Real Strength

This is my dad.

I talk all the time about feats of strength, guys lifting insane amounts of weight or jumping over things or twisting in odd ways.

When talking to my friend Joyce today, she talked about her dad was recently in the hospital.

Then I reflected back on my dad and his health troubles. Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, a heart attack and associated heart disease. Yes this is one human being we're talking about

The arthritis is probably the most crippling- his wrists, shoulders, knees, and damn near every point in between aches on a daily basis, and he didn't even get to pump iron to get there. I recall when I was a teenager, his hip joints really started to deteriorate, to the point where he had to use a cane. Being young (see:stupid) I felt a little embarrassed that my dad was hobbling around and relied on a cane for mobility. In retrospect I feel shameful for acting that way.

And the hospital trips: right hip replacement, left hip replacement, then the heart attack, then the damn near diabetes induced unconscious delirium, then the broken femur from a fall and the replacing of the attached hip (#3.)

The real crazy thing is that I've never heard my dad complain about anything. It used to take him 5 or 6 minutes to get in and out of the car. When he broke his femur (the biggest bone in your body mind you,) he spent about an hour and a half trying to "walk it off" before my mom made him go to the hospital.

I talk about grueling sets of squats that make me want to puke while my quads sear with pain, the intense burn I feel in my chest as I grind away at another session of flat bench. The reality of the situation is that at any moment I can walk away and leave the iron behind for a life of comfort and ease (see: mediocrity.)

But my dad can't. Yet he faces each day with the heart and intensity of a champion.

That's Real Strength.

Cant Wait!

Use Your Pantry to Pinch Pennies

Money saving tips to save, especially when you're eating big. Here:

"Government data show food inflation is rising at approximately 4.5% a year for the average U.S. household, while banks aren't paying close to that much for savings accounts. Even online banks are paying well below 4% interest these days. With food inflation outstripping savings interest rates, spending your money later on the same items will cost you more than buying them now and stockpiling them."

National Anthem

When I entered the NPC Contra Costa, it stated that it was a National Qualifier.
But I'm a small time criminal with no illusions of grandeur; I am definitely realistic about my place in this iron game.

Every year, the class winners from each weight class of the NPC Nationals earns their IFBB Pro Card, which technically makes them a pro bodybuilder.

I was on the website for Nationals as I wasn't quite sure where my placings put me. Then I ran across the following statement:

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
-(You are qualified for Nationals if you are) Among the first 2 in his/her weight class in an area level Championship designated as a National Qualifier.

When reading this my eyebrow raised slowly, but triumphantly...

I have many labels, as do most human beings, stemming from my personal and private life:
Man
Brother
Friend
Son
Asian
Boyfriend
Hapa
American
Democrat
Athlete
Warriors Fan

I also have a few official labels:
Bachelor of Arts
and
Research Associate

Let's add one more SUPER official label...
National Level Bodybuilder

I like the way that sounds...

Never Understimate the Power

Of CC'ing someone's boss...

My mom is basically a 'lunch lady,' where she works in food service in a middle school back home. Some kids threw some rocks at her last week, and it pissed me off. Friday I wrote the following email. Today (tuesday) they're having a school-wide assembly. While I'm disappointed at the behavior of the children, I feel the adults were negligent in that they didn't react swiftly to send a message to the children some behavior is not to be tolerated. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and email the principal of the school and CC'd the vice principal, the superintendent, and every associate superintendent I could find...

Ms. X,

My name is Ryan Yokogawa. I am proud to say that I am a product of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District system having spent 13 years attending Manzanita Elementary School, King and Fitch Middle Schools, and Monterey High School (Class of 1999,) but I am completely disgusted by some recent events at my former middle school and even more appalled at the negligence of your administration and its lack of support for the staff and employees in response to said events.

I am writing in reference to an employee of your school-my parent, Donna Yokogawa. She has been a loyal employee of MPUSD, working in food service for nearly 10 years.

Because of vandalism involving chocolate milk being thrown on the walls and fixtures of the school, it was decided that chocolate milk was to be no longer sold to the students.
Last week, my mother reported the students were upset at the decision to have the milk pulled, and in retaliation, milk was thrown at her, splattering her face, hair, and some of her clothing.
This week we spoke on the phone and she told me that 4-5 rocks were thrown at her, one of which hit her in the neck, another in her chest. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the classification of violent crimes, but these events are considered ASSAULT. My mother reported this incident to you directly (she even handed you the rocks with which she was assaulted,) yet Ms. Nugent I feel your actions in response are far insufficient when compared to the magnitude of the crime. Do you have any idea what it's like to hear your mother was assaulted in her place of work, and for it to go virtually unmentioned and unpunished?

My mother has routinely served as a loyal employee to Fitch Middle School, yet Fitch Middle School is not standing up for her best interest. More was done to punish the students in response to the vandalism of school property, but the administration remained relatively mum in addressing the fact that a human being was assaulted. What message are we sending to the students about the value of human welfare versus the value of the school grounds?

It is clear that this situation is escalating and these hooligans are growing bolder. No child wants to receive the phone call that a rock or other projectile has blinded their mother, or Heaven forbid that she has sustained more serious injuries. While I am sickened that these children would behave in such a manner, I am more bothered that the school did little to address the children directly. A lot has changed since I have attended middle school, and in the wake of school violence such as Columbine and Virginia Tech, these incidents should NOT be taken lightly.

I concede placing a security guard at her station IS a step in the right direction, but an announcement mixed in with the goings-on of the day over the loudspeaker was likely not taken to heart.

Because the culprits responsible were not caught and cannot be addressed individually, I demand that a school wide assembly be held IMMEDIATELY to reprimand the student body as a whole, to remind them of the district-wide Zero Tolerance policy, and to inform them of the seriousness of their actions.

No one should have to enter such a hostile work environment, nor should they fear the prospect of being assaulted while serving food to children.

Should you wish to discuss this matter further, my contact information is below.

Anyways, she called me on Saturday saying they're gonna hold an assembly to address the conduct of the students. It's not always the gorilla suit that gets the job done. Exit brute force, enter eloquence... Thanks to Chris and Amy for their unique insights to the workings of the school system...

More Fun With Pro Tan

You look like something meekalangelo carved out...

1 coat vs. no coats

Good women paint you. Great women paint you and your friends...

Winning

The more I work at this thing called life, I'm starting to realize the true importance of one's winning mindset.
Yeah "Mind Over Matter" is a cliche, but when it comes to some applications, nothing could be more true. I was going over some of the shots from my show, and I found one that particularly struck me.

When I look at this picture, my face and posture says a lot of things, but I think I'm definitely doing my best to project:
Cool.
Confident.
Composed.
Triumphant.
More specifically:
"Here is the package I've brought to the stage this day. It is what I've worked hard to achieve, and I am confident it is the best package I can bring. I will take this package and convince you too, that I am the best."

While this may sound arrogant, on the competitive stage, judges can smell that lack of confidence from a mile away, and it will ultimately deflate your stage presence, and consequently, your physique. I stated back in January that my first goal was to not make funny faces, but in reality, I aimed to exude the surety of self when on the stage.

I intend no disrespect to my fellow competitors, but to emphasize my point I think it is important to draw a contrast to the others. The guy to my right (teal trunks) looks to be strained, confused, and doubtful of himself. The guy to my left (black trunks) looks rather menacing, and again strained (friends say he looked like the Leprechaun.) The competitor to my far left just looks like he smells something bad.

I'm convinced it's crucial to have the winning mindset in all things you pursue. I may never have a 20 inch arm, but when I go to the gym and do bicep curls, I squeeze and flex and picture that arm growing to Olympian status. When John hit a weight plateau during our prep, I advised him to literally picture the keebler elves in his body fueling his cardio sessions by shoveling his fat into a furnace. See it. Be it. Plateau shattered.
Jordan is quoted: I will become what I know I am.

This lesson extends beyond the stage: job interviews, dating, your career. When a person exudes confidence, people can't help but have good feelings about them. One may think "well I don't want to look/seem cocky." I'd rather have someone think I'm cocky than to look less than 100% confident in my pursuits ( if they've judged me so quickly, I likely don't care to know them anyway.)

In the first few weeks of "getting to know" Carrie, I told her straight up, "One day, you'll love me." She thought I was joking, but I knew, that what I brought to the table she would not want to pass up.
Death Cab wrote about it: I Will Possess Your Heart.


How can you sell yourself to the judges, a potential employer or a potential mate if you don't even look like you're buying it?

Be sure.
Be confident.
Work hard.
Win easy.

How To Gain 23 Pounds In 48 Hours

Hard Won, Easily Lost

Direct your attention to the chart above taken from my bodyspace. It chronicles my journey starting mid-January, and has my weight as of yesterday.

What is most disturbing is that I went from 152 to 175. On Monday night Carrie and I (and most others when queried) said "eh you prob weigh 160," when going to take my weight. 175!?!?!? I was so amazed that I had to take a photograph of it when I saw it.

Even my feet look fat!

Man I was hurtin, my ankles and legs were so swollen I couldn't bend them past 90 degrees without feeling like they were gonna split up.

So what did I eat in 48 hours? Well immediately following I went to TGI Fridays, then the next day had:

IHOP bfast with birdie

Pizza with John n Jerm

McDonald's Breakfast

KFC Brunch

Baskin Robbins Dessert

and Papa Chano's Nachos

And a buncha crap in between. And After. And my abs are seemingly long gone.

Thanks and Praise

Although I'm the only one up on that stage, there are many people behind the scenes who have helped me to get to that point. I didn't want to post anything else until I put the time/effort to give credit where it's due. I wanted to take this moment and recognize a few significant figures that got me thru to may 10. I am most gracious for the contributions of the following people:

Guy Cisternino and Jeff Rodriguez

Middleweight Phenom Guy Cisternino

Amazing Natural Team Universe Runner Up, Jeff Rodriguez

These guys are the consummate professionals (though they're still top-ranked amateurs, but likely not for long.) They were very awesome in giving me much needed e-advice through forum postings and emails. Thanks guys!

Joel Brandwein

Joel, Pictured Left, Horseshoes anyone?

Joel has been a friend to me dating back 3-4 years, and a major influence in my competitive bodybuilding pursuits. We first met at Maverick's Gym in Emeryville, and we hit it off right away, and in the marginal arena of bodybuilding, you need to hang on to all those with the iron addiction you can. An accomplished competitor in his own right, Joel has put me in touch with some tutelage from the top names in the IFBB Hall of Fame, and is always looking to lend his expert insight to my journey and prep.

BBC, (the remaining core-) Zack, Chris, and Brian

Chris, Birdie, Zack and Cider

Chris, the iron man, started the diet with me, and though he got knocked down with a nasty bout of pneumonia, he's always right back in there with me. And he has the ahi and yellowtail hookup, hell he kills it with his own hands!
Zack, the consummate tai-chi, meditation, and former vegetarian ying to my yang- we've been able to connect on a lot of different levels with regards to discipline, deprivation, and the cleansing of the body.
And the juicy one, Brian, "Cider" Martinelli, this guy has gone through a transformation of his own, and came thru to pre-judging. I think he popped a blood vessel participating in the pre-judging from the crowd. Always comes through to keep the BBC Love alive.

Crew Carrie-

Nghi, Jacquie, Jen, Julie, Christine, Carrie, Patra, Christine, Joyce

Carrie's homies were awesome during my prep. If they had a party, they'd always make special arrangements for me, even contacting me to make sure I knew I didnt have to drink, or didn't have to chip in (since I couldn't eat.) They'd always check in and even joined me a few times for cheat meals. Every time I went out to enjoy club soda and ice at the club, they'd make sure to tell me they wanted me to win, and wanted me to know how amazed they were with my dedication. Julie and Patra came out to the show and it was totally awesome of them, and even got to see a Dr. McDreamy look alike (LOL.)

Bobbi Martin, and the rest of the Tox RAs-

Bobbi- locked in, definitely an integral part of team RTY

My co-workers, always dealing with a foggy-headed, dog tired, usually distracted RTY are much appreciated. Bobbi in particular, an avid reader of my blog, and was always there for me to lean on on my worst days and shared with me dietary and exercise insights we both put to good use. Day in and day out she was terrorized by the sounds of the protein shake, and the smell of microwaved salmon, but always had a smile for me when I was feeling crappy.

Yokogawa Family-

Damn I'm brown, maybe I was adopted!

Mom, clearly my number 1 fan, has always done her best to make me feel super loved, and although she hated seeing me suffer through my first show prep and declared "No more of that sh*t," she was awful proud and didn't want to let those trophies go come May 10. Pops, the strong silent type, said I was too damn skinny, but always had a healthy interest in the show, and would quiz me on the diet of the day. Jeremy always poking fun at my dropping weight and calling me 'trophy' thanks to the bronzing agent held me down keeping me chatted up and checked in. When he's ready, John and I got all the tips for him. Let's go!

Michael Jerome Jeffries II

Michael Jerome Jeffries- Our parallels are uncanny...

While an amazing athlete in his own right, Mr. Jeffries never had the slightest inclination to jump on a stage in less than a speedo. But ever insightful, he took delight in the pursuit of excellence, and saw the core of what I was doing- committing myself to a goal, and pursuing it until the goal was met. It was never about being bigger, faster, stronger, in body, but in spirit and with that he helped me persever and always took every opportunity to relay his admiration.
It has always been me in awe of his ability to routinely do everything in his life at a level that exceeds excellence. His only shortcoming is that he's a Lakers fan, but hey, we all make mistakes.

"King" James Edwin Dull

Known this guy since I was 5

A friend for over 20 years, Jimmy was there for my final day of prep and show last year, and loved being part of the process. Also he decided that in preparation for his upcoming wedding he'd take a page out of me and john's book and hit that treadmill. When John moves back he'll have the distinct pleasure of training with him on a daily basis. John teases it's his turn to take the stage next year.

John J. Cristobal

Most Muscular Indeed!

My mother considers him her 3rd son. I consider him a brother in blood, and in iron. It was for my birthday that he purchased the Pumping Iron 25th anniversary edition. He might as well included some posing trunks and some pro-tan with that package because that gesture was instrumental in my desire to jump on a competitive stage. He and I shared some epic training sessions, and he's moving closer to home which only means good things. He too has the competitive bug and I look forward to sharing the stage after our 2 years off... Let's grow forth bro...

Carrie Michelle Chiu

Isnt she lovely?

Where do I begin? If any one single person deserves more accolades than me it is she. Carrie was there from day 1. On days I didn't feel like getting up to do cardio it was her vested interest that kept me going, as I knew how much she was sacrificing to support me during my prep. She was also there to scold me if I were so foolish as to suggest straying from the diet. To keep strain to a minimum, I promised her no shows for 2 years. She's seen my ugliest side and Im sorry she had to see it, but she maintained and we have happily resumed our lives. As she sits next to me as I write this I can never forget how truly lucky I am to have such an amazing woman in my life.

2008 Contra Costa Weekend Recap

Where to start...
John came into town on Thursday so we could get our final prep in for Saturday Prejudging.
It was our last day of chugging 5 gals of water, and upping our salt so on the way home from work, I had the distinct pleasure of watching him urinate on the bay bridge, into a powerade bottle... WHILE DRIVING (sorry John, I had to tell it, so HARDCORE!)

Friday was time to drop the salt on everything, so we were boiling tilapia to get what little salt that was in it out, then browning. Both of us were a little nervous about making weight, so we stopped eating at 430 on friday, and stopped drinking at 7. I was weighing around 156-158 all day, and john was within 3-5 lbs of his mark as well.

Not wanting to risk it we ran off to my old gym to hit the sauna and sweat it out.

So I laid down to sleep at around midnight, after putting on a few coats of protan. At 115 i woke up cold and shivering and couldn't go back to sleep. I tossed and turned but got up at 545 to start more coats.

Lo and behold, I woke up at 152.6. YES! Light weight indeed.

We then headed to starbucks for our shot of espresso and to jack in the box for our pre-pre-judging salt/fat/carb bomb.

I received a text from Carrie that ALL my coworkers had shown up. That made me excited and nervous at the same time.
So after weigh-ins John and I took the stage. I could hear them clearly as they were only 5 rows back.

John doing battle in the Novice Middleweight class...

Derek, Bobbi, Carrie, Me, Paurene, Shirley, Lisa, Paula after pre-judging.
And my post-pre judging congratulatory kiss...

I was really grateful that so many had come out to support. I know there's a certain stigma around bodybuilding, and it was awesome they took time out to come and cheer me on! It's funny, I dont know what other venue in our professional lives it'd be appropriate to strip down and flex in a group shot, but they wouldn't have it any other way!

Afterwards, Jacquie, Jimmy, John, Carrie, and I headed to In n Out because our night show prep protocol called for a burger and fries specifically, so we had to comply!

Happiness is a hot girl, and a hot burger

Then we headed back to the house to rest, where an impromptu posedown showed just how dark John and I were....

Then it was time for the night show. This is where the competitors got their 90 seconds under the lights, and where the top 5 placings would be announced.

I started my routine off in this position, the music starting after i was set...

When all was said and done, I took 2nd place in the Novice (ie beginner's) Light Weight Division, and 2nd Place in the Men's Open Light Weight Division.

2nd place twice over, instant "Fresno Debacle" vindication

It was pretty cool to work so hard and be recognized. I think my Mom was proud because she wanted to take the trophies home and put em up on her mantle, and would NOT let them go!

Team RTY/JJC in Full Force!

She had to show Mr. Olympia how good her boy did!
Told you she didn't let the trophies go!

Apparently, Julie wants to see if Victory literally tastes sweet!
Team RTY/JJC posedown!
The Hat Matches!

We had planned to go out for pizza with John's family and mine, but it got too late. THe show went till about 1115, so my immediate fam plus carrie hit up TGI Friday's where I had a corona, quesadillas, chicken fingers, shrimp/chicken pasta and a sizzling apple pie ala mode. My parents laughed at me because they had never seen me eat so much and so fast. Hell, even Jay Cutler was there getting his grub on.

This is a horrible pic of me, but it's got the food!

Oh ya, and the space is now filled. The End.

2nd place novice light weight

John pumpeth

Before and after laughter

Jazz hands!

Pro tan is messy

But not being dark on stage is messier

I wasn't kidding

So far weight is cool. The real test will be when I wake up. 154 or
else!

Ridiculousness

I touched on the silliness to come...
But now it's out of control

Pictured:

Chicken in a biskit, trader joes veggie chips, triscuits, wheat thins, tj's pita chips (garlic and cinn/sugar) 3 types of tj's granola bars, tj's caramel corn, tj's seasoned tortilla chips, ho ho's, hostess carrot cakes, tj wasabi bites, cinnamon toast cunch, reese's puffs, and honey bunches of oats. oh ya and rice cakes (but those are for day of carbup)

Not pictured (freezer) skinny cows, microwave 7 layer burritos, and 2 costco lasagnas.

Gastrointestinal meltdown here i come!

I <3 Mom

Ya ya, everyone's mom is the best.

But my mom, is wayyyyyy better. I checked my evite this morning to see if there's any new RSVPs. She finally responded, and thanks to the wonders of print screen and paint, you can also enjoy:



A) peep her email address (loves Dennis Rodman)
B) Beotch! Nuff said.

5

This is a jug.
A 5 gallon jug.

In efforts to shed subcutaneous water (which ultimately blurs definition,) John and I are drinking 5 gallons of water from Sunday till Thursday.

To give you a little perspective, 5 gallons of water is equal to about 40 standard bottles of water.

To prevent electrolyte loss which can result in such bad things as, uh, death, we've also upped our sodium intake. I'm salting the hell out of food, drinking broth, and even licking palms full of salt.

This is the last extreme act in this journey. I think. haha.

Hard!

Yall Aint Ready...

Get ready for some silliness...

John, who you've heard me mention again and again, is my boy from back home, from HS and my longtime training partner has thrown all self doubt out the window and said no thank you to genetics and yes to building the body he has so desired and worked hard for.

This is basically where he started. 225.


This is him today at 181.
Veins in his abs! Mama, here comes that man!
Now you know why I call him Big Medium John...
He too will take the stage on May 10.

Be there.

CONGRATS JOHN YOU DID IT BRO! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU