SeaSiren

So true! I'm a Realtor and love my job

^this

"Iron and the Soul" ~Henry Rollins I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like you parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. Completely. When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy. I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn't think much of them either. Then came Mr. Pepperman, my adviser. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly. Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.'s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in. Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it. Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say **** to me. It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you. It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a ceratin amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout. I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control. I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman. Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart. Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body. Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads. I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole. I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron mind. Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind. The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back. The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

yep yep ... well spring anyway The good news are my shoulders are getting f-ing huge! The bad news is my shoulders are getting huge and I can't find anything that looks decent on me Bigger and better this round for both of us, right???

I just found this ... awesomeness! I may have to come out as well since I am back in the region Funny shoulders are your weakness and legs your strong point, I'm the opposite .... Right now I could rival a line backer and my legs are lagging .... as per usual! Will be following!

amen sister

IMO opinion, if they allow him to train clients there, then they get to be responsible for his gym etiquette ..... just saying. And yes, your deads are VERY impressive!

Hey you! So glad to see you are competing!

So NOW you come visit where I used to live Great pics, I miss it. Robbie is in OC BTW, you all could have trained together.

People train diff because it depends on how YOUR body responds to the program. Then of course most people need to change periodically so they don't stagnate. That being said there are basic rules of thumb you can expand on, so what Zach said Although I personally respond really well to DC. Major yes on upping the calories, they were very low. My thoughts on cardio when bulking is don't. Some people will just do 30min 3x's weekly. But NEVER do anything resembling interval training. Keep it steady and pretty easy going. Looking forward to following!

Hey octo, how do you like the over night color? Do you have to layer it? My last comp was the end of 2009 (pre-baby) and I was using the reg protan. I needed 3 coats min. of it. No fun but necessary to get the right color. I was using the bowl and brush slap on (thick coat) method. DP- yippie on your comp! I'm excited.

Congrats on completing your show! Now you gotta have the "bug"

Welcome, glad to have you aboard!

ok now I have visions of you two checking out each others butts.....thanks a lot! oh and OP walking lunges agreed

Hey girl! you are doing great many girls I know lose their cycle in the months close to comp due to low BF and stress on the body. Tan covers a lot as stated above, so it's all good. Where did you get your suit, and what s the color? I have three but am getting another this year, so shopping around!

Late training but I got it in: Incline DB Presses 3 sets of 6 reps Flat Bench DB Presses 2 sets 6 reps Dips 2 sets BW to failure DB Pullovers 2 sets of 12 Hams are sore from yesterday (YESSSS ) Today's training was supposed to be with BB, but somehow in the home renovation my barbell has been moved. I'm sure it ended up in the garage or basement temporarily, but I did not have time to go searching since I am still training between baby naps. So dumbbells it was. I didn't feel as if I got as much out of it and will be sure to locate said barbell tomorrow. Also, I am supposed to work in abs and calves every other day ... didn't happen as baby woke. Next time for sure even if I have to split the training up for now. Food comes with no thought to it once again which is so nice finally. And of course the more I train and eat properly on schedule the better (and stronger) I feel .... now that is how I remember it being pre-preg!

Thank you for the congrats! That is my eldest daughter (18 next month). I was lucky to get her in a dress, lol Back to the reality of trying to squeeze in training between baby naps. I'm going over to a six day split .... if I can't devote the time I need I have to train smarter. Today: Lying Curls -wu, 3 sets of 6, drop weight to failure DL -3 sets of 6 Standing Single Leg Curls - 1 set to failure SLDL - 2 sets of 6 Baby began her scream at the first set. My eldest was kind enough to entertain her until I was finished. I'm logging my weight finally and was WAY off what I thought I could handle. I wanted my biggest weight hoping for 6 reps (didn’t want to be able to get even one more). Turns out I need a lot more weight! That’s a good thing …. So bumping next time. On another note, the heat has been unbearable. The house’s temp reaches mid 80’s during the day and all the way down to 80-82 at night. Lol The humidity is relentless. Making it nearly impossible to sleep. The fans just push around the hot air ….. does not seem that Michigan homes were built with high temps in mind.

oh a wedding!! Sage sounds pretty

Yay! Welcome back

way to funny on the mags! You must be getting excited!

Ugh, I don't like moving. Although got to be a pro since I was a Navy brat. How far is Ottawa from you? Good luck on the move!

Thank you for all the congrats Well I married my best friend and the love of my life on Saturday We originally were going to just go to the Justice of the Peace as we felt our finances were better put to investing in our future. But we decided last minute to book a small chapel and have a minister as the officiator for the wedding. Our children were present and stood up with us, with the exception of my oldest son who could not fly out for the wedding but sent his best wishes (he is in college and living in MD). My now husband surprised me by flying out my daughter, who was also in college in MD. How he pulled it off without me knowing until she was standing in front of me is beyond me! Anyhow, here is a couple of pics from the chapel: http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab50/Seasiren1/Wedding/115E.jpg http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab50/Seasiren1/Wedding/138E.jpg My eldest daughter decided to stay permanently and is transferring to a Michigan college. So I am thrilled! That being said, that means we have 6 children living with us from ages 17 - 4mo. A challenge in organization is pretty well the course now. Now back to it: 4 sets of 8 reps DB Flat Bench Press DB Flyes DB Shoulder Press DB Upright Rows 3 sets of 12 DB Side Lats My lil one has suddenly become a light sleeper and since my tread is in my bedroom it wakes her up. Though not ideal, any tread will have to be done in the evenings when her daddy is home. But then again, this log isn't about ideal it's about reality with 6 kid's one of which is an infant. On another note, I seemed to have developed Carpel Tunnel since the pregnancy which apparently is common. I have been fighting the thought and hoping it would just disappear .... who wants to be a whiner??? It has kept me up a few nights now and can be out and out painful, and aggravating as all heck. I'll have to figure out how to deal. I don't like popping medication, so something alternative to that (or maybe it will just go away if I wish hard enough )

Thank you, I will

yeah, that's my take on it too