juice...

As someone who lifts weights on a regular basis, I am no stranger to the world of steroids. If I had a dollar for every steroid joke I got thrown my way, I might just have enough to quit my day job. haha Anyway, the pictures above are of my favorite bodybuilder, Phil Heath, and what seems to be the biggest story in sports these days, Alex Rodriguez and his steroid use. Normally, I would stay away from any type of blog like this as it is very controversial, and could ruin people's perception of me, but this story I read (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9217162/Do-juiced-up-Steelers-teams-deserve-asterisks?&MSNHPHMA) really opened up my eyes to something worth blogging about. It basically describes football's most dominant team of the 70's and their steroid use. No, it is not someone speculating use, it is an actual fact that they used them. They even wrote a book about it! However, since it was not illegal back then, was it wrong?

Everytime I hear about some new steroid story in the news, I shake my head in disgust. For one, the people writing the stories seem to typically be unhealthy, overweight writers who have never worked out in their life. Yes, these people are very knowledgeable in sports and its history, but as far as understanding what they are talking about, I can't say I always agree. Do I have knowledge about steroids, not really. Why? Because I have nether taken them, nor do I have any intention of taking them. My blog is not going to get into detail about how they aren't bad for you, etc., but more of my opinion abou their impact on society.

It is no secret that America is infatuated with steroids. I have no idea why it makes the top stories, when there are things far more important, like our f*cked up economy and our ongoing problem in the middle east. Why is A-Rod the top story, when there are tons of people out there 2 steps from being homeless? It makes no sense to me.

Anyway, back to that article I read. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s won a few Super Bowls and were known as a rough and tough team. They physically dominated their opponents and left them beat up on the field. They were also on steroids. Does that tarnish their reputation? Apparently not. However, Barry Bonds hits home runs like a mad man later in his career, and even though he was a great ballplayer before those seasons, all of a sudden, his skill is now questioned. Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy in this? Sports did not even test for these drugs back then, therefore we have no idea who used what. All these records that were set and still hold nowadays, who's to say they are "clean" records. How do we know that Wilt Chamberlain or Hank Aaron, or anyone who played in the years after steroids were invented did not experiment with them. For those who don't know, steroids do not make you instantly big and muscular, they are designed to help your body recover faster. Therefore, enabling people to train harder and heavier each day. Imagine if you felt like a brand new person every day you trained for anything physical, wouldn't you get bigger and stronger as well? Why do you think steroids are prescribed to people with cancer, AIDS, etc. It is not to make them big and buff, it is to prevent their bodies from completely falling apart. Now, tell me if it's fair that people pick on A-Rod, McGwire, and Bonds. NO! Yes, some ballplayers are wrong for lying, but if you were in the public eye, and pestered about something that most of the population deems a bad thing, how would you react? We are all human and I am sure at least 70-80% of us would lie and crumble. It is human nature.

So where does the problem lie? The common, every day folks who use and abuse it. That's my opinion. Ask anyone who works out about the natural high they feel after a great workout or the feeling they have after they see some progress in their workouts. Nothing, and I mean nothing can beat that feeling. Naturally, there are different ways to acheive this feeling. One of those just happens to be the use of steroids. Remember how I mentioned recovery earlier? Well, that basically means that you can acheive these natural highs more frequently and with greater results. Sounds too good to be true right? Well, with the positive, comes the negative. Steroids are proven to cause some side effects and cause some health issues when used and abused. Without proper supervision, whether from a qualified professional or a doctor, they could be very troublesome. And that my friends is where the negative image stems from. The stories we read, the news we watch, it is usually from individuals who were too scared to admit they were on the "juice" and ended up hurting themselves. They bought some of these drugs, read some stuff on the internet, and juiced away. Not exactly the smartest thing in the world. I mean, how many of you would just inject some random stuff into your body? I know I wouldn't.

The asterisk. Do I think the Steelers should get one? NO! Does Barry get one? NO! These people are paid professionals in my opinion. They should do what they need to do to get to the top of their game. It is not like the tv show Heroes, where you inject special powers into people. These people are already gifted, skilled people, which is why they made it into their profession. If they need something to help them succeed, I do not see the problem with it. What about their health? Well, what about the crazy businessmen who stay up all night working and eat a poor diet of fast food? Aren't they erasing years off of their lives as well? None of us reading this could take steroids and probably make it into the NFL, MLB, or NFL. I would guess that at least 90% of the people who are in professional sports deserve to be there based of their talent and skill, and not because of what they have taken. The same reason engineers and accountants excelled in the classroom is the same reason that these people kicked ass on the playing field while at school. We are all gifted in one way or another, and if someone told me that I could do something do be a better engineer in my field, you better believe I would be curious about it.

Recipe of the Week...

TUNA! Tuna is one of the cheapest and best health foods out there. With lent coming up for catholics, like myself, we all know about the whole no meat on Fridays thing. Well, since we can only eat so many tuna salad sandwiches, I thought I would post my 3 favorite recipes for tuna.

1. Tuna Cakes
1/2 Cup Egg Whites/Beaters
1 Egg
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Red Chili Flakes (Optional)
1 Can/Pouch of Tuna
Spicy Deli Mustard

-Preheat non-stick pan over medium high.
-Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
-Spray some cooking spray into pan.
-Pour mixture into pan and let sit for about 3-4 minutes
-Use spatula and flip cake over.

The egg white to tuna ratio should leave the mixture somewhat thick. If you use less tuna, then use less egg, etc. Another option would be to take these tuna burgers and coat them with some bread crumbs to make a tuna cake, similar to a crab cake.

2. Tuna Bowls
1 Can Tuna
1/2 Can Diced Tomatoes
1/4 Onion
Brown Rice
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Preheat pan over medium high. Add onions. After they start to sweat, add the tomatoes. Then finally add your tuna and salt and pepper. Let sautee for about 5-10 minutes. Pour into a bowl of brown rice, stir and enjoy. I usually like to add some green vegetable to this (my choice is spinach). One more option to this would be to substitute the tomatoes for some teriyaki sauce and have a tuna teriyaki bowl.

3. Tuna Burger
1 Egg or 2 Egg Whites
1 Can Tuna
1/4 onion
Salt
Pepper
Any other spices you like in your burgers

Mix all ingredients together and form into patties. Pre-heat pan and spray with cooking spray. Since tuna is already pre-cooked, they only need about 2-3 minutes on each side to get that nice crust on the outside.

There you go, 3 simple and quick recipes for this upcoming lenten season for tuna. Enjoy.

Song of the Week...

Gibberish - Ryan Leslie

Recipe of the Week

Often times, I am asked what is "healthy food." Truth is, healthy foods are exactly what your common sense tells you. Generally, if you can find it in nature, it's healthy (nuts, fruit, grains, meat). If it has to be manufactured, chances are, it is not (i.e. chips, crackers, cookies, etc.). I suppse the toughest part is making these natural, healthy foods taste good. So, I will start posting some healthy, easy, and tasty recipes that I sometimes eat (when I am not dieting for a show of course).

Healthy Mexican Food:

Tortillas:

There are a variety of tortillas out there that are laden with fat and poor ingredients. Your best bet to stay healthy are the whole wheat or sprouted wheat variety. You might have to do some searching, but they are out there. I personally get mine from trader joes. There are also a variety of sizes, choose the one for what you prefer (tacos, burritos, etc.).

Proteins:
The bulk of your tortilla should be filled with some healthy, low fat protein. Some options include chicken breast/thigh, lean steak, lean ground beef or turkey, pork tenderloin, ham, egg whites. or seafood. Again, the choice here depends on how you feel. Make sure you buy the leanest cut available, as you want to maximize your fillings, while not going overboard on the calories.

Fats:


Fats in your tortilla should be used sparingly. I have a picture of some sargento reduced fat cheese, which is a much better choice than those nasty fat free versions. Other options for fats in your tortilla include some avocado, whole eggs, or reduced fat sour cream. Remember, use only a little bit of these fats as they can make or break the health factor here.

Toppings:
You can never go wrong with fresh tomatoes or fresh salsa for a topping. It adds moisture and a ton of flavor. I personally also use some hot sauce like tapatio or cholula. Cottage cheese mixed with salsa works pretty well also. Limes will enhance the flavor of the proteins. You can also add some fresh vegetables or beans in there, which will add some fiber and good vitamins to the meal.


There you go, with those ingredients, you cannot really go wrong with making some tasty, and healthy mexican food. Portion control is always key, so use your common sense while eating. Remember, you only need to eat enough to keep you full for about 3 hours, since you should be eating 5-6 small meals a day.

Song of the Week...

La La La - LMFAO

Deja Vu...

Kinda random. But you know when you have certain things going on in your head, and you can't seem to figure out the answer? Then you are watching TV or doing something and all of a sudden, something you see, or notice, just happens to be the answer you are looking for. Weird, but I'm sure all of you have experienced it at least once in your lives.

How did this come about? Well, since I am pretty heavily into contest prep, my weekend evenings have become quite a bore. The majority of my nights are spent watching dvds or catching movies on one of the movie channels on my TV. I can honestly say that I have not watched this much TV since at least grade school. Even throughout high school and college, I rarely spent more than an hour or 2 in front of the TV, but since I cannot really do too much and have to spend most of my time at home preparing/eating meals, TV seems to be the most interesting thing to do. Anyway, tonight I ended up watching a movie, and although the movie probably had nothing to do with what I was thinking, there was a 2 minute section of it where something in my head clicked, and all I can say is that I feel extremely optimistic about tomorrow and the weeks that lie ahead.

Song of the Week

RoboCop - Kanye West

8 Weeks Out...

Just a quick update of my contest prep...

I had a body fat test yesterday by my coach, Emile Jarreau, and here are the results.

Weight: 188lbs
Bodyfat: 6.2%
Lean Weight: 176.3lbs
Fat Weight: 11.6lbs

The most surprising thing about these results for me is that I have used ZERO fat burning supplements. Being the chubby kid my entire life, these results were very surprising for me. I see improvements almost weekly and am still feeling great. My diet is at 2700 calories, with the majority of the calories coming from fat and protein. My carbs are a bit low at under 100g a day, which is not too bad yet.

Anyway, things are going great, spirits are up, and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get up on that stage.

Health Tip of the Day

Goal: Weight/Fat Loss

Tip:
Put down that gatorade, red bull, powerade, etc. etc. etc...

If your goal is to lose some weight or some fat, drinking a calorie laden drink during your workout will do nothing but "cancel out" the work you are trying to do. Think about it, when you are exercising, you are trying to burn calories. But if you are consuming calories, then aren't you going backwards? Unless you are doing some type of exercise for hours on end (i.e. running a marathon or playing a sport), the excess calories you are consuming are just negating the effects of your workout.

What should you drink? WATER! Plain and simple old water will do the trick of keeping you hydrated during your workout. If you must have flavor, try adding some crystal light or having a powerade ZERO.