Chinese American Bodybuilder

When I started bodybuilding I would flip through magazines and realized none of the guys looked like me. I looked up to guys like Arnold and Ronnie Coleman but none of their stories resonated with me. They didn't grow up with a mom who wanted her son to be an engineer. I realized in high school that if I wanted to be an athlete I would have to blaze my own path.

I don't want people to say "Wow, he's a good a bodybuilder for an Asian guy". I just want to be known as a good bodybuilder, period. But, I do want people to see my race because I have had unique challenges. To not see my race is to disregard the difficulty of having to explain to my friends and family why I want to be a bodybuilder. I have had to challenge my own parents who weren't sure I could succeed in a sport where no one looked like me. For most of my career people questioned how big a guy with Chinese genes could even get.

In my first show I was asked if I wanted to wear my glasses on stage. I did because I felt like it signified my unique personal journey. I want people to rethink how they think of a Chinese American guy with glasses.

Total Weight Lifted

For muscle gain, you are trying to work for more total weight lifted. You are actually doing more work when you bench press 200lbs. 10 times  than if you did 300lbs. 3 times.

200lbs. 5 sets of 10 = 10,000lbs. Total Weight Lifted

300lbs. 5 sets of 3 = 4,500lbs. Total Weight Lifted.

#MathMatters

Natural Olympia Recap Day 1

The first day of Olympia felt pretty long. We picked up Mark Torvinen and struggled to get his wheelchair into my Camry. Having Mark as a teammate has helped me realize how we don't design cars to accommodate the needs of the disabled and how difficult it is for someone with special needs to travel.

I brought all my food with me to Vegas because I was coming off my carb depletion and filling back in by snacking on yams all day. I also had cooked steak with me in the car and ate that throughout the day. All this food was prepared without salt to avoid water retention. For the rest of the night Jon Tsui and I ate ground turkey and I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It worked out pretty well because it was a good balance of fat and carbs. It filled in my muscle bellies pretty well and I stopped looking flat after so many days of cardio and carb depletion. I'm thankful that Jon thought ahead and we prepared everything off a George Foreman grill in the hotel room haha.

The night of registration was pretty fun because I got to see a lot of old friends. What is great about natural bodybuilding is that it is a small community and I have known some of these guys for years now. It was especially good to see my friend Vincent who competes in Masters physique. We have been prayer partners through these last few weeks getting ready for the show and it was good to be able to see the other person in the flesh and to encourage one another to honor God in the show.

Lessons from Shanghai

I am back in San Diego and reflecting on my time in Shanghai.

First, I am thankful to God who has given me an opportunity to live a life for others. Jesus has provided me an example of what it means to visit the broken-hearted and he has given me the strength to do something with the blessings I have been given. This trip would not have been possible without all the partners that God has provided us both in the U.S. and China. From our supporters from our home churches to the translators in China, this has really been a ministry that was only possible because we all came together.

The hardest part of being back is coming back to my comfortable life in San Diego and thinking about how hard their lives are in Gao Yao. Some of the women who we serve are working at companies that are having them work 10 hour days with only 2 days off a month. Not only that but they have to do the same amount of work as those who are not disabled. I will continue to pray and think about how I can grow Renewal Cards to help provide them a better life.

http://www.gofundme.com/suf3n8

Bodybuilder on a Mission

This is my first year as a Professional Bodybuilder. But I feel like I have been called to do more than just compete at a high level. I think sports are a platform for us to give back and to inspire others. One of the groups I want to inspire are orphans and those with disabilities. 





For the last 10 years I have been working in Shanghai China. In that time I have made many friendships with kids who have been abandoned and left to the orphanage system. A lot of these kids are abandoned because of China's one child policy. Many families do not want their only child to be one with a disability. Many families are ill-equipped to help their children with disabilities and it causes a lot of social shame. That is one thing I noticed whenever I took pictures with any of them. All of them learned to hide their disabilities by shrinking away or hiding a deformed part with clothing.


I think that there are ways to help those with disabilities in Shanghai, China. Part of the answer is just mentoring them and investing in them. One of the stories that encourages me is about Connie.

I remember going for a run one morning and some of the girls wanted to come along. Many of them have never run before so they just did a combination of running and walking. Connie though was pushing a nine minute pace without really trying. I then challenged her to push the pace to seven minutes a mile and see how she would do. She ended up running really comfortably at a seven minute mile pace and I knew that I wanted to get encourage her to continue running. Seven years later she is still a runner. She sees herself as an athlete. That is a huge change for someone who has been told that she is a cripple her entire life.

People don't have to live in the belief that they are worthless. I think for a lot of the orphan and disabled people in Shanghai, China they just need someone to come along and help them understand all the ways that they are still blessed and gifted despite their disability. This is why I want to go to Shanghai this summer and be a mentor to them.




I could not have become a Professional Bodybuilder without people coaching and mentoring me. Now I have the chance to give back and really empower a population that many people overlook. Please join me in my mission to mentor orphans with disabilities in Shanghai, China. I will be leading a team there in June and in December. You can join us by being part of our support team!

Social Media Missionaries

Here's the Powerpoint for the workshop: https://www.icloud.com/keynote/AwBWCAESEI-W9K9YRUcPz7T0hLfU6bgaKg5rx6kfb1cHG3iNXKEFNTGEZGxu6Q6_gvbdeE5Dis9s9gsx-dVEC1yXAwMCUCAQEEIGo12ZgZasXjw5QZYAYf_10lfNk7gLtoPBuKhipvYGl3#Presentation_3

Unique Handmade Chinese Papercut Cards that will also provide employment for Orphans and the Disabled.

http://renewalmissionsinc.tumblr.com/Buy%20Papercut%20Cards

Pre-Order Cards Here

Unique Handmade Chinese Papercut Cards that will also provide employment for Orphans and the Disabled.

(Choose card design when they are ready to ship)

Click below to go to the pre-order form

Or you can mail in this pre-order form and pay by check:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n3t3r4zk1otj5lo/Pre-Order%20FormPDF.pdf?dl=0

Stop giving your loved ones cards that they have seen before and will probably be throwing in the trash a few minutes later. Give them something unique, handmade and something that they want to keep around even after occasion is over.  

I have been working in Shanghai China for over 10 years. I have seen many creative projects but the thing that intrigued me the most where these Papercut cards. 

Chinese paper cutting is a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. The Chinese invented paper and during the Tang Dynasty they started to use this process to make art. 

 Each card is made individually and takes sometimes hours of work. It results in a product that is elegant and unique. When you see a paper cut card for the first time you can understand why traditional greeting cards do not sell very well in China.  

I want to bring Chinese Papercut cards to everyone. I want people to experience truly amazing greeting cards. Not only that, but I want to give meaningful employment to the makers of these cards. I have had the opportunity to mentor many orphans and disabled people in China. One of the greatest needs of that community is employment. These cards take hours of training, and we will not only be providing employment but we are empowering them to do something truly amazing. 

Your support of this project does not only get you great cards but you will get a chance to empower adult orphans and the disabled.

Video on the history of Chinese Papercutting

Backers will choose from a list of designs. Here are a few examples of what may be available.