Where's Ryan?

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Inappropriate Public Flexing Volume 2


But it's not me, it's the Dr. From Dr. 90210. He wears cut off scrubs. Come on now!

Monday, July 28, 2008

A Thirst Quenching Workout

Proper hydration gives you a good workout in most cases...
but in the case it will actually hinder your strength gains.
HERE:

Sunday, July 27, 2008

I like eggs

And go the extra mile to get the best ones...

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Frank Yang is InSang!


Dude is strong, and nuts...
BTW
**Deadlifting in a thong alert!**

Friday, July 25, 2008

RIP Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch, who I wrote about back in April (Brick Walls) has died.

1960-2008
I won't be the last
I won't be the first
Find a way to where the sky meets the earth
It's all right and all wrong
For me it begins at the end of the road
We come and go...
-Eddie Vedder, "End of the Road"

Thursday, July 24, 2008

What's Wrong with this picture?

A) No one looks happy.
B) Mom's got REALLY white legs.
C) Ryan has protein induced flatulence.
D) All of the above.

The correct answer is C, but if you responded D this is also acceptable.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Impromptu Personal Training

So I'm at the gym today, and it's one of my favorite days to lift, as I get to dine on the uber delicious:
Incline smith bench
Dumbell shoulder press
Incline skull crusher
reverse grip pulldown
and the incomparable
Bent Over Row

At my gym you see the same guys every day at lunch. I apologize when I'm late, and demand their late pass if they come in past 12:30. Today there were 2 new young faces, full of peach fuzz and hope. Ah yes I remember the days when I thought, "Someday I'll hit 160lbs!"

They were doing the things young lifters do: working the entire body with bad form, going from machine to machine, giving a few idle pushes at weight that wont move (like me trying to dead 405 last week and getting owned.)

Then, out of the corner of my paranoia thinks that they're watching me. At first I was like, naw naw, it's just my imagination, but then I see them doing dumbell shoulder press, just as I do it. Ok, coincidence, sure. Next I move on to upright skull crusher. Next they move on to upright skull crusher. As I warm up, I stretch, and they too stretch as I do (and I have this very odd stretching ritual, so at this point I KNOW they're copycatting.) I see one of them check themselves in the mirror- "they're totally sizing me up right now, lol" I think to myself.

Then I think back, when I was that fuzzy faced 18 year old, and I too did the same.

Oddly enough one of the young guns' aunt is on staff at our gym and I know her. She walks over to me and asks me to show him how to build big legs, as clearly its something, as she puts it "He knows how to do very well, it's what he does," after I'm done with my session, of course.

Why thank you, it IS what I do.

So the young man sorta of hovers and scratches his head at my rather good form on the BOR with 2 plates on each side, with a "how does he bend like that without falling over."

Then I begin to think, what can I possibly relay to this kid in 10 minutes that would be of significant help. This is my love affair after all- I've spent countless hours digging away at my physique, countless days on websites, message boards and databases reading about the topic. It's like trying to sum up the star wars trilogy in one sentence.

Asking me to help this kid build a set of wheels in 10 minutes is sort of asking a lot.

I give him the general tenets:
Lifting lighter with good form is better than chunking around heavy weight.
Squeeze the muscle you want to target.
Tear down in the gym, grow at home.
Eat protein, and lots of it.
(PAUSE)
"Isn't protein steroids?" he inquires (it was almost cute.)
No, protein's better than steroids (then I explain how all meat contains protein and how its the building blocks of muscle.)

I realize that there's no possible way I can effectively relay my life's work in 10 minutes, so I just have to walk away. And I feel sorta guilty. I had a chance to pass the bug on.

I suppose it's better than what I usually do when people interrupt my workout.

People have died for lesser offenses.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Worst move in bodybuilding...

'Disabled' firefighter competes in bodybuilding contest Despite a claim that he is "permanently disabled" from a work-related back injury, Boston firefighter Albert Arroyo competed in the International Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness competition in May.


Here:

$10 Dollar Shirt

"Excuse me ma'am, do you knit sweaters in this size?"

So I went shopping in SF with the bird on Sunday before catching the Dark Knight. H&M was having a pretty dope sale, and I saw this cool button up for 10 bucks, but only size Large. Size Large is usually fine.
But this one was different.

I wiggled into it and was like wow, it's a lil tight on the arms.

Then I bent my arms, not flexed mind you, just bent it...

So began the epic battle between man vs. clothing, arm vs. sleeve... Carrie looked at me with a giggle. I felt my pulse as the sleeve was now my personal mobile tourniquet. It felt like my arm would turn black, shrivel up, and fall off if I left it bent for too long.

In short, my arm was muffin topping. John says I shoulda just ripped it like Arnold in Twins just to make a point.

After much deliberation I skipped the purchase.

It was bitter. and sweet. More sweet though. Guess the extra protein is working.

Friday, July 18, 2008

why so serious...


can you tell im excited for Batman this weekend?

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A New Way to Lose


"Want to lose weight but feel like you have no outside support? Just enlist the help of the American Nazi Party! That's how John Bear, author of the Blackmail Diet, lost 75lbs.

Bear put $10,000 in escrow with his attorney to be donated to the Nazi Party group if he didn't lose 75lbs in one year. He absolutely loathed the idea of giving money to them and thus made a commitment to get the weight off. Of course, he accomplished his goal. And how did he keep the weight off? By doing the same thing and writing a check to the Ku Klux Klan, of course.

Whatever works, I guess."

From: T-Nation

Monday, July 14, 2008

2008 NPC San Jose Recap

This weekend I took Vernon to see his first Bodybuilding show. When I told him over the phone that we were going, he put the phone down and ran around in excitement. The kid loves it as I touched on back in February.

I really wanted to take him because I knew it'd be a rather small show, and he'd get to meet a few big names.

The first was 8 time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. When he first got there, people were saying he was charging 10 bucks to take a photo with him. I have all the respect in the world for him, but the current Mr. Olympia doesnt charge, so why should the dethroned champ do so?
I got slick and sent Vernon over, knowing that Ronnie would feel to guilty to charge a lil kid. Then I snuck in for the photo op. Well played if I do say so myself.

Next was the X-Man Toney Freeman. He's 6 foot 2, 300+ pounds. Really nice, and no, did NOT charge, LOL.

Later I ran into Jeff Rodriguez, a really cool Natural Bodybuilder, who has been featured on Muscular Development and is actually a local guy who trains out of Oakland. The funny thing is that when you see him in his clothes you'd never think this guy was as huge and ripped as he is, but the guy is super freaky and is able to achieve a level of conditioning that rivals even the most chemically enhanced competitors (check out his freaky tricep.) In fact one time when he was back stage getting ready to go on, the security guard told him "Sorry son, only competitors back here."

We spoke for about 10 minutes and he even offered his number so we could get a training session in once he's done with his prep for the Team Universe, the most prestigious natural competition, where the winner turns IFBB Pro.

After seeing the show started, Vernon was really impressed by the Novice Middleweight and Novice Overall winner, so he decided he wanted a photo with him.
This is where the moment of the night happened.

He walks over to the guy, and asks "can I take a picture with you, you're cool!"

"Of course lil buddy!" and he proceeds to grab vernon's arm so he can put him into a pose (as shown below.)
Shortly after the Greased n Grossed out incident!
But before he's able to turn vernon around, vernon's disposition goes from star stuck fan to grossed out kid- The middleweight's mix of posing oil and tanning spray got on vernon's forearm and he stopped, gave the guy a "what did you just do to my arm" dirty look, then proceeded to look at, and consequently smelled his arm much to the delight of the middleweight's family and friends. John and I havent laughed that hard in a long time. I guess I forgot to warn him that the champ might be greasy. LOLx10!

This is the turnip picture. When pointing to Dexter Jackson's Enlarged Traps, Vernon asks "are those his shoulders, it looks like he has apples under there!" I was like naw dude, those are turnips! haha So he's doing his best impersonation, toothy grimace and all.

And of course the incomparable Ed Corney:
When I told him Ed was Arnold's old roommate and training partner, Vernon was in awe. Then he shook Ed's brick of a hand. Admiration ensued.

All in all it was a good time.

On the way home, vernon tells me: "I want to get big, will you be my coach?"

I had to break the bad news that he'd probably have to wait a few years to train hard n heavy so he doesnt stunt his growth (I hope he doesnt end up in my class, the kid has way better genetics!)

Little does he know that training has already begun!

Why Batman Could Exist


In short: Adaptive Progressive Resistance Training, and being a billionaire.

Very cool read on the feasibility of the existence of Batman. (Dark Knight In theaters this friday btw!)
Excerpt:
What effects would all that training have on Bruce Wayne's body?
I looked up what DC Comics and some other books said (about Batman's physique). I settled on the estimate that Bruce Wayne started off at about six-foot-two and 185 pounds. I gave him a body fat of 20 percent (slightly below average) and a body mass index of 26. Let's say after 10 or 15 years, after he's become the Batman, he's weighing about 210 pounds and has a body fat of 10 percent. He's probably gained 40 pounds of muscle. His bones will actually be more dense, kind of the opposite of osteoporosis.
The Rest HERE:


Thanks Geoff!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Inappropriate Public Flexing, volume 1

Ah yes, the biceps pose. Long a cliche for strength and power, on the rare occasion you find me crawling through the pub system, you may catch me doing something like this.
Mike is enraptured!
Inappropriate? Yes!
Warranted? Probably Not!
Will I stop? Never! We're bodybuilders, it's what we do! LOL

Friday, July 11, 2008

He Who Talks S**t

has bad breath...
-me

Eye opening article on flaming others. HERE:

$1,000.00 Shoes

HERE:
This "manufactured exclusivity" is why im out the shoe game. When you can buy a big chest, ripped abs, or lats as wide as a barn door at Niketown, call me up.

BTW, is it just me or does it look like Kobe's about to give the world an underwear-free Britney spears moment as he exits the Delorean...

Walk a Mile in McFly's Shoes

by Mike Krumboltz

July 9, 2008 12:16:00 PM

1989 was a big year. The Berlin Wall fell. The Exxon Valdez spilled its guts. And there were protests in China's Tiananmen Square. But those were just side attractions to the year's most memorable moment—the debut of Nike's "Air McFly" sneakers in "Back to the Future 2."

The film, which largely took place in the year 2015, introduced viewers to many a futuristic wonder, but none were so iconic as the light blue high-tops worn by Michael J. Fox. Ever since the film premiered, folks have been begging Nike to produce the shoes for the masses. Now, Nike has finally obliged... sort of.

The shoes were recently revealed at an event headlined by Kobe Bryant. Ever the showman, the hoopster even arrived in a DeLorean. Fans lined up way in advance, but according to Wired, many went home disappointed. Nike only made 350 pairs of the specially designed kicks, not nearly enough to satisfy the fans.

The shoes were released in a very limited quality, but for hardcore fans who were shut out, there's always the capitalist slaughterhouse that is eBay. Pairs are currently going for up to $1,000 (power laces not included). As Doc Brown would say, "Great Scott!"

Monday, July 7, 2008

Jedi Gym


The pieces need to be Bigger, or Steve needs to be smaller...

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Country Bugs=Country Protein


THIS ONLY GETS FUNNIER EACH TIME U WATCH IT!

Watermelon=Viagra

Turn that frown upside down!
(That gold chain bling don't hurt either, you go random AZN dude!)
Here:

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Future Boyfriend...

How Crazy is this?

So I'm on the phone with carrie this evening, and she tells me that she found a funny picture that a High School friend drew in her journal 12 years ago...

In 1996 he said: "this will be your future boyfriend:"Spiky hair: Check!
Extremely large forearms: Check!
Short legs: Check!

I couldn't believe it!

Prophecy fulfilled (almost, hahaha)