I decided to go back to the old way of training this month - heavy weight and low reps. The goal is to control the weight, get a great stretch and get the blood moving.

When I start training like this I up my protein levels to around 400 to 500 grams a day and I don’t count carbs.  For me my energy level should be more than enuff and have extra left over for a little cardio warm down (gotta keep the heart conditioned).

This type of workout is for SIZE AND STRENGTH ONLY!!

Posted in Rick Hagen | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

I had one of the best games in my life on March 5th, 2010. All the hard work and sacrifice for years and years chasing a dream that didn’t exist finally came to life. My team, Amp 1, took on the Mattituck high school seniors/staff. We are a group of individuals who are all amputees and have a story to tell. Stepping out on that court we knew we were the automatic underdogs just because of the way we looked, all missing a leg. But we train hard and have more heart than most people. We truly feel that use using Designer Whey products like the waters and Blitzes help us out a great deal. We as amputees that play stand up basketball have to work ten times harder than most people to just get around on the court. By us using the products it helps gives us the edge we need to push through and get to the next level of competition. With our hard work and heart, we beat an able bodied team in New York playing stand up basketball. Amputees beat able bodies! It was a big accomplishment for Amp 1 and for everything we have been fighting for for years and years. Many people told us this would never happen and it couldn’t be done, it was impossible. But we are setting out on our own to prove the impossible can be possible. With a victory like we had in New York, it’s just the beginning for us and our inspirational motivational movement that we feel will affect many in the entire country.

Next we move on to my home state Texas. We will be playing for Camp Sanguinity, a camp for kids with cancer and blood disorders. I went to this camp as a camper when I was battling my cancer and continue to go back every year as a counselor. All the proceeds raised for this game will all go to the camp. We again will be playing an all able bodied team with a combination of camp/hospital staff. This will be our biggest event yet. We all have been training hard for the past month or so getting ready for this event. We go through the protein waters very quickly while playing basketball and I myself like to drink the Blitz powders before and sometimes after my workouts. Since I have been drinking Designer Whey, I can tell and feel a huge difference in my stamina and my performance on the court. With three weeks away till our next big event, we are in focus mode and doing what we feel God kept us all alive for to help others with our gift. On May 22, 2010, Amp 1 will again make the statement that with hard work, determination, and faith you can reach your dreams and goals.

Posted in Amp1 Basketball | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG

Al Onuthin and I wanted to give you my experience with CrossFit.  I’ve been experimenting with CrossFit for the last 9 months and figuring out how to incorporate or add into my bodybuilding workouts.  For those of you who don’t about CrossFit is I’ll give you a quick and short synopsis.  Basically, the website for CrossFit describes itself as the sport of fitness.  It’s the conditioning and strength program for many police academies, fire academies, tactical operation teams, martial arts, and elite and professional athletes.  The program is geared to optimize physical fitness in 10 recognized fitness categories: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, strength, stamina, power, speed, coordination, balance, flexibility, agility and accuracy.  CrossFit is a total fitness package and to put it bluntly, kicks the living crude out of you.

I started doing CrossFit about 9 months ago and after my first workout I decided it was over-training and is not conducive to keeping or adding muscle.  Sour grapes?  Yes.  It took me four days to fully recover from that first bout.  The cheerleading and screaming was all very lame to me.  I was done with CrossFit.  About two weeks later an employee from the CrossFit gym called me and wanted to know why I didn’t come back.  I told him, “I didn’t think the workout could be maintained at that level for very long and definitely would not get stronger or put any muscle on.”  He simply said, “I’ll give you 5 free workouts and if you still think you aren’t getting stronger or gaining muscle then so be it, it cost you nothing.”  It was free, so I went for it.  The next workout was even more grueling than the first and I was thoroughly convinced this couldn’t be good for anyone at intensity level.  After the second workout it took another four days to recover.  I was not feeling the love for CrossFit, and just wanted to go back to my regular heavy weight, rest 3 minutes, do another set, rest another 3 minutes.  When I started to reflect on my current gym routine it seemed like a vacation compared to CrossFit. (*video below includes fowl language)

There was a paradigm shift after that second bout of CrossFit, maybe not paradigm, but at least a mental shift.  No longer did I consider my typical training of  do a set…rest 3 minutes…do a set, as kick ass as I thought.  So what I got from CrossFit was a reality check.  Things had to change because I had changed.  I had pushed myself further than I had ever been able to on my own.  The competitive nature of CrossFit, the yelling, the sweating, the unbelievable courage, the cheering, the camaraderie, everything, I started to love everything about it.  Now, today, I can’t get enough of it.  I’ve added it into my workouts twice a week with three days of bodybuilding detail work.  I don’t think I can do much more than twice a week.  But I’m continually evaluating and keeping my mind open.  Maybe I can do it three times a week?  The results?  I’ve dropped about 4 pounds, but I’m stronger and leaner than I was before I started CrossFit, and mentally I’ve reached an entirely new threshold for pain.

Posted in Al Onuthin | COMMENT ON THIS BLOG