'Masters' Gold (Novice Bronze)

I recommend winning... go out and WIN something! When you win, nobody can take this from you! How did I achieve? There's a saying in hockey: "you're only as good as your last shift." You have to build from each day. You also have build from each workout, each exercise, each set, each rep, while having good form, nutrition and so on... it all matters. Reaching to my peak, I never missed a day training, working out at the gym 7 days a week. I practiced complete abstinence from alcohol, drank the occasional black coffee (mostly, I was trying to avoid coffee), ate lots of brown rice and was rarely on social media. What I especially like about bodybuilding is that you could know nothing about somebody, but if he or she competes in bodybuilding, you instantly notice hard work without even knowing the person. Hard work - and the intensity of that work, shows. Nothing needs to be said... it's there for all to see.  WELLNESS WORKS (blog here)

"Preparation" (Pre-competition)

I think it comes as no coincidence that the years I won cups in hockey were years my training was quite good. I was happy to finish on a winning note, knowing that I was one of the best conditioned athletes in a league and sport where if you're in your 40's you are kind of seen as "ancient." I've had my success playing "a young man's game" (or "young person's game"), but bodybuilding will be a whole new sport. 

A single-minded, laser-focused, mindset.

No margin for error. "...STRICT TRAINING..." (my emphasis, 1 Cor. 9:25 NIV)!!!!

I trained hard playing hockey, worked full-time, put on lots of mass and was rarely injured. If you're not careful in bodybuilding though, there can be more serious injury than in hockey (for safety, I wear a belt when squatting heavier weights, for example). I did not have to pay attention to my diet so much as hockey player, but a competitive bodybuilding diet will be more demanding than eating kosher. Also, in the WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation) athletes are polygraph-tested besides having to go through the regular drug testing. It's been passion before profit in my life, and I would say I'm quite happy with this, even though help and support from others has definitely not been something I could consistently rely on. I thought that hockey was demanding. Bodybuilding - without the "special supplements" (that I've always chosen to stay away from) might be even more so. There's no option here, but to train FULL OUT.  

Towards the Goal

Have A Vision; Forget Resolutions!!

Can you see what you want to be and how you will get there?! That's vision, my friends. Naysayers are "talkers" and speculators... they are not the doers. However, it's clear: if we do not get enough exercise, we die... and that's quite straightforward, isn't it? Happy New Year everybody.  #TimeToTrain