Reaching For A Different Me

Observant, you are. No cardio.

Honestly, I know this will sound like a cop-out, but cardio was very uncomfortable for me. I attribute that to having a weak core and even more weak legs. At the end of a cardio session, it just felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck.

I know if I really want to be healthy (not just skinny), that I need to begin cardio. I'm just not ready for it yet. Really, my short term goal is to get weight training equipment for the house, that way I'm only heading to the gym on the cardio days. This will limit the amount of time I'm gone from home.
 
Good job getting back in there and getting the work done!
 
Thanks, Drex.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the gym today. I had to work late today, and by the time I got home I was just exhausted.

On the plus side (or minus side, I guess) I weighed myself again yesterday and I'm down to 189.9 score!
 
I didn't get all of my lifts in, it was freakin busy in the YMCA tonight. Rather than stand around waiting for the dumbbells I needed, I just moved on to the next lift.

I decided to change up my routine a little bit. Some of the lifts are the same, but others I did a different set/rep mix with different weights.

  • Dumbbell Squats ===========> 3 x 10 x 90 lbs
  • Dumbbell Straight-Leg Deadlift ==> 3 x 10 x 50 lbs
  • Single-Dumbbell Front Raise ====> 5 x 5 x 30 lbs
  • Machine Rows =============> 5 x 5 x 130 lbs
  • Crunches ================> 3 x 15 x 25 lbs

I read that the 5x5 is the best way to increase strength, since (with a higher weight) you end up actually moving more weight total. It felt great to shift things around without actually changing the exercises.

I felt weak again today. I think it's sleep...I'm averaging about 6 hours of sleep. My boy still doesn't sleep entirely through the night, which means my sleep is pretty broken, as well. I'm not sure if there's a remedy for this until he grows out of it.
 
openczun said:
I felt weak again today. I think it's sleep...I'm averaging about 6 hours of sleep. My boy still doesn't sleep entirely through the night, which means my sleep is pretty broken, as well. I'm not sure if there's a remedy for this until he grows out of it.
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How old is he? It wasn't long before my daughter was sleeping through the night. I might have been lucky though. Well, I should say my wife was lucky because she usually got up, while I usually slept through it and never noticed.
 
He's 10.5 months. I'm pretty sure it's sleep - because I got a really good night sleep last night and my workout went pretty smooth today.

  • Dumbbell Squats ===========> 3 x 10 x 90 lbs
  • Dumbbell Straight-leg Deadlift===> 5 x 6 x 70 lbs
  • Dumbbell Bench ============> 3 x 10 x 90 lbs
  • Machine Row ==============> 5 x 6 x 130 lbs
  • Dumbbell Front Raise (single) ===> 5 x 6 x 35 lbs
  • Crunches ================> 3 x 20 x 30 lbs
 
Flirting with an injury. And an a-hole in the family

OK. I have to do some research, maybe see a doc, depending.
Here's the routine I did:

  • Single-Dumbbell Squat =============> 3 x 12 x 80 lbs
  • Dumbbell Straight-Leg Deadlift ========> 3 x 10 x 50 lbs
  • Dumbbell Pullovers ===============> 3 x 12 x 30 lbs
  • Machine Row ===================> 5 x 6 x 130 lbs
  • Single Dumbbell Front Raise ==========> 5 x 6 x 30 lbs
  • Curls =========================> 3 x 6 x 25 lbs (each arm)

After doing the machine rows, I felt a little tingle in my left arm - in the crease of the elbow, on the outer edge. That didn't seem to be a big deal. I planned on doing 5x6 curls, but had to give up after 3 because my arm just felt really strange -- like something was ripping that shouldn't be.

I'm a little worried about it. I may skip my lifting routine on wednesday and do some cardio, just to give it a little bit of extra time to recoup.

Any ideas ? I'm thinking it's poor form, but I read a post of malkore's giving suggestions on how to use proper form (lead with the elbow), so I'm pretty sure I did it right. Maybe it's still just too much weight for me.

On a side note, I found out I have a hater in my family. My brother-in-law told me not to give away my pants just yet. He also asked my wife how long she thought my "diet" was going to last. I'd never let it show, but this infuriates me. I've struggled being chubby for quite a while now. I'm starting to take strides to permanently change my life for the better and he doesn't seem very supportive.

Oh well. I'm doing it for me and for my son.
 
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dude! flirting with a-holes is not really all that cool! hahahahahaha

by the way, i am the local 'jackascsss" and well somehow i have missed you.

Good on you for just steppin right up, posting pics, and getting into the routine.

you will not be the same person a month from now- WILL YOU BE physically FITTER OR NOT!

Sweat Daily!

Welcome to you man
FF
 
I did go to the gym on Wednesday, but I've misplaced my workout log, so I'll have to do it from memory.

Again -- why don't I just leave it there? There's even a filing cabinet where I can keep it.

Actually, I think I'm heading to the store to buy plates, bars, and mats this weekend. Maybe I can finally start doing my workouts at home. No more competition for the weights !

  • Single-Dumbbell Squat ============> 3 x 10 x 90 lbs
  • Dumbbell Straight-Leg Deadlift ===> 3 x 10 x 50 lbs
  • Dumbbell Bench ===================> 3 x 10 x 90 lbs
  • Dumbbell Pullovers ===============> 3 x 10 x 30 lbs
  • Machine Row ======================> 3 x 10 x 110 lbs
  • Weight Crunches ==================> 3 x 20 x 30 lbs
 
openczun said:
On a side note, I found out I have a hater in my family. My brother-in-law told me not to give away my pants just yet. He also asked my wife how long she thought my "diet" was going to last. I'd never let it show, but this infuriates me. I've struggled being chubby for quite a while now. I'm starting to take strides to permanently change my life for the better and he doesn't seem very supportive.

Oh well. I'm doing it for me and for my son.
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I say use that to help motivate you. Prove him wrong and make him eat his words. You can mold your body any way you want if you work at it. I have done more than I ever thought was possible when I started.
 
Yeah, your bro-in-law is a major jerk who is having a jealousy tantrum. To get back at him, walk around without a shirt ... when you're ready.

And I'll be watching your journal to make sure you start incorporating that cardio...
 
openczun said:
On a side note, I found out I have a hater in my family. My brother-in-law told me not to give away my pants just yet. He also asked my wife how long she thought my "diet" was going to last. I'd never let it show, but this infuriates me. I've struggled being chubby for quite a while now. I'm starting to take strides to permanently change my life for the better and he doesn't seem very supportive.

Oh well. I'm doing it for me and for my son.
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Let an "old man" nearing 50 fly down there, and be his "huckleberry" of humbleness--I promise I will warm his face in the reality that it can be done at any age.

He will become my victim (see Number 1 below in bold highlight).

Allot of people "talk", cannot "walk the walk", but still "open their mouth and squawk", while one is "walking the walk."

Be the war hawk and balk at one who doesn't know the walk but is still all talk.

==================================================================
Be the filtering system:

Number 1.

Choose what you will absorb in what you read, see, and hear.

Turn negative emotions and talk from other people into a personal motivation instead of falling victim to it----make it the victim.


Number 2.

Decided who you are.


Your Inner Critic:

Avoid making the same mistake your in-law just did. Your in-law is making a mistake of verbalizing an outward act of "improper" negativity, and if you silence your inner critic, and apply Number 1, he falls victim instead of you.


Like I have stated more than once on this forum:


You cannot control everything that happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.

(Chillen)


ROCK ON!

You are bad……and you know it! :)



Chillen
 
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Thanks guys. Actually, I think I discovered the source of his negativity. He was in the Marine Corps for several years. He was in peak physical condition...rock solid strength. But he and his wife had a son about the time his TOS was up and he decided not to return. Since then, he's kind of "let himself go". I think his attitude is more a reaction to himself than to me. I'm going to try to convince him to join me, rather than use his comments as fuel. If he joins me, we can make a competition out of it and both turn out winners. :D

I bought a barbell set today from Dick's sporting goods. Not a top-of-the-line (I don't think anyway). I don't have a bench yet. That's in next month's budget. Here's what I did today:

  • Deadlifts =======> 3 x 10 x 105 lbs
  • Squats ========> 3 x 10 x 65 lbs
  • Lunges ========> 3 x 10 x 65 lbs
  • Shrugs ========> 3 x 10 x 105 lbs
  • Crunches =======> 3 x 15 x 35 lbs

Let me just say --- deadlifts rock my world. I was so d***ned tired after doing those that I nearly fell over. Talk about every muscle in your body being worked. I probably could make nearly a whole workout out of those things. That's why I didn't do much else. I did less weight in the SQ than I normally do because it took me a while to get used to the barbell. Plus I don't have a rack, so it was basically what I could get over my head and onto my shoulders (with a little help from the wife).

Speaking of wife, she went with me to buy the weights....and I think she's actually interested in lifting. A husband and wife lifting duo. ha ha.

So in short, a few things I've learned in the last two months:
  • Deadlifts and Squats rock
  • Tuna and natural peanut butter rock
  • The encouragement on this message board definitely rocks.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I'm down to 187 lbs now.
 
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I just don't get it

today was my first "real" workout with my barbell set.

I just don't get hack squats. I read about them, watched clips of people doing them, but I just can't seem to get it right. Either the bar hits my butt, or I'm close to falling over. And of course, I can't squat nearly as low as I do with dumbbells. I finally gave up on them, because it just didn't feel right.


Anyway, here was my routine.

  • Hack Squat ==========> 3 x 5 x 65 lbs
  • Good Mornings ========> 3 x 10 x 65 lbs
  • Deadlift =============> 3 x 10 x 115 lbs
  • Pushups ============> 3 x 20 x uhhh, me (~187 lbs)
  • Curls ===============> 3 x 10 x 65 lbs
  • Push Crunch ===================> 3 x 10 x 35 lbs (done with plate, not barbell)
 
It's been about two months since I started this change in lifestyle. I'm doing things gradually, not expecting to slim down overnight. Here's my progress so far.

January 6th => 199 lbs
March 8th => 187 lbs

I'm going to continue doing the big lifts -- dead, squat, and some form of chest work. However, I am going to start doing cardio as my main exercise. If I really want to be healthy, I need to increase my lung capacity. My family also has a history of bad hearts...so I need to bite the bullet and start getting my system clean.

20080106-20080308-progress.jpg


20080106-20080308-progress_2.jpg
 
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Thanks, JW.

Here's what I did last night:

  • Hack Squat =======> 3 x 10 x 65 lbs
  • Deadlift =========> 3 x 10 x 115 lbs
  • Barbell Curl ===========> 3 x 10 x 65 lbs
  • Tricep Extension ========> 3 x 10 x 33 lbs
  • Pushups =============> 3 x 20
  • Swiss Ball Hamstring "Curls" ==> 3 x 15

I plan on heading to the YMCA tonight to start my cardio, but I also just got my Wii this morning, so I may get distracted. :)
 
Wow, dramatic progress.

Keep the sh!t up!!!!! ;)
 
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