300 Spartans Gym

News: Table tennis in Colorado updates

2010-10-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Renovations to the Beck Center will force the region's largest table tennis club to close indefinitely. The Aurora Table Tennis Club will be closed Thursdays immediately and on Sundays beginning in just a few weeks. The ATTC had 12 tables and as many as 40 or 50 players, and its closure leaves a major vacuum.

The Top Spin Table Tennis Center in Littleton will host a USATT sanctioned tournament on Nov. 6. Stay tuned for entry forms and details.

Scapular exercises

2010-08-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

This month's issue of Men's Health has an article about scapular exercises you can use to strengthen your shoulder joint, and I am planning to start working them into my rehab routine. Some of them can be found on the magazine's website.

Table tennis is the most addictive sport in the world

2010-08-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sometime in early June, I jacked up my left shoulder doing push-presses. My fault. I hadn't done any ballistic exercises for a long time and it was dumb to jump into a 5x5. I should know better. No worries. A couple months rest and some rehab and I'll be good to go again, I suspect. But in the meantime, heavy training and swimming are out. So I decided to venture back into table tennis, a sport I haven't played for 18 months.

This might have been a tactical error. Table tennis is like crack.

With just a couple weeks training, I signed up for the 2010 Rocky Mountain State Games. I knew I was putting my rating up for grabs. And I pretty much got killed, losing 50 rating points in a single day. But it was still fun as hell. And I've been playing as much as I can ever since.

I have been using my Joola Rossi Exact blade with Juic 999 Elite Ultima SV rubbers. It's a great combo, although the water-based glues have taken some getting used to.

Korea Open 2010 - Timo Boll vs Joo Se Hyuk (Epic Semi Final)

2010-08-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am just posting this so I make sure not to lose track of this match. Via TableTennisDaily:

Catch-22 at 50 yds

2010-04-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Swimming with a Master's team is great. Even the longest workouts seem to fly by. But my times don't lie. My 50-yard freestyle sprint gets slower if I've been consistently swimming with a team. I can think of two possible explanations, one distressing and one reassuring:

1. Swimming with a team encourages bad habits, sloppy turns, and survival stroke technique as I plow down crowded lanes avoiding my teammates. My form suffers and I lose the long, efficient strokes I need to swim fast. When I'm on my own, I count strokes and practice perfect turns, which translates into faster times.

2. Swimming with a team gives me a better workout, so of course my muscles are tired and unable to perform at their best when I go for a maximum effort. That's to be expected. And the pre-competition taper will take care of it, leaving me faster than ever before.

Which explanation is correct? I haven't the slightest idea.

Richard McAfee's table tennis training manual hits store shelves

2009-09-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

My old table tennis coach, Richard McAfee, has a new book out named Table Tennis: Steps to Success. You can get it on Amazon and I also saw it on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. In it, you'll find "a unique 11-step approach designed to maximize table tennis instruction," stroke and footwork direction, and photos of Aurora Table Tennis Club regulars. McAfee is an amazing coach, so please check his book out.

Shoulder training for swimmers

2009-09-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

I own a few books about competitive swimming. Nearly all of them point out the stress that the sport puts on your shoulders and recommend a weightlifting routine to strengthen the joint. So far, so good. The suggested routines are almost always designed to hit the front, medial and side delts, along with the traps and internal and external rotators. This is where I have questions. If you're a serious swimmer, your internal rotators are almost surely overdeveloped and there may be all sorts of other nasty problems lurking in there that you could make worse if you launch into a heavy lifting program.

I think training with Olympic moves is the right move for sprinters, but your body has to be balanced and injury-free first. Here are some places to start:

Shoulder Savers: Part I

Out of Kilter IV

DeQuervain's syndrome exercise

2009-06-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Made this for a family member and decided to share it with the world. Maybe it'll give a doctor or therapist some ideas for treatment. I actually had the problem more than two years ago. I think it was more like four. But the description of the exercise protocol I followed is accuarate.

Swimming is exactly like life

2009-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

When you get in the pool, you sink. So you start beating your arms and legs around like crazy, inching forward and trying like hell not to drown. The guy in the next lane is going much faster than you, so you assume that he's just a lot better at beating his arms and legs around than you are. But one day, you realize that he's not beating his arms and legs around at all. He's found a different way to play the game. A way to work with an element that should by all rights kill him. A way to stay balanced and graceful after fatigue and panic set in. A way to enter an alien environment and instantly become a native. The day you realize these things may be the most important day of your life.

[Ed. - Crossposted at Ingwalson.]

Can clean athletes compete?

2009-01-06T23:54:00.000-08:00

"[W]orld-renowned anti-doping expert" Werner Franke not mincing words:

Q: Can clean athletes ever compete against doped ones?

A: It varies from discipline to discipline, but in many disciplines they have no chance.

The biggest laugh I ever got was when someone asked me what percentage of Mr. Olympia competitors take steroids.

28-minute bodyweight workout

2008-10-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

I remember when I used to be a personal trainer. People would complain about not having time to train and I'd pretend to be sympathetic. But inside, I was just thinking they didn't have enough willpower. Now I know better. A 60 to 65-hour a week job and a couple kids that need parenting will leave you busy from six in the morning until midnight, seven days a week. A couple of months ago, I created a workout that I could do in my basement in less than half an hour. It requires nothing but bodyweight, a good pair of shoes, and a stopwatch.

00:00 to 03:00
Warm up
Jumping jacks and shadow boxing

03:00 to 06:00
Burpees
From a push-up position, jump your feet up next to your hands and then jump into the air. Land and explode back to the push-up position. Repeat. Three sets. 30 seconds each. 30 seconds of rest between sets.

06:00 to to 09:00
Split squat jumps
From a lunge position, explode into the air, switch your feet and land. Repeat, switching legs in the air every time. Three sets. 30 seconds each. 30 seconds of rest between sets.

09:00 to 13:00
Push ups compound-set
Start by doing as many push-ups as you can with your feet up on a chair or bench. When you're exhausted, drop your feet to the floor and immediately continue the set until positive failure. Three sets. One minute rest in between.

13:00 to 20:30
Ab giant-set (Crunch and plank series)
Start with crunches. Then roll into the left plank position. Hold. Then roll into the right plank position. Hold. And then finish in the full plank. Three sets. 30 seconds of each exercise. Then 30 seconds of rest.

20:30 to 23:30
Wall sit
Assume a position with your back against the wall and your hips and legs at 90 degree angles. Hold still. Three sets. 45 seconds each. 15 seconds of rest in between.

23:30 to 27:30
Close grip push ups
Put your hands next to each other and perform pushups, keeping your elbows close to your sides. Three sets. As many reps as possible. 45 seconds rest in between.

27:30 to 28:00
Feel just a bit better about yourself.

Courage

2008-07-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

When Nike named it's new spot Courage, the brand had no idea that it would soon need some of its own.

A few months ago, Speedo built a better swimsuit. A seamless, pricey, high-tech marvel named the Lzr. Nike swimmers put up a brave front. But as world records fell, it became pretty clear that any athlete not wearing Speedo or Tyr will be at a major disadvantage in Beijing.

So Nike finally did what it had to do. It told its swimmers they could switch suits for the Olympics.

It wasn't a move Nike had to make. Few would have noticed if Nike's swimmers had failed to medal. (It's not like they sponsor Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin or Ryan Lochte.) But Nike had the courage to admit it was marketing an inferior product. And the beneficiary is the USA and our Olympic team.

It's not the sort of courage showed by, say, a firefighter. But for a brand that makes a living selling stuff to athletes, Nike showed some guts.

Cross-posted at Ingwalson.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster*: The Side Effects of Being American

2008-06-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hat-tip to Alwyn Cosgrove:

Lacrosse weekend

2008-05-26T12:38:00.001-07:00

I try to watch as little TV as possible. But Memorial Day weekend is an exception. It's the only time a Westerner can see NCAA lacrosse on TV, and I took advantage of it. I watched most of Syracuse-UVA and Duke-Hopkins on Saturday and almost all of Syracuse-Hopkins on Monday. And I even caught a little Denver Outlaws action in between on Sunday afternoon.

The college games, as always, took my breath away. The MLL game, not so much. In fact, not at all.

The MLL's shot clock and a two-point line fundamentally change the game. College lacrosse already has plenty of rules that require aggressive offense; all the shot clock does is force bad shots. And the traditional game already has plenty of scoring; the two-point line just provides an incentive for strong shooters to wind up from up top, which seems to cut down on crisp passing and sustained offense.

MLL and NLL games are the only exposure some American kids have to lacrosse. I wonder how many realize they are seeing a sport that's less fundamentally sound than the one played at the NCAA level?

Learning by seeing

2008-04-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've written before about how helpful it is to model the movements of professional athletes. And that holds true for complex skills like swimming. No book could have explained freestyle technique as easily as watching a video like this clip of Ian Thorpe, via swimmer39274:

It's hard to blog about training when your knee keeps locking up

2008-03-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

My fitness blogging has dropped off since I tore my knee. Squatting anything heavier than a broomstick is out. As are any sports that require running or cutting. My main training session these days is swimming three times a week.

Swimming is a good change of pace and a great workout that really only needs rotator cuff exercises to complement it. It's also a sport I'm genetically well-suited for anyway.

But I still miss the gym.

DU vs. Towson video

2008-03-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Denver University loses a heartbreaker to Towson. Video via YumYum LAx

Olympic qualifiers begin

2008-01-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

The ITTF has announced the direct qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics. Meanwhile the USA Olympic trials get underway in Philadelphia. It looks like the USATT plans to keep us updated. And there's great reporting and video available.

UPDATE: The results are in:

The top four [mens] placegetters, who are now eligible to take part in the 2008 North American Olympic Trials to take place in April at Vancouver, BC, Canada, are:
1. David Zhuang (9W, 2L), 2. Han Xiao (9W, 2L), 3. Eric Owens (8W, 3L), 4. Cheng Yinghua (8W, 3L)...

The top four female placegetters, who are now eligible to take part in the 2008 North American Olympic Trials to take place in Vancouver, BC, Canada, are:
1. Crystal Huang (8W, 0L), 2. Nan Li (7W, 1L), 3. Jacqueline Lee (6W, 2L), 4. Whitney Ping (5W, 3L).

Since the USA's Wang Chen and Gao Jun have both already qualified for the Olympics due to their world ranking, this means that there is only one more potential spot for a US woman to go to the Olympics...

Knee rehab

2008-01-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

If you tear your meniscus, your doctor may recommended rest, ice, an NSAID, or even surgery. A chiropractor may also recommend ART. And you'll also hear people prescribing temperature contrast therapy, fish oil, pineapple and glucosamine.

But for injuries like this, the biggest challenge is often the mental one. It's difficult to set aside hard training in favor of careful rehabilitation. Lower body exercises, cutting, kicking, running and even biking are all out. In their place are single straight-leg lifts and ice packs.

Yawn.

But there's only one way to successfully rehab an injured joint. You must commit to it with the same fervor that you commit to everything else.

No excuses

2008-01-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

U.S. Nationals results online daily

2007-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

The USATT is usually pretty horrible about posting timely tourney results. But they're making a much better effort for the U.S. Nationals, which are happening right now in Las Vegas. Check it out.

Training to be a bit unhinged

2007-12-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

In the November/December 2007 print issue of American Table Tennis, Wei Wang analyzes this clip of Ma Long in an article titled, "Faster, Always Faster":

This aggressive mindset has developed in players like Ma Long into a belief that almost every ball is attackable, independently of its depth... Ma reloops the ball even more quickly than it came from him, before even getting his feet set.

Playing points like this isn't only about skill, talent, agility, conditioning and speed-strength. It's also about developing the will to be ruthless nonstop for undefined amounts of time. It's about having the mentality of a hockey player or a fighter.

There are plenty of ways to improve this quality in the gym. You can start by reading up on the training styles advocated by Coach John Davies. For instance:

As an example, this summer’s training for a number of my top-flight programs includes wheelbarrow walks. On training days where we pull (i.e. power clean, snatch) and/or squat, after completing our lifts we’ll walk with approximately 200 to 300 pounds loaded into a wheelbarrow. Our walks start at five minutes and build up to 45 minute strolls during the training phase. This is only one of many different training mediums I employ, but I think this would really help the readers.

Wheelbarrow walks aren't an exercise most weekend warriors are doing. But the exercise itself isn't as important as its mentality and physical difficulty. Ditto for some of the techniques used by Charles Staley:

What we're talking about here is less the ability to perform any specific task, and more the development of an attitude. That's what the top players in any sport have.

Book review: The Inner Game of Tennis

2007-11-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'd just dropped a table tennis tournament match to a player rated almost 400 points lower than myself. As graciously as possible, I shook his hand and left the court. Then I gave my racket to a nearby table tennis coach, told him to donate it to charity, and left the gym. The next day, the coach sent me an email suggesting I read The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey.

The first few pages of the book were jaw dropping. It was like the author had watched me play. He wrote that there are two selves. The first critiques, memorizes and tries. The second is capable of magical things merely through seeing and doing.

Immediately, two things came to mind. The first was teaching athletes to snatch and power clean. Invariably, the athletes would try to muscle the bar up the way you'd perform a barbell curl, deadlift or overhead press. Sometimes, the solution was to put more weight on the bar, forcing the athlete's body to tap into its own explosive capabilities.

The second thing that came to mind was how often I had performed above my expectations after watching elite athletes on the lacrosse field, in the gym, and even at the table. It was as if my body had to be shown what it was capable of.

For instance, after watching the video I blogged about on October 3, 2007, I went to the local table tennis club and was able to hit several Boll-style loop-kills. But as the day went on, they became harder to hit. I started to criticize my own performance and soon found it impossible to even land a single shot on the table.

The Inner Game of Tennis goes on to teach the reader some ways to get the mind out of the way of the body. Some were more helpful to me than others. But for 10 bucks on amazon.com, this book is a terrific value.

What toddlers can teach you about sports

2007-11-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

Athletes have a lot in common with two year olds. Both are in a near-constant state of growth. Both challenge their body to respond to a variety of new activities. And for both, the demands get more difficult every day. Whether you're looking to put on 20 pounds of muscle, master a new skill, or add five pounds to your squat, you can learn a lot from a toddler.

Eat frequently: Babies eat up to eight times a day. Toddlers, five or six. Humans perform better when they get a steady supply of vitamins and amino acids. Strive to eat five nutritious meals a day, with your biggest servings coming pre and post-workout.

Sleep: Toddlers need 14 hours of sleep a day. That's when their bodies grow and their minds process all the new sights and sounds they see on a daily basis. Similarly, many successful atheletes, sleep as much as possible. You might not be able to give up half your day to sleeping, but getting a solid eight or nine hours of sleep per night is a must for serious athletes.

Stay flexible: Toddlers are limber. As we age, our muscles shorten and our joints deteriorate. Starting a comprehensive stretching program or making yoga part of your weekly schedule will make you injury-resistant and pain-free. You can get started on bodybuilding.com.

Model: How to kids learn to feed themselves? Or even learn to want to feed themselves? They see adults do it. Similarly, you can increase performance and change your perceptions of what's possible by watching professional athletes perform.

Squat: Toddlers squat so well its eerie. The hips go back, the feet stay flat, the head comes up. Adults have a hard time squatting because they are inflexible and have forgotten the basic motor pattern. But the movement is natural. It can and should be performed by most healthy people.

Painter on a Planet of Blind People Redux

2007-11-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite sports stories is "Painter on a Planet of Blind People." In it, writer Michael Disend gives us a glimpse into the life of Joe Durso, a teacher who for years dominated one-wall handball in New York. Disend's writing reeks of pathos. What's the point at being absurdly great at something if the world simply doesn't care?

It's a story I have seen played out in the gym a dozen times. An amateur bodybuilder risks his career, family, kidneys and joints so he can take third place at the Mr. Nowheresville. It's all the more beautiful because the world will never understand his sacrifice or appreciate what drove him to make it.

There are a couple mainstream media stories out now about Richard Bowling, who has quit his job to he can pursue his dream of being one of the country's top 20 table tennis players. From yesterday' Providence Journal via DTTW headlines:

At 41, Bowling is singularly focused on becoming the best table tennis player he can be. In fact, about a year ago the third-generation electrical engineer quit his career to pursue his dream. Divorced with a son in college, he’s dramatically curbed his expenses. He’s given up home ownership, freeing himself of a mortgage, and now lives in East Providence with his grandfather, George Lima...

Bowling may be a bit crazy. But his single minded devotion and work ethic are worth emulating. Perhaps even more so because his dream is so personal and modest. The world may never appreciate his goal. But I hope he reaches it.

The most important exercise for athletes

2007-11-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Best exercise arguments are academic. We're not limited to a single lift in the gym, so what's the point of debating their relative merits?

The answer is, focus. Making an attempt to choose a best exercise helps athletes determine where they should put the majority of their effort.

If you're an elite athlete - a pro or amateur in constant, hard training - you have different abilities and resources than average sport participants. I think the one exercise you absolutely must do is the power clean from the floor. The lift will tax every muscle in your body, improve coordination, and increase limit strength and speed strength.

If you're a weekend warrior, the one exercise you must do is the split-squat. It will increase limit strength and improve balance and flexibility. It's intuitive and possibly safer than a basic barbell squat.

There's no way to tell someone how to power clean. You must learn it firsthand from a certified strength coach. But the split squat is somewhat simpler to demonstrate. It's not a reverse lunge, in that both feet remain stationary throughout the movement. Perform all reps for one leg, take a one minute rest, and then perform your reps for the other leg. Repeat the process for five or six sets of five to 15 reps.

In this video, the athlete is anchoring the foot of his working leg on a platform so he can get a greater stretch. This is fine, but not totally necessary, especially for beginners.

If you make one of these two lifts the cornerstone of your training, you'll almost certainly see an improvement on the field or court.

Ma Long wins German Open, America prepares for North American Teams

2007-11-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

Ma Long beat Ma Lin handily in the German Open last weekend. Timo Boll was the only European to advance to the semifinals. Next up for the ITTF pro tour, the Swedish Open November 14 - 18.

Meanwhile in America, players are headed to Baltimore for the Joola-sponsored North American Teams.

Wilson Zhang defeats Gao Yan Jun at 2007 Joola NA Tour Finals

2007-10-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Wilson Zhang defeated Gao Yan Jun 4-1 at 2007 Joola NA Tour Finals last weekend. North American Table Tennis has the scores.

Footstamp serves may be illegal?

2007-10-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well knock me over with a feather:

Don't you just hate it when you are playing an opponent who stamps his foot when he serves to hide the sound of his contact with the ball, making it harder for you to read the amount of spin? Or even stamps his foot during the rally, hoping to distract you and put you off your stroke? What can you do to stop such irritating (and unfair) behaviour? Is there a rule that you can quote to get him to stop? There are ITTF regulations that can stop your opponent footstamping, but you won't find them in the Laws of Table Tennis...

Interesting. I use footstamp serves. As do Wang Liqin and Ryu Seung Min:

In the other semi-final, the threat is real. Penhold attacker Ryu is off to a 4-0 start, and looks far more quick and agile than defending champion Wang Liqin. Both use footstamp serves, and both show powerful forehands.

So does Adam Hugh:

In their 1st game, Adam leads 10-9, serves with his usual footstamp...

And so does Eric Owens. Check out this video.

5280 Sport and Fitness named best Denver gym by KMGH

2007-10-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

In its reasoning, KMGH cites only the club's taebo classes and some barely decipherable claims about equipment:

Colorado's only Certified TaeBo facility. All instructors are certifed & trained annually by Billy Blanks, TaeBo creator. If you want to be in the best shape of you life, and love a challenging workout, then TAEBO is for YOU! Expect to burn 800 - 1000 calories per class. We are now expanding, and adding VERT which is a high-tech system of computer controlled exercise equipment that analyzes the velocity, acceleration, force & resistance throughout your entire range of motion!

See the rest of KMGH's finalists here.

Denver gym review: Dumbbells

2007-10-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Dumbbells tagline is, "No meatheads." But you shouldn't confuse that with, "No jocks," "No bodybuilders," or even "No deadlifts."

Don't get me wrong. Dumbbells ain't Metroflex. You can't go dropping your weights on the floor. And if you use chalk, you better clean up after yourself. But Dumbbells is a rarity: An upscale gym that encourages actual, hard training.

Part of that mentality flows from the personal trainers, who are mostly accomplished and fearless. And part of it comes from the equipment, which includes three squat racks and plenty of free weights. Dumbbells also houses well-kept cardo equipment and stretching and aerobics rooms. The gym is packed over lunch, but uncrowded during mornings, weeknights and weekends.

The only downside to training at Dumbbells is the lack of a swimming pool, basketball court, sauna and other big-gym niceties.

Dumbbells is a bit of a compromise. A little bit of hardcore and a little bit of comfort thrown together and served at a reasonable price. If you need a gym in Downtown Denver, it's one of your best bets.

World Team Cup in Magdeburg

2007-10-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

The semifinals are set at the World Team Cup in Magdeburg, Germany. China will face Austria and Korea will take on Hong Kong. The home team had to play without the ailing Timo Boll, and could manage no better than third in their pool.

UPDATE: China wins.

The stretch reflex and table tennis

2007-10-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

In the September/October 2007 print issue of American Table Tennis, Wei Wang analyzes this clip of Timo Boll:

The racket is still well farther forward than the elbow - much more with Timo Boll than with anyone else. He starts his forward stroke by pushing his elbow forward. This creates a whip effect that first pulls his racket hand back a little. The he performs a massive, almost painful looking turn of his shoulder, supported by a push off his left leg, and this releases the built up tension into the whipping action that leads to a contact a little in front of his body.

The "whipping action" Wei Wang refers to is sort of a stretch reflex. The power of the turn stretches the shoulder and bicep suddenly and the muscles contract against the stretch.

Can you develop and improve your body's ability to create this sort of power? Probably. The most obvious movements are plyometrics. Some good ideas on how to get started can be found here. But I'm not entirely sold on the idea that plyometrics are the best way for all athletes to increase sports power. This article sums it up pretty well:

[E]xplosive power is a function of both strength and speed of muscular contraction. Volleyball plyometrics exercises will help condition your neuromuscular system to apply a greater level of force in a shorter period of time. However, if you lack basic strength, their effectiveness will be limited.

My guess is that most table tennis players will find their explosiveness limited more by low limit strength than by their lack of neuromuscular conditioning. Which means that if you train hard with basic weightlifting exercises, your ability to apply that to explosive power on the court may improve by itself.

Mr. Olympia 2007 results

2007-09-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

After the pre-judging last night, I had Jay winning, with Victor a close second and Dexter in third. I can't even believe it, but that puts Ronnie fourth. And, yeah, I can see why the fuss over Wolf. We'll just have to see what the judges do with it.

UPDATE: That's it. I think Victor has the best shape in the sport. But it's hard to knock off a defending Mr. Olympia. Jay would've had to have come in way off to lose.

Being different

2007-09-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

So table tennis players want to be famous:

Although there's always a good ping-pong game going on in someone's rec room, competitive table tennis players are almost part of a secret, underground society. But it's not because they want it that way. In fact, they're hoping - just hoping, mind you - that the new Hollywood movie Balls of Fury will bring their sport some much-needed exposure...

In the United States, most people still haven't seen table tennis at its best - the way it can be played by top professionals. Despite being an Olympic sport and one of the most popular in the world - it's estimated that table tennis draws 900 million players or watchers around the globe - in America it's relegated to the basement of the sports world.

I've been through this before with lacrosse and bodybuilding. There's a struggle between people who want to grow a niche sport and those who chose it for its exclusivity. I loved the looks I got when I was carrying my lacrosse gear through the airport or eating chicken and pasta at 10 in the morning. I love the looks I get when someone sees the case I keep my racquets in. I like the oddity of niche sports. Everyone plays football. Not everyone has the desire to loop heavy underspin.

Chris Shugart's raw, rude and perfect essay "Merry Christmas, Bob" explains that bodybuilders see themselves in opposition to the everyday:

We like it that while you're eating a candy bar and drinking Mountain Dew, we're sucking down a protein shake. You see, that makes it taste even better to us. While you're asleep we're either getting up early or staying up late, hitting the iron, pushing ourselves, learning, succeeding and failing and rising above the norm with every rep. Can you feel that, Bob? Can you relate? No? Good. This wouldn't be half as fun if you could.

If Balls of Fury were to make table tennis exceedingly popular, I'm not sure if I'd continue to play. It's not a fear of competition. It's a fear of becoming ordinary.

Colorado's Yahao Zhang trains in China

2007-09-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Yahao's sponsor, Butterfly:

In the Guangxi team we did 2 hours of training in the morning, 2 hours and the half training in the afternoon. On Wednesdays we ran sprints of 400m in less than 1min and 10sec. Fridays we ran 2 miles in 14mins. On Saturdays we play games, sometimes it’s a RR team or some times single eliminations... In the morning we started at 8:10am, we had many different types of drills. For example: 2 backhands 2 forehands (left side) back to backhands (2) and 2 forehands (right side). We rotated players each time and we did different drills in the afternoon. As I expected most of the players played better than me, and that helped me a lot. The first Saturday I did not play well against anyone. I lost 5 matches out of 7. But I said to myself it’s only the first week, don’t worry. After the second week I got more used to the environment, but I was tired every session of the day. I improved my conditioning every day, and I was feeling lighter and lighter about the training. Into the third week of my training, I had more energy and I didn’t feel as tired as before.

German table tennis league matches streaming live

2007-08-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

The table tennis Bundesliga streams at dttl. Navigating the site is a bit tricky, unless you speak German. But once figured out, the video plays seamlessly.

Hat-tip mytabletennis.

US Olympic table tennis team trials begin January 10

2007-08-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

The Drexel University student newspaper reports:

Drexel University has been selected by the USA Table Tennis (USATT) Elite Athlete Committee to host the 2008 U.S. Olympic & National Team Trials for Table Tennis from January 10-13, 2008.

The trials will be held at the Daskalakis Athletic Center and is expected to bring the best table tennis players from all over the country, based on their rankings provided by the USATT...

"On behalf of Drexel University, I am certain that we will stage a well-run and visible event of the highest competitive caliber that will also serve as a showcase for the sport of table tennis," [Dr. Eric Zillmer, director of athletics] said.

Hat-tip to Table Tennis Pioneers.

The Fallacy of Specificity

2007-08-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Newbies often believe that the best way to get a body like a specific athlete is to participate in that athlete's sport. As in, "I want legs like Beckham, so I'll take up soccer." Or, "I want abs like Phelps, so I'll start swimming."

Call it the Fallacy of Specificity. And there are two huge problems with it.

The first is that athletes spend a huge chunk of their lives training. Beckham has great legs because he sprints, cuts and kicks for six hours every day. The average person playing club soccer on Wednesday and Saturday evenings is unlikely to get similar results.

The second problem is that to some extent, people gravitate to sports based on their genetics. Does Phelps look like that because he swims, or does Phelps swim because he looks like that? The answer is, both.

If you want to be an athlete, get out there and play. If you merely want to look like a favorite athlete, the fastest way to do it is to combine weight training, cardio, nutrition and recovery. And the easiest place to get started is the gym.

Blade and exercise of the day

2007-08-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

I'm loving my new Andro J.M. Saive Kinetic OFF- with Sriver EL on both sides. I liked my Andro Super Core Carbon OFF. But my new blade gives me more control and a better close-to-the-table loop. It's not as powerful from the backcourt and it's harder to flat kill with. But the tradeoff is worth it to me.

In the gym, I'm doing a lot of towel chin-ups. T-Nation explains how the exercise increases grip strength:

All you need is a towel, a chin-up bar, and a high tolerance for pain. Now, without tying any knots in the towel, throw it over the bar. Wad up each side into your hands and hang on tight. Now perform as many chin-ups as you can. (Obviously, this a great arm and back exercise, too!)

There's a video of calibre1988aer doing towel chin-ups here.

Getting into the low lunge position

2007-08-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

At 3-4 in his first game against Jorgen Persson at the 2004 World Team Championships, Timo Boll served short. Persson's push barely cleared the edge of the table and Boll had to step in quickly to loop. Without his wide stance, Boll would never had been able to get into that low lunge position fast enough. But the ability to get low also demonstrates Boll's hip strength, speed and flexibility.

If you lack the strength to loop from a low position, the solution is squats. Sorry, but there's no way around it. Squat for low reps, for high reps, for speed, and for limit strength.

If you lack the speed to get into the low lunge positon, you might try alternating split squat jumps.

But many people hesitate before getting low not because they can't do it, but because it hurts their knees. If you have serious degenerative arthritis, that's one thing. But if you have a patellofemoral pain, try these tips courtesy of Testosterone Nation:

1. Foam rolling of the lateral structures (primarily the vastus lateralis and iliotibial band).

2. Direct soft tissue work (e.g. massage/ART) for the lateral structures (all of the above plus the lateral retinaculum).

3. Improving general quad strength (via quad sets, leg extensions etc.) TKEs could definitely be part of the program; just understand they aren't a true isolation exercise.

4. Improving the motor control and strength of the gluteals.

5. Stretching the quads and calves.

I've found the last tip especially important. Bodybuilding.com has some ideas to get you started. Take your time learning them. It's important to be flexible and pain free if you ever want to loop like Boll.

Pan Am singles results for US athletes

2007-07-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Gao Jun won the women's final at the Pan Am Games. On the men's side, only Eric Owens made it as far as the quarterfinals.

Teams competition concludes at Pan Am Games

2007-07-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Pan Am Games coverage:

Both the U.S. men’s and women’s table tennis teams won their quarterfinal matches Monday in Pavilion 4B of the Riocentro Convention Center to qualify for Tuesday’s semifinals at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The women beat Chile 3-0, and the men defeated Mexico 3-1.

If I'm reading this right, the U.S. women's team went on to win gold, while the men's team lost its semifinal match to Argentina. The singles competition is ongoing.

UPDATE: Butterfly Online has scores. Eric Owens' loss to Pablo Tabachnik looks like a heartbreaker. (15-13, 6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 12-14)

UPDATE: Owens on the match:

"I should have won my match," Owens said. "I'm kind of putting the loss on my match. It should have never gone to five (matches). I had four or five different ways I could have won, but it never seemed to go my way. I had openings, but I couldn’t close it."

There's no such thing as too wide

2007-07-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

Look at this clip of Timo Boll training:

Notice how far apart his feet are? A wider base is always better, whether you're squatting a grand or looping a table tennis ball. You're stronger and more balanced.

I've had a couple people tell me I set my feet too wide when I'm looping or returning serve. When I ask why I should adopt a shoulder-width stance, they tell me it's faster. But that's only true if your hips are weak, inflexible and unstable. The solution is to improve this weak point with split squats and wide stance squats.

Gear links

2007-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

• New gear: Andro J.M. Saive Super Core Kinetic OFF- and a pair of Asics Gel-Rocket III.

• Like-new knees: Thanks to Glenn Hyman and Mike Robertson.

• Same supplements: Biotest Low Carb Metabolic Drive and BCAAs. And Carlson Fish Oil.

Aleksandar Karakasevic wins 2007 US Open (I think)

2007-07-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

I had to absolutely scour the net to find a tiny blurb on Butterfly Online that claimed that Aleksandar Karakasevic won the 2007 US Open. It's four days after the tournament ended, and both North American Table Tennis and USA Table Tennis still list it as an upcoming event.

This is pathetic. Few will put much legwork into being a fan. Table tennis needs to go to the people, instead of waiting for us to stumble across it.

UPDATE: Greg Letts at tabletennis.about.com links to a discussion about the results.

UPDATE: Milpitas also tries to get the results out there.

A swing and a miss

2007-06-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Before my most recent tournament, I laid out a list of my strengths and weaknesses. In the first column were things like agility and the ability to initiate topspin attacks. In the second, problem areas like over the table play and serve return. My strategy seemed pretty obvious. Initiate the attack as soon as possible and try not to get trapped pushing the table tennis ball back and forth.

The problem was that to make my strategy successful, I had to land my opening loop. And for my first two matches, I couldn't. I hit the back wall. The bleachers. Thin air. Bystanders. Everything except the damn table.

Halfway through my third match, my loop started to come around. But by then it was too late. There were a couple more players in my draw who were flat-out better than me. And at the end of the day, I was the owner of a sad 5-5 record.

There were some bright spots. My conditioning paid off and I finally got past an opponent who used an anti-spin rubber.

Until I get more consistent, anybody watching my matches better pay attention, because who knows where my loops will land.

Workouts I've never done before

2007-06-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

This workout's not optimal for any one goal. But I have just a short time to increase my stamina, agility and strength-endurance. And I only have the odd lunch hour to do it. Today, I came up with this:

• 5-minute warm up on bike
• 10 minutes interval training on bike
• 5 sets back squats
• 5 sets barbell shrugs
• 3 sets walking lunges
• 3 sets reverse hypers
• 5 sets one-leg calf raises
• 15 minutes interval training with jumprope

Colorado Pro Show continues to surprise the heck out of me

2007-06-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

In 2006 I was pleasantly surprised to watch Phil Heath win the inaugural Colorado Pro Show. This year I was utterly shocked to read that Kai Greene took the title. Here he is, courtesy of asdf54321:

Training ideas for competitive table tennis players

2007-06-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

On April 10, I outlined some general training principles for table tennis players who want to optimally integrate weight training into their training plan. Let’s put some of those principles into action.

Athlete A is a high-level, college-age player. He (or she) has physically matured, and is in great health with no injuries or structural imbalances. He has ample time to sleep and can consume an infinite amount of calories. He has enormous dedication and a fierce desire to succeed at the tournament level. He’s currently in the off-season, with a major tournament a few months away.

Here’s how this theoretical athlete might structure his or her training week:

N a.m. - Table tennis
N p.m. - Dynamic lower body

M a.m. - Rest
M p.m. - Rest

T a.m. - Table tennis
T p.m. - Dynamic upper body

W a.m. - Table tennis
W p.m. - Agility lower body

R a.m. - Rest
R p.m. - Rest

F a.m. - Agility upper body
F p.m. - Sprints

S a.m. - Table tennis
S p.m. - Rest

Each of these workouts would be different, with specific, measurable goals. Let’s examine the Sunday training of Athlete A.

The day began with a large, nutritious breakfast followed by a taxing table tennis session. Athlete A drinks a recovery drink, takes a nap, eats another large, nutritious meal, and then heads to the gym for his dynamic lower body day. The goal for the session is to increase speed-strength – the body’s ability to be simultaneously strong and fast repeatedly.

Athlete A performs a cardio warm-up and some light stretching. Then, he starts with cleans. Three warm-up sets, three reps apiece with increasing weight. Then the athlete loads the bar with 65% of his one-rep max and performs eight sets, each with only one rep, with 60 seconds in between. The clean is a fast exercise, and the athlete should strive to explode the weight up into the air, catching it and then squatting up in a smooth, powerful manner.

Next up, back squats with a relatively wide stance. The athlete might do a 5x5, or five sets of 5 reps, increasing the weight with each set. The last set should be brutal.

Next, lying leg curls. One warm-up set followed by three difficult sets in the 8 to 10 rep range.

The next exercise is a circuit of reverse hypers, weighted ab crunches and 90-second planks. Five trips through the circuit.

Athlete A then goes outside and performs eight 100-yard dashes, full-bore intensity, with 90 seconds of rest in between.

The session ends with 15 minutes of partner-assisted stretching to make sure the hamstrings, quads, hip flexors and so on are as limber as possible.

The athlete immediately consumes a recovery drink and attempts not to throw up. At least one more large meal must be consumed before bedtime.

This sort of two-a-day schedule would burn a normal person out quickly. Remember, our athlete here has an intense desire to succeed.

Experienced trainers will recognize that the idea of splitting bodypart training into dynamic and agility sessions comes from Westside Barbell, which has advocated splitting up dynamic and max strength sessions.

Amazing points from Zagreb and Baltimore

2007-05-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of kasusknaktus and echecboy.

Out? Get out.

2007-05-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Nuggets? Out. Timo? Out. CSU? Out. UVA? Out.

All my favorite teams decided to take early exits this spring. And that's probably a good thing. The sooner they're out of their respective playoffs, the sooner I unplug.

You shouldn't be watching sports when you can get out and play them.

Why people underestimate table tennis

2007-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Pongplayers.com wonders:

When you and I think about table tennis, we think fast-paced, spin, speed and agility. When a non-table tennis player thinks about it he thinks paddle, ball, table and lame. Why do people underestimate the sport of table tennis?

I think it's because the average spectator doesn't understand the dynamics of spin, so they judge the sport based purely on how fast the ball moves. And a rally between two 1500-rated players isn't that much faster than one between two guys counterdriving in their basement. In fact it may appear a bit slower, especially the serve and serve return. This perception is compounded by the success of long-pip defensive players with reduced mobility because of age or disease.

It's only after learning how the competitive sport is played and then attempting it that one can truly appreciate the athleticism and skills of a top player.

If the goal is to make table tennis popular in the United States (and I'm not convinced this is a worthwhile goal), the USATT should borrow best practices from other sports:

• Every popular sport makes pro-style equipment available to the consumer. Not every kid needs a genuine NFL football, but every kid has one anyway. Similarly, it should be simple for kids to get their hands on basic, preassembled, pro-style paddles.

• Bodybuilding is as niche as sports get, but the industry still finds a way to provide live Internet feeds of major competitions.

• The NBA and women's tennis have done an admirable job of identifying and marketing young stars. In the world of USA table tennis, only Joola seems to be following this strategy.

People will stop underestimating table tennis when they start playing the modern game. And right now, not too many folks are.

Me, losing to junk

2007-05-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

At a tournament Saturday I went 2-0 against inverted rubbers, but 0-2 against long pips. So I decided to revisit the results of a tournament I played back in April. Sure enough, I was 0-4 against players using anti-spin or long pip rubbers.

Somehow I still got a good 70 rating points out of the day. But when I figure out how to close out points against pips, I'm going to make an even bigger jump.

UPDATE: The USATT re-rated me after the tournament, so I ended up with a whopping 128-point rating bump.

CSU lacrosse tears into CU

2007-04-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

Between the Nuggets and this, I couldn't be happier:

For a second consecutive year, the #2 Colorado State Rams and #6 Colorado Buffaloes met at INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Showdown on Saturday night. In a rematch of last year’s national championship game, the Rams got huge efforts from senior attackman Brian Stone (Air Academy HS; Colorado Springs, CO) and Tyson Ehinger (Heritage HS; Littleton, CO) as they dispatched of their rivals from the south with a resounding 13-5 victory.

Branch Warren guestposes in Colorado

2007-04-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Branch Warren at the 2007 Northern Colorado on March 31, courtesy of ParadiseCup:

Gym theory for competitive table tennis players

2007-04-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile, someone at my table tennis club will ask me how they should be weightlifting. My answer is pretty complex. Because traditional running and bodybuilding schemes are not optimal for most sports, least of all table tennis.

Without knowing an athlete’s schedule, athletic history, nutritional intake, injury history, weak points and goals, it would be irresponsible for me to create a training program. But here are some thoughts.

Be explosive repeatedly: This is important! Doing bodybuilding lifts with bodybuilding tempos will not train your body optimally for table tennis. Tournaments require you to be explosive on shot after shot for hours in a row. The best way to develop this is multiple sets of low reps with a weight you can really move. (Say 10 sets of three reps with about 55% of your one rep max.) You should not be at failure at the end of each set.

Train your posterior chain: Your posterior chain generates power. Most table tennis players could benefit from deadlifts, cleans (from the hang and from the floor), snatches (from the hang and from the floor), reverse hypers and Romanian deadlifts.

Develop joint mobility: Unless you're arthritic or have knee or back problems, you can use exercises like overhead squats, one-leg squats, one-leg deadlifts and front squats to develop mobility throughout your lower body.

Favor unilateral exercises: Lunges, one-leg squats, one-arm overhead presses and so on should play a big part in your training routine.

Don't forget your posture: Many people have a weak lower back, weak inner abs, weak rotator cuffs and shortened hip flexors. Therefore, you should include reverse hypers, planks, L-flyes and stretching for hips and quadriceps in your workout routine.

Sprint: Long distance running is rarely optimal. Repeated dashes are much better. Try doing ten 100-yard dashes with 60 seconds of rest in between.

Try a little unbalanced training: Occasionally, do exercises while standing on an unstable surface, like a bosu ball. This will help make sure your abs and ankles are stable.

2006 Olympia

2007-04-10T08:47:00.001-07:00

I did check out the Olympia. And I'm happy for Jay. Yeah, I think they were looking for an excuse to inject some excitement into the contest. But Ronnie opened the door by showing up not quite in the condition we've come to expect. And Jay was in top shape.

Colorado natural prejudging

2007-04-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

I couldn't make the night show of the Colorado Natural/Natural-For-Life Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure contests. So instead I dragged myself off to Englewood High School to attend the prejudging. And here is what I saw.

Coolest moment: Learning that Colorado will be getting a pro show in 2006.

Most awkward moment: IFBB legend Shawn Ray was hanging out. So I walked up to him, stuck out my hand and said, "Hi Shawn Ray." He shook my hand. And then there was just silence for about five seconds. I said, "Well, just wanted to say hi," and walked off.

Nicest guy in bodybuilding: New IFBB Phil Heath suffered my congrats with good humor, asked about my own training, and just generally showed why endorsers are lining up to sign the guy.

Most painful moment: This one is a tie. Either watching one novice compete without tanning, shaving, or even learning the basic poses. Or when one very busty figure competitor took the stage and a women in the audience very loudly exclaimed, "Oh, those aren't real!"

Cutest moment: When a figure competitor stepped on stage and somewhere in the audience, her excited child shouted, "Mommy!"

Oh yeah, there was a show: Most of the fitness classes were easy to call. There was a very clear line between symetrical, ripped bodys and girls-in-swimsuits. I am not sure why figure needs natural shows; it's not like there are that many roided up figure competitors. The men's classes, too, showed a big division between very good bodybuilders and guys who must have entered the show on a dare. Not too much in the way of striated quads, but what are you gonna do? What set the better physiques apart were developed legs and polished presentation.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on October 29, 2005.

The 2005 Olympia results

2007-04-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what one pose can do. When I looked at the photos from Olympia prejudging, the only thing I could see was that Jay's back double bicep matched Ronnie's. Personally, I flipped, thinking that maybe this was enough to give us a new Mr. Olympia. In actuality, it wasn't that close. Ronnie is a force of nature. And his chest, thighs, thickness, and overall condition are still by far the best in the world.

Perhaps the only controversy is whether Flex overhyped the prejudging results to help sell the PPV broadcast of the night show. According to some, the show was never really close. The judges scores show Ronnie and Jay fairly close, Gus a distant third, and everybody else far behind that.

What happened to the IFBB mandate that was supposed to make Darrem Charles the new Mr. O? Darrem ended up ninth and Ronnie, Jay and Gus repeated their positions from last year. So does that mean the judges ignored the mandate?

Hell no. The mandate did its job. Ronnie, Jay, Gus, Branch, Gunther and all the other freaks came in with waists that were proportional to their physique. And Markus, Federov and the freaks that looked bloated were severely penalized.

My last Olympia observation is just that I was bummed that Troy Alves and Lee Priest backed out. I heard Troy hurt his hamstring. But Lee said he backed out because he didn't like the competitor's contract.

Lee has a rep for being a straight shooter. But it is getting harder and harder to root for the guy. You get your hopes up and then he backs out at the last minute or comes in looking like he just ate a bucket of KFC. If he does the Arnold next year, it may redeem him. But until then, I guess I am less of a Lee fan today than I was a week ago.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on October 17, 2005.

Getting great quads

2007-04-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am sure someof you will find it hilarious that I attended the ballet with my wife. What wasn't the funny is that a couple of those guys had quads that could stand on an NPC stage.

Made sense, in a way. Lots of explosive moves, lots of time under tension. No movements done to failure. In my head, I was coming up with a new way to train quads.

But just as I was about to trade in my Otomixes for a pair of slippers, I realized that "training your quads the ballet way" was the dumbest idea I'd ever had. Because it was predicated on having 8 hours of tension on your legs every day. Why, when I could train them heavy once or twice a week and get the same results?

Score one for good, old fashioned squatting.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on October 9, 2005.

Cross training yourself crazy

2007-04-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, bodybuilding seems a little specific. After all, body comp is only one aspect of fitness. So a couple weeks ago, I tried to construct a good cross training program, where I'd try to hit every aspect of fitness twice a week.

It sounded like a good idea for about 10 minutes. Then I started doing the math. "OK, I bodybuild twice a week for body comp. Powerlift twice a week for limit strength. Do Olympic lifts twice a week for speed strength. Run twice a week for cardovascular fitness. Do yoga twice a week for flexibility. Perform gymnastics moves twice a week for agility. Play table tennis twice a week for hand eye coordination. That's only 14 training session a week. I'll only need to quit my job and consume 7,000 cal a day to make that work."

The point is that cross training isn't all it is cracked up to be. And bodybuilding is by far the best single thing you can do. Twenty-rep squats alone will tax practically every aspect of your fitness. So lift first. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on September 7, 2005

Adventures in OCD

2007-04-10T08:36:00.001-07:00

Jay Cutler, if the rumors are true, brushes his teeth ten times a day, showers 10 times a day, rearranges his 100 pairs of Nikes 10 times a day, and will only eat with plastic cutlery. He also eats 12 times a day, performs cardio, and (duh) lifts weights.

This is not normal behavior. But normal behavior never got anyone anywhere. Especially in the regimented world of bodybuilding, where a slight case of obsessive-compulsive disorder is a big asset.

I'm not talking about check-the-lock-on-the-front-door-sixty-times-every-morning obsessive compulive disorder. I'm talking about a burning need to do things right. I'm talking about that need that keeps you up staring at the ceiling at night because your sixth rep on the fourth set of front squats didn't go quite deep enough. That need that makes you panic because you ate 3,650 calories today instead of 3,525.

What drives someone like Jay Cutler to the top is a need that few can possibly understand. It's not the drugs, the lifestyle, or even the weight. It's the compulsion to do exactly what is required. Every day. Forever.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on August 19, 2005

The revenge of the X?

2007-04-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Is it too early to talk about the Olympia? In light of the IFBB's new judging standards and the results of the NY Pro, I have heard a lot of people say Ronnie's reign is over. And with Dexter out of the Olympia, the odds on favorite is Darrem Charles or one of the other guys who sport classic X-frames.

I got some problems with that.

First, Darrem is a great bodybuilder. But he doesn't look different enough to be Mr. Olympia. His physique may be one that a lot people aspire to. But are we really going to put him up in front of the world and say, "This is the best a bodybuilder can be?" He just isn't freaky enough.

Second, even if the judges follow the new judging standards, they won't land on someone symmetrical like Darrem or Troy Alves. They'll land on someone like Caprise Murray, Lee Priest or Jay Cutler. In other words, they'll choose a freak with a flat stomach. They could even choose Victor Martinez or Chris Cormier - if either one of those guys comes in dry enough.

Of course, all this talk is sort of silly. I have seen Ronnie Coleman in person twice now. He dwarfs everybody he stands next to. If he doesn't win Olympia number eight, there's going to be a riot.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on July 27, 2005

Denver gym review: Colorado Pro Gym

2007-04-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

"Who do you write for, again?" Ryan asked.

The question caught me off guard. Especially since Ryan had just finished telling me all about how he had to bring up his rear delts and his calves before the Rocky Mountain show in December.

Slowly, it dawned on me. When I had walked in to Colorado Pro Gym that morning, I had told Kevin at the front desk that I blogged on Denver bodybuilding. Apparently, Kevin didn’t know what a blog was. And he had told some of the competitors working out in the gym that a bodybuilding journalist was walking around.

I was disappointed to disillusion everybody. Fortunately, learning that I do not pull the strings at AMI or MD did not dampen any spirits. Even Deb, who had won the womens title at the Colorado State Championships just a week earlier, managed to smile and talk a bit about the contest.

Deb was not the only Colorado Pro Gym member who had placed at the Colorado. In fact, the sheer number of competitors who trained at Colorado Pro Gym was the reason I had decided to make the trek out to Wheat Ridge.

It was pretty obvious why this gym was the second home of so many aspiring bodybuilders. Everything about the place reeked of hard work. The dumbbell pit was anarchy. The machines were practically stacked on top of each other. Personally, I was in heaven. But my wife seemed a bit perplexed. After about 30 minutes, she wandered over to the power rack where I was doing barbell shrugs and asked, "Where do they keep the light weights?"

"Ballys," I answered.

The whole experience mad e me think about how nice it is to hang out with people who understand what it is that a bodybuilder does. Downtown I can walk into ACDP, DAC, Dumbbells and the 20th Street Gym. Not one of those gyms had a single member in the Colorado. And if I walked into any of them raving about the hamstring drop on Dexter Jackson, I think I might be shown the door.

Meanwhile, Colorado Pro Gym, Flex and a few other places have become cloisters where bodybuilders can congregate in between feedings of chicken and oatmeal.

I would like to train at Colorado Pro Gym more often. But it is not likely I am going to make that drive too often. That's OK. Sure it would be inspiring to train with Ryan or Kevin or Deb. But hardcore is in the lifter, not in his or her gym.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on July 4, 2005

Being bulletproof

2007-04-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Before April of 2000, I was bulletproof. When I buried myself under a bar, I wasn't thinking about hernias. Or popped tendons. Or anything other than moving a chunk of metal from point A to point B and back again. Then one day, I tore my shoulder.

Eventually the shoulder healed. But my psyche never really has. I am obssessed with whether that pop in my hip is arthritis. Or whether that dodginess in my back is degenerative disc disease.

Which brings me to chiro and ART practitioner Dr. Glenn Hyman. After my shoulder healed, I had a ton of scar tissue impeding my range of movement. Glenn was the guy who got rid of it for me. Savvy in the ways of squat racks and kettleballs, fit and young, Glenn seemed, well, bulletproof.

Yesterday, I got his newsletter. And I was shocked to learn he had battled cancer for several months. Cancer of, apparently, the tailbone. Which I wouldn't have thought possible.

The good news is that Glenn is now cancer-free. So he is still around for those of us who choose to push our bodies as hard as possible. The bad news is that if Glenn isn't bulletproof, none of us are. Each of us is born with an expiration date. And each of us will eventually have our last workouts.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on July 1, 2005

Supersize She

2007-04-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

The gossip around the office today was about a TLC program named "Supersize She." It was a documentary about IFBB pro Joanna Thomas. And the people who watched it found Ms. Thomas nothing less than physically repulsive.

I attempted to step in, pointing out that Ms. Thomas's body is her own and admiring her dedication to a mission that most people will never understand. My coworkers were shocked. And I was confronted with the question, "Would you want your wife to look like that?"

In another life, I was a personal trainer at Lee Haney's World Class in Atlanta. I met dozens of elite athletes like Carl Lewis, Theresa Edwards, and Jamal Lewis. I can't recall vanity of the underwear-model sort ever coming into play in their training. I can't even imagine what Theresa's response would have been if I'd asked her if she felt pretty on the Olympic basketball court. And I have never been asked if I wished my wife looked like Venus Williams.

So, you don't like the way Joanna Thomas looks? Guess what. She doesn't care. She wants to be Ms. Olympia, not your dream date. She has made her life bigger than your preconceptions.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on July 1, 2005

Her name was actually Kelly

2007-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was watching a show called Dancing With The Stars. One of the contestants was a soap opera actress named, uh, Audrey or Sandy or something like that. And she was ripped. Her abs were just nasty - in the best sense of the term. That girl could have stepped onstage and done well in a figure competition right at that moment.

And that's sort of the problem with the figure class. It encourages any girl with an athletic body to roll out of the tanning booth, put on a bikini, and step onstage.

It's not that there shouldn't be figure competitions. A national-level competitor certainly works hard to earn her placing. But I've seen too many local shows where the figure classes are overpopulated by 130 sorority girls who look like they just got back from Cancun. Some of them, you can't even tell if they work out. They just happen to look good in a swimsuit. The line between genetics and hard work just gets obliterated.

If you want to compete in figure, spend a few years lifting weights and playing sports. If you want to compete in swimsuit, well, there's probably a flight leaving for Cancun right now.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted on June 30, 2005

Colorado State Championships, June 2005

2007-04-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's not too often that I am surprised by a bodybuilder. Especially at a show in Denver. But that Phil Heath guy, holy cow. He looked so complete, I wanted to cry. Phil, thanks for guest posing. Congrats on the AMI contract. Keep your head about you. No matter how you do at the USAs, you're going to be under a ton of pressure to add mass, fast. Good luck. God speed.

I missed the morning show. So my observations come purely from the night show. I thought each individual class was very strong. But when I saw the individual champions on stage before the overall title was given, I was sort of underwhelmed. I guess the parts of the show were greater than its sum. The heavyweight winner was wider than my grandpa's barn. And the bantamweight class was great as well. I guess the superheavyweight just sort of put it together best.

I really have just one gripe. The exhibitor's "booths" were crammed into the lobby, making it virtually impossible to visit them. As much as I would have liked to have met Carla Sanchez or guest poser Mark Dugdale, I ended up just sort of standing there, not believing the Paramount could fit so many 250 pound folks.

Moved from Ingwalson, where it was originally posted in June of 2005