David talks about the hard work and dedication that it took for Nikki to get to this point in this article .

But as we’ve learned, that’s not my style.

I sat in the audience with a fussing little 2-year-old on my lap, sweating like a heat bomb, crying out for her mommy.  Poor Raven simply did not understand why Daddy was here but Mommy was not.  “Mommy is going to come out on the stage”.

And Raven, in her broken 2-year-old sentence structure, blurted out, “Mommy’s stage”.

“Yes, honey, that’s Mommy’s stage”.

And about 30 minutes into the contest, it became obvious to myself, and many others within the building, that it was, in fact, Mommy’s Stage.

Nikki strode onto the stage, wide shoulders, flared lats, tiny waist with abs popping out, a thick vein coursing down either arm.  But most stunning was her smile.  The lighting in the high school auditorium was atrocious, and the organizers ended up putting construction flood lights on the edge of the stage in order to provide some much-needed brightness.  Luckily, Nikki’s smile was enough to light the stage.

In the width of her shoulders I saw the countless hours of lateral raises, drop sets, burning and sweating in the gym; in her flared lats I saw 100lbs dumbbell rows, cable rows and pulldowns; in her tiny waist I saw bland egg white after egg white after chicken breast, and the suffering of skimping on the fun foods; in her abs I saw the nights when the hunger overwhelmed her to the point of simply wanting to hide on the couch, waiting for it to be over; in the thick vein coursing down either arm, I saw a woman– no, a goddess– unafraid to push herself, to push the envelope, to be different, someone who was not only not scared of being strong, but a woman who wanted to be strong, who prided herself on being strong, stronger, better, best; I saw a goddess willing to outwork and outlift just about any man I’ve ever seen her train alongside; I saw thousands of pounds being hoisted, curled, and pressed over the course of half a lifetime.

But in her smile, I saw joy.  I saw happiness to be in the moment, with her husband, daughter, and friends in the audience.  I saw the excitement of knowing that a celebratory meal was right around the corner– a truly earned cheat meal, one that capped months of working to the brink of exhaustion.  I saw a smile not meant to please anybody else in attendance, but merely worn as a badge, like patting herself on the back– “You did it; you struggled, you suffered, you failed here and there, but you did it; you met your husband in 2007, while attempting to prep for your first show, and never made it to the stage because you weren’t ready to tackle that challenge; but you persisted, you practiced, you ground it out and smashed it into the ground, and here you are now– you did it.  Mommy’s Stage”.

I saw the smile that told the world: this is Mommy’s Stage.

Nikki competed in the Figure C, or tall class, with a total of 5 competitors.  She ended up taking a very close 2nd place– the judges told us it was neck and neck– and the one girl who beat her went on to win the overall for the whole show.  Nikki was a mere point or two from taking home her first overall title, an accomplishment I have still not achieved in over 4 years of competing.  One of the judges pulled her aside after the show and personally invited her to compete in another show in 3 weeks, simply because she felt Nikki “had the overall package”– the beauty, grace, and physique of a champion.

I am proud to call that champion my wife, and to have the honor of being married to the Goddess of the Stage– Mommy’s Stage– Nikki’s Stage.

Watch the video of the competition here… 2011 NPC Philadelphia Bodybuilding and Figure Championship

-David A. Johnston
6/29/11

I ran a 5K last weekend.  It felt good to know I could do it.  But it’s just not my thing.  I respect those who run.  But deep down I’m a strength athlete, plain and simple.  I respect raw, brute strength, and the insanity required to achieve the strength.

I remember the first time I lifted 500lbs off the floor, no straps, just my hands caked in chalk and wrapped around the knurl of the bar.  And I remember the 550lbs.  And I remember the 585lbs conquering me.  But mostly, I remember smiling to my wife Nikki like a small boy, proud of my feeble accomplishment– knowing that the amount of weight I could place on the bar was theoretically infinite, that I just had to keep coming back and watching it rise over time, and that this feeling of strength, efficacy, accomplishment, could be replicated indefinitely.

There is a long-standing, and needlessly stupid, rivalry between bodybuilders and powerlifters.  Powerlifters don’t train to look a certain way, just perform a certain way.  Bodyfat levels tend to be higher, and there is no emphasis on the aesthetics of one’s physique.  Bodybuilders tend to castigate powerlifters for being “fat”, “out of shape”, and “lazy”.  Bodybuilders, by contrast, do not lift weights for the sake of maximum strength, but to break down muscle tissue and sculpt the body.  As such, bodybuilders are not as strong, pound-for-pound, as powerlifters, and tend to obsess over symmetry, balance, and their overall look, rather than the sheer intensity of their workout.  Powerlifters have been known to laugh at bodybuilders for being “pretty boys”, “all show and no go”, and– in a nutshell– fake.

So which is harder, bodybuilding or powerlifting?  Bodybuilding is definitely harder in the sense that it requires discipline and attention to detail over time.  But powerlifting is harder– or at least, more hardcore– in the sense that it is the true epitome of intensity and will.

The bodybuilder’s exertion meter is measured over time– not a single workout, but weeks, months, and years of discipline, dieting, weighing, measuring, planning, training and improving.  Yes, this is difficult, but it is difficulty spread out.  Bodybuilding is a sport consisting of thousands upon thousands of moments that all create a sum total, to stand as a trophy or statue at end of days proudly presenting one’s physique to the world.

Then there is powerlifting.  Powerlifting is true calculated insanity.  It is about taking everything you have within you– every single micron of energy, rage, fury, fire, will, strength, exertion– and applying it against a cold steel bar for less than 5 seconds.  Motivation, as an abstraction, is always about switching to the next gear.  In most sports, that gear has to be shifted into, slowly, time after time after time, until the event is over.  Even with football, you’re looking at 60 minutes of play, and you have numerous chances and plays and quarters to shift into your highest gear, to try to make up the distance at the end, to finally turn the shock meter to a thousand percent and bury the needle.

Powerlifting is a different, and scarier, animal.  You have to bury the needle all at once.  There are no second chances, third legs to the race, or fourth downs.  There is just this one moment, this one lift, this one attempt.  The bar goes up, or it doesn’t.  You insanity conquers gravity, or you are conquered and destroyed, all in the blink of an eye.

Watch the pre-lifting rituals of a powerlifter, and you will see insanity on a different level.  They slap themselves in the face prior to a big lift, simply to increase adrenaline, often drawing blood:

The athletes are not the long and lean frames seen on athletes of other ilk.  There is nothing “esthetic” or “beautiful” about the prototypical powerlifting physique.  And that’s the point.  These men and women are pure animal, beasts and bulls and bears with bulging necks and bald heads, traps that sit high upon their shoulders and bear witness to the thousands upon thousands of pounds pressed, pulled or dropped down to the floor, into the bucket, supported by thighs thick like oak trees:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo1tU1YqPp0

Powerlifters do not like creature comforts.  They do not like air conditioned gyms and well-lit areas.  They are monsters that lurk in the recesses, hidden in the basement, amongst chalk on the floor and ammonia in the air, waiting to unleash everything all at once, a nuclear explosion and meltdown, a supernova of energy.

The mindset required to step underneath 500, 600, 700lbs is not possessed by many.  But they go bigger.  They step under 800, 900, 1000lbs.  A few elite individuals step under 1100lbs or more. Or press it off their chests. Or rip if off the ground:

They practice, they train, and they build their bodies through the torture of moving mountains, to the point where, one day, at an official meet, they will step up against a bar weighing more than they have ever moved, and make it move.  They will channel all of those training sessions into this one moment, this payoff, trying to drain everything all at once, the great compression before the Big Bang, shoving it into a funnel and condensing it into one moment of calculated insanity.  There will be no “recorded race time” at the end of the event, as there is with a 5K.  The powerlifting event does not occur over time.  It occurs in the blink of an eye, genesis, like the instantaneous creation of force within the cosmos.

And that, is power. That, is calculated insanity.
-David A. Johnston

Note: If you missed yesterdays post regarding bodybuilding diet and meal planning you can read it on the Facebook page here…   Bodybuilding Meal Plan

While prepping for bodybuilding competition I generally keep training very simple, as I am an advocate of fairly low-volume, high-intensity training. Throughout the entire prep, I would train back and shoulders on Monday; quads and hams on Wednesday; and chest, biceps and triceps on Friday. Occasionally, I would train calves and abs on the weekend, but for the most part, stuck only with major body parts throughout my prep, focusing on compound movements, good form, and strength increase.

During the first half of the prep, I essentially stuck to the DC training template, but split the days up a little different to save on time. During the second half of the prep, I went to a slightly more “traditional” bodybuilding split (same body part split, more exercises and more volume); the exact exercises would change somewhat from week to week, but would typically follow a pattern like this:

Note: One week start with back, one week start with shoulders.

Day 1: Back/Shoulders

* Wide Lat Pulldown: 4 add sets of 15,12,10,8 reps
* Barbell Rows: 4 add sets of 12,10,8,6 reps
* Cable Row or Machine Row: 4 add sets of 15,12,10,8 reps
* Butterfly: 3 sets of 20,15,12 reps
* Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 sets of 15,12,10,15 reps
* Smith or Dumbbell Overhead Press: 4 sets of 12,10,8,4-6 reps

One week start with quads, one week start with hamstrings.

Day 2: Rest

Day 3: Quads/Hamstrings

* Leg Extension (Pre-Exhaust): 4 add sets holding the peak contraction at the top for a 2-count for 12-15 reps
* Squats or Front Squats: 4 sets of 12,8,6,3-5 reps
* Hack Squats or Leg Press: 4 sets of 20,15,12,20 reps
* Seated Leg Curl: 1 warmup set of 12-15 reps, 2 working sets of 50-70 reps (blood volume)
* Romanian Deadlifts: 4 add sets of 15,12,8,4 reps
* Lunges or Lying Leg Curl: 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Chest/Biceps/Triceps

* Smith Machine Incline Press or Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 12,8,4-5,8 reps
* Dumbbell Incline Press or Flat Bench Press: 3 sets of 10,8,6 reps
* Dumbbell Incline Flyes or Butterfly: 3 sets of 15,12,8 reps
* Alternate Dumbbell Curl or Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 12,10,6-8 reps
* Machine Curl: 2 drop sets of 15,12 reps
* Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 15,12,8
* Cable Pushdown: 2 drop sets of 15,12 reps

Days 6 and 7: Rest

Cardio:

Throughout the course of the diet, I slowly increased my cardio output, starting with fairly low-intensity walking, and increasing the frequency, the duration, and the intensity over the course of the 32 weeks.

During the first 4 weeks of the diet, I only performed 3 30-minute sessions per week, typically walking on the Treadmill around 3mph, working the incline higher over the course of the 30 minutes, usually to a peak of 11% (no holding on). I tried to increase my intensity slightly every two weeks, but tried to not take my heart rate much over 150BPM, on average, since I was doing cardio in a fasted state and wanted to avoid burning muscle tissue.

Having a treadmill at home, I used incline treadmill as my main cardio aparatus throughout most of my prep (usually about 4 days per week), but whenever possible, I would use the stair mill at the gym (usually 2-3 days per week), as it is my prefered and favorite method of cardio. (I think it actually helps you keep size in your legs, especially your glutes and quads).

The next 4 weeks of the diet, I increased cardio to 4 days per week, 40 minutes. Then two weeks of 5 days per week, 40 minutes. Then two weeks of 5 days per week, 50 minutes. Then up to 6 days per week, 60 minutes, which was my max cardio throughout the majority of my prep. I did 60 minutes every morning, fasted, throughout the majority of my prep.

During the last 6 weeks leading up to the Philly, and the 8 weeks in between the Philly and the Maryland, my conditioning had improved so much from all of the cardio that I had to start doing much harder intervals in order to increase heart rate. I am truly not a fan of running, so I would normally just keep the treadmill at a 15% incline, 3mph, for the whole session.

At this point, I tried doing the stairs whenever possible, and would normally start on level 4 to warm up, and interval up to roughly level 9 or 10 for 5 minute blocks, or until my legs gave out. I never truly attempted HIIT cardio, but towards the end of my prep, it was approaching that.

I posted the details of the meal plan on my Facebook page. Take a look at it here…

Facebook Bodybuilding Meal Plan

David Johnston was overweight for most of his life and wanted to make a change for himself and his family. See how he lost over 70 pounds and competed!

Bodybuilding.com is one of, if not the biggest bodybuilding sites on the internet. Each week they feature a Transformation of the Week. This week they have selected David to profile. Read it here…

In the article David talks about what led him to getting involved in bodybuilding and what he did to prepare for the 2010 Maryland competition. Learn the exact carb-cycle diet plan that his coach Dan Kelsey (www.lbs4lbs.com) laid out for him.

David gives some great advice to others who might be looking to make some serious changes in their lives…

My main advice to others is simply to prioritize, be serious about achieving your goals, and don’t hold back. So many people approach life at 50%, and that’s simply not going to get you there. I know, because I was a fat kid my entire life-I never played sports, and was always somewhat embarrassed by my body. I tried to get into fitness a few times during my teens and college years, but again, never went 100% at it.

Read the entire article at http://bodybuilding.com/fun/david-johnston-shed-over-70-lbs-competed-onstage.html

First up the men – Yuri, David, Joe, and Brandon.

Here is one of the final pose downs. Much more video to come as I am able to get it edited and put together.

Yuri, I saw how bad you were hurting this week. It‘s almost over.

Liz, I saw today how tired you are. It’s almost over.

Carly, I know your body is wearing down. It’s almost over.

Brandon, I haven’t seen you recently, but Nikki told me today that you’re struggling. Don’t worry, it’s almost over.

Joe and Mandi, I haven’t talked to you in a while, but chances are you’re hurting. It’s almost over.

Brian Denny, you get off the hook slightly earlier than the rest of us, but you’ve been working just as long and as hard. And it’s almost over.

To my beautiful wife, Nikki– I watch you every single day, and know how hard you’ve worked, and how much you’ve achieved, and how you’re just WAITING to take a tranquil breath. Don’t worry, baby, it’s almost over.

For everybody else competing in two weeks– the end is in sight; it’s almost over.

And the minute it’s over, you will miss this as one of the greatest journeys of your lives, despite the pain and sacrifice. So enjoy the last two weeks.)

You have 14 days left. You have suffered. You have been tired. You have been beaten down. Your head hurts. Your joints hurt. Your body is screaming at you to stop. But you don’t. You won’t. You can’t. Not now. You can sleep in two weeks– hell, you can die in two weeks– as long as you suffer through these last two weeks.

Remember why you got into this. Remember the joy, and the fun, and the excitement. Remember the feeling of going to the gym every day, and crafting yourself into a better person, a stronger person, a more confident person. Remember taking ownership of your life. Remember watching all the videos of the champions before you, and the sweat as it rolled off their heads into tired pools on the floor. Remember, you chose to do this. You were not forced. You did this because you wanted to be great. And now, you’re on the cusp.

Set the world on fire. Tear it down and destroy it. Show yourself what true intensity is, what flame is, what passion is, what drive is. Show the world will, and force. Be prepared for suffering and misery and hunger and pain. Nothing in this world is free. Nothing comes without a price. You will hurt. But you will triumph through it. No great warrior won a battle without exchanging something great. No great athlete ever won a game without pain and sacrifice. To arrive without pain and sacrifice is not to arrive at all. It is worthless. Put on your warrior face, your mask, and show no emotion. Be a monk, a samuri. Put your hood up and go, without stopping, without fail, without crying, without breathing. Learn to exist without air. Learn to exist without food. Learn to exist without sleep. You can breath and eat and sleep when you are dead. Until then, you are just a machine. You feel NOTHING. You just move, and lift, like a hydraulic, like a piston blowing up bigger and bigger loads. You never quit, you never stop. Auto-pilot. Like a tank rolling across the landscape. With the lights off, climb the stairs. Don’t even say prayers to yourself. Just move, in a state of silent meditation. And then, you will be great. You will create yourself from scratch, assembling cells into a thing that is more than beautiful. Until then, you are nothing.

And Ghengis Khan said to his children, “Show me nothing of what you feel…. Show me the cold face that you will show to enemies who taunt you. Remember that they too are afraid. If you have ever wondered if you were the only coward in a world of warriors, know that they feel the same, to the last man. In knowing that, you can hide your own fear and stare them down…. Breathe gently through the nose to slow your heart. Your flesh is a weak thing, but you do not have to listen to its cries for help. I have seen a man push a knife through his own flesh without blood falling. Let that strength come to you and breathe. Show me nothing and be empty…. Your body is like any other animal in your care…. It will clamor for food and water, warmth and relief from pain. Find the cold face and you will be able to shut out its clamoring voice…. Your body does not rule you…. It is a stupid beast that knows nothing of the works of men. It is merely the cart that carries you. You control it with will and with breath through your nose, when it calls for you to pant like a dog. When you take an arrow in battle and the pain is overwhelming, you will press it away and, before you fall, you will return death to your enemies.” (Ghengis: Lord of the Bow)

I have a burning sensation behind my eyes. It lets me know that I am tired. It lets me know that I am pushing the boundaries. It hurts, but it feels good. When I stop– when I pause– when I rest my lids– the burning sensation tells me to either leave them closed, or to open them again immediately, to push on and weather through it. The burning red is my alarm system, my guardian. It periodically creeps in and tries to envelop my head, but I fight it. It is artificial alertness. It is the coal smoldering beneath the surface of the engine.

In 14 days, you can be ordinary again. You can eat when you are hungry; you can sleep when you are tired; if the pain of lifting weights hurts too much, you can take a day off. You can re-embrace sanity. You can return to the world. But for 14 more days, you will not. You must not.

Some people concern themselves with great external wars. Our war is internal. Some pursue large causes. Our cause is personal– the perfect control of oneself, self-discipline and self-mastery. The rest of the world ceases to exist. It is merely you, in a dark, quiet room, and your struggle, and your straining, and your pain– and a test to see how much you can endure. Just a few more steps. Endure it.

-David A. Johnston

When my wife and I have to prepare for a physique competition, the eating can become very bland and monotonous. When I was a bachelor and cooked all of my own clean “bodybuilding” foods, I ate incredibly boring– I ate for function– and nothing ever tasted good. Now, my beautiful wife helps me to actually enjoy eating my clean foods! Per numerous client requests, the below is a sample of how she dresses up normally-bland foods that are perfectly healthy, and makes them sizzle.

Chicken:

12 thawed chicken breasts

2 packets of Grill Mates Seasoning by McCormick

1/2c apple, red or white vinegar

Place the seasoning mix and vinegar in a large bowl. Cut fat off chicken and place in marinade. Place bowl, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease baking dish with Pam. Place chicken breasts in a 13×9 baking dish, try not to overlap. Pour remaining marinade into baking dish.

Bake for about 15 minutes, flip over chicken breasts and cook for another 8-10 minutes depending on desired doneness.

Egg White Muffins:

This is a very basic recipe that can be tweaked to your individual preferences.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3-6 sections of a 12-muffin tin with Pam.

Pour/crack 1 meal’s worth of egg whites into a medium size bowl. Wisk for 2-3 minutes.

For sweet muffins: add 2-3 packets of artificial sweetener, 1/2tsp vanilla extract, 1/2tsp cinnamon and wisk. Fill each muffin 2/3 full. The amount of muffins will depend on how many egg whites you use. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Muffins will be done when the center no longer jiggles. If this is a fat meal, add a serving of nuts before cooking. If this is a carb meal, add a serving of oats or fruit before cooking.

For savory muffins: add 1/2tsp salt, 1/4tsp pepper. Fill each muffin ½ full with the wisked egg whites. Finely chop 1 cup desired vegetables and add evenly to each muffin. Place in the oven for 18-25 minutes. Muffins will be done when the center no longer jiggles. If this is a fat meal, add egg yolks before cooking. If this is a carb meal, add a serving of rice, potato, or quinoa. You can also add meat to this meal by using half the egg whites and adding a half serving of chicken or ground turkey.

Tilapia:

12 thawed tilapia filets

¼ c lemon juice

¼ c apple cider vinegar

½ c fresh cilantro or basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a gallon bag and marinade for 2-3 hours

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place on a greased baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes, flip filets and bake for another 8-10 minutes depending on desired doneness.

Sugar-Free Cinnamon Roasted Nuts

3-4 cups desired nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)

1 egg white

1/3 c Splenda

1-2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease baking dish.

Wisk egg white, Splenda and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add nuts to coat. Place nuts layered evenly on the baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on desired crunchiness. Every 10 minutes shake the pan to break-up large clusters and to make sure the nuts are cooked evenly on all sides.

You can also make a savory version of this recipe by replacing the Splenda and cinnamon with 2-4 tsp chili-lime or Cajun seasonings.

*Anne’s House of Nuts has great seasonings that you can split among friends if purchased in bulk quantities. The chili-lime and Cajun seasonings are great on sautéed or baked veggies as well as any meat. Depending on your diet, they also have BBQ and Chai seasonings which have carbs in them.