JOHN'S
NEWSLETTER
14 November 2002
FIRST JOURNAL ENTRY
This page will be a diary or journal. It will be a place where I can sound
off on any facet of bodybuilding. For instance, in this entry I will discuss
my attendance at the recent Mr Olympia Contest. I will also give regular
reports on my progress (regress?) toward my goal of competing in the 2003
Masters/Teen/Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh. Please check back from time
to time to see what has been added. I will be most thankful to you if
you will make comments and suggestions in the guest book. Just click onto
"Contact", and then onto "guest book". I will answer
you individually and, if it seems good to do, I will carry your message
in the next entry to this journal. You may also choose to write me directly
at bodybuilder@sbcglobal.net with any criticism, comments, suggestions
or questions and I will reply.
In October, I was fortunate enough to be able to be at the Mr Olympia
Contest in Las Vegas. I had never before attended a Mr O and truly enjoyed
seeing the contest and all the related events. The exhibit halls had just
about every known nutrition and bodybuilding supply company represented
with enough nutrition samples to make a banquet! I had a chance to meet
with the reps of bodybuilding.com, for whom I regularly write articles
(see http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pasco.htm).
Of course I encourage you to read those articles, but I also call your
attention to the wealth of other bodybuilding information on the site.
I also met the reps of Universal Nutrition. You know from reading my bio
on this site, I have a cancer in remission which precludes me from using
certain growth supplements such as those included in Universal's Animal
Stak. However, I have the go-ahead from my doctors to use Universal's
Animal M-Stak (no pro-hormones in it), and I shared this information with
the Universal reps and promised them I would keep records of results from
using it.
As you no doubt know, Jay Cutler did not choose to enter this year's Mr
Olympia, although it would have been great to see him on stage. Jay was
manning the ISS booth in the exhibit hall, and I got to meet and talk
with him. He consented to having this picture taken of us there.
Early on as I began bodybuilding, I learned of Gunter Schlierkamp's birthday
and sent him a birthday greeting. I really expected nothing back from
him. He not only responded, but also asked me to tell him a bit about
my own bodybuilding. I replied with some information and Gunter over the
next several months corresponded with me, giving some advice and encouragement.
I came to think of him as my "cyber mentor". At the judging
at Mr Olympia, I was fortunate enough to be seated just in front of Gunter's
lovely wife. We watched Gunter's presentation, which was superior and
drew loud applause from the audience. At the evening show, Gunter's routine
was absolutely beautiful, strength combined with grace. It was obvious
to all that the audience placed him in the top three, perhaps even #1.
The audience gave him a standing ovation. However, the judges saw it differently
and awarded Gunter 5th place. At their announcement, the crowd broke out
in loud boos for the judges. Gunter, always a sportsman/gentleman, quieted
the audience with his hands and, before leaving, took the mike to thank
the audience for their show of appreciation, saying, "You have made
my day". He went on to remark that. when a bodybuilder experiences
the appreciation of the audience, it means more than any judges' placement.
The huge audience rose to a man and gave Gunter the well-deserved second
standing ovation.
I returned home from the Mr O motivated to get back to my workouts with
a vengeance in preparation for my entry into the Teen/Collegiate/Masters
this coming July. At my last contest, the May 2002 NPC SW USA Bodybuilding
Championships, at the tender age of 74, I entered in the 40+ classification.
I came in 7th, which is not too bad considering that the others were 30
years younger than I and had been competing for many more years than I.
However, I weighed in at just 140 pounds! The others all were middleweights
or more. So, I agreed with my trainer/manager to take all the time between
that contest and the Masters' Nationals in July 2003 to bulk up as much
as possible. My goal is to enter that contest at 175#. Now, I love bodybuilding
competition and so, for me, passing up all the competitions in this period
is quite a price to pay! I am working hard to make it worth the price.
I workout five days a week. Extremely early in the mornings, I go to a
gym near my apartment before breakfast and do cardio and some light exercises
for the calves and abs. In this bulking stage, I only do the cardio three
times a week and never on "legs day". In the late afternoons
or evenings I meet my trainer/manager at a different gym, which is more
conducive to intense weight workouts. On each of the five days I workout
just one muscle group: chest, arms, legs, shoulders, back. I do three
or four sets of 15 reps of five exercises, some being drop sets or super
sets.
My present diet is six meals as follows:
1. 1 cup (dry measure) of oatmeal 8 egg whites
2. 7 oz tuna (water packed can) ½ cup (dry measure) rice
3. 8 oz broiled chicken breast 1 large baked potato, no skin
4. Protein Shake
5. Protein Bar
6. 8 oz no fat steak (fillet) 1 large baked potato (no skin)
For supplements, in addition to the protein shake and protein bar, I am
taking Animal M-Stak before workouts, creatine and L-Glutamine. Following
my injury (6 cm tear in superspinatus), I took 4,000 mg each of HMB, L-Argenine
and L-Glutamine three times daily. That treatment restored my shoulder
movement to full range in about six weeks time.
That's enough now for this first Newsletter/Journal entry. I thank you
for reading it, and I look forward to receiving your response to it
Thanks,
John
http://johnpasco.tripod.com