People are always talking about certain books that have changed their lives for the better. Whether it be financially, spiritually, emotionally, or a combination of all three,  these books have had a significant impact on these peoples’ lives.

I have personally always found it to be silly to think that a book could actually change someone’s life though. Sure, there can be a wealth of knowledge and information to be learned in a good book, however is that information truly “life changing”?

I was always skeptical of this myself until just the other day while I was training one of my group classes and noticed a book lying out on one of our shelving units at the gym. And this was no ordinary book. It was a book that I had read front to back, not once, not twice, but three times, and studied it page for page for an entire decade. It was a book that fascinated me. It was a book that intrigued me. It was a book that I would take everywhere with me (including both the gym and the washroom). It was a book that helped develop my body. It was a booked that help formulate my career. And then it occurred to me, that this was THE book that changed my own life……

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MODERN BODYBUILDING

As many of our clients know, when it comes to diet and training, I tend to go against the grid. I don’t believe in cookie cutter workout programs and fancy weight loss fads. I don’t base results by the number on a scale or by how many calories an app tells me I’m burning. I don’t care about body fat percentages and standardized fitness tests bore me. I have a theory that if you think like a sheep and you act like a sheep, then you will forever be a sheep. Therefore when it comes to following the generic garbage that continuously gets regurgitated throughout the fitness industry, I generally just block it out.

It’s not that I think that I’m above the so-called rules of muscle gaining and fat loss. It’s just that I think it’s ludacris to believe that there is only one way and one method to do something so unique to each individual, such as transforming one’s physique and improving upon one’s health and overall quality of life.

There are and always will be multiply factors to take into consideration when designing a training program and diet plan that is customized to each individual’s specific training goals, fitness level, lifestyle, gender and numerous other components that surely cannot be compartmentalized under one giant solution of the just “Eat Less” / “Train More” mentality.

Keep It Simple Stupid

I’ve never been the smartest guy in the room. I’ve never been the best looking guy in the room. And I’ve never been the wealthiest guy in the room. But I would challenge anyone who thought that I wasn’t the hardest working guy in the room. I’ve been working ever since I was a kid. I grew up with two parents that worked full time and therefore I was fortunate enough to learn the value of having a good work ethic from a young age. This work ethic may have been installed by my parents, however the discipline to remain consistent with it was installed by something else. Something that may seem so utterly ridiculous to some people, but put be on the path to success before I even reach twenty years old. And that something was bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding – My Saving Grace

Okay, so the reality is that the Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding didn’t single handedly change my life, but it did direct me onto the right path. Keep in mind that when I first started lifting weights, there was no internet (or at least none that didn’t require a dial up tone and a 15 minute wait to hope that you get online). Message boards didn’t exist. Bro Science was around, but it wasn’t as universally available back then as it is today through fitness websites and social media outlets alike (which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing).

At the age of 15, I wanted to learn how to develop my physique. I couldn’t afford to hire a trainer and even if I could, there were no trainers at the gym that I went to. The gym I trained at was old, dark, and smelly. And I absolutely LOVED IT!!!! The training atmosphere was amazing and one that will unfortunately never be replicated again. Everyone trained hard. There were no cellphones, so selfies and texting in between sets didn’t exist.

As much as I loved training in this Golden Era of Bodybuilding, I had one problem – I didn’t know how to train. Remember, I was 15. Therefore the majority of my friends were also 15-17 and doing what most 15-17 year-olds normally do – drink alcohol, smoke weed and sleep for a large portion of the day. No one my age was in the gym training after school (or during school as I usually would do). The older guys in the gym were all very nice and supportive, however I didn’t want to disrupt their own workouts to show me how I should train. So I was left to fend for myself and like most iron virgins, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.

To be continued next week………

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance