jdkw52’s BodyBlog

So, I had my Fit Point assessment yesterday as part of my on boarding at Lifetime Fitness. I have to say it was pretty cool to do the metabolic testing and VO2 max testing. The one thing I love about these assessments is the objectivity, you can’t lie to yourself about where you are at in the face of data. The Good, my bf % was at 18 which means that I am currently carrying 210 pounds of lean muscle, which is pretty good for being 6′1/2". That also means that to get to my goal of 8% body fat I only need to lose another 27 pounds, not 40 like I thought, however that is 27 pounds of PURE FAT on my body right now. Makes me sick to think about it. Ultimate good news is that my goal is aggressive, but attainable. The Bad, my V02 max is below average right now, and I am a very anaerobically trained athlete (not surprising given the football background). I really need to get that built up higher so I can have more endurance for RUGBY this fall. The Ugly, my hamstring flexibility is still bad. I have been working on it a lot and thought I had made some good strides, but apparently it is not close to where it needs to be. Looks like yoga class here I come! Gonna attack all of these things with a diversified approach and keep making strides!

I have completely changed up my routine. I am not currently working out in a gym at all, but instead have started running outside daily, doing yoga, jumping rope, doing body weight exercises, med ball exercises, and doing pull ups and dips on the monkey bars at the park a few blocks from my house (the kids just stare at me and giggle). I was uncertain how this change in routine might effect me, but I have dropped some pounds, my endurance is going up, and I don’t feel I have lost any strength or musculature. Going to keep this up for a couple more weeks and then I will probably change up again. I am making some strides, but still have a way to go.

I had an excellent fourth of July weekend with my friends. I ate very well, but I definitely drank more than I should have. However, I did make myself go for a run the next day and I felt every drop of alcohol. Overall, the weekend was good for my soul and I got a great sense of reconnecting with my friends and I am now ready and energized to hit my workouts with a renewed energy.

How does one go about living a healthy lifestyle but still finding a balance and doing things they enjoy? I continue to struggle with this. The 4th of July holiday is a great time to spend with friends and family, but in my circle it always involves large quantities of food (usually unhealthy) and larger quantities of drinking. I obviously am not going to stop being around my family, and my friends have always been there for me so I am not booting them either, and I don’t want to be "that guy" who is so obsessed with living healthy that he isn’t really living his life in the first place. I’m going to try to enjoy the weekend but not overdo it, and make sure I at least get some running in and some body weight exercises.

Did my intervals on the treadmill yesterday. Obviously much more difficult than the elliptical. Felt great, but my back is sore today. Thinking about taking today off or doing yoga. We will see how it feels this afternoon.

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