CoachT’s BodyBlog

It has been a while since I have posted a blog and my goals have changed quite a bit.  Also, my body has flucuated from the pinacle to the trenches in merely a year.  At one time I was down near 275lbs and feeling great.  Soon after I lost my dad to heart disease and I took comfort in eating and being lazy - basically sulking!!  Well, that did not help with my goals nor did it really give me a chance to beat the same disease that my dad battled.  So, I decided to get back on track.  I began eating right and excerising on a daily basis.  I got my weight back down to 299lbs and I was again feeling like I was accomplishing something. Then. . . . .

My wife and I went on a couple of vacations this year without the little one!!  I love him more than anything in this world but I also love my wife and wanted alone time with her.  We went to Key West, New Braunfels, and many other small trips.  On these trips I ate like a pig.  I did not exercise so the downfall was fastly approaching.  Then, in July, football got cranked up again and I was in the deathtrap of two-a-days.  I was working from 7am to about 10pm, seven days a week, and was not eating good.  It was easier to pick up fast food or eat junk in the field house.

So, the results are the old me is back.  326lbs and 28.4% body fat.  Today is Wednesday, day three of the Get-Back-On-Track program that I have developed for myself.  I have changed my diet and started exercising again.  I am cross training at the time to get back into shape.  For instance, I ran 2 miles on Monday and did a full body workout (about 1 hr) on Tuesday.  Tonight, I am going to either swim or bike (some form of cardio).

The toughest part of this program is going to be keeping up with it on Thursday and Fridays due to football games.  For the time being, I plan to get my workout in during the morning hours those days to ensure that it will be done.  If I wait until that night, I will find an excuse!

So, I need as many bandwagon supporters as possible right now.  I need Bodyspace Fans!!  I am constantly looking at your profiles for motivation so keep up your great work!!  I look forward to reporting back at least weekly with positive news for you!  For the time being, Be Strong - No Excuses!!

I am still dropping the weight.  The last post I wrote, i was at 291.  Well, this morning my scale read 276.4 lbs.  WOW - I never thought that I could get this low so quick.  I feel great and I am still greatly motivated to eat right and exercise each day. 

In my last post, I put that I was running some of my "normal" route but now I run the entire thing.  I have been doing so for about 2.5 weeks.  My time is getting better and better.  In fact, I have since made the route longer to where it is about 2.5 miles so I am working myself harder and harder.  Some of you may look at that and say "BIG DEAL" - well to me it is.  I thought I was never going to be able to run a mile without stopping.  I am really excited to be able to do what I am and look forward to running each night. 

Next week, I am going to start adding weights to my workout.  I have not done so for the last 8 weeks but now that my body fat has dropped significantly, I feel that it is time to get back to the weights.  I am sure my strength has declined but I should be able to work back to where I was pretty quickly.

If you are keeping up with my post and watching my progress - thank you.  I really do feel like it motivates me knowing that you are watching.  I know that I am accountable to you as well as myself.  Thanks for all of your comments - good luck on all of your goals.

Finally, I can start seeing results!!  Recently, I have been teamed up with a doctor who specializes in fitness and nutrition.  He has had me on a specified diet and cardio combination that has really worked for me.  I have gone from 330 lbs in April to 291 as of Friday.  I need to get a pic and post.  I still have fat spots but they are a lot smaller than they were before.  My body fat percentage has dropped considerably!!  The thing I am most pumped about right now is the fact that I can run for more than a mile without stopping.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not running at a distance runners pace but I can move for a long distance without fatigueing.  Get this, in April, I couldn’t run 400 meters without stopping.

I began my cardio with walking briskly for 15 minutes a day.  Then I slowly increased the time I walked.  After a few weeks, that was not enough for me.  I began walking a 2 mile route in my neighborhood and timing myself.  I started at 32 minutes and worked down to 24:59 - my best on that course.  Well, since I couldn’t beat that time I decided to see if I could run.  Well, to my surprise, I ran a majority of the course!!  I couldn’t believe it.  I was pumped up.  I was honestly looking forward to the next night to see if I could run even further.  Then I started adding other forms of cardio in such as running hills, bleachers, pulling sleds, ect.  I am just excited that I am getting to where I can workout like I want to.

I am still not lifting weights yet.  My doctor suggested that I lay off for 8 weeks while I am on this diet in order to give my body sufficient time and process to burn the fat.  Now, I am working on getting my CSCS and I have always believed that building muscle helped to burn fat but we talked about the Krebs Cycle and the ATP mechanisms going on in our body and he convinced me to quit working out.  I haven’t touched a weight in 5 weeks.  I miss it but I am seeing results now so it is paying off.  When I originally started my bodyspace I said that I want to be a good example to the kids I coach and want to be able to do what they are doing.  Well, yesterday I really pushed my offensive linemen.  They all stayed after school to run with me and I wore them out.  My adrenaline was pumping because I was challenging myself - and I completed everything I asked of them and still had gas in the tank!!!!

Right now my diet consists of protein, protein, protein!!  This is usually what my day looks like:

Breakfast:  Three egg whites with a bottle of water
Lunch:  A protein shake, protein bar and a bag of raw vegetables.
Dinner:  Grilled shrimp and steamed vegetables.

That is all I eat.  Now, I am not saying this is how I will always eat, just for eight weeks.  I know that some of you will say "You should be eating 6 meals per day and you need carbs blah, blah, blah".  I have said all of that before too but this doctor has convinced me that to change your body, you have to change your mindset and thoughts about diet and fitness.  I am seeing results every day and I am still super-motivated after five weeks of it.  I laughed my ass of this weekend when I put my jeans on and they would not stay around my waist.  I ended up having to wear a belt to cinch them up.  It was great!!

Here is hoping that all of you are accomplishing your goals!!  Good luck and work hard!!

Well, I have worked pretty hard this week in the weight room and during my cardio sessions.  I can actually "feel" my abs toning up down there - not only that, but they were sore this morning when I rolled out of bed.  I think that is due to working them on Tuesday (DOMS - 2 days later) and doing heavy squats yesterday.  It is motivating to feel the burn in muscle groups because you know that you have hit them and they were working. 

As far as cardio, I threw something new into my routine this week.  Instead of running around a track every night, I added a circuit that I call "Boxing Circuit" in my notebook.  Not so much boxing but I can identify what it is if I refer to it as "Boxing Circuit".  It consists of this:

2 minutes on heavy bag (Hence the name Boxing Circuit)
2 minutes jump rope
2 minutes of mountain climbers
2 minutes of running bleachers

I go through this twice and it really kills me.  I understand it really won’t help me accomplish the goal of running a 5K this fall but. . . . . it does help with my physical shape and endurance.  Not only that but it breaks the monotnous routine of running and turning left (around a track if you don’t understand)!!!!

Please feel free to send me ideas so that I can put together another circuit for my weeks.  I would like to have two circuits so that my days can be split as such:

Monday - Running
Tuesday - Boxing Circuit
Wednesday - Running
Thursday - NEW Circuit - Your Ideas Here
Friday - Running

Can anyone help?  Thanks

A huge THANK YOU to Cnstnce for critiquing my eating habits.  She told me exactly what I needed to hear - It is not good enough!!  That is the insight and motivation that I am looking for here.

I was told that instant oatmeal is loaded with HFCS and that will impeed my progress.  I use the instant oatmeal because it is quick and easy.  Guess I have to quit being lazy and take the time to nurish my body the correct way.  I will go get "regular" oatmeal and yogurt today.  Again, thank you Cnstnce!!

Well, my brother and I worked out this morning and I feel that it was another good one.  We worked back and I am finally starting to feel a little pump back there!!  My workout is as follows:

Lat Pulldowns   3 x 10
One Arm Rows  3 x 10
Inverted Rows  3 x 10
Reverse Grip Pulldowns  3 x 10
Seated Rows  3 x 10

The inverted rows that I am referring to is basically a variation of pullups for people who can’t actually do a pullup.  I really don’t think I could do one with good form.  An inverted row is where you are hanging below a bar with your feet on a bench and pulling up from there.  IT REALLY WORKS!!  I really felt the burn this morning!!  Not only that but my chin has not seen a bar like that in years!!!  So if you are like me and can’t do a pullup, this is a great alternative. 

I will be back in the weight room this afternoon with my defensive lineman.  I am going to have them working on olympic type lifts so I may join them.  It can’t hurt huh? 

Good luck to everyone on their goals and keep pushing yourself!!  You will get there.

OK, here is how my day went:

I woke up at 5:30am this morning and had to get my son ready to drop off at day care.  My wife is an RN so she was out the door at 5:45am.  So, in all of the fun running around I got him ready to go and took in 5 grams of creatine and a teaspoon of glutamine.

I dropped my son off and raced to the gym - already late and not wanting to disappoint my partner.  Well, our workout went really well.  We worked chest this morning and we really worked hard.  Not to mention that fact that it was steamy in the weight room.  I live on the coast where the humidity level is always 100%.  On top of that, there is no air conditioning in our weight room.  All we could do was open the doors (garage type) to get air circulation.  This is the workout I did:

Incline DB Press: 4 x 8 w/ 70lb DBs
Incline Flies: 4 x 8 w/ 30 lb DBs

Flat Bench DB Press: 3 x 10 w/ 80lb DBs
Flat Bench Flies: 3 x 10 w/ 40lb DBs

Decline DB Press: 3 x 10 w/ 70lb DBs
Decline Flies: 3 x 10 w/ 30lb DBs

Enough about my workout but I will say that I really felt good when I left - I felt a pump!!

When I got home, I had another dose of creatine and a protein shake and then I took a shower and ate breakfast.  I had a bowl of oatmeal (instant) with raisins, a cup of blackberry yogurt and a hard boiled egg.  I also drank about 1000 ml of water.

For lunch I hade a turkey sandwich with cheese and two dill pickle spears.  I also drank another 1000ml of water.

At about 2:0pm I had a roasted almond granola bar.  And at 4:0pm I drank a small can of pineapple juice.

For dinner I had a grilled chicken breast, beans and french fries.  OK OK I probably could have done without the fries but I attended our high school athletic banquet and felt like I was "forced" to eat what they served!!  Oh yeah, I also had a chocolate cookie.

In total today, I probably drank about 5000-6000 ml of water.  I have a bottle I always carry with me - that is how I measure my intake.  I feel that this is sufficient intake while I am on creatine.  Do you think it is enough?

So all in all, I feel that I done OK.  I probably could have done without the fries and cookie but hey, I am getting there.  If you feel that I could improve my eating by adding or subtracting something, please let me know.  Thanks for reading CoachT’s BodyBlog!!

I have been working at my goals now for one month and I must say I was a little disappointed when I took photos.  I could not see the changes I thought were there.  Photos never lie huh?  I will say this, I am not quitting.  Maybe the photos have given me the motivation I need to really turn the volume up.  There are areas that I really need to address.

I love going to the gym to lift weights!!  I would have to say that chest and arms are my favorite workouts.  My back is also up there!!  I hate doing abs - don’t know why.  Everyone loves to work abs, right?  I also struggle lifting legs.  We don’t have a leg press machine in our gym so I can’t take the easy way out.  I have to load the bar and squat.  I would say that I fear the squat.  It takes a total body explosion plus it has been about 9 years since I really worked the squat like I should (high school).  I am getting there - maybe one day it will be my favorite.

What I realyl need to work on is the cardio.  I know there are other options but I would love to be able to run like I used to.  I have slowly worked up to being able to run 800m (2 laps on a track) without stopping.  I really love eliptical trainers but I cannot afford one and my gym does not have one.  Maybe one day I talk my wife into buying me one.  Meanwhile, I am really working on running so that I can compete in a 5K by this fall.  It will be tough but I am pushing hard.  I also need to watch my diet.  Don’t go thinking that I just eat whatever - I know what kind of intake I should have but I have trouble sticking to it.  I love to eat pasta, breads, sweets - all of the sins!!  I usually eat a good breakfast, descent lunch, and then dinner sort of slips.  Not that I over eat but this is when I decide that lasagne would be good.  I eat in moderation but I feel that the meals themselves do not lend a good hand in reducing my body fat.  So, to say the least, these two areas are in the work!!

Since this is my first blog, I should tell you more about me.  I am 26 years old and live in Texas (Born and Raised!!).  I am a coach at my former high school.  I coach defensive lineman in football, I am the head powerlifting coach and I also work with throwers in track and field.  I also have the duty of formulating and supervising the offseason strength and conditioning program.  I love doing this!!  It is really nice to put the work in and see the results when we test the kids.  It really is an awesome feeling!!

I am in the process of obtaining my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification through NSCA.  I graduated from college (Texas A&M) with a degree in Kinesiology.  I would like to get this certification and then go back to get my masters with an emphasis in exercise physiology.  I am not sure what I would like to do with it but for the time being, coaching is nice.  I just have an odd feeling that public education is about to really get ugly and being a teacher will SUCK.  I will need a way out and I feel a higher education will help me do that.  As for the CSCS certification - I have not let myself take that exam yet.  I do really well on the practice tests but I want to be sure I will ace it when I do take it.  Not only that but I want to get back into great shape beforehand.  Afterall, who wants a trainer that is fat and out of shape himself?  I would not!!

So, feel free to drop me a line with tips, techniques, ideas or whatever.  If you would like to ask questions as far as workouts feel free.  Good luck in all of your goals and NEVER GIVE UP!!!