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Competition Bench Press

Bench Press Contest

Competition July9th 1988

Some people say activities that don’t involve an objective means of measure (for example: scoring points, beating a clock, moving a weight, knocking out an opponent, etc.) aren’t truly sports. Regardless of a person’s opinion, they’re competitive none the less.

Throughout my early to mid-twenties I was involved in amateur bodybuilding (sometimes considered an exhibition sport).I liked the aesthetics of it. The art of sculpting the body taught me that we have much more say in our condition than what our genetics would naturally afford. The fundamentals that I learned have always remained a part of my lifestyle.

In my thirties I became involved in amateur bench press meets. There’s something appealing about the pure/simple nature of benching. It is very black and white. You either lift the weight, or you don’t. Someone is either stronger than you, or they aren’t. There’s no arguing with it.

Ultimately though, no matter what your sport, or competition, you’re competing with yourself.

Brian And Tammy

By January of 1994, I was already a veteran of the fitness industry. I had worked in numerous fitness centers, been a manager of several coed clubs and even owned a facility. Here I was, in Dublin, Georgia, the owner of a new Ladies Workout Express franchise. Ladies Workout Express had recently come on the scene offering small to mid-size, full service, women only fitness clubs. As a new owner, I was eager to prove myself; plus, I needed to earn a living.

Since the club was new, I still needed to build the member base. Therefore, I was in a quest for new (and inexpensive) marketing ideas. Around that time, Oprah (Winfrey) was in the news for having transformed herself. It was widely publicized that she had enlisted the services of a personal trainer, as well as private cook. (Side note: A few years earlier, while living in Florida and going to school, I had worked solely as a personal trainer for nearly two years. While I enjoyed that aspect of the business, it was hard to do perform that role and run a club at the same time due to time constraints.) Then, a thought occurred to me. Why not offer a personal training program in the club…only exclusively (to one person)?

The idea was simple – I would run a contest. The individual who won the contest would receive the benefit of a six-week personal training and nutrition program. I promoted the contest within the club, constantly referencing Oprah and her amazing transformation. My whole idea was to play on the media attention that Oprah had received in her battle to lose weight. If I had simply offered a six-week personal training program, it would have been typical. However, by using Oprah’s experience as an example, I knew people would relate on a more personal level.

The question remained: What criteria would be used in determining the contest winner? I decided it would be the first person who brought in three new members. I made up special guest passes and handed them out to everyone, talking up the contest as often as I could. The race was on. Within a week, I had a winner…and 30 new members.

The winner was Tammy, a 24-year-old probation officer. She had recently graduated from college and gotten married. As the case with many people settling down, Tammy had gained a little weight. Now, the transformation was about to take place. I set to work designing an exercise and diet program. I had her keep a daily food journal and met with her for a minimum of one hour per day to monitor and coach her exercise routine. My project was going to succeed.

Week in and week out, Tammy worked. I was quite impressed with her commitment and intensity. (However, I wasn’t too surprised as she worked so diligently to win the competition in the first place.) Then, the day of truth came. It was time for the final weigh-in. She came by during her lunch break, removed her shoes, took a deep breath and stepped on the scale. There it was…124 pounds…her goal. In a rush of excitement, she jumped off the scale and gave me a big hug. By the time it was all said and done, Tammy had lost 14 pounds, 12% body fat and over 12 inches.

Through working with Tammy, I re-taught myself something I already knew, and something that I continue to learn, and that is this: 1) The positive power health and fitness can have on people’s lives; and 2) If we have a particular knowledge or skill in a given area, we are obligated to pass that on to others.

If you dream it! You can do it!

Jumping out of a perfectly good plane!

When I lived in Florida in the early 1990’s, I had a training partner who would always say, “…you have to move out of your comfort zone.” This phrase was acted upon whenever we would do squats. We would intentionally step back beyond the lower safety rung of the squat rack. By doing this, we would have to stand the weight back up; there was no choice.

I always liked the metaphor of this act. From time-to-time you have to move out of your comfort zone of safety. We all can become complacent. We get in a rut and routine and find ourselves just going through the motions. It’s in these moments that we need to challenge ourselves. Just as you can become stagnant in a given exercise program; you can become stagnant in anything you do consistently. This is the time to act. One way to move beyond complacency is through the sport of Skydiving.

Like many people I thought Skydiving would be a fun and challenging thing to try (once). When the idea was suggested by a friend, my immediate reaction was “great, I’ll do it.” Early one mid-Spring morning 6 of us take off for a local (small) municipal airport to take part in a 3 hour training course.

After making my first jump I immediately decided to do it again, not because I necessarily liked it, but because it challenged me. I knew immediately that this would make a great form of mental “exercise.” After making it a continuing hobby, it has. Jumping out of a so-called “perfectly good airplane” is definitely one way to challenge yourself and move beyond complacency.

Brian's father assisted him with his therapy and workouts

recovery leg lifting

Wheelchair based workout using a Blowflex type device

On October 5, 2007, I was in a very serious accident that resulted in multiple bi-lateral lower extremity fractures, as well as a burst fracture of the L2 vertebra. I had severe compression of the spinal cord (Cauda Equina) resulting in initial paralysis. The immediate prognosis was not completely known, and within seven months following the accident I underwent nine surgical procedures.

After the accident I was transported to a local hospital, then flown via helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. That night and the following morning I underwent two emergency surgeries. The first was to stabilize my feet and lower leg, and the second to remove one vertebra, two disc and install a titanium fixation, essentially 7 cm of the spine is metal. I was told that the foot surgery was more emergent due to the risk that my left foot may need to be amputated. I underwent two additional surgeries within the month to further reconstruct the bones in my feet.

I was fortunate to receive superb care from some of the most qualified and experienced trauma specialist in the state of Indiana. After spending twelve days at Methodist hospital, I was transported to The Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana were I spent the remainder of the month of October. The physical therapist and assistants there were extremely helpful and allowed me to partially direct my own rehab. I used a Bow-Flex type devise, multi-cable station designed for those in a wheelchair, as well as various dumbbells to design my routines. Within twelve days after the accident I was exercising again.

This CT scan image shows 7 cm

After being released from the hospital, I resumed a modified exercise routine at a local fitness facility. I spent the first two months in a wheelchair. Therefore, the program had to be adjusted to accommodate this situation. By December I was using a walker, and within a couple of months after that progressed to a cane.

Through it all, except after the initial accident, I would never take more than 2-3 days off from working out after a surgical procedure. Of course, I would adjust things so as to not cause injury, and I would use extremely strict and controlled movements. I would not suggest that someone immediately resume, or start, an exercise routine following an accident or surgery. I only stated that this is what was best for me personally, (Always follow the advice of a physician).

I personally believe that being in good condition prior to the accident helped to prevent further injury. Also, I believe that quickly resuming an exercise regimen added to the recovery; both physically and mentally. The value of health and fitness can not be understated.

recovery with friends