Pocket Hercules.

I love being impressed, I really do. I love people who push themselves, work hard and are left with lots to show for it. Take Manohar Aich for example. The 1952 Mr. Olympia is still drawing ‘Oooh’s and Ahhh’s’ from the body building community. Nicknamed ‘Pocket Hercules’ due to the fact that he only stood 4’11 in his prime, Mr. Aich is also a 3 time Asian games Gold Medalist in body building.

Manohar was born in a remote village in India, he was always naturally athletic and was always very into sports. At age 12 he caught black fever and his heath took a turn for the worse. He lost much of his strength while he was sick so naturally he turned to body building once he recovered, to gain back his strength. At the age of 27 he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and this is where Manohar Aich the body builder was truly born. A disrespectful, racist comment made by a British Officer led Mr. Aich to smack him and in turn landed Mr. Aich in jail. Jail is when Manohar started to hit the weights, hard core. 12 hours a day. His work ethic and physique were so off the hook, the prison staff started to make him his dietary specific vegetarian meals. And the rest is seriously some body building history.

At age 37 he entered the Mr. Hercules contest and won. The next year in 1951, he entered Mr. Universe and placed 2nd, in 1952 he won Mr. Universe and then in 1955 he placed 3rd at the age of 42. In 1960, he placed 4th in Mr. Universe at the age of 47, not very common in body building, especially not back then. When asked about his life and his accomplishments he credits nothing to luck and everything to his ‘healthy lifestyle of no alcohol, no cigarettes, daily exercise and a strict vegetarian diet.’

Mr. Aich is now 100 years young but that is not stopping him, he still works out for 90 minutes a day and he freely admits that he does more stretching now then he used to. He also still trains and mentors champion body builders at his own gym in India. As for his daily eats, think starches and lots of fruit like guava, bananas and jack fruit as well as vegetables. Manohar claims he feels nothing that most people feel with age, no pains, no weakness, in fact he says he only ‘feels young at heart.’

This guy is a living legend and the prime example of what body building and healthy living should be about. Here’s to many more years of health, happiness and fitness, Mr. Aich 🙂

Short Circuit.

Fredrick Winters, 1904 Summer Olympics. Talk About Old School.

There are essentially two ways to lift weights, you either train 1-2 body parts per day, 5 days a week throwing in at least 3-4 days of 30-45 minutes of cardio or you circuit train. Unless you are a professional body builder or something of that nature it is really unnecessary to train 1-2 body parts per day, in my humble opinion. Most of us who end up in the gym are simply trying to get in shape.  To have an all overall nice physique with attractive muscle tone is the holy grail of working out. It makes it all worthwhile because honestly who wants to log in 6-10 hours a week at the gym only to look the same month after month? Not me and not you.

When it comes to circuit training you aim to do 1-2 exercises per each body part, starting with you back and legs. I recommend 2 different exercises for your back and two for your legs. Try to hit the upper and lower back as well as your quads and hamstrings, then move onto a calf exercise. Always remember to work out your calf muscles, they are often overlooked and nothing looks worse than an underdeveloped calf muscle, especially on women in heels. Pump those calf’s up ladies because the sexy of the leg starts at the base 😉 After you have done those five exercises move onto your chest and shoulders. I suggest one exercise for each of those body parts and well as one exercise for both your biceps and triceps. Finish off the circuit with two different abs exercises, one of them should include your obliques (side abs).This is the rhythm of a typical circuit. You will do anywhere from 8-10 (for bulk) or 12-18 (to lean and tone) reps per exercise and complete this full circuit three times, three days a week, doing different exercises each time. Follow this circuit with 30 minutes of medium paced cardio and add on two more days of 30-45 minutes of faster paced cardio and you will see results. That’s assuming you are already following a kick ass vegetarian diet.

Please bear in mind everyone in the fitness industry has different opinions. Seriously you will hear all different things about ‘the best way to train’ but at the end of the day, this decision is yours. YOU have to enjoy whatever workout routine you choose to partake in and you also have to see results so you stay motivated enough to go to the gym. I feel like I have to add a disclaimer every time I talk about fitness because this industry can be fickle and trendy but regardless everything I just told you works. Plus it is the quickest, in and out way to lift weights, you are wasting no time since you are going from one exercise to another without rest. It’s all tried and true, no gimmicks, no games. Go for it and let me know how it works for you.

Press This.

When Arnold Was Mr. Olympia in 1975.

The only press Arnold Schwarzenegger  seems to be getting these days is well, negative so I figured I would go for the opposite approach. As a body builder Arnold was simply one of the best to ever do it, you can’t deny that. He actually invented moves we use at the gym and there is an annual sports festival named after him, he truly is a body building legend. I actually worked for someone who used to build and compete with Arnold back in his ‘Muscle Beach’ days and he said the Terminator was a ‘hard working and super nice guy who always looked out for his fellow builders’. My boss Tony, even had a leather jacket with an airbrushed picture of Arnold ‘flexing’ in a Speedo with Arnold’s autograph on it. It was ridiculous, I wish I had that picture scanned, you all would laugh your heads off. Ridiculous. I simply named it ‘The Arnold Jacket’.

Anyways back to the point of the post. The point is the ‘Arnold Press’. This is a killer move to help you sculpt wonderfully proportioned shoulders. Since it is tougher than a basic shoulder press you will need to drop down in weight if you are already lifting. Not lowering your weight is an awesome way to hurt your shoulders, I know from experience, don’t do it 😉 To do this move you will need 1 set of dumbbells, you can do this standing or seated. I suggest seated if you are just learning this move, easier to focus on your form. Ok, so start with the dumbbells at the front of your shoulders, your palms should be facing your body and your elbows should be under your wrists. Now bring your elbows out to the sides and continue to raise them while pressing the dumbbells over your head until your arms are straight. Lower your shoulders in an opposite pattern, turning your palms back in towards your body back to starting position. Repeat for 8-12 reps. 3 sets. Sounds simple enough right?  It is.

Is Vegetarian Body Building An Oxymoron?

ABB Pure Pro 50.

Up until recently, even as a vegetarian I tended to think that being a body builder or to even just compete in the fitness world one must be a meat eater. A big meat eater at that. As I learn more about the fitness world, I see that my former perception was not totally off point. I mean, in reality meat eaters far outweigh the vegan and vegetarian competitors. Not to mention that a vegetarian diet is never really discussed and definitely not recommended in that industry. The amount of slaughter that goes into feeding the fitness industry is repulsive, as are most of the diets I read about that these women and men are on. Even when I was a ‘carnie’ I never ate meat for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. That is just too much meat. Since we all know the downsides of meat (and if you don’t, read through some of the older posts on this blog), it really makes me stop and wonder how healthy the fitness industry truly is. I would say a lot less healthier then what they allow us to see.

Since building muscle is all about hard work, consistent work and plenty of protein, it is no wonder many vegans and vegetarians who lift are concerned about their protein intake. With a little thought and some tiny dietary adjustments you can be on your way to building plenty of lean, calorie burning muscle. The object of protein is to consume the ‘cleanest’ form you can. To most people, this mostly consists of lean meats like chicken, turkey and lean beef. For vegetarians, this is whey, eggs, low fat dairy, nuts and soy. For vegans it is soy, hemp, nuts and other plant based proteins. The good news for vegans and vegetarians is that our sources of protein are far superior and far ‘cleaner’ then any meat based protein 😉

On your way to fit body perfection, you must keep the protein intake up, up, up. The word on the streets these days is that one should consume about 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. I would need about 120-125. To be honest I do not usually get that much, I tend to fall around 90 grams. I have been working really hard to add and extra protein shake to my daily regime. I am also trying to eat Edamame at leat 3-4 times a week at night to get that extra unprocessed soy protein. I do not find it hard to get the proper amount of protein as a vegetarian. I  find that for me it just takes a little more thought since I do not eat eggs or much dairy. Whey is my go-to protein source as it is easily absorbed by the body and redily available these days.

So the good news is being a vegetarian should not shatter your bodybuilding or fitness competition dreams 😉 At the end of the day in fitness protein is protein, get it where you can. Luckily for US some sources are far better then others…

*ABB Pure Pro 50 is what I have been reaching for lately. It tastes SO good, the list of ingredients is short, sweet and to the point and it manages to pack 50 grams of milk and whey protein into only 240 calories. 240 calories is very low for a shake containing that many grams of protein, not to mention this shake is pretty low in sugar, fat and carbs too.*

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/abb/purepro50 ABB Pure Pro 50.

http://bodybinfo.net/vegetarian-bodybuilding-can-vegetarians-be-bodybuilders About Vegetarian Body Builders.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.org/

Vegan Body Builder

Weight Training 101.

A Complete Weight Training Workout Can Be Performed With One Set Of Dumbbells. You Can Get A Pair For Super Cheap Even Free On Some Websites.

I have always been active and athletic. By athletic I mean organized sports for the most part, not lifting weights. When I got my first gym job in 2000, I was super excited, I loved working at the gym and I tried to do as much cardio as I could. Cardio is what I firmly believed held the key to my weight loss goals. In 2000, I was 20 and I was also the heaviest I have ever been, somewhere around 180lbs. At 5″4 this is not a good look at all. Needless to say the cardio did not work as I hoped it would have. I DID lose some weight, but not as much as I wanted to, so I shelved the gym until 2003 when I took up Kickboxing and Spinning at Golds Gym while living in Annapolis, MD. I loved both of these classes and had myself in pretty good shape (a solid size 6 I would say). After a year, I moved on and once again ditched the gym. It was not until 2006 when I decided to join the gym again. So at 25 I did, and once again I JUST did massive cardio… this time seeing more results, but ones that were quickly offset by my affinity for drinking at the time 😉 By 2007 I was ready. It was time to get serious and learn how to change my body for real. I started lifting weights then and have never looked back. The body I have now is one that I would never imagined it would be, and without weights I would not have it. I was sacred to even venture into the ‘mans’ part of the gym, but I am happy I did.

I understand that the thought of lifting weights to some is down right scary. Especially to women. They automatically assume that lifting weights will make them look like some “she-male” body builder. This is SO NOT TRUE. Women do not have enough testosterone to look like men. I do not care how heavy you lift, you will not look like a man without the help of some illegal substances. Now that we have this squared away lets continue. The benefits of weight training are beyond impressive. Lifting weights changes almost everything about your body from, your muscle tone to your metabolism. It even makes your bones stronger and actually helps you lose weight. Cardio may help take some of the weight off but lifting weights is what keeps it off.

You may wonder how building muscle, aka adding mass, actually will make you skinnier in the long run. Well it goes a little something like this. One pound of muscle burns about 6-10 calories per day, where as one pound of fat burns around 2. These do not seem like big numbers, but the more muscle you build does add up and in the long run does help to make and keep you slim and toned. Lifting weights also helps to strengthen the connective tissues in your body along with you bones and muscles. This is very important as we age and our bones naturally get weaker. One of the best things about weight training, in my opinion, is that it keeps your metabolism up for about 4-5 hours after you work out as opposed to the 30 minutes to an hour that cardio does.

If you belong to a gym or are considering  joining, one the machines are the best way to start learning how to lift. Machines provide the most support and perform the moves with perfect form, as opposed to free weights where you have to support the movements and control your form. Working on machines will also help you perfect your balance and body alignment during the exercises. When you are just starting at the gym also opt for a piece of low impact cardio to start out on, like a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer. If you have been tinkering around on the machines at the gym for a while, then do not be afraid to step it up to the free weights. Free weights will really help you tackle the last 10-15 you are trying to lose, but bear in mind you will be building muscle so rely on how your clothes fit as opposed to what the scale says. While you are using free weights your muscles never fully get to relax like they do when you are working on a machine. If you think you are ready then go for it, just be sure you are using a proper amount of weight and do not over do it. Aim to complete 10-15 repetitions of each exercise you choose to do.

At the end of the day, I FIRMLY believe that lifting weights is the only way to get a FIRM body we all desire. Well, one must also eat right, but you get what I am saying. There are lots of great resources on the internet for difference exercise ideas and lifting tips. Never be afraid to seek out advice from the people working at your gym, trust me they would love to help you. And do not write off hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions. They can show you the ropes so once your on the floor by yourself you will look like a seasoned pro 😉

Work. It. Out.

http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/bodybuilding16.html Benefits Of Weight Training

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/women/a/aa051601a.htm Why Women Should Be Lifting Weights

Machines Are Great For People Who Are Just Begining To Lift Weights.