Art De Vany: Are You Mr. Olympia?

Are You Mr. Olympia?

November 21, 2005 07:56 PM

Just a charming moment in the gym today. Sorry if it seems boastful. It is true and I enjoyed it. I couldn't make this up.

It was about 10am and I had finished deep knee bends and had just put the weights away. The upstairs aerobics or whatever class had just ended and the girls and ladies came flooding down the stairs. One of them walked into the free weight room and turned to me and said, "Are you Mr. Olympia?" I laughed and said no. She said you look like him. I said thanks but I didn't think I was that muscular. She just smiled and left.

In fact, I am far from that muscular. I have seen Boyer Coe, Shawn Robinson, and other big guys in the gym when I worked out in Orange County. One of the muscle mags used to do shoots in the gym and Boyer worked out there. There is no confusing me with these guys.

Yet, I have a look these guys don't have. The sculptress who wanted me to pose for her (I never did) told me it was my symmetry, definition, and a "line" that had a flow to it that was athletic and graceful. No weak angles. I think she was hitting on me, a nearly 70 year old with 10 grandchildren (I never told her). She was a fabulous artist whose works sell for big prices. Maybe I should have posed and been memorialized in bronze, but not for me. She worked in Laguna Beach and I might have ended up as pidgeon roost in the patio of one of the many gay bars there.

So, after the Mr. Olympia comment, I looked around the gym. A couple of fairly big guys who were way too fat. Everyone had smooth skin and was a bit distorted; you know, hunched upper back, flaired out elbows, feet splayed out, tiny calves, a bench presser look if you know what I mean.

So, what did I do in the gym that was so different from the guys doing cable curls for an hour or doing benches and inclines?

I did:

Back arches on a Swiss ball, engaging my lower back and glutes. Isometric contractions for about 20 seconds, 8 or so reps. I never count, I just go for the feeling I am after.

Leg curls, seated on a Cyber machine where you curl the legs back up under you. A good contraction at the top on this machine. This warms my knees. 15, 8, 5 reps and then 4 of one rep each, heavy.

Deep knee bends. 12, 8 and then 3 sets of 4 at a heavy weight (not that heavy as I have not worked out hard since my wife's illness). A hard quad stretch after each set, pulling the foot up and back with the hand.

Db rows. 9, 6, 3 and 4 one rep sets on each side. I went down the rack from about 65 to 110 on these one arm rows. Still a bit light.

A few easy bench presses on the Cyber or HammerStrength machine. Light because of my still hurting right elbow (snowboarding, softball and a silly but hard fall on our tile floor). Trying to isolate the upper pecs and not use the elbows much.

Db laterals at many different angles bent over and straight. Light and full contraction at the shoulder level and lowering slowly as an eccentric move for the FT fibers in the deltoids. Probably six sets, but I wasn't counting. Trying for a lot of isolation on the front, side, and back of each delt, depending on the angle of my spine.

A curl/press where I take the db and do a sort of hammer curl right into a one arm press. About 2 sets of 4 to 6 reps, the feel not the count matters.

One set of concentration curls, light and full contraction at the top.

One set of high shoulder rows to the traps and delts.

One set of stomach curl ups.

I felt great with what seemed to be excellent posture that was set by the first exercise on the swiss ball and I never lost.

· Evolutionary Fitness

Comments

Posted by: Flower Online at September 12, 2006 2:47 AM

I wish you every success!

Best regards, Serg

Posted by: Serg at June 5, 2006 6:47 AM

Are You Mr. Olympia?

November 21, 2005 07:56 PM

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