~25 min jog
2x10 @ 20# curls
1x10 @ 35# db chest
1x10 @ 35# dumbbell press
2x25 decline sit ups
~25 min jog
2x10 @ 15# lateral raises
2x10 @ 15# front raises
2x25 decline situps
~25 min jog
3x10 @ 25# db chest
2x10 @ 20# curls
35 decline sit ups
Over the last few days - random push ups
5/13 - 2x25 pushups
45-60 min jog.
How does a planned 20 min. jog turn into 45-60 min? Fly out to England, jog out a little, circle back, over shoot, inadvertantly cross the Thames, ask a lady how to get back (at the end of the road and to the right) to the Tube station by your hotel, listen carefully as she repeats the station you mentioned and then proceeds to give you directions to a different station, wander around some more, run through a market, ask couple manning an egg stand in a market (at the end of the road and to the right), listen carefully as they argue and give you different directions that both boil down to 'down the road and to the right', cross the Thames again, and finally get back. Thank you to the couple who managed to point me in the right direction at the end.
Come to think of it, the security guard who pointed me to a taxi stand the other night said 'down the road and to the right' and that was a bum steer, too. What's up with that? Two out of three 'down the road and to the right's are wrong.
4/17
10 pull ups? don't remember. definitely did something this day, but not much.
4/18
3x15 sit ups
3x10 @ 25# db chest
4/19
10 pull ups
4/20
10 pull ups
4/14
10 pull ups
2x25 sit ups
4/16
3x10 sit ups
3x10 @ 25# decline press
3x10 @25# db chest (no longer rotating on press segment)
4/11
10 pull ups
25 sit ups
4/12
10 pull ups
(early morning all day mtg left me pretty tired)
3x10 situps
3x10 decline dumbell press @ 20# each
10 135° flies, 10 90° flies, 10 rotating regular bench @ 20# each (herein referred to like "1 x 10 @ 20# db chest")
January - February
-some push ups and some sit ups
4/07
10 pull ups
4/08
~ 2 miles @ ~11 min pace
10 pull ups
4/09
10 pull ups
25 sit ups
11/15 - 10pu/8cu
11/16 - 10pu/8cu
11/17 - 10pu/8cu
3x10@15# curls, front raises, side raises
3x10@35# shoulder shrugs
75 decline sit ups
Shoulders were hurting like crazy after. Felt better the next day. Over did it on the sit ups. Took 4 days for my stomach/ribs to stop feeling like they were bruised.
11/11 - 10 pull ups/6 chin ups
11/12 - 10 pu/7 cu
11/13 - 10 pu/8 cu
11/14 - 10 pu/8 cu
Working on keeping good form.
Time to get back on the horse. Starting to get chubby again and this time my pecs have totally disappeared. That's worrisome. No longer at a company that has a gym so I set up a pretty sweet and $$$ efficient home gym. Going to incorporate a daily morning set of pull up and chin ups (and maybe other stuff, possibly the whole routine). 10 pull ups yesterday, 10 pull ups and 10 chin ups today. Probably not the most careful form.
25 min interval training. 140-170 bpm range, same as last time. 2.1 miles.
~18 min interval training on treadmill. Heart rate moved from 140-160s, up and down, until the time was up. About 1.6 miles.
15 min jog. ~1.5 mi. Dusted off heart rate monitor and kept heart rate around 168-170 bpm.
My Polar heart rate monitor works with the tread mill. How cool is that? No more clunky watch for me. And no more not knowing my heart rate until I'm walking and the machine stops complaining that holding the handles while running is dangerous.
1 mile
3x10 pushups, 3x15 crunches throughout run
Tried a 7:30AM workout w/ joclin. Not too agonizing. Will try out this morning thing some more.
1.5 miles - 11 min pace
bench press - 10 @ 110#, 8 @ 120#, 6 @ 130#, 4 @ 140#, 2 @ 150#
curls - 10 @ 20#, 15#, 9 @ 20#
crunches - 3 x 25
1 mile - 11min pace
bench press - 10 @ 90#, 10 @ 110#, 6 @ 130#, 4 @ 150#
crunches - 3 x 25
curls - 3 x 10 @ 20#
man, it took me about a week to quit hurting from last week's workout... i'm eating a banana today.
1 mile - 11min pace
bench press - 10 @ 130#, 90#, 110#
curls - 3 x 10 @ 15#
decline situps - 2 x 25
so weak.
2 mi run - 9:30 pace
4x15 pushups, 4x20 situps, 3x3 pullups
I'm getting to the point where the run isn't as hard physically as it is mentally. When I see the 1 mile point coming up, I start thinking, 'you know, one mile is probably just as good as two.' When I see the 1.5 mile point coming up, I start thinking, 'wow, this is even better than 1 mile so it's ok to stop now and do all those other things you need to do.' I think it'd help a lot if either I was chasing something or something was chasing me.
2 mi run - 9:30 pace
4x15 pushups, 4x20 situps, 3x3 pullups
breakfast: bowl of smart start: antioxidant cereal w/ lucerne lactose free reduced fat (2%) milk
lunch: wendy's #1 with chilli+onions+2 packs of crackers+2packs of hot sauce instead of fries. their hot sauce isn't very hot. at least not mixed in w/ the chilli.
dinner: planning to mooch curry off of neil. mooch, mooch.
2 cokes. more at starcraft tonight.
2 mi run - 9:30 pace (slowed down quite a bit between 1mi and 1.1 mi, the machine said this made my overall pace 10 min/mi, but I think that's a bunch of crap)
4x15 pushups, 4x20 situps, 3x3 pullups
pretty tough today...
lunch: chicken whopper + pickles, chili, jalapeno poppers (note: BK's poppers are not like those elsewhere [filled w/ cheese and fried]. they're just pickled whole jalapenos. kinda hot.)
dinner: half a falafel and half a lamb wrap.
3 cokes, 1/2 a mt. dew.
2 mi run - 9:30 pace (quick water break after one mile)
4x15 pushups, 4x20 situps, 3x3 pullups
breakfast: chicken whopper + pickles
lunch: taco bell mexican pizza and tostada (what is a tostada you ask? i didn't know either. imagine a cruchy taco w/ refried beans instead of beef and a flat shell that isn't folded up.)
dinner: small portions of duck, couscous, chicken, carrots, hot dog, pickle. i like pickles.
at least one dr. pepper and one mt. dew. the coke machine is evil. some days it takes its time when i ask for a coke. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. plop. it seems to take especially long when i've been drinking a lot of coke (as if it were hoping i'd go away). some days its empty, but it won't tell me w/o going through an extended ritual first. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. ehhh, errrr, clunk, brrh. sold out. i get the feeling that the coke machine is just holding out on me. am i so close to getting diabetes that even the coke machine is worried about my health? the pepsi machine sure doesn't care. it spits out mt. dews and dr. peppers as soon as i touch the buttons.
2 miles @ <10:00 min/mi (9:30 for first mile, 12 for a little while, then back to 9:30)
4x15 pushups (1st was 20, forgot that I was supposed to do 15)
4x20 situps
9 pullups (did it all after the other stuff, another guy was using the station)
Lunch: Q-Cup fried chicken bits and sweet potato french fries + sweet iced green tea
Dinner (prediction): leftover lunch + leftover curry and pad thai from last night. mmm...
2 miles @ 10:00 min/mi (9:30 for first mile, slower for the second)
4x15 pushups
4x20 situps
3x3 pullups
Lunch: In-n-Out double double animal style?
Dinner: sushi? (this is what I get for not writing this stuff down when it happens)
2 miles @ 10:14 min/mi (9:30 for first mile, slower for the second)
4x15 pushups
4x20 situps
3x3 pullups
Lunch: pad thai
Dinner: Boston Market - most of half a chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a little cornbread
Coke: around 4 or 5. maybe a little more. it was a StarCraft night.
Going to do this for the next couple of weeks as a prep for the SEAL-inspired workout I'm trying out. I figure that the holiday travel is going to break up any chance of a regular workout routine so I'll just do this one when I find the time. The start of the new year will begin the progression from these easier workouts to the more difficult ones.
Don't know if it was the long break in my workout routine or just being weak, but this workout was deceptively difficult. Looking at it, I knew the run would be hard (target pace is 8:30 min/mi) because I've never been much of a distance runner even when I was in shape. I expected the rest of it to be a breeze. Back in middle school when we had those national fitness test days, I could do 60 situps in a minute without really getting tired, and I know I was able to do about 75 pushups straight. The last set of pushups and situps today was kinda hard. It's kinda sad when you realize that your eighth grade doppelganger might be able to beat up your current self. I guess PE was actually useful.
Been on a bit of a workout holiday for the last month or so. This might be a good new routine to try out. No weights, lots more aerobic activity.
Same workout, different format.
back extensions - 3 x 20
bench - pyramid
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 35#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 20#
curls - 7's @ 20#
brunch - BK Spicy Chicken Tendercrisp
dinner - Chili's ribs, buffalo wings, shrimp, country fried steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn on the cob. (partial portions of all)
back extensions - 3 x 20
bench - pyramid
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 35#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
curls - 2 x 10, 5 @ 25#
5 Cokes.
brunch - BK Chicken Whopper (when did they change the name from BK Broiler? And why the heck's it so expensive?)
dinner - Arby's Giant roast beef sandwich and 4 jalapeno poppers. Was going to abbreviate roast beef as rb. Haha, I get the name of the company now.
back extensions - 3 x 20
bench - odd sets of the pyramid
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 35#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
curls - 2 x 10 @ 25#
back extensions - 3 x 20
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
bench - pyramid (small failure at set 3/5)
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 35#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches
curls - 2 x 10, 8 @ 25#
breakfast - croissant
lunch - leftover kraft mac and cheese + half a can of spam + ketchup and tabasco
1 Coke.
Felt pretty tired today. Croissants give me no power. Need kalbi for power lifting.
back extensions - 3 x 20
bench - correct pyramid (10@145#, 8@155#, 6@170#, 4@180#, 2@190#)
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 35#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
curls - 3 x 8-10 @ 25#, 25#, 25#
bench - 10x145#, 8x165#, 6x180#, 4x190# (had to take a couple second break in the middle of this one), 2x200# (the amounts used are all wrong (mostly overweight, but still able to push it, KALBI POWER!) because i was doing the math in my head and i was already in meathead mode)
decline flies - 3x10 @ 30#
decline crunches- 3x25
curls - 8 @ 30#, 8 @ 25#, 10 @ 20# (last two sets using an inclined bench as a guide. saw another guy doing it. good replacement idea since there's no preacher curl area.)
jog - 15 min @ 5 mph
breakfast - 2 slices of toast, one buttered, one jammed (apricot preserves)
lunch - pile-o-rice and leftover kalbi
dinner - sandwich with 7 rounds of salami and several goodly sized pieces of sharp cheddar, tostitos and salsa, one dark chocolate petit l'ecolier
Cokes: a few. don't remember exactly.
Regarding the toast. My toaster is teaching me the lesson that you get what you pay for. It over-toasts one corner and under-toasts the opposite corner. It's even worse when you put in another pair of slices right after. The second batch ends up with a burnt corner and a stale-bread corner (harder, but no change in color).
Whew. Talk about a long break from working out.
bench - maxed. 210#. Pleased as punch about the 40# increase.
curls - 8 @ 30#
side lateral raises - 10 @ 15#
run - 15 min @ 5.5 mph
Going to start focusing on aerobic exercise again this month. After a month of building muscle, it's time to put it to use. Fat loss is within reach!
I've read that aerobic fitness deteriorates much more quickly than anaerobic fitness (days versus several weeks). After the run today (on the machine that takes your pulse), I have absolute faith in that finding. When I stopped running a few weeks ago, a 6 mph run kept my heart rate around 160 beats per minute (bpm) (at the upper end of the "target" training range), but today's 5.5 mph run had my heart rate at 170+ bpm (above the target training range). Compare that to a mere 30# loss in bench after 4-5 years. Years. Jeez.
Lunch - 6" roasted pork loin sub on white with provalone from Albertson's grocery store
Dinner - brown/white rice + broiled salmon w/ butter and capers
2 Cokes, 1 Mountain Dew. Prolly more Cokes for working on koko tonight.
Earlier this week I had a BK Whopper and some KFC (accidentally discovered a Tuesday special on leg + thigh + biscuit for ~$1.70, ~$2.90 normally).
back extensions - 3 x 20
bench - pyramid
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 30#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
curls - 3 x 8 @ 30#, 25#, 25#
front lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 20#
tricep pushdowns - 2 x 10 @ 70#
lunch - taco bell spicy chicken taco, spicy chicken burrito, fiesta potatoes (fried potatoes covered in fake cheese goo and sour cream, yum)
dinner - half a peanut butter and apricot preserve sandwich on wheat, some pieces of mooncake, and half a chicken steak rice plate from tapioca express
5 Cokes.
bench - pyramid
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
front lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 20#
curls - 10 @ 25#, 5 @ 30# - 2 @ 25#, 8 @ 25#
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 10 @ 70#
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 30#
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches, 3 x 25 frog crunches
back extensions - 3 x 20
brunch - whopper
snack - cup of honey nut cheerios
dinner - thawing some chicken, prolly going to have that with some rice
2 Cokes.
leg press - pyramid
shoulder shrugs - 3 x 10 @ 50#
upright rows - 3 x 10 @ 35#
calf raises - 3 x 15 @ 110#
lat pulldowns - 3 x 10 @ 110#
one arm dumbell rows - 3 x 10 @ 40#
decline crossover crunches - 2 x 25
sidebends - 2 x 10 @ 50#
breakfast - 3 slices of wheat bread with cream cheese and smoked salmon
lunch - wendy's caesar side salad and jr. deluxe cheeseburger
dinner - pile-o spicy nacho doritos, 1.5 slices of wheat toast with cream cheese and salmon
3 Cokes.
bench - pyramid
side lateral raises - 3 x 8-10 @ 15#
front lateral raises - 10 @ 20#
curls - 3 x 8-10 @ 25#, 20#
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 10 @ 60#
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 30# (as i slide down, my shorts always feel like they're on the verge of sliding off.)
abs - 3 x 25 decline crunches. (lots easier than full sit ups)
back extensions - 3 x 15
breakfast - wheat bread toast + cream cheese + home-smoked salmon (more on the smoking later)
lunch - small steakhouse dip sub from quiznos (basically a french onion dip sandwich), small bag-o salt and vinegar chips
snack - cup of honey nut cheerios
dinner - half a spicy monterey club and half a black angus steak sub from quiznos
4 Cokes.
bench - pyramid. it's getting easier.
side lateral raises - 3 x 8-10 @ 15#
front lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#
curls - 8 @ 30#, 5 @ 25#, (2 @ 30#, 1 @ 25#, 2 @ 20#)
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 10 @ 60#
decline dumbell flies - 3 x 10 @ 25#, 30#, 30# (the hardest part is getting on the apparatus w/ no hands since they're holding the dumbbells.)
abs - 3 x 15 decline situps.
back extensions - 2 x 20(+5) (an extra 5 after a couple seconds rest)
lunch - banana, double double animal style from in-n-out.
1 Coke.
I was lucky today. I got the last towel available in the men's locker room. Some snafu w/ the towel delivery service is leaving the gym with no new towels until noon tomorrow. I didn't even notice the sign when I came in and changed or I would have grabbed one of the 3 left and saved it in my locker. As it is, I got lucky. I wonder what the next guy who doesn't notice the sign is going to do?
leg press - pyramid
shoulder shrugs - 8 or 10 @ 40#, 45#, 50#
upright rows - 3 x 10 @ 30#
calf raises - 5 x 10 @ 115#, 110#, 110#, 100#, 90#
lat pulldowns - 3 x 8-10 @ 120#
bent over rows - 3 x 10 @ 30#
one arm dumbell rows - 3 x 8 @ 40#
decline crossover situps - 1 x 25 (really hard... i used to think these were totally easy in high school.)
sidebends - 3 x 10 @ 40#
shin flexes - 3 x 15 sec
reverse wrist curls - 3 x 10 @ 10#
breakfast/lunch - 2 sprouted wheat bagels, 1 small block of sharp white cheddar (about the same size as 2-3 tablespoons of butter), 1 banana
dinner - big mac meal
4 Cokes.
bench - odds of pyramid. 10, 6, 2.
side lateral raises - 2 x 10 @ 15/10#
curls - 2 x 8 @ 25#, 20#
abs - 1 x 25 crunches, and frog crunches.
back extensions - 3 x 15
super duper abbreviated. hungry, wanted to be home.
breakfast - sprouted wheat bagel w/ 9 rounds of salami, and a bit-o-cream cheese.
dinner - 1/2 can of kidney beans w/ ketchup and hot sauce, large salad (half a head of lettuce + 1/2 a carrot + 1 tomato + some salami + low fat ceasar), half a sprouted wheat bagel + dijon + sharp white cheddar + 3 rounds of salami
post-dinner snack - a couple tortilla chips and some fresh hot salsa
bench - odds of pyramid. 10, 6, 2.
side lateral raises - 2 x 10 @ 15/10#
curls - 2 x 8 @ 25#, 20#
abs - 1 x 25 crunches, and frog crunches.
back extensions - 3 x 15
super duper abbreviated. hungry, wanted to be home.
breakfast - sprouted wheat bagel w/ 9 rounds of salami, and a bit-o-cream cheese.
dinner - 1/2 can of kidney beans w/ ketchup and hot sauce, large salad (half a head of lettuce + 1/2 a carrot + 1 tomato + some salami + low fat ceasar), half a sprouted wheat bagel + dijon + sharp white cheddar + 3 rounds of salami
post-dinner snack - a couple tortilla chips and some fresh hot salsa
leg press - pyramid.
calf raises - 3 sets of 15 @ 100#
lat pulldowns - 3x8-10@120#, 100#
one arm dumbbell rows - 3x10 @ 35#
bentover lat raises - 3x10 @ 10#
shoulder shrugs - 3x10 @ 35#, 40#
crossover crunches - 3 sets of 25
sidebends w/ dumbbells - 3x10 @ 35#, 40#
15 minutes on treadmill - 5.5 mph
breakfast: instant oatmeal.
lunch: rice + chicken and mushrooms.
dinner: 1 can of tuna, 1 can of peas, 1/2 can of kidney beans, and ketchup. 1/2 of one twix, one caramel bite.
4 Cokes.
Also, swam a little last Saturday at Spencer's.
Stumbled across a site with a comprehensive list of exercises and stretches organized by muscle. The pages even have animated images to show proper form. Cool.
bench - pyramid. (i misplaced my cards, so i'm just guessing on the weights.)
cable flies - 3 x 10 @ 30/40# (cable flies are great. this gym is only set up to do one side at a time, tho. doing both sides at once feels better. i think it's easier to keep good, even form.)
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15/10#
front lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15/10#
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 10 @ 60/50/40#
curls - 25#, 30#, 25#
abs - 3 x 25 reps of crunches, cross-crunches, and frog crunches. (i don't think i'm going to put everything together like that again.)
one arm dumbbell rows - 3 sets of 10 @ 25#, 30#, 35#
lat pulldowns - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 100#
forgot my flipflops today. hopefully, i'll escape the ravages of athelete's foot. i don't think i've ever seen anyone else wear flipflops, tho. how is that possible? aren't they afraid? i have seen a can of tinactin on the counter, so clearly someone has it.
no workout yesterday. got to the gym, then realized i had forgotten my shorts. when you forget your flipflops, you can still workout. when you forget your shorts, i don't think they let you work out.
no run. i might get into a running mood sometime later, but right now, i'm more motivated by thoughts of bigger vanity muscles than thoughts of better defined muscles.
bench - pyramid. (much easier than on saturday. maybe it's easier on the guides. maybe it's the couple of days rest.)
flies - 3 x 10 @ 30#
side lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 15#, 10#, 15#
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 8 @ 60#, 70#
curls - r.p.t.e. 25#, then another pitiful set that's not worth detailing
abs - 3 x 25 reps of both crunches and frog crunches
rumanian lift - 1 x 10 @ 35# (if you don't bend your back a little, you're really just working your legs, but the point is to work your back. if you do bend your back, it's not the most comfortable thing. maybe i'll just try less weight. also, doing this w/ dumbbells is a pain.)
reverse abs - 3 x 10
6 minutes on treadmill @ 6 mph
so, there was this fire alarm this morning. i walked out (with my gym clothes, of course. screw the laptop. burn, baby, burn.) and gawked at the building with the rest of the crowd for a little while. decided i was bored and went to go workout. i figured by the time i was done, there'd probably be some indication as to whether or not something was going on (it turned out to be a false alarm). as i'm working out, i'm thinking about the fact that i pretty much went to work, had just enough time to check email, and then went to the gym. so the run got cut short. i was already hitting the 1 hour mark by the time i was done lifting. that and i was tired. i believe in listening to my body. sometimes.
Breakfast: cholocate chip cliff bar.
Lunch: 2 slices of turkey, 6 rounds of pastrami, and a couple of slices of sharp white cheddar w/ mustard on marble rye. 1 Twix.
1 Coke. 1 energy drink from Quixtar (Amway online). Bleh. Tasted like a diet version of other random energy drinks I've had from Store 24. The other drinks were ok. This was not. For the record, I don't support Quixtar (see, I didn't even link their name). This was a free sample.
5 minutes on treadmill - 6 mph
leg press - pyramid. i think i compact my spine by about an inch every time i do this exercise. i am approximately 4'10" now.
calf raises - 3 sets of 15 @ 100#
lat pulldowns - a couple of sets
bentover rows - 2 sets of 10 @ 25#
bentover lat raises - 2 sets of 10 @ 15#
shoulder shrugs - 2 sets of 10 @ 35#
upright rows - 2 sets of 10 @ 30#
crossover crunches - 3 sets of 25
sidebends w/ dumbbells - 3 sets of 10, 35#
breakfast: rice + unagi.
lunch: leftover rice + 5 mickey d's chicken select strips. man, those things cost a dollar a strip. not worth it. i could've gotten about 25 wendy's chicken nuggets for that amount.
2 Cokes.
dinner: pan-fried chicken + beets + pasta w/ tomatoes.
funny story. went to poo. started freaking out b/c i thought i was suffering from severe internal bleeding. remembered that i had eaten a bunch of beets earlier. whew.
9/3/04 - Abbreviated leg workout. Got most things in. Meetings...
9/4/04 - Full upper body workout w/ Alan.
http://www.physed.eku.edu/Rutherford/Optimalnutrition.ppt
Slides on how long it takes to digest things and tips on how to coordinate meals with exercise.
Also wanted to add that I feel better all around. I'm able to focus better at work, and I don't get as grumpy about the work not being the most exciting thing in the world.
Philosophical adjustment. Growing is expanding beyond your current bounds. For the first month, the barrier to overcome was lethargy. I haven't worked out on any consistent basis for about 8 years. The main goal was to get into a routine. From where I was starting, just going to the gym consistently for a month is a big win for me.
Now it's time to set my sites on other barriers. Over the next month, I'm expect to see significant increase in strength and muscle mass. A decrease in body fat would be nice, but it's not the focus for now. Technically, if I increase my muscle mass and my fat levels stay the same, I'll have a smaller body fat percentage. That's nice, but more than achieving any number, I want a defined mid-section.
Why the focus on building muscle mass before losing fat? Think of it in terms of driving a car around with the sole purpose of using up gas. The size of the engine is like the size of your muscles. The gas is like calories and fat. Right now, I'm driving a Civic. If I want to use up a gallon of gas, I have to drive 38 miles. If I upgrade to a big, ugly, environmentally hostile SUV like the Yukon, then I'd only have to drive 17 miles. It takes a little while of saving up for the upgrade, but once you're there, that monster will blow through your current and all future gas way faster than the little Civic. I'm planning on living for a while, so the investment in building up muscle will definitely be worth it.
This is also why it's crucial to focus on big muscles when you're doing your aerobic workout. As developed as your thumb muscles may be, twidling your thumbs all day will never burn as many calories as going out for a half hour run.
20 minutes on treadmill @ 5.5 mph (late day, decided this was the best thing to cut short)
bench - pyramid. it was really hard. i'm amazed the other day felt as easy as it did. maybe starting at 70% is too high. maybe too many reps/sets. going to try to keep going as is for a little while. after all, hard is good.
flies - 1 x 10 @ 30#
side lateral raises - 1 x 10 @ 10#
front lateral raises - 1 x 10 @ 10#
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 10 @ 60#
curls - 1 x 10 reps @ 25# then r.p.t.e. 25# (reverse pyramid to exhaustion starting at 25#)
abs - 3 x 25 reps of both crunches and frog crunches
Breakfast: 1 slice of toasted green bean bread, 2 chestnut mini-buns
Lunch: two packets of instant oatmeal. it was another busy day.
Dinner: rice/corn/egg + left over random Chinese food.
0 Cokes.
5 minutes on treadmill - 6 mph
leg press - maxed @ 310#, did a bit of a pyramid. don't remember exactly.
leg curls - 3 sets of 10 @ 70#
calf raises - 3 sets of 15 @ 100#, reverse pyramid to failure for last set
lat pulldowns - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 120#, 100#, 80#
bentover rows - 3 sets of 10 @ 25#
one arm dumbbell rows - 3 sets of 10 @ 25#
crossover crunches - 3 sets of 25
sidebends w/ dumbbells - 3 sets of 10, 2 x 25#, 35#
reverse abs - 1 set of 25
breakfast: toasted green bean bread, 2 chestnut mini-buns, 8 oz of fresh tomato juice.
lunch: one packet of instant oatmeal. it was a busy day.
1 Coke. W/ dinner. So that's practically like 0 Cokes b/c I normally only record the Cokes I drink up to the end of the work day.
dinner: a couple of scoops of rice, a can of green beans, and a can of kidney beans + ketchup.
One month photos:
Not so gross
(1)(2)
Gross
(1)(2)
The walk up the stairs isn't SO bad now. Muscles have quit atrophying and are actually starting to come back. Appetite's come back. My weight's gone from around 145# to closer to 150#. I think that has to do with the increased appetite. More food hanging out and digesting in my system. Also went to Hot Pot City not too long ago, and I think that took a few days to work its way out. Now that I have a month of conditioning under me, I feel prepared to give this a good go. I'm going to start using the pyramid lifting routine I used in high school.
I can't remember the pyramid exactly, so I made one up to use for the next month (planning to max out once a month and adjust routine/pyramid accordingly):
Creating some index cards w/ the routines to do. I keep forgetting what exercises to do at what weights.
30 minutes on treadmill @ 5.5 mph
bench - i'm considering 170# my max. tried out weights from 150# on up. might have been able to push more if i hadn't started so low. it's as much as i felt comfortable w/o a spotter. using a bench on gliders so it's a little weird, but safer. 8 x 90#, 6 x 115#, 4 x 130#, 2 x 150#. reviving a routine i used in high school. remembered later that i was supposed to start from 10 reps. can't remember the percentages, so i'll just have to make something up. 10 @ 40% of max doesn't sound right.
inclined bench - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 2 x 90#, 1 x 40# (had to get a third set in to make it feel complete)
biceps w/ wrist curl action - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 2 x 25#, 15#
abs - 2 sets of 25 reps of crunches
abbreviated workout. had lots of meetings and stuff to do.
Breakfast: 1 slice of toasted green bean bread
Lunch: one whole can of Hormel chilli with beans. that's two yummy servings.
1.5 Cokes (1 C2 Coke).
Also, w00t! One month. Much longer than I've been able keep at a workout routine for the past several years.
5 minutes on treadmill - 6 mph
leg press - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 220# (ugh, have to find the right angle. back was hurting a little. that shouldn't happen on this sort of sled-style leg press machine.)
leg curls - 3 sets of 10 @ 90#, 90#/80#, 80#
calf raises - 3 sets of 15 @ 50#
lat pulldowns - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 120#
seated row - no time, no time. Have to play StarCraft and then get some more work done.
abs - 2 sets of 25
reverse abs - 1 set of 25
breakfast: bagel and cream cheese.
lunch: jr. bacon cheeseburger + 5 piece chicken nuggets w/ honey mustard sauce.
1 Coke. Prolly lots more w/ tonight's StarCraft event.
30 minutes on treadmill @ 5 mph
chest - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 25# of dumbbell workout
shoulders - 2 sets of 10 reps @ 25#, 20# of schwartzeneggers
shoulder shrugs - i knew i forgot something
wrist curls - 2 sets of 10 @ 25#
biceps - 3 sets of 7 reps @ 20# (not 7's, just 7 reps)
abs - 3 sets of 25 reps of crunches
reverse abs - 1 set of 25 reps
Breakfast: Egg + tortilla, 2 mini-bananas, 8 oz sweetened soy milk
Lunch: a little roast beef wrap, tomatoes on focaccia, leftover mu-shu pork, green beans, and rice. Not really large quantities, just a lot of variety. There were some leftovers from some function on the 2nd floor.
2 Cokes.
5 minutes on treadmill - 6 mph
leg press - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 200#
calf raises - 3 sets of 10 @ 50# (thought that i was supposed to do 10... looking back, i see it was supposed to be 15. thought it felt a lot easier this time.)
lat pulldowns - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 2 x 110#, 120#
seated row - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 70#, 2 x 80#
abs - 2 sets of 25
reverse abs - 1 set of 25
breakfast: egg + tortilla, bagel and cream cheese, 8 oz sweetened soy milk.
lunch: 2 mini-bananas. planned to eat after working out, but didn't get around to working out until late. i'll just save the lunch for tomorrow.
1 post-workout Coke. ahhh.
30 minutes on treadmill @ 5 mph (man, calves were really sore from yesterday)
chest - 3 sets of 8 reps @ 25# of dumbbell workout
shoulders - 2 sets of 10 reps @ 25# of schwartzeneggers
shoulder shrugs - 2 sets of 10 reps @ 35#
biceps - 1 set of 7's @ 20# (last 1/3 of it @ 15#), 1 set of 8 seated @ 25#
abs - 2 sets of 25 reps of crunches + bicycle style
Breakfast: Egg + 1.5 tortillas, 2 mini-bananas
Lunch: Rice + pork belly.
2 cans of Coke.
5 minutes on treadmill - 6 mph
leg press - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 200#
calf raises - 3 sets of 15 @ 50# stood on edge, lots harder. balanced by bar-on-rails
lat pulldowns - 3 sets of 10 reps @ 100#, 110#, 120#
leg curl - 1 set of 10 reps @ 90# too tired after leg presses
abs - 2 sets of 25
reverse abs - 1 set of 25
breakfast: bagel and cream cheese, 16oz sweetened soy milk.
lunch: a couple of small slices of bratwurst on a roll and some potato chips. company tailgating party. might go down and get some more brats.
1 coke so far.
yesterday: had another BK Whopper breakfast. and some chili cheese fritos for lunch. mmm... didn't get around to working out, though. i really don't think burgers are that bad for you. can't be worse than the pork belly and rice i'm going to have for tomorrow's lunch. also, fritos bbq and honey bbq are good, but the chili cheese is only so-so.
20 minutes on treadmill (1.5 mi) - interval workout. Tried out a fancy machine with a pre-programmed routine. Felt like I was switching between walking and barely jogging. Will either figure out how to use it better next time, or just use a plain setting.
chest - 3 sets of 8 reps @ 25# of dumbbell workout
shoulders - 2 sets of 10 reps @ 25# of schwartzeneggers
biceps - 1 set of 7's @ 20#
abs - 2 sets of 25 reps of crunches
lower back - 1 set of 25 reps of reverse sit ups, 45 degree angle
Lunch: Huge pile of rice + beef/eggplant/tomato sauce. Fatty. Forgot to drain fat off beef before mixing everything else in.
Post-lunch: The rest of it.
2 cans of Coke.
5 minutes on treadmill - 6 mph
shoulder shrugs - 2 sets of 10 reps @ 35# forward and backward
leg curl - 2 sets of 10 reps @ 90#, 1 set of 10 reps @ 80#
leg extension - 1 set of 10 reps @ 80#, 2 sets of 10 @ 70#
calf raises - 3 sets of 20 @ 50# (plus bar, bar on rails is only bar available. i wish i had a little ramp to stand on to get better range. standing on the edge of a step puts me a little off balance so i just stand flat.)
abs - dah. forgot, again.
breakfast: sausage mcmuffin.
lunch: 2 slices of Amici's pizza w/ chicken on top. their dough is kinda chewy. bleh.
2 cans of coke. 1 can of diet dr. pepper.
15 minutes on treadmill - 5.5 mph
chest - 2 sets of 8 reps @ 25# of dumbbell workout
shoulders - 1 set of 10 reps @ 25# of schwartzeneggers
biceps - 1 set of 7's @ 20#
abs - 1.5 sets of 25 reps of crunches
breakfast (hungry): bk whopper.
lunch: wendy's chicken nuggets.
2 cans of coke.
If you don't know where you're going, how're you going to know when you get there? Goals are good because you need two points, where you are now and where you want to be, to plan out a path. A documented goal will also keep you from moving the target and quitting prematurely either out of frustration that you can't reach your target or making it trivial to reach the end point.
My fitness goals:
Approach
Exercise
Frequency. Intensity. Aerobic exercise to work out large muscle groups and burn calories, anaerobic exercise to make muscle groups larger so that more calories are being burned even when I'm just sitting around - and for ego. I'm going to build up to my high school fitness level by modeling it after my high school routine - daily practice that's hard enough to make me feel physically exhausted immediately after. The exercise routine will consist of a 1+ mile run, a pile of push ups, pull ups, and sits ups as a part of the daily routine along with a weight lifting regimen.
No riding an exercise bike without breaking a sweat and breathing hard. If it doesn't feel like your muscles are working hard, your muscles are hardly working. There are more comfortable lounge chairs to go read your magazine.
Food
Not a diet of 100% fat or 100% sugar. Also, not a diet of 100% rabbit food. I've been down the path of extreme dietary restriction before and that made me sad. I don't like being sad. I'm going to eat like I normally do. If I cook, that means: rice or pasta + meat + maybe some veggies if I feel inspired. If not, that probably means burgers or tacos or occassionally fried chicken. As I get back into the groove of things, I'm probably going to start increasing the vegetable content and cutting back a little on fat and junk food to accelerate my progress. When you lift weights, your body tears down muscles, and grabs proteins you've recently eaten to build them back up bigger. If the only thing to grab is fat, you'll just be getting fatter and sadder. You need carbs for energy. How else are you going to make it through the 5+ mile runs? Yes, 1+ miles will be a daily minimum, but we'll build up to 5+ miles 3 times a week.
No starvation. Your body has a really good anti-famine mechanism. When you starve yourself, your body panics and becomes greedy for long-term energy stores - fat. Once you start eating again, your body grabs more fat than it used to in case there's another famine. The result is that you gain all the weight back (and probably more) in record time. Thus the moniker yo-yo dieting.
20 minutes on treadmill - 5.25 mph
chest - 2 sets of 8 reps @ 25# of dumbbell workout
shoulders - 1 set of 10 reps @ 25# of schwartzeneggers
biceps - 1 set of 7's @ 20#
upper back - 1 set of 10 @ 25# standing row
dah. forgot to do abs.
lunch (@ 4): in 'n out cheeseburger, animal style. 1 can of coke.
I am at a historically low level of fitness. I coasted through college on the fitness equity I built up through high school sports, and my lifestyle of lethargy has caught up with me. It's time to reclaim my body.
As a matter of record, here are some pictures of my gut as it is today. I think you should collect all your fat into the biggest piles you can when you take pictures like this. That way you get a real sense of what's there. Compare these pictures: Grotesqueness (1) (2) to these: Not as bad (1) (2) It's clear that standing up hides the problem greatly.
The stats:
I started working out again last week.
Ongoing, I will post my workouts in more detail as they occur. I will also include meals consumed on those days (not on others out of laziness). I'm not going on any special diet, so my eating habits on those days should be representative of my eating habits in general. For weight loss and increasing physical fitness, I think a regular exercise regimen is FAR more important than eating habits (assuming you eat normally and your diet doesn't consist of solely fat and sugar).
Simultaneously, I am trying to cut back on my Coke consumption. Over the past couple of months, I've been able to go from about 6 a day to about 4 a day. Recently, it's been around 3. I want to get myself to a point where my average is under 2. I think it's fine to have a ton occassionally (i.e. deadlines at work, or while playing poker all night), but I want to break the daily nature of my habit. I'm afraid of going blind.
I think I can tackle the fitness thing and the Coke thing with determination alone. No Atkins here. I like my rice.