Start Early

Okay, so you are competing in a triathlon. Certainly, you wouldn’t decide to show up without getting some running in the previous weeks and months, right? Ideally, you’d want to train and practice for such a challenge. Similarly, you’d want to drink water. For some people, drinking water is second nature (that’s my case); for others, it is quite the task. You should know which category you fall into and prepare accordingly. Ideally, you will want to drink pure water and not the flavored kinds, so know your body and likes. You might have to gradually bump up the water intake, so allow enough time for that.  But, your challenge might not be a marathon or triathlon. Instead, you might just want to get ready for the beach. No only should your eating habits improve, but you also will want to drink water – remember that the beach is typically associated with the sun, and the sun tends to make you sweat out that water. Another challenge that I have upcoming is the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Coasterthon! So, I will be on a ride for about 9 hours on June 7, 2013. As a result, I will be needing to be sure that I am both eating clean between now and then and also ensure that I am filling up on water as the event approaches.

The Moral?

Be Prepared! No matter what challenge comes up… prepare for it as best as you can. Drinking water can help keep your body functioning correctly, so I like to start there (and then also be sure to get enough rest)! Best of luck on your challenges in fitness and otherwise! I encourage you to become better prepared for the next hurdle you have to jump!

What If I Do Not Know The Proper Way To Squat?

Well, if I do not know something, I ask somebody who does. This applies to everything in life. Not asking is the worst thing you can do – don’t make it a pride issue. With the advancements in technology, we are provided with a great deal of How-To videos and articles about squatting and properly doing other fitness routines. I recommend doing a little research and learn from the professionals. Of course, I’d tell you to be sure to vet the source [the Internet can be filled with imitators who do not truly know what they are talking about], so check into a few reliable sources on YouTube and other online channels. Then, it is time to practice. If you’ve been using the wrong technique and form for a while now, it will be a tough habit to break; trust me, I know from personal experience. So, be sure to do a lot of reps under the supervision of people who know [and record yourself for improved feedback and learning] – it will take quite a few reps to get it feel for it, so what are you waiting for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKKZ9AGYTi4

So… What’s The Deal?

Most of you know that I have a promo code (DWAYNE) that you can use at check-out when you buy directly from Cellucor.com! This promo code will give you 20 off your entire order and free shipping. You can’t beat that! But, this is old news, right? I mean… I’ve had this promo code for quite a long time now. True, but I am offering a special additional incentive for the month of May.

The Incentive!

If 15 orders or more are made during the month of May using my promo code (DWAYNE) on Cellucor.com, I will randomly select [during one of my YouTube video shoots] one person from those who ordered and send him/her a Cellucor supplement valued up to $40 retail. If 20 or more orders are generated using my promo code during the month of May, I will select two random (different) people [who ordered using my code] to receive a Cellucor supplement valued up to $40 retail. How awesome is that?

How do I participate?

Simple!

1. Order from Cellucor.com and use my promo code DWAYNE when you checkout.
2. Then, fill out a quick form at http://fitness.dwaynekilbourne.com/cellucornation/ – I’m not saving your contact information nor selling it to anybody else. Basically, I am just needing it so that I can (a) verify that you ordered using my promo code and (b) have your shipping information in case you are one of the lucky people selected to get some awesome Cellucor supps!
3. Order more if you want additional chances!

Hints!

Here are a few things to consider if you want additional chances to get the free supplement.

• If you will need to buy more than one supplement this month, why not make separate orders? You can enter as many times as you order. One order placed today with two items on it is eligible for one entry; however, two orders of one item would be eligible for two entries (no matter which days you make those orders so long as they happen in May).
• Do your friends need some supplements? Cool! Tell them you can get 20% off – have them pay you the money for the supplements and order them under your name! Bam… you just increased your odds!
• Tighter on money this month? Team up with some friends, pool your money together for those supplements that you need to buy, and get in on the action!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-deDb043s-4

Simple, Huh?

It’s that simple! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Facebook or Twitter! And be sure to follow Cellucor on Facebook and Twitter too! They are always sharing upcoming news and releases on social media first!

Today, I want to briefly compare two of the platforms that I have used in recent months and years, Fitocracy and DailyMile! I like both; while neither is currently the one-stop solution for my every fitness progress tracking need, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here is what I have found thus far:

Fitocracy

According to their site, “Fitocracy’s mission is to make fitness a more fun, more addictive experience. Play Fitocracy to beat challenges, push your boundaries, and show your friends who’s boss. Get addicted to your fitness.” From my experience, I really find this site to be just that. It takes a gamification approach, and it really does a nice job of encouraging others to track their fitness progress. Here is what I find thus far in my experiences on Fitocracy:

Advantages

• Very social – others can comment and give props (likes) on routines; also, we can all share 
• Has mobile app for added convenience and flexibility
• Utilizes Gamification techniques (through levels, challenges, and point values) very well to motivate you get fit
• Ability to build routines to save for convenient usage later
• Tracks Personal Bests 
• Easy to add groups for friends to join
• Integrated Knowledge Center blog area that is full of tips and recommendations

Disadvantages

• No routine description or title area
• No hashtag functionality
• Maneuvering between days can be difficult
• Difficulty moving workout to a different day if typed incorrectly
• Not too easy to add supersets and giant sets (and other customized routine work)
• No consideration for the overall time spent on a workout

DailyMile

Similar to Fitocracy, DailyMile is a social network for fitness-goers. According to the site, “dailymile is a social experience for active people. We’re a community of people just off the couch to ultramarathoners alike, who encourage and inspire one another as we achieve our goals. Together we’ve shared over 12 million workouts. Each of them tells a story. Share yours.” I find this site to be a bit more focused on cardio-fanatics, but here are my thoughts.

Advantages

• Easy to add entire workout summary and share with others- Easy to share with Facebook and Twitter friends
• Solid leaderboard – great for challenging others
• Great for mapping out running/biking routes
• Training log provides various visualization of weekly progress/activity
• Great community section where people can post local fitness-related events (races, etc.)

Disadvantages

• No native mobile app
• Leaderboard only considers cardio miles and not weightlifting aspects of fitness
• Costs extra to really enhance the in-house social functionality
• Friend cap at 1,000 people
• Struggle to switch popular tags

Initial Conclusions

Overall, I find that both platforms offer some great features. However, since I have not found a solution that meets all of my needs, I continue to post my workouts on both sites. Of course, I’m hopeful that such a need will diminish in the coming months, but I’m unsure if either will grow and expand its feature list enough. I certainly hope that one of them does! Which platform do you track your fitness progress on?

Planning Ahead & Experimentation

I knew that I would be driving the last leg of the trip because I knew that winter conditions would probably be tougher as we drove further north. As we planned the trip upon receiving the wedding invitation, I knew that we’d have to drive at night and after I had a long day of work. Hence, I started to think of ways to both get more sleep leading up to the trip and find a way to stay awake in the event of getting really tired. Since I’m not one to drink carbonated beverages, I wondered if some pre-workout supplement could and would assist me when I needed it most. So, with a little extra C4 Extreme in the supplement cupboard, I set off to give it a go!

The Results?

Well, I am pleased to say that C4 really helped me. Since it was a longer trip and did not expect it to work for 12 consecutive hours, I did not use it at the beginning of the trip. After my two-hour driving shift to start the trip, I was able to get a few hours of rest, but I was a bit tired when I got back behind the wheel as we were just south of Dayton, Ohio. So, I had my C4 Pink Lemonade handy and started off with just water to drink. About 40 minutes later, I could sense that I might grow more tired, so I took 2 scoops of C4. Before you knew it, I hit the Michigan line, and I was merely 2 hours away from our destination. Around 8:30a.m., we pulled in to Grand Blanc, Michigan. Yet, I was still energized. I did not crash once I got to the hotel. Certainly, I got more sleep that next evening, but C4 worked! Have you ever tried using a pre-workout supplement in lieu of a traditional energy drink to help you stay awake?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jt1oGMd0ik

Here’s my reasoning…

The Gym Rat Badge!

Foursquare has something called badges, and these badges are available for users to earn. Often, it is exciting to gain a new badge, especially when they are not easy to earn. Foursquare offers a badge called the Gym Rat Badge, and it is given to a person when he or she checks in at one gym at least 10 times in any 30 day period. Of course, only one check-in per day will count, so that means that you have to get to the gym more often to earn this coveted fitness-focused badge. I have heard that they will be converting the gym rat badge into an expertise badge, wherein people who’ve already earned the badge can level up when they continue to check-in at different gyms. Also, from time to time, foursquare’s partners will offer a badge that is fitness-focused.

Mayorship Motivates You To Check-in At Gym

For the person who checks into a venue the most over a revolving 60 day period, he or she is declared the mayor of that venue. For more popular venues with many check-ins, this becomes quite a challenge… a competition between fellow foursquare users! If you check-in at the gym, there is that pride involved in your results. Of course, you have to put the time in, even on those days when you lack the motivation. With foursquare, I find that I can peel myself off of the couch much easier because I know that I am either aiming to regain the mayorship at my gym or sustain the title of mayorship. My goal is to be the mayor, but I can only honestly do that if I keep going to the gym.

Check-in Today!

So, what are you waiting for? Give foursquare a try, and use it to help motivate you to get your gym workouts in more frequently! Before long, you’ll be reaching your fitness goals!

Photograph by Edward Sanders

Thoughts on the X-Man!

Living in Atlanta since 2009, I’ve had the privilege to meet Toney and workout out beside him. He is no joke. At a young age of 6, he appears ageless.  I really want to see the X-Man capture this title, but [apparently] it was not in the cards. In fact, even though he grew stronger as the competition and evening went on, Toney somehow slipped down to third place. But, he continues to have a positive attitude as he refocuses on the rest of the competitive season. Then again, the $50,000 third place paycheck doesn’t hurt, huh?

Disappointment in the Field…

While I am not here to take away anything from the strong field of competitors, it was a bit shocking to see only a few of the top elite bodybuilders vying for this title. Branch Warren (2-time and defending Arnold Classic champion) pulled out – as did a bunch of others. It seems like the top three guys (Phil Heath, Kia Greene, and Jay Cutler) are holding out for Mr. Olympia each year. Certainly, I understand the importance of that for them, and they still put on a number of guest poses . They do not want to have to peak more than once per year and hence risk losing placement at the Mr. Olympia, but that is very frustrating as a bodybuilding fan. I’m now wishing that the powers that may be would somehow tweak the point system a bit more to sway other top bodybuilders to step on stage at the Arnold Classic. I mean… this is the ARNOLD!

Recap!

Well, it was a great weekend of bodybuilding. Unfortunately, I was not in attendance, but I did monitor many of the blogs, social media accounts, and the free webcast to get the latest scoop. This year, Elaine and I watched the last few moments of the Arnold via a laptop at our favorite local Barnes & Noble, but we hope to make it up to Columbus, Ohio for the 2014 edition! Until then, we will look forward to the competitions between now and the Mr. Olympia contest!

Everything… and More!

The Arnold Classic has everything. For starters, the Arnold Classic is home to bodybuilding competitions. Outside of the Mr. Olympia contest, this is the top bodybuilding contest that everybody watches, attends, and shoots for! Next, the expo fills up with thousands of fans and numerous fitness celebrities. All of the major supplement and fitness-related companies will be in attendance. Outside of fitness and bodybuilding competitions and the expo, this event offers gymnastics, powerlifting, Zumba, CrossFit competitions, weightlifting competitions, mixed martial arts, and so much more!

The entire event, known as the Arnold Sports Festival, kicks off on Thursday night with the Expo opening its doors the following morning (March 1, 2013). As the weekend arrives, the competitions will commence, and champions will be crowned, including a new Arnold Classic champion. Will Dexter “Blade” Jackson win his fourth Arnold Classic? Or will Toney “X-Man” Freeman or Cedric McMillan steal the show? Even though he recently broke a wrist, Hidetada Yamagishi will be competing!

My Hopes!

Personally, I have never attended this event, but I hear great things about it. Unfortunately, I will not be attending the events at the Arnold this year, but I look forward to checking this event out soon! As for the namesake competition, I’m hoping for a competitive battle between the “Blade” and “X-Man!” Lastly [if you are attending the events], I hope that you take the time to check-in to the two main venues [Arnold Expo & Arnold Classic Competition]! And be sure swing by Cellucor’s booth – tell them that Dwayne sent you! Well, the 25^th Arnold Sport Festival [and Arnold Classic] will be another great hit. If you are going, I’d love to hear your plans for the event. If you have gone in the past, what parts of this event did you like the best? As for me, I plan to watch it unfold live on the free webcast!

While this might provide insight to a potentially bad or illegal supplement, this controversial supplement is surely getting much more attention by the masses who are looking to get that edge in the gym. When the Lewis story first broke, I joked with some fitness friends about the supplements we take. As time progressed, more and more people brought up the whole deer antler velvet topic; some even asked me about if I have tried it or know where to get it. A few people mentioned that they even bought some online.

Who Comes Up With This Stuff?

Good question. Apparently, it was something that came from Ancient Chinese times. Some claim that this was the stuff that the Russian Olympians were using when most assumed they were on steroids.  Experts appear to debate whether this stuff really works or not.  Dr. Weil notes that there are conflicting studies, so it appears that the debate continues! Still, my biggest curiosity is… how did someone come up with the idea of testing various parts of the antlers of a deer to see if they had any positive effects on the human body? Who comes up with something like that?

My Thoughts?

Personally, I have not taken the product. I am not sure if it contains any banned substances, but it does appear that those in collegiate or professional sports are prohibited from taking it. For me, the supplements that I take are working just fine, so I will not be trying out any deer antler velvet extract.  In lieu of that, I will stick with my Cellucor pre- and post-workout supplements and strive to eat clean, remain dedicated and motivated in the gym, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest!

Have you tried deer antler velvet extract/spray? If so, have you found good results? If not, are you looking to try it out? As for me, I will remain on the sidelines of this one!

I start this year’s resolutions with a look back at my 2012 goals!

I find that I gained a lot of strength over the past year, and I put on some added muscle. Certainly, I am proud of this achievement, but I am not satisfied with everything. As a perfectionist, I expected more results on the bench press and a more-chiseled look in my quads. I stepped up my bicep routines, but I was not going for maximum weight levels after the fall started. As you recall, I gave the Body Beast workout routine a try, and I found it to be challenging but in a slightly different way. The routine provided me with new exercises to try and different challenges in the form of supersets, giant sets, and force sets, but, while I was pushing around semi-heavy to heavy weight, I was not doing 4-8 rep maximums, so my quests in that regard fell short.

So, where do I plan for 2013 to take me? Here are the highlights!

Upper Body Development

Chest Goals:

-          125lbs per arm on the Incline Bench Dumbbell Press x6 reps

-          125lbs per arm on the Flat Bench Dumbbell Press x12 reps

-          350lbs Flat Bench Press x2 reps

Looking back at 2012, I started to really step up my progress on the flat and incline bench dumbbell presses. I was able to reach 125lbs on the flat bench dumbbell presses and finally got my warm-up sets closer to 100lbs (per arm) for 10+ reps; as 2013 arrived, I was consistently pushing 90lbs or 95lbs per arm for 10 super strong and super slow reps, so that brought me great pleasure. However, I am looking to step up these figures this year. As my incline bench dumbbell presses have climbed, I am confident that these numbers can be achieved. I’m even confident that I could surpass these weights. Unfortunately, my local LA Fitness does not have dumbbell weights above 125lbs, so I cannot truly generate a goal that is not possible in my current fitness environment, but I will continue to look for ways to grow! The bench press goal is quite a stretch for me at this time, but I will slowly and persistently pursue this goal. I’m confident that 325lbs can be achieved by the end of summer, but 350lbs is where I set my sights on!

Back Goals:

-          Wide Grip Pullups x50 reps

-          Weighted Wide Grip Pullups – +90lbs x20 reps

-          Romanian Deadlift – 405lbs x10 reps

My back has continued to get stronger and stronger, but there is much work yet to be done! A few years ago, I was somehow able to do 43 consecutive wide grip pull-ups, but I have not gotten back close to that mark. Earlier in January, I started warming back up with the pull-ups at the beginning of the workout. I would do two sets of either 20 or 25 reps; on one occasion, I warmed up with one set of 30 reps. As a result, I know that 50 reps is not impossible, but it is going to take a lot of hard work, so stay tuned for updates on my progress!

Lower Body Development

Legs Goals:

-          350lbs Box Squats x4 reps

-          275lbs Squats x10 reps

-          2,000lbs Leg Press x4 reps

-          405lbs Deadlift x4 reps

Leg development is VERY important to me. Overall, I’d consider that my legs are really strong, but I am never satisfied. I want to grow the legs a bit more, get them to be a little stronger, and then be sure that I have that 3-D effect as well. The legs need to look good, showing off the strength that they contain today and will contain tomorrow! I have very lofty goals, but I’d determined to exceed my expectations.

Cardio Development

In 2012, I did not do as much cardio as I would have liked. Part of that was planned while some of that was unexpected. As I get deeper into 2013, you will find me stepping up my running and cycling. Ideally, I will get back to going to some spin classes, and I will also look to add a running race later in the year. The goal is to gain stamina while maintaining my muscle growth!

Time & Determination Will Tell

With 11 months remaining and growing determination in me each day, I look forward to these fitness and bodybuilding challenges. In addition, I hope to switch up the routines along the way and find ways to help others out, even more than I did last year. Come cheer me on, and let’s work towards our goals together! I’d love to hear about your biggest fitness goals, so feel free to share them.