Arnold Schwarzenegger remains in my mind as the king of bodybuilding. Without him, I think bodybuilding would still be an obscure sport on the fringes of American society. Bodybuilding owes him a debt that they can never repay.
The question often comes: Why would you a minister and a person of faith like and try your hand at bodybuilding? One word – health. Contrary to popular opinion, bodybuilders are not engaging in a unhealthy activity. To truly engage in the sport of bodybuilding, one must lift weights to gain muscle, do cardiovascular work (cardio) to cut fat, pose to develop body control, follow a strict nutrition plan and do some flexibility training. Of all the things out there, it is in my mind the most complete approach to overall health.
I also happen to like the aesthetics of a well develop human body – male or female. As the psalmist said — ‘we are fearfully and wonderfully made’. I would fall in the camp that says proportion and symmetry are just as important as muscle size, if not more so. Classic guys like Arnold, Kevin Levrone, Jack LaLanne, Reg Park, Franco Columbo, and Lou Ferrigno appeal to me more than the mass monsters of today. I am a fan of bodybuilding as well as being a follower of its discipline.
That said, my own personal pursuit of bodybuilding has been one of mixed results. Recently, it was remarked by my eldest son that I seem to have plateaued. When I started out over three years ago (August 15th, 2009) I weighed 337lbs. and had a body fat percentage, based on caliper method, of roughly 32%. Now I am 275lbs. with a body fat percentage of 10-12% depending on the day. The problem is that this has been true for about a year. Yep, Plateau. That means I need to change things drastically if more progress is to be reached.
Weight Training: If there is one consistent thing in my life of bodybuilding it has been the iron. The real problem here, if I have one, is not consistency. It is intensity. To solve that problem I have initiated one very simple rule – it is not an intense workout if I do not beat my logbook on at least three exercises. Right now this is easy to see as almost everyday I have to adjust my weight levels for the next workout. Later it will be about getting one more rep out of a set than last time, but for now I am content. This coupled with a pyramid system has really made things more intense for me. I also never back down a weight level without a good reason.
Cardio: I hate this. Most cheap and easy cardio is pointless to me. Running for the sake of running, etc. Problem is I think if I am going to see my body fat percentage drop and stay down, I am simply going to have to find something and stick with it despite my boredom. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the name of the game for me, mostly to cut back the time needed to get the cardio done.
Nutrition: Ever try to do a diet when people shove stuff in your face. Try being a pastor where shoving food in your face is a noble church tradition. I am probably going overboard there to make a point. My main problem is that I am so BIG already: six foot, four inches tall frame with 275 lbs of flesh attached. This make more diets soar up in range as far as calorie and protein gram count for me. It has its bright spots as I can usually eat more than most or when other folks would do fat-free to keep the calorie count down I do not have to do that. I can go with regular cottage cheese instead of the low-fat versions for instance. My plan is to have a full nutrition plan in place my February 1st and follow it for four months (gets me to summer). The goal get my body fat percentage down to 7%. At the same time keep my protein level high to keep my muscle and maybe continue to grow it. That means probably a diet that is mostly meat, vegetables, fruit and a little diary. No starchy carbs — maybe a little oatmeal in the morning. I am also thinking of intermittent fasting not only to shake things up for my body but I could use the spiritual calming of fasting.
Flexibility and Posing – honestly, I have felt these need to be added for a long time now. As much as weightlifting strengthens the joints and skeletal structure, I think it can be slightly damaging to joint flexibility. I think the term ‘musclebound’ is largely a myth, but I still see the need for some power yoga or something to develop static strength and flexibility. Posing is largely a matter of starting to look at my body like a sculptor looks at clay and figuring out where I need to work.
I don’t know if I ever will compete or not. Thinking that way means a trainer and a nutritionist both of which I cannot afford right now. It also means I could be bodybuilding for a while before that is possible. The thing I do know is that this has made me healthier and health is worth its weight in gold. I only expect it to get better.
Next: Me As The .. Football Fan.