Six Pack and Senior

I was recently talking (and listening) to my coach, Justin Dees about various aspects of the sport of bodybuilding.  He said, “in this sport, because we do not control so many aspects of the competition, we have only one objective.  To come to the stage each and every contest with a “BETTER YOU.”

This simple truth was liberating.  I, like many of our colleagues in the sport, think that if we don’t win or finish high in the judging we have failed or that we are not worthy to be part of the contest.  The psychological, emotional, and spiritual low that follows being “set aside” by the judges can be devastating and downright destructive.  When we take on the reality that we did not measure up, we make up excuses designed to make us feel better but none of which changes the outcome. We self-depricate and demean ourselves for not being more disciplined.  We blame the judges for bias and outright favoritism.  We create inside ourselves a narrative that supports a “VICTIM” mindset. Our personna becomes that poor wretched oppressed soul who was so severely wronged. Been there!  Done that! and I, for sure, Got the T-Shirt!  Ugggh!

This sport is about continuous improvement, advancement, holding our own and walking away with the greatest trophy God can bestow upon us here in this physical world—-the magnificent physique that we forge in the crucibles of training in the gym, proper dieting, proper supplementation, long arduous hours of aerobics, personal study of techniques and the sport, and daily posing.  Our trophy will be taken with us everywhere we go.  People will admire your trophy hundreds of times between shows as we pound it into the shape and appearance that will yield the best results.  We should never lose track of this gigantic perk.

Another great trophy is the courage it takes to be one of the elite who put in the hours and then put it all out there to be the best.  Somebody recently pointed out to me that of the thousands of men who would like to be on stage, I was one of the few who prepared and did it.  There is an old saying that is befitting to this situation and I repeate it often, “Some men die in BATTLE, some men go down in FLAMES, but most men perish in-by-inch, who play in little GAMES.”  This quote illustrates the necessity to become consummate professionals in our own right.  To be successful you have to decide that we are willing to “DO WHAT IT TAKES” to be successful.  “PLAYING IN LITTLE GAMES” only allows you to live a meaningless and dishonest life ending only in death with no lasting contribution to yourself, your family, and the world.

Lastly, the trophy of “BRINGING A BETTER YOU” to each contest.  This goal is all we have in this sport actually.  Nobody can do the work for you.  Nobody can generate the “WANT TO” inside you to make you get up in the morning and look forward to a life of absolute personal discipline aimed at self-mastery and improvement.  This odyssey is ours/mine alone.  Each day of traing (6 days per week) carves, shreds, etches, and shapes your body (trophy) into the masterpiece you desire.  Maybe you will win at the next show or maybe you will get blown away in the judging by others who simply out worked you or who were more genetically gifted than you.  In the final analysis I have four goals for each contest: 1.)  Be in the best shape of my life that night. 2.) Hold my own.  Be so good that I can be proud of my efforts in the midst of great men.  In short, be respected. 3.) Move up in the placement among my competitors. 4.)  Accomplish the small things that me and my coach, Justin Dees have agreed that I must be better at.

If I do these things then I am a winner.  I am “LIBERATED” in the sense that I have to worry about only me.  One day or many days there will be convergence and I willl win.  But, until then, I can enjoy the constant positive refinements that I make to my body and enjoy the multiple side benefits of knowing I am “MY BEST ME” always——and I’m bringing it to the next show.

I write these things also for your benefit.  Take from these lessons the cool stuff that will provide and way forward for your goals to be accomplished.

See you again real soon!  Remember!  THIS IS OUR TIME and we dare not squander them by living “below the level of mediocrity.”–John MacArtur.

My wife pushed me, prodded me, stretched me, recorded my every morsel of food, she picked my music, she endured countless boring posing sessions, she traveled with me—-and through it all, she remains my wife, lover, friend, and biggest fan. I could not have built a better companion for this unpredictable odyssey. Thank you sweetheart!

The Journey

Thought Life

As I have stated many times before,”the launch of any effort must start down deep inside. Sometimes hundreds of hours of daydreaming, fantasizing, planning, and silently outlining the requirements to accomplish your goal. I thought about moving my game to the next level nearly every second of every day. I was so focused on being a National competitor that even sleep began to escape me. Riveting obsession was the order of each of my days. My greatest desires were to be in the best shape of my life that night in Pittsburgh and I wanted to hold my own and prove that I deserved to be on stage with these great athletes from all over the USA. My conclusion: Nothing can compare to breathing the same rare air as these elite athletes —- just like I imagined!

Prepping with Patience

A year ago I took on one of the best coaches in the bodybuilding world, Justin Dees.  I told him excitedly that I wanted to compete in the Masters Nationals and I needed a coach that could help me get better so I could make the grade.  I was backstage when I approached him and he quietly gave me his card and said he would be willing to work with me.  He made no wild promises.  Just the soft response and the passing off of his business card to me.

During our first meeting he was very frank and to the point.  He did not know me or my body or my genetics so he could make no predictions.  He said whatever we accomplish would be together in a partnership.  We would go as far as we could with every aspect of bodybuilding and we would make adjustments as necessary. Quiet, focused, determination seemed to mark his character and his approach to winning.

First, Justin explained that the most basic thing that is required in bodybuilding is “muscle.”  If you don’t have enough muscle it doesn’t matter how cut, ripped, or shredded you are.  So, he put me on a very clean diet that was loaded with calories.  He wanted to get me to 200 lbs. and 10% body fat.  When I reached 200 lbs. my body fat was still hovering around 5%….At 210 lbs. I hit 10% body fat.  I started all this at about 173 lbs.  I had moved my lean body mass up from 167 lbs. to 190 lbs.  Each day, listening to the quiet instructions of the “coach.”  Mind you, I hung up these numbers in about 5 months.

Second, Justin made it clear that in order to be competitive I had to come in lean, hard, shredded.  I began my slow descent from 210 lbs. to 190 lbs. at about 14 weeks out from the Nationals 17 July 2015.  I still killed it on the weights but Justin was manipulating my diet and increasing my aerobics by 5-10 minutes per day each week.  Each week when being measured I thought it was test day.  I hated not making progress (which rarely happened).  I was getting leaner and leaner as the contest date kept approaching.

Third, Justin discovered that my posing was no where near what was going to be required in Pittsburgh.  He assumed I knew more than I did and I was waiting for him to show me how to do it right.  Suddenly, I had to learn what others had been working at for months in  about 4 weeks.  I worked and failed.  I worked and failed.  I worked and got a little better.  Finally, with just a few days to go Justin declared me ready.  What a relief this was to me since earlier he had told me that my posing sucked and that he was very concerned that I would not look very good on stage.  My little heart did the happy “pitter patter” when he told me I was ready, I looked good and that I might do some serious damage at the Nationals.

The Nationals

I won’t dwell on the event very much because there are so many contests ahead.  The experience was priceless and the friends I made will be forever. The waiting and prepping times provided some of the richest moments in my life to converse with the other competitors (did I mention that there were over 250 Masters Competitors) from all over the United States.  Many, if not all, were tremendous athletes somewhere in their previous lives.  It was like a gigantic conclave/gathering of athletic talent in one place to continue the competitive spirit that each of us possesses.  What a grand and wonderful time to be alive! I finished 6th in the Light Heavy Weight Division.

When we hit the stage it was over in a flash.  Back to our rooms.  Return for the evening show.  Collect trophies.  Off to eat and enjoy the great city of Pittsburgh.  What a cool place.  A little story comes to mind.  After the competition I ate two moderately heavy meals in the evening.  We went to bed late that same night.  The next morning I had lost 10 lbs.  I was flabbergasted and amazed.  That’s how fast my metabolism was burning and their was nothing to stop it’s effects over the short run.

Parting thoughts and plans.  I vow to be back and better than ever next year.  In the meantime, I will be competing in the Utah Show 15 August 2015.  I have kept myself lean and have continued to eat and train like I mean it.  My weight is back to 190 lbs. and my body fat is 3.7% which is up only slightly from 2.4% in Pittsburgh.  My coach has given me the green light for the next show in 9 days.  I am ready and will continue to prep, eat, pose, train, and take in the right supplements.

After this show, I will sit with my coach and we will outline the next year’s effort.

These thoughts are not necessarily cogent or connected well but they are mine and I share them with you with the hope they will inspire YOU to take everything you desire to the next level while you/I/we still can.

This is “OUR TIME” and we have to think, plan, prepare, act on our goals…..

Until next time, I remain,  Douglas E. Graham

Today is 7 July 2015.  That means that I have exactly 10 days until I step onto the stage in Pittsburgh, PA for the National Masters Bodybuilding Championships.  I believe I’m going to be in the best shape of my life and if I “POSE” well I will hold my own.  My coach, Justin Dees has been pushing me to be posing multiple times per day to make each move smooth and every transition seamless and all poses perfect. Justin, has set the bar very high for my physical conditioning and the look needed to excel on stage.  Each session with him is like a very quiet “ass kicking” to elevate my game and to put in the required work.  To all challenges I try to meet and exceed the expectations of my coach.

The days now are ones of personal desperation and focus in the gym.  The day of “CONTEST” is here.  Nothing is being left to chance.  The workload continues to go up.  The diet is strictly adhered to.  The supplements are never missed and neither are the meals. Rest is a requisite component but often sleep escapes me due to the anticipation of the Contest’s closeness on the calendar.  Nearly all of my waking thoughts are on my upcoming performance in Pittsburgh.  I “WILL” be in great shape.  I “WILL” pose well.  I “WILL” hold my own against some of the best in this country.

I’ve taken an entire year to prepare for this show.  My weight a year ago was 173 lbs. and my body fat going into the show was 5.2%,  This year I weigh 187 lbs. and my last body fat measurement found me at 4.5%.  This week I would like to drop my body fat percentage to 3.5%.  Thus, I stay the course that has brought me this far.  As hard as it is, there is no other way to attain the look needed to blow away the competition.

In the last year, my wife has been my faithful partner.  She trains with me.  She pushes me just by her presence in the gym.  She cooks for me and insists I don’t cheat when my coach Justin outlines a plan for eating.  Recently, it was discovered that I didn’t have sufficient range of motion in my hips to do the necessary twists during posing.  Justin, gave her instructions on how to increase my hip flexibility.  Boy, this woman is a Sadist.  She took the instructions seriously by stretching my hips and waist as I lay on the floor.  So hard did she push, pull and stretch me that through the pain my hips began to open up.  Now, when I pose and a twist is required, I can do it quite easily.  Thank you honey bun for the pain and now the success.  In addition to her obvious flare for inflicting pain on me, she also insists that I pose for her at least once per day so she can critique the posing and give her feedback.  Sometimes I am so tired that posing is the last thing on my mind.  However, no excuses are accepted and I always arise to pose for my precious wife.  In fact, she has sooo ingrained the posing routine on me that as soon as I finish this blog that ‘s what I will do though she is at work and cannot be here to watch.

This is it!  The Nationals and my blood is boiling with excitement.  I will be ok until I’m standing at the foot of the stairs awaiting my name to be called.  Heck, I’ll even make it through the pre-judging ok but the evening show which involves music is a bit different.  I will be posing to a rendition of “PHANTOM

OF THE OPERA”…I will have it perfect by the time I hit the stage but it’s still a bunch of stress for me.

This is a blog to catch you up.  Again!  This is OUR TIME.  We can attain anything with a solid want to, plannning, and tons of effort.  Wish me the best because at this level it is all uncharted waters for me.

See you on the other side

Doug

When you decide to do something in your life, it is amazing how easily you are derailed if you are not careful.  It seems as though all the things that need to be put aside or every temptation you have ever faced seems to crawl out of their holes to present themselves to you.  Now! is not the time to allow the ghouls that so easily distract us to rein supreme in our lives.

I have 10 weeks to go until the National Masters Bodybuilding Championships in Pittsburgh, PA.  I’m bearing down on all aspects of the prep including diet, supplements, aerobics, killing it on the weights, and soon I will begin posing for my coach.  Everything is on the table and nothing can be taken for granted.  I can tell you that there is a sense of urgency building inside me.  It causes me to train “with wreckless abandon” in the weight room.  All  exercises are taken to extremes that I have not experienced recently.  My hardest areas are my diet and the new mode of aerobics that Justin Dees has demanded of me.  The diet is tough because I am keeping track of all items eaten much more strictly and this requires obsession with getting enough of the right jet fuel to prepare to win.  It’s a special kind of craziness and obsession that a person would go through at any age of their lives.  The aerobics is the key to decreasing overall bodyfat and to provide superb conditioning to an already well-conditi0ned body.  Justin has me doing 30 minutes twice per day on the eliptical machine.  Each session is described as interval training….3 minutes relaxed walking alternating with 3 minutes of all out sprinting….Repeated over a 3 minute period.  On leg days, this interval training is nuts.  I went out and bought an eliptical machine for the home so I will always have access to it and I can do more if it’s required.

Ten weeks and the prep is on.  God, has brought me this far and He is going to have to take me home.  Everyday my mind is preoccupied with getting this body into shape to compete against some of the nations best.  This stretch is where the money is made.  Where the trophies are won.  Where the MAN in me emerges.  Thus, I keep my focus and I press forward toward the PRIZE.

Today, I weight 195 lbs and I am at 5.5% bodyfat.  I have dropped from 210 lbs and 10% bodyfat to my present status.  I have a long way to go and I intend to win.

Thanks to all of you who read this blog and encourage me to never quit and to keep at it.  You mean the world to me.

Foor all of us.  THIS IS OUR TIME!  Stay with your dream and continue the effort getting the dream under your belt.  The journey is as important as getting the prize.  So, get started and never give up the thing that needs your attention to accomplish.

Pictures in prep will begin to appear…..SOON!

Until Next Time!  Douglas E. Graham

My days begin with a sense of commitment and duty.  The sun at 4:45 AM hasn’t even begun to show itself and the temperature since October has been in the high teens or lower at this hour.  The warm covers are kicked back and the feet hit the carpeting in our bedroom.  A quick turn back to the bed where my wife rests quietly and the covers are placed  again around her body so she remains comfortable as I begin my day.  I turn to head downstairs for a breakfast of 10 eggs (2 whole eggs and 8 egg whites) and two slices of Ezekial bread.  Supplements are next followed by the donning of my workout clothes. A quick smooch to my wife’s forehead as she sleeps and I’m out the door to the gym.

It’s a shoulder day and the training is slow and intense.  Sweat pours easily over my face, chest, and arms and soon I’m peeling off my T-shirt down to my tank top.  As the workout continues I pick up the pace and the intensity with each rep.  The focus on technique becomes sharp.  The competition between body and will continues to see which one quits first.  Bodybuilders call this effort, “killin’ it.”

I end my session with 40 minutes of aerobics on an eliptical machine.  My coach, Justin Dees expects nothing less from me than my best always and I fully intend to give it to him. The respect he has garnered as a coach and competitor has my absolute commitment to excellence and effort.  I realize that there is no tomorrow if I don’t give it my all today.

Time is winding down to the date of my show in July 2015.  Show Prep begins in a couple of weeks and the training must, of necessity, become more difficult.  Laser attention to detail has to take over.  Justin, has already lectured me about my following his directions and guidance without any variance.  I am to call “NO” audibles in my diet, my supplements, my weight training, or my aerobics.  Weekly meetings with Justin to monitor my physical progress is on the calendar and I do not miss these sessions.

I walked you through this process to get to the point of this blog.  That being, that the grind and pain of preparing the body and mind for a contest can be overwhelming—if I let it overwhelm me.  The temptation to take the easy way out and not give the required preparation my full effort and attention is sometimes great.  I could cover up my laziness with great cover stories and excuses.  Nobody says I have to do all this, especially at my age, but I do.  The mantra “Keep Going” or “Don’t Stop” takes over when fatigue begins to take over.  The fact that there is no looking back permeates all that I do.  Justin, has driven into my head that if I want to win, I have to do the reps that others do not want to do because it hurts too much.

My biggest enemy is “INERTIA.” Allowing myself to take liberties with rest when I shouldn’t.  “INERTIA” rocks me to sleep by convincing me that it’s ok to think about something else when I ought to be concentrating on the task at hand.  “INERTIA” by definition, is “LAZINESS” in different clothes.  “INERTIA” breeds complacency and retards forward momentum.  “INERTIA” changes your vector to the winners circle.  “INERTIA” needs to be guarded against and reversed by sheer will power if that’s what it takes.  The demon that defeats the greatest of champions is often not on field of contest but on the field of preparation.  Paul “Bear” Bryant, Hall of Fame football coach from the University of Alabama once said, “Victory?  Everybody wants to win.  Victory and winning belongs to those who “PREPARE” to win.”

Bottom Line: “INERTIA” kills sound preparation and ultimately steals victory.

THIS IS OUR TIME!  —- SO WIN!

Until next time.

Douglas E. Graham

When someone that you deeply respect tells you something, you listen and you act.  Rarely do we walk away from such people without a resolution to “obey.”  This happened to me last June, 2014 when Jose Raymond “The Boston Mass” was introduced to me by my coach.  We had a very short and polite conversation in the gym as he worked out the afternoon prior to his guest posing stint that same evening at the Utah NPC Show in Provo, Utah.  I was thunderstuck with awe that such a great Champion as Jose Raymond would condescend to spend even one minute with me.  My coach arranged for us to cross paths at his gym and the experience is indelibly imprinted on my mind.

A PICTURE OF “THE BOSTON MASS”  JOSE RAYMOND (FINISHED 3rd IN THE 212 LBS. CLASS IN THE 2014 OLYMPIA IN LAS VEGAS, NV

We are exactly the same height but he is much larger and more shredded than I am.  The one feature that stuck out in my mind was how big his hands are compared to mine.  He clearly comes from heavy duty stock as I do but this one feature was different.  I learned that he turned pro around 2005 and only weighed 175 lbs.  This day he was 225 lbs of romping stomping muscle.  Oh how I drooled to have his dimensions and to be his kind of champion.I

The next meeting I had with him was at the show that evening.  He was pushing his sponsor’s product and signing autographs.  He willingly made himself available for a shot with both of us together and then he signed a photo of himself.  This photo of Jose and me together will be framed and will occupy a prominent place on my wall.  After we talked again for a couple of minutes he told me to, “Keep at it!”  He then went to his picture that he signed and added the same words below the signature.

What does all this mean to a guy like me or to a person like you?  Quite simply, when somebody sees real talent or promise in you they will say so.  When we hear these words we are under a covenant to say, thank you, think about them, and formulate a plan to comply.  Jose, didn’t just toss out an idle phrase to me.  He saw something and he encouraged me to continue. To pursue. To mature. To ultimately win.  Such is the case for all of us.

One of the hardest things for any of us to do is to simply say, THANK YOU, when somebody pays us a compliment.  Because of insecurity or poor self-image we never quite believe what the person complimenting us is saying.   It just can’t be true.  We nervously make excuses for not being better and sometimes we do not even say, THANK YOU which is a little insulting to the person providing the encouragement.

Next, because we don’telieve in ourselves we will often file the compliment away and do not give it another THOUGHT.  Afterall, they were just being nice but did not really believe what they just said about us. This is nuts! Believe it. The person extending the compliment did so sincerely and totally believes in US. We are our own worst enemy.

Because of the first two items above, we fail to ACT  on the compliment.  We do not take the time to work out a first class plan to fly higher and faster.  Our moment of opportunity to advance and improve gets squandered by our own self-doubt.

“Keep at it!”  I said thank you.  I’m constantly ruminating on how to improve.  My plans are in full swing.  The next time I see Jose, I want to be able to demonstrate my progress and maybe even provide a victory right in front of him.  This will be my chance to tell him how much he has impacted me at a very personal level.

The greatest motivation for me to “Keep at it” comes from my coach Justin Dees.  He is clear and concise in his expectation of me and my prep for the Nationals. He said to me one time, “I’ve never met anybody like you before.”  So, we have kept at it and I regard every moment of his tutelage to be precious as he gets to know my body genetically and physiologically.  He and I are going to “Keep at it” until Justin can dial me in for every contest with precision.  This sport is lonely and rigorous and is better stated to be a life style that requires all of me all the time.  I will win because I “Keep at it” without losing my focus on the prize.

In closing, let me push all of my colleagues and friends to “Keep at it” until you accomplish that for which you were born.  This is our time!  Do not squander your goals or your talents due to laziness or lack of belief in yourselves.

I’m an old guy but so what!

Until next time!

Douglas E. Graham

Hard is now!  I can see the next phase. Keeping on track is ABSOLUTELY required from this point forward and I need to dig in even more firmly.  My heart will go through many changes but despite these changes, determination and focus must be the order of the day.

Hard is subjective ranging from short bursts of self-doubt and sleeplessness to manic determination to push myself way beyond what is required in the gym.  Keeping these things under control and maintaining steadfast focus is paramount.  I am forever vigilant with self-monitoring and self-regulating activities.  The goal is to disallow feelings to rule the day!

Determination

Merriam Webster Defines Determination as: ” the firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end”—this has to be the source of all energy to accomplish my end.  Nobody can instill this in me. Nobody can lend it to me. Nobody can open up my heart and sew it into place.  I alone, am responsible for DETERMINING what I want and to go about the task of achieving it.  I have a saying that I use to motivate me, “Nobody works harder than me.”  I use this mantra like a whip while I workout.  It’s in my genes, it is my ethic to work harder than my competition.  What I lack in natural gifts I make up for by finding other natural gifts of my own, applying them, and then willingly working until they are better than the natural gifts of my foes.  My Maxim: There is no substitute for Determination and the application of serious work to win!

When the fits of self-doubt begin to emerge and it begins to effect my attitude, which in turn changes my training, I have developed another little mantra that I recite to myself.  I say to myself over and over again, “KEEP GOING!, MOVE, PUSH, DON’T STOP”—By repeating these words before and during workouts there is a change of energy from LOW to HIGH.  I very easily remember why I am doing what I’m doing and it becomes obvious that there is no retreat and there is no failure.  I control all this with the intensity of the training I am engaged in.

Sleeplessness

There isn’t a person alive that does not experience sleeplessness once in awhile. Athletes, in particular, are prone to sleepless nights as they train and prepare for competition. When I have nights of sleeplessness and my energy is directly effected physiologically I push myself to do the workout as if my energy level is high.  I train between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM 6 days per week for an hour and a half per workout.  I promise myself a nap later in the day as a sort of bribe to my body that is sleep deprived.  Sure as the sun rises in the East, I take about a 30 minute nap on those days after sleepless nights.  I am rejuvenated. A good night’s rest is ideal but when it is impossible do not slack during workouts and take time to nap.

My Eyes on the Prize

This has to be the thing that drives me forward.  I have to rivet my internal gaze on the reward for my efforts.  I’ve already decided that this prize is worth it and I am now executing the requirements to get it.  If this image in my mind begins to fade, so does my intensity and sense of purpose.  It’s NOW that I bring this image of my goal into sharp focus by meditating on it. Talking about it. Visualizing myself being handed the trophy and the handshake from the promoters that accompanies the receiving of the trophy.  This image must crowd out all other competing images.

Next month I begin my “show prep” that my coach, Justin Dees, says will last for 14 weeks. The prep will consist of training, dieting, posing, heavy sessions of aerobics and tons of assessing and correcting to win.  Justin says I will arrive on stage huge and shredded and ready to win.  Thus, my effort must be equal to the task and ultimately the goal. I dare not disappoint my maestro! 

My “Maestro” and Coach — Justin Dees!

I believe that I’ve got one of the best coaches in the sport.  He has brought me this far very fast and he will take me to the “Winner’s Circle”.  I believe that this 14 week show prep will be very hard and very instructive. Justin has entitled this effort “Operation Pro Card” which, for me is the ultimate accomplishment this year.

Hard

Hard is now due to my mental and emotional state.  This is no time to be absent from the body.  As in so many other challenges in my life, toughness and determination have to take over. There are no short cuts and the effort and winning belongs only to you.  It is lonely at times and it is obviously painful, so you have to learn to love the journey as well as the trophy.

So it is with anything in life that is worth the doing.  Be sure the goal is worth pursuing.  Be sure you want it badly enough to pay the price to get it.  Train/prepare to get that goal like there is no tomorrow.  Develop antidotes and nullifiers for anything that can derail you. Set your face like flint and settle for nothing less than your best.

Just because it’s HARD does not mean you QUIT.

Until next time

Douglas E. Graham

More often than we like to admit, we engage in a process of “Pollyannaism” when we really want something of value for ourselves or those we love.  Sometimes, it’s not so much a physical object to possess as it is an occurrence or an event that will benefit ourselves or those we love.  In either case, we wile the time away “HOPING” that all will go well without raising a finger to effect the outcome.  We substitute “HOPE” for “ACTION”. We also ignore the formulation of a “STRATEGY” to get what we most desperately desire.

There is nothing morally wrong with “HOPING” for good things.  We all do that.  But, we have to take our desires and “HOPES” and put legs on them.  We have to push our ideas onto the drawing board, then the practice field, and then onto the playing field of life. “HOPE” is only the beginning.  It is exciting and it helps us to define precisely what it is we want, to imagine what we would do with the thing we are “HOPING” for once we have attained it.  In short, “HOPE” is the product of a dream but it is NOT an “ACTION” or a “STRATEGY” to get that which we “HOPE” for.

In bodybuilding, the sequence of events to get that which we seek is like this:

1.)  Something ignites a dream.  We spend much time thinking about having the dream become real and how this would impact me and my circumstances.  Dreaming is a blast but in the end, dreams cannot satisfy.

2.)  We then have to determine whether the dream is possible and worth having.  At this stage we hold the dream up for scrutiny from many perspectives.  There has to be the ability to actually see ourselves attaining the dream and a shift from just thinking and dreaming to “believing” it is possible to have our dream.

3.)  Once we have decided that the dream is possible and worth having and that we have it within ourselves to attain or possess the dream, a plan or strategy must develop that we believe in and that takes us to our goal.  At this point, though we don’t have our plan totally worked out, we have a perception that all is possible.

4.)  Putting pen to paper is next up.  The “STRATEGY” to get what we want has to take shape right before our eyes on a two dimensional surface.  We have to be able to take what we believe to be true and paint a picture of the path forward.  By doing this the dream comes alive.  The written “STRATEGY” will cause us to consider all that is possible on our trek, both good and bad.  Each step is put onto paper with an eye toward winning. Each stroke of our pen brings our dream into sharper focus.  We have taken “HOPE” and given it a face, and a direction in the form of a “STRATEGY.”

5.)  “HOPE” that once only existed in our “DREAMS”  now must be launched.  We take down our written “STRATEGY” and we start at the beginning.  Each phase of the plan has to be executed as written to obtain the necessary results.  This strategy is unwavering until it is proven that a change of course or a change of  methodology is required.  Execution is the name of this stage for their will be “NO” winning without it.  Eventually, all strategies must be put into play, to be tested, to be modified, to be pushed to perfection which can only occur by execution of the strategy.  Tireless and relentless repetition of the plan in a seemingly never ending sequence of practice, assessment, and correction will yield the needed skills to win.

6.)  Lastly, “HOPE” will inevitably give way to setting foot on the field or stage of contest.  No longer will “HOPE” be inoperable.  “HOPE” now lives and is ready for the final test and the final attainment.  It takes courage and a sense that all is possible.  As you stand at the foot of the stairs awaiting the call to the stage to perform, take a deep breath and be confident in the knowledge that your “DREAM” is about to come to life for you.  This is your moment and nobody can take it away from you!  When you hear your name called, bound up those stairs and give ’em both barrels.  THIS IS YOUR TIME!

Footnote:  “Now faith is the substance of things “HOPED” for, the evidence of things not seen.”—-Now that you have arrived you now can see the things that were previously not seen.

I don’t really know the meaning of the term “Work Ethic.”  I know that many people use it to describe a person who works hard and seems to be indefatigable in daily activities or the pursuit of their chosen goal or quest.  But come on!  Since when did “WORK” become an “ETHIC?”  Thus, my ignorance is manifest to all the world in the application of this phrase.

 Only 175 lbs here

I’d like to take you through how I establish and carry out my daily training.  Then you can decide for yourself whether I have a “Work Ethic” or whether I am laser focused on the Prize.

Arise:
Alarm goes off at 4:45 AM. I get up use the “John” and lay out my training clothes for this morning’s workout.

4:50 AM: Weigh myself to be sure my body weight trajectory is still going UP!

4:55 AM:  Start Pounding Down my Supplements.  Liquids, Capsules, Powders, Tablets—all find their way down my throat.  I lay out supplements for my wife too.  She is my training partner who keeps me honest in my work and intense in the application of the requisite Exercise, Sets, and Reps.  She is my honesty policeman—She ensures that I do not cheat myself during my workout by becoming lazy or unfocused.  All guys should recruit their wives to this task.  She is involved up to her neck in our quest to win a National Title.  What a woman!

5:00 AM: Get Dressed and be sure all my training equipment is in my backpack that I will lug to the gym.  If there are special devices that my coach has asked me to wear or to utilize for certain exercises (Squeem, Straps, Belt etc.) then they are dropped in the bag.

5:10 AM: Fix 8-12 eggs (Fried or Poached) with 2-4 slices of toast and butter and sometimes jelly.  Other times I use peanut butter.  Often my wife makes a very dense protein shake for me that I drink in the car while driving to the gym.

5:30 AM:  Out the door with my wife to the gym.  It’s about a 5-7 minute drive.  In the mornings when it’s nice (spring, summer, fall) Christine rides her bike and I drive.  I’m driving to focus on the workout ahead (this is my story and I’m sticking to it).

5:45 AM: Begin training for that day.  I have a regimen that my coach, Justin Dees and myself have worked out for each of six days per week…..Monday – Saturday.  Justin has specifically chosen these exercises and these regimens for me to get the most out of me in a single session with sufficient rest between these workouts to allow me to recover and grow.

As I begin, I start with very light weights to get the blood moving into the selected muscle group for that day.  I quickly move up the weight to get to the poundage that allows me to get 8-12 reps for seven sets.  I repeat this with another exercise for the same muscle group and I change, repeating the task as noted above.  I pound through the workout for 1.5 hours or more and call it a day.  Sometimes I will do 10-15 minutes of cardio work on a treadmill or a stairmaster.

8:00 AM I take my wife to work and I return home to eat and do my job which I perform from home.

This regimen, as noted, is repeated daily for six days per week.  My diet is overseen by my coach who does measurements on me once per week to document that I am moving in the right direction.  Justin keeps careful records on me and guides my training and my diet.

I guess I have a “Work Habit” and maybe even a “Work Ethic”—–My personal definition or description of my effort is simple……If you want something you have to work for it. Nothing in this world is free and nobody will do it for you.  Thus, in order to win you have to work while your opponents play or while they sleep.  You/I have to develop a mindset that provides the necessary impetus to be our best.  Our “Work” must transcend the pain that is unavoidably a part of the process.  Our “Work” must allow us to disappear inside our minds to escape those who would discourage us.  During our “Work” we have to develop a mantra that drives us forward when we want to quit.  Our “Work” must lead us to that “zone” where it is surreal and where only you and the training apparatus are perceptible, palpable, and harsh.  This “Work” place is “ZEN” that no others can violate. This is the crucible where we are shaped by our “Work” to become Champions.

Yes, there is such a thing as a person possessing a “Work Habit” or “Work Ethic.”  But, I believe it only exists in a person who has decided that what they have set out to achieve is “Worth it!”

This is OUR TIME!  Develop that desire to achieve and the “Work Ethic” that is required to attain your goals.  You can have it!  Now go get it!

Until Next Time

Douglas E. Graham