Blogs | Craigproductions, Home of the Emerald Cup and Washington Ironman

02.04.2012 07:18:00

I cannot take credit for this. This is from Roger and Ally Baker of RAB Fitness over in Kennewick, WA. Truer words were never spoken of a competitor and Competition Coach!

"In case you forgot, here's the thing about being a competitor... you wake up every day knowing that you may or may not see changes in the mirror [or] on the scale... and this does not shake you. It may be WEEKS before you see any changes. Some weeks will be awesome. Some not. Instant gratification is not in your vocabulary. You've heard this before and I'll say it again, THERE IS NO OFF-SEASON! That means that you REALIZE the dedication, sacrifice, time, sweat [and] tears that will go into this even in the dead of winter when no is looking or even paying attention. Now, this isn't something that I can just tell you and you will learn. Only time and experience will teach you this. So, if you are the one that is out there struggling today...take a deep breath, remove yourself from in front of the mirror, and get into auto pilot. Because this is just the beginning and if you stick to the plan.... you will be rewarded... " Roger/Ally Baker – RAB Fitness

Roger and Ally NAILED it on the head with this one! Look, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – if you wanna be a competitor – a GOOD competitor - then you’d better be willing to do what others won’t, don’t, and can’t. It’s not about motivation. It’s not about inspiration. It’s not about the trophy or the glitz and glamour of the night show. It’s not about size and muscularity and freakiness or anything else. Competition is preparation, pure and simple. Oh sure, we end up on stage looking our absolute best (or at least that’s the goal) but the contest is not about the end result. It’s about the journey – it always has been about the journey and it always will be about the journey. Several sayings that I’ve coined over the years and use on my website goes like this:

“Many competitors want to win. Do work first. Do not put the win before the work!” David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

“You’re not always going to win, but you sure as hell better train like a winner!” David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

“I don't believe in motivation. I believe in preparing oneself so that when you step onstage you will have the necessary confidence, conditioning, and stage presence to be competitive against your peers. Motivation will not give you that. Only work will." David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Do me a favor – re-read Rog & Ally’s post one more time, this time with conviction and purpose. Read it out loud! Take every word to heart because, trust me, they both have! You don’t get to the caliber of either of them without hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. There IS NO instant gratification. There IS NO easy workouts. And there sure as hell IS NO OFF-SEASON! Not an off-season, not an off-day, not an off-hour.

Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, traditionally a day of feasting and festivities. All I can say is, if you wanna put yourself in the best possible position to take first place, then you’d better enjoy the festivities without the feast! Some of you will get this…many of you won’t. And it will show onstage on April 20^th or 21^st, trust me. Personally, I’m gonna watch the game, but all by myself, at home, in my chicken and salad and green beans and yams and potatoes and rice infested house. No temptations. No struggles. Just me. Is it worth it? That’s the question each of you will have to ask yourself Sunday morning…”Is this worth it?” What do you CHOOSE to do in two days? Because remember, no one is holding a gun to your head. It will be your choice – it always has been and it always will be. If the choice is to ‘stick to the plan’, then as Rog and Ally said, “You will be rewarded…”. Peace…

The Dr.

David "Dr. Buff" Patterson, MPE, CSCS, CSTS

253-576-4859 - Mobile

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"Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!"

Dr Buff

If It Ain't On The LIst, Don't Eat It!

02.01.2012 00:10:03

Last blog I promised to write on nutrition, so here we go. Even though I’ve written dozens of blogs and probably hundreds of articles on nutrition over the years, and written quite a few on this site over the past 3 years, there’s always a new competitor who doesn’t know this game. And I also know that one person’s way of saying something just might make sense to a reader over another person’s writing style. What I’m saying is not new, not revolutionary, and definitely not the gospel on nutrition, but if it can help someone, then I’ve done my job. So lemme see if I can help that one person…and perhaps remind others of where they should be and what they should be doing in their own nutrition.

This past weekend we were 12-weeks out from the 30^th Anniversary Emerald Cup. At this point, unless you’re roughly 12 lbs. or less out from your show, you should be 100% on task. What does that entail? Well…before I get into that, let me say that the number of ways to diet down are as many as the styles of Martial Arts…everyone has their own style, and they all think their style is the best. I’m not gonna argue with anyone on what the ‘best’ way to diet down is. I’ve said this many times, “All diets work, and all diets fail…”. What I WILL say is, find out what ‘plan’ works best for you and stick to it. Quit jumping from one competition diet to another. That’s why you shouldn’t get fat in the first place – so you’ll have enough time to experiment with different plans until you find the one that works best for you. Secondly, know your body type. That will typically tell you what plan(s) fall in your diet-sphere. Finally, if you need help, find someone who’s knowledgeable in ALL the ways of dieting down – not just the one way in which he/she dieted down. That way, if/when you get stuck, your competition coach will know how to take the appropriate action to get you coming down again.

I’ve seen it too many times before…a trainer who does decent in a show decides to become a ‘competition coach’ and toss his/her hat into the ring. I don’t have a problem with that as long as the trainer possesses enough knowledge and information to help ALL his/her clients – not just the ones built like him or her. Otherwise the competitor client ends up on a cookie-cutter routine or an exact replica of what the trainer does. Not smart. Not good for the competitor. Just last year I picked up 3 people whose trainers, although nationally qualified, didn’t have a clue on how to dial their people down. Sometimes the most dangerous trainer is the brand new one. As my professor, Dr. Hacker, used to constantly tell us, “A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous…”. I’ve helped many a competition coach through the dieting down stages of their clients because they (the coaches) were lost. The client stalled and the trainer didn’t know which way to go with him/her. Heck, even I still get mystified over a client every now and then. But this blog isn’t about trainers, so back on point…

We learned last blog that with 12 weeks to go, one could easily drop 10-12 lbs. of bodyfat on 1 to 1-1/2 hours of cardio and clean foods. 13 to about 20 lbs. would take around 1-1/2 to 2 hours with clean foods, while 21 or more lbs. probably would take at least 2 hours a day. Now I know some of you are wondering or questioning this info…well…I’m a cardio person, so that’s what I do and teach. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know the other ways. If you’re not a cardio person, then you’d better be ready to drop those total calories, and especially those carb calories to lean out. And if you’re a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) person and you’re pushing hard enough (and your calories are dropped enough) you can get by on one session of 30 minutes...but you’d better be ready to bust your butt, and I mean bust it HARD for that to happen. So are we clear on the cardio/no cardio/long cardio thing? I know em all, so if you need any explanation on whether you should use this or that method, holla.

Realizing that everyone is different, and this is just general information, I can’t categorically say where you’re at on the continuum and what you need to do unless I see and comp you. So I’ll use me as an example and everyone can adjust accordingly. I just cut my oatmeal to 25 gm wt with a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread as my starch for breakfast. My protein is either egg whites with some turkey breast (that amount’s classified…) or chicken. I eat what THIS body needs, realizing that I’m not a mass monster, and I know how my body works, and I know my timeline. Since my cardio is still only 45 minutes in the morning, I’m s-l-o-w-l-y dropping my starchy carbs and replacing it with Parrillo Performance’s CapTri – a medium chain triglyceride that’s called the ‘fatless fat’. It processes and acts like a carb in the system, making dieting slightly more tolerable. I only take my starchy carbs so low up to 8 weeks out and then I up my cardio to one 60-minute session. Then I’ll see how the body is responding and stair-step the carbs/cardio cuts until I achieve the look I want. All of this is assuming this ole’ body will hold up to the rigors of contest dieting…

The rest of my meals are simple – protein, veggies, carbs, in that order. I adjust as I need to based upon my timeline. What you have to understand is how to manipulate your macros, meaning we’re all eating protein, veggies, and carbs…the question is, how much do YOU get to eat, and what’s your ratio compared to mine compared to Joe’s, Sally’s, Bertha’s and all the other competitors. Another question you have to ask is HOW MUCH do I get to eat in relation to everyone else? If Big Bradd gets to eat 750 cal/meal and I try to eat what he eats, I’ll blow up faster than your kid’s summer beach ball. Now do you see why I don’t like and don’t do cookie-cutter diets? If no two people are exactly the same, how is it possible for those same two people to be on exactly the same food plan…especially if one is a 5’4”, 135 lb. female and the other is a 5’10” 195 lb. male? It’ll never work. Either one will dial in beautifully and the other will look like crap, or they’ll both be off their macros and neither will dial in to their best look.

Every person I work with, I get as much detailed info on their life and what they’ve done in the past to give me clues into what ‘plan’ will work best for that individual. Some are similar, no doubt, but some are totally way out there. For example, last year I had Gerry Bernabe, the bantamweight overall winner at the Wash. Ironman pretty much doing what he wanted until the final 3 weeks or so. His body was a genetic marvel so the best thing I could do for him was to get out of his way until the last few days and then dial him in. Barb O’Dell, on the other hand, (the Most Inspirational Award at the Ironman for having lost 180 lbs. on her way to the stage WITHOUT surgery or drugs…) had to start doing double cardio sessions 18 weeks out as her body was stubborn in releasing fat. I was wracking my brains trying to figure out how to keep her from stalling as her normally obese body was fighting her every step of the way once she got below 200 lbs. It may seem easy, but it’s not. When you’re dialing in a dozen plus competitors, let’s just say that good note-taking is highly recommended. There’s no way I can remember everyone’s individualized food plans, and when I don’t keep track, it shows!

IN GENERAL, I can tell you that many of you will fall into the 3-8 oz. of protein/meal based upon size, muscularity, sex, lifestyle, etc. Being off an ounce or two over the course of your diet doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, but it can be the difference between 1^st and 3^rd come contest day. That’s why it’s important to know your body and understand your macronutrient ratios and amounts. Your veggies are easy – unlimited amounts for the majority of you. If you need an amount, then go with 7-10 oz. (that’s 150-200 gm wt for you metric people). The starchy carbs are the lil’ tricky creatures. Some of you might do well with large amounts, some with literally none, and some dispersed in small amounts throughout the day. Again, it would be unwise of me tell an entire readership what to do and expect it to work for everyone. But I can tell you that once you find that magic number of carbs that YOUR body needs, you’ll know it within a week – guaranteed! And once you find your numbers, then follow it! Don’t be haphazardly changing things up thinking you know better than your coach or you read this or that saying this is what you should do. FOLLOW THE PLAN!!! If you’re doing your own diet, you HAVE to give it about a week to 10 days to see the effects of it. You’ll know in that period of time if it’s working. If not, make subtle changes. If you’ve hired a coach, do what the coach says! That’s the only way your coach can determine what’s working for you and what isn’t.

Well, that’s about it for this blog. I’ve got just some chicken to eat for my last meal. I might have half of a Parrillo Protein bar right before bed…don’t’cha just hate those people who can still eat literally right up to bed and still diet down…peace…

The Dr.

David "Dr. Buff" Patterson, MPE, CSCS, CSTS

253-576-4859 - Mobile

http://www.TheDrBuffExperience.com/wordpress

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"Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!"

Dr Buff

Nothing Great Comes Without Sacrifice!

05.02.2011 05:57:53

Jack Sandberg, a friend and fellow competitor who resides over in Spokane, posted a short motivational/inspirational video on FB on the bodybuilding mindset and lifestyle. You can watch the whole thing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-GBxpLQsek&feature=youtube_gdata_player. More than just watching the video and seeing the swollen bodies and listening to the music and getting all pumped up over the incredible physiques, I chose to listen to the words they’re saying. Is anything coming out of their mouths that make sense or is it just rambling gibberish. To be perfectly honest, this one was a good one.

If you’ve been a reader of my blog for any time now, you know that I’m into the psychological component more than anything else. Everything starts with your mind. We conceive in our minds. We believe in our minds. And then we go out and ACT on our thoughts in our mind. In the video, Kai Green spoke words of truth – truth that I’ve been saying for years and years. Truth that any athlete with the competitive mindset possesses. Truth that we hear a lot, read a lot, and possibly even quote a lot on FB these days. But speaking the truth and living the truth are two different things. Do you just speak the truth or do you live the truth?

After my last blog I received a text from Big Joe Derousie. I typically don’t get very many responses. My blogs aren’t designed for or written for responses. Many times I’ll even tell you I don’t want a response. I’m more of the ‘in your face’ person – I want you to think about what you’re doing, and even question why you’re doing it, even if it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. I want you to dig deep within your soul and ask, “Is this what I really want? And am I truly ready to work…no…bust my BUTT for it?” I want you to ‘get it’ – to get the fact that this is not easy, and many times this is not necessarily fun, but the reward at the end is oh-so-sweet even if no other person gives you accolades or compliments you for a job well done. I want you to understand that “The challenge is from within, the opponent is yourself, the reward is private, and the victory is having met the challenge!”

Joe’s text read, “Hey Dave, its Joe DeRousie. Just read your last blog. “To be number one you have to train like you’re number 2.” Bro, first thing I thought of was losing to Roger [Baker] by 1 point at the 09 [Emerald] Cup. I looked great, but was still 2^nd. That loss was the best thing that could have happened to me. It pushed me to another level that allowed me to bring that dominant physique to the stage in 2010. I could have just tried to roll with the momentum I build in 09, but wanted to leave no doubt whose show it was last year! Everyone still wants to know what I did to make such a jump in a year. You said it perfect: hard work, discipline, determination, drive desire, focus, and commitment. Can’t beat that stack if you tried!” Well said, Joe!

Kai Green, who is, in my opinion one of the most creative bodybuilding posers out there, had some great lines. You could hear the feeling, the emotion, and the passion in every word he spoke. I listened to him several times and finally decided to transcribe his words and put them in this blog.

Kai’s first quote said, “You need to get to work in accomplishing your own dream – fulfill your own goals. There’s something to be said for the person that stands on the side of life watching other people live it vs. being the person that’s out there doing a damn thing.” Truer words could not have been spoken. You can put up all the quotes you want on FB, but if you’re not working, then you’re not doing. And if you’re not doing, then you’re wasting time! Are you TRULY doing everything you can to make yourself YOUR best? If you set the bar, then dang it, at the very least jump up to it. Better yet, jump OVER it and then reset it! That’s what Big Joe did. I have no doubt that Joe will be successful at the national level, and then the pro level. He doesn’t just talk – he acts!

Jay Cutler (at least I believe it was Jay as they didn’t show the person talking but showed a quick clip of Jay…) said, “There’s no secret to it. If you wanna get bigger, if you wanna get stronger, the only thing holding you back is yourself.” I’ve got a couple of signs in my gym that ties in to what Jay said. The first one is, “The greatest challenge you’ll ever face is your own mind.” The second one says, “The only obstacle preventing you from achieving your goal is the belief that you have obstacles.” Are you guys gettin’ this? I’m not trying to motivate you – I’m trying to get in your head – to get you to understand that you, and only you, are ultimately responsible for the physique that steps onstage. Your trainer is a tool, a resource, a means to an end, but if you put all your trust and faith in your trainer and don’t do your part…well…it’ll show onstage. This leads us to our third quote by Kai…

“You have to save your own life. Nobody’s gonna be your savior for you. So we have to do what we have to do no matter what it is!” Putting this on ‘paper’ just doesn’t have the same impact that viewing it does. That’s why I posted the link. When I watched it I found myself nodding in approval. When Jeff, my workout partner doesn’t show up, I still train. When life situations arise, I handle my business and then I train. Regardless of what happens, I train. I am the master of my destiny. You are the master of yours. Handle y’business!

Finally, Kai ends the talking part with the following quote, “Champions are an example of what happens when you aspire to leave the plane of average thinking…when you dare to dream and you dare to go after that dream and you make these thoughts and ideas become something more than a dream.” We all have to have that internal push, people – the drive, determination, discipline, desire, focus, sacrifice, and commitment. We all possess the power to dream…we must dig deep for the power to succeed! Peace…

The Dr.

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

www.personaltrainingsystems.net

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Don't give me excuses...give me results!

Diane

In The Zone!

12.23.2009 00:06:12

There's nothing better than "The Zone". It's a place I reach a few months before a show. My focus is strong and my determination to succeed is unstoppable. Once I'm in "The Zone", I always strive for a better tomorrow. Each day I strive to beat myself and improve in every way possible. It is really an amazing feeling. There's something about putting my heart and soul into training that makes me feel amazing. It creates energy - Unstoppable energy. Yes..I do get tired...I do get exhausted...But it is my mental energy that is never-ending. Once I have that vision for my future, nothing stops me from doing everything possible to succeed. So that's where I'm at. I have both the Vancouver show and ECUP on my mind - All day. Every night I lay in bed and CLEARLY visualize the stage...I visualize every single aspect of the show..My posing..My walk...My hair...Check-in...Pre-Judging...If I don't visualize it, I cannot expect to reach my full potential. That's all there is to it - Strong, Powerful, Thriving Energy and Determination. If that's what it takes to succeed, I'm on it.

So my workouts have been amazing. Yesterday was legs! I'm still lifting heavy. Heavy Squats, Heavy Leg Press, Heavy Lunges, Heavy Sumo Squats...I love it and I hate it. Overall...My booty is HURTING today...My glutes are killin' me and it is only the 1st day. Tomorrow they will be worse. But I have to love the pain. It is amazing to know that I'm making progress and growing :) Little by little I'm putting on the muscle I need to gain!

Think About It:
**A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive, and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done. Once a man has made a commitment, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It's something we call heart power. Once a man has made a commitment, nothing will stop him short of success** --Vince Lombardi

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Dr Buff

Singularly Focused!

09.15.2009 13:43:00

Singularly focused!

America, I was at the chiropractor’s office one morning last week waiting to get adjusted when it hit me – the only thing I was thinking about was stuff related to the Ironman. I remember thinking about the foods I had to prepare, my training and what I was gonna do that day, the two cardio sessions still to come, editing my music, choreographing others routines, practicing my own routine…there was absolutely nothing else I was thinking about! I’ve reached that point to where I’m what I coined ‘singularly focused’. It’s a state of mind which many athletes reach when dialing in for their competition/event. For the basketball or football player it could happen the morning of the game or even a couple of hours prior to the game to where they ‘lock in’ to the upcoming event. For Olympic athletes such as Michael Phelps it could start 6 months to a year or longer out. For me it usually starts 3-4 weeks out. That’s been my pattern. Now there’s good and bad to being singularly focused. For us (the competitors…), we’d like to think that we’re disciplined, dedicated, determined, and focused. For those outside of our circle such as family, friends, and others, we may be considered obsessed and fanatical. I’ve always said there’s a thin line between disciplined and obsessed, and an even thinner line between focused and fanatical.

I passed up a birthday party for my great-niece last weekend because of this show. Yea, yea…I know…I could have gone and taken my food and all that crap, but I know me better than you know me. I KNEW that I’d eat some cake, pie, ribs, ‘tater salad, chips, and whatever else was there that I wanted. Do I have discipline? Yes I do, but I ain’t stupid, America! I’m not gonna put my head in the lion’s mouth so to speak. One thing would happen for sure if I’d gone and not eaten – I would have been completely and totally pissed to have all that food in front of me and not be able to touch any of it. Once again, yea, yea…it’s my show, and I made the decision to compete, and I shouldn’t be angry – oh, cut it out America! I’m tired, I’m hungry, I’m sick of eating the same ole’ food every single day, my legs are dead from two cardio sessions/day, I’m not getting’ anything done around my house because I can’t think straight, and when I do think straight I just don’t feel like doing anything…need I go on??? If you’re feeling the same way, then you’re on task. Now some of you may have the willpower and discipline and mental fortitude to go out to restaurants, movies, and even the fair and do well. That’s not in my DNA, so it’s easier for me to stay home and just make it do what it do. But here’s a little bit of advice – if you go out, don’t complain about the foods, because you chose to go out! I don’t want to be mad, and I don’t want to make anyone around me mad, so I keep to myself. My discipline is at it’s strongest when I’m in my own home with my own foods.

My sister went to the fair Saturday afternoon. She brought back a dozen scones with her. I love scones, America – I’ve eaten 12-15 at the fair all by myself before. It took everything I had to not eat the scone she gave me – I put it in the freezer along with the remainder of my birthday German Chocolate Cake and all the other goodies I’m storing up for after the contest. Speaking of storing up, I must be part squirrel – I saw one in my yard trying to bury some kind of acorn as I was heading to the freezer – we just looked at each other, nodded, and said, “Wassup?” He went his way, I went mine. BTW, I’m collecting anything and everything junky for after the show – so feel free to bake me a pie, cake (you know my favorite…), or anything else you think I’ll like, America. J

As far as workouts, things are still going good. Haven’t lost any strength yet although my bodyweight is dropping – I’m down about 2 lbs from 10 days ago. Steve and I went back to a more conventional pyramid training today for our workouts – the last two weeks of 10x10 for at least two exercises each bodypart beat me up mentally. They did what I wanted them to do, but I’m glad that cycle is over. Now it’s just my normal training through the remainder of the show. Today I started my 2^nd hour of cardio – prior to today I was doing a 60 minute and 45 minute session. That extra 15 minutes should make all the difference these last 3 weeks. I’ll keep a close watch on my weight, energy level, and strength, and make adjustments as needed. As you know, I don’t follow a ‘carb up’ day, cycle or routine – I only add in good carbs such as rice, potatoes or oatmeal when absolutely necessary. We talked about that in a couple of previous blogs, so I’m not gonna revisit it again. After the workout we posed HARD for about 15 minutes. I’ll outline what we did the next time I blog.

Well America, I’m sure there was more I wanted to say, but I’m hungry, I’m tired, I can’t remember anyway, and I just don’t care! So I’ll holla at’cha when I holla at’cha – I’m not on a schedule like before in case you haven’t noticed. But I will say this in parting – if you aren’t singularly focused, if this contest isn’t the dominant thought in your mind literally all day, you might want to re-evaluate doing this show. If you aren’t sacrificing then you might want to take a peek in the mirror to make sure you still look like you’re ready for contest. If you aren’t suffering you might want to change things up a bit. By the end of next week you should feel like death warmed over – this week you should feel like you just got beat with a baseball bat after being run over by a Mac Truck. Better to be ahead of the curve than behind it, and if you wait too long to attempt to play catch up…well…it’s your contest, America – do what you gotta do – no more, no less! Peace…

The Dr.

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

www.personaltrainingsystems.net

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Mobile: 253.576.4859

Don’t give me excuses…give me results!

Tags: drive | determined | disciplined | focused

Dr Buff

Fear is an illusion...

08.06.2009 14:13:56

America, my legs HURT! Yesterday’s workout was intense, and the pain is definitely talkin’ to me, but I’m lovin’ it. Whoever said no pain, no gain got it right, especially when it comes to weight training. Heh, heh, heh...at my party, my friend – he likes to refer to himself as “Pretty Ricky” - was clowning the bodybuilders who were there. One of the things he said was, “Yea, boyyyy, I felt like working out the other day...I laid down until that feeling went away!” I’ve heard that joke many times before but the way Rick said it cracked us all up!

Yesterday I talked about the fear of failure. Today I’m gonna cover the fear of success. I know...I know...how can someone be afraid of success? Isn’t that what we’re all after – what we all strive for – to be successful? Well...yes and no. We think we want success until we start to realize or experience the cost of it. The cost of success in bodybuilding is sacrifice – and that’s something many people just aren’t willing to do. Oh, they’ll go to the gym and do their cardio...lemme rephrase that...they’ll get on the cardio machine and waste 30-60 minutes of their lives, or they’ll go in the weight room and do the same thing they’ve been doing for months or years and call it ‘training’, but that’s not the sacrifice I’m talking about. I’m referring to that intrinsic desire to achieve your best potential – that drive to be YOUR best, and hopefully THE best! Most people can’t dig that deep. They just scratch the surface, pawing at the ground like a dog looking for his buried bone. That’s why they fail.

I was in Costco a few months ago and had a cashier ask me if I was a personal trainer (I had on my Personal Training Systems (PTS) sweatshirt, so duuuhhh...). The conversation went something like this...

“So are you a personal trainer or what?”

“Yes I am.”

“So where do you train people at?”

“I’ve got my own facility.”

“So what do you charge?” (How come literally every time the first question a person asks about training is cost? Aren’t they interested in results???)

“$40-75 per session depending upon how many sessions you prepay for, but all sessions are use or lose. You either use them at your scheduled time or you lose them.”

“So do you give out a free session so I can see if I like it?”

“No.”

“C’mon man...can’t cha hook a brotha up?”

“First, I ain’t your brother, second, no!”

“So if I was to have you train me, how long would it take me to look like you?” (Deep breath on my part, cause I’m starting to get irritated...)

“How hard are you willing to work?”

“What do y’mean how hard am I willing to work? What do I have to do?”

“You gotta bust your butt. You willing to do that?”

“So what I gotta do? Lift all them heavy weights and eat that rabbit food ya’ll eat? How long will I have to do that?”

“You don’t have to do it at all! You can keep doing what you’re doing and continue to get fatter than you are right now!” Yes America...I actually said that – and for those of you that know me, stop laughing because you KNOW I'll say it to you again!

The conversation continued for a bit longer but I think you get my point. At the end I gave the guy my card – as expected I never heard from him – wasted a card. Even though this isn’t a true representation of the fear of success, the guy was looking for the easy way to accomplish a hard task. Ain’t gonna happen, America.

So what exactly IS the fear of success? In our world it’s simply the realization that once you reach your ideal look you’ll actually have to spend the rest of your life doing what got you there to keep it. That scares many people. They can’t fathom doing HARD cardio every single day (or 5-6 days at least) for 45-60 minutes for the rest of their lives. That scares them, so they decide to compromise their goals, or better yet, not do anything at all – just quit! They can’t see themselves lifting weights to hold onto their muscle years down the road – there’s gotta be an easier way. And finally, “You want me to eat for the most part the same type foods day in and day out for HOW long?” America, there’s a saying I been using for years - “If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten. You do nothing, you get nothing. You put in half-hearted effort, you get half-hearted results.

Michael Jordan, in his book “I Can’t Accept Not Trying” said, “I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things halfheartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect halfhearted results. That’s why I approached practices the same way I approached games. You can’t turn it on and off like a faucet. I couldn’t dog it during practice and then, when I needed that extra push late in the game, expect it to be there. But that’s how a lot of people approach things. And that’s why a lot of people fail. They sound like they’re committed to being the best they can be. They say all the right things, make all the proper appearances. But when it comes right down to it, they’re looking for [excuses] instead of [solutions]. Part of this commitment is taking responsibility. That’s not to say there aren’t obstacles or distractions. If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

Now here’s something interesting...you know, America, that I’m not big on the word ‘motivation’. Even before I read Mike’s book I didn’t like the word. But after reading it I realized that he didn’t use the word either – not one single time did it appear! But he did use over and over words like discipline, determination, drive, focus, work ethic, hard work, and others. You want results? Quit being afraid, and if you are afraid, use it to your advantage. Attack your fears with better discipline, drive, focus, and determination. When you do that you’ll see that there really was nothing to be afraid of. I found that out.

I want to wrap up this blog with another excerpt from Michael’s book. You might remember me saying yesterday that the fear I experienced going into my first EC was in my own mind. Mike validates this in the chapter, Fear Is An Illusion. He said, “I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot. Why? Because when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result. If I’m going to jump into a pool of water, even though I can’t swim, I’m thinking about being able to swim at least enough to survive. I’m not jumping in thinking to myself, “I think I can swim, but maybe I’ll drown.” If I’m jumping into any situation, I’m thinking I’m going to be successful. I’m not thinking about what happens if I fail. But I can see how some people get frozen by that fear of failure. They get it from peers or from just thinking about the possibility of a negative [outcome]. They might be afraid of looking bad or being embarrassed. That’s not good enough for me. I realized that if I was going to achieve anything in life I had to be aggressive. I had to get out there and go for it. I don’t believe you can achieve anything by being passive. I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it’s an illusion to me. Once I’m in [the game], I’m not thinking about anything except what I’m trying to accomplish. Any fear is an illusion. You think something is standing in your way, but nothing is really there. What IS there is an opportunity to do your best and gain some success.”

Not much to say in the way of working out today – another good, hard back workout. 24 brutal sets – 4 exercises of 6 sets each. I won’t bore you with the details – lemme just say that we were grabbin’ thighs when it was over. The fun for me actually starts about 4 weeks out when I’m in full-bore contest mode – diet, cardio, weights, and sleep are literally all that’s on my mind. Maybe then you’ll get something different. But for now...it’s all good America. Holla at’cha boi...

The Dr.
--
David ‘Dr. Buff’ Patterson
Personal Training Systems | “There Are No Shortcuts!”
http://www.personaltrainingsystems.net
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Tag: drive

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