kinkoshinkai’s BodyBlog

Let me just begin by saying, I hate cardio.  That said, I love to play basketball, which is cardio when done properly, or even walk a golf course, which is sort of super-low intensity cardio (except for running after clubs I might throw or hiking into the hills to find my horrendous Tee shot).  But cardio for the sake of cardio, elipticals, treadmills, jog/walk, etc, NOT A FAN.

But… I DO want to keep fitting in my clothes.  I DO need to cycle my training periods, whether competing or not.  And with a family where eating ONLY perfect lean meals ALWAYS can be tough, it’s time in my training to add some cardio.  I have the elliptical in my room, and as long as something decent is on the TV, it goes by relatively smoothly.  I actually prefer that to even some outdoor cardio.  I don’t have to deal with car exhaust, vagueries of weather or street crossings, dogs barking, etc.  Sooo, starting this week, just 20 minutes per morning to start, low/medium intensity elliptical.  It fits well in the time between waking and sending the first wave of kids to the school bus. 

This is the ONLY change I’ll be making to my routine, so I should be able to determine pretty well how that one variable affects my BF%, how quickly and to what degree, given that diet, sleep, and weight training will remain constant.  I’ve not completely lost sight of my abs, though they are much softer, so before I lose sight of them entirely, this should be the right time for my cardio nemesis to join the training rotation.

I was hesitant to post my photos from today.  Granted, I’ve seen Jay Cutler, Branch Warren, and lots of other pros’ off season photos.  They are not akways tan and ripped.  Ane whatever I look like now, it’s a huge leap past where I started.  But still, having onlydieted down once, relinquishing my more toned self to public view is a shot in the chops.

I take comfort in the fact that I’ve put on mostly quality pounds in the last year, and calculating for body fat, I’ve put on 10-12 lbs of muscle since March nearly eleven months ago.  With only over the counter commercial proteins and supplements, and at age 48, I think that’s pretty good. 

So, chubbier or not, I post my photos in a phase of training that is totally new to me, bulking.