DreMalone’s BodyBlog

Whenever I go to the gym, people will look at me like I’m crazy, cause all I do is 3 simple exercises: bench press, lat pulldowns, and bodyweight squats. 3 simple compound exercises that work. If other people want to do all those other exercises, that’s fine. That’s what works for them. With me, I know what works for me, and isn’t that what exercise is about? Finding what works for you?

Here’s how it breaks down: after every set on the weights, I do 50 BW squats. And I love squats. I was taught long ago, that if the base is weak, the rest of the body won’t be stable. Many folks disagree, but that’s them. Anyways, that’s how it breaks down for me when I lift weights. Same thing happens when I do just pullups and dips. I do 50 squats between sets, and I always get a good workout.

Like I said, it works for me. When I don’t feel that "burn", I either increase the pounds, or I increase the reps on the bodyweight exercises and increase the squat reps. It’s all about keeping it simple, and finding what works for you.

Pushin’ weight, even your own body weight, means being mentally prepared to do it. For example, I’ve been in a funk for the past week, and went to the gym. Thought I was gonna be cool, right? Blow off all the steam I had pent up inside me. I did the benchpress for 10 reps and was done. My heart was NO WHERE in it! It sucked. In the past, I’ve worked out to let off steam. But as I’ve gotten older, putting my heart into something means so much more.

Now, before I go work out, I meditate for 15 minutes prior. It’s helped big time, even if I don’ completely clear my mind of all the negative shit going on. I take it out on the weights like I did before, and my workouts have been better these past few days. 10% physical, 90% mental is what I remembered someone telling me. Glad I remembered.

At the gym last night, I did nothing but bodyweight exercises, while my wife hit the weights hardcore. Whether it’s BWE’s or weightlifting, I find this works for me the best:

• 1 push movement
• 1 pull movement
• 1 leg exercise
• 1 ab exercise

So, lots of dips, pullups, squats, and v-ups for me last night. I could do dips all day. To me, that’s the best compound upper body exercise. I always felt it hits everything, even you face; hell, on those last few burnout pushes, you’re contorting your face pretty hard to push yourself up, which would explain why I have deep dimples, haha!

I did squats after each set of dips or pullups. 50 reps each; I felt like pushing it last night. Squats are good as well, as they keep your heartrate up between sets, and makes your base stronger. And combined with V-ups? Shit, I’m back down to a size 40 pants again! Gotta love it, but I’ll love it more when I’m back down to a 36 or 38, whichever comes first. I think I’ll hit it once my fam gets their own place again, and eat the way we used to. Well, my wife still eats good, due to her diabetes, but with my mom cooking for us right now, it’s kind of hard. That crazy ass woman can cook!

I played 21 (basketball) for the first time in YEARS, and it kicked my ass. I can’t believe how out of shape I am. 2 minutes into the game, I felt like hurling, but I hung in there. Got my ass kicked, too. Thing is, it was a good eye opener. I need–I WANT–to get into the best shape I can.

After the game, and after dry heaving, I got into a routine that I used to do in high school track. Believe me, I’m feeling it today:

1 set of killers/1 minute pushups

1 set of killers/1 minute squat thrusts

1 set of killers/1 minute sit-ups

1 set of killers/1 minute dry heaving, haha!

I love it, though! I’d rather feel like crap today, but feel energized at the same time, than look in the mirror and feel I didn’t do a damn thing with my body yesterday. Yes, exercising can suck at times, but it’s worth my health.

With my wife being Type 2, I’ve changed my eating habits big time. While in college, she got my son and I off the Pop Tart-cereal-whatever diet, and started cooking REAL food for us. As an aspiring chef, she plays guinea pig with us alot, especially me. I don’t mind, it’s dropped my weight from almost 300lbs, to 268lbs over the past year.

Yes, I resisted at first, thinking that eating all that low carb, high protein food was gonna jack me up. I was in college, after all. I thought I knew everything like a typical 18yr old just out of high school. A funny thing happened. My clothes started fitting looser on my frame; I got my color back (I literally looked gray!); the wrinkles on my face slowly started disappearing; I started looking human again! Hell, I started doing bodyweight exercises again cause my energy returned!

Fast forward to now. I yo-yo’ed in my weight and exercise over the past year, being hardheaded, but she made me realize something important. My body is my temple, and it has to last me til my dying days, and the better I take care of it, the better I’ll be off. She’s right, as usual, but I also want to be here for my son. I made him a promise years ago that I’ll always be here, and I want to keep that. So if I have to eat tons of chicken, 500lbs of tuna, drink plenty of water, and exercise till I drop, so be it. Hell, I owe it to myself. At 35, I’m far from washed up, as I’ve seen folks here on BodySpace my age in the good shape they are. I shamed me, actually, and that’s a good thing.

Time for morning tuna and water. More writing will come later.

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