Author: Duane Burlingame

There are many champions in life that we never hear about. We read in the news and see on television the many teams that win championships. Like the Nascar driver that wins the big race or the athlete who hits the most home runs. Many people idolize them and lots of children look up to them, but should they? We seem to see something in the news anytime a pro athlete does something illegal. For all the kids that look up to them, it can be very damaging emotionally when they hear of something bad in the news. We all…

What does it take to compete in a weightlifting event? Like any sport, the first thing is dedication and heart. If you have those two things, you will have much better success in what you do. The next thing is knowledge. You need to learn as much about the sport as possible. To be a competitive lifter, you will have to take not only your body to its limits, but also your mind. Your training throughout the year is what will determine how you do on meet day. I tell all the lifters I train that if they do their…

As parents, we want the best for our children. We want to see them happy and healthy so they can live a long life. With that said, our children learn what they live. If they are being raised in a violent home with parents yelling and swearing, then they will eventually think that behavior is normal and do that themselves. If they are in a negative environment, they will grow up with that type of negativity. We can’t afford to let our children be educated by television, peers, video games, music or anything else. Parents need to be a positive…

I’m not talking about a six pack you buy in the store! Many people who exercise never get that tight washboard abdominal look they want. Those ripped, six pack abs. They try and try but never seem to be able to get that look. You will see advertisements on television all the time with models demonstrating a product to try to influence people into thinking they got their six pack abs from their product as they are all in great shape. So what’s the answer? The bottom line is this. We have to shed the body fat to see the…

Our children learn from example. They learn from the Internet, television, their peers and the magazines they read. Information is available in any area, but are they looking to make good choices from the information they take in? As a child, most do not know what good choices are. As far as that goes, many adults don’t know what good choices are either. All parents have an obligation to teach their children what is good for them emotionally, physically and spiritually. We can’t assume our children will know what is good for them or what is bad for them. We…

Have you ever felt that no matter what you do, you can’t seem to gain quality body weight, muscle size or even strength. What should you do? Well, the building blocks of your foundation that is your physique, are your nutrition, training, rest, supplementation and attitude. Take a good look at all these areas and see what you need to improve on. If you’re using the same training program and not getting results, its obvious you need to change it. If you’re not gaining any quality body weight, you are more than likely not eating enough of the right foods…

I was once a thin man myself with very low self-esteem and poor athletic skills weighing in at about 150 pounds at 6’2″. I was very unhappy about my physique. I tried out for sports but sat on the bench 90% of the time. In grade school, I would be one of the last kids picked for sports in gym class. What a terrible feeling that was! I took up the sport of motocross and speedway racing for 7 years doing some weightlifting for upper body strength. After I walked away from motocross, I got more involved in wanting to…

I have helped a few athletes compete in both fitness, bodybuilding and powerlifting. Of those I helped in fitness and bodybuilding, one went on to get a pro card in fitness and the male I trained for his first bodybuilding competition placed in the top 5. The female I trained for her first bodybuilding competition won her class and the overall! In powerlifting, my lifters have either placed in or won National and World titles. Once you have made the decision that you want to compete in a Fitness or Bodybuilding competition, you will need to pick a competition. Depending…

As a young man growing up, I did not like my physique at all. I was one of those skinny guys with a fast metabolism. I never ate right as a kid which I imagine was part of my issue. Having such a hard time putting on muscle, I ended up reading everything I could get my hands on about training and nutrition. I made mistakes on the way by trying to do workout routines that were for far advanced lifters and people who used steroids. Those routines, I quickly learned were not for me. I also learned that many…

When most of us think about fitness, it’s usually about weight loss or making changes to our bodies along with some health benefits. However, there are many things fitness will affect in our lives which will help us become a stronger person. Through fitness and eating healthier, we become a stronger person within. We are able to realize that we can set new goals in different areas of our lives and reach them. Our confidence and discipline has no boundaries as we truly become a new person through the years. We can become a person with energy, a positive attitude,…