2008 Beijing Olympics - These Games Will Be Remembered!

"I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time."

- Ecclesiastes 9:11

As I write this, I'm watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. I love the Olympics, and I'm saddened that the games are over. It's hard to believe that the past 17 days have gone by so quickly.

I've stayed up late each night trying to watch as many different games of the Olympics as possible. I went online and tried to catch up on things that I missed or to see the competitions that weren't shown on television such as Olympic weightlifting, some of the other track events and wrestling.

During the 2008 Olympics, we witnessed some incredible feats including Michael Phelps winning eight Olympic gold medals while setting seven new world records and one Olympic record and surpassing Mark Spitz's previous mark.

We saw Dara Torres, at 41 years of age, win a silver medal beating competitors as much as 25 years younger and missing the gold medal by one one-hundredth of a second. It was a bittersweet finish for Dara who proved that age doesn't matter and that you can be competitive at any age and win medals. Don't be surprised to see her in the 2012 Olympic games in London at age 45. Dara has also inspired thousands of people in their 30s, 40s and beyond to get back in the pool or begin strength training at the gym.

Jamaican Usain "Lightning" Bolt broke three world records and won gold medals in the 100m and 200m individual races and 4x100m relay. At 21 years of age (22 the day after breaking records and winning gold), he showed how gifted he is and how easily he was able to break these records with very little experience. He will improve tremendously in the next four years and will be something to watch in 2012.

American Bryan Clay won gold in the decathlon bringing the medal back to the United States while be dubbed the "world's greatest athlete." I wrote about Bryan Clay in a previous blog, and I'm happy to see that his faith and hard work paid off.

Another athlete I wrote about, Kerron Clement, also won a few medals during the 2008 Olympics. I was happy to see that his faith in God and the blessings bestowed upon him help carried him through the Olympics and onto the medal podium. Kerron was very excited to win silver in one of his races and was so happy to be at the Olympics.

There are many more athletes that inspired me and thousands of others including American gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, women's gold medal discus thrower Stephanie Brown Trafton, 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, the men's volleyball gold-medal team, the Lopez family and so many more!

There were also moments of sorrow during the Olympics including near misses for a medal, the men's and women's 4x100m relay teams' disqualification after dropping the batons, Lola Jones seventh-placed finish after stumbling over the ninth hurdle in the 10om hurdles among other tearful events.

Overall, the 2008 Beijing Olympics were an incredible show of athletic ability, talent, hard work and so much more from the beginning of the opening ceremonies through the last night of the closing ceremonies and the extinguishing of the Olympic torch in Beijing and the look ahead to London in 2012.

I'm sad to see that the games are now over, and we'll have to wait four more years to witness so many memorable moments and incredible stories of all the unsung heroes that exemplify what the Olympics are truly about. However, I'll forever remember the 2008 Beijing Olympic games and will look forward to the games in London in 2012.

2008 Beijing Olympics - Olympic Physiques

"All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize.... So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing." - 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

If you've been watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics, you've noticed the lean, muscular physiques of many of the athletes. It seems as though many of the athletes are leaner and more muscular now than in previous Olympics.

Certain athletes show up to the Olympics always appearing lean and muscular such as the male gymnasts, short- and middle-distance sprinters, many of the track and field athletes and the lightweight to middleweight weightlifters and wrestlers.

However, many of the athletes that are not normally as lean and muscular have come to this year's Olympics looking like super men and women. Look no further than Michael Phelps or Dara Torres. Michael Phelps has dominated the Olympics winning 8 gold medals while breaking Mark Spitz's record from 1972. The commentators have mentioned several times that he has ripped abs and muscular physique. Dara Torres, at 41, is leaner and more muscular than those competing against her, including some who are 25 years younger!

The one thing Michael Phelps and Dara Torres have in common is that they have included weight training in their routines in the recent past to prepare for this year's Olympics. They have found the benefits of strength training and it shows not only in their performances but also in their muscular and lean physiques.

Something you may find interesting is that Olympic weightlifters typically never perform any traditional cardio (try a few sets of snatches or clean and jerks and you'll find out why), yet, they tend to be muscular, lean and have very strong cardiovascular systems and incredible power. In fact, Olympic weightlifters tend to be more powerful and explosive than sprinters within the first 10 yards (and they have incredible vertical jumping ability).

If you look at the weightlifters in the lightweight through middleweight classes, almost all of them are very lean and muscular (It's just too bad that the super heavyweights are the ones typically featured in primetime). How do they get like that without cardio? Weight training and nutrition.

Gymnasts don't train with weights, however, they train using bodyweight exercises through many different ranges of motion; static, dynamic, eccentric, isometric, etc. This builds muscle and incredible strength. Gymnasts don't perform cardio, but they do perform short sprints (vault) and they stay strong, lean and muscular.

Compare the short-distance sprinters (100-400m), pole vaulters and hurdlers (60-110m) to long-distance athletes (1,500m or more), and you'll quickly see the difference in their physiques. The sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers are lean and muscular. The longer-distance athletes may be somewhat lean (especially at Olympic and professional levels), but they are not as lean and nowhere near as muscular as the sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers.

Sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers also train with weights and don't perform any long-distance cardio. Many of them don't ever sprint more than 200-400m in their training, and usually they sprint much shorter distances depending on their particular sport.

It should be clear to you by now that strength training is the key to building a lean, muscular physique. You don't have to be an Olympic athlete to get the body you want. And you don't have to perform traditional, steady-state or long-distance cardio to lose fat or stay lean. A proper nutritional plan and strength training program will help you build a lean, muscular, healthy physique.

What's holding you back?