bigjeff0065’s BodyBlog

Well, the boy woke up feeling a little sick, threw up a few times and I wasn’t feeling all that great myself and the weather is dreary, but Sunday is Gun Day this week.  I kept putting off the workout as I just felt off all day.  I made myself go get some groceries and get out and moving.  Still didn’t feel good, so I decided to go ahead and eat instead of waiting until after my lifts.  Well, I was just about to give up and write the day off when I started to move up the wellness scale.  Not enough to be 100%, but I made it into the 90% range.  So, I did get my lifts in and got a good pump too.  Skipped cardio today, unless you count the jumping jacks I’ve been doing between sets.  I think it’s a nice changeup for now.  Finish a set hit 25-30 jumping jacks, not enough to work hard, not too few where it doesn’t raise the heart rate.  Anyway,  that’s all for now.  I guess today was a lesson in never giving up. 

Well, my son’s birthday party was tonite.  You know the kind if you have kids, lots of inflatable stuff for them to play on and work up a sweat (good)… food provided pizza and birthday cake.  Knowing this in advance I loaded up on chicken and a protein shake before we left so I would be full and have no desire for these two delicious tasty foods.  Didn’t work.  Just looking at that pizza made my stomach growl.  I must be an addict because I could feel the want down deep inside.  The pizza called to me.  Oh, the birthday cake would be good, but sweets are easier for me to turn down.  Oh the pizza!  I imagine it was pretty good even if it was dominos.  No, I didn’t eat it.  Opened the box twice and thought, one little piece won’t hurt, i’ve done pretty good.  Well, it’s 3 hours, one hard boiled egg and a cup of kashii golean crunch later and I still want that dadgum pizza.  I resisted.  I remembered watching myself do jumping jacks in the mirror and seeing some ab definition.  I’m getting close… don’t ruin it now… which would be better  a piece or two of pizza or having abs this summer for the first time in my life?  Yeah, abs won. 

This small victory over appetite may be my biggest BB accomplishment so far!

Ok, talked to a friend last nite and she told me I was getting too skinny.  I am sure she meant lean, but since she isn’t an exerciser (unless her size 4 pants start to get tight) she doesn’t use the proper lingo.  She asked me why I wanted to lose more weight.  My reply: Why can’t I just do it for me?  I want to see if I can do it.  I want abs at 35, never had them before.  I want to be able to say that I lost 100 lbs.  I want to be lean and fit because that’s MY ideal.  I’m not doing it for anyone else’s benefit, only MINE!

So, anyway… I guess that does make me a selfish prick like she always said.

Today is the day of rest for me.  Allowed a cheat meal!  But I don’t want to rest, and I don’t really want a cheat meal.  Funny, when I can’t have a cheat meal and off day I really want one so bad I can feel it.  Now that I can, not so much.  I feel great, but it is my son’s birthday today, so I probably will not workout unless I do some cardio after he has read me a story and is safely tucked in bed.  

Today is the day of rest for me.  Allowed a cheat meal!  But I don’t want to rest, and I don’t really want a cheat meal.  Funny, when I can’t have a cheat meal and off day I really want one so bad I can feel it.  Now that I can, not so much.  I feel great, but it is my son’s birthday today, so I probably will not workout unless I do some cardio after he has read me a story and is safely tucked in bed.  

Well, I broke down and bought the Accufitness pincers from Hell to measure bodyfat.  Guess I was always scared before since even in elementary school I was in the 28-30% range.  So I played with my new toy last night.  I’m not real sure how accurate I was with measuring myself, so I did it about 10 times.  First measurement was 12.3%, then several 11.2%, 16%,15.3%, 9.2%, and lastly 13%.  I’ve been guessing at my BF% using the Navy chart and figuring 15% is where the love handles start going.  Well, my handles are almost gone and I’m throwing out the 9.2% since I know that ain’t right.  The average is around 13%.  That would send some men into hysterics on this site, but I was kind of excited about it.  I’m at the lowest BF% of my life, can see some ab definition during jumping jacks, veins are poking out, etc.  So, I’m going to mark my page today with 13% BF as that is probably fairly accurate (at least within 1%).  Wow.  I’m getting real close to 10%, which is a long term goal, and one I secretly doubted I could ever reach.  Not anymore.  It’s an obsession now.  The chart said for my age group that less than 16% is excellent, but I think I can do better than that.  I didn’t do weights last night, instead with the short amount of time I had I did HIIT and really mixed up my speeds and time because I felt like I was getting too used to what I had been doing.  Back is tonight!  Going heavy!  WhoooHOOO!

Well, I was told I have an "unhealthy" obsession with fitness.  WTF?  A girl I’ve gone on a few dates with told me that last night.  She said I’d rather workout when I don’t have my son than see her.  Well, guess what?  It’s true!

The last girl I dated seriously (and the 1st since my divorce) lead me astray way too easily.  Spent almost all my free time with her and my fitness goals slowly faded.  Sure I maintained, but gained some BF as well (let’s call it a bulk).  That ain’t gonna happen again.  I let myself be lead astray. 

I can’t help it if you get offended that I don’t want to go out drinking after work and instead want to do something for me like try to accomplish some goals.  Yeah, success is unhealthy.  

I just don’t understand.  I tell a girl first date that I’m wired differently than other people and I’m dedicated to achieving my fitness goals.  They act like they are cool with it, but then try to derail me.  Well, guess what?  For once in my life I’m going to put ME first.  Don’t like it?  Hit the bricks….

Sorry, just had to vent. 

Amazing what 10 years of mostly off can do to a body.  While I still kept a pretty good base of muscle my lifts suffered hardcore.  I’ve been back at the weights consistently for 1 1/2 years, and I am constantly shocked at how the strength of my youth fails me now.  Yeah, I"m older and could care less anymore if I am lifting more than anyone else, but doing squats for 6-8 reps and really struggling with the last rep with weight I used to do sets of 25 with!  Fortunately, my muscle memory is pretty good and they snap back into the size they used to be, but the strength is not there anymore.  I guess I’ll have to take comfort in the fact that I am as my friend Tim says "old man strong".  That’s the kind of surprising strength that surprises the snot nosed punk as his feet leave the ground and the fear rises in his eyes!  LOL

Well, despite my son’s baseball practice and some unexpected homework projects, I did get my arm work in last night.  It was around 8:45 and I was just going to write the day off as an off day, but I walked past my equipment on the way to the dryer and saw myself in the mirror (shirtless) and thought well, my upper body is leaning out some… and I’d hate to have taken an off day when I could have worked out.  So, long story short the weights were calling.  So, I answered.  I tried to teach those weights a thing or two about who is the boss, but yet again, the weights won.   However, I do think they know that they are in for a helluva fight when I step up to the bar.  Changed it up a little and hit some angles I haven’t for a while and being a little sore this morning is a good sign that I did some good last night.  Tonight is back and the resumption of cardio.  I think I need to change up my cardio though as my body may be getting used to HIIT.  Think I’ll look into some plyometrics this weekend and maybe some muay thai?  Anybody got an opinion on the muay thai classes?  Are they a cardio butt kicker?

Well, yesterday I was hurting from soreness, and the calves are still shocking me every step.  I hit legs pretty good and had a good long walk with the dog (real slow cardio on leg days ever since I pulled a quad in college fb doing sprints and legs the same day).  I woke up thinking I’d take today off especially since my son has baseball practice tonight and such, but now I’m feeling pretty good and will keep my off day as Thursday.  I will skip the cardio today though.   That way my legs will be nice and fresh for the resumption of cardio on Tuesday.