ChangeNow’s BodyBlog

Many of us at some point of time have a valid reason why we couldn’t go to the gym. Maybe you were sick, tired, or hungry, or maybe someone, or something (like work) distracted you. And then you say, well I’ll just skip today.

Many of us use that same reasoning in our diets too. Well, I will just eat bad this one time. I had a bad day, or don’t have time to cook healthy, or you just want that treat.

Then after going off track either in working out or eating, a spiral of events happen that lead to this repeating itself. Until you are back on an unhealthy lifestyle.
Many people who go through this, always say, "I will start fresh Monday". Why wait till next week. Start fresh now. Drop that Ice Cream and cookies (lol) and get your butt in the gym. Or even go for a walk. Do something for you to try to achieve your goals.

This has been me for a while. Numerous health issues, Numerous distractions. Those things are still there (To a lesser extent) and will be there. But if health and fitness is important, we need to make it a priority.

No matter what went on, there is always something we could have done better in the past. So lets do it better now.

I have had nothing but false starts since trying to achieve my goals due to health issues too numerous to name. In spite of this I have achieved one of my goals. Weighted pull-ups with 100lbs.

Yesterday on pull-ups I did.

2 sets of 5 with 90lbs

1 set of 5 with 100lbs

1 set of 10 with 45 lbs

1 set of 20 (bodyweight)

1 set of 10 (bodyweight, 5 second pause at bottom each rep with arms straight)

followed by 2 sets of 10 chin-ups

Next goal is Weighted pull-ups with 135, but for now I will try to build my strength to do 3 sets of 10 at 100.

I do not think that one can truly do sprints on a treadmill since you can never go 100% at all times since you are at a set speed. Even if you keep changing it one can not truly go all out. I love running, but prefer to do so outside on a track.
My track workout is done on a quarter mile track.
I jog one mile (4 laps) at a slow pace, then walk one lap and then stretch.

Now the workout
Sprint 400M (1 lap) at 70% for the first 200M, 100% for last 200M
Walk a 400 to recover
Sprint 400M at 80% for the first 200M, 100% for last 200M
Walk a 400 to recover
Sprint  400M at 80% for first 200M, 90% for last 200M
Walk a 400 to recover
Sprint 400M at 100%
Walk a 400 to recover.

Then do this 4 times
Sprint 200M 100%
Walk a 200 to recover

Then 4 times (walking the curves, running the straightaway)
100M as fast as you can
100M walk

Then for good measure, can jog another mile and then walk a lap to cool down.

This workout actually gets my abs very sore as the core muscles are deeply involved in sprinting. And it is way more fun than running on a treadmill (Not knocking those who do it)

So I finally order a dipping belt from bodybuilding.com (I would call it a pull-up belt but whatever) and I was anxiously awaiting its arrival. I had not done weighted pull-ups for over a year due to my appendicitis, and subsequent oblique muscle damage I would have because of the surgery. I used to use dumbbells in 2005, and went as high as 85lbs. But after the surgery, I could not do much with my abs, and even now still can’t due to the oblique pain. Dumbbell pull-ups were out since I would bend the knees in while holding them. So I went back to regular pull-ups. I would do 10 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 20. But that wasn’t much of a challenge and became boring.

Last night, I got home late, having my usual headaches and feeling tired. But what is waiting for me at home? My dipping belt. I had to go to the gym to try it out. I got changed, took two Motrin (I have prescription but not sure how it affects my workout) and went right to the gym.

So with the dipping belt, I strapped on two 25s and began. I did two sets of 6. It felt good, so I decided to try another 25. I was able to 3 sets of 6 with the 75lbs strapped on. I then did one more set of 6 at 50lbs. It felt good.

Here is what the entire workout looked like

2 sets of 6 pull-ups with 50lbs
3 sets of 6 pull-ups with 75lbs
1 set of 6 pull-ups with 50lbs
4 sets of 10 pull-ups (no belt)
1 set of 10 chin-ups (don’t really do these except on bicep day)
6 sets of 6 standing military press at 115lbs (active rest, really went to try the dipping belt)
4 more sets of 10 pull-ups (no belt)

I was pressed for time, so this is a slight change from my normal routine.

Warm-up
1 set of 10 Dumbbell Alternating Curls (15lb dumbbells supinating)
1 set of 10 Triceps Pushdowns (30 lbs Straight Bar)

Biceps
3 sets of 8 Alternating dumbbell Curls (55 lbs Dumbbells supinating)
3 sets of 8 Concentration Curls (45 lb Dumbbell)
1 set of 10 concentration Curls (25 lb Dumbbell)
3 sets of 8 reverse Curls (45 lbs) squeeze at top, very slow on the negative. I mean really, really slow. These things hurt, but bring results.

Triceps
1 set of 10 Triceps Pushdowns (40 lbs Straight bar)
Skull Crushers(my favorite) no rest between sets except to change weight
1 set of 4 - 25lbs
1 set of 4 - 45lbs
1 set of 4 … 65 lbs
1 set of 4 … 95 lbs
1 set of 4 … 115 lbs
1 set of 4 - 135 lbs
Rest 2 minutes
Skull Crushers again (no break except to change weights)
1 set of 4 … 135lbs
1 set of 6 - 115lbs
1 set of 8 … 95 lbs
1 set of 10 … 75 lbs
1 set of 12 - 65 lbs
1 set of 15 … 45 lbs

Triceps Pushdowns (Straight Bar no rest between sets)
1 set of 10 … 60 lbs (normal grip)
1 set of 10 … 40 lbs (reverse Grip)
1 set of 10 … 60 lbs (normal grip)
1 set of 10 … 40 lbs (reverse Grip)
1 set of 10 … 60 lbs (normal grip)
rest
1 set of 8 … 50 lbs (reverse Grip)
1 set of 8 … 70lbs (normal grip)

20 Dips

End of Workout. Total time 35 minutes

2006: Appendicitis, recurring abdominal infections and tendinitis in both elbows. Very little time in working out.

I went to the doctor yesterday.

My oblique/ab pain appears to be muscular, and will still take more time to heal. Been a year since the surgery. Guess my muscle was too big then when they cut through it.

So I need to still rest and take it easy, which I can’t do too well. I will just have to avoid certain exercises and weight.

I also have been having headaches and a tight chest since Dec 28th 2006 with difficulty breathing. Turns out I have allergy induced asthma and will still need to get a catscan of the brain and sinus to check for anything else.

2006 sucked for me, I am still hoping for a better 2007.

update 1/25/07
I found out that I have sinusitis and the oblique pain appears to be muscular and scar tissue related.
Sinusitis has been causing me severe headaches to the point that I haven’t really been able to work out. When I do, I can’t go intense. I am on antibiotics which I am hoping will work, and then i hope to be back on track by Feb 1st, and have new pics by Mar 1st.

I am just beginning to do abs again. This is my third time for the year, and I feel a lot stronger. Here is what I did today.

4 set of 10 hanging leg raises. (hanging from the pull-up bar keep legs straight and bring  them all the way up until they touch the bar and then lower slowly).

10 set of 10 lying leg raises with thrust. (Raise feet up to 90 degree angle and then push up as high in the air towards the ceiling keeping the 90 degree angle, and pause then lower torso and then feet to ground without touching. Every other set I twisted my feet to each side on the thrust.

5 set of 10 V-ups

3 sets of 10 decline sit-ups with twist to each side

200 crunches very slow (took like 15 minutes)

100 reverse crunches

3 sets of ten (each side) on the rotary torso machine (obliques) very light due to injury

Plank … hold for 60 seconds

Side plank … twice each side hold for 30 seconds

Back extension on the machine
1 set of 30 at 140lbs
2 sets of 20 at 200lbs

Jog home.

December 2005 I would have severe Tendonitis in my elbows, and I could not Bench press or do any work on my upper Body. Great, I said to myself. Well as least I can focus on Abs and Legs.

January 2006, I would end up having appendicitis and refused to go to the doctor for almost a week. Once there, they had to do an emergency procedure to remove it. So now no longer was I not doing upper body I was not doing anything. They cut through my ab and oblique muscle sto get to the appendix.

I was told 6 to 8 weeks was the normal time for healing. Only problem is that things did not heal. My lower right portion of my abdomen hurt like crazy. The doctors said it might be fluid from the surgery, that it might go way. Or that it might be scar tissue pain. But it wasn’t. I had a bad abdominal infection and was hospitalized again in July.

All this time I have been unable to do abs due to the pain. Unable to do Legs because squats affect the abs, and unable to lift anything heavy.

In August I started working out a little again, but feel tremendous muscle pain in my right oblique with any work that I do. I would limit my workouts to once every two or three weeks, and spend the rest of the time recovering from the pain. The problem now is that the oblique muscle has not fully healed.

November 15h when I joined bodyspace, I joined knowing I need to make progress. All the pictures are how I look now. I don’t like how I look now because I looked better before. Everyday people who know me are telling me that I look sick. They say that I lost a lot of weight.

Funny thing is I was 185 before at like 7% bodyfat and looked great. Now at 182 and 10% I look sick and like I lost weight.

I still have the tendonitis and still have oblique pain when I workout. But I have learned to deal with it, and plan on making a change now, and am determined to have myself looking my best ever in the next few months.