Also, Kurt now has 2 WNBF Overall titles to his name, a feat accomplished by only a handful of pros. Very impressive! Check out www.teamanimal.net for more contest pics and tons of good info from Kurt.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Congrats to Kurt Weidner & Vaughan Twigger!
Congratulations to my friends Kurt Weidner and Vaughan Twigger on their class wins at the WNBF Universe in NYC on Sept. 17. The overall between these training partners must have been an incredible feeling. Kurt took home a 1-point victory, but both he and Vaughan looked fantastic (in fact Vaughan defeated 2007 WNBF World Overall champ Jim Cordova in the LW class to get to the overall). I competed against Vaughan back in 2005 as an amateur...boy has he grown since then! The sky is the limit for this guy. Kurt and Vaughan began training together soon after I left Blacksburg in 2006, and are close friends who push each other every day. Great stuff guys!
Also, Kurt now has 2 WNBF Overall titles to his name, a feat accomplished by only a handful of pros. Very impressive! Check out www.teamanimal.net for more contest pics and tons of good info from Kurt.
Also, Kurt now has 2 WNBF Overall titles to his name, a feat accomplished by only a handful of pros. Very impressive! Check out www.teamanimal.net for more contest pics and tons of good info from Kurt.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A New Addition!
Today my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. Becoming a dad is without a doubt the greatest feeling in the world, far exceeding anything I have accomplished in either bodybuilding or academia. During the week that she was born, I missed two workouts for the first time in over 10 years, and I couldn't have cared less. I can't wait to spend more time with my little girl!
Welcome to the world Sidney Ryan Whitacre!
Welcome to the world Sidney Ryan Whitacre!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
More Techniques for Growth
I have used a much wider variety of training splits and techniques this year than I have in the past. After another month-long trial of German Volume Training (see below), I put some thought into setting up a split where I could focus explicitly on bringing up some of my weak points. I came up with a routine that looks like this:
The key here is that the two focal points of this routine (biceps and quads) are hit with both intensity and volume over the duration of the split (I plan on using this for about 5 weeks). All other body parts are essentially being trained only for maintenance. The focus body parts are trained using a 5 x 5 technique with relatively heavy weight, followed by 3 sets of a different exercise with higher volume. Finally, all other upper (or lower) body parts are trained for 2-3 sets each with only moderate volume. So for example, my workouts for this past week went like this:
The hardest part for me is not training to all-out failure on the non-focal point muscles (triceps, chest, back, hams). It's going to be tough not doing deadlifts for more than a month! But so far, after a week of this, I think my quads and biceps are responding well to the extra work they're being given. I'll probably use this on some other body parts that I want to focus on in the coming months, but I think it's best used interspersed with more traditional training splits.
Back in the real world, I successfully made it through the review process and am now a tenured associate professor at Oklahoma State. I set this as a goal for myself even before starting the job back in 2006. Here is an updated vitae if you are interested, which includes links to most of the journal articles that I have published. I'm proud of accomplishing such a long-term goal - hopefully I can accomplish a few more as my career progresses. And who knows, maybe I'll even be a decent bodybuilder at some point in my bodybuilding career!
- Monday: Upper body (bicep focus)
- Tuesday: Lower body (quad focus)
- Wednesday: OFF
- Thursday: Upper body (bicep focus)
- Friday: OFF
- Saturday: Lower body (quad focus)
- Sunday: OFF
The key here is that the two focal points of this routine (biceps and quads) are hit with both intensity and volume over the duration of the split (I plan on using this for about 5 weeks). All other body parts are essentially being trained only for maintenance. The focus body parts are trained using a 5 x 5 technique with relatively heavy weight, followed by 3 sets of a different exercise with higher volume. Finally, all other upper (or lower) body parts are trained for 2-3 sets each with only moderate volume. So for example, my workouts for this past week went like this:
- Monday:
- Standing bicep barbell curl (5 sets of 5 reps)
- Alternating dumbbell curls (3 sets of 10 - 12 reps)
- Tricep extension (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Lateral raises (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Incline chest press (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Lat pulldowns (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Tuesday:
- Front squats (5 sets of 5 reps)
- Leg press (3 sets of 10-12 reps)
- Hamstring curls (4 sets of 10 reps)
- Calf raises (4 sets of 10 reps)
- Thursday:
- Alternating dumbell curls (5 sets of 5 reps)
- Preacher curls (3 sets of 10-12 reps)
- Tricep extension (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Lateral raises (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Incline chest press (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Lat pulldowns (2 sets of 10 reps)
- Saturday
- Squats (5 sets of 5 reps)
- Front squats (3 sets of 10 reps)
- Hamstring curls (4 sets of 10 reps)
- Calf raises (4 sets of 10 reps)
The hardest part for me is not training to all-out failure on the non-focal point muscles (triceps, chest, back, hams). It's going to be tough not doing deadlifts for more than a month! But so far, after a week of this, I think my quads and biceps are responding well to the extra work they're being given. I'll probably use this on some other body parts that I want to focus on in the coming months, but I think it's best used interspersed with more traditional training splits.
Back in the real world, I successfully made it through the review process and am now a tenured associate professor at Oklahoma State. I set this as a goal for myself even before starting the job back in 2006. Here is an updated vitae if you are interested, which includes links to most of the journal articles that I have published. I'm proud of accomplishing such a long-term goal - hopefully I can accomplish a few more as my career progresses. And who knows, maybe I'll even be a decent bodybuilder at some point in my bodybuilding career!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Off-season Deadlifts
Below is a video of some sumo deadlifts from this past weekend. This was a PR for me, as I hit 495 x 12 reps. It's still nowhere close to my friends Doug (405 x 30) and Kurt (545 x 14), but it's pretty good for me. My off-season is going very well so far - my strength is as good as it's ever been and I feel like I'm making some solid muscle gains. My weight is hovering in the low to mid-190s (eating lots of food is fun!). I enjoyed the GVT split, but am now back on my traditional 2-week split and am considering implementing a Sheiko powerlifting split in the near future.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Posterized in the Latest Edition of Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness
The May 2011 issue of Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness included a pullout poster of me (and probably a more enticing pic of World Figure Overall Champ Amy Llinas Lynch on the back):
Also included in this issue was an article I wrote regarding confidence vs. cockiness in bodybuilding.
Think Highly of Yourself? Think Again - by Brian Whitacre
I have never understood some people’s need to boast. Whether it’s professionally, in the gym, or in a social environment, someone bragging about their accomplishments – or worse yet, something they haven’t done yet but feel sure they WILL accomplish – is an immediate turnoff. It remains unclear to me what these people hope to achieve by speaking highly of themselves. Do they hope to positively influence others’ opinions of them? Do they hope to be seen as someone to look up to? Do they hope to intimidate other people? Does it make them feel better about themselves to know that others are aware of the things they have done? Regardless of the reason, speaking highly of yourself does little more than make you come across as arrogant, self-important, and egotistical.
In the world of competitive bodybuilding, this trait is not only irritating but it can be detrimental to your overall growth in the sport. Many competitors new to bodybuilding become fixated on any outstanding body parts or poses they might have. “Man, my quads are gigantic.” “No one can touch my front double biceps!” That may well be true, but focusing on your strengths only gets you so far in this sport. Once you get to a higher level, winners are determined by a lack of weaknesses, not by a particularly outstanding component. Consider each of the past 5 WNBF Worlds Overall winners: Harris, Cordova, Greenwood, McGill, and Daniels. Sure, they have some good individual bodyparts, but their lack of weaknesses is amazing. THAT is what sets these guys apart from the rest of the pack. If you spend most of your posing practice admiring your best poses and not working quite as hard on your sub-par ones, you’re going to fall short of the upper echelons of the WNBF. So the next time you think a certain body part looks great, remind yourself that someone else out there is focusing on their weaknesses instead - and they may very well beat you because of it.
I will agree that there is a place for confidence, but not cockiness, in bodybuilding. If you have no confidence in yourself, the odds are dramatically against you – regardless of whether you’re standing in front of a new personal record in the deadlift or if you are standing onstage amidst 12 other competitors. What is the difference between confidence and cockiness in these instances? One simple answer is verbalization. Confident people think about what they will accomplish, while cocky people feel the need to speak it out loud. If you are confident you will get that deadlift, tell yourself that in your head, crush the lift, and give yourself a congratulatory head nod when done. If you are cocky, you will yell “light weight!” at the top of your lungs, complete the lift while screaming, and then go tell anyone who may have managed to miss it. Similarly, it is relatively easy to pick out the confident competitor on stage – they stand tall with a smile and exude a belief in themselves. While it is rare to get a competitor so cocky that they actually talk while onstage (although I have seen it happen), in today’s era the verbalization of an egotistical competitor usually comes through commentary on Internet forums. Comments like “This show is mine!” or “No one will touch my conditioning” or “I’m bringing that overall title home” are little more than tough talk that frankly will make you look silly if the result doesn’t come out quite as you thought.
In general the Internet is a great source of information for both neophyte and experienced bodybuilders, and “contest prep” threads can be very useful. Unfortunately a lot of people seem to want to use these forums as a source of ego-building instead of a way to obtain any useful feedback. As nice as they are to hear, any bodybuilder who truthfully wants to improve has little use for any positive comments on their physique. The most beneficial comments are the constructive ones that suggest what body parts need to be brought up, discuss innovative training techniques that might provide a needed improvement, or propose posing tweaks that could better suit your physique. Personally I prefer to use a trusted group of friends to critique my progress pictures, simply because I know they won’t waste my time with complimentary fluff.
I have had the opportunity to interact with two groups of individuals widely known for their egotism – academics and bodybuilders. It has been my experience that the best in both fields have no need to boast. They simply do their best, every day, and let the accolades fall to them. They are confident in their abilities, but are receptive to critiques and always keep an open mind about how to improve in the future. So the next time you feel the need to brag about your physique or your lifting accomplishments, take a second and reconsider. Focusing your attention on ways to train that lagging bodypart instead might be much more productive in the long run.
Also included in this issue was an article I wrote regarding confidence vs. cockiness in bodybuilding.
Think Highly of Yourself? Think Again - by Brian Whitacre
I have never understood some people’s need to boast. Whether it’s professionally, in the gym, or in a social environment, someone bragging about their accomplishments – or worse yet, something they haven’t done yet but feel sure they WILL accomplish – is an immediate turnoff. It remains unclear to me what these people hope to achieve by speaking highly of themselves. Do they hope to positively influence others’ opinions of them? Do they hope to be seen as someone to look up to? Do they hope to intimidate other people? Does it make them feel better about themselves to know that others are aware of the things they have done? Regardless of the reason, speaking highly of yourself does little more than make you come across as arrogant, self-important, and egotistical.
In the world of competitive bodybuilding, this trait is not only irritating but it can be detrimental to your overall growth in the sport. Many competitors new to bodybuilding become fixated on any outstanding body parts or poses they might have. “Man, my quads are gigantic.” “No one can touch my front double biceps!” That may well be true, but focusing on your strengths only gets you so far in this sport. Once you get to a higher level, winners are determined by a lack of weaknesses, not by a particularly outstanding component. Consider each of the past 5 WNBF Worlds Overall winners: Harris, Cordova, Greenwood, McGill, and Daniels. Sure, they have some good individual bodyparts, but their lack of weaknesses is amazing. THAT is what sets these guys apart from the rest of the pack. If you spend most of your posing practice admiring your best poses and not working quite as hard on your sub-par ones, you’re going to fall short of the upper echelons of the WNBF. So the next time you think a certain body part looks great, remind yourself that someone else out there is focusing on their weaknesses instead - and they may very well beat you because of it.
I will agree that there is a place for confidence, but not cockiness, in bodybuilding. If you have no confidence in yourself, the odds are dramatically against you – regardless of whether you’re standing in front of a new personal record in the deadlift or if you are standing onstage amidst 12 other competitors. What is the difference between confidence and cockiness in these instances? One simple answer is verbalization. Confident people think about what they will accomplish, while cocky people feel the need to speak it out loud. If you are confident you will get that deadlift, tell yourself that in your head, crush the lift, and give yourself a congratulatory head nod when done. If you are cocky, you will yell “light weight!” at the top of your lungs, complete the lift while screaming, and then go tell anyone who may have managed to miss it. Similarly, it is relatively easy to pick out the confident competitor on stage – they stand tall with a smile and exude a belief in themselves. While it is rare to get a competitor so cocky that they actually talk while onstage (although I have seen it happen), in today’s era the verbalization of an egotistical competitor usually comes through commentary on Internet forums. Comments like “This show is mine!” or “No one will touch my conditioning” or “I’m bringing that overall title home” are little more than tough talk that frankly will make you look silly if the result doesn’t come out quite as you thought.
In general the Internet is a great source of information for both neophyte and experienced bodybuilders, and “contest prep” threads can be very useful. Unfortunately a lot of people seem to want to use these forums as a source of ego-building instead of a way to obtain any useful feedback. As nice as they are to hear, any bodybuilder who truthfully wants to improve has little use for any positive comments on their physique. The most beneficial comments are the constructive ones that suggest what body parts need to be brought up, discuss innovative training techniques that might provide a needed improvement, or propose posing tweaks that could better suit your physique. Personally I prefer to use a trusted group of friends to critique my progress pictures, simply because I know they won’t waste my time with complimentary fluff.
I have had the opportunity to interact with two groups of individuals widely known for their egotism – academics and bodybuilders. It has been my experience that the best in both fields have no need to boast. They simply do their best, every day, and let the accolades fall to them. They are confident in their abilities, but are receptive to critiques and always keep an open mind about how to improve in the future. So the next time you feel the need to brag about your physique or your lifting accomplishments, take a second and reconsider. Focusing your attention on ways to train that lagging bodypart instead might be much more productive in the long run.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
German Volume Training
After keeping the same 2-week workout split for over a year (see bottom of this blog), I have decided to implement a new lifting routine. In keeping with my New Year's resolution to spend less time in the gym, I have started my own 4-day per week version of German Volume Training (GVT). GVT is elegantly and brutally simple. It consists of 10 sets of 10 repititions per bodypart, typically split into 3 separate days - push (chest / triceps), pull (back, biceps) and legs. The key components, which a lot of people overlook, are 4 second negatives on each rep and 90 seconds of rest between sets. I will be doing a 4-day split as follows:
This will allow me to get some direct training in on my weak points while still sticking to the basis of GVT. I can't wait to get under some deadlifts and front squats with this split and feel the pain!
- Monday: Chest / Triceps
- Tuesday: Back / Biceps
- Wednesday: OFF
- Thursday: Shoulders / Calves
- Friday: OFF
- Saturday: Legs
- Sunday: OFF
This will allow me to get some direct training in on my weak points while still sticking to the basis of GVT. I can't wait to get under some deadlifts and front squats with this split and feel the pain!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Interview on Natural Bodybuilding Radio
Hosts John Hansen and Mike Neumann had me back on their show to discuss my perspective on the WNBF World Championships in November. We also talk diet strategy and my plans for the future. You can check out the interview here.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Nancy Andrew's Pro Series Camp
On January 29-30 I participated in the annual Pro Series Camp held by 4-time WNBF World Champion Nancy Andrews in Massachusetts. This was an absolute blast, as Nancy packed an incredible amount of information into the 2-day event. The staff included a slew of WNBF pros and judges, including World Figure Champ Amy Llinas, Dr. Joe Klemczewski, and Dwayne Broadway. There were lectures on contest dieting, training strategies, what judges look for during a competiton, and Dr. Joe's famous info on "Perfect Peaking." I gave two lectures - one on being productive in the real world while contest dieting, and another showing progress pictures from my latest 26-week prep. I also managed to hit 515 x 5 in sumo deadlifts. The participants were great and eager to learn! For more information, check out Nancy's Website. Nancy is one of the nicest people I've ever met and is extremely passionate about natural bodybuilding. I hope she'll have me back in the future.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
OSU Weightlifting Club T-shirts, and Check Your Ego (& Tank Top) at the Door
I was honored that the Weightlifting Club at OSU (which I serve as faculty advisor for) chose to put a quote from me on their t-shirts this year. I'm proud to have introduced a number of OSU students to the world of natural bodybuilding, and I really enjoy interacting with the guys and gals in the club - seeing people push themselves to a level they never thought possible is always inspiring.
On that same theme, my article below is featured in the February 2011 edition of Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness.
There are a couple of things that irk me about the way bodybuilders are perceived. One is that we are “meatheads,” meaning that the only thing running through our brains are thoughts of training, cardio, and diet. Fortunately, all natural bodybuilders have real world jobs; it would seriously concern me if I ran across any natural bodybuilder who actually thought his “profession” was bodybuilding. My own interaction with numerous elite natural bodybuilders suggests that this cliché is simply not true – most have a variety of outside interests, including business, academics, or even community activism.
The second thing that bothers me is that bodybuilders are generally perceived as egotistical. To some extent this is understandable – our primary measure of “success” is a ranked placement in comparison to other competitors. However, most people we see on a daily basis DON’T see us onstage. Where do they get this idea that we are egotistical? From actions in everyday life – notably, in the gym.
How many times have you seen the following in your gym:
Every single one of these actions gives off a vibe of egotism. And my frank opinion is that none of them deserves a place in the world of competitive bodybuilding. Why do people act like that? In short, to get attention. People generally want to be complimented on how strong they are, how great they look, or how lean they are. As a competitive bodybuilder, condition and muscularity are essential to doing well – but do you really need the approval of everyday gym-goers to improve them? Similarly, posing practice is mandatory – but not in front of everyone else. Work on your posing in a secluded room at the gym, or at your own home, or with a trusted fellow bodybuilder. Hitting a most-muscular shot in front of the dumbbell rack while wearing your string tank top mostly makes people roll their eyes and think, “another vain bodybuilder.”
Some people will say, “But I need to see the muscle working to make sure I’m hitting it properly.” Really? You can’t tell your form is good if a ½ mm thick shirt is covering you? Then you need a trainer, not a tank top. You also hear, “I get too hot if I wear sleeves.” I don’t buy that one either. A couple of inches of cloth on your arms aren’t going to make anyone overheat. Getting a compliment from someone in the gym might be nice to hear, but the unspoken thoughts of most people in attendance probably feeds into the general consensus that “bodybuilding = egotistical.” Don’t play into that.
We’ve all also seen the guy who feels compelled to make sure that everyone knows he is a competitive bodybuilder. This guy will loudly discuss his contest plans for the year, which shows he has won, and if he has won his pro card, you will certainly be reminded of that at every opportune moment. Don’t get me wrong - I wear WNBF t-shirts from some of my old contests - but I only discuss bodybuilding when someone else brings it up. Constantly yammering about contest condition and the importance of quarter turns don’t exactly dispel the “meathead” myth.
So, consider this article an open invitation to all competitive bodybuilders out there. Keep the tank tops in your closet. Throw away those sleeveless t-shirts. Don’t feel the need to discuss your bodybuilding exploits every time you open your mouth. Train with the goal of improving your physique, not to impress other people in the gym. There is no need to advertise what you do, just do it, because you enjoy it. The people I respect most in my gym are NOT the ones constantly in front of the mirror, staring at their bared skin – they are the ones who work the hardest. They might be scrawny guys in the corner, barely getting 10 reps with 185 on the squat bar, but maintaining perfect form and pushing themselves as hard as humanly possible. Or, they can be advanced powerlifters, pulling 600 lbs for reps – but without fanfare or need for recognition. The common theme: No Ego, No Juice – Just Train.
On that same theme, my article below is featured in the February 2011 edition of Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness.
There are a couple of things that irk me about the way bodybuilders are perceived. One is that we are “meatheads,” meaning that the only thing running through our brains are thoughts of training, cardio, and diet. Fortunately, all natural bodybuilders have real world jobs; it would seriously concern me if I ran across any natural bodybuilder who actually thought his “profession” was bodybuilding. My own interaction with numerous elite natural bodybuilders suggests that this cliché is simply not true – most have a variety of outside interests, including business, academics, or even community activism.
The second thing that bothers me is that bodybuilders are generally perceived as egotistical. To some extent this is understandable – our primary measure of “success” is a ranked placement in comparison to other competitors. However, most people we see on a daily basis DON’T see us onstage. Where do they get this idea that we are egotistical? From actions in everyday life – notably, in the gym.
How many times have you seen the following in your gym:
- Loading weights up with excessive force, or dropping dumbbells to make sure people notice
- Using a weight that is way too heavy, then lifting it using half-reps
- Yelling / unnecessary grunting during or after a lift
- The “face wipe” with the bottom of a t-shirt, while making sure to check out the abs in the mirror at the same time
- Flexing in the mirror
- The guy who wears a tank top or sleeveless t-shirt every day
Every single one of these actions gives off a vibe of egotism. And my frank opinion is that none of them deserves a place in the world of competitive bodybuilding. Why do people act like that? In short, to get attention. People generally want to be complimented on how strong they are, how great they look, or how lean they are. As a competitive bodybuilder, condition and muscularity are essential to doing well – but do you really need the approval of everyday gym-goers to improve them? Similarly, posing practice is mandatory – but not in front of everyone else. Work on your posing in a secluded room at the gym, or at your own home, or with a trusted fellow bodybuilder. Hitting a most-muscular shot in front of the dumbbell rack while wearing your string tank top mostly makes people roll their eyes and think, “another vain bodybuilder.”
Some people will say, “But I need to see the muscle working to make sure I’m hitting it properly.” Really? You can’t tell your form is good if a ½ mm thick shirt is covering you? Then you need a trainer, not a tank top. You also hear, “I get too hot if I wear sleeves.” I don’t buy that one either. A couple of inches of cloth on your arms aren’t going to make anyone overheat. Getting a compliment from someone in the gym might be nice to hear, but the unspoken thoughts of most people in attendance probably feeds into the general consensus that “bodybuilding = egotistical.” Don’t play into that.
We’ve all also seen the guy who feels compelled to make sure that everyone knows he is a competitive bodybuilder. This guy will loudly discuss his contest plans for the year, which shows he has won, and if he has won his pro card, you will certainly be reminded of that at every opportune moment. Don’t get me wrong - I wear WNBF t-shirts from some of my old contests - but I only discuss bodybuilding when someone else brings it up. Constantly yammering about contest condition and the importance of quarter turns don’t exactly dispel the “meathead” myth.
So, consider this article an open invitation to all competitive bodybuilders out there. Keep the tank tops in your closet. Throw away those sleeveless t-shirts. Don’t feel the need to discuss your bodybuilding exploits every time you open your mouth. Train with the goal of improving your physique, not to impress other people in the gym. There is no need to advertise what you do, just do it, because you enjoy it. The people I respect most in my gym are NOT the ones constantly in front of the mirror, staring at their bared skin – they are the ones who work the hardest. They might be scrawny guys in the corner, barely getting 10 reps with 185 on the squat bar, but maintaining perfect form and pushing themselves as hard as humanly possible. Or, they can be advanced powerlifters, pulling 600 lbs for reps – but without fanfare or need for recognition. The common theme: No Ego, No Juice – Just Train.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Falling Short Again
On November 13, 2010 I competed in the WNBF World Championships in New York for the 5th consecutive year. After winning the lightweight class, I faced off against the middleweight and heavyweight winners for the Overall World title, but fell short as the heavyweight winner Martin Daniels took home the trophy. I was happy with the improvements I made over the past year, as my 6 month off-season and 6-month diet phase resulted in what I believe was my best physique to date. I defeated several very good bodybuilders in the LW class in relatively convincing fashion, with nearly unanimous scores from the judges. In the overall comparisons, however, I could only garner 2 votes to Martin's 4 (with the MW winner Miles Stovall also taking 1 vote).
This makes the 3rd time in the last 4 years that I have won the LW World title. A friend pointed out to me that I have also earned the following honors:
While I am proud of these accomplishments, I have no misconceptions that I am a "3-time World Champion" or "the 2nd best natural bodybuilder in the world," or even one of the best bodybuilders in the WNBF. I have never won a World overall title, there were at least four elite MW bodybuilders missing from this year's contest, and the WNBF has many fantastic competitors that I have never faced. When I assess my own physique I mostly see weak points that need to be addressed. I have already put together an off-season plan for improving, and am happily shifting into off-season mode with more food and some interesting ideas on ways to grow.
Below are a couple of videos related to the show: one is me practicing my posing one week away from the contest, and the other is my routine from the night show. I hope to get a write-up and some pictures of the contest up soon, although work is very busy right now. Thanks to everyone who supported me during contest prep!
This makes the 3rd time in the last 4 years that I have won the LW World title. A friend pointed out to me that I have also earned the following honors:
- Most LW class wins of any WNBF male pro in history at the World Championships
- Only WNBF male pro in history to have placed top 2 in his class for 5 consecutive World Championships
- Tied with Ben Tennessen (HW) for most class wins by a WNBF male pro at the World Championships
- Unfortunately, Ben and I also share the distinction of having no overall wins despite competing for the title 3 times
- Over $10,000 earned as a "professional bodybuilder"
While I am proud of these accomplishments, I have no misconceptions that I am a "3-time World Champion" or "the 2nd best natural bodybuilder in the world," or even one of the best bodybuilders in the WNBF. I have never won a World overall title, there were at least four elite MW bodybuilders missing from this year's contest, and the WNBF has many fantastic competitors that I have never faced. When I assess my own physique I mostly see weak points that need to be addressed. I have already put together an off-season plan for improving, and am happily shifting into off-season mode with more food and some interesting ideas on ways to grow.
Below are a couple of videos related to the show: one is me practicing my posing one week away from the contest, and the other is my routine from the night show. I hope to get a write-up and some pictures of the contest up soon, although work is very busy right now. Thanks to everyone who supported me during contest prep!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Drive for Tenure
This has been a very important year for me professionally. Since joining the Oklahoma State Faculty in 2006, I have had my eye on the tenure decision, which typically takes place after the first 6-7 years of employment. "Tenure" essentially means continual employment and is basically a vote of confidence by the University that they feel you are a wise investment and will represent them positively for the next 30+ years. In academia, the tenure decision looms over most new Ph.D. hires and pushes them towards excellence in research, teaching and outreach. Although data on tenure outcomes are rare, a recent paper suggests that recent success rates for a cohort of Division I schools tend to hover around 40-60%.
The video below is fairly representative of my work and what is expected of an academic. It is from a presentation I gave in 2008 to the Arkansas Broadband Advisory Council regarding a study I performed about the diffusion of broadband access. Being seen as an expert in a particular area is an integral part of receiving tenure.
I am very proud of my career as an academic - much more so, in fact, than anything I have accomplished in bodybuilding. I will be going up for tenure at the end of this year (2 years earlier than is typical) and will continue working feverishly to improve my academic record until then (and after, of course). Data on early promotion and tenure are even more scarce, but Table 3 of this paper indicates that this occurs in less than 10% of cases. In my opinion there is no better job than that of a professor - I go to work everyday thinking of what interesting thing I want to work on that day.
The video below is fairly representative of my work and what is expected of an academic. It is from a presentation I gave in 2008 to the Arkansas Broadband Advisory Council regarding a study I performed about the diffusion of broadband access. Being seen as an expert in a particular area is an integral part of receiving tenure.
I am very proud of my career as an academic - much more so, in fact, than anything I have accomplished in bodybuilding. I will be going up for tenure at the end of this year (2 years earlier than is typical) and will continue working feverishly to improve my academic record until then (and after, of course). Data on early promotion and tenure are even more scarce, but Table 3 of this paper indicates that this occurs in less than 10% of cases. In my opinion there is no better job than that of a professor - I go to work everyday thinking of what interesting thing I want to work on that day.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Greatest Motivator
Below is an article I wrote for Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness that is included in the August 2010 magazine.
Being a competitive bodybuilder requires that you maintain a significant amount of motivation. Dieting strictly for 20+ weeks, getting up before the crack of dawn to do cardio, dedicating several hours each weekend to food preparation, and training with all-out intensity on a rationed diet is simply not going to happen if your mind isn't dead set on accomplishing your ultimate goal.
There are plenty of ways to motivate yourself on a daily basis – some people like to listen to hard rock music or rap while they train, some like to post pictures of physiques that impress them in their gym lockers, others like to track every workout and seek to break records. But for the experienced competitor, there is one motivator out there that trumps all others. Rarely spoken about, this motivator has at its base a simple human instinct and can potentially push you further than you ever thought possible. What is it? One word: FAILURE.
As humans we seek to succeed in all facets of life, and bodybuilding is no exception. When we do not, two options present themselves. The first is to wallow in the failure, question your ability or desire, and allow it to negatively impact your future endeavors. The other option, and much more positive in the long run, is to use that failure to motivate future success.
The bodybuilding trophies and medals I've collected over the years sit in a lonely corner of my garage. I rarely glance at them. When I do, I never look at the ones that say "1st" or "Overall." The only ones I ever take the time to peruse are the ones with a placing lower than 1. Why? Because they remind me, that on that particular day, I wasn't good enough. Someone else out there was better than me. I think about all of the effort I put forth into that contest, and how it just didn't cut it. What changes can I make this year that will alter that? What do I need to improve so that next year won't result in this same outcome? What training or diet techniques did I try last year, and how can I alter them to get better results this time?
Some may argue that focusing on your failures is not a mentally healthy thing to do. For some people, this may be true. If reminding yourself of the times you have failed leads you into a negative mindset, drains your energy, or makes you question why you are even bothering to trying again, then this type of mental exercise is probably not constructive for you. If, on the other hand, reminiscing on your failure motivates you, induces feelings of pain that you seek to vanquish, and inspires you to push on to the next level, then playing this mind game is right up your alley.
Think about the people who were better than you as you wake up to do cardio. During yet another meal of tuna and broccoli, recall the way it felt when it was your name that was called out too soon. Visualize a competitor's arms, legs, or back while you train; and ask yourself if you are training hard enough to make up the difference that held you back the last time you competed. Sure, your competition has great genetics. Sure, maybe their job or lifestyle allows them to dedicate more time to this hobby of ours. But feeling sorry for yourself about how easy others have it is a poor excuse for a motivator. Focusing on your own shortcomings and your desire to succeed is much more proactive.
I like to apply this type of motivation in other aspects of my life. Being employed in academia, my job is to teach college courses and publish research in my area of focus. When I get negative feedback about a class lecture or exercise, I keep it. When I get a rejection letter from a journal, I keep it. Looking over these failures at regular intervals keeps me motivated to do a better job in the future and to not let the same mistakes happen again.
Sometimes I even use my professional work to motivate my bodybuilding training. After I completed my Ph.D., I had the opportunity to interview for jobs at several very good schools in my field. I knew the likelihood of getting job offers at all of them was slim, so after each interview I picked up a t-shirt at the campus bookstore for that particular school. Sure enough, several of them called to say they were offering the job to another applicant. I wear those t-shirts to train. Every time I put it on, it says to me, "You weren't good enough." Similarly, I like to wear t-shirts from contests I have competed in. I haven't won a WNBF contest since 2006, so I have plenty to choose from that remind me about the other bodybuilders out there who were better than me. Wearing these reminders of my failures is a surefire way to put me in a mindset to really attack the weights.
No one enjoys failure. But it happens to everyone. The truth is that I have yet to taste what I consider to be "success" in the WNBF. I have tried my hand at the WNBF Worlds for 4 consecutive years, but no WNBF Worlds trophy sits in my garage. Three different overall WNBF World champions have attempted to defend their title during that time – and none has accomplished their goal. Even the best of the best fail. The true measure of a competitor, and of a person in general, is how they respond in the face of adversity. Will you hang your head and trudge off into the future with a defeated mindset? Or will you grab hold of your failure, and channel it to inspire your efforts next year?
I know which option I will choose. I hope that you make a similar choice.
Being a competitive bodybuilder requires that you maintain a significant amount of motivation. Dieting strictly for 20+ weeks, getting up before the crack of dawn to do cardio, dedicating several hours each weekend to food preparation, and training with all-out intensity on a rationed diet is simply not going to happen if your mind isn't dead set on accomplishing your ultimate goal.
There are plenty of ways to motivate yourself on a daily basis – some people like to listen to hard rock music or rap while they train, some like to post pictures of physiques that impress them in their gym lockers, others like to track every workout and seek to break records. But for the experienced competitor, there is one motivator out there that trumps all others. Rarely spoken about, this motivator has at its base a simple human instinct and can potentially push you further than you ever thought possible. What is it? One word: FAILURE.
As humans we seek to succeed in all facets of life, and bodybuilding is no exception. When we do not, two options present themselves. The first is to wallow in the failure, question your ability or desire, and allow it to negatively impact your future endeavors. The other option, and much more positive in the long run, is to use that failure to motivate future success.
The bodybuilding trophies and medals I've collected over the years sit in a lonely corner of my garage. I rarely glance at them. When I do, I never look at the ones that say "1st" or "Overall." The only ones I ever take the time to peruse are the ones with a placing lower than 1. Why? Because they remind me, that on that particular day, I wasn't good enough. Someone else out there was better than me. I think about all of the effort I put forth into that contest, and how it just didn't cut it. What changes can I make this year that will alter that? What do I need to improve so that next year won't result in this same outcome? What training or diet techniques did I try last year, and how can I alter them to get better results this time?
Some may argue that focusing on your failures is not a mentally healthy thing to do. For some people, this may be true. If reminding yourself of the times you have failed leads you into a negative mindset, drains your energy, or makes you question why you are even bothering to trying again, then this type of mental exercise is probably not constructive for you. If, on the other hand, reminiscing on your failure motivates you, induces feelings of pain that you seek to vanquish, and inspires you to push on to the next level, then playing this mind game is right up your alley.
Think about the people who were better than you as you wake up to do cardio. During yet another meal of tuna and broccoli, recall the way it felt when it was your name that was called out too soon. Visualize a competitor's arms, legs, or back while you train; and ask yourself if you are training hard enough to make up the difference that held you back the last time you competed. Sure, your competition has great genetics. Sure, maybe their job or lifestyle allows them to dedicate more time to this hobby of ours. But feeling sorry for yourself about how easy others have it is a poor excuse for a motivator. Focusing on your own shortcomings and your desire to succeed is much more proactive.
I like to apply this type of motivation in other aspects of my life. Being employed in academia, my job is to teach college courses and publish research in my area of focus. When I get negative feedback about a class lecture or exercise, I keep it. When I get a rejection letter from a journal, I keep it. Looking over these failures at regular intervals keeps me motivated to do a better job in the future and to not let the same mistakes happen again.
Sometimes I even use my professional work to motivate my bodybuilding training. After I completed my Ph.D., I had the opportunity to interview for jobs at several very good schools in my field. I knew the likelihood of getting job offers at all of them was slim, so after each interview I picked up a t-shirt at the campus bookstore for that particular school. Sure enough, several of them called to say they were offering the job to another applicant. I wear those t-shirts to train. Every time I put it on, it says to me, "You weren't good enough." Similarly, I like to wear t-shirts from contests I have competed in. I haven't won a WNBF contest since 2006, so I have plenty to choose from that remind me about the other bodybuilders out there who were better than me. Wearing these reminders of my failures is a surefire way to put me in a mindset to really attack the weights.
No one enjoys failure. But it happens to everyone. The truth is that I have yet to taste what I consider to be "success" in the WNBF. I have tried my hand at the WNBF Worlds for 4 consecutive years, but no WNBF Worlds trophy sits in my garage. Three different overall WNBF World champions have attempted to defend their title during that time – and none has accomplished their goal. Even the best of the best fail. The true measure of a competitor, and of a person in general, is how they respond in the face of adversity. Will you hang your head and trudge off into the future with a defeated mindset? Or will you grab hold of your failure, and channel it to inspire your efforts next year?
I know which option I will choose. I hope that you make a similar choice.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Interview on Natural Bodybuilding Radio
This week I was interviewed by hosts John Hansen and Mike Neumann on the Internet radio show "Natural Bodybuilding Radio." This show has featured some of the best natural bodybuilders in the world, including Philip Ricardo, Jim Cordova, Dave Goodin, and Doug Miller. During the interview, we talk about how I got started with bodybuilding, how I was able to add mass to my ectomorphic frame, and my experiences with the WNBF. Check out the interview here!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Some Photos Before 2009 Worlds
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do a photo shoot with my friend Kurt Weidner the day before 2009 Worlds. Reg Bradford, a very well-known physique photographer, got some excellent shots of the two of us. Thanks Reg for the great photos! You can see a few of the shots on the gallery page.
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