Ravi

It really irritates me when I see people on this thread just say "eat fewer calories than you take in" or related comments. I bet that people that say things like that have never had the problem Pink is sharing. To those folks I just gotta say, it ain't that simple, and you are better off not saying something that just comes across as plain rude and condescending when it is pretty clear that Dr. Pink has worked damn hard to get where he is. I was very overweight into my early teens and had (still have) the same problem. I become an athlete into my teens, and lost a ton of weight. Eventually doing marathons, ironmans, etc....I had my bodyfat down to <7% (consistently) for many years time while I was racing....yet, in spite of all the years of 20+ mile runs, century rides, countless hours in the gym and being vegan with a decent diet, I still had (and still have) excess skin around my waist. Nobody in their right mind could possibly say I could've trained harder. I got to the point where I was crazy thin and very fit (I had people come up to me worried about my health because my face/arms/legs were just bone/muscle!)....but I just had a bunch of lose skin around my waist. The upside is....it does get MUCH less severe. You have to train hard, but it will shrink and as it does, the stretch marks start to become less noticeable. I think the key is to get very strict with your diet. Get a food scale, measure everything. Cut out all processed foods. Go raw for a month to cleanse (if that suits you..). Find a cardiovascular exercise you love and go for it with all your energy. For me, I found the best results with running. Once I started consistently running 4-5 times a week (40+ miles total), I noticed a radical change in my body. This was probably the single biggest factor in helping to change my body. Set clear goals and go beyond what you see others doing. You also need to establish a measuring stick for your progress in terms outside of just being able to see your abs, because that might take a very long time. Start setting some metrics you can track and make progress on regularly. Get a bodyfat scale and use it regularly. Track miles run per week. Track time in the gym, etc. The point is, to make progress you will have to push yourself much MUCH harder than a person who has a naturally flat stomach. You need to hold yourself to a much higher standard. Doing a light 20 minutes of elliptical a couple times a week ain't gonna cut it. Never let the fact that you are working out twice as hard as other people (who yet have tighter bodies) get to you. Treat your situation like a gift, in that it motivates you to achieve more than you normally would. Right now, I am to the point where I still have a little loose skin, but I am no longer anywhere near as self-conscious as I use to be. In actuality, most people can't even tell unless they look close when I have my shirt off. But it is still there...and I know. It's a big motivator for me to keep working out hard because for me, surgery isn't an option. Thanks for posting this thread and sharing. It was comforting to me to see someone else who shared this struggle. Let us know how your progress goes!

OK, I booked 1 suite at the above hotel (Best Western Suites - Columbus East). It is 15 miles from the Convention Center (Expo site). We'll be there 4 nights (2/28-3/3). If others on the forum are coming to the show....would be cool to stay in the same hotel to make trips to the gym/dinner/carpooling trips better. I called them and they said they have quite a few vacancies (so far). Let me or Rob know if you have questions.

Yeah...this was the hotel I mentioned on the phone.

Hey everyone, Rob and I are trying to lock down on plans for the Arnold event! This is gonna rock Right now, here is the plan. Please reply on this thread if you have any questions or concerns. Also, if you weren't planning to attend, but have changed your mind, let us know ASAP! - Booking hotel for 3 nights (thursday night through sat night) - Plenty of hotels are available 6-10 miles outside of the city (everything downtown is booked and would be crazy expensive anyway) - We plan to book 2 rooms, that could accommodate 4-6 people (planning on 5 right now) - We will rent a car. With SeaSiren bringing her car as well, that will give us more than enough transportation. Here is a hotel that looks good. Nothing fancy, but they have kitchenette's and free passes to a World Gym : http://travel.travelocity.com/hotel/HotelDetail.do?propertyId=55321&startIndex=25&showMap=0&sortOrder=ascPrice&sortAlpha=-1&tab=features&travelPackageId=&hotelQKey=7107704625795861670&resetReview=true&SEQ=1199649335221062008&hotelQKey=7107704625795861670 Let me know what y'all think. We'll book stuff soon.

I hear ya! My core is pathetically weak...embarrassingly so considering all the tri-related activity I was doing for years. I think all those miles running and biking actually made my core weaker than if I had done no training at all, sat on my couch and eaten potato chips all day! At least that's what I tell myself when I see those svelte yoginis cruising through "boat pose" or set after of bicycle crunches during yoga class...while I am struggling just to hold my legs up straight! I guess this is first hand proof that the body is highly adaptive to training....and not training. If you don't use it you will lose it

We've had a monster series of storms in the Pacific Northwest...and all that Seattle rain is, you guessed, massive powder in the mountains! Went snowboarding at Crystal Mountain yesterday...they've had almost 4 feet of snow in 4 days! Waist deep powder...I could've gotten lost in it! Anyway...I feel much stronger on the board since I've been doing lots of squats and deadlifts. Able to push it through more runs and make turns I would normally wipe out on...who said lifting isn't practical! Bring on the squats I've also realized that my low-back is a weak spot on my body (spending all day in a sumo squat on a snowboard is a great way to find your weakness!)....need to work on that.

The Bodybuilding section (duh) and the Photos section.

I did Bikram for 3 years pretty consistently. I got a lot out of it, but took my last Bikram class about 4 years ago. I eventually moved on to another style of yoga because: 1. I was getting bored with the same 26 postures. 2. I felt that practicing every day in that kind of heat (my studio was 102-104 degrees) might not be good for me over the long term. 3. I didn't agree with many of the things Bikram Choudhry did from a business standpoint (suiing affiliate studios for deviating from his script, trying to "patent" postures, etc.). That said, I think the for any type of yoga....the studio environment, the quality of the teachers and the nature of people attending the classes make all the difference in the world. If you have great teachers, and feel good about the class...than it is probably a good thing to keep up with. I will say that Bikram got my spine more flexible than ever, and really undid a lot of damage I did to my legs as a runner. I think the heat had a lot to do with that.

I assume folks are planning to stay Thursday - Sunday (3 nights)? Let me know if you think you will be staying longer. Rob, as to your other questions: Car: I am fine renting a car if need be. Walking distance would be best, but I starting looking for rooms and most hotels near the convention center are sold out. I'll look some more tomorrow. Gym: I vote for finding a "real" gym .

I'm more into this type of look. Utilitarian. Weathered. Strong AND Fit. Proportional. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/1666130090_2ee9332084_o.jpg

Personal best a few years ago:12 pull ups (palms facing away, shoulder width. weight 150 lbs).....though, at the time I would do 3 sets of 10 pull ups with a minute or two rest in between each. I never really tried to go to failure. I would estimate that would have been around 15 or so. Right now, I can do about 8 nonstop. (weight 155 lbs).

Nice rig! It's carbon? Didn't know Cannondale makes carbon bikes!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2230/2144123501_eecd74190a.jpg A vegan bakers dozen from Voodoo Donuts in Portland....almost as good as Mighty-O!

I am looking for roommates as well! Planning to come in Thursday night and leave Sunday afternoon. I am planning to go to the Expo all days but really intested in seeing the Amateur competition. Might spring for a pro main event ticket as well...would be fun to see the pros, since I've never been to this type of show before.

When you say upper/lower...what specific exercises are you doing?

A relevant article: http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/native_americans.html Some accounts of native americans running down buffalo...and other facts about historical diet of native north americans.

OK, I'll be a little more specific about my knee position. I had someone watch me today and tell me what my legs were doing My knees do extend a bit in front of my toes, but this occurs during the 130 degree to 90 degree portion of the movement (e.g. middle of the movement). At this point, my knees are about 1 inch in front of my toes. Though, when I am ass to ankles, my knees are not protruding in front of my toes. My feet are pointing to 10 o clock and 2 o click and about a foot's width wide than shoulder width for each leg. The other big difference for my squatting form, has been to drop my traps down and squeeze then together. This gives me a nice "shelf" to place the bar on with less discomfort, and also puts my torso in a much more stable position (to protect my spine). Lastly, I've moved my hands closer together. I used to keep my hands pretty wide on the bar, now, I move them so they are just wider than shoulder width. Again, this helps my upper body/shoulders to provide a more solid foundation. Happy squatting!

I was doing 1-2 x 32ounce carrot juices from Jamba Juice every day and did notice a slight orange tinge appearing in my palms, but I am darker complexion so it wasn't visible anywhere else. I looked into it online, and the orange tinge is in no way harmful, it will just make you stand out a little! You have eat a lot of them for this to happen though. In my research I also disovered that some deaths have occured from overdoing carrot juice. In one of the deaths, the person consumers over a gallon a day of carrot juice for a month.....

I really like facebook. Look up Ravi Raman, Microsoft. Most of my friends are tech folks and this site is really popular amongst them.

Ever since reading this article, I've been holding this third world squat pose several times a day (it is a great stretch for the back/legs) and also going super deep (almost as deep as this) when I squat in the gym. My knees doing protrude out over my toes though. When squatting, I've lowered the weight/reps I do, but going lower engages much more of my leg (more stress on the hams/glutes/quads) vs more effort working on just the quads.

What's wrong with a little YOGA dude!!!!????

Hey Rob, I notice you do TONS of sets of similar exercises. For example.....>15+ sets working the back using very similar movements (wide grip, narrow grip, lat pull, pull ups, etc). Do you find that your body responds best to this type of approach? I've always just done 3-4 (maybe 5 for squats) sets, and moved on to a completely different movement.

I think the early race is a good idea. It is good to get in a race environment and see where you are at. I would be careful about the half-marathon just a few weeks before your big day. If you can keep yourself under control and not race all out, it could be a great chance for you to fine tune your pacing and nutrition strategy. Just don't go so hard your legs get fried! Even when I was in good running shape, it could take several weeks for me to regain all my fitness after a hard half-marathon.

Hey bpmojo, good luck with your race. When I trained for long distance races, I had two key runs each week (everything else was gravy) in the few months before the race: 1. the long run. I would do a long run every other week, with a longish run on the other weekends. My long runs would be 2.5-3 hrs and my longish run would be 2 hours. 2. Speedwork. Yes, I found speedwork to be key....I'd do 5x1 mile repeats on the track at half-marathon race pace (with a jog 400 recovery). For me, it was key to get my legs used to a faster pace, or it would be a big shock on race day. I made sure to nail these two workouts, and my other runs would just be standard runs to get in mileage/keep fitness up (maybe a tempo run or some hills thrown in there). I would start my taper 2.5 weeks out from the race. When I was doing triathlons, I'd only run 3 days a week (max 4). The other days would be spent biking/swimming.

Way to go, good work! What kind of weight training are you doing?