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| Smile! |
I was competing.
Truth be told, this extraordinary journey had been a really long one in the making. Now that every speck of dust from that golden tan had settled I feel it's time to share my journey: my whole journey, that is.
The Beginning
Let's Try This Out...
Getting Serious
The Beginning
I always knew I had my interests on chiseling a perfect male physique since I was young. When I was a 5 or 6-years-old I watched a TV show that got me started in this long journey of bodybuilding: The Incredible Hulk, starred none other than the legendary bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. I still remember a scene where Hulk overturned a car with his huge green sinewry body. That muscularity, for some reason, never quite left my memory after all these years.
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| The legendary Lou Ferrigno as Hulk. Photo credit: geeksoulbrother.wordpress.com |
Although this image had silently been living inside me all these years, I would not say I was sporty at all in my youth: I was shy, taciturn, and as a pianist I flunked at anything that would have done harm to my preciously slender fingers: rugby, basketball, volleyball etc., therefore, were a big no-no. As a result I had always opted something aquatic, mainly swimming, which could perhaps explain my smooth and lean built rather than the stony bulky type of a typical bodybuilder. As I remained studious throughout my educational and professional lives, I never did have the chance to put this hidden memory into reality: something I would slightly regret as the twenties is the best period for serious bodybuilding with its optimal testosterone levels.
Let's Try This Out...
Not long after graduating, my university friend and I strolled by a well-known gym (the one named after a U.S. State) by the Wan Chai MTR footbridge. Full of youthful energy and inspirations from those muscular dudes inside the gym (aren't we always eager in our younger days to be someone we are not? :-), my friend and I hesitated little before enrolling their membership. In those days we would fork out $699/month for this privilege - not a small sum for fresh grads like us! Since it was quite a bit of an expense for us, we were determined to make full use of it.
In the beginning, though, it was all rather bewildering: we were really at a loss at what to do with all those cold-looking equipment and we had zero idea how to start (those were the good days when personal trainers at that particular chain will not bother members of a less-than-optimal built for lessons). Indeed, we often ended up jogging on the treadmill watching some TV overhead; needless to say those days we didn't make much progress. But at least their aircon and free towels were great enough reasons for us to hang around in!
In the beginning, though, it was all rather bewildering: we were really at a loss at what to do with all those cold-looking equipment and we had zero idea how to start (those were the good days when personal trainers at that particular chain will not bother members of a less-than-optimal built for lessons). Indeed, we often ended up jogging on the treadmill watching some TV overhead; needless to say those days we didn't make much progress. But at least their aircon and free towels were great enough reasons for us to hang around in!
Some time later we joined their group classes, and soon enough we started attending lessons like combat (a field - to this very day - my friend remains an expert in), pump and balance. I enjoyed those much although I have to say I wasn't gifted enough to learn all those intricate moves to the stage where I would continue to do so with benefit. And perhaps, down to my very own character, I have also discovered that I would perform best only when left alone working at my own pace with my own free time.
I continued weight training throughout. For the first 5 or 6 years, for lack of comparable knowledge and a fear of injury, I never used bells heavier than 45lbs. I had built up slightly - maybe 5-8 lbs - but not that muscular nor strong - I would not be someone who, on first impression, would be perceived as having seriously worked out at the gym before. And I didn't exactly eat right, relying most of the time on unhealthy Cha Chaan Teng fare with lots of carbs, little protein and, worst of all, an excessive amount of salt and monosodium glutamine. Needless to say, progress was not great.
And that cannot be right, I reckon. Although I didn't quite know how to put it so.
Getting Serious
Two things came about fortunately that changed my course of plan: the first thing was my starting to seriously look at the diet and to supplement meals with bodybuilding staples, like creatine monohydrate, whey protein, BCAAs and the lot. I know some people shunned supplements like gutter rats - they mostly don't want pimples and/or bad skin and/or other unintentional extras, with the worst being: 'I didn't want to get too big' - as if getting muscular and aesthetically good-looking was that easy! As you're reading this, dear readers, my advice to you would be: just ignore them! If one were to look closely at 'normal' diets, one would quickly find that they are mostly laden with carbohydrates - in fact, lots of them. And unless one works in a field where manual labour is intense, in our usual air-conditioned office settings we very likely don't need that much carbs - all those unnecessary - but highly satiable - sugar just gets turned via the liver into subcutaneous fat deposits. And needless to say, we don't want too much of those sitting around.
On the other hand, since quality protein (in the form of dairy, meat, eggs) is usually expensive by-weight, for the serious weight lifter they are usually inadequately provided for when eating out. It is due to this reason why whey protein is so useful - not only is it the quickest form of protein for the body to digest, it is easy to mix - a top convenience factor for busy gym rats. With this understanding it should never have occurred to the seriously weight-lifter that he/she would be having too much protein - indeed I'd say lifters were prone to err on the safe side and most often had too little to start off with. The standard 1g/lb ballmark is not too difficult to digest, but getting 1.5g-2g/lb of protein would require serious efforts for the gym newbie.
The other thing was my knowing of experienced and knowledgable friends. To this, I am grateful that I met my gym partner who gave me so much help in the last few years:
If you're just starting out at the gym, chances are you would nearly always see some experienced brothers (師兄) working out furiously with much heavier weights than you are. They may be panting; they may look exhausted; and very likely they exude such damning look that you don't think they would ever want make friends with another human being.
As I've done all three things mentioned above, I can reassure you by experience: that's not at all the case with every one of us! We are just being serious at what we want to excel in, i.e. the workout & our physique, respectively. We can indeed be quite friendly. If you wish to know us, by all means find an excuse and strike up a conversation (e.g. something as cheesy as: can you teach me how to work part X [biceps/back/pecs] or a compliment: 'hey bro are you going to compete in competition X? You looked really great!'. Both would work :-). You really just need to remember - absolutely remember - one thing: courtesy. If you're courteous enough, chances are you and that guy would become friends (inside the gym least) and, possibly, good gym partners if both could benefit from the other's help (which in most cases both would).
So how would you tell if you get to know a good gym partner? A good gym partner did not just stand aside and spot your squat (although I cannot stress enough that, if your buddy did nothing else, spotting squats is the number one function he can make himself useful!); a good partner would be there when you just couldn't do that last rep and would support you so that you could finish it; he would be there if you felt sick and couldn't be asked to get to the gym; he would be there to enjoy the food after both had an exhausting 2-hour gym+cardio workout.
And the most important of it all: he and you would share the same dream: the dream that both of you would step onto that stage and be judged by the cheering crowd.
Hence, in the subsequent 2-3 years my progress had been much more impressive: the scale jumped 25+lbs from 155 to 180+. Slowly and steadily I was breaking personal records: last week I was bench pressing 180, this week 200! I would mark the day and make a recording of your achievements when I started to squat 300/350/400lbs. Friends outside of the gym started to converse gym topics with me; brothers inside started to strike up conversations with me, finding the 'secrets' of how to improve on their sets. Unknown strangers cast eyes on my body when I walked past them: I knew I was starting to get a little (un-?)due attention - whether I liked it or not. That's when I knew I was doing the right things - and man, I can absolutely tell you: it feels really great!
The Extra Push
My friend could see that I was serious in it and introduced me to his coach. This turned out to have paved the final path towards competing. My coach was way past his glory days of bodybuilding, but when I started coaching with him I could see his passion, eagerness and concentration in the field of bodybuilding; and it gets me thinking yet another thing.
Bodybuilding, without a doubt, trains one's body and pushes one's muscularity to the maximum. But it's more than that: bodybuilding is also an excellent mind trainer. Not only is it necessary to have utmost concentration on the weight-training moves, full dedication is also necessary on a clean diet, on those boring cardio sessions and on the maintenance of a generally healthy wellbeing - for example refraining from smoking, eating too much junk food and excessive alcohol, all of which is important on itself but are all necessary when one started to contemplate for the best, like preparation of a competition. Truth be told I didn't get to competition level straight away - it took me another 3 years before I was deemed ready for my first try at least.
At a certain stage I trained heavy and ate heavy - 6/7 full meals a day with emphasis on quality protein intake - and I got myself heaviest at 210lbs (95kg@178cm). That was when my coach said I could entertain with the thought of competition. It would not be easy at all - the diet will be strict (10 egg whites for breakfast, then 200g chicken breast + 100g broccoli for the next 5/6 meals throughout the day), the training harsh. Will I able to take it? You could bet that I'd say 'yes!' - that's when my contest prep started.
On the other hand, since quality protein (in the form of dairy, meat, eggs) is usually expensive by-weight, for the serious weight lifter they are usually inadequately provided for when eating out. It is due to this reason why whey protein is so useful - not only is it the quickest form of protein for the body to digest, it is easy to mix - a top convenience factor for busy gym rats. With this understanding it should never have occurred to the seriously weight-lifter that he/she would be having too much protein - indeed I'd say lifters were prone to err on the safe side and most often had too little to start off with. The standard 1g/lb ballmark is not too difficult to digest, but getting 1.5g-2g/lb of protein would require serious efforts for the gym newbie.
The other thing was my knowing of experienced and knowledgable friends. To this, I am grateful that I met my gym partner who gave me so much help in the last few years:
 |
| My gym partner and I at the competition |
As I've done all three things mentioned above, I can reassure you by experience: that's not at all the case with every one of us! We are just being serious at what we want to excel in, i.e. the workout & our physique, respectively. We can indeed be quite friendly. If you wish to know us, by all means find an excuse and strike up a conversation (e.g. something as cheesy as: can you teach me how to work part X [biceps/back/pecs] or a compliment: 'hey bro are you going to compete in competition X? You looked really great!'. Both would work :-). You really just need to remember - absolutely remember - one thing: courtesy. If you're courteous enough, chances are you and that guy would become friends (inside the gym least) and, possibly, good gym partners if both could benefit from the other's help (which in most cases both would).
So how would you tell if you get to know a good gym partner? A good gym partner did not just stand aside and spot your squat (although I cannot stress enough that, if your buddy did nothing else, spotting squats is the number one function he can make himself useful!); a good partner would be there when you just couldn't do that last rep and would support you so that you could finish it; he would be there if you felt sick and couldn't be asked to get to the gym; he would be there to enjoy the food after both had an exhausting 2-hour gym+cardio workout.
And the most important of it all: he and you would share the same dream: the dream that both of you would step onto that stage and be judged by the cheering crowd.
Hence, in the subsequent 2-3 years my progress had been much more impressive: the scale jumped 25+lbs from 155 to 180+. Slowly and steadily I was breaking personal records: last week I was bench pressing 180, this week 200! I would mark the day and make a recording of your achievements when I started to squat 300/350/400lbs. Friends outside of the gym started to converse gym topics with me; brothers inside started to strike up conversations with me, finding the 'secrets' of how to improve on their sets. Unknown strangers cast eyes on my body when I walked past them: I knew I was starting to get a little (un-?)due attention - whether I liked it or not. That's when I knew I was doing the right things - and man, I can absolutely tell you: it feels really great!
The Extra Push
My friend could see that I was serious in it and introduced me to his coach. This turned out to have paved the final path towards competing. My coach was way past his glory days of bodybuilding, but when I started coaching with him I could see his passion, eagerness and concentration in the field of bodybuilding; and it gets me thinking yet another thing.
Bodybuilding, without a doubt, trains one's body and pushes one's muscularity to the maximum. But it's more than that: bodybuilding is also an excellent mind trainer. Not only is it necessary to have utmost concentration on the weight-training moves, full dedication is also necessary on a clean diet, on those boring cardio sessions and on the maintenance of a generally healthy wellbeing - for example refraining from smoking, eating too much junk food and excessive alcohol, all of which is important on itself but are all necessary when one started to contemplate for the best, like preparation of a competition. Truth be told I didn't get to competition level straight away - it took me another 3 years before I was deemed ready for my first try at least.
At a certain stage I trained heavy and ate heavy - 6/7 full meals a day with emphasis on quality protein intake - and I got myself heaviest at 210lbs (95kg@178cm). That was when my coach said I could entertain with the thought of competition. It would not be easy at all - the diet will be strict (10 egg whites for breakfast, then 200g chicken breast + 100g broccoli for the next 5/6 meals throughout the day), the training harsh. Will I able to take it? You could bet that I'd say 'yes!' - that's when my contest prep started.
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