Don’t Have a Keg…

Does anyone else find their mind wandering during cardio? I did today and it kept wandering during my lifts, too. I kept thinking about everything else but the exercise I was supposed to be focused on. Maybe it’s the heat…

A couple of useful thoughts came to me as I observered other gym goers as well…

1. Guys, and gals too, if you want big arms work your chest. Big lifts in the bench press build triceps like nothing else I’ve tried (note to self: put some focus back into my bench).

2. Don’t neglect the back - working out just the front beach muscles will cause an upper body imbalance that will do nothing but cause trouble later. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it’s not important.

3. Slow down - I couldn’t believe the number of people I saw today flying through each set. Momentum can give you false confidence about how much you are really lifting. If you don’t feel the weight anymore you’re going to fast (and too light!).

4. For goodness sakes guys, I don’t know about the gals on this one, just flush! Sorry, a personal pet peeve of mine when using public restrooms (I’ve got another one about "if you sprinkle when you tinkle" but I’ll leave that for another time - I hope no one is offended but hygiene is everyone’s business in the locker room).

That’s probably enough for now…good workouts everyone.

Not sure if re-motivated is a word, but that’s how I feel. After my "close encounter" with so many people who take their bodies a lot more seriously than I have, I do have a new sense of motivation. Plus, when I stepped on my bodyfat scale after getting home though my weight hasn’t gone done, my bf% has! Must have been all that walking…

Okay, so I’m still in Las Vegas and still having a good time and wouldn’t you know it - this is the perfect time for life to throw me one of those interesting coincidences that makes you start to wonder if you are being given a message or sign.

Today I started to feel a little guilty for missing so many workouts and as usual I started to think, "eh, what’s the difference? I’ll make up for it later" - I’m sure some of you have been there with this kind of thinking, right?

Well, shortly after breakfast I started to see several top conditioned bodybuilders in the hotel - men and women - didn’t think much of it and went to my meetings (this trip is part vacation and part business). Well, when I returned later in the evening - there were even more bodybuilders until it became a regular "mob" seen when I got back from dinner with my group.

It turns out that the hotel I am staying at is also the official hotel for the NPC USA competition that is this weekend on the campus of UNLV. Now, bear in mind that I didn’t select the hotel and it’s been a few years since I’ve followed competitive bodybuilding with any regularity. So, I’m taking it as a sign or message if you will that I should be getting my butt back into the gym…nothing like a few top notch physiques walking around to make a person realize how fat (and pale) he is! From the looks of it, this weekends event will be pretty competitive. My flight leaves before the prejudging gets underway but I’ll be following up to see how it goes.

What’s a little odder is that throughout my life I tend to run into bodybuilders whenever I get to feeling a little like "what’s the difference?" and when face to face with the "difference" it’s tough to ignore.

So - I made sure to get back to eating right today (chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato - no butter - for dinner) and will be resetting some goals when I get home late on Friday.

That’s it for now - anyone else get the feeling that God (or the universe if you prefer) is trying to tell you something and you’re just to closed minded to pick up on it?

Take care! 

Well, I’m in Las Vegas - "sin city" - and my current sin is that I’m not getting my weight training in. I’m not staying in one of the big strip resorts and the gym at this hotel is pretty pitiful (no dumbells over 30lbs, one bench - plenty of treadmills though). So, I’ve been focusing on getting some cardio and being careful with the diet - though I’ve had an "indulgence" or two I haven’t pigged out at a buffet or anything. The cardio is mostly in the form of walking which is tougher than you might think with about a million other tourists and a daytime temp that’s nearly 100 degrees! Plus, I discovered that I burn much easier that I thought. One trip to the pool - with sunscreen - and I’m red from head to toe. But, the pain hasn’t set in so maybe I’ll darken up yet!

I’m having a good time, but am already looking forward to getting back to my usual routine and gym.

Back on track today - feeling good and sweaty after the workout. It’s not so hot today, but the humidity is something else. I’m looking forward to a little vacation next week in Las Vegas. I’ve only been there once (also in July) and am kind of looking forward to this because I figure that I will get my workouts in at the hotel gym and of course still have plenty of time to play - maybe get a decent tan, too!

Okay - so it’s not much of a blog entry, but I wrote it just the same! At least it was short so you didn’t waste too much time… 

Man, I tell you, sometimes it seems that everyone and everything in your life is working against you when it comes to sticking with the old workout! The sad thing is that it is often actually my choices that cause the scheduling conflicts. For example, I didn’t have time to workout today because I didn’t plan ahead even though I knew I would be busy this evening (I’m involved in community theatre in my area and had a read through tonight for my next play "Waiting for Godot" - tough script that involves a lot of the same kind of mental preparation, enthusiasm, and stamina that bodybuilding does. But, I’ll leave that discussion for another blog entry).

Oh well, no use in beating myself up over this now - can’t change the past - I just have to be sure to hit the gym tomorrow early so I can make the family birthday party I need to be at!  

Well, I’m ending this week on a fairly positive note - stayed pretty good on the nutrition side, even started taking some fish oil supplements after reading an article about their benefits, and got most of my workouts in and stayed solid with the cardio. Still need improvement, but I’m getting there.

Next week, my schedule is already shaping up to be a challenge - so I will have to work harder to make sure I get everything in. But, I think I am up to the challenge. Just being on a regular workout schedule again has alreay had positive effects on both my attitude and body (I’ll have to post updated stats soon I know) and I don’t want to lose momentum. Plus, as extra incentive I have a bet with both my brother-in-law and another friend about getting who can get into "300" shape first (if you haven’t seen the movie "300" all will make sense when you do) and from what I can tell so far, I’m the only one competing!

Onward - a bigger and better me awaits!

I had a good day today - I ate properly, went for a walk at lunch, and hit the gym! Felt good most of the day and pretty strong during the workout. Today was mostly arms and included a type of push-up I hadn’t done before called Diamond Push-Ups. Pretty intense for me and harder than it sounds (basically a push up but with the hands positioned at about the center of the chest and forming a "diamond" - really focuses the weight onto the arms).

Then spent a little bit of time working on my photo gallery. For some reason when I loaded photos the feature to rate and add comments didn’t seem to be turned on - and now I can’t change it. Anyone have any ideas? Or maybe no one really has commented on my pictures since I posted them, which may be a good thing given my current condition…:)

Okay, I was a bit of a "bad" boy today - I didn’t workout because my niece called and asked me to go to the new Harry Potter movie with her family…eh, family’s important too! So, it’s extra effort tomorrow!

I don’t know if it was the heat, even though I am inside and air-conditioned office all day, or what, but I just could not get into my workout this evening. Even so, I did manage to up my cardio time a little again - though I spread it over a couple different machines, I tried rowing again - and got through most of the exercises. What’s interesting is that I started the day very energized and feeling good! Well, tomorrow WILL be better….