CREATE YOUR OWN SUPPLEMENT

Gym-created products are the best at fitting the gym's needs. Any time you have a dedicated staff that is in your facility working out as much as they are there to work, you have the opportunity to develop a giant think tank.

Of course a huge topic in all meathead circles is supplements... when to take it, what to take, how much to take, etc. Obviously you should not be soley dependent on supplement powders and pills, food comes first. Supplements are supposed to be just that, a "supplement" to your diet of nutritious whole foods.

However, liquid protein shakes for peri- or post-workout nutrition are a nice additive if you are not able to get to solid food within a two hour window after training. Other supplements are easier taken in powder/pill form, like creatine, because in order to get enough creatine daily you would have to eat a lot of fish and/or red meat. For some people, that just isn't in the budget. Others supplements are great energy boosters prior to a training session, like caffeine. Some staples for me are glutamine, creatine, protein, and caffeine. Of course BCAAs are a plus that's why I choose a protein that has them mixed in with it.

Luke Beggs is a PhD student in applied physiology at the University of Florida and I had the pleasure of having him as a graduate assistant for the last year and a half at the University of Kentucky. He threw out the idea of just making our own pre-workout supplement... and then the rest of us started salivating on the possibility.

Luke started looking into buying the no frills version on the staples we wanted to include in our first Underground Labs Inc. concoction. There was five of us that jumped on board to fund this product. Here is what we came up with for the ingredient list:

We ended up having to add some more sugar free flavoring to it since the flavor wasn't the best... BUT it has given all of us a ridiculous pump when working out. Luke was also able to modify how many milligrams of caffeine each of us wanted, due to tolerance levels. I wanted 200 mgs of caffeine in mine.

I ended up naming it INCREDIBLE HULK for obvious visual reasons, but also named for how disturbedly hyped I was during my workouts on it.

Have you ever thought of creating your own supplement? If so, what would you need in yours?

CURRENT GOAL: get to 12%

The Underground Strength Challenge is past, I have been settled into marraige and my new job for over a year... I need to achieve something. I need to pursue something. Although I was happy with my pr on squat (445) and bench (375), I recently had Luke Beggs check my body fat with calipers (he measured each site twice and I took the average of the numbers). Here are the numbers he got on me:
tricep: 22.5
pectoral: 14.5
midaxilla: 22.5
subscapular: 19
abdomen: 29.5
suprailiac: 17.5
quadriceps: 18
bicep: 10
lower back: 22
calf: 24

I put these numbers into equations on this website and got the following results:
Jackson/Pollock 7 site: 19.77
J/P 4 site: 20
J/P 3 site: 17.93
Parillo: 21.2
Durnin/Womersley: 22.83

Talk about a giant kick in the man-parts. I'm going to use the Jackson/Pollock 7 site for the current goal to get down to 12% bodyfat. Currently I have 177.6lbs of fat free mass and 47.79lbs of fat mass. WHEN I get to 12% body fat, I should weigh 206lbs... and I want to get there by August 6, because that is about as random of a date as I can pick.

I have a sticky note on my desk that says 206 and 12% to help keep my mind stuck where it should be. I'll be giving you all progress updates AND I should be able to finally post some more training videos since I just bought a new camera.

cool song


What are you currently training for?

Strength Challenge Pics

Two of my desk workers modeling the free t's and their guns!

Above is a 10lb personal record (pr) for me on squat, 445! Below is a 5lb pr on bench at 375!

Below is Luke Beggs killing 480 on squat, another pr!

Biggest pull of the night is below, Luke got 525. Luke's total was 1325lbs and he also won the percentage total. He is a beast.

Jake Beggs benched 345 for a pr and got the biggest percentage of bodyweight on bench press. He weighed in at 185lbs.

Below is a picture of me dieing under 380. Didn't get it, maybe later this year...

We don't have a picture of the top of this lift, and his form might not be flawless, but Clay Brady pulled 470lbs and only weighed 171lbs... that won the percentage on deadlift at a ridiculous 274%!!!

Jake pulling 495, one last pr for the day! FIVE BIG PLATES!!!!!!!!!!

YEA BUDDY! LIGHT WEIGHT!

Underground Strength Challenge 2010

Thanks to Luke and Jake Beggs for the solid design above. We had the Inaugural Strength Challenge at the Underground Fitness Center last night. Participants were weighed in and then attempted one repetition maxes on squat, bench, and deadlift. Each participant was allowed three attempts for all three lifts. Then each person then could see how many FULL bench press repetitions they could accomplish with their bodyweight. The last event was a grip test for MAN HANDS with 315lbs on our fat bar with a double overhand grip.

We had the following 11 competitors: Clay Brady, Mike Spitnale, Luke Beggs, Andrew Lewis, Rob Sinnott, Luke Ranta, Tyler Brewer, Brett Borders, Jake Beggs, Derrick Bellmann, and Nic Norwood. Here are the results (all weights are in pounds):

Heaviest Lifts

Squat

Luke Beggs 480

Rob Sinnott 445

Tyler Brewer 410

Bench

Rob Sinnott 375

Jake Beggs 345

Luke Beggs 320

Deadlift

Luke Beggs 525

Tyler Brewer 505

Brett Borders 505

Jake Beggs 495

Heaviest Total

Luke Beggs 1325

Rob Sinnott 1295

Jake Beggs 1225

Strongest Pound-for-pound- compared weight lifted to competitor's bodyweight

Squat

Luke Beggs 242%

Tyler Brewer 212%

Jake Beggs 207%

Bench

Jake Beggs 186%

Nic Norwood 179%

Rob Sinnott 163%

Deadlift

Clay Brady 274%

Jake Beggs 267%

Luke Beggs and Nic Norwood 265%

Highest Percentage Total

Luke Beggs 669%

Jake Beggs 660%

Nic Norwood 644%

Most Bench Press Repetitions with Bodyweight

Nic Norwood 27 reps at 140lbs

Jake Beggs 25 reps at 185lbs

Luke Beggs (200lbs) and Rob Sinnott (230lbs) tied with 17 reps each

MAN-HANDS GRIP

Luke Beggs 33.62 seconds

Tyler Brewer 27.3 seconds

Rob Sinnott 24.9 seconds

Awesome event, a bunch of Personal Records (PR) were made!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to every one that came out.

Lift heavy stuff and surround yourself with knowledge

Getting ahead in this field is a lot about who you know, who you talk to, and, most importantly, who you listen to... In any given day I will have looked at videos and articles from Elite FTS, read about the happenings at Cressey performance with Eric Cressey and Tony Gentilcore, see what crazy conditioning chase karnes is doing in Paducah, talked with Luke Beggs at the Underground (PhD candidate in exercise physiology), text Chance Cianciola about a specific exercise succession, read up on Testosterone Muscle about some of the latest vomit-inducing exercise combinations, and seen what life tips Nate Green has for guys everywhere.

I know that my knowledge base has to constantly be growing so I can know how to train myself and clients to get another step along in the progression. I have been experimenting with my deadlift form and hitting it on a weekly basis and have seen it pay huge dividends already, jumping 30 pounds in three weeks. I also have been doing a more concetrated dynamic warm-up pre-leg days.

I am constantly pulling from a multitude of sources to get ahead of where I was yesterday. I have a pretty solid idea of how full of crap somebody is about three sentences into the description of their program and why it looks like it does. This trait is absolutely necessary in fitness, health and wellness, and recreation. Anybody can look the part to an extent, but do they put their muscles where their mouths are and go lift with you? Or do they complain about hitting their genetic cieling at 145lbs at 25% body fat???

Back and Biceps-1/6/10

beat up my back with luke and jake beggs yesterday

chinups 5x as many as possible with BW

DB row 4x6
1st set 95 with one 20 lb chain
2nd-3rd set 95lbs DB with two 20 lb chains
4th set same DB with one 20 lb chain for 15 each side

neutral grip pulldowns 5x6
fifth set was actually 6,6,6 using rest pause

tbar row with 8 25's to increase range of motion at the top
4x6

Superset 1
Face pulls 3x12
Preacher curl 90lbs 3x8

palm up DB curls 3x8- dave tate style

Leg Day- 1/5/10

Man, that is weird typing "10" in the year spot of the date...

For leg day had two real solid partners, Luke Beggs and Matt Cook. When I train legs, even on your most motivated day, you at least need a spotter/ some one to yell at you.

Warm-up
leg extensions 4x12 pretty light weight
leg curls 3x15 just getting the blood flowing

dynamic warm up
over unders
bw squats
chest stretch- torn up from yesterday, too tight a chest won't let me get under the bar like i want to

back squat
45x a lot
135x12
225x 10
315x3
365x6
385x6
405x6

RDLs
225 x8
245 x8
265 2x8

1-legged leg press
3 plates each side 2x8 each side
4 plates each side 1x6 each side

superset leg extensions (3x12) and leg curls (2x10)

machine calf raises 5x6-12 increasing weight=less reps

Randomness Updates

Some updates to read while you listen to this song:

1. Congrats to Luke Beggs on his second place finish in the novice middleweight class at the kentucky muscle extravangaza this past Saturday in Louisville. He looked freaky lean to say the least

2. Congrats to his little brother, Jake Beggs, who got his second first place finish in a month in the teen division. (Freak in the middle).

All of the guys that have competed recently are now in the off-season so I am looking forward to seeing their ridiculous strength gains.

3. I am going to be the guest speaker on Scott Bird's twitter chat this week. We are going to focus on "Fixing your Squat," check out more details at http://twurl.nl/1p4y18 and also check out Scott's website http://www.straighttothebar.com/ , there are a ton of forums and articles to read up on. If you are on twitter, my name is StayKYStrong and you can include #sbgym in your tweets to participate.

4. I am going to do an experiment for the first two weeks of December... We have a weighted vest here... weighs about 40lbs... and I am going to wear it for two weeks straight, any wear I go, aside from the shower and sleep. This will automatically make my bodyweight 260ish pounds and will constantly load my body, hopefully causing hypertrophy.

I got the idea from the avian muscle study that hypothesized hyperplasia of skeletal muscle(growth of muscle fibers) is possible. For those unfamiliar, in this study researchers strapped weight on one of a bird's wings for consecutive weeks and then examined muscle fiber number afterwards. Now there are obvious red flags in that the aformentioned study:

-They examined avian muscle, which is different than human muscle

- the reserachers killed the bird and counted muscle fiber number and compared it to the other wing. I will not be commiting suicide after the two weeks in which I wear the vest.

-There will be no way to prove hyperplasia with this, but I will be taking bodyweight, circumference measurements, and body fat percent measurements before and after. I will also have another gym employee participating in the two weeks prior to see his results. This is what I think of when I am bored.

I will definitely tell you all about any and all results.

Let me know any comments in the the comment section, talk at ya later.

2009 NPC Bluegrass Bodybuilding, Figure, and Bikini Championships

Tricky Jackson, an IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, is putting on a bodybuilder, figure, and bikini competition this Saturday, October 24th, at Lexington's Thoroughbred center, you can find any and all information at http://www.trickyjackson.com/npc-bluegrass-bodybuilding/index.html .


The prejudging is at 11am and the night show starts at 7pm!!! I have four employees that are competing---- Come yell at Luke Beggs, Jake Beggs, Jantzen O'Neal, and Clay Brady. We also have a gym member, Brett Borders, that is competing so come shout at him too. I'm going to be there going crazy with a couple of buddies to support these dedicated dudes






I'm definitely going to get me a shirt!!










Come check out Tricky's Show!!! Students: entrance to the night show is only $15 with a student ID!!!


and support the Underground Fitness Center employees!!!!!!!!!!!

My Blessings and Giving Back...

I was blessed enough to have gotten a full-tuition scholarship for my undergraduate work at Eastern Kentucky University. I went there to be a firefighter. Something about saving people's lives daily spoke to me, and you get to use your strength to help others... and at the time I was single, and what lady doesn't like a fireman...

A daughter later I realized I needed to be around for my little girl. I needed to pick a profession that didn't involved running into a building every one else was running out of, and much respect to the men and women that are firefighters. I chose to pursue a Physical Education degree with an emphasis on Fitness and Wellness Management and I threw a business minor in there to help me later in life. Before I graduated a professor at EKU said to some of my classmates in class," You need to get a masters or you will starve"

Well, I like to eat so I started looking into masters programs close to Louisville, where my daughter is. I applied to the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, got accepted to both programs, but was waiting on an assistantship position to open. I was interviewed by both schools and got a position with UK that allowed me to work at a faculty, staff, and other employee fitness facility for two years... and it got me a stipend plus helath insurance. Experience + money, you can't turn that down. I was a personal trainer for both years I attended UK and was able to work on my lifting technique and coaching ability. I volunteered with a local high school as a d-line coach and with the strength and conditioning staff for the football team. I wanted to meet as many contacts as I could while I was completing my masters degree.

I was made aware of a Fitness Director position at UK... applied, was interviewed, and have now been working here for two months with no regrets.

With the gifts of free education from undergrad through my masters lucked me into thie position in which I now have two graduate assistants working for me. One is a solid powerlifter/bodybuilder Luke Beggs. He is in charge of all of the personal trainers and the programs and he is competing in two bodybuilding competitions in the fall, so his results will be posted after it. I needed to hire some one for the graduate assistant position that is over the group fitness program here.

I went through some applications and through connections on campus had heard of a fitness enthusiast that wasn't scared of working hard. Her name is Emily Owens. She went through the interview process with Luke and me and she is now on board. Stay tuned for updates on her triathlon and possible figure competition in the future. I am looking forward to working with both Luke and Emily this year. It's a good feeling to be able to give some one else the gift of an education.