Bodybuilding As A Spiritual Path

Sometimes truth contains apparent contradictions. Contradictions that come as a result of the intellect struggling to comprehend that which is beyond intellectual comprehension. Such truths speak to what lies well beyond the façade of ego and instead communicates directly with what we often term as the spirit within us. This spiritual side of ourselves is timeless and ever present, unaffected by the viscitudes of life and simply is. It is a side that so many choose to ignore but one that so many struggle to comprehend. Time has taught us that the physical can be a gateway towards the spiritual. By training the body we refine the spirit. By taking our physical self to an extreme place where intellect ceases to have meaning and our mental and physical selves unite in the completion of intense activity those able to endure will inevitably find themselves in a quiet place where another side can be glimpsed.

A silent side. A part of us that is powerful beyond all imagination, and a side of ourselves where all things are possible, and all hardships can be endured and overcome. Bodybuilding, on the surface, seems to relate almost exclusively with the physical. The body is developed through years of toil, struggle and self sacrifice  into a work of umistakable art. Sadly, today it remains largely a superficial pursuit where the emphasis is so much on the end that the means falls by the wayside. Drugs take away the almost Sishyean task of brutally hard training and rewards the user with instant gratification. The struggle then becomes a destructive one as one must risk more and suffer more to reach the higher levels as progress is determined not by the steadfastness of years but with the abilty to procure and survive overwhelming amounts of drugs. Even in the natural bodybuilding circle for most the culmination of the body as a true work of art is reserved for only specific times of the year, and in a competitive arena. While there may be no drugs involved the onus is on winning a competition and often health is compromised in other ways to help make this possible. After the period of competition for many caring for the body tends to wane falls until another season draws near.

 The ‘Ura’ and the ‘Omote’ The Inner and Outer Aspects

In this modality, it is a limited pursuit, and one that the general public finds difficult to understand, much less to emulate, but it can be more. So much more, if we only let it. In the Japanese martial tradition that I teach and follow there is the concept of ‘omote’ and ‘ura’. ‘Omote’ refers to that which is on the outside, the superficial, while ‘ura’ refers to that which lies within, largely hidden from cursory observation. They are two sides that mirror each other but together constitute a whole. All practice begins with the outer manifestations- but for there to be true mastery there must be a movement away from that which lies at the surface and an internalization of the very practice itself. In all disciplines this comes only from years of focused study and toil. Few seek that which lies underneath the impressive veneer of bulging muscle and fat stripped sinew, but those that do find a path, a way of life, that develops more than biceps, rather one that nourishes both the physical and the spiritual.

 To Truly Find The Path One Has To Step Away From The Superficial

The contradiction: In order to truly experience bodybuilding as a path, one must first make the difficult resolution to step away from the superficial. In bodybuilding it means no longer looking at the outer self as a gauge of progress. Contradictory, yes, but it is the first and perhaps the only path towards making the endeavor a sacred and lifelong internal process, as opposed to a fleeting and shallow pursuit. I remember well in my early years of training, jumping on the scale every day, measuring my arms at every opportunity and spending countless hours in front of any mirror or any reflective surface that I could find, all in the pursuit of some tangible manifestation of progress. Like so many others, I looked at every turn for a sign- something that would validate my pain, suffering and sacrifice. It is hard to put into words the struggle that it was for me to train so hard and see so little in the way of a return. The return of course was by no means little, but to a teenager bent on acheiving his goal the slowness of the process was as agonizing as the training. As the years went by, this ‘need’ for some form of validation was satisfied by contests and photo shoots, and the acclaim that it brought from my peers. Nevertheless, it though it remained a constant part of my daily routine, it was only after I made the decision to stay on my diet as a way of life bent on caring for myself as an individual, did I suddenly make the difficult step of abandoning the mirror.

As hard as it was, it was a necessity. The training, the discipline and most importantly, the joy and vitality of the experience became something far more rewarding than any trophy or screaming crowd could equal. In the gym, I would wear clothes that allowed me to see and connect with the outer aspects of my pursuit, but other than these brief times, the way I looked was of little concern to me. the focus falling now on the training. The irony of it, and herein the contradiction, is that I look better than I ever did, and I have continued to improve far more than I ever believed possible. All without the aid of any supplement, drug or crutch of any kind. The training became and is more. If we stop and find a way to quiet the noise within that we so often use to define ourselves, we feel ourselves almost in the presence of something else that resides within each of us. It is this self, ever tranquil and always at peace that adds the final dimension to the beings that we truly are.

 Using The Pain Of Training To Form A Union Of Body And Spirit

Within the context of my training regime and philosophy, the body is carried to the point of complete and utter failure much like the practice of shugyo performed by the ascetics of my martial tradition. The weights becoming such an impossible and unbearable load that every fiber of your being screams to drop and be free of. Yet it is there, at the very borders of endurance that we learn that we can strive to do more. To go past the physical, and to do so requires an effort born of something else- something that lives well beyond the self imposed realms of pain and impossibility. Finding it, finding that place within, we achieve what appears to be almost superhuman, going far beyond our limits and into a place of infinite possibility and potential. It is this knowledge and mastery of self in all its forms that brings about true strength, a strength that is intrinsic and inseparable from who we are, and not an artificial one that is born of chemicals, pills and powders and thus virtually unknown by our spirit.

It is a strength that allows us to endure. A spiritual strength. One that carries over to every facet of our individual lives. A strength that has helped me accept that which is difficult in life, both emotionally and physically. A strength that springs from our own indomitable spirits, a force that recognizes, knows and accepts suffering as an inevitable part of life, and stands unaffected by it. This is a way of health, of compassion, caring and self development. True, you are rewarded with a strong and well toned physique and a vitality that can be defined only through experience, but throughout it all, the body in all its forms is respected and lovingly provided for. Diet, a term that before would invoke an idea of negativity, takes on an almost sacred air, becomes more and more an important part of the path. Thus, eating only that which is natural and wholesome and never even stopping to consider indulging in that which is harmful for our bodies becomes an effortless exercise.

 Fasting As A Way Of Life

Fasting, an integral part of so many religious and spiritual practices is defined as the abstinence from food or drink in some form, with the idea of bringing the flesh closer to the spirit. While fasting is a temporary undertaking, within a religious context, this practice creates a fast that lasts for the duration of one’s very life. Abstaining from all that is potentially harmful creates a bond of respect to the physical body itself- one that will not be broken for any social tradition or custom, while also serving to build an unparalleled inner strength and a connection as well to all things spiritual. This abstinence and care in eating makes our most basic function- the consumption of food and water, an essential part of an even greater spiritual and physical pursuit.

Time, however, is the fire that allows all these elements to simmer together and stew into a perfect whole, and it should never be expected that such integration of body and spirit be realized instantaneously. For me it came after the toil of almost a decade and a half, but it is a struggle that bore great fruit, and a struggle where every fall brought me closer to a realization of something unimaginably rewarding. The reward that such a focus on the physical and the spiritual and the integration of every basic activity towards the realization of a higher plane is not only limited to the individual practicing it. Others see and are inspired themselves to strive towards the realization of their goals, and the creation of their own paths, founded as well on the idea bettering their overall health and fitness.

Those that find their way towards this path can know that as time draws on that we will always have the vitality and strength of good health and an inner musculature that will never be eroded by the ravages of time. We can have the clarity to know that all that we envision is indeed possible, but most of all, such a practice makes apparent that which lies beyond the material. A connection that manifests itself as well as a need, and a sincere desire to do all that we can to help others. A contradiction, once again in that the way of focusing on the self, ultimately becomes a portal towards helping and caring for others.

To truly focus on the inside, leads always once again the outside, but in a much more meaningful and fulfilling way. Thank you for reading.

Kevin Richardson is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, author, personal trainer and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise. Learn more about Kevin’s high intensity 10 minute workouts at his website at www.naturallyintense.net

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Post tags: body mind, inspiration, naturally intense, spirituality

Bodybuilding humor

YOU MIGHT BE A BODYBUILDER IF…- Bodybuilding humor

Bodybuilders and figure girls are a breed onto themselves and looking back at my competitve days I can’t help but laugh at some of the things we used to do. I always say that if you can’t laugh at yourself, then you are taking life far too seriously. With that in mind, here is some humor that I put together about that sub-section of humanity called bodybuilders and figure contestants. Thanks to my good friend Vlad for some input and a tip of the hat to Jeff Foxworthy for the format. Hope you enjoy! 

YOU MIGHT BE A BODYBUILDER IF…

Guys: If you look forward to teaching your daughter how to shave her legs just like daddy- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you can quote the protein content of a can of tuna fish to the second decimal point- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you ever used the words “sore” and “felt good” in the same sentence- you might be a bodybuilder
 

If you can identify Arnold Schwarzenegger from a picture showing only his calves- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you were ever late for work because the time flew by while you were posing in front of the mirror- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you ever took your clothes off in the restroom at work to check on your conditioning- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you can have a conversation lasting ten minutes or longer about essential amino acids- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you ever thought about flexing while standing in a police line up- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you diet down for your honey moon- you might be a bodybuilder 

If you hear the name Jay Cutler and think Mr. Olympia- you might be a bodybuilder (Sorry all, the rest of America would say you were talking about a football player- I think.) 

If you ever moved something really heavy, put it down and then picked it up again with your other arm to make sure your symmetry doesn’t suffer- you might be a bodybuilder 

If you have conversations about how many grams of protein you’ve had for the day- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you ever brought your own food in Tupperware to a family dinner/wedding/restaurant- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you think that Tupperware is the greatest human invention after Hammer Strength Machines- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you know the exact circumference of your right bicep- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you think carrying 15% bodyfat qualifies you as a fat bastard- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you shave and drop your carbs slightly before going to the doctor’s office because you know you’ll have to take your shirt off- you might be a bodybuilder. 

Ladies: If you complain to your girlfriends that you are holding water and it is blurring the definition in your abs, and they come after you with pitchforks and lighted torches- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you ever took chicken breasts to the movie theater so you wouldn’t miss a meal- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you ever got strange stares after asking for sodium free popcorn at the local movie theater- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If a Foreman grill is a must for your carry on luggage- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you buy clothes at a particular department store because the lighting in the changing room makes you look ripped- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you ever worried that you were burning too many calories while standing in line- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you ever passed gas and birds started their migration early- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If you don’t see anything wrong with using Ziploc bags as food containers- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If your kid hits a front double biceps shot when someone points a camera and says “Pose!”- you might be a bodybuilder (Guilty on that one too.) 

If ‘whey’ is not something that you only hear in nursery rhymes involving a little girl named Muppet- you might be a bodybuilder.
 

If anyone ever asked you if you had a degree in biochemistry after you explained to them what they should eat after a workout- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If you ever felt left out at the annual office party because they didn’t have any sodium free skinless chicken breasts on the menu- you might be a bodybuilder. 

If your idea of a dream vacation involves access to an on demand barbecue grill- you might be a bodybuilder. 

When your chest is bigger than your girlfriends – you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you refuse a slice of your own birthday cake – you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you take more pills than your grandmother- you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you schedule your college classes around your workout – you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you leave a party to eat meal 6- you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you pump up because you know you will have to take your shirt off at the doctor’s office- you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you switch hands while brushing your teeth, just so your left arm gets the same workout as your right arm for purposes of maintaining symmetry – you might be a bodybuilder. 

When you spend more time in a fitting room looking at yourself without clothes than you do while wearing the clothes that you went in to try on in the first place – you might be a bodybuilder. 

You don’t want to marry a petite woman because your afraid of her “bad” genetics- you might be a bodybuilder. 

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to add your ‘You might be a bodybuilder if…’ jokes as well! 

  Photo: Los Angeles Times

Kevin Richardson is a drug free bodybuilding champion and founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise. He isn’t considering giving up his day job so you can give him a call for personal training at 1-800-798-8420 or visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bodybuilding, humor

Jay relaxed and in shape backstage at the NPC Brooklyn Bodybuilding Championships.

What becomes a champion most? Is it the number of titles and accolades that adorn their mantles or is it their unwavering spirit of self improvement. To me only the latter is of any real tangibility and with that I would like to present my good friend and Naturally Intense client, Jay Larcher.

Jay started training with me about 6 months ago to get ready for the Eastern USA Bodybuilding Championships- a high caliber regional level contest that he had competed in last year and wanted to improve his showing. What makes Jay’s venture notable, however is that he wanted to do it drug free. Contests promoted by this organization are not tested for the use of anabolic steroids, diuretics and other performance enhancing drugs, in fact their use is strongly encouraged.

As a lifetime natural athlete myself, I was immediately impressed by Jay’s spirit. We shared a certain sense of integrity and he was not concerned about being anything but the best that he could be without the help of any artificial advantage. Preparing for a bodybuilding contest is no small undertaking, but readying to stand toe to toe with some of the top competitors on the East Coast powered only by old fashioned hard work and dedication makes it even more of a challenge.
Our challenge, though, was to make Jay the best that he had ever been, and I had full confidence that his best would allow him to hold his own against his competition, and he did just that. Having gained a full ten pounds of muscle and sporting striations that he had never seen before thanks to the brutally high intensity 10 minute workouts workouts and his customized diet. With no aerobics and following the principles of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise, Jay was not only able to be his best, but beat his best!

The Warm Up- The NPC Brooklyn Bodybuilding & Fitness Show

With all of my competitors, I always have them do a ‘warm up’ contest before their showing in a major contest, to help them get used to being onstage and also to let the judges have a first look at them as well. With my method, you are always contest ready at least 2 to 4 weeks before the actual show, so the NPC Brooklyn Bodybuilding and Fitness two weeks prior to the Easterns seemed a good choice. With nothing in terms of last minute carb depletion, water restrictions or fancy supplements, Jay walked onstage amazed by his new body, and moreover that he was able ot look better than he ever did without having to starve himself, or resort to any last minute manipulations. This new look was how he looked all the time, and as time goes on he would only get better and better. For the Brooklyn show, Jay placed a respectable 6th in the light heavyweight class- many had him much higher. With his lines, conditioning, overall symmetry and balance, several veterans in the audience placed him as high as third in their estimation, but as a judge said afterwards, it is all about being bigger. Our competition is an internal one, not a path based on the preferences of a judging panel, but more importantly a path where health comes first, and the compromises required to be bigger are not part of our program. 

The Moment of Truth- The Eastern USA Bodybuilding Championships 

Jay Larcher holding his own at the Eastern USA Bodybuilding Championships

On contest day, Jay stepped onstage with a confidence that can only be equaled by the pride that I, his girlfriend, Kimani and his family felt as we sat in the audience cheering him on. He looked very much like he belonged there and the victory that night was not in the form of a trophy, but in the realization of a personal best and a sense of accomplishment that can never be taken away. Immediately after coming off stage at the pre-judging, his first words to me were,
“Wait until they see what we are going to do next year!”

Such a spirit, such a passion and such determination cannot be stopped and I look forward to seeing him step onstage next year, no longer a light heavyweight, but a legitimate heavyweight contender. There is no off season for those of us who look to bodybuilding as a lifestyle, no pizza and junk food binges after months of deprivation. For us it is about health, balance and the understanding that such tools on your side do indeed make you unbeatable. Thank you, Jay, not only for helping inspire so many others but also for inspiring me as well.

NYC Personal Trainer Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City, a lifetime drug free bodybuilding champion and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™. His unorthodox 10 minute workouts have been helping people get get better results in less time for the past 19 years! Get a copy of his free weight loss e-book here!

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 10 minute workouts, bodybuilding, naturally intense

 
This is something posted over at the MYSPACE FITNESS & MUSCLE GROUP in response to the question, “What is the most annoying question that I have ever been asked as a bodybuilder and personal trainer?” Well, unfortunately, I have quite a list and I am always amazed that people actually say these things! Don’t get me wrong, I do truly enjoy talking about what I do and have been known to spend hours upon hours answering questions from complete strangers on everything from how a ten minute workout can really get you in shape (I get that one a lot for some reason) to general questions on dieting, training  and losing weight. (If you ever see me in the street, please don’t hesitate to stop me and say “hi!” and if you have a question, ask away, I am always happy to help out!) On the other hand, however some people do ask some really silly (and sometimes inappropriate things that I won’t bore you with here), and so here they are in no particular order of annoyance, along with the responses that I sometimes say or just think to say in my head (it depends on my mood- but most times I just think it). People liked the original post so much that I even gave some second thought to a return to the comedy stage…Anyway I hope enjoy it and please feel free to leave your own comments at the end.

 
Q: “Do you lift weights?” 

A:  No my parents happened to be Greek Gods. Why do you ask?

Q: “How much do you lift?”  

A:16! 

Q: “Are you really going to lift all that weight?”

A: No, I just like to load up the bars in the gym and stand next to them while breathing really heavily. It’s how I get my cardio in, and it makes my stalker phone calls more realistic.

Q: “How long will it take me to look like you?”

A: About 30 seconds, but you will have to wear dark colours and find a way to fake the beginnings of male pattern baldness.

Q: “How can I turn fat into muscle?” 

A: You need a full moon, two live chickens (free range, mind you), four land lizards and some red paint. An advanced knowledge of alchemy would help too!

Q: “Doesn’t all that muscle slow you down?” 

A: Only when passing in front of a mirror.

Q: “How come you don’t wear clothes that show off your muscles all the time?”

A: Because it would certainly tip the super-villains off as to my secret identity.

Q: “Why don’t eat normal food?”

A: I have to watch my figure, because if I don’t, no one else will.

Q: “What is it like to live with yourself with a body like that?”

A: Actually, I don’t livwe with myself anymore. I had a huge argument and broke up with myself about four days ago and I moved out. If you don’t mind it’s still a sensitive issue and I would rather not talk about it.

Q: “Why do you still train so hard, aren’t you big enough already?”

A: No, you see my goal is to win the Mr. Universe, not the earth based one, the real one held on Cardassia, and if you have ever seen the Klingons, you’ll understand that I really need to keep up with my training. Don’t even get me started on how big the Kryptonians can be!

Q: “Did you ever follow the Atkins Diet?” 

A: No, because I never wanted to look like Dr. Atkins.

Q: “Do you only eat salads?”

A: That’s right, I have one leaf of lettuce, twice a day. If I am really feel like splurging, I’ll have three leaves!!!

Q: “What is the best way to lose 40 lbs in 24 hours?”

A: Cut off your left leg.
 

Q: “What is the best way to lose 20 lbs in a week?”

A: Easy, go to Mexico, start drinking the tap water and just watch the pounds melt away!

Q: ‘How did you get so big without using steroids?”

A: I never, ever exhale! Ever!

Q: “You know I used to look just like you when I worked out!”

A: Thanks for telling me, I really wouldn’t have known otherwise.
 

Q: “How can you look like that if you don’t take any supplements?”

A: Simple, I have this magic pendant that I wear, that not only helps me lose bodyfat and gain muscle, but it gives me the proportional strength of a soccer mom in Florida named Frida. You should get one!
 

Q: “Why do you train so hard all the time?”

A: Richard Simmons! That guy is  hitting the gym hard and might catch up to me, if I don’t watch it. I hear Dr. Phil isn’t too far behind either.

Q: “Don’t you feel strange with so many people knowing what you look like in your underwear?” 

A: You mean they weren’t kidding about using X-ray lenses in the camera for the photoshoots? I was fully clothed the whole time!

Q: “Do you really look the way that you do in the pictures?”

A: Yes but, only on weekdays at 3:34 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

Q: “With muscles like that, why don’t you get a tattoo?”

A: Great idea! Where can I get a life-sized tattoo of myself, but 2 inches taller?

Q: “What would really happen if you cheated on your diet once and had a little bit of pizza or ice-cream?”

A: Then I would have broken my promise to the tree fairies and they would take away my first born son. Can’t afford the wrath of the tree fairies! 

Q: “How come your arms are so big?”

A: Mosquitoes. My skin is really sensitive!

Q: “How come you stay in great shape all the time?”  

A: Cloning. There are actually four of us and now that you know our secret we are going to have to kill you.

Q: “Isn’t it a bit weird spending all that time doing things like bodybuilding? Why don’t you do a more normal sport.”

A: After they banned full contact cheese rolling, I had nowhere else to go. Besides it seemed like a pretty natural transition.

Q: “Are you available for bachelorette parties? I need a stripper?”

A: Absolutely, as long as you feed me and I don’t have to take off any of my clothes.

Q: “Are all those muscles really yours?”

A: Well, not exactly, it’s a suit that I got early on layaway from Modells. Two more payments of $19.99 and they are all mine!!!!
Any questions?

NYC personal trainerKevin Richardson is not leaving his day job as a health and fitness writer, personal trainer and the founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise. You can learn more about the 10 minute workouts of the Naturally Intense System at his official website at www.naturallyintense.net and be sure to get his free weight loss book here!

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bodybuilding, humor, personal training

Do Muscles Really Make Men More Attractive To Women?

Do muscles really make you more attractive?

From movies to advertisements in today’s modern media, the ideal man is almost always well built. Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone still stand out decades after the zenith of their movie careers as the epitome of masculinity, prompting millions of men to start lifting weights and in many instances drive them to extremes such as using anabolic steroids to achieve their goals. Media hype aside however, is there any real proof that having a well muscled physique makes you more attractive to the opposite sex? Interestingly enough, there actually are scientific studies out there that answer that question, though the answers might surprise you.

Our Built In Body Image Bias

As early as when they are in kindergarten, children appear to prefer males with more muscular builds over those that are naturally on the heavier side (endomorphs) or those with inherently lean and thin physiques (ectomorphs).1 Young children in general have a slight aversion towards a people that are heavyset (sorry, Santa Claus) and in one study children aged  10 to 11 years old related muscular mesomorphs as “all things good”, while attributing less favorable descriptions to ectomorphs and endomorphic body types.

Prejudices Against The Obese

Fatter children generally have a negative perception of themselves , which can lead to  a generalized negative self image.2 Negative reactions to overweight individuals are an undeniable fact of modern Western life. People that are obese are often discriminated against in obtaining life insurance, getting jobs, and gaining entrance to college education.3. As much as we might try to ignore it, such discrimination, while not coming from a place of malice or predjudice, still does create serious and almost insitutionalized problems for many. A study of 10,000 people aged 16 to 24 that spanned a seven year period found that being obese meant you were less likely to marry, more likely to have a lower income, and more likely to receive less schooling as well.4 People in this society also perceive the inability to lose weight as a character flaw, which is ironic  given that obesity is a rapidly spreading epidemic that affects almost percent of the population and that 63% of the American population is overweight and almost one third of them can be categorized as being obese.5

The Muscle Man As An Ideal Mate

Well it depends on who you are asking. Researchers found that women who saw themselves as conservative and feminine tended to favor ‘muscle men’ while more ‘liberated’ women leaned more towards thinner and more linear bodies. What was also observed was that  big women preferred big men. As interesting as these findings might be in terms of women’s ideal mate choice all these factors fall aside when researchers observed their actual choice of mate. Overwhelmingly bodies of research have shown that the best clue to a women’s favorite male physique is the type of physique belonging to the man who is ‘the most important to her at that time in her life.’6  The fact that women prefer the physique of the man that is currently important to them suggests that partners are selected for many reasons besides physical attractiveness, and that people can favor an ideal body type but still not be happy with someone that fits that ideal.

Now there are groups of women that find muscular men incredibly attractive and some go so far as to only date men that are well muscled, however they are small in number relative to the size of the female human population. I myself started out at 125 lbs and did indeed see a tremendous difference in the way I was treated by the opposite sex as I slowly transformed into a 225 lb natural bodybuilder. It was truly an interesting experience to say the least, and I do think muscles do give you the potential of a good first impression- but after that it character, personality and a host of other factors will determine one’s eligibility. It might sound strange coming from me, but I do think that men, just like their female counterparts should focus more on being themselves rather than living up to media driven ideals. The desire for a well developed body should spring from a genuine wish for self improvement and overall health, and certainly not only as a way to pick up  women. Besides, as the studies show, muscles aren’t always everything. 

References

1. Johnson & Staffieri, 1971; Learner & Gellert, 1969, Learner & Korn, 1972; Learner & Schroder1971; Staffieri, 1972.
2. Portnoy, 1993
3. Channing and Mayer, 1966
4. Gortmaker et al., 1993
5. The National Center for Health statistics
6. Beck, Ward-Hull, &McLear, 1976; Lavrakas, 1975; Pertschulk, Trisdorfer, & Allison, 1994; Wiggins & Wiggins, 1969.

Kevin Richardson is one of NYC’s most sought after personal fitness trainers, a lifetime bodybuilding champion, renowned health and fitness writer as well as the founder of the Naturallly Intense System of Diet  & Exercise. Learn more about Kevin’s unique and holistic system of body transformation at www.naturalllyintense.net

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: body mind, muscle, self image, sex appeal

Fred Sanya- Kenyan Bodybuilding Champion

I got an email from my good friend and photographer, Dennis Lee about a guy that he had met in Kenya named Fred Sanya. Fred was a Kenyan bodybuilder that was coming to America to compete in the November MuscleMania contest and Dennis asked if I could meet Fred and give him some guidance with regards to his training and diet, as where he lives in Kenya, the gym is made up of homemade weights, made from cement. More astonishingly Dennis told me that Fred was truly a sight to see in terms of his impressive muscle mass, but that he was even more impressive since he only ate one meal a day. On hearing that I knew that I had to do whatever I could to help out Fred. I had just received a letter from a bodybuilder in Benin who was in a similar situation and wanted to know if I could help him out in some way as well and I always do my best whenever I hear these stories as I know all too well what it is like to try to build a champion level physique on just one meal a day myself.

Fed Sanya Back In The Gym In Kenya

As a teenager in Trinidad, I never had enough money to afford the ideal number of meals and would struggle to eat four times a day. I actually started my career as a personal trainer at the advice of my coach as a way to get more money to buy my food. At the time I only got paid once a month so I only had enough food for about 3 weeks. For the last week (or sometimes two depending on the length of the month) I would only have enough for one main meal and as hard as it was it never stopped me from the pursuit of my goal. Hearing about Fred, I thus felt an immediate kinship and arranged to have him meet me at the 19th Street Gym, where I train and my personal training business operates.

To say that I was impressed by Fred would be a true understatement. He came in, all full of smiles with a friend of his who was helping him get around for the day and I shook the hand of this giant of a man. He stood just about six feet tall and at about 220lbs with a barrel chest and impressively wide shoulders. His physique spoke of the years of training that he had put himself through (Fred at this point has been training for over 8 years now) and that he was able to accumulate such amazing proportions eating one meal a day spoke legion to what he would accomplish in the months to come. Fred was so happy just to be here, and we sat down in the gym lobby for a while and spoke about bodybuilding, training and the difference between what it is like here in the United States and his native land in terms of the food and training equipment.

Fred Sanya At 19th Street Gym

Fred said that in his country there is so little food and the gyms are so run down that you just have to train hard and do the best that you can. Some of the competitiors in Kenya also take steroids, which Fred is dead set against using and welcomed the idea of coming to the United States to compete in drug tested contests. I sympathized with him, as when I started competing in Trinidad, there was no such thing as a drug free contest. Steroids were very much a part of the competitive landscape and my decision to not not go that route was  very difficult one, but I stood fast and was able to be competitive nonetheless.

I told Fred about another bodybuilder that also had very little access to good food at the beginning of his career, but was able to compete and build a championship level physique, my good friend, Kai Greene- who in my opinion was one of the greatest natural bodybuilders of all time, during the period that I was with him competing in the NPC. Kai and I would spend hours talking about the importance of passion, and that most people simply didn’t understand the concept of making your dreams a reality no matter what the obstacles are. Fred is a great example of just that as he never complained about what he didn’t have he just trained hard and was able to accomplish great things in the process.

Fred Shows The Champion Level Form That He Was Able To Build Drug Free!

Victor Munoz, Victor Martinez’s coach and a friend of mine walked by and I introduced him to Fred. Fred was very excited to meet the man behind one of the top IFBB pros on the circuit today and Victor shared some of his words of wisdom as well. Hailing from Cuba, he too knew what it was like to not have everything at your fingertips as it is here in the United States. He said that Fred had a lot of potential  and that he would do really well over here, but that he needed to eat clean at all times, since the food over here is plentiful, but it is really easy to start eating the wrong things. Fred was very excited to learn that Victor Martinez actually trained at the 19th Street Gym and could hardly wait to see the place.

Fred’s typical workout regime in Kenya revolved around the very basics, squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, rows curls and bench presses with not very much else. Fred trained 6 days a week twice a day (that’s not a typo) and has made tremendous gains from this remarkable regime. Some might say that his unconventional approach is not an effective one, but the proof as they say is in the pudding and Fred’s physique does indeed speak volumes for the validity of what he was doing. As someone that gained over 100lbs over the years with three fifteen to twenty minute workouts, I know for a fact that very often the unconventional can produce some unconventional results! I told Fred about my own Naturally Intense System of 10 minute workouts and he was incredulous.

“How can you work the muscles in such a short time?” he asked with a puzzled expression on his face, so I did what I always do when asked that question, I took him for a workout! Fred had also never trained in a real gym, so when we descended into the sprawling sea of iron that is the 19th Street Gym, he was dumbfounded. I reminded him that though the many machines offer a great degree of variety for many body parts, the basics of what got him to where he was in the first place should never be forgotten. He wanted to train legs and so I took him through a paces of a Naturally Intense leg workout!

Fred loved every minute of it, and after the first round of hamstring curls (which, by the way he had never done before ), clearly feeling the effects, he boomed,

“Please! We are not finished yet?”

We were not, after launching into a set of squats, verticals and calves he was barely able to walk. Total training time, 8.5 minutes and Fred looked at me with a great smile, shook my hand and said,

“Maybe I need to think about training a bit like this, I have never felt like this before!”

At this point my other clients at the gym had arrived and Fred warned them,

“Be careful with this guy, this training is no joke!”

Me & Fred Hamming It Up For The Camera!

In Fred I could really see the passion that I and so many others have over the years and I look forward to helping him and seeing him go straight to the top of the sport. I hope that his example helps inspire you and many others that you can indeed make your dreams a reality without drugs, and even without the many protein powders and supplements that are so much a part of training today. All you need is a burnign desire to succed and a real commitment to never give up, no matter what. Excelsior!

You can see more of Fred at his website at www.fredsanya.com.

 Update- 12/2/09- Congratulations to Fred Sanya on winning his class at the 2009 Musclemania and I am honored to have been able to help him with his diet and training. He truly is a champion at heart!

Kevin Richardson is a lifetime drug free bodybuilder and founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise. You can visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bodybuilder, bodybuilding, fred sanya, kai greene

Steroids In Sports Are Here To Stay! 

98% of Olympians polled in 1995 said they would use drugs if they wouldn’t be caught.

In 1995 a Chicago physician, Bob Goldman, asked 198 Olympic-level U.S. athletes whether they would be willing to take a banned substance if they were guaranteed to win and not get caught; 195 said yes. More than half of them went on to say that they would take the drug if it would enable them to win every competition for five years even if it would kill them.

As alarming as it may sound, it’s the truth and for all the hue and cry about the need to clean up the sporting arena of illegal drug use, it is really all a flimsy façade and one that has support from the highest levels downwards.
Take competitive bodybuilding for example, few people in the general public know that there are two completely different types of bodybuilding, drug tested contests- where the athletes are given either a polygraph test or their urine is tested to ensure that they are not using anabolic steroids and a list of other banned substances. Most of you probably have never seen a natural bodybuilder (besides me!) or even knew that there is a difference. (As an aside: Many make the mistake of seeing me and wondering whether or not I use drugs, but truth be told if you saw me standing next to a modern professional drug using bodybuilder there would be little question, since I would look like a anorexic girl in spite of all my 20 years of hard training and my accomplishmentes as a natural athlete!)

Steroids In Sports: The Public Side Of Steroid Use- Professional Bodybuilding

Yes, there is another other side of the coin, and the more popular version by far are the non drug tested shows. It might surprise you to learn that these are the bodybuilders that grace the covers of the muscle magazines (natural bodybuilding has its own magazine as well, but its readership is negligible when compared to the millions of reader of their drug using counterparts). The bodybuilders you occasionally see on television use steroids, as do the ones that cross over to the film industry- a certain California governor included.
These images of men and women inflated to almost comic book like proportions are what most people think of when they hear the word ‘bodybuilder’. Sadly for women in general, female drug bodybuilding, which essentially will masculinize the bodies of women using steroids has made most women shy away from the idea of lifting weights, as the misconception is there that they will end up looking like some of the girls with masculine features. This isn’t true, but since there is no real movement to define to the general public what a drug user looks like and what a natural athlete looks like, it is hard for them to think any other way.

Both Are Hard Training Top Female Bodybuilders- One Competes In Drug Tested Contests & One Doesn't. See Any Difference?

 Now some may say that steroids are harmless when taken in moderate doses over a short period of time, but the fact of the matter is that to attain the size and definition required to stand on a national stage as a competitive male bodybuilder, you will need to use a combination of several different anabolic steroids, in addition to human growth hormone, insulin (yes, that’s right, insulin is  major part of the bodybuilder chemistry set) and diuretics. In the good Governor’s time, steroid use was rampant as well, but the doses were lower and even then the amounts that they used to look the way they did would be considered insane by clinical standards. As time went on, more and more athletes tried to push the envelope of inhuman size and definition and so more and more drugs kept being added to the cocktail.

Steroids In Sports- Professional Athlete or Professional Drug User?

Today’s professional bodybuilder can spend anywhere from $30,000 to as much as $100,000 or more to look the way they do. They don’t follow pristine diets and try to live as in as healthy a manner as possible, that is a myth that is used to sell magazines and questionable supplements, the bottom line is getting as big and as fat free as possible. Nothing else matters and to be honest, most of them eat no different from the way the general public does in terms of junk food and the like in the offseason.
Is it glamorous? Yes and no. The fan base, (small though it may be as the male athletes are now far too big to appeal to the tastes of most people in the general public and the female athletes are simply too scary for mainstream media to even look at) does exist and if you are at the very top of the sport you may be able to make some money from endorsements and guest appearances but there is a downside. At those doses, your life is pretty much centered around eating, sleeping and training and there is really no way for you to do the things that most people do. Climbing a flight of stairs at over 300lbs isn’t easy when nature would have had you at 175 lbs and I can tell you from personal experience as one that has worked with many of them, that the experience is pure misery.
From abscesses, to muscle tears, to strange fevers, the pain of the site injections, loss of energy, sex drive and so much more make up the lives of many of the athletes touted by many as the ultimate in human physical perfection. The numerous trips to the E.R. as well aren’t covered in the magazines, only when one of the troupe is unfortunate enough to die as a result of their use- at which point the industry as a whole is first to say that there is no proof that their drug use caused their death. As one that has worked with addicts over the past 14 years the similarities are considerable-  but at the end of the day, a professional bodybuilder today is really a professional drug user, and given the inability of so many of them to be able to stop- and the overall behavior, and culture as a whole, I would say professional addict.

Government Policy Towards Steroid In Sports 

Now, what does this have to do with sports, as bodybuilding is a fringe activity at best? Simple, if the most blatant use of drugs is not stopped by either the government or the upper echelon of the sport, why would they devote their time to stopping athletes whose use is almost undetectable to the average human eye? Take baseball for example. People pay money to see athletes throw the ball faster and hit the ball harder than they ever could. Mediocrity doesn’t sell, but record breaking performance does. The same applies for everything from boxing to American football to a host of other sports. In many cases, steroids are used in small amounts to help recovery so they can train more often and get better at what they do, or to help injuries heal faster- steroids are fantastic anti-inflammatory drugs. They don’t take drugs to the degree that say the bodybuilder does, nor do they train and consume an inhuman amount of food they way a bodybuilder would, so they don’t ‘jacked up’ as one would say. The crowd loves a winner and if you recall the statement by the Olympians at the top of the post that they would use drugs if they were sure they wouldn’t get caught, what would stop the boxer, baseball player or any other sportsman from thinking the same way?
Add to it the insane amounts of many given to athletes based on their performance and I would go out on a limb and say that over 90% of every sports fan would use drugs if it would make them able to play their game better and allow them to rake in millions of dollars. Wouldn’t you at least consider it? Especially since the amounts that are used in most sports are really not that much and are under the supervision of a physician in most cases? Be honest and you will find that the immorality of steroid use that the media portrays is nothing more than typical human behaviors. The powers that be know that their athletes are using drugs, but they also know that the crowd loves what they do and that they are making them very wealthy- thus there is no real incentive to put real testing in place. When an athlete is past their prime and the government and or media is on their backs they might ‘find’ a positive test or two from some of their athletes that happen to be on their way out of the game anyway- but those tests are almost always several years old. Why the delay? I will let you figure that our yourself.

The Governor Of California Is The Main Sponsor Of The Biggest Steroid Show In The World

Getting back to bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger did  a lot to influence so many impressionable young men to get into bodybuilding, and as they went on I the pursuit of looking like him many learned that Arnold had a little help and so got a little help of their own. Arnold Schwarzenegger almost single handedly made the steroid look publicly acceptable. He admitted his use very early on, and yet today as governor fo California and chief law enforcement officer of the state, he still sponsors and lends his name to the biggest convention of steroid users in the world, the Arnold Classic. A weekend of bodybuilding and other sports that the good Governor always attends. Do you really think that in a country where the Chief Officer of a state lends his name and image to a steroid rally that stopping drug use is a real priority. Perhaps more importantly, in a world where athletes make millions, we overlook the small detail that the team owners and sports officials that run and manage the games make billions, and that they are not going to give up their income anytime soon. Most telling is our own attitudes. We are a nation of winners, of great performers and we love our sportsmen to be the best. Add that to the thoughts of a young and upcoming teen athlete and his or her coach and you should understand that the drugs are not going anywhere unless we all change as a people.

Kevin Richardson is a lifetime drug free bodybuilder and founder of the Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise. You can visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: arnold schwartzennegger, female bodybuilder, female bodybuilding, steroids, steroids in sports

In a word, no, but there are some inherent dangers to any type of exercise. All new clients have to sign a waiver freeing me and any agent of Naturally Intense Personal Training NYC from any liability due to the fact that it does indeed have some degree of risk and many have the idea that weight training does lead to injuries. I can say however that in seventeen years of training literally hundreds of clients, I have only seen perhaps two or three injuries sustained in the gym and all as a result of them doing something that they were not supposed to do.

Now you can seriously injure yourself in a gym if you do not know what you are doing, but that is why it is so important to have a good and experienced personal trainer. As a trainer, it is my job to make sure that you get the workout that will give you the results you need without any injury, very much as a pilot works to carry you from place to place safely while strapped in to several thousand pounds of metal moving at almost the speed of sound. It sounds scary, but it really is pretty safe.

Contrast a properly executed weight training program with running, aerobics machine workouts or classes and you will see a huge difference in jury risk. You are almost guaranteed to suffer an overuse injury over time doing those types of repetitive movements whereas the variety and flexibility that a good trainer can offer can ensure an individualized program designed to not only prevent injuries, but strengthen your body to reduce the likelihood of their occurrence at the same time. Think about it, when you get injured, the rehabilitation exercises to get you back on your feet involve weights not aerobic type movements.
Warmest regards,
Kevin Richardson
Founder, Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™
Naturally Intense Personal Training  NYC
www.naturallyintense.net

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By pounding steel in fire it becomes strong, by lifting steel to the point where it produces a fire in our muscles, we too become strong.

Warmest regards,
Kevin Richardson
Founder, Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™
Naturally Intense Personal Training NYC
www.naturallyintense.net

© KevinRichardson for Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™ Health & Fitness Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: inspiration

The worst thing to say is that I want to look like this person or that person. In doing so you limit yourself to being only as excellent as they may be and in so doing prevent yourself from realizing a higher level of accomplishment that you never knew possible. One that far surpasses that of whom you admire. Let others be guides, not goals.

Warmest regards,

Kevin Richardson

Founder, Naturally Intense System of Diet & Exercise™

Naturally Intense Personal Training NYC

www.naturallyintense.net

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Post tags: body type, self image, training