom of the game seemed to ooze out their pores. Admonitions to “Keep at it!”  I hope the best for you.  You look great and keep competing like a champ were just a few of the things dropped to me.  Being in the midst of these giants was and will always be daunting.  The inspiration they impart by their histories, by their example, by their physical presence is priceless and can never be bought. These time will never be forgotten or wasted.  Putting these verbalized and demonstrated principles into practice is one of my priorities.

 

Doug and Flex Lewis 14 March 2016

Christine and Flex Lewis 14 March 2016
Christine with Flex Lewis

You must know that all of us have to choose our friends carefully in order to not be led astray.  If we choose friends that have our best interests at heart then they will be our friends forever.  I love just hanging around with Justin and picking his brain about things and the topics run the gammut, from politics, to weapons, to bodybuilding, to spiritual items, gossip and our families.  Because Justin is a “Wise Man” and he has introduced me to many other “Wise Men” he will be my friend forever.

As I prepare for contests starting in June and ending at the end of July around the country, rest assured that all the “Pearls” these greats have dropped to me will be considered, implemented, and will contribute to my success.  I am eternally grateful for the guys who have gone before me in bodybuilding so that I might have the same chance they did to compete and win.

Find “Wise Men/Women” and be in their spheres to learn as much as you can and possibly catch their vision and the means they have chosen to accomplish their goals and aspirations.  Take time to be “wholly exposed” to the best and you will find yourself to be “Wiser” than you were before the encounter.  Go for it!

THIS IS OUR TIME! Seize every opportunity to be with the best and MAYBE it will lead to you being, “THE BEST THERE EVER WAS!”—-Robert Redford, The Natural

Until Next Time!

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

 

 

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