Journeys With Dave

Favorite Destinations: The Grand Canyon

February 10, 2021davidpwahr

“Hey Jeff, look!” I shouted across the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge to my friend and travel companion who was finishing up our registration for a cabin on the canyon’s north rim, “there’s still room for us on tomorrow’s mule ride down the canyon. It was the summer of 1987 and we were on one of many trips of a lifetime (aren’t they all). This one was a circle tour of the great American southwest. It had already taken us to the ancient ruins of Mesa Verde, the Great Sand Dunes – where we were stopped on the road by an honest to goodness buffalo stampede – the four corners and now to one of the world’s bone fide natural wonders. The Grand Canyon!

“So, do you wanna go?” Jeff has known me since childhood and I’m sure that he could tell by the way I was jumping up and down and screaming with almost a high school cheerleader type intensity that I intended to go whether he did or not. “Sure, why not?” he replied in his usual calm and casual demeanor carefully cultivated over the years to keep himself from becoming the center of attention – or more likely to avoid anyone thinking that he was associated with me, “it’s not like we’ll be coming back this way anytime soon.”

“Exactly what I was thinking and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to ride one again. There’s a weight limit.” Then, as now, there is indeed some physical requirements to take a mule ride at the Grand Canyon. You need to be 4′ 7″ tall or taller (1.4 meters), I presume that’s how tall you can be and still reach the stirrups, and weigh less than 200 pounds (just under 91 kg), which I’m sure is to conserve the back of the mule. I had just recently been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease which had caused me to lose weight at an alarming rate. This summer the disease seemed to finally be under control and I had recovered much of my previous weight but was still comfortably under the limit (I wish I could say the same about my current physique. But that’s the subject of several other blog entries). They took the weight limit seriously as I recall and weighed us both on the spot.

I should explain that our trip was not planned out well and it was almost a fluke that we were at the Grand Canyon at all. I had actually lobbied earlier during our journey that we should just keep going on to Disneyland. Jeff, once again proving to be the more level headed of our dynamic duo vetoed this idea because we “only have so many vacation days.” We were young and carefree (aka as ignorant) we did not plan out very well were we would spend the nights. We were camping and our experience so far was that spaces were plentiful in the national parks and forests that we visited each day (not true today by the way). Coming from Colorado, where my sister and her husband lived at the time, we approached the Grand Canyon from the east and our first decision when visiting was to decide which rim we would visit: north or south? The south was then, and still is, by far the most popular side of the canyon. It has many more “attractions” and, from what I’m told, a more touristy vibe. It sits on the high desert with the appropriate flora and fauna surrounding it.

The “historic” Navajo Bridge circa 1987. Photo by David P. Wahr

The north rim was, and still is, closer to the canyon in it’s natural state. It is higher in elevation and has a more mountain feel to it. The views are often found behind tall pine trees which are abundant and the air is a little cooler, even in the heat of the summer. In Tuba City we made our decision. Because it was closer to our next destination, Zion, we would go to the North Rim. In hindsight, I’m glad we didn’t detour to California and not just because I would make many visits to the Golden State later in life, but because to miss seeing this Natural Wonder of the World would have left a hole in my heart the size of…well, the Grand Canyon!

Our arrival that day had been unremarkable. Shortly after leaving Tuba City (love that name), we turned north on US 89 and followed that to ALT US 89. We crossed what is now now “historic” Navajo Pedestrian Bridge stopping to admire the view of Marble Canyon which is the Grand Canyon’s eastern end. We also learned about the history of Lee’s Ferry from the monument posted there. Then on to the North Rim via Arizona 67 – which leads directly to the park and is your only approach from the north (turn left in Jacob Lake, can’t miss it). Both of us were surprised at how the scenery changed from desert to relatively lush forest as we got closer to the park itself. Wildlife was present along the road and we spotted some Mule Deer not to be confused with the actual mules we had just signed to ride the next day.

When we got to the park we were disappointed to find out that the campground was full. However, we were in luck as the Lodge had a few cabins left. Sleeping in an actual bed – even if we had to provide our own sleeping bags to use for sheets – sounded pretty good to both of us at this point in our trip so we secured a cabin for two nights. Not as comfortable as a room in the Grand Canyon Lodge itself, but clean and dry. Plus we didn’t have to stumble out into the dark at night to find the restroom. Which given that we were staying on the edge of a mile deep canyon was probably a good thing.

I’ll pause to remind you that this adventure took place 34 years ago. If you want lodging in Grand Canyon National Park today you’ll need to be sure to make a reservation well in advance!

So, here we were. In the lobby of a historic and rustic looking lodge signing up to ride a horse/donkey hybrid down into the canyon. Neither of us were experienced riders but we were assured that this wouldn’t be an issue since the mules knew what they were doing. “Besides,” I thought, “I saw Donald Duck do the same thing once in a cartoon. How hard could it be?” I had conveniently forgotten that Donald had totally destroyed the canyon by the time that cartoon was over…

It was only after signing up for the mule ride that I realized in my excitement that I had not gone out to actually see the canyon yet. It’s a good thing that we did sign up for the ride first, because as soon as I stepped out onto the patio overlooking the canyon I realized I may have made a mistake. In front of me was the totally awe-inspiring vista of the Grand Canyon itself. There is nothing I can say to do justice to the incredible grandeur of this first look. I’ll only say that pictures, television, even movies do not prepare you for the sheer size, color, texture, and wonder of it all. And they certainly did not prepare me for the verticality and depth of the walls! My latent acrophobia kicked right in and I got a little woozy thinking “we’re about to go down there?” There is a reason the Paiute called the canyon Kaibab. A name that in English translates to “mountain lying down.”

But, I eventually recovered. Jeff and I spent the remainder of the day exploring the North Rim from point to point. Starting with the short Bright Angel Point trail and ending up as far down the road as we could go (the Cape Royal overlook). We then made our way back the Grand Canyon Lodge to watch the sunset over the canyon. It’s not a flashy show but there is something soothing and fascinating about watching the colors shift as the day passes into night. And because it was a clear night the stars were out in a dazzling finale to the sunset. But, no stargazing for us. We had to be up earlier in the morning for our trek below the rim.

I do not recall our exact starting point or if we had to take a shuttle to get there, but I’m sure it was near the head of the North Kaibab trail. Our guide was a pleasant, but firm, young woman who after sizing each of us up assigned us to a mule. I got a sturdy looking steed named Elderberry while Jeff was paired up with the aptly named Shortcut. We would soon find out why he was so named, but I’m getting ahead of myself. After the usual warnings about following the rules, trusting the mule, and being sure to follow all directions from our guides, we mounted up and began our journey. Oh, and one last thing before we left. We were told that each year a few people do fall over the edge of the canyon and die. Not to make us nervous or anything. That’s unlikely to happen – if we follow the rules and instructions. Did I mention that we had signed a waiver yesterday back at the lodge?

The trip down the North Kaibab trail started pleasantly enough. The first part was in a wooded area and the morning was still cool. It took a couple switch back turns to realize that the mule was doing all the driving and that I was holding on to the reigns mostly for effect. It had been several years at this point since I was last on horseback but I quickly fell back into the rhythm of the mule’s steps. We continued our descent marveling at the geological changes in front of us. As you travel down the canyon you are literally looking back into the Earth’s geological history. Each layer of rock tells a story to those who know how to read it. The weather changes as we descend as well. The top of the canyon may be a mountain forest, but the bottom is more like a Sonoran desert! I would venture to say that most people who run into trouble while hiking the canyon have made two errors in judgement: 1) they didn’t really understand how hard it is to climb uphill and 2) they didn’t bring enough water. Fortunately for us, because we were on a guided trip and the mule was doing all the hard work we would be in good shape. Or so we thought. But I digress…

I’m not sure how far we descended into the canyon. But it seemed like a long way. The trail was narrow at times and often it seemed that the mule might be a little wider than the trail itself. But Elderberry was sure footed and made the trek with ease. While I was staring down hundreds (thousands?) of feet the mule stared straight ahead without a care. Maybe she (or he, I didn’t check and I suppose at some level it doesn’t matter because mules can’t reproduce like its mother, a horse, and father, a donkey, could) was watching her step. Whatever, downward we continued.

I suspect we stopped at the Roaring Springs Day Use area, but it could have been all the way to the Manzanita Rest Stop. In any case it took about three or four hours to get down to what our guide called “the bottom.” Though she also pointed out that we were several miles still from the river. I don’t recall seeing Roaring Springs though we must have passed them. There was a small creek where we stopped for lunch, which I presume was Bright Angel Creek which is the only stream in the part of the canyon we were in given that there was no run off from snow (it was July after all). Sadly this adventure took place in the age of film. So I had to conserve my pictures. Today, I would have taken pictures of signs, people, our mules, etc. This also explains the poor image quality of the pictures which accompany this post (that and my cheap scanner).

One thing that I do remember clearly is that were we stopped had perhaps the most unique pit toilet design that I have ever encountered before or since. And remember, as a person with Crohn’s I’ve seen more than my fair share of toilets. It was a compostable design, which isn’t that unique today, but it was also designed to give you an “open air” experience. Though it was surrounded by what appeared to be wooden slat walls they were arranged in such a way that when you were inside you could see out! They didn’t completely disappear, obviously, but the effect was a little unsettling especially since there was no roof either. It was almost like you were a bear doing what a bear does when it’s in the woods. On the plus side, you could see if someone was approaching and shout “occupied” before they discovered you in your most vulnerable position. I’m guessing that that design didn’t win over many fans because based on the videos I’ve been watching to refresh my memory of the trail it has been replaced with a more traditionally designed outhouse. At least a three-holer from the looks of it!

After a too brief lunch and opportunity to explore the area and even splash in the creek it was time to remount our trusty mules and make the trip back up and out of the canyon. This is when the first hint of the physical issues I would experience later presented themselves. My legs had apparently stiffened up without my knowledge and were not too happy with the idea of getting back into the saddle and they weren’t as upset as my bottom was. But, I didn’t want to walk up the trail so saddle up I did. We all got into line, Elderberry falling dutifully behind her buddy Shortcut and we began our ascent.

We were about half-way up by my reckoning when the unthinkable happened. I was startled by a loud “snap” in front of me. Shortcut was startled too because he jumped and I mean jumped towards the edge of the precipice and what appeared to be a bottomless ravine! Jeff shouted something, which I can’t repeat here, and time slowed down while I watched in horror thinking that he was about to go over the cliff. “How am I going to tell his family?” I thought (because it’s always about me after all). The guide turned to look back at the scene unfolding and I swear her face went white with fear as she shouted “hold on!” We were told to trust our mules and we found out why. Shortcut recovered his footing and then as if nothing happened continued his dutiful march to the top. With a sigh of relief the guide instructed Jeff to stay calm and keep going . When the trail widened up a little bit further she would come back and fix the strap that had broken loose.

When we finally reached the top and Jeff had thanked Shortcut for getting him back safely I told him what I had thought when I saw him and the mule head towards the edge. He just replied, “That’s funny. All I could think was ‘how am I going to keep this mule between me and the bottom?'”

Jeff always was the more pragmatic one.

Note: Since my visit in 1987 the rules have changed regarding mule trips and they were severely limited in 2011 to prevent erosion of the trails among other reasons. The day trips are shorter so you don’t get to the “bottom” any more unless you are spending the night in the canyon. If you’d like to take one more details are here. As with lodging you’ll want to reserve well in advance.

Where to Go When You Have to GO at Walt Disney World

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021davidpwahr

When you suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as I have for most of my life (Crohn’s) you become very familiar with restroom facilities where ever you happen to be. As a relatively frequent visitor to Walt Disney World (WDW) over the years – since 1975 – I think that I can safely say I have seen a majority of the restrooms in each park at WDW. So, with the understanding that I speak strictly from a male point of view and as a single childless person I don’t pay attention to things like baby changing stations, here are my observations:

The Good News:
In general, as with so many things, WDW on the whole does a great job with their restrooms. They are cleaned frequently and you rarely encounter an “out of order” sign on any given stall. I cannot even recall an single incident or time where I visited a restroom at any of the parks and found that the stall I chose was out of toilet paper or, worse, clogged up by the previous occupant. Given the number of people who must use the facilities at any of the parks on even a slow day this is an impressive feat.

Also, in all the parks the restrooms are spaced out fairly regularly and are generally well marked so that they are easy to find. Given how sudden the urge may strike for those of us with IBD this is a blessing. Even during my most recent visit to EPCOT (February 2020) with construction closing off the usual walkways between Future World and the World Showcase I still found the restrooms to be located in good proximity to each other.

The Bad News:
Yes, you will find the occasional wet seat because some nervous dude was afraid to lift the seat before he tinkled (trust me guys, in case your wife hasn’t clued you in yet your aim isn’t as good as you think). This is by no means the fault of the cast at WDW, however, but it’s still disappointing. Can you guys who don’t want to lift the seat maybe try doing it with your foot? Oh, you wear flip-flops exclusively…sigh. You know you can wash your hands immediately afterwards, right? You DO wash your hands immediately afterwards, right?

Moving on…

Part of the Tangled restroom theming – if you saw the movie you know.

The Best of the Best
In my humble opinion the best restroom at WDW is the one in the Magic Kingdom’s Tangled Rest Stop. This is one of the newer facilities and it is large and roomy. There always seems to be a seat open when you need on even when the area is packed full of guests – as it usually is. This location is also nicely themed in keeping with the character of the area. A close second are the restrooms over in Galaxy’s Edge (near the Market Merchants). These restrooms are more industrial and utilitarian in appearance but again fit nicely into the theme.

The Best Placed Restroom
The restroom which is best placed is without a doubt the one about halfway through the queue line for Avatar Flight of Passage over at the Animal Kingdom. Given that even with a Fast Pass you may be standing in line for over an hour having this restroom was a true blessing. It’s a one seater though so you may have to wait if someone else is using it and, of course, the line will keep moving while you are doing your business so to avoid angering your fellow guests your entire party will have to wait for you there (fortunately, there was only one person with me last time I visited).

If I were king of the Magic Kingdom I’d be looking into how a restroom can be added into any line that stretches more than an hour in length (I’m talking to you Peter Pan).

The Worst Restroom
This one is a bit of a surprise, but in my opinion the worst restrooms are over at the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland between Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies and Star Traders. Usually crowded and, though it might be my imagination, an unusually narrow passage way between the stalls and the wall. I’ve had to use it several times and for some reason it always seems to be a less than stellar experience – but in port in a storm as they say.

So there you have it. My opinion of the restroom situation at Walt Disney World. Like I said, overall pretty good. The fact that I don’t recall most of my visits to restrooms is a very good thing and just how it should be.

These are my thoughts and I’d love to hear yours!

Going Solo

January 30, 2021February 16, 2021davidpwahr

I think it was Rick Steves , one of my favorite travel personalities, who said in one of the many guides he’s written (I forget which one) that he felt the best way to see Europe was to travel alone. He had a couple of reasons for thinking this. The first was that if you travel alone there’s no debating or negotiating about what you’ll be doing or seeing on any given day. That’s true enough. But it was his second reason that intrigued me more. He pointed out that if you travel as a group the people you encounter along the way will treat you as part of a group. In other words with the same frightened frenzy that occurs behind the counter of any McDonald’s when an unscheduled bus filled with teenagers on a class trip pulls up. Not an ideal situation by any means. But, if you travel alone, you’ll be greeted as a person and likely have a better experience.

Well, due to certain life decisions that I’d rather not go into, I have often traveled alone and I have to agree with Mr. Steves that there are certain advantages to going solo but there are some other considerations, too.

Pros:

You are treated like an individual: no one sees you coming and yells out to someone in the back “oh %*!@ here comes another bunch of ’em!”
There is often room for one more on tours or at attractions that are otherwise sold out: there have been several times that I was allowed to squeeze onto a tour because “what’s one more>” or because there was still one seat left and everyone else was in a group of two or more. In some amusement parks there are also single rider lines which let you avoid an hour of waiting for the top new coaster.
If you like solitude and the great out-of-doors you can’t beat hiking to the sound of your breath and heartbeat only: want to really understand nature? Find a secluded trail with literally no one else around for miles.
Flexibility when dealing with last minute changes to your plans: for example, once on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington the mountain I wanted to visit was socked in by fog. No problem – I went whale watching instead.
You learn to make friends easily: see my entry on Talking to Strangers.

Not another soul in sight. North Chilco Peak, ID

Cons:

You are treated like an individual: it’s sometimes easy to blend into a crowd and not be noticed. Even when they are looking for single riders at your favorite amusement park.
No one to assist or commiserate with when problems arise.
Danger of walking into the woods and never walking out again is greater: or frankly, walking down a city street at night. A lesson I learned the hard way one evening in Atlanta when I took what I thought would be a shortcut to a downtown restaurant.
Selfies are harder to take: a selfie stick and tripod are a must!
No one to talk with about the day’s adventures at the end of the day: probably the worst thing about traveling alone.
Meals in restaurants can be awkward at best – down right lonely at worst.

So in my opinion there is nothing wrong with traveling alone as long as you are prepared. In fact, some of my favorite moments have been while traveling alone. But some of my least favorite moments have been traveling alone, too.

As long as you have an adventurous attitude, enjoy solitude, making decisions on your own, can make smart decisions, and you make it well known to loved ones at home where you are and where you’re going – just in case (cell phones are great but they don’t work everywhere) then going solo might be right for you!

Fitness Quest: 2020 A Year in Review

January 9, 2021January 30, 2021davidpwahr

Well, I’ve been away from this blog for far too long! I’m sure that both my fans have been wondering what I’ve been up to fitness-wise so here it is: not much.

I don’t have to tell anyone that 2020 was, at best, a weird year. For me the biggest adjustment was working mostly from home and I acknowledge that I’m fortunate to be able to do this. The other big adjustment was not being able to travel as I normally would. So you might think with all of this unscheduled free time being given to me because my normal after work activities being halted, especially community theatre as the biggest “time hog,” that my focus on fitness would have skyrocketed and that by now I’m a mass of lean, mean, old man muscle. Well, not so much.

Gyms closing didn’t help but that wasn’t the real issue. My biggest issue was adjusting to cooking at home. Which, if done right, is the way we should all go. However, I found that when confronted with a full refrigerator and pantry all day I tended to “graze” all day in addition to my regular meals. So like so many others my weight creeped up during the past nine-months but went way up starting about July according to my fitbit. I think the combination of eating all day and the loss of my regular cardio classes just finally caught up with me despite my regular walks. I also suffered a mysterious shoulder injury in September so my lifting was impacted. My bench press in particular. I did manage to continue weight workouts with the personal trainer in his home gym and with my brother-in-law in his. The spring, summer, and early fall saw me taking regular walks with my sister mostly every night. But the extra fat has refused to budge.

So, in an effort to make a change I’ve given into the marketing and am trying Noom. I have plenty of suggestions on how to improve the product which might be worthy of another blog entry after a few more weeks, but so far so good. It’s helped to remind me of things I already knew and I’m down about four (4) pounds so far (almost 2 kg).

Things I did discover while cooking for myself this past year – I do like a fairly wide variety of foods. The heart healthy Mediterranean diet is interesting and not that hard to make. Vegetables and fruits are filling and also tasty. Don’t get me wrong, hamburgers and fries are still a big portion of my diet (too big) but I do see the way and the light. Plus one of my new past-times is looking through cookbooks and thinking to myself “I can make that.”

The biggest news – I got through 2020 without a major health crisis! No ER visits, no surgeries. The Stelara I take to control my Crohn’s seems to be working and my gastroenterologist says that there is no sign of the disease. This means that, for the moment at least, I should be able to become as fit as my middle-aged body will let me. Yes, I still have a damaged heart from a previous heart attack. Yes, my kidneys are still below optimal function from my bout with Norovirus last year (did you forget that their are still other viruses out there waiting to get you? Keep washing your hands and covering your faces folks – thanks) but overall I’m stable and healthy. Minus a few occasional aches and pains. Also, I find it ironic that I can lift a small car off my chest if necessary (a very small car) but have trouble getting up off the floor. It’d be funny if it weren’t so true.

So, I’m done with 2020 and ready to move on to 2021. I can’t control what the world may have in store for me, but I can sure as heck control how I react to it and my own small corner of it.

Onward!

Fitness Quest: 2019 A Year in Review

January 4, 2020January 4, 2020davidpwahr

It may be a couple days late, but at the start of another year I think it’s worth taking a quick look back at where I’ve come fitness wise at least. One of the benefits of keeping records is being able to see progress which in real time seems to never come.

I started 2019 as an ostomate. I’ve discussed this in other blogs (like this one here). Suffice it to say that there are challenges when you don’t have use of your colon. Among them was getting the proper nutrients and maintaining weight. In some ways this was good as I did lose a good deal of fat through the experience but also lost muscle as well.

I am fortunate that my ileostomy could be reversed and was in April 2019. The results were immediate, observable and positive. Muscle gains, despite being a middle-aged man, were rapid as my body started bouncing back to it’s old self. To the point that my trainer was impressed and even asked if I had always put on muscle so quickly (I wish). By the end of the year I had gained about 30 pounds and according to skin fold measurements almost all of it was lean mass.

Briefly, I started the year weighing 196 pounds/89 kg with a bodyfat % of 24%. I ended weighing 226 pounds/102.5 kg with a bodyfat of 23.5. Even given the usual error rate a significant gain in solid mass (skinfold totals dropped from 151 to 137). My chest grew from 39.5 inches/100.3 cm inches to almost 45 inches/114.3 cm. My unflexed arms are the same size (about 13.5 inches/34.3 cm) but flexed I stretch the tape to nearly 16 inches/40.6 cm, a gain of about 1.5 inches/3.8 cm.

Me putting on a good face during the annual Rose Run in Petersburg, MI

Cardiovascularly, even though I didn’t beat my best time in my annual 5K run I did better than I have in most years. My blood pressure has crept up this year so I need to refocus on my diet – especially my sugar habit – and get more regular with my cardio. Though I do a couple cardio and core sessions each week I’m not getting my steps in now that winter is here. I’m making better use of my exercise bike since last week and will have to keep it up.

My diet has changed. I’m cooking more food myself at home and packing lunch almost everyday. I wouldn’t say I’m on a true mediterranean diet by any means, but I eat more olive oil, hummus, and vegetables in general than I ever thought I would. Plus, even though I visit the drive-thru much too often (2-3 times per week) this is about half as often as I used to do.

I do take a lot more selfies these days, too!

For 2020 I’ve got the usual goals – increased cardiovascular health, less fat and more muscle. If the past year is an indication I like my odds.

Onward!

The Secret to Building Big Arms Which No One Else is Willing to Share Is…

December 14, 2019April 28, 2023davidpwahr

If there’s one thing that I think we can be sure of is that most guys who start lifting are interested in building big arms. In fact, based on ads and “click bait” on social media you might presume that most lifters are obsessed with arm size (I’m one of them).

Add an inch to your arms in 24 hours! The secret to bigger biceps! This routine is guaranteed to add inches to your arms! The pitches go on and on and with good reason and have been going on for as long as I’ve been aware. It can be argued that Joe Weider built an entire industry with ads for bigger biceps in the back of comic books.

Heck, the number one most viewed blog post I’ve written is When Is a Man’s Arm Considered Big? (followed closely by How Much Can the Average Man Bench? But we’ll investigate that another time).

So in my mind there is no doubt that men in particular want to have pumped up “guns.” They want to be asked to “make a muscle” for the admiring kids or be asked the ever popular “let me feel your arm” by an attractive young lady when hanging out and are just waiting for that subtle brush of their arm and the soft cooing from a potential romantic encounter.

Even though, more often than not, the comments come from fellow gym rats. However, “brah, how’d you build them pipes?” and “nice veins dude” comments are not unwelcome (just don’t interrupt during the set please).

Chances are if you’ve read this far you are one of the many men in search of the perfect exercise to build peaks high enough to get snow on them and triceps so full and well defined you can shoe a horse with them.

So what’s the secret? What’s the one thing I can do today to have bigger arms tomorrow?

To find out, I decided to take a completely unscientific survey of men I know who happen to have what I consider to be great arms. This group included gymnasts, rugby players, recreational lifters, and competitive bodybuilders. I asked a simple question: what is your favorite arm exercise and why?

And do you know what I found that these men all said was their favorite exercise? The one thing they did to build their enviable arms?

NO, JUST TELL ME ALREADY!

In no particular order the secret move they did was:

Barbell Curls
Hammer Curls
Spider Curls
Bent over DB Curls
Every other kind of curl
Tricep Extensions
Tricep Push-Downs
Pullups
Chinups
Every other kind of up
And on, and on, and on (okay, not that far on. I don’t know that many guys with jacked arms).

Many of the responders had very logical reasons why their move was a favorite. For example: Olympic gymnast, and all round nice guy, Jake Dalton said, “my favorite arm exercise is bent over db curls with drop sets. I like it because it is a difficult challenge and it also creates a lot of blood flow and it is also very specific to that muscle. It’s specifically bicep and that’s what I like about it.”

A friend and colleague of mine, Bodie Bankey (on Instagram @bbankey58 ), who is a competitive bodybuilder (and huge and also an all round nice guy) has a very specific routine that covers all the muscle angles because he has found that his arms seem to respond best to very controlled form and a mix of rep ranges.

So you can’t argue with the results these guys have gotten despite having different favorite exercises.

If there is not one move OR ROUTINE to get big arms, How do I get my twigs to grow into logs?

There are only three real things all the guys I surveyed had in common: 1) a commitment to working out; 2) consistency in their work outs; and last but not least, 3) patience. In my opinion, all three of these things are of equal importance. Commitment to working out should be obvious. But what isn’t obvious is that the type of workout may not be critical between strict weight training and bodyweight exercises.

For instance Jake Dalton (did I mention that he is a former Olympian? Really, you should give him a follow on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/jdflipkid/videos ) who has extremely well developed arms, even for a gymnast, didn’t specifically train his arms for size and strength. They are the product primarily of bodyweight exercises, done from a young age, and favorable genetics.

Bodie Bankey, like most bodybuilders, on the other hand trains specifically with weights for size and strength. Unlike Jake he didn’t start training for his sport specifically until late in his teens and though he clearly has a propensity for building muscle it took him years to attain his current size and strength. Read that again – years.

So to sum up, if you want big arms there are no shortcuts. You need to pick up a weight, curl and press it using good form, measure your results to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t, and have patience. Biceps, like Rome, aren’t built in a day or even a month. But give it a year or so and your arms will get bigger. So get ready for the comments and treat yourself to that new wardrobe.

So what’s your favorite arm exercise?

NOTE: results vary. Not everyone has the potential to grow 20 inch arms with freaky peaked biceps with or without chemical assistance. But that’s a subject for another blog entry (like this one).

Opinions in this blog are my own. I don’t have an editor and don’t know how to use commas. So if you find a mistake feel free to let me know. If you choose to follow any advice in this blog please be aware that I am not a medical professional or a professional health care/exercise science/therapist of any kind. Always consult a doctor before beginning a program of vigorous exercise.

Fitness Quest: The Road So Far

November 11, 2019December 16, 2019davidpwahr

I just realized that it’s been literally months since I’ve done a proper update to my blog! So here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve accomplished since my ileostomy reversal in April:

I’ve gained about 30 pounds. Based on skinfold measurements most of it is solid weight.
Strength has increased considerably. I can max bench about 265 pounds and get a couple reps at 250. Reps at 225 are coming slowly but increasing by one or two each week.
I can consistently do two chin-ups. The unaided pull-up still eludes me.
No sign of Crohn’s so far. No unusual stomach pains, bleeding, or swelling. Energy is good, too.

There are some small annoyances. I still have more bowel movements than the average person, but a small price to pay in exchange for being able to use my original plumbing again (minus a meter or so of intestine).

I plan on continuing to push myself as much as I can. On a recent business trip to Phoenix, Arizona I had a free afternoon and climbed Camelback Mountain and I mean climbed. I took the Echo Canyon trail and it was fairly vertical. Not as strenuous as advertised, but steeper than I usually hike. Thank goodness my trainer has me do dips for the triceps. It came in handing on the way down when I had to support myself between boulders.

So to sum things up, I feel good, I think I’m looking better, and the life is good. I’m working now on losing the excess fat, primarily by increasing the cardio and making sure that the old diet is as nutritious as possible, and continuing my strength training. I even took another cooking class to help me stop eating so much fast food. So far, it’s working.

Above: Me in March, July, and October. Notice that the smile grows as the muscles grow.

Onward!

Management Lessons from the Stage: When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough

May 28, 2019December 16, 2019davidpwahr

As I did two years ago, I participated with my local community theatre group, the Monroe Community Players, in the Michigan State AACTFest competition again this year (see Management Lesson from the Stage: Competition for details). For those of you unfamiliar with the competitive side of theatre, every two years the American Association of Community Theatre (aka AACT) hosts a competitive play cycle (AACTFest). This cycle begins at the state level, moves to regional, and finally on to national competition where the 10 “best” community theatre productions will go head to head. This year the festival in Michigan was hosted by Owosso Community Players on behalf of the Community Theatre Association of Michigan (CTAM).

Me and the three Arials who made me look good. Left to Right, Martina Petit, Dillon Sickles, and Besty Brockman.

For the record, the talent pool at this year’s festival was very deep and all the participating groups brought their A game to the competition. Sets were imaginative, costumes on point, the acting was well prepared and rehearsed. It was a weekend of high quality theatre. But, only two groups would be selected to move on to the regional competition by the adjudicators. I did not envy their task this weekend.

For my part, I felt that our production was top notch. In particular, to toot my own horn as they say, I thought that my personal performance was on point. During my big soliloquy the audience was dead quiet (always a good sign) and I could feel them all watching me and sensed that they were right were I wanted them emotionally and intellectually (anyone who’s been on stage knows what I’m talking about).

When the show was over the applause was generous. Afterwards good comments came from the adjudicators and audience members who approached many of us afterwards through the weekend. All signs indicated that we might have a winner on our hands.

But, (and you knew this was coming right?) when the awards were handed out the big prizes went to other groups. We were recognized for several good points of our production – including choreography which is rare for a production of The Tempest, but our director was unique in his vision of this play, and ensemble work for the three actors who jointly played the character of Ariel (pictured above with me). None for me…alas, but not a bad haul as they say. But, our competition journey ended that weekend. Our best, my best, just wasn’t good enough.

So, what do you do when your best just isn’t good enough? How do you react when you know that you’ve given it your all, that you were well prepared, that your ideas were solid and still someone else walks away with the prize? This is something that has happened to most of us, either in a competitive setting or in business. I can tell you what not to do:

Don’t dwell on the defeat.

Don’t blame anyone else.

Don’t complain about bad luck.

Don’t complain about bad decisions or judges.

Do pick yourself up and move on.

Yes, you can take time for introspection. Ask what might have been done better? Maybe you didn’t have the skill set necessary to complete the task (or win the bid), maybe you didn’t have the vision, maybe you were just outclassed, maybe the stars were out of alignment. But, sometimes, surprisingly, the answer is nothing could have. Too bad. It happens. Athletes know this. On any given day even the most talented team with the best leadership can fall to opponents who are less gifted.

And guess what? It has nothing to do with the other team or person having more “heart” or “drive” or just “wanting it more.” Sometimes it was just the other team’s day. Whether on stage, on the field, or in the C Suite, sometimes your best just isn’t going to cut it.

All you can do is to accept defeat gracefully, try not to take it personally (something I often fail at) and prepare yourself to give your best again next time.

Because one thing is certain, if you don’t keep giving it your best you will never find yourself on the winner’s podium!

Prospero's staff lays in wait on the stage. — Prospero’s magic staff lays in wait during rehearsal at the Michigan AACTFest Host Theatre – the Lebowsky Center in Owosso, Michigan. Home of the Owosso Community Players.

Bodybuilding: Expectations vs Realities

May 2, 2019December 16, 2019davidpwahr

This may come as a shock to some, but from the the moment a guy first picks up a weight, usually sometime in high school, he expects to get bodybuilder huge no matter how thin or heavy he might be. He might say that he is only working out for sports or to get “toned,” whatever that means, but my personal experience is otherwise. I’ve actually heard men say that they workout but that they don’t want to get too big – as if that was a possibility. I mean, most men will get bigger and stronger from lifting weights but getting “big” takes 1) genetics, which determine muscle shape, height, frame size, and a myriad of other physical characteristics – good and bad, 2) dedication and commitment to a routine, 3) proper nutrition (possibly the most important factor), 4) time, and if you really want to get “too big” most likely you’ll need 5) drugs (the illegal kind, not to be confused with supplements. By the way, I do not advocate the former and caution you to be careful with the latter). I could add another factor which is age. However, I believe that you can improve regardless of age. It might be harder to get going, you won’t recover quite as quickly and you may have to be more careful with your joints, but you can and will improve no matter how old or young you are.

Some of this expectation is natural, part of the male hubris if you will, but some of it is created from the sheer number of examples out there on social and traditional media. For example, I can remember a time when men could be in movies and television without having a six pack. And you don’t have to look far on social media to find all sorts of examples of guys (and gals) who are exceptionally well built. At least under the proper bathroom or locker room lighting.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t workout because you will never look the way you want too? Of course not. But most of us might want to consider setting goals that are more in line with our body types.

Take me for example. If you’ve read my previous blogs it should be no surprise that one of my goals from working out was always to build big, peaked biceps. However, the reality is that this will never happen for me. Regardless of how big (17.5 inches at one point) or small (about 11 inches) my arms are, my biceps always have a more rounded football like shape. In fact, until someone sees my triceps – my most commented on muscle – my arms don’t look that muscular.

Conversely, someone like my brother-in-law gets comments on the size of his arms – even when they are relatively small (for him at least) – because the shape of his bicep is more peaked and pronounced. Combine this with a genetic propensity to build his arms quickly – compared to most men – and you have someone who goes through sleeves with regularity. However, what he has in biceps he lacks in triceps. Sure they’re big, but not as pronounced as mine.

My unobtainable biceps goal as demonstrated by Peter K. Vaughn (find him on Instagram @peter.kv or @pkv.personaltraining).

Genetics determines muscle shape and the ability to build muscle. This doesn’t mean that someone with ordinary genetics can’t build a good looking body. But it’s going to take effort and commitment and frankly you may never look the way you want to look. Despite whatever artificial assistance Arnold had he was in reality a genetic freak (I don’t mean that in a mean way). Even at a young age he was better built than most adult men. His potential was enormous from the start.

My reality. Same size at Peter’s arm above, but due to a different shape and higher amount of body fat not nearly as impressive.

Regardless of genetics if you don’t put in the work and the nutrition, you won’t make outstanding progress as evidenced by this photo of my arm from 2017. A big arm, but soft. Below is a more recent picture of my arm after losing some weight. Shape is the same, but definition is better so the arm at a smaller size actually looks larger.

Me just before my recent surgery. My arm is smaller but better defined. Still no peak though due to the positioning of my muscle insertions and overall shape of the muscle belly.

So given that genetics will partly determine your ultimate results what can you expect if you put the work in? Frankly, quite a bit.

First off, regardless of how you end up looking you will feel better, move better and, barring an underlying medical condition of some kind, be healthier in general.

Even with an underlying health condition chances are you’ll do better with regular exercise than without (always check with your doctor before starting any program). For example, my friend Peter K. Vaughn like me suffers from Crohn’s. But despite multiple setbacks due to the disease he has the drive and stamina to keep making the best of what God gave him. Somewhat thin and lanky by nature he has overcome this to build a solid physique. The proof is in the picture below.

As you can see, he makes tremendous progress between setbacks. His biceps respond the fastest to training, but thanks to his consistency, commitment to proper nutrition, and the wonder of muscle memory, he bounces back quickly.

Even if you have great overall genetics to start with, it still takes time and effort to reach your full potential. Though progress can be noted in a few weeks, real change takes months and often years. For example Alexander Miles below.

Photo courtesy of Alexander Miles on Instagram @milesfitness. His website is
https://myfit-strategy.com/ .

Even as a teen you can see the potential in his physique based on his well defined delts and arms. However, he starts out pretty thin without much chest development or the classic V shape. Today however, you would not know that he was once a skinny teen. By working out regularly, and hard, staying focused on nutrition he’s been able to maximize his physique over a period of years.

Even guys with more average builds to start with can vastly improve their physiques and strength. For example, I used to work with a young man, Aymeric Van De Hove, pictured below, who went from a typical thin teen to a very well built man in less than five years. You can see some of his basic muscle shape in the 2010 photo, but no real hint of the physique that he would ultimately build over the next five years. With hard work and dedication he took what most experts might call an average physique and built something impressive and distinctly above average. Aymeric is also blessed with a very symmetrical physique. Note how his abs line up perfectly with each other. This is more rare than you might think and a product of genetics which cannot be changed regardless of how many crunches you do.

One last observation, “bro science” will tell you that tall men have a harder time putting on muscle than shorter men (think Basketball players versus gymnasts) but in my experience this isn’t necessarily true. I know some tall men who have an impressive amount of muscle on their frames and some skinny short guys. Some of the difference is just a matter of perspective. A 6 foot man with 16 inch arms will look smaller than a 5 foot 5 inch man with the same size arms. But, they actually have the same amount of muscle. And the taller man often has a larger frame and ultimately can put on more muscle than the shorter guy. In any case, both tall and shorter men can build a significant amount of muscle. In my opinion, you are more likely to be limited by the size and width of your frame.

Your height is no barrier to building muscle. Here’s Caleb Carr (@calebcarrfitness on Instagram) who is 5’5″ inches tall. Five years ago he was a lean runner with fairly wide shoulders, note the muscle definition in the before picgture. Already he was showing the potential for growth. Today he’s the same height and 75 pounds heavier (about 205). He’s clearly made the most of his great potential through heavy lifting and proper nutrition.

Likewise, tall men can build muscle too. Here’s me with Davy Barnes at the Arnold a few years ago. Davy, a recent contestant on the Titan Games (@davymichael on Instagram), stands 6’3″ and started working out when he was about 150 pounds. In this picture he weighed about 250 which is not his biggest. Currently, he carries 270 pounds on a relatively wide frame.

So to sum up, there are many factors that go into determining how far you can take your physique. I’ve only discussed a few here and most can be overcome for the most part. But the main takeaway is that regardless of the body nature gives you, you can build a better looking and healthier body. You need to put in the work, stay true to good nutrition, stay consistent in your workouts, and change your lifestyle to make meaningful change. The change will take time as there is no magic pill – but you can do it! Just don’t expect biceps like Arnold. Build the best body you can build, don’t be like me and keep comparing yourself to others or judging your progress by their progress.

We all have different metabolism’s and progress at our own rate. Keep striving to be the best you can be and you’ll be a happy camper indeed.

Onward!

Note: this blog is written from a male perspective because I’m a guy. Motivations and expectations are likely different for women. Just saying. Also, as always, no matter how motivated you feel after reading this blog – and I hope you feel at least a little motivated – always check with your favorite health care provider before starting a new exercise routine.

Crohn’s Update: Surgery and Post-Op Condition

April 29, 2019December 16, 2019davidpwahr

Warning: as usual with my posts regarding my struggles with Crohn’s this post contains frank discussion of basic bodily functions not usually discussed in polite company. If talk of peeing and pooping make you squeamish, you may want to just move along.

Those of you have read my previous post know that I had gone into the hospital to have what the medical staff referred to as an “ileostomy takedown” or in other words, my internal plumbing was reconnected and all organs that belonged inside my body (the stoma, which was a portion of small intestine pushed out through my abdomen for the removal of waste via an appliance aka “the bag”) were put back inside. This is an operation I had been looking forward to. Even though the creation of the stoma quite literally saved my life, it was an inconvenience to deal with – some of the issues I have described in earlier blog entries.

So, how did it go? Pretty well actually. According to the surgeon the surgery could not have gone better. Unfortunately, this does not mean that there were no issues. The biggest one, from my perspective, was that the epidural given to me to control pain also caused an issue where I could not release my bladder. You see, the epidural provided strong drugs to my mid-section which essentially turned off nerve receptors. The good news is that thanks to this treatment I was up and around pretty quickly. The bad news, I couldn’t urinate. This led to not one, not two, but several different catheters being inserted into my uretha – an uncomfortable procedure at best and in my case painful as apparently one of the times my uretha was “nicked.” As bad as not being able to go was, the sight of blood coming out of where blood should never come out was a bit unnerving to say the least. Plus this caused some pain in my you know what, which prevented me from trying to go. At one time the urine back up was so bad that after one catheter I released 1.2 liters of urine. For comparison, the average male bladder maxes out as about 400 – 600 milliliters. My bladder was pushed to its limit. This extended my hospital visit by a couple days as they wanted to be sure that my urinary function was normal before sending me home.

Well, that and the unexpected vomiting.

The third day post-op my gut seemed to be waking back up. I didn’t actually pass gas or stool yet, but my bowel sounds were active. In fact, one nurse said my gut sounded “hyperactive.” Which usual meant that things were starting to move through my system again and my long unused colon was waking up (so to speak). Wrong. Just as I was about to try to eat some lunch my guts went into full revolt. And very much like the girl in the Exorcist I began spewing everywhere! Since I hadn’t eaten much what came out was a build up of gastric juices and other liquids. The good news is that I learned I could still move quickly despite any lingering internal pain, the bad news is that we discovered how much liquid I could hold in. Turns out, quite a lot.

After these two setbacks, things started to improve quickly. My bowels began moving on day 4 PO (post-op), pretty much pure liquid but I was passing stool and gas. My bladder kicked back in later that same day thanks to some Flowmax and the discontinuation of the epidural. So by day 6 PO I was able to come home.

Now, one day shy of three weeks post-op, my stool is still pretty liquid with signs of solids every now and then. Still going more often than I’d like, but it’s way more controllable than the stoma was – plus no more bag to change frequently and more importantly, no accidents since my surgery. My staples have been removed and my new scar is healing. I have a shallow hole where my stoma used to be which is getting shallower by the day.

Still several more weeks before I can lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, but I can walk and stand upright. I even have permission to get on my exercise bike and next week I’m going to ask about being allowed to work from home so I can at least catch up on emails. Things are looking up and I have no regrets about undergoing the surgery.

Physically, I did lose some weight again through the ordeal and am now at about 190 pounds. The lightest I’ve been in some time. Given how fast food is still flowing through me, I may get down to the mid-180 range before things settle down. The good news though is that my bodyfat% seems to be dropping in relation to my muscle mass. So though I’ve lost some of both fat and muscle, the fat loss has been greater. I’ll be in a good position for rebuilding once I’m able to lift again.