Support Systems

No man is an island…

I enjoy bodybuilding because it is an individual sport. If I miss a workout and don’t lift that day- it’s on me. If I’m too tired to do cardio, it’s because I haven’t rested properly. Then again, if my arms grow to a respectable size, it’s not because my teammate hit a 3 at the buzzer, but because I put in the time at the gym and the dinner table to get it going.

But I think it would be impossible to be a bodybuilder on my own.

I have a great support system of friends, family, and even internet peers who keep me going.

Chris for example is one of my good buddies from college, and we’ve both recently made better efforts to keep in touch. He’s the type of person who is always willing to help you with anything- from lending an ear to moving your couch, he’s the go to guy. So he’s decided that he wants to try and do this diet with me. He has his physique goals, and although it may not be to hop on a stage in posing trunks; he is with me day in day out keeping his goals in sight. Our dialog about the ins and outs of the diet and training talk keeps us both engaged and interested.

Michael has no interest in the iron whatsoever, but what he provides for me is immeasurable in earthly units of measure. When we talk about my preparations- he simply finds delight in seeing another human being pour his heart and soul into something he loves, something he believes in, something he’ll fight tooth and nail for (even though when I was living with him he couldn’t stand the 200 egg shells in his trash.) He recently remarked “When Ryan Yokogawa does something, he doesn’t do it half assed. It’s full tilt or nothing at all.” He couldn’t have been more right, and I appreciate him for expressing this to me.

Then there’s John- my brother in iron. He, unlike Chris, has aspirations for the bodybuilding stage. This man has the heart of a lion and the work ethic of a beast. He had a recent setback in his life, but instead of taking the easy way out and dwelling on his loss, and being a quitter, he’s parlaying it into the fuel that is gonna get him to his goal. Every day we touch base to list our reps/weights and celebrate our workout of the day like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan would after a game. He lives in socal, but when we get together we whip out our newly developed bodies like children bringing their latest toy to show and tell. I’ll admit it- bodybuilders do some weird shit sometimes, and it’s nice to have at least 1 person in this world who understands me. And dont even get me started on our epic workouts with John as my training partner. You want to define intensity. See The sports center for the hours we were there. Witness.

I think the biggest credit has to go to the wives/girlfriends of bodybuilders, who have to deal with the brunt of the domestic bodybuilding punishment. My poor Carrie has to be seen around town with a guy who carries a lunch box the size of carry on luggage. Then there’s the mounds of dishes, and the endless Tupperware and thousands of trips to Costco and safeway for all the food I have to buy. To top it all off, she now gets to deal with the diet-induced grumpiness and me being tired all the time. I’ll tell you what- having someone there’s who’s down to cook your eggs when the thought of cracking one more shell will lead you to clinical insanity is a breath of fresh air. In addition to that, my girl goes above and beyond- down to diet (within reason) and even hit the gym with me. She’s down to slap my hand when I reach for some rice on her plate, and she up for getting me to push harder on the leg press. What more could you ask for? She says my dedication is impressive. I say her dedication is the core of my success.

Together Each Achieves More. True.