Why You Should Compete

For me,  powerlifting has always been a passion in which I have been able to recreationally enjoy, however, when the time is right and I feel comfortable, I will always choose to compete again. I do not compete when I am not ready, and have bot competed in over a year, however, I fully intend to continue competing; I have just not been able to as life the last year has been difficult for me. However, soon again  I will compete, and I am going to delve into the reasons as to why I think everybody should compete at least once, no matter whether its a powerlifting meet, a bodybuilding or physique show, or a weightlifting competition. Competing is an incredible positive experience, and here’s why:

1. Knowledge: Competing around people, often advanced lifters or strong individuals, is a great way to obtain a vast variety of knowledge about training, meet prep, advice on form, motivational advice, and more. When I competed, I was able to learn how others water-loaded properly in order to make their weight class. I also learned how to fast prior to a meet and learned how to fuel myself throughout the day as the meet progressed. I was able to learn some techniques to crack individuals’ back in case of a cramp, and I learned how to properly spot individuals whilst squatting, which has been a knowledge that I have been able to pass onto individuals in the gym who are spotting their friends squatting.
2. Experience: Competing allows every athlete to gain experience in their field, making them a stronger athlete overall. It enables us to gain a larger amount of respect for us amongst our fellow athletes. Respect goes a  long way in this world, especially in lifting because the respect that individuals have for you regarding your accomplishments in powerlifting can help present opportunities such as sponsorships or new clients to train.
3. Motivation: Competing is very nerve wracking, but it is also extremely motivating. Prepping for a meet keeps you motivated and organized with your lifting and diet as you strive to make your weight class. However, the most motivating and awe-inspiring part of competing is that when you get up on the stage or the platform, EVERYONE cheers for you, especially if you are grinding the rep out. The weight doesn’t matter, the type lift doesn’t matter. All that matters is you, and the barbell. And even when the entire crowd does not know who you are, while watching you perform your lift, they always cheer. Its such an incredible surprising feeling as people you don’t even know are cheering for you to succeed. They are cheering for you hoping for success, and often times are ecstatic when you succeed in a lift. This has been the most humble and awe-inspiring thing I have seen in powerlifting as it made me realize that it’s not strictly about competition, and that it is more-so about bettering yourself within the sport and supporting each other as athletes as we cheer for everyone’s success, and not just our owns. This is the most important part as to why I think people should compete. The feeling you get from moments like what I have just described are so surreal and feel so incredible that I think everyone should sign up  for a meet and compete one day, because if you don’t, frankly, you’re missing out.

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out

https://www.instagram.com/p/8oU5WWjzy8/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEzpcI5Dz7Q/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

Monday Motivation – Getting Through Difficulties

This post is more-so related to life rather than balancing lifting and partying, as I want to delve into a personal experience I have been through that keeps me going, and keeps me motivated. School has always been a stressor for me as I have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder which makes it even more difficult to deal with school. I’ve always been able to put in the work, but sometimes it’s hard, and I know a lot of students can relate because lets face it, who wants to sit in a boring elective class wasting their time away listening to crap they don’t care about? No one, everybody hates class that isn’t revolved around their major, and its incredibly not motivating having to do something you hate. However, whenever I find myself in that slump, I remind myself of my bigger goals and what I want to achieve. You have to deal with bullshit to become the shit, so don’t give up no matter how hard you hate classwork or whatever other endeavor is bothering you. Push through because that’s all you can do. I’ve wanted to give up so many times because I felt as if I was wasting my time in class while I could be out in the real world chasing my dreams, despite how successful or unsuccessful I might be. However, don’t throw away your education to chase your dreams because you can do both at once. It’s extremely difficult to handle, to understand, and to deal with. But if you really care about your dream in life, you should never let something little stop you. The squat is the perfect analogy or life. When something heavy pulls you down, you grind, grind, and grind again, and then you stand up. Don’t let yourself ever lose your motivation and make that dream into a reality.

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin Out N Blackin’ Out

Lifting vs. Liquor/Beer- Don’t Let Your Hangover Steal Your Gains

Ever woken up after a binge-drinking session and feel like absolute death? Yeah, so have I. Ever get  nervous that you may lose your gains due to that hangover? Whether you have or not, I for certain have, and throughout my life and many incredible workout days paired with incredible blackout nights, I’ve learned a decent way to recover from a hangover and prevent it from affecting your gains too much. First off let me just refer to my previous article about balancing lifting and drinking, which explains about how to healthily balance the two aspects throughout your week or life. This article is very relatable but will delve deeper into a more specific aspect of balancing lifting and drinking, that aspect being the hangover. For anyone who did not read the other article, let me re-inform you that alcohol is 7kcal a gram. Whether you drink the hard liquor like Jim Lahey or you stick to your beers like Charlie Kelly, both forms of alcohol are high in calorie content. Don’t listen to your silly friends who say, “Oh beer has too many carbs,” and refuse to drink it because they think its packed  with additional carbohydrates. Its ridiculous; don’t listen to them because that simply is not true. YES, it has carbs, but not nearly as many as people simply think. An average light beer has under 10 carbohydrates in them, however heavier beers like budweiser have around 10.5 grams of carbohydrates, which is only 42 calories! Budweiser even has 1.4 grams of protein in it. About 100 calories are ALL from the alcohol calories, and the same goes for liquor; JUST because it doesn’t have many carbohydrates doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Liquor is filled with calories as its 7kcal a gram with no carbs. Yes, is has a little less caloric content than beer, but its pretty much the same, and at least beer has some protein in it! So, don’t let those common misbeliefs trump your alcohol decision choice, however I suggest beer over liquor despite the carbs because lets, face it, liquor just does you dirty and is a pure toxin, whereas some beer has polyphenols (antioxidants) and protein in them that can even make the occasional beer good for you.

Now that I’ve discussed the differences between alcohols and my personal suggestion. Now, I am going to discuss and list some tips that I have for you all that I think will be helpful to cure your hangover and help you salvage your gains the best you can.

• Try to drink some water while you’re out drinking in order to stay hydrated. NO, I’m not going to sit here and tell you to have 1 water for every beer you drink like some nerd. I’m being as real as it comes. Just drink some water when you feel like it, or at least before you go to bed.
• When waking up, drink a lot of water in order to rehydrate yourself. Eat some food- even though there may be alcohol in your system being broken down first before the caloric content of whatever food you eat. Thats because alcohol is our liver’s priority to detoxify and break down first as it is a toxin. So if there is still alcohol in your system you may store some food as fat but trust me, food the next morning will make you feel a lot better.
• Advil and whatever else kills that headache. Maybe some smoke a doobie too if you’re that type of person. I’m not encouraging drug usage to people who don’t use them, I am just giving some advice out for the people who might. I’m just being real here. No filter.
• Sweat it out – Go sweat out those toxins! Go for a run or walk or play a pickup game of hoops. You will feel like a new human being once you sweat out those toxins. I prefer basketball or simple bodybuilding workouts. People actually say lifting is the best hangover cure!
• Stay motivated: No Matter how you feel, STAY MOTIVATED and remember why you’re in your sport,  persevere, endure, and stay grinding in the gym. Don’t let that hangover get you. Remember, hangover cures and aid is not just physical, it’s mental.

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out n Blackin’ Out

Rest In Peace Rich — RIP Rich Piana

Rich Piana has died at age 46 in a medically induced coma. First off I would like to send my respect and best of wishes to the Piana family and extend my condolences. Rich Piana was in the coma after collapsing from a potential overdose, and he was a crazy dude, who had been using steroids since the age of 18, and has been an extremely controversial bodybuilder for his outrageous steroid usage which he was public about about and openly spoke about online. He would post his massive injections of multiple steroids a day with multiple injections and all different types of steroids and growth hormones and supplements, which lets sadly face it, affected his body in a negative way, though its unconfirmed that steroids were the case of his death. But Rich had always been honest and real about his usage and would safely inform people on how to use steroids. Ignorant steroid users out there can obtain help from Piana’s videos and need people like Rich to guide them through their first cycles safely. Also, he represents a principle that is present  in my website – he was always himself. He was always straight up, he never lied, he loved himself and loved trying to help others, and most importantly he was an iconic and amazing bodybuilder who was simple a cool guy. I had never been blessed to met him, but from watching him on youtube I could tell he was cool. He was always himself and always kept it real. I wish the Piana family the best, R.I.P to another legend lost this summer. Hopefully him and Prodigy are up there lifting together blasting Shook Ones II or The Learning. RI.P

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’out N Blackin’ Out

Barbells and Books- How to Handle School and Lifting

 – Phil Heath, 6x Mr Olympia, U Denver Double Major Grad and member of the Denver ball team as a shooting guard.

This post is going to be about how to handle schoolwork and lifting. I am an active student at The University of Tampa studying Human Performance with a concentration in Exercise Physiology and additionally a competitive and recreational powerlifter who trains strictly on on program, so I always have to be at the gym. It is hard to handle schoolwork and the gym, especially when I have long brutal workouts, such as 5×5 squats or long hypertrophy/Dynamic Bench days or even weightlifting and strongman and conditioning work can take me up to three hours in the gym. And I always have multiple classes a day and have to fit the time in for homework and studying after. So here is my best advice as to handle your books and  your barbells.

1. Find a day each training day where you have spare time between classes, such as in the morning or night before or after your classes, or between. Make sure you know the time and that you have enough time to train, and remember, each workout takes a different amount of time so that must be taken into consideration as well. Then fit that in-between your class schedule, and you can have gotten in your workout just on time, or early or after.
2. Do a two a day if you must. IF you’re swamped with class and schoolwork, separate your workout into two separate workouts and complete them at different times a day.
3. Try to complete homework at night time because lets face it, you don’t want to be amped up on your pre-workout of choice at night time, so save your night times for studying and work.
4. Do your work at the gym! Bring your laptop and do work in-between sets if you have to, its a last go-to option

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin Out’ n Blackin Out’

Not many people know this, but Phil Heath double majored at Denver and graduated college all while being on the basketball team for four years and then he went on towards his bodybuilding career.

How I got Into Powerlifting

I got into powerlifting in high school, but I had been serious about working out since about 8th grade when I worked out alone and saw a personal trainer. 9th grade it intensified to multiple times a week and the bodybuilding phase sailed in Tenth grade and  I became a full on meathead and bulked to 180, used every supplement you can think of, you name it.I ate tons of food and even kept whey, shaker bottles, and water bottles in the trunk of my car so at lunch I could make whey shakes. But it was always about being big AND strong, and mostly strong. I remember thinking even on Lat pulldowns at 120 lbs saying to myself, “Ok, you did this for 12 reps this week. Next week it’s 15 reps). I was always obsessed with squatting benching and deadlifting and never skipped leg day and squatted even with bad form. I always wanted a strong deadlift and big back. Back days were my favorite and I loved chest hypertrophy and chasing a stronger bench towards 225 when I was stuck at 200. (I’m at 275 now). But it was always about strength. Then my twin brother Jimmy in 12th grade got me into powerlifting, and there that ship sailed and he bodybuilding phase came to an end.We still have hypertrophy/bodybuilding days but those are necessary for growth and we do not ever intend on competing, however I will recreationally bodybuilding for enjoyment for the rest of my life and am an an active IFBB fan, as I have met Kai Greene and seen Maxx Charles. I ended up competing in 2015 for the first time. The drive for strength drove me towards powerlifting, Here are videos and pictures from my first competition, a day I’ll never forget because it showed me what the platform (reference my other article : What It’s Like to be on the platform) and powerlifting is all about.

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out
• 500.5lb fail 3rd attempt, grip slip. Second meet I nailed 500 on rd attempt and got my redemption.
• 363 lbs Squat with my Twin Jimmy, follow him on instagram at @jimmy_roel
• Last Picture is the Picture with my boys Mikey, @bergalicious_74kg, Jimmy, and my boy Ben, who lifts recreationally.
• My first meet I actually competed on the platform with Krissey Mae Cagney,the founder of Donuts and deadlifts and got the opportunity to get spotted by Sean Noriega, a USAPl Powerlifter who’s monster, @Kissmyarch. At my second meet I spotted Matt Sohmer, a young heavyweight 275+ Class lifter who attempted 826 while I was one of the spotters (he failed unfortunately).
• At my Second Meet I won 2nd place in the 183 class, though I competed under at 175) while my brother won 1st his heavier 295 (I think) class.

https://www.instagram.com/p/8_5RoQDzxF/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

https://www.instagram.com/p/8oU5WWjzy8/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

https://www.instagram.com/p/80yapnDz_F/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

The Many Gym’s and Many Influence’s I Have Gained From Visiting Them

Gyms have a special impact on a person, at least for me, they provide a relaxing or motivation or competitive or stress relieving environment where I can just be me and chase my dream.

• My first gym was with a trainer named John Romaniello (Instagram: johnromaniello , check his  site romanfitnesssystems.com/ and his book) at a Planet Fitness. John, whom later moved and wrote a book, he trained me hard and introduced me to the concept of hard work and inspired me to to go to a personal training studio called Core Fitness with my trainer Loucas Lianos, whom I  did a senior project on in high school on what it takes to open up a personal training studio. This is something I learned from Loucas. This gym taught me discipline, made me enjoy fitness and physical improvement and strove me to train at another commercial gym in 9th grade called The Training Station Athletic Clubs, where I still train at today, I trained at core fitness 2 times a week usually and once or twice alone at the Training station. I was hooked. Everywhere I went on vacation or college visits or nearby gyms I had to go. I had day passes for Equinox and a ten day pass for Bev Francis Powerhouse in Long Island, a student member Ship at Lifetime Athletic Clubs. I also had a short term gym membership with Noah Siegal’s Siege Athletics in Long Island and I compete for Elite Strength and Conditioning in Tampa, where I also used to go to an La Fitness. I visited a golds gym in Orlando and Spartansburg, an La fitness in hamden Connecticut, a gym called Old Time Fitness in the Keys, Bev Francis Powerhouse in Syosset, New York,  (Where I Met Kai Greene which was awesome and also got a glimpse of Bev Francis Herself, Maxx Charles IFBB Pro and Sadic Hadzivic), a gym in Narragansett Rhode Island Where Brandon Cambell used to train at (I saw him there), and Browns Gym, a gym in Clark Summit, PA thats is owned by famous powerlifters Jim and Janice Brown, and their gym actually sponsored the USAPl national a few years back.
• All these gyms, all these places have had impact on me. Motivation, excitement, rejuvenation, pain, struggle, anger, perseverance, strength, pushed limits, honorable meet-ups, happiness and even more. Gyms affect us a lot more than we think.
• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out
• Funny pic of me in the background of Sadik Hadzoviz’s youtube video in the white shirt.
• 

Lucas Lianos’s sight: http://www.corefitnessstudiosny.com/pages/home

 Me pushing a 550 some tire at Old Time Fitness back in lie 2014 o5 15′.

Pride Cometh Before the Fall, but Pride is What Makes us Rise to to Get it All

Everybody knows the quote “the pride cometh before the fall,” however, I have a very different insight on this quote. Pride is being proud of every piece of who you are and being unashamed of your being. It is what drives you through your passion and shows off as gloating but is it is gloating for self success because one should be proud of what one does, and even if they slip or fall and their passion suffers, their pride should fuel them to continue towards their goal and should give them the energy they need to rise from their fall and continue to be proud and be themselves. This second 405 video is my 4o5 fail and fall, but my pride and passion kept me using and I stood back up and hit 405 finally, which is the second video.

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCa6TjNDz-Z/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

https://www.instagram.com/p/8yZuanDz_v/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting

An Athlete’s Guide to Alcohol Consumption Regarding Diet

I am no registered dietician or nutritionist, I simply have a a wealth of knowledge I have obtained from leaning from specific individuals I have gotten to speak with such as Kai Greene, Noah Siegal, Chris Jones from Pumpchasers, Dr. Jacob Wilson, and have also been to NSCA conventions where I have heard Brad Schoenfeld speak. I have listened to countless videos and asked for consistent advice along the way from individuals, The Art of Lifting by Greg Nuckols and Omar Isuf, youtube videos, High School, NSCA, Bodybuilding encyclopedia books, and college courses have taught me a variety of knowledge. However, Like my previous article, “After some success It’s ok to get Wrecked,” therefore drinking is an almost culturalized event that takes place especially when some relaxation is deserved after successful sporting invents, victories, or simply in an college or adult environment. Drinking obviously is bad for us as alcohol is a toxin that weighs 7Kcal/gram. It is a toxin, meaning your body prioritizes the breakdown of alcohol before anything else it breaks down, including lactic acid which is a byproduct of glucose breakdown, therefore your body breaks down lactic acid after alcohol, prolonging the muscular soreness, and causing any food your body ate to be stored towards fat storage since the alcohol is being broken down first. An athletes best diet guide for alcohol is to inform individuals that liquor has ALMOST just as many calories as beer, however beer has a few more calories from the “massive” amount of carbs people assume to be in beer, when the 7Kcal/Gram of alcohol in liquor totals out to the amount in beer almost. Secondly, to drink enough but to a sufficient amount where you won’t develop a man bun, here are some pointer’s. Everyone wants a six pack, here’s my personal advice and experience for being able to obtain both six packs, physically, and alcoholically.

• Know that alcohol has 7kCal/Gram
• Liquor has only slightly less than beer.
• Don’t drink at night time prior to bed when possible, so alcohol calories aren’t stored overnight.
• Avoid high calorie mixed drinks and massive amounts of heavier beers. Stick to light beer and smaller amounts of liquor.
• Avoid sugar filled drinks like Smirnoff Ice, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, or Strongbow Cider are higher in sugar and higher in alcohol.
• If you drink a few a day casually, try fitting the calories into your macronutrients. Some thicker darker beers and red wine have important antioxidants in them called polyphenols which are good for heart health.
• Obviously drink a lot of water to stay hydrated if you drink frequently, and of course, make smart decisions, and don’t forget,
• ITS OKAY TO GET WRECKED AFTER SOME SUCCESS
• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out N’ Blackin’ Out

What It Feels Like to Hit a PR

A Personal record, or PR (sometimes in Australia or the UK they use the term PB, personal best), is when you hit a certain weight you have never performed before in a certain movement like squat, bench, deadlift, clean and jerk, and the snatch.This included many other albums as well. Or you can hit rep PR’s, and hi a same weight for more reps than you previously have performed on those reps before. Hitting PR’s is an almost indescribable feeling, as the goal you care about and are working towards is self improvement. And Hitting a PR,, hitting a weight you have never done before, that allows you to literally watch your self-improvement and track yourself becoming a better a stronger individual. It is a feeling of euphoria and success and in that moment you know you just became a better person, even if it is in the slightest.

• Tommy Roel
• Maxin’ Out’ n Blackin’
• Below is an example of some rep work.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTpe0bSFoIx/?taken-by=roel_powerlifting