StressMonkey’s BodyBlog

When I first started lifting I can distinctly remember looking at several BodySpace profiles and just being completely baffled.  You see over and over people saying that they’re addicted to lifting, can’t wait to get back to the gym, can’t imagine not lifting, etc.  Lifting sucks SO bad when you first start out.  I had a huge phobia and intimidation factor I had to overcome just to force myself to walk through the front door of a gym.  Then I felt awkward and self conscious because I had no idea what I was doing (BTW, thank goodness I had an awesome personal trainer to teach me so much).  Then I had to get used to not only huge changes in my diet, but also eating more that I ever had (not to mention eating often).  And the soreness.  Oh my goodness.  After my first leg day I could barely walk down stairs two days later.  It was about two weeks of intense soreness.  When I would read people saying that they were addicted to lifting I would think to myself “Are these people mentally ill?”

I’m not even sure when it happened, but I’m a part of the loony bin now.  I had arm day on Monday and I spent the whole freaking day looking forward to it.  I ended up busting out more chin-ups than I ever have done.  The bar is really high up (for a shorty like me) and instead of jumping up and grabbing it like  I usually do I stood on my tippy toes, grabbed as much as I could, and pulled myself up.  That felt so awesome.  No way I could have done that a few months ago.  I had a crazy arm pump going on when I left.  I felt so wiped out but also so GOOD.  I was ready to turn around and drive back for some more.

Today was back/shoulders.  I was doing military presses and really pushing myself hard.  At one point with the heaviest weight I used I was holding the barbell over my head, I had a great pump going on, and I when I looked in the mirror all I could think was “This is so awesome!”

So I think it’s clear that I’m an addict now.

But I still think people who enjoy leg day are nuts. 

I was thinking the other day about how lucky I was to find BodySpace when I did.  At the time I was seriously thinking that I might be too old to start lifting.  BodySpace really was the kick in the pants I needed to get myself to join a gym.  When I first visited it I assumed it would be filled with a bunch of 250 plus pound guys that I wouldn’t be able to relate to.  I was really surprised when I found that was wrong.  Seeing guys that had my athletic background (which was no athletic background), my “before” build (painfully skinny), and my age make drastic changes to their bodies was incredibly inspiring.  It really lit a fire in me and gave me a “If they can do it, so can I!” attitude.

Out of everyone I associate with I’m the only one who goes to the gym.  I really don’t have anyone that can help me or understands what I’m trying to accomplish.

I love that when I have a question about lifting I can get answers from people who have been doing this for years.

I love that I see that people are overcoming horrible illness and/or physical impairements and still have the drive and internal fire to keep training (or the desire to train when they can).  It’s motivating and inspiring.

I love that I’ve met people who started where I was at and who are at about the same progress level as me.  It’s motivating to want to keep up with them and not fall behind.

I love that people are always cheering and encouraging you.  When I started posting pics I was puzzled when people started saying I was improving.  It wasn’t until I put pics side by side that I noticed it too.  I swear you don’t really see changes in yourself when they’re happening slowly.

I love there are people on here who always make me laugh.

I didn’t expect this but I also love that I can help people.  I got a message from a guy my age saying that my profile had inspired him and had given him hope that it was not too late to get into shape.  That was one of the nicest compiments I’ve ever received.

I love BodySpace!

Last night I realized that because of my crazy schedule this week I wasn’t going to be able to get a chest day in.  I purchased a pair of pushup pro handles a while ago.  I’ve been using them to occasionally finish off a chest day, but I’ve never done a large set of them before.  I decided to a pushup pro session at home to replace my chest day at the gym this week.  The plan was to do sets of around 20-25 pushups.  I started off with my feet level to the ground for the first set, slightly elevated the next set, and very elevated for the last set.  Repeat that over and over.  Wrists get twisted on the way down and up.  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  Perfect pushpus are brutal!  The ones where my legs were really elevated were killing me at the end of each set.  After 200 pushups I had a crazy chest pump going on.  I need to start doing more of these.  I like them!

Yay!  I’m sore!  I’m done with my first week of working out without my personal trainer. Since he would often push me WAY past my comfort level I was concerned that I wouldn’t push myself like I really needed to.  I worked back/shoulders Thursday and legs (blech) on Saturday.  It’s Sunday and my shoulders are still a little sore and my legs are starting to feel sore.  Awesome!  (It’s times like this that I’m glad that no one I know knows about this blog.  If they knew I was sitting here writing about how I was excited to be feeling mild discomfort they would have me institutionalized.)

One thing I do miss is that if I ran out of gas on a set he wouldn’t let me quit and would assist me with finishing the set.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

I thought planning my own workouts would be annoying but I found that I actually kind of enjoy it.  I threw in chin-ups before chest/arm day and pull-ups before back/shoulders day.  I think I might keep doing that.  I really want to get my numbers up on those.

I wrote earlier about how I would always get really nervous before each time I would go to the gym.  I just now realized that working out by myself has totally killed that.  Instead of being worried about what horrors are about to be inflicted upon me (LOL) I now know what the game plan is and just dive in.  What’s weird is that I’m finding myself fired up about the gym like I’ve never been.  I’m itching for back day to come around again so I can try and squeeze out one more pull-up.  I’m excited about killing my arms tomorrow.  I guess I feel like a bird that’s been kicked out of the nest and is falling to the ground.  You can either go splat or fight and take flight.  I like this feeling!

When I was planning what my next workout would be (which still feels really weird to be doing) I was looking through back exercises and realized that I had never done an unassisted wide grip pull-up before.  The only kind I’ve done unassisted are the ones with a close grip, grabbing handles with your palms facing each other.  What I was reading said the wide grip ones were much more difficult.  I was pretty nervous about trying them cause I wasn’t even sure if I could do one.  One of the dip stations has a wide and close grip set of handles so I headed over to it as soon as I got to the gym.  I was pretty stoked that I busted out 9 my first try but ho-lee-crap they are hard!  I made sure to lower myself fully each time.  I was struggling at the end and I’m sure my form was crappy when I was struggling but I was really happy considering I was worried I would be able to do zero.  I did some close grip pull-ups, then 7 wide grip, close grip, 5 wide grip, close grip.  I’m going to make it a goal to get those numbers up!

I don’t understand what’s going on with my bodyweight.  I’ve been hovering around 149-152 pounds for many months.  Now all of the sudden my weight is going up crazy fast.  Every time I’ve been weighing myself in the last week or two I’ve been heavier.  Today I weighed in at 154 pounds!  Less than a week ago it said I was 151.6.  There’s no way that can be right.  I’m using the digital scale at my gym and I started suspecting that it was malfunctioning.  I weighed myself at the grocery store today before I hit the gym and it said….154.  I’ve been making an effort to try and eat more but I’m not eating THAT much more.  I’m so confused but I’m not complaining!

After seven months it’s over!  I don’t have a personal trainer anymore.  We had a really good run but my wallet was begging for mercy.  My trainer helped change me from someone who was completely intimidated at the thought of working out in a gym to someone who likes it and is working towards goals that I would have thought impossible not very long ago.  I’m not sure how I feel.  I’ve got a large range of emotions I’ve been feeling…

• Unhappiness – Honestly I am pretty bummed about the whole situation.  My trainer and I got along great.  He’s like me and likes to laugh and be goofy.  It really did make training sessions go by quicker when you’re doing them with someone like that.  Now it’s just going to be me.

• Relief – It actual was a giant PITA for me to align my schedule with his.  I had to work out on days and a times that I really didn’t want to.  Now I can do what I want when I want.

• Nervous – I know in some ways this will be good for me.  I know I have been lazy in some respects because of him.  I didn’t have to know or care what we were doing at the gym each day. He took care of designing the program.  I didn’t pay any attention to how much I was lifting or had been lifting.  I really don’t care how much I can lift (not that it’s any great amount, it’s not). Just tell me how much I have to do to change myself.  Now I’ve got to keep track of all that.

• Pride – I distinctly remember when I first saw my trainer walking up.  He’s a huge dude that’s absolutely ripped.  I remember thinking “Oh crap.  Am I going to be able to handle the workouts he’s going to expect me to do?”  I did.

• Confusion – There’s a lot of exercises that I can do on my own but there’s some that have me scratching my head over.  There’s no way I’m going to do barbell benching on my own without a spotter.  I guess I could switch to doing them in the smith machine.  But what about things like skull crushers where he would hand me the bar from behind my head?

Tonight is my first workout on my own.  Let’s see how it goes!

I saw this in the over 35 forum and thought it was freaking hilarious.  I couldn’t help wonder when I was watching it…is this one my bodyspace friends?  Am I hearing the voice of Todd the king of bodyspace?  Mike the gym slut?  Just Dave?

Had an awesome workout today.  Did 5 plates on the leg press, which I’ve only tried once before (without much success).  After the end of the workout my trainer decided to end things with a bang.  He brought out a stool and his “perfect pushup” handles.  He had me put my toes on the stool and then do 20-25 pushups while twisting my wrists as I went up and down.  After that it was 20 pullups and then dips to failure.  And then I did it all again (only 15 pullups this time though).  As I was doing the pullups I couldn’t help but think about how much I’ve changed.  When I first joined the gym I had trouble with assisted pullups.  Regular pullups were something I dreaded for a long time.  The grips are are in the center of the free weight section and it feels like many eyes are on you when you step up to try them.  The first time I tried I remember worrying that I wouldn’t be able to do any.  It feels great not to have to worry or care about things like that anymore.  Awesome workout!