FitBlog

For some, music can detract them from honing in their body during a workout.  I tend to be one of those characters.  I prefer to hear my breathing, the crying of the muscles, and the beads of sweat smacking against the rubber flooring during a workout.  After spending a majority of my youth inside of a kickboxing studio, you tend to get used to the gritty aspects of training.  But it’s good to point out that music can be a great motivator at times. 

Take for instance, when your gym plays crappy music that you have to put up with.  More specifically, when your gym plays crappy music exessively loud that you have to put up with.  It can put a damper on your training…unless, you hapkido it and use it to your advantage.  Now, don’t get me wrong, working out with anger can lead to an uncoodinated injury, but a little anger can go a long way to boosting you past your average threshold.

I felt this way on Monday.  A trainer in our gym likes to blast old-school rock music during his early A.M. shift.  It annoys everyone.  I could fire the guy, but that would be stupid.  Instead, I listen to his vaguely entertaining music and it pisses me off…enough so to blast me through a current squat max of 205lbs at a bodyweight of 160lbs.  My max last week was 145lbs since I’m just getting back into the swing of things from an injury.  I’m not sure if it was the music, if I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough the last two weeks, or a surge of testosterone rushed into my bloodstream that caused me to lift this weight for solid reps, but I did it.  I could have probably done this weight last week, but this week, it was easy.  I think it was the music! 

Shoulder blades squeezed together, adequate arch in my back, staring up at the barbell, preparing my mind to squeeze through some bench presses.  The weight is light, but feels hard…been a while since I’ve exercised regularly.  115lb bench press, to be exact.  While some guys use this weight for a warmup, this is currently my max.  I broke my wrist in July, and it was healed up pretty nicely, but lately, right around the time I started working out again (2 1/2 weeks ago), it’s hurting again when I move it in various directions.  I can’t tell if it’s due to the weather, with the possibility of snow lingering in the air, or if the bones and ligaments are adjusting to the weights.  All in all, it hurts.  I grunted through the workout today, as I did last week, but the pain is there.  The pain is bearable, otherwise I wouldn’t step foot in the gym yet, but I notice it.  Massage doesn’t work.  Wrist curls do little to silence the moans stemming from the base of my radial bone. 

While I’m not a bodybuilder, I have been working out my whole life, and can push my body to the limits in ways a true beginner cannot.  I understand how to squeeze my muscles.  I comprehend how to push myself near the point of regurgitation in a brief workout.  But this injury stuff is new to me.  I was never seriously injured when I was a young kickboxer.  I’ve never been injured training with weights, calisthenics, or any number of exercises out there.  No, wait, scratch that!  The first time I worked out with weights, I worked out my biceps.  I trained them so hard, the next two days I was unable to straighten my arm.  Talk about life experience. 

I guess the moral of the story is where there’s a will, there’s a way.  For me, loading up the barbell with two 45’s for the chest is now challenging.  It wasn’t always this way, but I’m going to grind through the sticking points and expectations of myself, until I reach that point where I’ve achieved my current goal.  I encourage each of you to do the same, for those who are striving to keep themselves in the gym.

Until next time, be well.

I started another Fitness Challenge in my hotel for the Associates.  The last one was a great success, and this time I’m going to be holding everyone more accountable…having them fill out workout logs, and personally training them.  Last time around, I trained a few of them sporadically due to time constraints, but I did not get a personal sense of accomplishment, even though hosting a fitness challenge in and of itself it motivating.

I’ve already used pictures of several bodyblog members as motivation.  In particular, the females with kids that have amazing bods…the fellas ripped like Arnold with ‘before’ pics remniscent of Frodo.  While everyone here looks at me like the ‘Fitness Guy’, in reality, I’m just a pea in the pod, an ‘average’ fit guy when it comes to fitness possibilities.  If I test my fitness level, it reveals that I’m perfectly fit for my age group.  But I know deep down inside that being better than the average is not sufficient for me.  Hopefully, this drive that I have to improve myself a bit everyday can stem down into the masses, the ordinary folks trying to make it through the day.  That’s easier said than done.

Wish me luck.

Stress relief!!!  Last night, my stepdaughter, whom I dearly love, inadvertedly broke my new 52inch Sharp Aquos HDTV.  One of her toys flung into the TV.  I noticed it when I got home from an 11 hour workday, ready to dig into a little online Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox360.  Didn’t happen!  Not sure if it’s fixable.  The worst part is,  I didn’t even make a payment on it yet…as such, I overdid my workout warmup by running a personal best - 1-mile run in 6:15.  I average 7:25 1-mile run since getting injured.  Workout was fine but post-workout I’m a bit jittery and fatigued. 

This helps to dispel the myth that anger is a suitable workout motivator.  There has been countless studies relating workout injuries and anger.  I’m too tired to provide resources, but anyone interested can find the information out there.

Anyhows, be safe everyone.  Have a great day.

Ever seem like goals change from one day to the next.  I’m noticing that with alot of people I interact with.  It’s like everyone has a mild version of ADD.  I think when people change their goals often it’s a sign of insecurity and disbelief in their original goal.  Yeah, it could be that life has thrown you a curevball of some sorts, and in that case, I’m all for goal upgrades.  But if you’re changing your goals on a consistent basis for no solid reason, there’s an underlying issue there.

For me, my main goal is out in the open…I’m trying to gain 10 solid pounds of muscle to reach my highest weight, again.  My hardship with this is out in the open.  I dislike eating and have a very difficult time stuffing food into my mouth every 3-3 1/2 hours.  To compound the matter, there has been numerous studies showing the negative effects of eating when your body is not hungry.  It takes serious dedication for me to eat consistently, and yes, it’s hard with a crazy work schedule, and a 3 year old stepdaughter.  But I’m not giving up…and I encourage everyone struggling with their health and wellness goals to stick with it.  Do not throw in the towel. 

Search deep within yourself to reveal what truly matters to you.  Whatever that is, you WILL attain it…no doubt.

Today, I’m upgrading my New Year’s Resolution.

 I’d like to have the flexibility of a Bikram-Yoga Master, with the perfectly chiseled body of a Puerto Rican Hercules.

Join me on my journey.

Outside of my own workouts, I trained two people today…a gentleman from London and a lady from Australia.  Both of them were in pretty decent shape.  Neither of them performed any form of interval cardio, which I feel could benefit most people looking to get shredded or burn fat. 

Sore as hell from yesterdays workout…a very basic workout at that, mind you.  Hamstrings are very deconditioned.  Can’t wait to get all the kryptonite out

Second workout and getting back on track.  Wrist was hurting with the bench press.  Had to switch to dumbbells with a max of 50lbs per hand.  Anything more than that at this point in time could stress my wrist and cause me to backtrack.  A bit dissappointing, but I’m sure I’ll be back to normal in time.

Had very little sleep.  Got caught up in a late hour studio session recording some songs…was on fire and couldn’t stop.  Going to try to not do that again for a while.

Eating is a bit off track today as well.  Not as planned due to limited time this morning.  Not a great day, but I still feel like I accomplished something, so that should spur enough testosterone in the body to keep me on the right path.

It’s Wednesday, and I have one day to go until my Thursday workout.  It’s hard training only two times per week when you’re used to training 4-5 times per week.  Have to stick with the program though, otherwise I could overtrain at this point in time.  I’m still sore from my Monday workout.  That’s a good thing and a bad thing.  Good because I know that I worked myself hard with such a simple workout.  Bad because it was a simple workout and it shows how rusty I am.  Lot of work ahead of me, but I’ll get there one day at a time. 

I do feel stronger and harder, and will embrace this to the utmost. 

Stay strong everyone, and be well.