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How I Got Involved
For several years I have been working
on my body just because I needed to. I was in New York and the only job
I had was dancing. And in New York you better look good if you want to
succeed. My body wasn't all that developed, I've never been an athletic
person. In school I never played any sports. I just swam, and I avoided
it as much as I could. You know how it is, don't you?
 After
school I started training as a dancer, which helped to keep in
shape and developed my legs and ass real good. But for the gay
audience all that matters is a pumped chest and arms of steel.
A paper-thin skin will do, too, and of course, the ABS. So I started
going to the gym, like we all do, and to be honest I was a little overwhelmed.
I didn't know where to start, what to do,
how much weight or anything related to it. So I started asking around.
Some people were very helpful, some were asses, so to speak. But I tried
asking only the ones that were looking at me to begin with and the ones
with amazing bodies that seemed approachable. I asked as many questions
as I could possibly come up with. Every day was a new chance to learn
more and see the results on my body. A bit like
a science project. And all the changes that come with it, the diet,
the sleeping patterns, etc. It's lke a whole new world and I have been
in it for quite a while now.
 My goal is to share some of that knowledge
with whoever is interested. I can make it easier for you to start your
own routine, improve an existing one, or simply add a few tricks for you
to achieve whatever it is that you want to accomplish with your body.
Getting there is not as important as maintaining it, and after all these
years and always looking better than ever (not my own words) I think I
know how to do it, and I can contribute to your personal development.
What Works And Why
 There
are so many theories about what works best and faster. I must say I have
tried most of them, and have made as many combinations as I could possibly
come up with, and I consider that there is not just one way that's going
to work. The more the merrier, and the more different
ways you can hit your muscles the better they will react and
is more likely to have a good effect on you. Some people are stuck in
one routine they have been performing for years, and they may have a good
body and all, but there's no change and I definitely think change is good.
And so is discipline, but that is a whole other subject.
For now I will tell you that the most important thing
you need to have is the motivation to do it. And if you are going to get
into it you should do it the right way and with someone that can guide
you through it or at least give you the information necessary so you don't
hurt yourself and get the best results.
You can email
me with questions, or ask me for advice, think of it as your virtual
personal trainer...
Fitness Photo Shoot
On
one of my latest trips to Chicago , I had the chance to meet and work
with photographer extraordinaire Michael Snell
(see http://www.shuttercity.com/ShowGallery.cfm?AcctID=3786)
and lovely art director Derrick Sorles. They
have a great collection of images specializing in body and fitness photography.
Even though we never met before, we made some of the best images I have
done in a while. Their profesionalism is amazing and the treatment of
the light and color have just the right balance. Looking forward to working
with them again in January when I come back to Chicago.
A calendar might be available with images from these
series. They are that good!!
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Because of my extensive traveling,
I've had to come up with a quick fix at gym when I am working
in Chicago, San Francisco or even at home, in NYC.
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Illustrations by TonyBoy69. |
I do this not because I am cheating,
but because I don't always have 2 hours to spend at the gym
like I should. So a quick routine comes in handy. A back to
basics that I can do at the small gym I usually have to go
to that doesn't have all the right equipment a good gym has.
So in an hour or so, I can hit all the key spots that would
keep me in shape for days without having to spend long hours
at gym. Of course, certain guidelines
should be followed in order to avoid injuries from
jumping right into to an exercise without warming up. You
can walk to the gym, for example. And start with light weights
until you warm up. Slowly increase the weight as you feel
the muscles pump. Obviously, never sacrifice
proper form for heavier weight. And most importantly,
commit to your routine, 3 times a week up
to an hour each time, if you have that much time. |
What you want to do is to work on multiple
joint movements, that involve several muscles - better
than isolating muscle movements. Or, if you work on biceps, for
example, make it a full range movement, and that
means going all the way down as you stretch your arm until it can
go any further. And you should do 3 sets of at least 8 repetitions
each, with 1 to 3 minutes in between sets.
It basically goes like this:
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The Squat
This is one of the most
important weight training program exercises. Better
than the leg press machine (free weights are usually better
than machines, and you should try to do them more than you
use the machines at the gym), it involves more muscles due
to the balancing bar on your shoulders. |
| Place the bar on your shoulders
and keep it balanced. Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder
width apart, parallel to each other, or slightly outwards. As
you go down with the bar on your shoulder, the spine remains
straight. Squat all the way down until your thighs are parallel
to the floor. Then come up until upright position. And back
down again. Don't forget: keep your head up and breathe.
Don't hold your breath. It can make you dizzy. |
Lat Pulldowns
As we all know, this is one easy
exercise. There is probably a lat pull down machine in every
gym in the country. If there isn't, then you can do pull ups
on an overhead bar. |
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You can do variations in
front of the face or down to the collarbones. I usually prefer
in front of the face because sometimes, when I bring it down
to the back of my neck and I am going really heavy, I feel
a little pinch on the neck. Sit down at the machine, facing
the bar, extend your arms up and grab the bar. Pull the bar
down until you can place your knees under the knee pads. Keep
your back straight, your chest up and your shoulders down.
Pull down slowly until it comes an inch apart from your chest,
slowly go back up keeping your shoulders down, repeat.
If you are a beginner on this, try 60
, 70 and 80 pounds. If you are more advanced go with 110,120,130
or 140 pounds. At least 3 sets. Or you can do 2 in front of
your face and 2 in the back. |
| Incline Bench Press |
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If I have
to decide for one chest exercise I would go for this, because
I feel more muscles involved with this exercise than with
the flat bench press or the decline bench press. But you can
alternate all of them for a full chest workout.
You most likely will find this bench
at any gym, or the flat bench or the decline. Whichever you
prefer or is available. Most gyms have the bench already set,
but if you don't see this equipment in your gym, just place
the adjustable bench at a 15 to 20 degrees incline, right
under the bar (this is for bar support equipment or smith
machines), place your hands just a little wider than shoulder
width apart and lift the bar and bring it down to your chest
slowly until almost 1 inch apart. Then back up. At all times
your back should remain flat on the bench. If you arch your
back, the weight is too heavy, so you want to avoid that in
order to prevent injury. Repeat. You can apply these guidelines
for all chest bench exercises. |
| Military Press |
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| There are several names for this
exercise, and there are many variations of it, but, is all the
same principle, you are pressing a weight overhead, while sitting
down on a back support bench (I strongly advise that you do
this exercise with back support rather than standing up). Hold
the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your
elbows pointed 45 degrees forward and down, palms facing the
ceiling. Keep your shoulders down and your back should rest
on the bench, then lift it up slowly and bring it down carefully
so you don't go too far down, which can cause neck pain. Do
this at least 8 times, and if you feel comfortable with the
weight, increase it progressively. But I strongly recommend
that you get used to this movement before you start
using a lot of weight, because this one is a delicate
one that you need to watch out for. It would be much better
for you just to do it with very light weights and stick to it
for a while so you can start seeing the definition on your shoulders
better than increase in size. You can also do it with dumbbells.
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Biceps and Triceps
Since these are some of the most
commonly worked on muscles, I am not going to elaborate too
much on them, but a few things you can try: these go by pairs,
so do them at the same time. Look for those exercises in which
you do both arms at the same time, or even those that you
usually do one arm at a time, try and do them together. Like
standing up bicep curls, or on the cable machine (this is
one of my favorite exercises). Position yourself between the
two cables, standing equally between them, shoulders down
and elbows locked in place. Turn your palms upward in the
grip, then pull slowly inwards toward your ears, keep your
shoulders down and your elbows in place so you get a massive
bulging forearm as you return the weight to the stack. Try
to achieve full extension and resistance in every repetition.
Pay close attention to the resistance phase of the exercise,
because it's going to give you the "peak" on the
biceps that you are looking for...
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| For triceps
I think the "skull crushers" are one of the best choices.
As I said before, you are looking for those exercises in which
you do both arms at the same time so you are done fast. Place
yourself on the flat bench with your back resting straight on
the bench. Feet flat on the floor. If you have a partner to
hand you the bar it would be much better, but if you don't,
just grab the bar as you sit down on the bench and as you rest
your back bring the bar up like you are going to do a chest
exercise. Then narrow grip on the bar, hands as close to each
other as possible, palms facing away from your body. This is
the starting position of the "skull crusher." Let
your arms fall back with the bar and keep your elbows in as
close as possible. Try to resist letting the elbows drift outward.
Keep them in and bring the bar up to the starting position.
Then repeat. |
That's it. You are done. This is what's called
"circuit training" and is not meant to replace
a full body workout routine. It's just a quick fix when
you are out of time and if you follow it carefully you can attain
great results from it. Don't marry yourself to this routine or any
other. Remember that there is no greatest routine. And the more
variety the better it is for your muscles.
Nutrition and Supplements
I am currently taking 2 products that
I have been consuming for a while and they seem to be having great
effect:
- Phosphagen XT by EAS. This is a new kind
of creatine with a more advance result rate than its predecessor,
the regular creatine and all the variations that came along. It
is remarkably effective for supporting gains in strength and lean
body mass. In a matter of days you will see a difference in size
and, most of all, in strength.
- Myoplex original "ready to drink"
advanced protein. With 42 grams of proteins and only 2 grams of
sugar, it remains unbeaten as the preferred protein drink for
bodybuilders. It now comes ready to drink, so you don't have to
waste any time in blending procedures. One or two a day, depending
on how many meals I've had. Really good for stacking up on protein,
and also provides the right amount of carbohydrates, vitamins
and minerals needed to support active lifestyle.
Please keep in mind that I am
not endorsing any products here. I am just providing you
with information on my personal preferences. Different products
work better for different people, but in my relentless search for
improvement I have found this combination that works great for me.
I strongly recommend that you look for assistance from a nutritionist
and a personal trainer before you start any diets or fitness programs,
so your needs can be properly addressed and a personal fitness program
successfully assessed.
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Ok my friends. Do your part,and keep it fit.
Carlos Morales.
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