Body Size, Training, and Other Stuff

Another of my ever-popular, ever-lovin’ long and rambling posts. No real training insights here, just stuff about me and my history:

1. We’ve all heard the myth about what it means if a man has large hands (nose, feet, ears, etc), but has anyone else heard about using wrist and ankle size as a predictor of potential muscle size? I woke up thinking about this for some reason and dug out a couple old workout books and did some quick internet searching this morning. Based on what I found I happen to have a large frame for my height and could reasonably expect to get my arms up to 17 lean inches (I’ve been over 17 but not sure about how lean they would have been considered), chest about 48 inches (also done), calves 17+ (ditto), and a lean body mass of 202 lbs. (not quite). So, I’m thinking that given this information and my goal of 15% body fat I could achieve most of my size goals yet. If I should for some reason in the future ever cut down to competition shape (hey, it could happen!) I could expect to still be fairly good size. I think this is actually encouraging information – presuming that age doesn’t work too much against me yet (I don’t feel old).

2. Concerning the first myth I mentioned, I do think it’s just a myth. After all I don’t consider myself to have particularly large hands, feet or nose…

3. If you suddenly woke up one morning and found yourself in your “dream” body who would be more freaked out? You or the people you know?  Especially when you realize that the bodies you usually dream about are of the opposite sex…

4. Back to number one, just so everyone if a man has large hands it means he wears large gloves (haha).

5. Speaking of bodybuilding potential – does it bug anyone else when they meet someone who seems to naturally build muscle easily but just doesn’t care too? For example, a close fried of mine has always been able to build muscle quickly. I’ve in fact used him for inspiration over the years, but he seems to be indifferent to actually working out. When he does he’ll grow like a weed (he once put an inch and a half on his arms in less than two months), be excited about working out for a short time and then just lose interest. Meanwhile, here I slog away month after month, year after year, trying for just half his gains…

6. I’ll take part of the above back – he does seem to care about working out when he realizes that I’m catching up to him in size/strength. Then he works out just enough to get ahead again…

7. Maybe it’s just because we don’t really appreciate what comes easily…

8. On the other hand, I tend to be glad when I find someone with what I think is great potential and is taking full advantage of it and try to encourage the same when I come across it. No real benefit to me of course, but it’s sometimes good to know that others won’t feel that they missed an opportunity as I sometimes feel I have (don’t we all feel that way on occasion?).

9. Gosh, I use a lot of parentheses (parenthesis? parenthesi?) when I write (don’t I?).

10. I’m watching the Travel Channel as I type this, shows on extreme rides, waterparks, etc. I can’t wait for summer to get here!

11. Then maybe I can be warm again.

12. And maybe show off the guns a little (haha).

13. Speaking of chance encounters (who was speaking about chance encounters?) when I think back, it was a chance encounter with a competitive bodybuilder/trainer at an amusement park that started a several year long friendship in which I made some of my best gains training-wise.

14. Is it just me or on the whole are people really unfit these days? In fact, it seems that we’ve lost the “average” person. I run into either really overweight folks or really fit folks. It’s like there’s no in between anymore…but the unfit are clearly winning.

15. Getting low on protein powder and need to go buy more. Anyone have suggestions on other supplements to try?

16. I wish fish oil tablets didn’t taste so much like old fish…

17. It is interesting how sometimes the people we meet by odd chance turn out to be the most interesting and sometimes the ones we spend the rest of our lives with. Happy Valentine’s Day to all you lovers out there (young or otherwise).

18. While you enjoy St. V’s Day I’ll just be here, curled up in dark corner sobbing softly for most of the day…

19. Just kidding about #18.

20. Really…

21. No, I mean it, really – just kidding…*sniff*

22. Finally finished Stephen King’s latest book “Under the Dome” which did seem to be inspired by the Simpson’s movie. Sorry Stephen, not your best work – but I’ll keep reading your books as long as you keep writing them!

23. In addition to parenthesis I like exclamation marks (points?) too!

24. I hope that the two of you who got through the whole list enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Even if Stephen King thinks this isn’t my best work I’m glad he’s reading my stuff, too!

25. He is reading this isn’t he?

That’s all for this installment. As always, I love to hear feedback on my random thoughts (okay, maybe not so random).

Onward!