I feel lately I’ve been stuck on a motivating spree! I’m still there! Here’s why!
Whether you come to the gym to superset, drop set, work negatives, or do agility’s, there is one key component! Your at the gym!

You could take a VERY simple program a couple times per week and work it for multiple weeks, even months at a time and get results!

For example: Simple Yet Effective-

DB row                      5X8/12
Squats                      5X8/12
DB Chest press      5X8/12
Military Press          5X8/12
Leg Press                5X12/15
Dead lifts                 5X8/12

There is a total of 6 exercises. If you just did those drills, fairly heavy, at a fairly quick pace, and gradually tried to up your weight. You would see results!

This is why I feel the ‘blog’ to get you in the gym far out weighs the blog relaying a 16 part circuit! Now don’t get me wrong, that routine may get stale quicker than mixing it up, but it will get you a STRONG base and a firmer body! I’m as guilty as any for thinking up elaborate routines and changing it up but this is due to not many days passing that I don’t train 2X. People enjoy variety! Variety keeps things fresh! Just don’t loose to much focus on the primary goal with your elaborate superset! Spend your energy on major muscles! The minors will catch a beating along the way!

If you don’t workout on the reg, most training will help you! Ask yourself at the end of each day, “Did I do everything I could today to be productive?”  “Did I improve?”  “Eat clean?”  “Leave it all at the gym?” Imagine if you got smarter, stronger, more confident every single day! By the weekend you’ve had a huge week! End of the month, things are changing! End of the year….. You’ve changed the game!

Keep it simple. Keep it easy! #feettothefloorasstothegym

Ben Humphrey
Mind+Muscle Athlete
Owner/Lead Trainer
West Chester Fitness Club

Fitness Model in the Making- NLA for Her Product Review

BIG thanks to my sponsor, Mind + Muscle.com for hooking me up with this line to sample! I finally found a product line that I have tried and LOVE! It is specifically formulated for women (even though my husband loves the Her Whey Chocolate Éclair protein probably as much as I do) and works great! As a fitness competitor, I have tried all sorts of products out there and I was happily surprised with this one so I decided to write a review for all you ladies out there! Here is my review of each of the products:

Uplift: Raspberry Lemonade Preworkout. What I loved about this product is that it tastes amazing and there were no jitters or crash. Gave me the energy I needed to power through my workouts while on a strict pre-competition training schedule. Most preworkouts I have tried either have harsh stimulants that make me crash and/or taste terrible. Uplift is clean energy without all the crap and doesn’t leave a nasty aftertaste in my mouth. I take the maximum dosage (3 scoops) to get the desired energy I need but I would recommend starting at one scoop to gauge your sensitivity.

Her Aminos: BCAA Supplement- This has become an absolute staple in my routine. One of the best tasting BCAA’s I’ve tried. I recommend supplementing with this for all of my clients! I like to drink these during my workouts to help increase muscle endurance and after to aid in recovery.

Her Whey: Chocolate Eclair recovery protein- HANDS DOWN the best tasting protein I have ever tried! Mixes very well and works great in recipes. I literally add it to everything from coffee, oatmeal, protein pancakes shakes and yogurt. If I needed a sweet fix, this was my go-to while in competition prep. It felt like I was cheating on my plan and I never feel unsatisfied. Oh and did I mention its SUGAR FREE and Gluten Free! Macros are as follows 225 calories, 7g fat, 4g carbs, 28g protein. One thing I really like is that it contains more healthy fats than a lot of other proteins out there. If you are still scared by seeing that number, look up MCT’s and the benefits and you will be looking for ways to incorporate this into your diet! I promise! Its protein blend is that of Isolate and Micellar Caseinate, so you fuel your muscles instantly and will continue to feed them for hours. And not sure I mentioned how AMAZING it tastes!! Seriously! See below for my Her Whey PB & J Protein Pancakes Recipe!

Shred Her: All-natural thermogenic fat burner. What I loved about Shred Her was that it didn’t give me the jitters or make me feel nauseous on an empty stomach like a lot of fat burners do with harsh stimulants.  Although I doubled the dose (I always took 2) first thing in the morning before my workout, I still never felt any jitters from this. A lot of women are very cautious about what they are putting in their bodies and I love that this is all natural. I used this before my last competition and saw great results in fat loss.

My Overall Rating of NLA for Her supplement line?

10/10! I think they hit the nail on the head on this one! Highly recommend it to everyone! You wont be disappointed.

Can’t wait to get some home yourself? ORDER IT HERE

Her Whey PB& J Protein Pancakes-

Combine:
1/3 cup oatmeal dry
1.5 scoop chocolate eclair protein
3 egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp PB2
3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp stevia

Mix until smooth. Fry in pan about 60 seconds each side.

Top with PB 2 mixed with water and for jelly put 3 strawberries and 10 raspberries in microwave for 30 seconds and mash. Enjoy!

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There is some scientific evidence behind this theory as well!  Here’s a simple one. Stress, which comes with a negative mindset helps with the production of cortisol!  Cortisol will help you do things like store fat!  So you see they all go hand in hand! Be a positive thinker! A go getter!  AND all will be swell!

Fitness Made Easy is a collaboration of thoughts I put together to help assist your fitness journey.  However, for most, Fitness is NOT easy!  It is a physical and mental roller coaster that will significantly improve your quality of life or send you spiraling down a mental super slide leaving you wondering, ” what must I do!” I find the most evidence of progress in consistency!  Working out hard, fairly heavy, and often! Go too hard…..INJURY… Go to light or to easy…. small results! A perfect mix is necessary.  Very few know the perfect mix!  That’s why a good personal trainer is invaluable! A great one is Hard to find!  If you find one, stick with it!  It wont happen overnight, but good trainers, one way or another, will get you results!

Thoughts can go a long way in fitness!  If you think you can succeed you will  exercise every option to get there!  If you think you cannot, those options will never appear in your thoughts!
If your looking to get ‘BIG’ your gonna need to eat big!  Simply lifting huge weights is not going to get it done!  If your trying to get shredded you will also need to eat accordingly!  Every person and every ‘body’ is different!  Some respond better to different types of nutrition!  Some have food restrictions, allergies, etc. Through trial and error is the only way I see that you can accurately find what works for you!  Just the fact of switching things up will help you alone!

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN EATING HEALTHY AND EATING TO GET SHREDDED! Perfect example…… Orange Juice!  Your homework…. Look up the nutritional facts of orange juice and tell me why it wont help you get shredded!  It will keep you healthy but in all cases healthy is not shredded!  There are quite a few fruits out there that act in the same manner!   A banana for example has more sugar than a pack of Reese Cups! It also carries 51 carbs!  CARBS on that note are not the enemy! That is one of the biggest misconceptions in fitness! You just have to know how to use them!  The more you workout, the more carbs will help you, the more you’ll NEED! Get educated! Anyone can act as their own nutritionist.  In my opinion, one of the easiest ways is to calculate your macros. ( there are many calculators available online )
Type macro-nutrient calculator and load your information.
From there you simply fill in the blanks!  Start plugging in different food combinations to hit your numbers!  This will allow you to have more variety in your eating, IF you like variety. It will also allow you to set a simple everyday plan that will not raise questions! I do believe that adding variety will make it easier to stick to your plan! The less we get bored… the less we look around for something else!

Hopefully all of you follow my wife Jesses blog on the other side of M+M. She posts some great recipes and motivation as well.

Maybe you’ve got the idea that I’m a firm believer in trainers! If your looking for one here’s another piece of advice! Trainers are people too! (Most of them)

Watch one for a few weeks! Do you see them practicing what they preach? Do their motivation levels change!? I whole heartedly believe in never asking someone to do something that I can’t do! No trainer should! That’s why I bust my ass in the gym so I can EXPECT you to do the same!

THINK BIG

 

Ben

Now follow me on twitter please

@benhumphrey28 #knownolimits

It has taken me a long time to realize that if you are in pain, struggling with something, depressed, overweight, not satisfied, whatever it may be… NO ONE is going to magically make this better for you! Stop looking for other people to fix your problems! Stop looking for other people to take action, to make you feel prettier, skinnier, happier, wealthier, whatever! It will never happen! The world doesn’t owe you anything! Stop feeling like you are somehow entitled to something! YOU ARE NOT! You have to go out there and make it yourself!  If you keep looking outside of yourself for validation, you will never get it. Stop using your current situation or ailments as a crutch! NO ONE CARES! I am guilty of this myself but at least I feel that now I am able to recognize it and adjust my thinking to get back on track. You have to tell yourself that YOU are the only one with the control to make a difference.  YOU are the one who decides if you are happy or sad, angry or encouraged.

I realized I am mostly guilty of this with my husband and today when I was feeling unmotivated, I was literally waiting for him to say something to magically snap me out of it. And for one, he is a man…not a mind reader. For all he knows, everything was peachy keen.  And two, even if he said all of the right things…I would still be in the same place. Yes, it’s nice to hear but it doesn’t fix the problem. It’s like putting band aids on a gunshot wound! And you’re the one holding the gun!

I hear it all the time…excuses of lack of time, money, health, knowledge, motivation, blah blah blah! All of these excuses are just ammo fueling your destructive behavior and holding your true potential and happiness hostage. Don’t hold yourself captive in your own body! What a miserable life to live! Look inside of yourself, not outside for your own approval to be happy. I used to look outside of me for someone to make it all better, to take the lead, thinking that somehow all the circumstances would be perfect in due time. Well, here’s a news flash…Life isn’t perfect, no one else will take initiative to change you and the circumstances will never be right to get in shape, ask for that raise, or change your diet. Your time is now! It is all that is guaranteed and there will ALWAYS be excuses if you look for them!

Change your mind. Change your life. Are you ready?

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@mindandmuscle

The goal of this last competition was to place Top 3 in order to qualify to compete at Nationals in November. I set my goal at that number three spot hoping that I could at least make it to third. I had already done two other competitions within a two month time frame and I knew that if I didn’t get Top 3 here my chances of qualifying in 2013 were slim as my body needed a break from competing. I felt a lot of pressure going into this as my husband was already qualified and I wanted to continue our competition season together. My class is always the largest so I knew that the competition would be tough. With two other competitions now under my belt, I felt a little more comfortable on stage but I had yet to walk out with an individual presentation as the Arnold and the Northern both judged in us groups. But this was my time to shine, my moment to stand out, and I wasn’t about to fall unnoticed. My motto going into this competition was this “Be so good they can’t ignore you!” I said it to myself over and over and when I walked out on that stage… I owned it!

And IT WORKED! I won first place in my class! Completely blown away and surprised (I was literally hyperventilating backstage) I made it to the finals where the winners of each class compete for the overall bikini champion. I set out to do what I wanted, and that was to qualify and I did! At the overall finals judging, I couldn’t believe I was still standing there. I finally felt like all my hard work paid off. When they called my name as the Overall Bikini Champion I absolutely couldn’t believe it was real life! Although the Cincinnati Natural is a fairly small show, I felt an extreme sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that I won at the oldest and longest running bodybuilding show in the world. My husband, Ben, who also competed took first in his class as well! It was a big day for Team WCFC! We both took the stage as Mind and Muscle Sponsored Athletes, and walked off stage as PROOF that with the right people behind you, a lot of hard work, dedication and an unwavering will to succeed, you can do anything!

Next on the agenda…Nationals! Bringing a whole other level of competition…the best of the best! The next sixth months, I am going to be focusing on building more muscle and perfecting every curve and fine tuning every detail. OPERATION GO PRO is under way!! Make sure to follow me on my journey to Nationals with MindandMuscle.com!

With all that being said, I have to give a HUGE thanks to the following: Mind and Muscle.com for sponsoring me, providing the BEST supplements out there and the continued support throughout this journey. Mind and Muscle.com makes CHAMPIONS! Period! My husband/trainer/fellow competitor, Ben Humphrey. Without him, none of this would’ve been possible… and definitely not as fun. Love you babe. Ripple Swimwear for making me a winning suit!  Endless Summer Tanning for the picture perfect tan! My second home, West Chester Fitness Club! And all of my family, friends and supporters out there… THANK YOU!

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]]> http://mindandmuscle.net/blogs/fitness-model-in-the-making-one-step-closer/feed/ 0 http://mindandmuscle.net/blogs/fitness-model-in-the-making-betty-freaking-crocker/ http://mindandmuscle.net/blogs/fitness-model-in-the-making-betty-freaking-crocker/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:49:48 +0000 Jesse Humphrey http://mindandmuscle.net/blogs/?p=1403 So with competition season in full swing and a year of eating a pretty regimented diet I have stumbled across a new hobby…Cooking! Yeah, I know, who would have thought? I heard a quote once that said “Not every chef is a body builder, but every bodybuilder is a chef!” And that pretty much hits the nail on the head. When you get used to eating the same thing day in and day out, you have to find ways to spice it up and keep it interesting or you will be more tempted to cheat or to give up. I find new ways to incorporate different flavors into my meals that make it seem like I’m cheating! The hardest part for most people isn’t the working out, it’s the diet. They think that they will have to give up flavor to get ripped. And that is simply NOT TRUE! You can absolutely eat clean and still be eating for your goals. Its taken me a while now to find the best tasting and healthiest protein powders to cook with as well as seasonings but now I have my staples that I use everyday! (I will share these staples in future posts)  And all of my meals taste GOOD! I eat protein pancakes, pudding, cakes, muffins, and cookies all the time that are CLEAN! It is possible and does NOT require a lot of time! Stay committed!

I will be posting a recipe from time to time in my blogs so make sure to stay tuned. These are amazing! TRY THEM! And let me know how you like them. I want to hear from you!

If you have a sweet tooth, these Protein No-Bake Cookies are great, especially post-work out or for a quick protein-rich snack. And if you are one of those people who says “I don’t have time to cook or prep my meals!” These took me less than 10 minutes to make! Stop making excuses. If you don’t make time in your life for the things that are most important, you will ultimately have to find time to be sick…and FAT! Your choice!

Next week I will share my PB and Jelly Protein Pancake Recipe!

TRAIN HARD, LOVE HARDER. EAT CLEAN and LIVE LIFE Fit.

Recipe #1: PB Chocolate Protein No-Bake Cookies

(makes around 12 depending on how big you make them)

Mix:
1cup oatmeal (prepare as directed)
1.5 scoops chocolate or vanilla whey protein (I used NLA HerWhey Chocolate Éclair- best protein EVER! Get it here)
2 Tbsp natural Peanut Butter
Few drops vanilla creme Stevia
2 Tbsp unsweetened chocolate almond milk (if added liquid is needed)

Topped with one natural dark chocolate chip per cookie.

Form (should be a doughy consistency) and place in freezer overnight.

Enjoy!

For more fitness/nutrition tips and motivation-

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Symptoms

Symptoms of depression include emotional withdrawal from friends and usual activities, moodiness, crying, changes in appetite and weight, feelings of anxiety and sadness, a decrease in sex drive and feelings of anger. Indecision, fatigue and a lack of concentration are additional symptoms of depression.

Do I think im depressed? I don’t know. But sadly, I seem to encompass most of these symptoms after a show. Some days it is hard to find the motivation to keep going. Right after my first show, I found this to be the case. I have worked my ass off for months to get the body I had for one weekend. After the show was over, you treat yourself even slightly and BOOM you’ve gained 8 lbs in a matter of days! Now tell me that isn’t a little disheartening? All the hours of weights and cardio and food prep gone in a matter of a weekend. But this goes back to the point – Fitness is not a destination…. IT’S A LIFESTYLE! Once you get the body you want you have to work to maintain it. And even harder to continue to improve it and break through the plateaus. Fitness competitors are on a roller coaster of physical, emotional and mental ups and downs. With another competition just days away from the first, I struggled to hold it together.

The day of, when all the pictures are taken, your body is so deprived of water and carbs that every little muscle and vein is popping. After the show, for the next couple of days, you willingly enjoy the beer and pizza and chocolate that you have deprived yourself of for so long, and you enjoy every single fucking calorie! But then what? You body absorbs the water and calories and all of a sudden all of your definition has deceased, your 6 pack abs have packed their bags, and your body looks …soft.

Once you decide to become a fitness competitor, you are pushed day in and day out, to be perfect. Eat perfect, train perfect, pose perfect, look perfect, and do it all with a giant cheesy smile on your face. You are not allowed to break or show weakness because as soon as you do, people start questioning if you can do it or if it makes you happy. The weeks and months leading up to a show, that goal of perfection pushes you every day to get up before the sun rises, fit in that extra cardio session, lift that extra rep, portion, weigh and pack your meals, practice your poses, and follow your routine to a T.

I saw this in an article on competitive body building obsessions recently and was surprised how well it seemed to fit:
“A competitive bodybuilder typically lives the sport. You don’t leave it at the gym, you don’t put it back in the bag like a golf club. We aren’t judged by typical sport criteria, we are judged by our appearance. While the general population is concerned with appearance, we are obsessed with it. Modern psychology has coined a term to describe what can only be viewed as anorexia in reverse. Muscle dysmorphia (bigorexia). People with this condition feel physically inadequate. Regardless of their physical stature they feel small. Some will resort to wearing baggy clothes to cover their perceived inadequacy, many will resort to steroids, and some will become reclusive.”

In the weeks and months leading up to a show, you start changing your lifestyle around. Suddenly, on Friday nights, instead of meeting up with friends for some drinks or going out for dinner and a movie with your significant other, you are finishing up your cardio and heading to bed by 8pm. Instead of attending family get-togethers and parties, you are home cooking and measuring out your meals for the week, making up some excuse like “oh I’m not feeling well” as a way to get out of having to go to an alcohol and junk food filled bonanza, for risk of temptation. Instead of enjoying your meals, you eat because you have to. It’s not for fun, it’s for fuel. I literally stared at the clock waiting for my next meal. You drink water and black coffee, not because you enjoy it, but because you HAVE to. You gladly choke down plain chicken/fish and steamed broccoli, spending hours upon hours at the gym, and all around, your life becomes a routine.  Day in and day out, it’s the same thing. Spontaneity is out of the question. And your friends, family and coworkers all think you are crazy… “live a little!” they will say while enjoying a beer at the company happy hour, “I feel sorry for you…Life’s too short to deprive yourself.”

So, why would I be willing to put myself through this? For 15 minutes on stage, all greased up, made up, with a number on my side being compared to other women sticking their butts out, winking and flipping their hair? Is it really worth it?

Every time I look in the mirror and can see new muscle definition or my pants fit just a little bit better… its worth it! When you see your before and after photos…its worth it! When you know that you stronger than you have ever been and you have molded your body into the best shape of your life…its worth it! When you can say you know true discipline and sacrifice and you know what you are capable of… its worth it! When you inspire others to take the initiative to better their lives…ITS SO WORTH IT!

This obsession has taken over my life. Even though I not a huge fan of the actual competition part of the journey I still am obsessed with the results. I am convinced the more I get on stage, the more I will enjoy it, so I keep pushing through. With having a background in modeling and runway, I am sure that once I get used to the spray tan and cheese-factor, I will learn to enjoy it. I am determined to make my own niche in the industry. I refuse to follow norms. I will have my own walk, pose and body and I WILL ROCK IT. I refuse to be like all the others girls. And I will be so good that they can’t ignore me. All the negativity, depressing feelings, and excuses I mentioned above will only fuel me going forward. I refuse to let it stop me. After all, I have proven that I am stronger than I think. I have proven that I can do anything I set my mind to. I have a history of victory, no matter which way you look at it, I am still here. And better than I was before.  Sometimes I get so consumed in improving my body that I have to stop and ask myself why I am doing this. And ultimately, my first goal is my health. The second is to inspire other women, to show them the true meaning of beauty and strength…that it doesn’t come in a size 0 and it doesn’t come from giving up. It comes from being a pioneer and making your own path. Not by following society or industry “norms.” It doesn’t come from trophies, it comes from testimonies. It doesn’t come from victories, it comes from battles. True strength is born from weakness, developed through trials and is fueled by faith.

But I will also say this- It is common for athletes to feel down post competition. In my opinion, all fitness junkies are a little “fucked up in the head”. After months of being pushed to be perfect, all of a sudden, we aren’t perfect, and that is hard to accept. It is hard to accept anything less than perfect on a day-to-day basis when we have an image in our heads as to what our body is “supposed” to look like. It is extremely hard to push away the feelings of guilt and shame when we eat something sweet or skip a workout. That’s why its important to have a post-show plan. Yes, you should have a cheat meal after your competition. You deserve it, but don’t go overboard! You will only make yourself sick and you don’t want to undo all the hard work you have put in. I learned my lesson after the first show. The second show was a lot easier to bounce back from once I had a plan in place. Remember to pack your meals for the day of and day after a show. Its easier to stick to a plan if you are prepared.  And here are some tips to help you fight the PCD:

1.  Avoid bingeing for periods longer than 24 hrs after the competition.
2.  Drink at least 1-2 gallons of water the next day.
3.  Continue eating 6-8 clean meals a day, maintaining a high protein intake, as well as moderate complex carbs and healthy fats.
4.  Continue your strength training.
5.  Don’t cut cardio cold turkey- Continue with your routine but cut down the intensity and duration about 1/3.
6.  Begin to cycle off your supplements.

7.  Enjoy in moderation.  A dessert or treat once in a while is acceptable. (I like to have a cheat MEAL a week)

8.  Focus on your next competition goals.
9.  Do not fixate on your body 24/7.  There are more things to life besides competing, dieting and training.  Enjoy time with loved ones and pursue other hobbies.
10.  Give your body a week to recover and rest.
11.  Don’t weigh yourself daily and do not over-analyze your body in the mirror everyday.

12.  Surround yourself with positive people. Do not surround yourself with people who will bring you down and back to your old habits.

13. Consistency is key- in training, diet and most importantly your attitude. I struggle with this one the most but I realized the hardest part about this whole thing is staying consistently self-motivating and positive in your attitude. If this lacks, I guarantee that your training and diet will also lack.

That’s all I’ve got for you right now. Look for me on stage at the “C” April 13^th! Any questions, comments or feedback is always welcomed! Thanks for following!

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You may notice sometimes I write in slang, sling out my opinions like a disc golfer, and tell you how (I think) it is! That’s basically what I do here! 99% of what I tell is fitness for that’s what your here for! I’m going to start adding in exercises/videos/’how to’s, to possibly assist you getting ripped! I think it’s important to remind you that I love this journey with you! I always appreciate a credible source and often need reaffirmed. So I tell you a bit about my fitness to keep you conscious of where, ‘my heads at.’ The mental aspect of fitness and life will make or break you!

Jesse (my wife) and I  (I know, I’m insanely lucky!) are right smack in the middle of our first real competition season. Talk about mental!… In the last three weeks or so we competed in the Arnold Classic and NPC Northern Kentucky Championships. You probably don’t need me to tell you how strict one must be on their nutrition and workouts, OR that all you’ve worked for, for months may leave you with a ‘nice job’ so I won’t. Ill tell you that it’s given me a new perspective on just how mentally challenging fitness is! I’ve achieved bringing my body fat down under 3% while maintaining a large amount of muscle mass and keeping weight at an appropriate level. I’m 6’4 and fluctuate between 200-225 lbs. My last two shows I’ve competed at an average of 205 lbs and 3.4% body fat.

This has earned me a 10th place of 67 and last night a 4th of 46. These numbers are broken down into fair classes based on height. My goal was to qualify for nationals which took a top 5 finish, so that mission is a go. BUT, who competes to tell people about 4th place!? MAN, I really hope I finish 4th. NOT. For someone that lives and strives for perfection this creates a itch that I MUST scratch! I can be better. This leaves room for improvement! We all have it. Sometimes just need it highlighted! Mine has been!

Mentally prepare for your JOURNEY!
Your fitness is never over! Say you do reach the absolute perfect physique! Well now you have to keep it! It never ends! That’s why your fitness level, goals, and approach should be reasonable! I can and will maintain a competition physique! It’s in my blood! That is not ideal for most! Set goals that are achievable and maintainable! I have already started to evaluate my routines the VERY NEXT DAY! How can I improve? Back to…

THE NEED TO SUCCEED!

These shows have been HUGE! Hundreds and hundreds of athletes from all over the world!! It’s refreshing to step back into competition!

I am a former Tampa Bay Ray baseball player. I played upwards of two years with the Rays and three years pro. Was drafted two times and have lived to defy odds. Just my style. Getting on stage in front of 100′s of people staring and critiquing your physique is nerve-racking! Like anything else the more you do it the easier but sheeesh!

I’ve been asked to hit a small ball traveling 95 miles an hour in front of 10,000 people and it has NOTHING on getting on stage!! I like this!! CHALLENGE accepted! My next stops are solely Pro Qualifiers and Nationals. I set out to go pro. I’ve got some experience, now it’s time to #raisethebar. This week mentally challenge yourself! Set up a manageable addition to your program and GO AFTER IT! If your working out on the reg and not changing, change something! I want to THANK mindandmuscle.net and the men behind M+M again for supporting me through this journey for I couldn’t do it without them!

You must decide what you want more! I hear a lot of negativity surrounding the gym! Is that all you do? Live a little? Have a drink! How about dessert? You dont spend time with us? Your vane! Your a meathead! OH, you lift weights, ugh. These statements fuel our fire!  Yes, I lift! No I don’t drink! Yes I’ll hang out with you, but lets do something that suites the both of us! I don’t run the streets late at night because I wake up early to start my day strong! Fitness lifestyles are not the norm! This makes them subject to criticism!  IGNORE THE HATERS! The more ‘haters’ you have, the better job your doing!

My wife recently brought an article out of Sports Illustrated to my attention.  This guy was bashing what he saw at the Arnold Classic.  A sporting event that brings athletes from all over the world.  Hundreds of athletes that condition their bodies to be the very best they can be. Your going to bash this? To start 99% of these people could snap you with their fingers! Ignorant!  He said,”he was an occasional runner!” To me it sounds like he may occasionally ride a tricycle too. I just don’t understand how you could bash an event that not only brings 50 million plus to the capital of Ohio, but inspires people to be a better version of themselves!? Not to mention what I mentioned earlier.  Now say half the folks saw that article.  This man now has say 500 athletes world wide that would like to get a piece of his “occasionally running” ass! AGAIN, this was in Sports Illustrated!!!!!  Oh well! Haters are gonna hate right?! I may send him a letter inviting him into my gym for a workout!

PS> To all of you that came out to the Mind+Muscle Booth at the Arnold.  THANK YOU!! We did very well! I placed 10th of 67.  Hitting the stage again this weekend at the NPC Northern, National Qualifier in Northern Ky!  Train Hard. Live Strong. And have a good week my friends! REMEMBER THE NEED! POSSESS THE NEED TO SUCCEED AND YOU WILL FIND A WAY!

Ben

If I could give any advice to someone considering competing in a fitness competition or even just starting a weight loss journey it is this…#1 LOVE YOURSELF FIRST!  Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth. #2 Don’t give up! Your mind will quit a thousand times before your body will. Step outside of your comfort zone and you WILL see results. Period! #3 And you cannot out train a bad diet! Here’s my proof (See picture below) clean eating and consistent training works. (taken 4 months apart…if you’re wondering about the tattoos, the after photo was taken in the mirror so its on the other side).

So with all that being said, I hope to see you all at the Arnold this year. Ben and I will be at the Mind and Muscle Booth when we are not on stage. I will also be representing Ripple Swimwear and Makeup by JessicaLyn. Make sure to stop by and meet us in person and check out all the amazing supplements that helped get our bodies stage ready.

As always, thank you for all the support! If you have been following my journey this far you know that this has been very much anticipated.

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