Operation Beefcake

Annnnd, I'm back...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:23:54 -0500

After a long hiatus from writing anything of value in this blog, I’ve decided to return and utilize this page for what I had first intended it to be. I want this page to be a means by which I maintain my motivation for exercising, in pursuit of beefcakiness.

With that said, I do believe I’ll continue with the uploading and reblogging of pictures, because I feel as though many of them serve as motivation for me. I have an appreciation and respect for a guy who can sculpt his body into something of incredible strength.

I’m well on my way to the body I hope for, but it will take time…and I may even post progress shots along the way.

Photo

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:10:10 -0500

James Haskell

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:01:00 -0500

James Haskell

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Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:56:00 -0500

Julian Gabriel

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:54:00 -0500

Julian Gabriel

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Sun, 09 Sep 2012 08:40:51 -0400

Photo

Sat, 05 May 2012 10:15:00 -0400

His sidepiece is one of the few tattoos I’ve seen that I...

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:13:43 -0400

His sidepiece is one of the few tattoos I’ve seen that I like.

Phoenix is coming to an end...

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:35:51 -0400

Well, my 2nd full-time clinical rotation is coming to an end, and I must say I’m a little ambivalent about it. Overall, it’s been a great time here. My CI has been phonemonal! She’s challenged me tremendously, but I feel as though I’ve succeeded in all that she’s thrown my way. She seems really impressed by my skills and has mentioned several times that she can’t believe I have another 14 months before I graduate.

I now realize how lucky I was in getting this clinical rotation. The site caters mostly to those who’ve undergone catastrophic injury. I’ve had the opportunity to work with patients with full-thickness burns, stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple fractures, and several other diagnoses. This rotation has solidified in my mind that I want to work with neurological populations upon graduation. In particular, I’ve enjoyed working with brain injured patients, and burn is always exciting.

I will say though, I’m ready to go home. I haven’t reached the point where I miss school (could I ever), but I do miss the comfort of my own home. Living with strangers can be awkward at times. And actually, when I think about getting back in the classroom, I get incredibly annoyed. Don’t get me wrong…I am far from knowing everything about physical therapy. But, I’m sick of the educational environment that my graduate program creates; the PT community at my school have an overall elitist vibe; I can’t see working at this school after graduation.

(via steve753)

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:50:16 -0400

(via steve753)

Well, I've arrived....

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:11:57 -0500

So, I’m finally in Phoenix, AZ for my 6-week clinical in subacute care! My expectations have already been exceeded with regard to my residence. The people I am staying with (grandparents of my friend; Linda and Jeffrey) have been incredibly welcoming. They’ve been really helpful in getting me oriented to the area. Their granddaughter, a friend of my brother, also took me out the first night I arrived and gave me a tour of the Tempe/ASU area.

When speaking on the phone with Linda, she told me that she has a bike I could use to get to my placement every day. She mentioned it “needed some repairs”. Upon arriving, she showed me the bike, and man…it was in awful condition. When Linda took it to the bike shop, they ended up telling her that she would be better off buying a new bike. So, she did! It’s a very adorable, completely un-masculine Electra Cruiser. It’s pretty vintage/hipster looking, but it’ll do. And honestly, the only thing that bothers me is that it doesn’t have adjustable gears, so it’s impossible to go fast on the thing. But, it has huge tires, which are ideal for riding down the AZ canal :)

Linda is a really sweet lady who is very involved in animal protection. She provides dog and cat food to people of low socioeconomic status and coordinates a TNR (trap-neuter-release) program for feral cats. Side note: she kept mentioning “feral cats” so I finally had to google search the term. It’s basically a cat that is the offspring of a domesticated cat and has returned to the “wild”. Different from a stray cat though, I guess.

"The phrase ‘compact luxury crossover’ is so drab, so marketing-speak boring, that just..."

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:28:15 -0500

““The phrase ‘compact luxury crossover’ is so drab, so marketing-speak boring, that just typing it makes me want to find the nearest conference room and toss an ergonomically correct office chair through a PowerPoint presentation.””

- Ezra Dyer, of Men’s Journal

Photo

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:34:31 -0500

People inherently suck...hard!

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:42:00 -0500

Until proven otherwise by someone’s miraculous act of selflessness, I will continue to stand firm in my belief that people inherently suck. That is all.

Why? Because she’s beautiful!

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:18:01 -0500

Why? Because she’s beautiful!

Chicago (!), Phoenix (!) and Fort Lauderdale...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:12:52 -0500

Please note the lack of exclamation point following Fort Lauderdale. It is a crucial component of this post.

Between now and April 8th, I will—pretty much—be visiting all areas of the US, with the exception of the east coast. While Ohio, and Columbus especially, is generally acceptable 90% of the time, I’m excited to have the opportunity to get out of here for a while.

First up, Chicago—From February 8-12th, I’ll be attending the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting. Conferences aren’t always the most thrilling of things to do, but I’m looking on the bright side. At the very least, I’ll get to visit one of my Chicago-native friends while in town and get free stuff from the exposition hall. I’m hoping, though, that it’ll be time well spent and I’ll have the opportunity to hear some great speakers on geriatrics and neurology.

Shortly afterward, Phoenix—6 weeks, Feb 17-Mar 30th here for a clinical rotation! Funny enough, I’ve never traveled west of Minneapolis, so I’m excited to explore the southwest. Happenstancically, my friend’s grandparents live about 10 minutes from my clinical site in Paradise Valley. From what I’ve heard, it’s a beautiful house in a prime location. They are generously letting me stay there for free! About halfway through my trip, my brother will be visiting and we’re going to visit the Grand Canyon. I can’t wait! So hopefully, in a few short weeks, I’ve have some amazing pictures to add to this blog. “Ryan and Daniel do The Grand Canyon” is bound to be an adventure.

…and then there’s Fort Lauderdale—At present, I’m less than thrilled about this trip. Partially because it’s taking place 1 day after I return from Phoenix. I know myself pretty well (ha) and I can already tell I’m going to be much too exhausted to depart on another trip. There’s also the financial factor. I’m trying to stay optimistic, but at this point, I just want to pull-out of going. But, with two friends already doing so, I feel as though my exclusion from the trip will cause the trip to not happen for those who still want to go.

Study strategies...I need some.

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:34:24 -0500

In my never ending attempt to wait until the absolute last minute to get any work done, I’ve found myself obsessing over—what I believe is—terrible music. Well, by traditional standards.

I’m in a Catch 22. I feel as though I can only study while listening to upbeat, house music. But when doing so, I find myself so distracted by singing and dancing, that I ultimately get nothing done. Conversely, if I study without headphones, I’m entirely distracted by my surrounding and people-watching that—you guessed it—nothing get’s done.

I’m 24 and in a doctoral program….and now I think I have a learning disorder, or something.

This is bodybuilder Ryan Hughes. Perfection.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:09:03 -0500

This is bodybuilder Ryan Hughes. Perfection.

And so it begins....

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:48:17 -0500

Well, I’m a little behind the times, but I’ve finally found it necessary to start a blog. Why now? Well, finals are just around the corner and I needed the perfect procrastination tactic. So, here we go….

My current thought is that my weekly posts will be geared toward my progress toward my fitness goals (like many, I presume), with the occasional inkling of humor from everyday life; the most absurd things tend to happen to me, and on an oddly frequent basis.

For now, just know this. My name is Max. Like many Americans, I obsess over body image due to the fact that I cannot seem to escape images of Mark Wahlberg, Daniel Craig and other perfectly-sculpted celebrities that plague mainstream media. However, I attempt to set realistic monthly and annual goals for myself.

So for all of you women, us men feel your pain too. Obsession with body image happens in millions of men…including myself.