Mitch’s goof off space

Jeez, haven’t written in a while?  Well I’ve kept up the good eating and gym habits, so I haven’t regressed at all, but also not extreme enough to really transform beyond my current stats.  I’ve been pushing my shoulders more so I can see some increased size there which I really like.  A side affect of my good leg workouts is that my hamstrings are huge compared to this time last year.  Sometime soon I want to get serious on diet and see if I can shed what’s left of my stomach, though I wish I could put on more mass.  Frustrating to ceiling at 155 pounds!

I have an Old Navy shirt that I love, it’s got those seamless shoulders (the seams connect to the neck and run across the clavicle to the armpits) and is made of a very fine, thin cotton (which unfortunately loves to stain easily).  Well, in American clothes I usually wear a size Small so that the shoulders of the garment actually fall on my shoulders.  The side effect though, as that I have grown in musculature, the shirt has become tighter across the chest and in the arms.  In fact, the short sleeves fall right over the center of my bicep.  Now, I’m not someone you look at and would think has big muscles, but my arms have now taken up all the slack in the sleeves!  At once both satisfying and embarrassing, because I don’t want that shirt to be a ‘muscle’ shirt.  I will admit though, that one of the big perks of getting in shape has been the chance to wear form fitting gear and have it look good.

Yes, we are all impressed that you have maxed out the leg press machine with nearly every free 45lb plate out there, and use crappy form to do those little half presses where you only come down about 45 degrees.  You are a super he-man, and we are all awed.  Now, if you want to make some real progress, take like one seventh of that weight and do free standing full squats with it.

I recently picked up a few Alpinestars and Oakley shirts.  Because these are relatively nice marques, the sizing is more ‘true’ and flattering.  In fact, the slim fit T-shirts leave little to the imagination concerning your body - which I find keeps me honest as far as maintaining fitness.  Those shirts were expensive, so I’m going to fit in them! 

Fun fact: The cheaper/more mass market the brand of clothing, the more likely the sizing will be off or the article will be baggy.  One reason for this is that baggier clothes will fit more people, and another reason is that people will be more satisfied buying clothing that displays a smaller size than a larger size, even if they are the same size.  I wear a size 30 waist in Old Navy jeans with plenty of room to spare, but wear a size 31 in Express Mens that fits more snugly.

I’ve managed to get sick again, just a minor little throat irritation but probably something that will stick around for 3 or 4 days.  And I know how I got it…

Life’s events have got me down, and I admit to being in a little depression.  Depression, among other things disrupts sleep and surpresses appetite, both big contributors to lowering your immune system’s strength.  There’s germs on everything, and there is a threshold of how many you can take in before you get sick.  The more quality rest and good diet you have, the higher that threshold is.

So there it is - a happy outlook and a positive mindset can help keep you from getting sick.

Another user’s recent blog post got me thinking about ‘passion’.  It’s something that I think really hurts me where my personality is concerned.  I don’t know how and when to show passion; I’m a quiet guy by nature, and I think how my social personality evolved discourages showing a lot of emotion.  I am one to arbitrate between people, or achieve what I want through subtle (almost always beneficial) manipulation.  ‘Tipping your hat’ with emotions and bold statements opens yourself up later for attack, at least that’s how my mind functions I think.

But this has really been hurting me, most recently in the romantic department.  I’m afraid I do not know when to be bold and take something when it is ready - both the need to be polite, and the fear of rejection and mistepping keep me from doing some things that I think are necessary for a fun and active relationship.  I suppose only continued experience will help guide me to what role I should be in, but I wish the steps leading there weren’t so painful…

I know this isn’t really the place for this kind of thing, but my girlfriend has basically shut me out which has killed my ability to sleep, eat or work out.  I’ve just been beside myself for a few days without any answers.  You’ve probably been there so you can sympathize.

Note for dieters: sadness and anxiety make great appetite supressants.

I wonder about how to best introduce someone to fitness in general.  I think, before anything else, you have to examine attitude.  Because with the right attitude, you can summon the will and discipline to make a fitness decision a success.  I believe that’s where most people get turned off - the initial reaction for so many people is negative when they think of ‘the gym’ or ‘working out’.  And it’s unreasonably so, in my opinion.  Where do they get it from?  I think a lot of it has to do with self image and guilt.  Defeating the idea before they give it a real chance.

Have you ever gotten someone to embrace fitness like you have?  How did you bring them into it?

As requested, Gym All-star ‘Naked Estonian Man’.  Maybe not from Estonia, but perhaps an Eastern Bloc country?  He likes to hang out in the locker rooms with nothing on his fifty year old body.  What’s he doing?  I’m not sure, because as I round the corner I get an eyeful then avert my gaze and get my business in there done.  Put a towel on if you’re going to be more than a minute, dude!

Today’s all-star is ‘Sexy Grandma’.  Is she a grandma?  Maybe, maybe not.  But she looks darn good.  Actually, we really don’t know how old she is - her body is pretty good looking but her face is fallen a little bit, so she could either be a worn 45 year old or an incredible 60 year old.  My workout partner and I were constantly amazed, since she was almost always at the gym before us and stayed after we left, every day we were there - how often was she going?  We joked that she should be Ms. Olympia by now with all the hours put in.  But it is pretty awesome she’s so fit - if you don’t use it, you lose it!