“Let’s Workout”

"Let's Workout" was a cable access show hosted by Larry Weiss in the late 90's.

Larry was a dear friend of my family, and the one who taught me all that I know about working out.

I was fortunate enough to be the guest on his biceps episode when I was 17 years old.

Larry has since passed, but his memory lives on as I still hear him in my head during all of my workouts.

I took the stage again for the 2nd time in 2008.

This time the goal wasn’t CAN I do it, but can I do it BETTER than I did it the 1st time with what I had learned from that experience?

I gave myself more time to diet and train, so as to lose weight slower and healthier than I had my 1st show. I knew now how to tailor my training schedule to achieve my personal goals, as well as refined my ability to cook and meal prep.

The goal this time was to see a noticeable difference in my overall physique when looking at my photos from my 1st competition to this one.

I was happy with my results and felt I had achieved it.

Still, I had learned from new experiences and obstacles that I hadn’t faced during training for the 1st show. With these I knew I could do it even better if I were to do it again.

So, after saying at the 1st show that I’d only do it once, I would find myself now training again for my 3rd show in 2010.

2006 was my 1st Bodybuilding Competition. I was 26 years old.

Even though I grew up with both of my parents being competitive bodybuilders, I had no desire to do it myself, which was shaped by my observations attending all of their shows.

I felt, and still do, that it is a very subjective endeavor. There are so many variables unique to each individual that will play into their results that you have no control over. Never mind that most of the Judges at the time owned their own gyms, and seemed to lean towards their members.

So why bother?

I did however have a great respect for the level of hard work and discipline that it took to take on such an endeavor. I saw my parents, and some of their fellow bodybuilding friends go through it so many times, and did have the nagging question in the back of my head, “Could I do it?”

So, I decided I would do ONE show. Just to see IF I could do it. Could I train that hard, could I diet that hard, could I learn how to pose, and have the nerve to feel comfortable in my body enough to get in front of roughly 300 people in nothing but posing trunks.

It didn’t matter if or how I placed. Taking that out of the equation recalibrated what I wanted to achieve by doing it. Either way, all you can do is your best. You don’t know what your competition looks like until you get there, and even if you did, what could you do different anyway?

I lost 50 lbs in 12 weeks (which was too much too fast and DO NOT recommend). I went from 235 lbs to 185 lbs.

The day came. I had done it. I had trained, I had dieted, and it was time to hit the stage. I did my posing routine, and as I walked off stage, I knew right away that this was NOT going to be a one off.

Now that I proved to myself that I COULD do it, I had learned how I could it BETTER next time, and so I would…