Steak-House Veggie Melt

My Olympia 2011, 12

When most people think about a bodybuilding contest, they think of the months or years of preparation that the contestants have put into sculpting their physique. They imagine many hours spent in the gym, grunting and sweating as a bodybuilder focuses on the dynamic interplay between his or her stamina and strength. What they don’t realize, however, is that there is an amazing amount of preparation that a bodybuilder must undergo just in the days leading up to a bodybuilding contest. In many ways, this preparation is just as important as the gym workout itself. Just as gym workouts vary from individual to individual, pre-contest preparation does as well. In this article, I’ll discuss just some of the way bodybuilders get themselves ready to compete.

Sacramento Support Team

One of the first things a bodybuilder will do is surround herself with a strong support team. A support team can consist of many members, each of which may specialize in one or two specific aspects of the performance. For example, a contestant might have someone who does his hair, another who does his makeup, and another who focuses on getting him his hardest, leanest look right before competition. Thus, a support team is more than just a coach, and successful bodybuilders put a lot of time into carefully selecting the individuals that make up this group. One type of support that can’t go overlooked is moral support, so most contestants will also have friends or family in their support team to cheer them on.

Posing

We’ve all seen the typical bodybuilding poses, but most observers of a contest don’t imagine that the bodybuilders have spent hours perfecting those poses. A good pose can make or break a contestant, so bodybuilders will spend a great deal of time holding poses, breathing while in a pose, and just walking around in a way that exaggerates their muscle definition.

Tans

Bodybuilders put a lot of time into tanning to maintain a darker color. Some say the darker color enhances muscle tone, others just believe it looks better. Either way, it is uncommon to see a bodybuilding contest with pale white contestants. Some contestants will keep a tan all the time by going to a tanning salon regularly, others begin tanning right before the contest. Most, however, also get a spray tan right before the contest. Planning ahead is important for this as well, as contestants who wait until the last minute and don’t get a base tan may have a spray tan application that looks blotchy and artificial.

Pre-contest Coach

Many professional bodybuilders will enlist the help of a coach to help them just before the contest. These coaches may specialize in methods to increase definition, the appearance of bulk, etc., as well as in motivational and confidence-building techniques. Many beginning bodybuilders can’t afford this sort of help, but having a pre-contest coach can make a huge difference in one’s chances to win.

When one thinks of all that goes into a bodybuilding contest, it’s impossible not to admire the motivation and devotion of the contestants. Bodybuilding is a sport that requires intense mental and physical discipline. That discipline extends beyond gym workouts to the extensive preparation involved in participating in a bodybuilding contest.

Join Our Bodybuilding Team in Folsom California

by Ben Pakulski

Ben’s MI40 system is one of a kind, I have used it for over 6 months now and I love it,.  I do see muscles growing even at my age of 44. Over teh last year I was able to put on 10 pounds of muscle, and you can as well.  You just need to follow the program.  It comes with a meal plan, high and low carb days, what to eat before the workout, after and how much it just never stops..  Never seen so much put into a program.   I love it, and that is why I am recommending it you. I don’t sell or recommend anything that I have not used myself.  get it now and start growing.

Muscle magazine covers

Question: Ben, please identify the number one training mistake that would be preventing individuals from achieving maximal muscle gains   Answer: Well, we all know “the guy” in the gym that throws a ton of weight on the bar and moves it with terrible form and looks like hes going to hurt himself. He is the root of many of our jokes, and definitely gets a lot of sideways looks from the patrons of the gym.   We’ve all asked ourselves “WHAT is he trying to do?” Chances are, he has no clue. He comes in the gym everyday and does the  Exact same thing week in and week out because he really has NO IDEA what he is trying to do. Therein lies the problem!

Guess what, more likely than not, you have all been guilty of doing this too at some point in your life (whether you care to admit it or not).

The first thing you need to do is identify your desired goal. If your goal is to build muscle, then you have come to the right place and you should take a minute listen up.

The one and ONLY most important factor that you need to consider when it comes to your quest to build muscle, is TENSION. (more on that in a minute..)

We have all heard people speak about mind-muscle connection, or that you’ve got to really “squeeze” a muscle to make it grow. I don’t know about you, but for most people this is a really hard concept to figure out. Those of us that “get” what it means, still really have a difficult time putting it to action.

The good news is, this is quite a simple concept and I will show you how to apply it to building your muscles literally TWICE as fast.

Here is what you need to know:   Muscles communicate in terms of tension. They have absolutely NO idea how much weight youre lifting. They only know how much tension or torque is going through them.

What if I told you there was a way to perform more or less ANY exercise so that you could FEEL it EXACTLY where youre supposed to feel it, AND increase muscular tension with LESS weight to get results TWICE as fast in half the time. Sounds pretty cool, right? I’ll explain.

YOU can control exactly how much tension or torque that goes through a muscle you are working at ANY point in the workout.

You have complete control over HOW HARD you squeeze, HOW LONG you work, and most importantly EXACTLY WHERE you squeeze and contract.

You can selectively train EXACTLY the muscle youre supposed to be and not train anything that you don’t want to be.

Every guy out there knows what im talking about. We’ve all don’t bench presses and got NO pump in our chests but our delts and tris were cooked! No more, gents!

I would like to take this moment to introduce to you the revolutionary muscle building technique called INTENTION!

The way I describe intention to people I encounter that are unfamiliar with it is this:

“Intention is the CONSCIOUS INTENT to create TENSION in the muscle”

I know, I know, sounds a little hokey. BUT the fact of the matter is that this is BY FAR the best way to ensure you are maintain tension on the working muscle.

The number one most highly correlated factor with building muscle is “TIME UNDER TENSION”. The longer you can keep tension directly on a muscle, the more you control the rate at which that muscle grows.

You can do a bench press all day long, and if there is not tension in the pecs, you WILL NOT build pecs. Why is it that some people can build great chests while bench pressing while others cant? Because some peoples “genetics” all them to  thoughtlessly keep a greater amount of tension in that muscle!

We now have the ability to do this consciously. The best part is, IT’S EASY!!

INTENTION in action.

The most simple example of intention exists on the bench press. Grab on the bar in front of you, just like you would on a bench press. You can use any stable surface for this example. I will use the edge of my desk. I grab the edge of my desk about equally as wide as I would on a bench press. Hold on firmly, and without letting your hands move from that  position, “shove” them toward each other. What happened? Your chest contracted didn’t it?

Now imagine doing this exact thing through a range of motion, like in a bench press.

Learn how to build muscle with tension, not weights.

WOW! You just created continuous tension in the EXACT muscle you wanted to! Pretty cool right!?   Click here to get Ben’s MI40 Special Offer and start building muscle the right way and FAST..

What is the Prime Fitness Center Network?
The network offers employees a way to get a gym membership that is a health improvement sponsored fitness program in a health facility or a gym.

Your entry to the Prime fitness center network gives you a  complimentary membership to Anytime Fitness in Folsom health club. Anytime Fitness offers a non-intimidating atmosphere and is open 24 hours a day all year long.  If you are eligible, you can use amenities such as strength training, cardio, and private locker rooms with private showers for those on the go.
Is the membership available at no extra cost?

Upon eligibility your membership at our facility is provided at no cost to you! There are no extra signup or monthly fees for using our participating fitness centers in the Prime Fitness Center Network.
Which fitness centers may I attend?
If you are eligible, you may use any fitness center in the network. ( see  attend any Prime network fitness center countrywide. This means you can even work out when you are out of town for work or play.
Is it OK if I attend more than one gym in my area? 
Yes. You can go t 24 hour Fitness, Cal Fit, or any other gym that is shown in the network.  There is no limitations placed on the consumer as to how many different fitness centers you can join or go to.

This means you can go to Fitness Center A on Mondays, Fitness Center B on Tuesdays, Fitness Center C on Wednesdays, etc.
Can I join any gym that I want and still get the prime network?
Sure, but we only reimburse members of the Prime network listed. All other fitness centers may have a similar program, but we can only offer what we have to our members.
What if I already belong to a fitness center?
As long as the fitness center offers PRIME that your affiliated with, then we will honor your membership.  You have to enroll in the Prime network to be eligible. You can also opt to freeze your membership at your local health club and use the prime network with participating partners.

Why is the Prime network only available to members 18 years of age and older?

Most of the prime network fitness partners have strict age requirements becaus most gyms do not allow kids under 18 to use a facility unless they are with an adult. It is simply a liability reason.
Are all of the fitness centers in the network be handicap accessible?
we cannot guarantee full handicap accessibility, please check with your local fitness center before joining.
What if I have health problems?
If you have any health issues, you may want to consult a certified personal trainer as well as your doctor to make a unified decision if the facility is right for your needs, if not maybe a rehab facility would be best for you.

Join the Prime network now to get the benefits of good health.

If you need help applying please cal our office during normal business hours, at: (916) 337-9900 or email us at:

kkarnack@gmail.com

Anytime Fitness Of Folsom

Is your weight just too hard to get rid of? Has your weight loss goal faded into the abyss  Now you can get a grip of your fat loss program and take the visalus challenge.

The Visalus challenge is america’s top weight loss and body transformation program on the planet.  Maybe you have heard of this before with slogans of Body By Vi, or 90 day challenge, either way, it is your best bet and most cost effective program around.

So How Does It Work? 

The Visalus body by vi challenge works like this. You sign up for your 90 day challenge on your personal web page in our community much like Facebook, post your goals, before pic, and why your doing the challenge. I know what your thinking, I hate my pictures and that is exactly why you should post it NOW.. You can look back after 90 days and say that was me, OMG!  but look at me now.

Once your posted your pics you need to pic a transformation kit and your off and running. The kits are priced from $49-$299/mo depending on your goals and your budget.

By picking the transformation kit, you will replace 2 bad meals a day with a healthy nutrient packed protein shake every day. This alone will yield a few pounds of weight loss with out lifting a finger.

Now Comes The Best Part!

Get 3 and it’s FREE..

That is our mantra  Once you get your kit, and you refer just 3 of your friends, you get your next months order for free, yes FREE! I have not found any supplement company that does this, and it got me excited. I spend well over $300 for my supplements every month. Keep in mind that my training regimen is very taxing and I need a lot more nutrients than the average Joe to recover for my next workout.

Ok Ken I am Ready To Do This, Now What?

Just go to the link below and sign up fr or the kit that you fell will work for you, and get your 90 day challenge set up on your web page. From there, get to it. You will get a free workout plan, a free diet to follow and a bunch of great diet and workout tools to keep you on track and looking better than you ever have before.

What kit is for me? 

If you need to lose over 50 pounds get the transformation kit, if your 30-50 pounds you still need the transformation kit.  It will give you metabolic boosters that will increase your metabolic rate daily with out workouts, so when your DO workout, you can increase the rate of fat burning that you normally would.

Athletes: Fit Kit

General weight loss: Shape Kit

Save money or trial: basic kit $49

good luck and if you need any help along the way, you will have me by your side for FREE to help with any questions!

90 Day Challenge

Sacramento Personal Trainer

Some other interesting things have happened.  The times I cheated on my diet and ate my old foods (especially for dinner) made me feel great emotionally.  However, I wasn’t able to finish what I would normally eat easily.  I also felt kind of bloated and falsely ”high” on the sugar rush.  This was new to me.  The foods I normally eat have very little nutritional value so I would feel good for several hours and then get tired and lethargic until my next sugar and carb laden meal.  Having been on this new diet I am now starting to recognize this and I don’t like that feeling anymore.  Progress?  I think so.  The new foods I am eating are high in protein and nutritional value and although they don’t seem satisfying to me on an emotional level, they are making a difference in my overall health and fitness level, albeit slowly.    

As a woman I tend to be obsessed with the numbers on the scale.  I don’t weigh myself every day, but as a general rule, women want to see the pounds going down not up.  This is definitely going to be a hard mind set to change, but it has to in the world of bodybuilding where you want to gain weight in the form of muscle.  Ken told me I have to change my mindset as well as my diet.  That this isn’t just  temporary, but long-term and I will be so much healthier in the long run.  I have to agree.  If you are what you eat, I would be well-preserved with all the processed preservative filled foods I ate (frozen dinners, canned foods, boxed foods, the list goes on).  I used to joke that they wouldn’t even have to embalm me when I pass because I am so full of preservatives!  Eek!  Now I have a new goal besides the bodybuilding.  To find ways to prepare the low-carb, higher protein foods so that they taste good and give me a lot of variety and satisfy me on an emotional level (comfort food).  I get tired of these foods so easily.  Can anybody else out there relate to any of this? 

Well, that’s it for now.  The journey continues.  I’m back on track.  Let’s see if I can make it a whole week this time!  L.

Having always wanted to compete in bodybuilding, at age 46 I finally decided to get serious.  I joined a gym, hired a personal trainer (Ken Karnack), and said my goal was to compete in a contest (whether it be physique or fitness or bodybuilding) within the year.  This would give me more motivation and something to work towards instead of just working out to stay in shape.  Suddenly I’m told the first thing I need to change is my sugar addict  diet.  Really?  I’ve never had a trainer actually talk about diet much other than tell me to eat healthier and drink more water so this was novel.  He even said I’ll be sending you your diet plan via e-mail so get started as soon as you can.  ??!  Right on.   Well, I’m feeling excited and ready to go so I get the diet plan and go shopping thinking this doesn’t look too bad.  It’s supposed to help me lose body fat and gain muscle weight, cool.

[caption id=

Sugar addict, Sugar Loops—Vox Efx (Flickr.com)”][/caption]

I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Plan A consisted of eggs, egg whites, protein shakes made with whey protein and plain almond milk, some veggies, peanut butter, chicken, cashews, fish, salads with olive oil, did I mention eggs, and  most importantly NO SUGAR!    Not even chewing gum.  I started out on March 26th.   By March 30th I was losing it and by the afternoon I couldn’t take it anymore and cheated on my diet.  I did eat a Peanut Butter Egg.  I guess that didn’t count?   EPIC FAIL.  My sugar addict diet got teh best of me again. In that short period of time I realized, I can’t stand eggs.  In fact, if I never eat another egg again as long as I live I will not miss it!  I was gagging down the protein shakes barely.  I hate salads and had hardly ever eaten salad before this time.  I was sick of chicken.  But……  most importantly, I was having severe sugar withdrawals.

Ken was right when he said getting over a sugar addiction is like a drug addict getting off crack or cocaine!  Who would have thought.  Having been a sugar addict for my entire 46 years I realized how true this was turning out to be.  Do they have Rehab and Detox for sugar addicts??  It started out with headaches.  Then lethargy, feeling weak, and irritability.  Pretty soon I was having trouble concentrating at work and getting frustrated with even little things.  I would find myself staring off into space.  I was soooo tired, but not sleeping well.  My head felt all foggy and stuffy.  Is a sugar-free diet compatible with Life?!  It certainly didn’t feel like it.  I had gone right back to my usual foods and boy did I feel better, but I knew I needed to get back on track.

So I talked to Ken about it.  He totally understood and said this was all normal, whew!  So we went to Plan B.  Now he let me cut out the eggs (thank God).  I changed from almond milk to 2% real milk for my shakes and I could add in a LITTLE chocolate powder to make it more palatable.  More tuna which I like, beans, a banana, and most of all I could eat 5 WHOLE PEANUT M&M’s for a sugar craving in a day!  Woo Hoo!    Hey it’s something right?  Whip cream with sugar free pudding or jello was also an option although he discouraged that.  So off I went happily to the store again and got the stuff thinking ok, back on track, no worries!

Wrong again.  The diet did seem more palatable and doable at first, but I gained 1 1/2 lbs in the first 2 days!  Great.  Talk about frustrating.  Ken said this was ok and gave me some things to do to tweak the diet a bit more.  By day 4 I was so lethargic I could hardly get off the couch.  Very irritable and everything seemed to annoy me, ugh.  I was feeling weak and tired and spacey again.  Ken had told me to power through and think long-term.  That once this was all over I would feel better, have more energy, and my body would really start to burn fat and all that good stuff.  So I made myself go to the gym.  I actually had a good work-out, came home and had a protein meal followed by a protein shake and it kinda tasted good!  I was hungry.  Didn’t cheat, yaay.  The scale hasn’t really changed, but Ken says that isn’t as important as changes in body fat.  Tuesday we will see where I’m at.  I hope it’s not higher!

This is not easy, but I know it will be worth it.  Sugar can be toxic and I am a total addict.  I guess they say the first step is admitting you have a problem.    I need a twelve-step program I think.  As a society we have really become sugar and carb addicts, which is likely why obesity and diabetes are so prevalent today.  I have aunts and uncles with both and I don’t want to go there.  So I’ll keep plugging away one day at a time.  I doubt I’ll ever be free of this addiction, but I figure a little sweet treat now and then isn’t the end of the world.  And, at least I don’t have to eat another egg!  I still think peanut butter eggs should count.  ;)

More to come, wish me luck on the journey…………………..  L.

The Meal MOvement How To Pick a Trainer – Quick guide to picking the best trainer for your goals

The Meal MOvement

Bodybuilding Contest Prep

Learn how to pose with personal trainer posing coach, Ken Karnack of Old School Fitness of Sacramento California.  Posing for a contest takes practice. Most people or bodybuilding contest prep competitors take this to lightly.  Practicing your posing 6 weeks out or longer from a show could very well help you  place a slot or even 2 higher.

Have you ever seen a bodybuilder prep for a show and they look great?  Lean, lots of muscle detail, big shoulders, ripped abs, then…  They get on stage and look out of place.  They over flex, shake and quite frankly look a little silly. Don’t be that guy…

Posing is important to a bodybuilding contest prep as working out, eating, cardio and sleep, they all count.  You don not lose points for poor posing and your not judged on posing, but not being able to pose correctly and hiding strong body parts on stage, can and will hurt your placings.

It never fails there is always one dude on stage that is looking around at the

other competitors to see how he should be posing when called out for a side chest, or a front double biceps pose.  Only to see that they are not getting the most out of their physique.

If you live in the Sacramento area and need help with your manditory poses, or a posing routine, contact me at kkarnack@gmail.com or call our office at 916-337-9900

Personal Trainer Sacrament Posing Coach #1

In my last email I showed you, step-by-step, how to figure out the

Fat Loss Secret #1: Eat small meals, every few hours

With all the so called fat loss secret diet fads out there, it’s not only tough to pick the

Fat Loss Secret #2: Combine food for success