Motivation Vacation

We have been making plans toward a move and expansion of our current gym and last weekend we were flown out to visit Tuff Stuff, an equipment company that was formerly known as Cal Gym. Thursday morning Adam and I got up and headed to the airport for our first experience of what happens inside an equipment manufacturing company. I'm usually a light traveler, but this time I had 3 bags of luggage with me. Only one was my actual luggage, one was all food, and the other was a bag of work items that I intended to address while on the trip. Considering that I had USA's around the corner, I had to bring a considerable amount of food with me for the trip so as not to throw off my prep. I was a little worried about being out of town for so many days so close to my competition, but I had decided to make the best of it and take the opportunity to relax, and focus on the most competitive show I've ever entered where I'll be up against the best of the best in the country.

Before the crack of dawn Thursday morning, we were flown into Ontario, California, picked up by, Fred, one of the Tuff Stuff reps, and carried away to the favorite lunch spot of the Tuff Stuff staff...a bar-b-cue restaurant. I ordered a plate of lettuce and ate cold chicken and peanuts that I had brought with me. The company was very informal and friendly. Pete, the vp of sales and marketing showed us around the entire facility. It was great to see how all the pieces were put together step by step and to see that so much of the process was done in house. I even had the opportunity to meet Kenny, the engineer who designs each product. Kenny is able to make any modification to the equipment that we can think of to meet our needs.

On Friday, I got up early and worked out at the Tuff Stuff showroom. Then Adam and I were on our own to run around Cali until the flight home on Monday morning. We stayed in Venice Beach Suites, which I would recommend to anyone and everyone. The front door opened right onto Ocean Front Walk, and it is 2 blocks from Muscle Beach. The room had a kitchenette and everything I needed to eat on my diet for the weekend with no worries.

I trained at the 2 most famous bodybuilding gyms in the world, Muscle Beach and Gold's International. Working out at Muscle Beach was a little surreal laying back on the bench with heavy dumbbells in hand sticking to the hot bench and looking directly up at the sun blazing down on me. I was hot and exhausted, but I had to smile. I could settle for training with limited equipment in the heat for that feeling. There were people all around one side the weight area walking along and on the other side just the ocean. Training at Gold's Gym was pretty cool too. It's not the original building, but the nostalgia was still there with giant posters of past Olympians all over the wall. There was equipment all over the place and a garage door opened on one side of the building. I worked my chest and arms for 2 hours straight and felt incredible.

I also got to hook up with my friend Raz who is from Louisville and her husband Joey. We walked from our hotel up to the Santa Monica Pier and chatted the whole way up and back. The we jumped in their car and went out to dinner. I tried to get a delicious grilled shrimp appetizer and a steak salad, but the waiter screwed everything up and I just had him take it all back and bring me a grilled chicken breast and a plain salad. It didn't matter anyway, we were with friends and having a great time.

In less than one week I'll be leaving for Las Vegas.
Stay tuned for all the outcome.