Training is a fundamental aspect of a bodybuilder's life. We develop a love for that "pump" we feel and see. We have trained our minds to ignore the pain felt when forcing that last rep in a set or nursing the aches and pains from the monstrous leg workout 2 days ago. You know what I mean? We have all been there and it is what keeps us going. Results, Results, Results ... are what we hope to accomplish by training hard each and every session. We aspire to be all we can be for the short amount of time we have to live. We are the exception to the "rule."

Punishment

But only a few will subject themselves to the self-inflicting punishment that we endure. Training not only involves the body but also the mind. The two must work in tandem in order to get the desired results you look for. How many times have you went to the gym and you just knew in your mind you were going to achieve a new max on your favorite exercise that day? Well, you didn't realize that your body had other plans and, instead, you missed your existing max by 10 pounds?!

How many times have you went to the gym thinking you should have skipped the gym but had the best work out ever. Not only did you lift your existing max, you established a new max 10 pounds heavier?! How many of those rare occasions have you felt great mentally and physically and ripped through your workout like you had only one day left in life to be all you could be?! If you've worked out for long, you probably experienced these type of emotions from time to time. I know I have!

My Philosophy

My training philosophy has and will always continue to be, be prepared, train hard, be focused, be intense, be positive, learn, listen and always ask questions. I constantly plan out new routines and try other routines some of the national and pro level competitors write about. I try never to get into a monotonous routine. I am fortunate enough to have 7 gyms to choose from. I frequently switch venues in which I train.

The change in environment seems to help motivate me for some reason. When I arrive at the gym, I treat it as I do anything else I take serious. I am there, I have a purpose, I have developed a plan, I am going to succeed! I try to have a consistent arrival time. Mostly due to my diet schedule detailed in Article #5. I sometimes jokingly say to some of my gym peers, "The train rolls out at 4:30 and if you're not there, it keeps rolling".

My training split changes constantly. Usually every 8 weeks, I try a different split. Currently, I am using a split based on an article I read by Tevita Aholelei. In his article, he had a similar split routine as this:

• Day 1: Shoulders and Traps
• Day 2: Quads/calves/abs
• Day 3: Chest/Biceps
• Day 4: Hamstrings/calves/abs
• Day 5: Back
• Day 6: Triceps/Biceps
• Day 7: Off