At my gym the owner trains a woman that will be competing next year in figure. On days I have the time I do the cardio component of her wkout w/ her. These sessions are not for the faint of heart. I love them b/c it changes up the regular cardio I do and I feel great when done.
Today I was doing a real intense wkout (more so than usual) I was jumping the heavy rope between each set (yeah I said "set" so when I joined them for cardio I was already pretty much spent. I still did the cardio, but I had to stop a couple of times and catch my breath.
I don't know how many of you respond to **** talking I normally don't. But when a pretty woman is the one doing it my ego takes over. And to be honest that was exactly what I needed. I pushed through, as hard as I normally do but I completed the entire cardio wkout.

So yeah I guess I am like every other guy in the gym; when there are beautiful women present I am going to show out!

Latest progress pics.
Ehhh....Trying to find my motivation again. Just don't have it at this time. Talked to a friend and they said this is what its all about. Doing everything when you really don't want to.
I am suppose to be taking some photos next week w/ Ned for a website. So for now I just need to concentrate on that.
It really sucks sometimes being short term goal minded. I really have to work on it.

Yes I did my new favorite body part shoulders today (it used to be abs, and before that legs) and I am wiped out! Workout was KILLER.  Who new you could work a relatively small body part so intensely? I didn't, and now I am glad I did. You bring up your delts and the waist looks smaller. You get the ever coveted [B][I]X[/I][/B]-Frame!

I did cardio for an hour this morning and then went back a few hours later to do shoulders.  I love empty stomach cardio (who doesn't?)!

A trainer at my gym does an intense cardio sessions for his clients.  One of his clients hates to do it alone so I will go in and join them.  It should be beyond tuff!

Well I did nothing the way I planned to do it yesterday. Wiitch is a good thing. I was invited to a friend's house and at great. Not a lot but great. I will not be going to Hell for how I ate yesterday! LoL.
B/c it was my fist time w/ these folks I didn't go crazy. Next time they will not be so lucky!
It was really nice to be w/ them. Even tho' I am not the type to be pouting about being alone for the Holidays I still miss my family and being around another family that in some ways mirrored mine made it so much easier.
I have to get them a "Thank You" card today.

I just left Honey Baked Ham and I have a half a roasted turkey breast!
Tomorrow it will be the turkey, green beans, and a sweat potato!
I will finish watching V on HuLu and also catch on the Family Guy.
And for fun I might even do some laundry
Yep its gonna be a great T-Day for me.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year (just like every other prior), I have a wonderful family, friends that love me, and I keep on meeting great people either in person or online.

Turkey day is almost here and I am deciding what I am going to do.

Do I spend it w/ a friend or do I just chill at home.
We all know the advantages of spending T-Day w/ friends and family. But spending it alone has it advantages too.
1) If you don't particularly like you family you won't see them
2) If you are on a diet (none of you here ) its easier to stay on that diet.
3) Peace and quiet...'nuff said
4) Peace and quiet...It had to said again.
5) Plot and plan for your next comp of workout
6) Time to cook for the weeks ahead
7) No one will complain about you choosing to watch Pretty Woman over the Lions game (I love that movie)

So as you can see being by your self T-Day is pretty damn appealing!

I had it all planed out last night while I was watching a just plain BAD movie (GI Joe). I would sleep in a little and then hit the gym for cardio. Then go to work. After work hit the gym for a KILLER leg day.
Today would be different than my normal Monday b/c I was only working a half a day. So I could get in empty stomach cardio and wgt train tonight before my beloved STEELERS beat up on the Broncos.
Or so I thought. My manager comes in and says he has to can't close b/c his check engine light came on. He doesn't want to drive all the way home w/ it on. He HAS to take it to the shop. WHAT THE HELL! I have driven months w/ that light on. Hell my motto in college was if my car wasn't smoking, making a weird noise, had something falling off (and then it depended on what was falling off) it didn't need to go to the shop!
This means I have to close the store tonight at 8pm and my gym closes at 8:30!
So no weights tonight for the Kid.
To keep on schedule I will have to wake up tomorrow and do legs and then go back and do back. I do NOT want to do two major body parts in one day.
ouch.
But I will do it...I HAVE to do it.

Sundays are always a weird day for me. The problem is I know I need a day rest but I get so antsy sitting around doing nothing. I have to get up and do something in terms of physical activity. Like today, I told my self to just sit around the crib and relax and leave for work around 12:30. But I couldn't. I had to prep my food and then I started thinking about what type of cardio I could do. I remembered I had planned on using my weighted vest this week and w/ my calf feeling a little tight a walk of a good couple miles would be great. I got to work around 11:45, got a cup of coffee in me and by 12 I was out the door w/ 40 extra pounds strapped to me. I felt good and my calf got pretty loose. As I walked all I thought about was my wkout for the up coming week. How I was going to get in the gym and kick that guy in the mirror's ass! It would be a productive week...a fruitful week.

Right now I feel like I have accomplished something and the day has just started.

Peace be on to you,
Harper
"Believe in YOU as much as I do"

Ummm...Yeah...
It hurts and that scares me. It scares me in a "good". Not a bad way like when you wake up in the morning and yer ass hurts and you see a BIG burly guy walking out of your cell... I mean room...

Any ways. I did a bunch of SuperSets for my legs and I am already feeling the soreness. Normally I feel sore EXACTLY 24 hours after I work out, so this is not good for me walking tomorrow!
I needed this BAD I just wasn't hitting my legs like I wanted to. SO like I always do I find something new.

I did arms today.

I am more of a triceps man than bicep man but I must say mine are looking the best they ever have.  My left bi looks better than my right bi. And my right tri looks better than my left tri.  That is a statement when said in front of people who are not in our life hear they look at you like you a NUTS.  But I will make it here b/c I know you all here on BodySpace are my Brother and Sisters in Iron and you understand.  Hell, you all KNOW what I am talking about.

When I was done I was walking around w/ the best pump!  I felt totally JACKED.  You know the feeling. When you put on your shirt and for a split second you think you won?t be able to get your arms through your sleeves. LoL We are mentally ill!

But damn it feels great!  And that?s w/ any body part.  Da Pump.  We love it. We LIVE for it. It?s our drug of choice.  If we walk out of the gym w/out it we just may go back in and do a couple more reps or even sets.

Today I walked out of there knowing that if I did one more rep my arms might explode.  What a great feeling.

That is currently my FaceBook status.Lets be honest, Nat's shoulders are in-cred-ible! A female friend on FaceBook said she has never seen a guy wish he had a body part like a female competitor.  Let?s "keep it real"...Nat's deltoids are two of the best in the business. I don't care if it?s a man or a woman, I give respect to those that gots da goods. And Nat gots da goods. PERIOD

While I was working out I was looking the mirror watching mine get more pumped. It felt good. I am one of those guys that have to see the muscle he is working.  I have tried the "cover up" method (my name for it), that's when you wear sweats so you can't see the muscle and you really have to concentrate on the muscle working. It is more of the mind /body conection. By thinking about it you are focusing on it there fore getting more out of your workout.   I have talked to a lot of guys who use it but for my I have to see it working.  Gives me a mental pump while working out.

I changed up my delt wkout b/c last week I just didn't "feel" like I have in the past. This new wkout hit the spot.  I finished it w/ two supersets.  Really felt the burn.  The only thing is there is only one exercise for traps...gonna have to add at least one more to that. Getting tired of shrugs I have to come up w/ something else.

B/c my manager has gone on vacation for the week I have to work everyday from 10am-7pm. No breaks.  So instead of doing early morning cardio like I had planned I am lifting b/c my gym closes at 8:30pm.  I do my cardio here in my store b/c we have the best treadmill on the planet (Landice.com) and the best ellip on the planet (OctaneFitness.com) and it just convenient.

My new wkout of lifting heavy, as opposed to full body, started off well but I found that I was not feeling it when I was training back. So I decided to give back its own day sepparate from shoulders.  This is the first week of doing this and so far the back wkout felt really great. That was yesterday and today was chest.  I haven't decided if I like my chest yet. To me its not bad but I know it could be better (doesn't everyone think that?).

Last week I had my biggest fear concfirmed...My calves over shadow my thighs!  I know some people would love to have this problem and the solution seems easy enuff: Just stop working my calves and hit the squat rack.  Simple right? Wrong! I like the size of my thighs. I really don't want them to get any bigger. I can go to the store and buy pants off the rack.  I don't want to have to walk around wearing hammer pants and a fany pack!

WoW

Sometimes the best laid plans don?t get you laid!

I had planned to get back into blogging last week but my LapTop had other ideas. I could have done it from the work computer but? Forget the streets the BigWigs are watching.

I am going to quickly sum up the last couple of weeks.

Vegas? Off da chain (do the kids still say that?)! I will be posting pics next month. Why?  B/c I that?s when I choose to post them.  Trust me it will be worth the wait.  All American EFX not only know how to make great supplements but they also know how to treat a contest winner.  All my meals paid for and a ticket to the finals. BOOYAA? to bad I got sick w/ sinuses and didn?t feel well enough to go. I took a nap and forced to go out in my last night in Vegas. Oh yeah took a bunch of meds too.

When I got back I didn?t touch a weight. Hell I barely did cardio. And I think my body really enjoyed it.  A week of doing nothing was what I needed! I ate like crap at least one meal a day. I ate a dozen KrispyKreme w/ no remorse. Checkers 3 times and I had 3 pizzas w/in 24 hours! What a week!

Tried to get back on my diet but it I slipped from time to time. Like just this last Saturday?ate my 3^rd package of Golden OREOS in 3 weeks.  I have to get my mind right b/c I have found my motivation for the upcoming weeks.  More on that at a later date.

Right now I am feeling good b/c I have changed my back and shoulder wkout and I feel really good about it.  I want to keep my blogs short so I will talk about that tomorrow.

I am going to try to blog everyday from now on. I also will be posting my progress pics on Tuesday from now on.

Have a great evening,

AirHarp

I haven?t blogged in a while b/c I was taking a break from fitness.

I got sick at the Olympia and even though I planned to take the week off from lifting I was still planning to do cardio. Well cardio didn?t happen, and honestly I am not upset w/ myself.  I ate like crap all week.

But now it?s game time.  I finally found my new motivation to keep me going.  It?s a short term goal mixed in w/ a long term (I hope) goal.

I am going to enter the BBB.com/IronMan cover contest in the month of November. That gives me a month to look my best for the pictures and video.  If I am lucky and my friends vote enough I will make it to the next round.  So that means I have to stay on track throughout the competition.

It?s a pretty good plan. Hell it?s the only plan I have.  Also if I end up going to NATs this will help me stay in shape for it.

So wish me luck.

I will be posting pics from the Olympia this week too.

All American EFX did me RIGHT! Had a ball!