dman12’s BodyBlog

I’m pretty lucky because I had a heart attack, because if I hadn’t I would have never got addicted to working out at the gym, because that is what happened to me.

Now I have to say those nurses at my cardiac rehab were pivotal in inspiring and educating me about BP and heart rates, granted they were not pictures of fitness,but neither was I for that matter. Which brings me to progress pix if I had a scanner I would put something in there to show where I started, but at that time I never expected my body to change the way it did, I just loved working out. Its too bad a lot of folks on here don’t seem to love it, but do because they have to, so they can achieve their goals. So do your best to make it fun.

I also have used a number of trainers, with all kinds of backgrounds , but some problems with that is when you find one he or she moves out of the area to another gym, so you get no continuity, but I am lucky because I can glean all the good information from each and use it. So it is kinda like this site.

I then started hanging around competitors at the gym and working at the Arnold Expo and started listening and learning ,started going to local competitions and got hooked on that, found a trainer that is a fitness competitor with a background in cardiology,yes I am a heart patient still.

This is where I learned about supplements and diet. Now I don’t eat like a competitor ,but do watch what I eat. I am lucky that my lifestyle and job keeps me active 7 days a week and going to the gym every day offers a luxury to indulge in Ice cream (is low fat ok).

Supplements are the tricky one for a heart patient. For instance I have became acquainted with a girl who is training to compete and telling me she has heart palpitations and taking some stuff that gets her heart rate up, not a good combo. My advice here is listen to your body its the one and only that you get. I’m oh so lucky!

So I didn’t go to the gym today, and thought I would use this as my heal day. It’s still too wet to get in the field so I did my second most, check that my third most favorite thing after the gym I went to woods and cut firewood all day, that is what my heal day is like. I don’t think that’s what they have in mind for this. Oh well.

First I am not being critical of anyones diet, but reading these blogs I do get confused. What is the definition of clean eating? I have an idea but not sure if I am right. Now I know I am one good diet program away shall I say finishing the complete package. But my diet changed after my heart attack eliminated fast food, eat only brown breads and wheat pasta, its been years since a soda or diet soda, only water,flavored water, and some iced tea. So I do watch what I eat, as far as veggies, being on a blood thinner my intake of the green ones has to be watched and being a farmer that works 7 days a week and some long hours it is tough to eat at intervals.

Which brings me to the next question and that is processed foods I see these energy/ protien bars all over and eat the Kelloggs protein meal replacement bars aren’t these considered processed too?

So I guess my diet is called " Watch what I eat with an occasional splurge "

And is there a opinion about these oatmeal breakfast bars, good or not, and I am not giving up my Chocolate milk and whey after my work out let alone my poutry, fish, and beef.

Its not that I don’t have it, I love going to the gym and working out but I have been super setting for about a year now taking it to fatigue and not failure. So I decided to stop super setting and do just straight sets for a time. But the huge difference I noticed was how much more strength I gained because I am still doing a 12,10,8 set routine with more weight and increasing some each time still have not maxed out on some movements. Life is great isn’t it !

I do this tricep move and wondered how much of it really works the tricep or if it is more of a compound movement. Not knowing the correct name but it is self explaining, it is DB kickbacks on the stability ball. Lying on a stab. ball I take a pair of DB’s and do kickbacks the difference is the arm movement, you have to hold your arms out farther to clear the ball which forces you to bring them close to your chest. Of course the shoulders are still and your elbows still act like a hinge. I am looking more of an explaination of the science of this or does it work the tri’s like a regular kickback movement.