Bowling Party the Second!

This past Tuesday, we had our second annual Adler Training Bowling party and I am pleased to report that it was a great success. To my great pleasure, many of my clients braved the NYC November weather and found their way to Bowlmor in the village.

Everyone seemed to have a great time, highly important individuals even delayed business trips so they could be there. As for the bowling itself, the age old question Andy vs Tim was settled ( Andy does have braggin rights now).

I hope to see you all again next year!

Maik

Muscles Do Not Make You Superman- A Tribute To Robert Enke

This will be a more somber post, so be warned.

The very tragic suicide of Robert Enke has shocked the country of Germany and the rest of the sports world. There you have a very accomplished athlete, predestined to be the goalie for Germany at the World Cup 2010, married, well respected within his community, who still felt that there was simply no way out for him. Why would someone, who is seemingly on top of the world choose such drastic action?

I am afraid there is no good answer, but I have met many guys with fantastic physiques who were deeply unhappy due to their inability to disconnect their sport and life as such.

Let's face it, many of us train to feel better, look better and improve their standing with the opposite (or same) sex. And that is certainly fine, as long as you don't develop an obsession and start abusing the sport and your body as a protection for some deeper issues.

(To be fair, in order to develop an outstanding physique you need to be somewhat obsessed with training and dieting.)

The problem arises, when athletes lose touch with reality and start to think that a better physique and athletic success is the solution to all of life's challenges. It is not.

Bodybuilding is extremely helpful in giving you structure, discipline and the feeling of accomplishment which then spills over in the rest of your life. This, however, requires that you have a life outside the gym. When I hear competitors talking about eating 11 meals and working out 4 hours a day, I can't help but wonder: " What else are these guys doing?"

Don't isolate yourself, participate in other people's ( non-bodybuilders) lives, develop some interests outside the gym. Bodybuilding is a part of life, but it is not all there is.

Train hard,

Maik

Do you really want it?

One of the greatest things about creating a great physique is that you have something everyone wants, but 95% of all people simply lack the will power to achieve.

Many people want to be "in shape" or "look good" but is that really true? Do they really want it?

Honestly, I don't think so. Here are the top 5 excuses I hear from people who fail.

1. I don't have the time/too busy.

Michelle Obama works out 4 times a week, has two kids and that little side job, being the First Lady of the United States. Are you really that busy?

What's the catch? She trains at 4:30 am.

2. I can't afford it because the economy is difficult/I lost my job.

Gyms cost around 30$ a month, so that should be doable. If the diet is an issue, get a card for Costco or Sam's Club where you get all your bodybuilding staples at wholesale prices.

Besides, you can easily drop $50 when going out, so don't tell me money is all that tight.

If you are recently unemployed, you should be even more interested in working out since it will be easier to land a job if your level of fitness is higher. Plus, the better you feel about yourself, the more confidence you have. Fitness should be on top of your priority list.

3. I don't have the genetics.
Google Frank Zane or see my August 10, 2008 post.

4. I need to take steroids to look like...

For the n-th time, steroids will not make you a champion if you do not already look great.

Three things matter in bodybuilding: training, eating and sleeping. Most people have an ok training program, a mediocre rest pattern and a horrible diet. Taking (illegal and dangerous) chemicals to screw with your body's hormonal mechanism is not going to help you, if you eat junk at 2 am or exaggerate your alcohol consumption.

Clean up your diet and life style, you will be surprised how far you can go.

5. It is simply too hard.

Take it step by step. Establish 5 healthy meals a day and 3 good workouts per week. Try to improve every week, do not over complicate things.

So, do you really want it?

Till next time

Maik