Tuesday, November 9, 2010
It's been a while again since I updated this blog. I'm getting ready to do another seminar this morning. This one is again about health and fitness and it's for the MOPS (Mothers of preschoolers) at Central Christian Church. In 30 minutes I'll be up speaking.
It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. I'm ready for it. I love the huge turkey meal and since I've been watching my carbs and eating very clean for the last three months, I'll be able to eat anything and everything I want on Thanksgiving Day without holding back and with no guilt. I'm going to enjoy the day and the best thing will be officially kicking off the holiday season by watching the movie, Christams Vacation. It's a tradition with our family to watch the movie right after the dishes are cleaned up. It's the fastest we clean up the dishes the whole year!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wow! Time flies! It's been almost two months since I got back from the Arnold Classic. Kai Greene won his second straight title. Personally, I thought Phil Heath had the show won from the moment he stepped on stage, but that's bodybuilding judging.
Here are some photos of the competitors: 2010 Arnold Photos
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
I'll be attending the Arnold Classic again this year. I'm covering the men's pro judging and finals for Bodybuilding.com. My brother, Brent, is headed for Columbus this year so if time allows, we'll be getting a workout in together. I'm looking forward to the entire weekend.
Friday, November 13, 2009
I had a new article posted on Bodybuilding.com yesterday. If you've ever thought about competing in a bodybuilding contest, this will give you some pointers about what to expect.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/first_contest_tips.htm
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve are only a few weeks away and that means lots of treats, goodies and fattening food is headed our way very soon. What to do you say? Well, do not overindulge like most of our nation, but do not deprive yourself either. Thanksgiving is about being thankful to God for the many blessings we've experienced in the last year so go ahead and celebrate those blessings with a wonderful feast. Just don't extend that feast from Thanksgiving to New Year's! In between those holidays, watch your carb intake, eat a few more salads for meals and try to fit in some more cardio sessions each week. If you have an extra treat at work or at a friend's house during a Christmas party, don't feel guilty, enjoy it. Just don't be a glutton and hoard all the Christmas cookies!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Toney Freeman won the last IFBB pro show of the year this past weekend in Sacramento. He missed an Olympia requalification by placing out of the top six at the Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, but with his win he is now qualified to compete in the "O" next fall again. Congrats, Toney!
By the way, while I was at the Olympia Expo, Marc Lobliner from Scivation gave me a jug of their new "refreshing blue raspberry" Xtend to try out . It's a BCAA/glutamine recovery drink. It's a great product and the flavor is good. I like to put a couple scoops in a bottle of water and drink it during the morning at work. If I had a really intense workout in the morning, I might add another Xtend drink in the afternoon.
In the past, I've bought "watermelon" and "grape" flavors of Xtend and I've enjoyed those flavors as well. This drink will give you a boost during training also. Give it a try!
Friday, November 6, 2009
It's been almost two months since my last update...
I went to the Mr. Olympia with my wife, Rosemarie, and we witnessed Jay Cutler regain the title that he lost to Dexter Jackson last year. It was an incredible show. My editor at Bodybuilding.com, Kris Gethin, gave us front-row tickets for the finals. Not too shabby, eh?
My training is on hold. I'm fighting a nasty sinus infection that has caused a nagging cough. The cough is worse during exercise so I'm waiting for it to clear up before I head back to the gym. I'm on plenty of meds so I hope it clears up soon. I'm starting to feel like a caged tiger!
Friday, September 4, 2009
My video of the 2009 Mr. Olympia preview was uploaded today! Take a look:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2009_olympia_main.htm
Friday, August 28, 2009
I have four weeks before I go to Vegas to cover the Mr. Olympia. Hunger is something I'm getting used to now. It's hard to explain but there are sort of like two different kinds of hunger. One type is when you really want and need food and the other is more like wanting to snack on something because it tastes good. After a few weeks of eating clean, it is easier to determine which hunger it is. There's a different feeling in having a very empty stomach and actually needing food than wanting to eat a good-tasting dessert.
So my advice to anyone starting a diet and you're having trouble with going off the deep end and binge eating is to try to get through the first few weeks with any tricks that work for you and it actually gets easier over time -- not harder.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Yesterday was leg day again. I didn't add in any extra cardio at all. It's too taxing so I just do cardio the next day. I went for a 30-minute walk this morning and I'll go for a short run with my daughter tonight. Breakfast was 4 scrambled egg whites with 1 yolk, steel cut oats and coffee. I made a protein shake of 3 scoops of Gaspari Myofusion to drink mid-morning.
For anyone looking for a good weight training program, I suggest the book Body for Life by Bill Phillips. It has lots of demonstration photos and good solid routine.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Health and Fitness Semniar on Saturday was a success. We gave away a donated Powerhouse Gym membership -- thanks to Todd Mapes for that!
I enjoyed doing the seminar and I'm already starting to plan the next one, hopefully in late October, before the holiday season hits.
One question that was asked during the seminar dealt with carb cycling. I hope I answered it effectively, but for anyone who wasn't clear, please read my article on carb cycling: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mielke4.htm
I'm starting to include High Intensity cardio into my routine now to see how it affects fat loss. I'm adding in some interval running and short sprints. I've also incuded doing a few minutes of cardio on the Pre-Cor cardio machine after a couple workouts each week. I've got one month before I go to Vegas to cover the Olympia and I'd like to drop about 8 more pounds. Hey, when you're surrounded by the best bodies on the planet, you want to be in shape!
I got a great tip from my friend Scott Sturdyvin for speeding up the cooking procees of steel-cut oats. Soak the oats overnight. When you cook them in the morning, it only takes about 10 minutes vs. the 30 minutes when they're dry.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Best time to do cardio?
Yesterday, a guy at the gym asked me "when is the best time to do cardio?" I explained that it depends on your goals. For general fitness, I recommend doing cardio first so you're warmed up really good for weightlifting. If you want to burn fat and build muscle, it's probably best to do cardio after hitting the weights. You won't be tired from cardio and you can lift heavier. Research seems to indicate that fatburning is increased with post -weightlifting because your muscles are already depleted of sugar and your body will burn fat during cardio.
Personally, I like to split the sessions up and usually don't do them in the same workout. I train with weights for about an hour, 3-4 days per week. That's long enough for me to be in the gym. I do cardio on non-weightlifting days in the morning at home and in the evenings almost everyday. Most of my cardio is done outside as walking, running or biking.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
My cat got me up at 4:10 a.m. -- five minutes before my alarm went off. What a good kitty! After a quick protein drink, cereal and a quiet time, I was off to the gym to hit legs. 25 grueling sets later I was back home making breakfast of egg whites and steel cut oats. I'm currently trying to drop a few pounds so I'll be watching the carbs the rest of the day.
My most popular article to date has been the 8-Week Summer Slimdown. Here's the link to that article:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mielke6.htm
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
This is a busy week for me. My Health and Fitness seminar at Central Christian Church is this Saturday, August 22. I'm working on my final outline and putting on the finishing touches. This, of course, is on top of my normal work duties and activities at home.
It's also the busiest time of year for me at Bodybuilding.com because the Mr. Olympia is September 25-26 in Las Vegas. They send me to cover the event each year and I write many articles hyping the event. I have lots of articles to write in the next few weeks and also a video I'm making for their site. It's all enjoyable, but it does take time.