Recent Posts by Gunshow

I have several thoughts on this topic as I am opposed to cruelty

in all of it's forms whether it be to dog's or humans(especially humans, though!)

First off we are who we grew up to be, obviously Vick was raised to not respect

life period!  Otherwise something in his brain would have said "Man I just don't

feel right doing these things or allowing these things to happen in my presence".

Growing up I found out the hard way that injuring animals for my amusement

made me sick at my stomach.  I'm talking just shooting a bird in the woods with 

B.B. gun.  My father was completely against any animal cruelty and I felt the same

way after being with friends who thought it was cool to be mean to dogs and cats.  

I distanced myself from the one's who did that sort of thing.  Now on the other

side of the coin I also am opposed to abuse/cruelty to humans.   I would like to

see some of these rapists and pedofiles get what is coming to them for sure.  

Then you have the serial killers and all the movies now that help to give them

great ideas to use on their next victim.    There is no reason other than being 

bored and complacent  to ever subject animals to that kind of cruelty.  I don't

know if Vick is guilty or not but if he run's with that crowd then what does that

say about his character anyway?  Same thing with Pacman Jones situation, maybe

he didn't do "All" of the things he's charged for but I'll bet he was involved with alot

of them and the fact that when trouble occurs he just happened to be in the vacinity.

Coincidence?  I doubt it, if you hang with scum sooner or later your going to get some

of it on you.    Well that is my .02 cents  worth, just had to get that off my chest. 

Glad to see you have a direction with your training Tony.

I am going to push forward with my goal of doing a fall show

but I am definitely interested in working in on some of your

heavy days, at least before my calorie levels dip too much.

O.K. what the heck I'll lift heavy with you anytime, it's

just too much of a temptation that I can't resist.  Maybe

with your help I can push my bench up another 25 to 50lbs this year!  

Hey the Vitamix actually made my tuna/ oatmeal shake edible so you

know it's gotta be good, right?  If anyone wants the recipe let me know......... 

Mary-Glad to hear you are thrilled with your new Vitamix!  I told you

it rocked, I have put a whole cup of oats into it for a protein shake

and it blended them up perfectly!  As for chewing up a shoe, I take

offense to that Joe as that would be considered cruelty to shoes.  

So I have an affinity towards shoes.......does that make me a freak?

Sean-  You have gotta get one same for you sleeplifter it's not just about

making it go down easier, shakes actually taste better when they are

blended up in one of these(it's all about consistency).   

Sean and Mary- Do not, I repeat do not spend your money on

anything BUT a Vitamix.  They make quite a few versions so do your

homework and decide which model suits you best, the base model will

probably work for most.  It will crush up oats so fine that you can't

even tell they're in there.  The same with ice, nails, concrete, golf balls

whatever you can come up with it'll take it and keep on humming along. 

Vitamix is the only way to go and you will never buy another blender...ever!

The catch is that they run about $300 which is steep but again how many

crappy blenders have you went through in search of a really good one that 

will not wear out and crush up oats and everything else perfectly?  I am

considering one when my current  blender goes out(which I know it will).  

I've used one extensively at the gym and it blends everything without having

to pull the lid off to stir or shake things up and then re-blend.  Do a search and

you will find plenty of links just dont buy an imitation one because nothing compares

in my opinion.  Hope this helps on your journey to 400lbs Dan.  

I like the quick oats because I mix them in with my protein

shakes for a carb source and to slow the digestion of the shake down

a bit.  The quick oats are a better choice in shakes since they are cut

into finer pieces and require less "chewing".  I also use the quick oats

as regular oatmeal and mix in a scoop of choc protein powder to keep 

me feeling full longer than a shake.   

Welcome to E'ville I'm gearing up for our arm workout brother and

the mass food consumption that will definitely follow!!!!!   I'll let you get

settled and get a few workouts in the new town under your belt before we

tackle our workout.  I've actually got to get back to business as I have been

"enjoying" life a little too much since my contest and it is time to line my diet 

out for the next show.   

Martha- You realize of course that you aren't earning any

good behavior points with comments like that!!!  Just

because your hip flexor is aggrevated doesn't mean your

workout in the morning will be any easier.  Besides I take

pride in earning a new nickname each week from my clients! 

I found a tripod at wal-mart for under $30 to be quite worth the investment 

since it made taking quality pictures very easy.   

They call me........ Jim.

Kristin- I was looking for you on saturday but it seems you had a good workout in

spite of not making it to the gym.   We'll catch up soon.

Oh and Lindsay Wagner was pretty hot in her day but I think I am going to

put my money on Martha when it comes to deserving the BIONIC WOMAN

title because she just keeps on coming back from each brutal workout I dish

out stronger than the last and asking for more!!!!  I sometimes think I hear

that distinctive "bionic" sound as Martha is doing curls!!!!! 

Jerry,

I thought I would put in my 2 cents here for what it's worth.  

I am not as experienced in this area but I found these methods helped me

quite a bit.

1.  I tried to always do a 10-15 min posing session right after my workout, my thinking was that if I could execute

and hold the poses after my workout when I am tired and depleted it should help condition me for the stage and

it did.  I didn't notice myself shaking or cramping like other athletes at my show and I definitely felt more confident

in the strength and quality of my poses.

2.  Try using your timer on the camera and taking one pic after another (start with mandatories) and then

spend a few minutes reviewing them and find out where to make adjustments to each pose then repeat.

I found this helped me tremendously vs. looking in the mirror.  Oh and don't take the pics while looking

in the mirror do it as if you were in front of the judges and can't see yourself.  Learn to hit each one by 

the feel of it and do it alot so it just becomes natural.  

3.  Be honest with yourself and find your weak areas and see how you can hide those and expose your

strong points even more.  

4.  As you are posing don't forget that you have to keep everything tight, I really had to work on that

as I wasn't as lean as my competition and needed to outpose him  to show my strengths outweighed

my lack of peak conditioning(not Joe's fault by the way, he did everything I expected and more I just

simply had more to lose and not enough time with the show I picked.)

I hope these help a little bit, nothing revolutionary but from a novice's standpoint I found these helped

me greatly, that and all the great folks on this forum(most notably Sean and Mary thanks again)!!!! 

Tony- Bring it on, as long as I get a little rest between sets the crazy stuff suits

me just fine.  I plan on pushing you just as hard when you start your prep, which

I hope will be as soon as our BFS stuff arrives!!!!!    

In the words of a favorite 70's tv show:  We can rebuild him  BIGGER,FASTER, STRONGER!!!!!

Yeah baby I'm ready to flip some tires and drag some stuff.  Maybe I'll make a sled to

hold a couple of my clients and drag them down the Lloyd a little way's.  Man I love smack

talk!!!!  Joe I too remember Earl Campbell and boy did he like to run over people.  

Sean-  I hope everything falls into place for you during your transition, I know you'll love

it down here and just think you get to train with Joe all the time, now for free!!! 

Joe- Yes I know that 70's are tiny but that is what we have for now.....

And yes I am dying to get our "meathead" equipment delivered.  

Sean-  Injury prevention mode at such an early age?   Did you 

stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!! Ha, Ha!  So Joe, we can

count you in for a friendly strongman competition?  I mean all we have

are measly 70's, I doubt Tony will come up with anything too insane 

to do with those...........(Tony this is where you prove me wrong)!  

Sean- Shoot me an e-mail when you are coming in again and we'll

schedule that arm workout and steak buffet.  By the way I have also

conquered Golden Corral several times and am quite proud of the

fact that I am usually still in line or heading back up when they make last

call!!!!! 

Kristin- I will be there tomorrow until around noon and from 8-12 on saturday so maybe I'll

see you then.   

Sean- Maybe we'll have to have our own version of a strongman  contest right

here in our parking lot!  I know Tony is already planning on getting us a giant

tire to flip just for fun.....let's think about that phrase "just for fun"!  What kind

of psycho would flip a several hundred pound tire for fun?  I guess I'm included in

that category since I was considering doing the farmer's walk with our 70lb db's

the length of our parking lot today!  Decided against it though since my trap's 

and upper back are fried from wednesday's workout.  Tony, how about our own

version of a strongman contest, we could let our clients come up with some

crazy lifts to perform.  Sean, you up for it man?  My e-mail is trainerj70@hotmail.com. 

Kristin- What days and time do you come in usually?  I normally take off about 10am and come back in about

4 but that varies.  I'll try to hang around and catch you this week so we can chat.  St. Martin huh!  I've

been working on this traveling trainer bit for awhile but haven't quite gotten any takers yet.    Come on

doesn't everyone still workout while on vacation?  I think it's the next big thing, now if I can just talk my

wife into letting me travel with other folks to exotic locations!  Yeah right, I stand a better chance of

growing legs like Joe's(which is a very slight chance at best)!!!!!!!!

Sean-  Thanks for the kind words on our new place, we love it except that I need more weight!!!!!

Hint, hint Tony.......  I have a feeling I'll be doing DB lunges the length of the parking lot  tomorrow

for that comment.  I do have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to arm training much as Joe does

when it comes to leg training.  It would be a blast to workout with you.  Just let me know when you

will be back in town and we'll  do just that.  We could then hit Golden Corral for all the steak we

can cram down our gullets for less than $15 plus dessert!!!!!  Not the best quality steak but hey

I'm not too picky when it comes to that kind of bang for your buck!!!!!!   

Kristin-Look who's talking, you have made tremendous changes to

your physique as well since starting your program.  Just keep it up 

and before you know it you'll be ready to step onto stage yourself!!!!

You look very relaxed in the avatar pic, where was that taken?

Stop in and see us when you get a chance!!!! 

Sean,

It was great to finally meet you and I think you are a perfect addition to

Joe and his practice.  Joe has built his business through professionalism,

dedication to the client, and delivering results over and over again.  

As you are one of Joe's clients you can speak through personal

experience (as I can too) of his level of experience and knowledge of

nutrition.  I am looking forward to getting in a couple of  arm

workouts with you (maybe we can talk Tony into joining us without

making us do one-legged squats or "grizzly bears").  Yeah I know

who would have thought with a screen name like "Gunshow" that

I would actually like doing arms!!!!!  Drop me a line next time your

in town and we'll scarf down a few stray cows!!! 

I am thinking of doing a show here in Indiana on June 9th, which gives me 18 days from today

to drop some additional bodyfat and trim up a bit.  It is an INBA/ABA show and is a PRO/AM as well.

I just thought it would be more worth my time to do than a drug tested NPC show where all I have

a chance at winning is a tropy vs. seeing my real competition (totally natural) and just see how

I place against tougher competition overall.  I know I can drop quite a bit more in that time since

I still have alot to lose through the midsection and lower back.   But I learned so much just

during peak week about how my body responds that I know I can make some great improvements

in a short time.  What do you think Joe are you up for pushing my limits to the max because I certainly

am ready!!!!!  Let's get it on!!!!!! 

Okay here is the link to a few of my contest pics, let me know

what you think!

Post another "W" in the win column for Team K!!!!!! 

It was a small but fantastic show this weekend.  I took 1st in my class against another

first time competitor who was 6'3" 224 and actually leaner than me, so Sean you

were right!!!   I was very happy to have won against someone who actually had

more size than me and was leaner.  The head judge told me I had a very symmetrical

physique for a large guy and that my posing and stage presence was also impressive

for a rookie.  I lost the overall to a much, much leaner  LW, but he deserved it totally.

I am now preparing my gameplan for my next show on June 23rd in St. Louis, MO.  That

gives me 5 weeks to cut even more bodyfat off and refine my routine even more.  Then

I will look towards the fall for my last show of the year.  I want to thank everyone for all

of their support and extremely helpful tips and let me just say that it is really funny that

the guy I beat (whom I talked to all weekend and is a great guy)  was complaining about

being starved and depleted during his diet and really had no clue what he was doing with

his prep it seemed.   I actually had a female competitor mention taking water pills and some

of the others were drinking pedialyte afterwards from sodium depletion I assume.  It is really

amazing and seemed backwards to me the methods they used to diet down albeit I was not

as lean as they were but having seen Sean's pics recently I know those methods aren't

necessary at all and probably even not as effective as Joe's!   

P.S.  Pro Tan is a mess and I will not use it again, period!!!! 

Well gang I am leaving the house in a few minutes on my journey westward.

3 coats of Pro tan later and I am amazed how much better I look!   Sean I know

you said to have 4 coats on by now but....... as usual I am running behing so I could only 

get one good coat in this morning, but will put another on this evening and one before

bed, maybe if needed.  

 Oh, almost forgot to mention I SURPASSED MY INITIAL GOAL FOR THIS SHOW!!!!!

AS OF THIS MORNING I AM DOWN TO 219.5 YEAH BABY!!!!!!! 

Mary- Thank you as well for all the info!  I do have 2 bottles of Pro Tan (good thing, huh).  

What about putting makeup such as foundation on the face to darken?  Anyone tried this?

Also I've heard that I need to exfoliate before the first coat, the rep also told me to 

use Dawn dishwashing liquid?  I understand the concept but won't that just dry

the heck out of my skin?  Is that the way to go or just use a good exfoliant?  

Rippedchick- I am nervous, excited, worried and a bit disappointed all at once.

The first two are normal and to be expected I know but I am worried that I

will appear "fat" onstage as I am at 221 today and need to be around 210 to

be "ripped" (that's a guess of course, maybe lower who knows).  I am disappointed

that after losing 39 lbs in under 5 months that I still have fat on my midsection.   I

couldn't have hoped to lose any faster than I did really without sacrificing a ton of

muscle along the way.  I just have to focus my mind now and present my best

possible package on stage hoping that my strengths will counter my weaknesses.

I really appreciate everyones support and help along the way it has made a huge

difference in the way I approached my contest prep each week.  Even though I haven't

been the daily poster (maybe I'll catch you some day Sean)  I always read the posts

on the forum every day and soak up what knowledge I can from each thread.  

I also wanted to thank all of my training clients who have tolerated me during

my journey.  I know at times I have been a space cadet but always tried to be

cheerful even when I wanted to chew on the bench pads because I was so

hungry!  You also have been a huge source of encouragement and support for

me as well and actually have motivated me to stay the course when I wanted to

binge.   

I won't be posting tomorrow as I will be on the road all day and busy that evening 

but will post the results Saturday night (ok at least by sunday morning).

Thanks again to all of you!!!! 

OK  here are a few pics from tonite, I'm not real happy about the way

I look today.  I should fill out more as the week goes on hopefully.  

http://picasaweb.google.com/fitplustraining/ContestProgressPics/photo#5065369453063093826 

Layne-  I have to say I am impressed by your accomplishments this early in your career.

I'm sure your lifting sessions on camera will be just as awe inspiring as the one's I've

witnessed at The Zone!  I honestly don't think I've ever seen anyone on the "sauce"

or off for that matter who put's as much intensity, heart and noise into their workouts.

And you are one strong fella that is for sure.  Good luch with this and all of your

bodybuilding endeavors!   Oh yeah and remember when you told me that I would

either get bit by the bug of competing or just hate it after my first show?  Well

this weekend in Kansas City I'm going to find out although I'm pretty sure

I've been bitten as I've never been able to see my abs and I just can't

stop looking in the mirror!   We are a vain bunch aren't we? 

Sean- I knew I could count on you for some detailed info, the prep you

listed will help greatly.  I thought about buying some dream tan but

for some reason I decided not and went with protan only.  No shower

for a day and a half, huh.....do you use any deodorant(clear maybe or spray)?

Question about applying the protan to the face.  Do you apply protan to

the face on thursday and friday or just saturday or what?

Mary-  I have the time but not a location to purchase any other products.  

I don't know of any places locally that carry such products but let me know

what I need just the same along with any tips you have as I may be doing

another show in June just for giggles.