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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
RONNY ROCKEL

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who surprised the world when he took the stage at this year’s Mr. Olympia competition and finished a strong 7th place in one of the most stacked fields in bodybuilding history.

Ronny Rockel has been working his way up the bodybuilding ranks for years and now, at the age of 37, seems to be just stepping into his prime as the result of decades of intense training and focus.

Inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, like many modern bodybuilders, Rockel began training in an economically undeveloped region of East Germany – so undeveloped that gyms as we know them did not exist. Rockel built his own home gym out of various items and, while not scientifically ideal, he began the journey of shaping his body to its desired form.

As information and finances began to flow into previously undeveloped areas of Germany, Rockel found modern equipment and training techniques availing themselves to him. As he improved upon the rough approximations that had marked his earlier weightlifting techniques, he kept the drive that had pushed him to create his own makeshift gym in the first place.

It was only a matter of time before bodybuilding greatness would be at his fingertips.

Rockel won the 1995 NABBA German National Championships, then strung together three consecutive 2nd place finishes at the NABBA Mr. Universe (1998-2000). From there, he won the 2000 WABBA World Championships and was soon on the stage at the Olympia and the Arnold Classic.

While he holds victories at notable contests such as the 2006 Grand Prix Australia, this past year’s 7th place finish was his best at a contest the caliber of the Olympia (a rapid rise from 16th in 2006). And the frightening thing for his competitors is that he is still improving.

TODAY: TRICEPS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and BACK (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and CARDIO

MACHINE TRICEP EXTENSIONS (per arm) (5 sets)
50 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 8
80 x 6
60 x 10

CABLE TRICEP EXTENSION (UNDERHAND) (3 sets)
50 x 10
60 x 10
80 x 6

CABLE TRICEP EXTENSION (OVERHAND) (3 sets)
50 x 15
60 x 12
80 x 8

SUPINE ROW (5 sets)
Body x 12
Body x 12
Body x 12
Body x 10
Body x 10

WIDE GRIP CABLE PULLDOWN (3 sets)
165 x 10
165 x 10
165 x 10

CLOSE GRIP CABLE ROW (3 sets)
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10

5K RUN (TREADMILL)
22:05 / 8.5 mph

TRAINING NOTES

Felt pretty sluggish, I gotta say. I think it might be the mind that I need to train for endurance more than the body. 5K used to feel like a warm up…

As for the weights, nothing to write home about there either. I can’t say I really pushed through the pain barrier today. I’m not sure I even saw it in the distance. But I got the minimum done and I guess they can’t all be legendary workouts.

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
CHRIS DICKERSON

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who established himself as one of the most accomplished bodybuilders of all-time, and also served as a barrier-breaker, in terms of both age and race.

In 1970, Chris Dickerson became the first African-American AAU Mr. America champion and, years later, when he won his Mr. Olympia title in 1982, he became the tournament’s oldest champion at the age of 43.

An IFBB Hall of Famer, Dickerson spent several years at the peak of his sport.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger unretired in 1980 and won the Mr. Olympia crown, it was Dickerson who finished 2nd (and would have otherwise won).

Dickerson enjoyed two 2nd place Olympia finishes in addition to his victory, and also won a variety of other bodybuilding titles, including the Canada Pro Cup, Grand Prix California, Grand Prix New York, Grand Prix Louisiana, Grand Prix Washington and teh Night of Champions.

He stopped competing in 1984 but later made two notable comebacks with impressive results as his years were advancing.

In 1990, in his fifties, he placed 8th in the Arnold Classic, then took the stage once again in 1994 and placed 4th in the Masters Olympia.

TODAY: LEGS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and CALVES (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and CARDIO

LEG PRESS (INCLINE MACHINE) (5 sets)
200 x 15
300 x 15
400 x 10
400 x 10
400 x 8

STRAIGHT LEG CALF PRESS (INCLINE MACHINE) (5 sets)
130 x 12
130 x 12
150 x 12
170 x 10
180 x 8

REVERSE CALF PRESS (INCLINE MACHINE) (5 sets)
130 x 10
130 x 12
150 x 10
120 x 9
110 x 10

SINGLE LEG SQUATS (per leg) (3 sets)
Body x 10
Body x 10
Body x 10

SEATED HAMSTRING CURL (5 sets)
150 x 10
180 x 8
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

ELLIPTICAL TRAINER
- Resistance 15/20
15 Minutes / 2.71 Miles / 314 Cal

5K RUN (OUTDOORS)
- 24:38

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Legs): 13
Total Sets (Calves): 10

Supersetted Straight Leg and Reverse Calf Press.

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
HIDETADA YAMAGISHI

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who has set a new standard for his countrymen, becoming the first Japanese-born bodybuilder ever to make it to the Mr. Olympia stage.

Just last weekend, Hidetada Yamagishi took the stage and, amidst a stacked field of competitors, secured a top-ten finish with a strong 9th place Olympia finish.

It marked a trend of continual improvement for Yamagishi, who has trained his 5′5″ frame to a defined and muscle-bound 220 pounds, and a step up from his 13th place result at the 2007 Olympia contest.

Yamagishi failed to place at the 2005 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational, and since that experience has committed himself to consistently improving and refining his physique to the point where he is no longer just a deserving pro bodybuilder, but rather one of the planet’s most elite physique competitors.

As he has continued to provide inspiration and credibility for Japanese bodybuilders, he has secured an array of strong finishes on his road to the top.

Among them: 13th place at the 2007 Arnold Classic, 4th at the 2006 IFBB Grand Prix Holland, 5th at the 2007 IFBB Grand Prix Australia, 3rd at the 2007 IFBB Sacramento Pro Championships, 4th at the 2009 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational (where he had failed to place four years earlier) and 2nd at the 2009 IFBB Europa Show of Champions.

TODAY: H-I-I-T

H-I-I-T
- 30 Seconds On, 30 Seconds Off, 10.0 mph
30 Rounds

TRAINING NOTES

Total Rounds (HIIT): 30

Owww, mah back…

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
KEVIN ENGLISH

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who, this past weekend, achieved the greatest honor available in bodybuilding to a man of his height.

Give that the winners of the Mr. Olympia title tend to be well upwards of 250 pounds, equally driven and elite bodybuilders below a certain height are simply unable to attain such levels of mass without complete throwing esthetics out the window. As a result, there is a parallel Olympia competition for bodybuilders below 202 pounds. This year’s winner: Kevin English.

Following a 2nd place finish in 2008, English spent the year honing and refining his physique and presentation, with the end result being the true realization of his potential and an Olympia crown in the 202-pound class.

Amidst a highly competitive field that featured the likes of David Henry, Flex Lewis and Eduardo Correa da Silva, Kevin English was able to rise above an elite crowd when the money was on the line and etch his name into the halls of bodybuilding history.

Another standout performance in a history-making weekend for bodybuilding.

TODAY: BACK (Fast Tempo, 90 Second Rests)
and H-I-I-T

WIDE GRIP FRONT PULL-UPS (3 sets)
Body x 15
Body x 10
Body x 10

WIDE GRIP REAR PULL-UPS (3 sets)
Body x 10
Body x 8
Body x 8

BENT OVER BARBELL ROWS (3 sets)
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

SUPINE ROWS (3 sets)
Body x 12
Body x 10
Body x 10

CLOSE GRIP MACHINE PULLDOWNS (3 sets)
200 x 10
300 x 5
260 x 5

H-I-I-T
- 30 Seconds On, 30 Seconds Off, 10.0 mph
20 Rounds at 0.0 Incline

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Back): 15

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
TONEY FREEMAN

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a bodybuilder known as the X-Man for his virtually unparalleled achievement of the sought-after “X Frame” physique.

Just last night, at the age of 43, Tony Freeman showed that he can still add to his already storied physique and compete with the best, as he secured a strong 8th place finish in an absolutely stacked field at the 2009 Mr. Olympia competition.

While the main news story of the night was Jay Cutler’s history-making reclamation of his Olympia crown, it was equally impressive that Freeman was not only able to continue improving his physique at an advanced age for professional athletics, but to maintain a top-10 level in what may have been the most competitive lineup the Olympia has ever seen.

Freeman has seen his share of impressive finishes in a consistent career that runs all the way back to 1990, when he finished 4th in the tall division at Junior Mr. America.

That was just the beginning, as the X-Man would go on to win the 1993 Junior Nationals, the 2002 NPC Nationals, the 2006 and 2008 IFBB Europa Super Show, the 2007 IFPP Ironman Pro Invitational, the 2007 IFBB Sacramento Pro and the 2008 IFBB Tampa Bay Pro.

At an age where most mortals are well into their decline, Toney Freeman is ensuring that he keeps getting better, inspiring a generation of fitness athletes who, years ago, would have been accepting that their elite competition days were over.

Freeman has also finished as high as 5th at the Olympia (2008) and 3rd at the Arnold Classic (2007), with both of these high water marks coming after his 40th birthday.

TODAY: LEGS (Fast Tempo, 90 Second Rests)

SEATED LEG PRESS (FEET TOGETHER) (5 sets)
300 x 15
500 x 10
500 x 10
500 x 8
500 x 6

SINGLE LEG SQUATS (PER LEG) (3 sets)
Body x 10
Body x 10
Body x 10

QUAD EXTENSIONS (5 sets)
180 x 12
240 x 10
240 x 12
240 x 10
240 x 10

SEATED HAMSTRING CURLS (5 sets)
150 x 10
180 x 10
180 x 10
180 x 10
180 x 8

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Legs): 18

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Congratulations to Jay Cutler, who last night made bodybuilding history by becoming the first man to lose the Mr. Olympia title, then come back and win it again.

Cutler beat out a phenomenally tight and elite field, possibly the best ever assembled at Olympia, and corrected the shortcomings that saw the title momentarily slip out of his hands last year and pass to this year’s third-place finisher, Dexter Jackson.

This year’s placings:

1. Jay Cutler
2. Branch Warren
3. Dexter Jackson
4. Kai Greene
5. Phil Heath
6. Victor Martinez
7. Ronny Rockel
8. Toney Freeman
9. Hidetada Yamagishi
10. Moe Elmoussawi
11. Melvin Anthony
11. Silvio Samuel
13. Gustavo Badell
14. Dennis James
15. Markus Ruhl

Notably, Kai Greene finished 4th in his first ever appearance at the Olympia, an impressive feat, while Toney Freeman continues to impress and compete with the best at age 43.

Congratulations also to the other champions!

Kevin English – Under-202 pounds Mr. Olympia
Iris Kyle – Women’s champion
Nicole Wilkins-Lee – Figure champion
Adela Garcia – Fitness champion

TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
DORIAN YATES

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is one of the most successful bodybuilders in the history of the sport, with a run of success that paralleled that of Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.

Dorian Yates won the Mr. Olympia crown for six consecutive years, beginning in 1992, and in doing so left a legacy in terms of physique and training that will have ramifications that reverberate through the future of competitive bodybuilding.

Yates’ professional record of competition was a string of almost continual success at the highest levels. From 1990 to 1997, he recorded fifteen 1st place finishes and two 2nd places (both in his first two years) in seventeen professional competitions. He finished out his career with 14 straight wins and was the epitome of focus and dominance.

At 5′10″ tall, Dorian Yates trained himself to 270 competition-weight pounds of pure muscle, an accomplishment that heavily influenced the next generation of bodybuilders as they strove for and achieved previously undreamed-of muscle mass. Preceded as the Mr. Olympia titleholder by Lee Haney and succeeded by Ronnie Coleman, Yates was the middle chapter of two decades that were utterly dominated by three and only three men.

TODAY: DAY OFF

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Body): Zero

Activity: Rowing, 60 Minutes

Today was another one of those days off that get thrown into the schedule, the second of a couple in a row as I have been traveling and outdoors / in the wilderness for the last little bit. I’ve been focusing primarily on just getting the right nutrition to allow my body to take the best advantage of a couple days off from the weight room.

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
BOB CICHERILLO

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man I have referenced in the past as helping dispel the myth of the bodybuilder as a brainless grunting hulk.

Through his contributions to the radio show and podcast for Pro Bodybuilding Weekly, Bob Cicherillo has done a significant amount to provide an intelligent discussion of bodybuilding and has even, in the past, gone out of his way to show the masses how easily the mob can be manipulated with supplement ads and tried to instill a bit of critical thinking into the gymrat nation.

I have also referred to former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout as the King of Perseverance for his slow and steady ascent up the bodybuilding ranks. That title could also apply quite well to Bob Cicherillo, who slaved away in the gym for years and years before finally earning his pro card invitation to the Mr. Olympia competition.

After a long string of competitions, dating back to 1981, Cicherillo finally became eligible for the 2002 Mr. Olympia. Bob placed 18th, though he was already on the “seasoned” site of the competition, age-wise. And in this instance, the victory was in making it to the stage for the pinnacle of bodybuilding competitions. He also placed 11th in the 2004 Arnold Classic, once again showing that he belonged on stage among the best in the game.

Bob Cicherillo also has several bodybuilding victories to his credit, among them the AAU Mr. New York State (1983), the NPC Junior Nationals (1987), the NPC USA Championships (2000) and the Masters Pro World (2006).

This final Masters victory qualified him for the Mr. Olympia again that year, but he passed on what he predicted as a 10th place finish to act instead as the emcee of the event.

HAMMERING THE ANVIL…

Back to legs. We’re going to try to get them in more frequently than the areas that I just want to maintain. And as of late, I’ve been splitting upper and lower legs into separate days, which means they’ll be done slightly more infrequently if I don’t focus on getting them in more often. Going back later to do triceps, so that I don’t start spacing things too far apart.

TODAY: LEGS (5-1-5) and TRICEPS (5-1-5)

SEATED LEG PRESS (5 sets)
300 x 10
400 x 6
420 x 5
450 x 3
500 x 2 / 350 x 2

SINGLE LEG SQUATS (3 sets)
- Fast Tempo
Body x 10
Body x 10
Body x 10

SEATED HAMSTRING CURLS (5 sets)
105 x 10
135 x 6
150 x 6
180 x 4
210 x 2 / 120 x 4

SEATED QUAD EXTENSIONS (5 sets)
105 x 10
135 x 7
150 x 6
180 x 5
225 x 4 / 120 x 2

TWISTING DUMBBELL TRICEP KICKBACKS (3 sets)
15 x 8
15 x 7
20 x 5

SKULL CRUSHERS (SUPER CURL BAR) (5 sets)
45 x 10
45 x 8
45 x 6
65 x 4
65 x 4

UNDERHAND GRIP CABLE TRICEP PRESSDOWNS (3 sets)
30 x 7
40 x 6
50 x 4

OVERHAND GRIP CABLE TRICEP PRESSDOWNS (3 sets)
30 x 10
40 x 4
50 x 2 / 30 x 3

SEATED TRICEP EXTENSION (MACHINE) (HAMMER GRIP) (3 sets)
30 x 10
40 x 7
50 x 4

HIGH-INTENSITY-INTERVAL-TRAINING (30 seconds 10 mph / 30 seconds rest)
10 Rounds

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Legs): 18
Total Sets (Triceps): 17

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
FLEX WHEELER

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is, much like other bodybuilding greats such as Lou Ferrigno, Dave Draper and Serge Nubret, a man who never won the coveted Mr. Olympia title but became a legend of the sport nonetheless.

And when they call you “Flex,” you’d better be a legend.

Wheeler began competing in 1983 and stopped in 2001, and over the course of this period he racked up some incredible achievements.

Wheeler won the Arnold Classic four times (and finished 2nd once), in addition to which he won the Ironman Pro Invitational five times. Wheeler competed in Mr. Olympia several times, and placed as high as 2nd, doing this on three occasions. He was undoubtedly one of the premier bodybuilders of his era, and would have won on multiple occasions had he not run into the unbelievable combined championship strings of Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman (which covered a 14-year span).

One of the features of Wheeler’s story, beyond his obvious dedication and discipline, that makes him so inspiring is that in 1994, just as he was reaching his peak, he was nearly killed in a sever car accident. Following his injuries, he had to rebuild and did so with great success, returning again to the zenith of the bodybuilding world.

Other victories on Wheeler’s resume include Teen Mr. America, the NPC USA Championships, South Beach Pro, Night of Champions, Florida Cup Pro, San Jose Pro and the Hungarian Grand Prix.

HAMMERING THE ANVIL…

Back to legs, the foundation of this particular chapter.

TODAY: LEGS (5-1-5)

LEG PRESS (MACHINE) (5 sets)
300 x 10
400 x 6
420 x 5
450 x 4
500 x 2 / 350 x 2

SINGLE LEG SQUATS (per leg) (4 sets)
- Fast Tempo
Body x 10
Body x 10
Body x 10
Body x 10

SEATED HAMSTRING CURL (5 sets)
90 x 12
120 x 9
150 x 5
150 x 5
180 x 3 / 105 x 7

SEATED QUAD EXTENSION (5 sets) (different machine)
100 x 8
100 x 6
100 x 6
120 x 5
120 x 6

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Legs): 19

I was stricken with dwindling energy and motivation as the workout progressed, but got through it. It wasn’t pretty but it was sufficient to keep moving forward.

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
GUNTER SCHLIERKAMP

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who has shown the perseverance of a champion with a gradual and continuous improvement that saw him ascend to the world’s bodybuilding elite.

With a long competition history that began with victories in the European Amateur and German Championships, Gunter Schlierkamp would also go on to win the World Amateur Championships before jumping into the lion’s den of bodybuilding: The Mr. Olympia competition.

Much like the king of perseverance, Samir Bannout, Schlierkamp opened his Mr. Olympia career relatively humbly, with a 19th place finish at the 1994 contest.

Over the years to come, he would gradually improve his positioning, through 15th, 12th and 5th place finishes, before reaching his heights with a very impressive 4th place finish at the 2005 Mr. Olympia, more than a decade after his original 19th place appearance.

Gunter Schlierkamp would also fill out his resume with a victory at the 2002 GNC Show of Strength and a 4th place finish at the 2004 Arnold Classic.

Though never a Mr. Olympia champion, Schlierkamp is in good company among strong Olympia runners-up who have become bodybuilding legends nonetheless, among them Lou Ferrigno, Dave Draper, Serge Nubret and Tom Platz.

Furthermore, Schlierkamp would go on to advise one of our other training inspirations, the less-famous but equally inspiring ultra-grand-masters bodybuilder John Pasco.

HAMMERING THE ANVIL…

Shoulder time, another one of the focus areas of this program.

TODAY: SHOULDERS (5-1-5)

ARNOLD PRESS DUMBBELLS (5 sets)
30 x 10
35 x 6
35 x 5
40 x 4
50 x 3

LYING SHOULDER PRESS (MACHINE) (5 sets)
90 x 8
90 x 7
120 x 5
120 x 5
150 x 4

DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE (5 sets)
20 x 7
20 x 5
20 x 5
25 x 3
25 x 3

SEATED INCLINE FORWARD DUMBBELL RAISE (3 sets)
10 x 10
20 x 4
20 x 2 + 5 negatives

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Shoulders): 18

Hmmmm… That was not a spectacular workout but it was New Year’s Resolution busy in there and a constant struggle to find something close to the proper weight dumbbells and something to the proper equipment. In several cases, I had to settle for a rough approximation of the exercise I had originally planned for, and even then it was with undue waiting. Under the circumstances, with rapidly dwindling motivation and patience, it turned out okay.

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