The Bodhi Blog

dearest microsoft,
please listen to the w3c. standards are a good thing, sometimes.

regards,
baker

This past weekend i coached two of my friends/clients/boyz in THE-FITNESS-SHOW THAT-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED, a debacle of catastrophic proportions.

First, a bit of background: bodybuilding/fitness is not by it’s nature a vain pursuit. no more than say, figure skating, dancing, or fencing. it is not a sport in the sense of physical competition, but a subjective activity judged on the whims of others, qualified by some unknown criteria that has yet to be astutely stated or articulated in a logical manner. Ergo, decisions are rarely received unanimously as good or bad.

fitness competition is about discipline and challenging yourself to push yourself to your very limits, physically, mentally, emotionally. it takes 6 - 20 weeks to prepare for a show, and that is after YEARS of training. What you see on stage is a body of work. it should reflect grace, power, athleticism and discipline.

Bodybuilding is not about shaking what your mama gave you in less clothing than you would wear in front of your cat. It is not a tan competition, it is not a beauty contest. It is not a vanity thing.

Somewhere, some way this was lost on organizers. Perhaps it was the realization that by appealing to an athlete’s pride, vanity, and insecurities they could make way more money off the competitors. Perhaps it was simply that the organizers themselves have lost the intent and soul of the competition. I won’t even talk about the direction of traditional bodybuilding; the drugs have left the stars of that level looking like cattle vaguely reminiscent of their homo sapiens sapiens ancestry.

My athletes, my boys and my ladies know the sport is in the gym, in the diet, and in them. If they choose to compete is is to cement their goals, but a time pressure on themselves and achieve a new level of fitness. To put the work in and receive no reward or recognition when this was promised is a travesty of horrendous proportion.
So, my guys, my proteges, my inspirations were there, registered, ready, and replete with excitement for their show. They came, they saw, the dominated (CR was the best conditioned of his class, AG was the best everything in his). The evening results are always a surprise at best, an this show was no exception. Awards were given out: the most dominant bodybuilder I’ve seen in years? 3rd place behind two great, but not comparable, physiques. The Bikini Model award? Given to an 18 year old without an ounce of evidence of a workout in her life. She was young, tall, and skinny; this was a show to reward the hard work of athletes, not the genetic blessing of parents or the tight ass which is part and parcel of being 18.

On and on it went, awards of dubious distinction to oddly placed competitors. And then… it was over. My guys categories not even called. No reward for the hard work, the discipline, the $200+ dollars spent to enter categories which were promised to be ranked and awarded. A non ending to a non event.

My guys, all of the other competitors for that matter, deserve huge kudos for their hard work. To be denied the recognition of a rank, any rank, is negligent at best, and traumatic to those involved.

Fitness exposition is dead. Good riddance; the appeal to vanity will leave a shallow pool to draw from, and the disregard of the hard working folks who enter your shows will hopefully bring about the end of these fiascos.

far from being patriotic in any normal sense of the word, further from being a fan of anything cold (i often question my ancestors decision to go to canada over, say, anywhere tropical), i am completely sucked in to the winter games. This despite my incessant criticism of our provincial govt’s spending habits and policies surrounding these games.

but in the end, i appreciate the effort, the discipline, and the passion of the athletes. Seriously, Shaun White? that dude is walking CGI. (i’d show this, but the IOC doesn’t like sharing)

The death race of the women’s downhill?! wow. i think everyone who didn’t die got a medal.

it’s cool when the canuckles win, but honestly, everyone is worthy of awe and praise. except that aussie bastard.

still, i’d be even more enthusiastic if there were basketball (ice basketball) or MMA (NHL style hockey?). or the biathlon targets were university kids…

Funny thing, this article. I own a fitness studio, but we don’t do memberships. See, too many bodies will kill the intensity and for most people, this then becomes a glorified night club: bad music, people trying to talk to you when you really aren’t interested, and some questionable hygiene.

All this is yours for only $600+ a year plus sign up fees!

Weak, as the kids say (do they still say that?). The programs I write are dense; lots of exercises, little rest, and asstonnes (it’s metric) of variety. Performing something like this in a busy gym surrounded by the self interested (obsessed, even) masses is difficult at best, conflict inducing at worst.

Think for a second about your typical day at the gym: how much equipment do you actually use? if you’ve done your homework, you answered “Why, mostly dumbbells good chap! Cheerio, whot!” in your terrible attempt at a british accent.

Odds are, you are not a world class bodybuilder or powerlifter. This is good. For the cost of a year in a public facility, you can easily put together a gym that is neither grandiose nor lacking. OK, maybe a little more…

What you need:
1. Dumbbells. Barbells take up too much space and are more awkward. Dumbbells are better for your joints, more versatile, and tuck away in the closet. The adjustable ones are neat and tidy and worth a look.

2. A bench or Stability Ball

3. Oh wait, that’s it!

Exercise bands, medicine balls, and a chin up bar are nice extras, but not necessary. If your goal is building muscle, the chin up bar becomes mandatory!

Ok, so you’ve got all your stuff, now what? Well, you do one of two things: sign up for our free online training beta, or hire your self a good personal trainer to come show you a thing or two. The investment will be worth it. Take your time and interview several trainers (check out “Genius or Asstard? Things to ask your trainer.” for more on this…), and choose whoever you feel most comfortable with (and not just the hottest one… besides, I’m already booked up).

I love gyms. I do, but I am able to shut everything out and go about my business. I enjoy not having to keep the large amount of weight I need for my workouts in my tiny condo. For most apartment dwellers, gyms are the way to go. But a lot of people would certainly benefit from keeping things closer to home. No travel time. No weirdos watching you. Nobody taking your stuff when yo get a drink of water.

Home workouts lack the distraction of a gym. You can get your training done quicker and more effectively with some planning.

where’d it all go?