It was at this point, my spirit at its lowest ebb, when I remembered reading the evolution of an oak tree. I became fascinated by the arduous path it took for the little acorn to grow into a mighty oak. The trials and tribulations I alluded to earlier, I concluded was the necessary part of my journey.
I painstakingly went over where I had gone wrong in my quest to transform my body. Up to that point, my training consisted of mostly machines, with a few free weights exercises throw in. I noticed while that side of the gym was inundated with individuals doing the same, the free weights section was consistently empty.
I began to read and study every piece of literature I could find on how to build muscles. I did not merely want to know the how, but also why, the majority of individuals who set out to transform their bodies ultimately failed.
I discovered during my research, that the prevalent theory was to employ free weights more than machines. Machines served a purpose but the bulk of the training should consist with the utilization of barbells, dumbbells , etc. This minimalistic approach would allow me to forgo the excuse of not being able to get to the gym, since all that was required to properly train anywhere was a pair of dumbbells.
I realized that there were three components needed to be successful, and my own philosophy began to take form:
- Decide what I wanted
- What was I willing to give up to get what I wanted
- Plan my work, and work my plan
The first criteria was easy. I wanted a body where my muscle would seemingly flow with every movement. There is a story behind what started me on this journey in the first place, but I will reserve that for another time.
The second criteria was actually easier than the first. I did not have much to give up to get what I wanted. I was unemployed. I was perfecting my craft at writing, studying how to build muscles, all while trying to find another job. So, in essence I had time on my side.
The third criteria was the most difficult. I had to come up with a plan, but where to start. I wanted a way to track my progress. It was then that I discovered Bodybuilding.com (BodySpace), and more importantly their plans.
As I read the training philosophy of each of the contributors, the first one that I chose to follow was Dr. Jim Stoppani . . .
B.M.Booth
Strength & Vigour 