Return to the Iron.

I can’t believe how good it feels to be training again. I didn’t realize how important it is for me mentally.. to be lifting. Don’t worry Dorian Yates is safe from me posing him off the stage.

I’m saying setting a goal, and working towards it, is just something I’ve missed. I feel like all is right with my little world, so long as I dedicate my hour in the garage to building muscle.

As my day unfolds, and crap happens (usually on the Cross Bronx Expressway) I find myself preparing mentally for the nights workout. Then something great happens…. no matter how beat I am from the days disaster, I still manage to get under some iron. This effects me tremendously in so many other areas of my life. I just seem to feel a lot more positive about everything.

For example "I hope I can pay off my bike soon" turns into, "I can’t wait until I pay off my bike."

"I hope my wife is in a good mood tonight." turns into, "I can’t wait to put her in a good mood tonight"

"I hope I have time to lift tonight." turns into, "After lifting tonight I will put my wife in a good mood." Ok, maybe I am a bit obsessed with my wife these days, but its been a while and a man has needs!!

Till next time you can find me on the Cross Bronx, planning my workouts. I’ll be the big dopey looking guy in a white Kenworth with a stupid grin on his face.

Gradually I am returning to the grind. It’s not easy man. My body is perfectly happy to remain at rest, growing ever more lethargic and lazy. Not to mention fat as a mutha. Just me, the remote.. a beer, and my gut to place it on.

Yeah… SCREW that noise! Today I took some measurements just to create a baseline from which to reference that way I know where my weaknesses will be. I will remeasure bimonthly to gauge progress. I still have the goal of benching at least 300 lbs before I die. And since I am not dead yet…   

In the weeks ahead, I just want to concentrate on getting back on the wagon. Not to pat myself too much, but I am mentally on track at least. My body has been hating me with all the old new training I have been subjecting myself to. I have started a training journal as well and I will be working out with it trying to record my progress while my hands are shaking all over the place from just doing whatever set!! 

Check out my state of the art Training facility!

Hmmm… I think I’ll call it the house of pain!!

Welp… 14 hour days took their toll, and I quit going to the gym. Not long after that, I stopped lifting altogether. My Diet of beer and pizza hasn’t helped any, and now more than a year later, I can say with all honesty I am embarassed to take my shirt off. It was painful to see more and more muscle loss as my gut expanded into beer keg proportions… (well not that bad) but I put on at least 4 inches of blubber in the waist area, and most of my muscle has shrunk and gone smooth. 

I can come up with a ton of excuses. We all know it’s bull cause there are no excuses. You either train or you don’t. It’s a way of life commitment give, or take the ocassional beer, or poptart weakness.

I just can’t go out this way. I am 43 now. That doesn’t mean I am dead. I know I’ll never be a pro bodybuilder but damn… this beer gut I have here is failure. Lets face it.. I not only fell off the wagon… but got run over by the next five in the caravan.

I gots no one to blame but myself here, and athough I have taken several giant steps backwards, I look forward to making progress once again.