Day 3: Olympia 2010: Legs/Gold's Sahara

Getting into the groove now . . .

Worked out this morning at Gold's Sahara here in Vegas.  This is the gym Jay Cutler is using (and has used for years).  He lives in Las Vegas and he's preparing to defend his Olympia title.  It was legs for us today.  I have to admit I felt small, very small, around a lot of the guys (and a few of the girls) working out this morning.  These are the best of the best.

But, regardless of size, Gold's Sahara is hard-core and has some great equipment.  I'm convinced that Icarian makes the best leg machines around, including leg press and hack squat machines.

Meals up until this evening, pretty normal.

Went over to the Orleans Arena early this afternoon, picked up our VIP passes and met some people involved with the Olympia production.  Nice folks.

Back to the hotel.  Early dinner tonight at Joe's Stone Crab in Caesar's Palace.  Last night we dined at Shibuya (sushi) in the MGM.  Great meals, both.  Definitely double-cardio tomorrow . . .

Will attend the first Olympia press conference tomorrow.  Looking forward to watching the big guys try to psyche each other out even though I know it is more for show than real.  These are all professionals, years of experience, and nothing much phases them.  All of them have everything it takes to win -- like  PGA golfers, they all hit all the clubs in their bag.  It's a matter of fine points now, very fine points that will separate the top 6 from the rest of the field.

Before it is all said and done, we'll be back at Gold's Sahara to watch some of the competitors get in their final workouts.  Even though I've come to know what to expect, I'm still staggered by the weight most of the guys can handle.  What provides we older guys comfort is that most of the competitors are not 20-somethings.  In fact none of them are.  Most are in their late-30's and early 40's.  I'm convinced there is no way to win Olympia (man or woman) younger than the mid-30's.  Why?  Just not enough years in the gym to build the kind of physique necessary to be competitive at that level.  To the end of age, we saw a guy at Gold's today -- had to be near 70 -- about 215 pounds, no fat.  Which just proves that it can be done.  Success in this realm just requires what anything worth having requires -- dedication, focus and a lot of hard work.

Tomorrow I'll let you know what goes at the Olympia press conference and then Friday it's full-bore all the way through Sunday morning.  There is lots coming your way . . .

Train hard; diet harder.

Jim

Olympia: Day 2: Back/Planning

Got up this morning and did cardio.

Back upstairs, meal, relaxed a little, and then went to the gym to train back -- 20 sets today, good workout, different equipment.

Walked most of the day around the Strip in Vegas.  Did Meal 4 at Denny's -- 3 orders egg whites and 2 whole wheat pancakes.  Checked out the Aria which we had not seen before.

If legs were not slated for tomorrow morning, I would think seriously about double cardio today -- not because the diet has been off but because the flying smooths me out, that is I'm holding a lot of water.  I'm not big into diuretics and so I've found upping the cardio can help break water retainage.

But legs are tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it.  We're going to work out at the Gold's Gym where Jay Cutler trains (current Mr. Olympia) and I want the experience to be memorable, that is strong.  I've found that if I trounce cardio the afternoon or evening before legs I can't handle as much.  I want the legs  to be fresh in the morning.

Took a nap about 3:30 p.m.  Slept an hour.  Feel better.

Planned out the Olympia experience which begins tomorrow when we pick up our VIP passes.  

Now we are deciding on what's for dinner and where.

Last year we at Joe's in Caesar's Palace -- great seafood.  May go there again.

Have also heard good things about "Stacks" in the Mirage.

Either way we plan on eating clean.

More tomorrow.

Train hard; diet harder.

Best,

Jim

Olympia - Day 1 - The Challenges of Travel

Typical travel day . . .

Got up at 6 a.m.  Driver picked us up at 6:45 and arrived at the airport in Leon at 8:30.

Flight to Houston on time at 9:30.  2 hour layover there.  Then 3 1/2 hours to Vegas.  

Considering the time change, got here at 4 p.m. (6 p.m. CST).

Bus to car rental.  Turn on GPS.

At last of the chicken breasts prepared last night for the trip on the way to Target for a few groceries and then on to Whole Foods for the rest of the "essentials" - egg whites, Ezekiel bread, cottage cheese, bottled water, coffee, and a salad and some prepared fish for dinner.

Back across Vegas to the MGM Signature on the strip where we have a condo for the week -- quick dinner in the room and then at 9 p.m. CST -- off to the gym.  

Not the greatest workout, but beats nothing for sure.  And that's the hard part -- to stay disciplined, to get it done.  Not just go through the motions but to give everything you have, or at least everything you have left.

Back up to the room and finished off the fish.  Now a little yogurt for "dessert" and off to bed.

Tomorrow will be back on schedule -- early morning workout and early evening cardio.  

Olympia "weekend" starts on Wednesday and moves into full gear Thursday.  www.mrolympia.com

Will provide the play by play in this blog as we move through the weekend and the weekend.

Take care.  Train hard.  Diet harder.

Jim 

The Trip to 2010 Olympia Begins . . .

Technically, it begins tomorrow morning early.  We have a 9:30 a.m. plane to Houston and then on to Las Vegas, arriving there about 3:45 p.m.  Then headed to the MGM Signature where we have rented a condo, put our things away and head to the gym.  Which brings me to . . .

RULE NUMBER 1:  NEVER MISS WORKOUTS.  At home we workout about 8 a.m., but when on the road, we workout when we can.

Today is prep-day.  That means getting the usual things in bags -- clothes, swim suits, etc.  But it also means our workout gear -- gloves, belts, straps.  Which brings me to . . .

RULE NUMBER 2:  DON'T USE BEING ON THE ROAD AS AN EXCUSE FOR ANYTHING.  Take your stuff with you.  Your workouts out there need to be as good or better than those in your gym at home.

We also are packing food to get through the long travel day tomorrow.  I cooked half a dozen chicken breasts on the grill, put them in freezer bags and in the refrigerator.  I'll pull them out on our way out the door in the morning and we'll eat them throughout the day.  Same thing with a couple of sweet potatoes.  They travel well cooked.  We refilled our supplement boxes with our vitamins, minerals, etc. for 8 days.  And, we packaged up enough Syntha-6 and Casein protein to get us through Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  The show actually begins Thursday and we'll be able to replenish supply there.  We've been to Vegas enough to know how to find Whole Foods and restaurants where we can eat clean throughout the week.  Which brings me to . . .

RULE NMBER 3:  YOU CAN EAT CLEAN ON THE ROAD IF YOU WANT TO.  No excuses; only a lack of preparation and commitment can stop you.

Over the next week, I will blog regularly about the goings on at Mr. Olympia Weekend.  You can find out more at www.mrolympia.com.

Have a great week!  Train hard; diet harder!

Best,

Jim and Kelly

One Week Until Olympia . . .

Kelly and I will be attending Olympia weekend in Las Vegas again this year, leaving a week from today.

Learn more about it at:  http://www.mrolympia.com/

Should be a great show -- Jay Cutler will be trying to win his fourth title but there are some younger guns closing in.  I will report daily from Vegas on this blog starting September 23rd.

I saw an interesting article I'll share on why salads aren't always the way to go, especially in restaurants.  Here are five salads that are worse than a Burger King Whopper -- some by a long shot!  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38741683/ns/today-today_health

We're back in the home gym now for another week.  We had a tough chest routine today -- sometimes you do OK but really struggle.  Today was one of those days.

Adding muscle is the name of the game at the moment.  Once I return from the Olympia show I'll start cutting again.  We have a beach trip coming up at the end of October and I want to look like I should be at the beach with no shirt on.  ;)
 
Train hard; diet harder!

Jim

Opportunities On the Road: The Last Three Gyms

Back home tonight  . . . but before getting here, however, I worked out in 3 more gyms in Texas:

1.  L.A. Fitness (North Arlington) - Totally unlike the Irving, Texas L.A. Fitness I wrote about in an earlier blog.  This had a good vibe, a good mix of people, a few hard-core (including my son who pulled 8 reps at 405 on the deadlift).  Good equipment, but it still had an antiseptic feel, and I'm not sure I could make a regular habit of L.A. Fitness.  

2.  Gold's Gym (South Arlington) - I've worked out in this gym before and like it a lot.  This is the gym my brother has worked out in for years and it has an almost perfect mix of modern and old-time hard-core.  In the latter regard, it has a horizontal leg press machine, i.e., leg presses from flat on your back.  I could barely walk the next day.  The free weights are in a room all their own.  Lots of heavy duty equipment here, not much fancy.  Only downside is the cardio equipment -- most of the elliptical trainers are worn out.

3.  Cleburne Fitness Center (Cleburne, Texas) - This is a small town gym in a small town south of Ft. Worth, Texas.  Decent equipment but an old vibe from mostly older people, some of whom want to talk more than they want to work out.  I worked out alone here and it reminds of the importance of a workout partner.  Arnold said that a workout partner was the most important asset in his success as a bodybuilder.  I believe it.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to getting back into my home gym, Fitness International.  Lots of people I know and it is a friendly place which I find to be a real asset.

The point of this series?  Look at opportunities to work out in new and different gyms as just that -- opportunities.  Experiment with new equipment even if what you normally use is sitting right there.  I always find that I get more sore using different equipment than I can using what I'm used to.  And that's a good thing.

Train hard; diet harder!

Jim

Opportunities On The Road - Legs at Gold's Gym - Arlington, Texas

In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, my favorite gym is, and has been for some time, Gold's Gym off Interstate 20 in Arlington.  Again today I was not disappointed . . .

Wednesday is leg day and it is important to line up the best equipment for the biggest body part.

At this Gold's they have what it takes, including three of my favorite leg machines:

1.  Icarian Plate Loaded Standing Squat - this mimics the barbell squat without as much danger of injury.

2.  Horizonal Leg Press - there is no manufacturer's name on this but it is a great piece of equipment.  You lie flat on the floor on your back (there is a pad) and push straight up against a plate loaded press.  These used to be popular back in the days of Pumping Iron and I don't know why most gyms got rid of this killer piece of equipment.

3.  Icarian Standing Face In Calf Machine -- on an angle, this pin-loaded machine supports the entire front of  your body as  you do calf raises.  Really smokes them!

This gym (which is my brother's home gym) has the right vibe, a good mix of fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders, and has the best equipment pound for pound as I have seen in any gym, and that includes Gold's Venice Beach.  Perhaps the only improvement that needs to be made is the cardio equipment.  It is old and looks and feels that way. 

It was a trek over there this morning but well worth it.  Tomorrow morning is shoulders and we may use the hotel gym as a test to see if we can get a full-bore shoulder routine.  If not, I may drive over to Arlington again.  I just can't get enough of this club. 

Thanks to Ken and Mauri for the invite and to the club's friendly staff who made us feel welcome. 

Until tomorrow, train hard; diet harder.

Jim