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I’ve just finished 2 weeks of solid Cellucor use – the Extreme Muscle Growth System.  The results I’ve seen are pretty impressive.  Let me explain a little more and provide some background, which I’m sure many people can relate to in one way or another.

Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been inundated with work and several other fitness related projects.  I knew I wanted to compete in 2010 but after the New Year rolled around my weeks & months turned into what felt like one long day.  And, with that, time began to fly by.  I was traveling quite a bit with my Marine Corps support position which made it hard to stick to my meals and training so I was at a standstill.  That is until Cellucor and I began to talk…  It was the type of motivation I needed; a breath of fresh air.  It had helped me get back into my old spirits and realize there was still hope to compete this year.  

I   began to use the products and immediately felt a difference from one particular supplement in the stack called M5 Extreme.  Without getting scientific, and to make it easy to understand, M5 Extreme is essentially a preworkout creatine & nitric oxide supplement.  There are ingredients in this formula that act in synergy which allows the body to drive more creatine into the muscles, stimulate vasodilation for better pumps and increase oxygen rich blood to the muscles.  It also improves mental focus and clarity.  (The below video demonstrates and explains in a little more detail.)

I immediately felt the difference incorporating this product into my regimen because prior to using this stack, my mind was a place of unrest; no matter what time of the day it was and no matter what I was doing, I was preoccupied with certain things happening in my life.  By taking M5 Extreme prior to my training (about 30 mins before), it was as if time stopped for that brief moment while I was training.  I was able to crank the intensity up and get back into my old habits of good ole’ high intensity, balls to the wall lifting.  It truly made me realize how bad I was lacking in that department.  I’m always skeptical of products that claim they’re the ‘end-all-be-all’ but I can attest to this product’s true claim to be extreme.

So, for the update:  since I’ve been using the products, I’m up 7 lbs, numbers are up on all lifts (especially squats), body fat has decreased by 2% and energy is still high when training time rolls around. I don’t post numbers here for lifts because I’m not one who keeps a log and writes during training – not my style. Plus, I’m constantly changing my routine around so each workout has a different flavor. You might ask, “How do you know your lifts are up then?” Answer = “When you’ve been training for years, you know how much you’re able to lift on certain exercises. When all of the sudden your able to pick up heavier weights and then do more reps, it’s pretty obvious. If I’m normally working with the 100lbs dumbbells for an exercise then all of the sudden I’m able to crank out reps with the 110s and 120s, you do some evaluation to figure out why the increase. In this case, it’s pretty easy for me (I mentioned it above).

This has gotten me primed so I can begin getting into pre-contest training and diet in a few weeks.  As much as I’d like to post photos now, I learned my lesson last year and will post pics after I get into my prep so I can do a more comprehensive post. I’ll start throwing cardio in and begin using thermos in about a week or so. 

Until then, I’ll keep on training hard, keeping my eye on the 2010 Mr. New Orleans title!  Look forward to keeping you guys posted on the progress leading up to 26 JUN 2010!

***Coupon Code – LA10 for discount***

Well, I finally made the move to get certified as a Personal Trainer.  After so many years of “should I, or shouldn’t I” the decision came about when I realized I needed to find something that would get me out of contracting and into health & fitness full-time.  When I made the decision, everything happened rather quickly.  I waited until I could afford the package, ordered it, received it, and then two weeks later took the test and passed – of course!  A lot of the material covered I had a pretty good understanding of  but I definitely learned some great technology to research a little more.  Health & fitness is what I enjoy so this made the learning process interesting and rather easy.

Since the beginning of 2010, I’ve been battling back-and-forth as to what the next step would be for me.  In 2009, I returned from Iraq and had a great year in bodybuilding.  I knew 2009 was just the beginning and 2010 would be a banner year for me.  However, I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to play out.

Becoming a personal trainer wasn’t an easy decision for me because of everything I’ve got going on in my life.  The job of a personal trainer requires a lot of hard work, long hours and dedication to your clients so I was constantly deterred from doing it because I kept thinking it would take away valuable time that I could be focusing on other projects I’m working on.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Having finally thought about it from both a business perspective and an avenue to be able to help others, I know this is the best move I can make right now; it will only enhance everything else I’m doing.

The gym I’ll be personal training out of is called NOLA Fit which is a 24 hour gym located in Uptown New Orleans on Magazine St.  The couple who owns the gym are great people to work with so the opportunities that exist in this gym are limitless.  They think outside the box compared to your typical gym; they’re creative in their ideas and you’ll see that when you tour the gym. 

My thoughts (and slight rant) on Personal Training:

Personal Training, for me, is something that needs to be done in the right place.  What I mean by that is, I don’t (and won’t) work in a gym that is a cookie-cutter type and a client is just another person in the door to make money off of.  When a client comes to me, they’re going to get the best training they can receive because behind it all, my passion is rooted in helping others and being involved in health & fitness.  As a personal trainer, your clients’ results are a direct reflection of you.  If you don’t produce results, why would anyone want to pay you to train them?

It’s all boils down to common sense; however, not many people seem to have that these days.  They are blinded by the dollar sign and it shows in their training of clients.  To everyone who is looking to be a personal trainer, think about why you’re doing it and most importantly, think about the people who place their trust in your hands.  They see you as someone who can help them live healthier, be stronger, or whatever goal they have in  mind.  Don’t let them down and give personal trainers a bad name.  Don’t be arrogant and think people will flock to you.  No one owes you anything; you must earn it first.  It doesn’t matter how great you think you are – put in your time and let the results of your work speak for your professionalism & education.

Okay…I think that’s enough said.  I’ll end this post by saying, “Let’s start making our cities healthier by educating people on how to be healthier!” #befitnola

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• Personal Training – The Evolution Revolution (slideshare.net)

It’s time for me to start writing things that happen to me in a “real-time” fashion so everyone can keep up with what I’m doing and where I’m at. Every time I talk to friends of mine, they ask me, “Where are you at now”, “What are you doing now”, “What’s your phone number now”. I’ve been pretty nomadic, so-to-speak, over the last decade being in the Marine Corps and then being in Iraq as a contractor. All that traveling the world is done (for now) so I can officially say I’ve settled down in New Orleans, LA with my fiancée.

I returned from Iraq last summer and have been going non-stop since. I didn’t know what to expect once I got to New Orleans because I had never been here before; it was a huge culture shock for me, even more so coming straight from Iraq. Having been here for a while now, NOLA is definitely growing on me. The opportunities here are endless.

Not really knowing where to start, job-wise, I started to explore different areas to see where I could fit in. I dabbled in the entertainment industry briefly but the hours severely interfered with my training and diet so that really wasn’t cut out for me. Plus, I wasn’t a “featured” actor so I didn’t get all the perks. It was a good experience though and I met some great people who I stay in contact with. Who knows, maybe I’ll try it out again when I get a little more settled.

What I ended up doing was getting a job working for Marine Forces North as a contractor (which I’m still doing now.) I act as the Emergency Manager and In-Transit Security Analyst in which I sit in an office behind a desk doing paperwork, reading documents and attending meetings & briefings. Well…this didn’t end up being my dream job but it has definitely been another good learning experience.

On the side, I’ve still been actively pursuing bodybuilding, health & fitness. On the bodybuilding front I’ve managed to network in to know the small group of hardcore guys here and I’ve just recently come on board with Cellucor; previously I was with LG Sciences as some of you may remember. Training is going good and I’m in prep for a competition in June; last October I competed in Tampa and took 2^nd place in the heavyweight division.

The hightlight for my health & fitness venture has been the business my fiancée and I have developed – Be Fit NOLA. Essentially, this was created to help bridge the gap in New Orleans with regard to health & fitness in hopes of making the city a more health conscious place to live. You can still live in NOLA and be healthy!

Lastly, I’m about to dive into the personal training arena at a new gym called NOLA Fit in Uptown, New Orleans; it’s a gym open 24 hours. In addition to the personal training, I’ll begin doing some nutrition coaching towards the latter part of the year.

That’s a quick down and dirty of my life over the past several months I’ve been back from Iraq. I’m a goal oriented person so when you’re in the right place, there are no limits that can be placed upon you. The only person who can hold you back is you!

New Orleans is definitely the right place for me right now!

Hours upon hours of eating, dieting, supplementing and training,…all year long. You’re a few weeks out and you look and feel incredible. You don’t see how you can lose your upcoming competition. Then, the final week rolls around and the science of the human body comes into play more than ever. You’re carb depleting/loading, water depleting, sodium depleting/loading. Finding the right mix for your body is crucial here. Having done my first competition not too long ago, I understood why everyone told me the first show was a learning experience. If you’ve never competed before there’s no way to know what to expect on how your body is going to react to this last week, especially if you’ve chosen the wrong approach.

Some people who are genetically gifted can simply reduce their calories (regular diet) the final week and then the last couple of days bring the calories back up; essentially, this whole time eating the same foods. On the other hand, some of us have to truly figure out what works and what doesn’t. This could potentially take a couple of years. Everyone’s body responds differently so you can’t just take what someone else did and think that’s going to work for you. Newsflash – IT WON’T WORK!

You’ve got to do your homework, talk to other people who have a similar frame and metabolism and read…read…read! Even when you’re working with a coach, it’s important to read because it will help you better understand why you’re body is going to make the changes it’s supposed to make. Your body is so clean and pure during this last week that anything you put into your mouth will make your body respond in some way and that way will be very visible – to everyone! A recent example of this was Tony Freeman at the 2009 Mr Olympia. Prior to the show he bumped his knee on a coffee table. He had to do something so he took a motrin. What happened? It slowed his metabolism down and he ended up competing with a full stomach and a slight film under his skin. He didn’t place well as a result.  All that hard work to be set back by one little pill.

There are great resources available that explain the final week in great detail. One book I found that I truly enjoyed reading was Justin Harris’s Comprehensive Performance Nutrition. It’s a quick reference Q&A guide that’s easy to read and follow. For my show last year I worked under Tim Gardner with Team Body Tech; Tim’s a wealth of knowledge and has brought many amatuer athletes to professional status. I learned a tremendous amount from him last year and I look forward to continue working with Tim and being part of Team Body Tech.  I recommend to anyone who is a novice and is serious about competing to enlist the professional services of a coach; it’s priceless, even if it’s just to get started. I’m not sure what competitions I’m going to do this year but I can tell you I’m most definitely still learning. If you feel you already know everything, you’re set-up for failure. There is always room for improvement and in this day and age with bodybuilding, you’ve got to stay on top of your game!