I can deadlift 210 lbs, I can bench 100 lbs. and I can squat about 90-100 lbs. all for one rep. For deadlifting, if I want to lift for 4 sets and 12 reps, I’ve got to lower the weights some. Same for the other two workouts. I would like to bench 90 lbs. for 4 sets and 12 reps but I’m not there yet — I’ve got long ways to go so for now I can bench 50 lbs. for 4 sets and 12 reps.

I find it weird that I can deadlift heavier than I can bench and squat. Probably ’cause my lower body is much stronger than the upper body. After noticing this, I’m going to have to build more strength on the upper body and I’m working on that.

To build more strength on your workouts, you just gotta keep at it. Don’t give up and you’ll get stronger. For example, my dumbbell curl work… I’m noticing that 25  and 30 lbs. dumbbells feel really light for me now and now I’m lifting 35 lb. dumbbells for 4 sets and 12 reps so I’m getting strength in the arms. Getting strength is kind of a slow process so you got to take your time. I do want to become a heavy bencher and heavy squatter but I’m not gonna rush. Just continue to lift weights that I’m comfortable with and I’ll get stronger that way.

This is why I can’t slack off from the gym and can’t take breaks. I’ve got to keep my 4 day a week routine going even throughout the fall/winter. I kept it going throughout the Spring and Summer this year and it has been going real good. I’m going to keep 4 day a week routine going all year round. I’ll try to take a week break like once or twice a year and that’s it ’cause you need a break from the gym once in a blue moon, just don’t over do it. If I want to get big and if I want to get real strong, I gotta keep going to the gym 4 days a week.

I’ve decided I’m going to do barbell stuff for benching, deadlifts and squats. Everything else will be all dumbbells and a few machines.

To get myself stronger, I just keep lifting, lifting and lifting. That’s all I gotta do. The more you lift, the stronger you’ll get. I’ve noticed that doing dumbbell curls. To get good at benching takes a lot of arm strength too. I’m enjoying benching more and more but I have a problem trying to like squats, though. Maybe I’m not used to barbell squats ’cause I’ve never ever done barbell squats in the squat rack before until now. It just gotta grow on me somehow. Just gotta get the form right and I will once I do squats for leg day on Friday. I’ll just practice doing barbell squats for lighter weights for now and then maybe I’ll enjoy it more. I’m glad I got into barbell workouts more, though.

That’s another reason why I got into powerlifting training too to give me more strength in benching and squats. To lift stronger, you gotta watch your form and take your form seriously which a lot of lifters don’t do which is sad. I’ll have another rant about that in another blog post.

Kev

I’ve been doing research on gym etiquette a lot lately. The reason I do research reading about this stuff on the internet and watching youtube videos about this stuff is that I want to be able to help make the gym a better place when I workout there. When you work out at the gym, you have to realize that it’s not really a place to make yourself at home. Meaning, you’re at a public place where a lot of people use the gym so you need to be responsible about gym etiquette for yourself and others.

This article here is probably most well-written article on gym etiquette there is.

Check it out:

Gym Etiquette: 29 Unwritten Rules

Like the article says not only gym newbies have a big problem with bad gym etiquette even the most experienced lifters have a problem too. They all have a problem really.

At the gym I go to, bad gym etiquette is a real problem there. It’s getting worse. Sadly, lifters break all those rules that were written in this article.

People don’t care to put weights back to where they belong when they’re done, happens all the time and I’m sure you’ve seen it too. There are people who stand so close to the dumbbell rack when lifting dumbbells (when I do dumbbell stuff, I go farther back away from the dumbbell rack like a gentleman). People are always blocking others mirror views (I get that all the time when I’m trying to watch my form). Stupid idiots dropping heavy dumbbells on the floor is still a problem. I also see stupid idiots doing barbell curls in the squat rack. Too many idiots curl in the squat rack and it’s so dumb. Also so many guys in the gym get so rough with the equipment when lifting (like when guys are done lifting a bench set, they’ll slam the weights on the rack when they rack it and crap like that).

More problems that happen in the gym… people using cell phones during their workouts, chatting with their friends between their sets for a long time, equipment hogging, dumbbell hoarding, etc. It can go on and on. You get the deal.

Now I can see why some people prefer to workout at home with their home gym ’cause people at public gyms suck ass, they really do. LMAO….

You see, this is why I tend to workout at a public gym early in the morning or real late in the afternoon ’cause those are the hours when the public gym are usually slow. The busy hours at public gyms are usually around noon or in the evening. I hate working out in busy as hell gyms like when they’re packed with people and stuff ’cause the equipment I need to use are always being used.

I’m always respectful to the public gym… at least I try to be. Admittedly, I’m guilty of bad gym etiquette sometimes myself but I’m always responsible and respectful. I put weights back when I’m done, I always wipe down equipment when I’m done, I try not to take so long on a piece of equipment and things like that.

Bad gym etiquette is a big problem at all gyms. Make no mistake about it!

Kev

I’m trying to get bigger in size and yes, you can do that naturally. I’m already am getting bigger in size ’cause people around me are noticing it. When people notice you’re getting bigger in size when it comes to weight lifting, people will tell you. I get a lot of nice compliments on my physique lately… people telling me I look good, “you’re looking massive lately” and things like that. Where ever I walk out in public and I’m wearing a tank top or a t-shirt, I would get stares by people. That’s because they’re probably just admiring my built physique.

I feel pretty good of how I look now but I could get bigger. Before I first started bodybuilding, I used to weigh 130 lbs. Since I’ve been bodybuilding for 10 years or over now, I’ve gained some more weight over the years and now I weigh 148 lbs. I’ve never been fat really… so the weight I gained over the years was muscle weight. I’ve gained muscle pounds over the years since I’ve started lifting. You can get bigger in size just by lifting and that’s how I’m going to continue to do it.

The bodybuilding and powerlifting websites out there say in order to get huge, you need to bulk by eating more calories. Maybe I should give the bulking and cutting method a shot, I don’t know. I have decided to boost my food intake a little bit to see if that will help. I gotta be careful though ’cause if I eat too many calories, I will get fat and I don’t want that.

I’ll just continue to do what I do. Eat clean and lifting hard. Knowing from my own experience, lifting with high intensity will get you bigger. Lifting with high intensity… meaning pushing to your limit. Working out the heavy reps ’til failure which is something known as hypertrophy lifting which is what I’ve been doing a lot lately. Train like a bodybuilder aka “beast mode” is what they all say. That’s how I train in the gym.

Someday I want to look like these guys: The Ultimate Warrior, the young Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brock Lesnar, Dave Bautista, Sly Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, etc. Yes, you betcha I want that big monster look but it’ll take some time to get there. Yes, you can get there without steroids and other drugs.

I already got a decent physique now but could get better and I’m working on it.

I just switched to mostly barbell lifting and that’s gonna help for sure. Doing bench press, deadlift, squats and I’ve started doing seated barbell overhead press for shoulders too. I’m noticing that barbell is way more effective than dumbbells. I’ve been doing bench press for weeks now and I’m feeling great development in my chest lately.

I will never compete for bodybuilding shows ’cause that’s never gonna be my thing, but I will continue to compete for powerlifting shows, though. In the past, I used to be against competitions and all that stuff but powerlifting meets are a blast, though and I definitely gonna do more.

Some of you may ask, why do I want to get so big in size in bodybuilding? It’s not an ego thing or anything. I just want to be able to become the best shape of my life. You can only live once, ya know? Just want to live a healthy lifestyle and also to prove the doubters wrong. People are always criticizing and doubting me in my fitness goals and this is my opportunity to shut ’em all up.

I’m definitely thinking about making my life story documentary video that I was talking about. It’s probably gonna happen and it’s in the planning stages right now.

Kev

You’ve seen vloggers and fitness websites doing these types of lists at the gym… ya know, talking about different types of people you see at public gyms. I’m just going to do my version of what I’ve seen at the gym. Yes, I’ve seen all these types of people at the local gym that I go to in my hometown.

Here is the list in no particular order so I hope you all enjoy:

• The Half Repper: At all gyms you go to, you will always see half reppers all over the gym. It’s amazing to me how many people do half repping instead of full range of motion. I always workout with full range of motion which is important if you want to get that full contraction. Half repping is horrible form. So many guys do it all over the place. Why do they half rep? It’s because they just want to show off that they can lift heavy and impress everybody in the gym. There are some people who say that partial reps actually helps but I don’t think so. Half reppers in the gym are annoying for sure.
• Casual clothes wearing people: Instead of wearing appropriate gym attire like shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts or tank tops you’ll definitely see people wearing clothes that you wear everyday. I’ve seen people working out in tight jeans and nice flannel shirts and I’m like, WTF? You’ll see this in every gym too.
• The chatter: You know these chatty people who talk a lot. They talk for a long time in between their sets and that’s not good for the muscles. I’ve seen people chatting for like 20 minutes or so in between their sets. Just chatting, laughing and bullshitting. The gym is not really a social place. Don’t get me wrong, I like talking to people at the gym but when someone tries to talk to me in between sets, I just say simple things like, “I gotta get back to my workout”. Don’t want to waste a lot of time in between sets. Not good for the body.
• The cell phone user: Texting and checking your social networking in between sets is very annoying. People would even talk on the cell phones during their workouts too and I’ve seen all this. Crazy. Shut your damn cell phones and gadgets off and worry about that after your workout for the day. Sheesh.
• Men trying to chat with the ladies even during their workouts: I’ve seen this a lot at the gym I go to as well. A young pretty lady working out and then this guy tries to go over and talk to her. She gladly starts chatting with him. A lot of single men claim they don’t use the gym to pick up the ladies but you know that’s a lie and you know what they’re going for. I like chatting with the ladies at the gym too sometimes but NOT during workouts. Usually after is a good time to start chatting with the ladies.
• The Unsolicited Advice Giver: I get this from time to time. I’m doing a workout and some dude comes to me to say I’m doing it wrong, you do it this way. You’ll get this a lot at all gyms too. Be aware of this.
• People who don’t respect the gym: Gym etiquette is real and it’s important too. There’s just people who don’t care about gym etiquette. Ya know, people don’t care to put weights back where they belong. They leave all kinds of trash behind like water bottles and crap like that. It’s terrible. People don’t have any respect for the public gym these days.
• Ego-lifters: Guys lifting heavy weights they can’t even handle is becoming a problem and I see it all the time. Like they all say if you can’t lift it, don’t do it. Earlier today at the gym, I tried to dead-lift a 215 lb. barbell and I couldn’t even do it so I immediately stopped and dropped the weight down a little. I’ve seen guys that if they can’t handle a weight at all, they continue to lift it anyways. Just insane.
• The protein shake and supplement guy: Can’t you do this stuff at home? I’ve seen guys with these protein thermos things and they would even drink these things in between their sets at their workouts. I think it’s pretty nuts that they do this.
• The big water jug people: Nowadays you see men and women bringing in these huge water jugs and they would take it with them at every workout they do. They would take a big drink of water after every set. Um, I believe all gyms should have drinking fountains. If you feel the need to drink water during workouts, how about buying the smaller water bottles you can buy at your local sports stores? I bought one of those even though I hardly ever use it. When people bring in these big water jugs full of water, I think it’s an ego thing. Just to show off to people that they work out hard and stuff, ya know? To me, I don’t even drink water during my workouts ’cause that’s cheating. I like to save the water drinking after I’m done for the day.

There you have it. Enjoy.

Kev

Leaving a powerlifting contest meet with trophies or medals maybe cool but that’s not exactly what I got into powerlifting for. I got into powerlifting ’cause I wanted to build more strength quicker and I figure powerlifting would be good for that. My plan in life is to do a combination of both powerlifting and bodybuilding. Build more muscle and get more strength.

On the bench press, while I’m able to bench 90 lbs. for one rep… I can’t bench 90 lbs. for 10 – 12 reps yet. I need more strength in order to do that. Doing powerlifting will give me more strength to bench the heavy reps more which is the goal. For now I can bench 70 lbs. for 10 reps and 4 sets each.

I really want to get more strength and hopefully to get bigger in size too. To get bigger in size, I need to eat more. I’m gonna do more research on powerlifting nutrition ’cause I’ll probably have to eat more calories in order to get bigger, though. I’ll still need to eat clean and healthy, eat a lot of protein… just need to eat a lot more probably. There’s a misconception out there that powerlifting doesn’t make you bigger and just gives you more strength and that’s it which I find a bunch of bullshit, really. Weightlifting is weightlifting. No matter how you do it, you always build more muscle and strength.

I’m already am kind of big in size but could be a lot bigger, though. It just takes time to get there and I’m not gonna rush.

Powerlifting comes with a lot of great benefits. Not only does it gives you a lot more strength and makes you feel stronger, it’s also the best fat burner and it gives you more bone strength too.

Thing is a lot of people in my life get worried about all this heavy lifting that I do and some say I shouldn’t over do it and calm down on the weight lifting. They want me to go easy on the lifting, I’m so sick of it! No freakin’ way! I do things my own way in the gym and do whatever the hell I wanna do. Lifting heavy is the name of the game in bodybuilding and powerlifting, ya know? Train like a fuckin’ real lifter. I want to prove the doubters wrong that I can lift heavy and it’s working pretty much… posting all those videos on instagram. People are always telling me to be careful and go easy on the weights but again, no fucking way. I’ve been lifting for like a decade or a little over and there are always people acting like that I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s annoying really, lmao. I just do my own thing and just ignore everybody.

I also got into powerlifting so I can tell how exactly strong I am ’cause I can’t tell my own strength. I’m already am pretty strong really but could get a lot stronger but working on it. I can bench a 100 lbs. and I can deadlift 210 lbs. so I would say that is pretty strong. I even surprise myself.

Another reason I got into powerlifting is ’cause I wanted to get into a sport on a professional level, ya know? Over the years, I couldn’t play sports like baseball, basketball and football ’cause of my scoliosis but weightlifting I can do.

The question is, would I try out other powerlifting competitions around the NY State? Yes, I’m definitely going to try other powerlifting federations but I’ll stick with Albany Strength aka ASPF for now. Would I one day do one of the bigger competitions like some of the ones you see on TV? Who knows. Anything is possible. I only did one powerlifting meet and gonna do more of them hopefully in the future.

I do hope one day to make it on the USA Powerlifting meets at Arnold’s Sports Festival where the big pros do their thing: https://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/sports-and-events/strength-sports/usa-powerlifting/. That would be pretty cool.

On top of all this, another reason I got into powerlifting is to do something fun, challenging and different. I want to feel like a sportsman and become an athletic person. Powerlifting is amazing. It’s an easy and safe sport too. Doing powerlifting is not dangerous as it looks.

Kev