mforman’s BodyBlog

ahh so I definately see progress. check out the back flex and front flex pictures recent compared to previous. definately some muscle was added. i feel really good, and I’m excited. Haven’t been doing much cardio. Riding my bike rather infrequently, its just too humid to concentrate which is a stupid excuse but I come back really irritated, cranky and generally feeling like crap, instead of feeling good and sore like I should. Being irritable doesnt give me a good workout. I found some of my parents weights so I brought them into my bedroom over the summer and made use of them. Now that I’m writing from my dorm room I can use them even if the gym is closed or I can’t fit time inbetween classes and now I can pound out a set or two in the morning of bicep curls, bent-over rows (i only have 5 lbs, 8 lbs and 10 lb pairs so the rows don’t do much.) I need a pair of 15 lb or 20 lb dumbbells to row with.  anyway, back to what I’ll do in the morning I need the 15 lb dumbbells to do some truely worthwhile pec flys, and weighted lunges.

I did some lunges at the gym the day before last and my butt was feelin it today. Today I ran with my girls, stephanie and alyssa, to Friendly’s and back after we cycled for 20 mins and lifted at Clemente. Steph and Alyssa are good to work with, they have a goal of looking hot in their halloween costumes but I generally look fine in anything I wear so for me, I’m very welcome to have the company. Doing things together, like running and such is much for fun than running by myself. (seeing as i dont have a music player i just have to run to a beat in my head) Stephanie provides something of competition, endurance wise when we run, and a butt that I wish I had.

Ugh how I wish my ass was something to grab onto. I mean, it fits my body, but you know, legs that look puny and weak (although ‘thin’ therefore admired by society) are not sexy at all compared to a pair of slightly muscular and defined legs that look strong. I kind of want my thighs to touch again with muscle. My boyfriend thought I was mad sexy (back when my thighs touched b/c of crew) and that was a really big confidence booster, and affirmation that even though I didn’t fit into my jeans b/c i was more muscular, I was sexy strong. And god, who doesnt like a girl at the gym? I love being able to lift things and ****this sounds stupid*** open jars and windows that stick.

I’m glad that I can see progress but the real question is do you? I would like some feedback.

not to say I’ve been busy doing things. just lazy in the sense that fitness hasn’t been my priority the past few weeks. Although I have been lifting weights and working out my arms its not an intense workout and only challenges me a medium amount. I have been taking a drawing class and a pottery class over the summer at my local community college. I’ve worked with clay on the wheel before so I jumped right to that the first class. Each class is held twice a week with "lab hours" every day where you can come in and work on your stuff on your own time. All last week I found pottery to be really creatively stimulating and was at BCC every day they were open. Some people might think, hey what’s the big deal? What does pottery really have to do with fitness? Well although there seems to be no connection, pottery really works those forearms and your back. Wedging the clay, (which is a process by which you throw down a ball of clay approx. 50 times and roll it into itself in order to eliminate any air bubbles in the clay and to make the clay more uniform throughout) is a bit labor intensive when it comes to repetitive motions. Wedging the clay uses your back and biceps especially those forearms and hands. After wedging comes centering the clay on the potters wheel, the stance for which is generally a seated position where the potter is what could be described as hunched over the wheel. Elbows on his/her knees or one elbow braced against the hip, the other on the knee, the potter applies steady pressure to the clay blah blah blah. Each class lasts about 4 hours. I’ll make it clear that a potter does not just throw one pot in that 4 hours. working the clay for 4 hours is impossible due to the nature of the clay.

This wedging, centering and so on has within the 4 hours of my class, been repeated by me (last time I counted) 10 times. Messing up the pot kills alot of work and requires another ball of clay to be prepared. I feel as though this keeps my lean muscle intact.

I feel like a goober writing that but I feel its true.

This weekend I had to attend my grandfathers funeral. Although  I was only gone for 3 days, all the travel makes me feel like I’ve been gone for a week. 4 flights in 3 days. some bad weather over new york city caused a delay at la guardia so we missed our connecting flight in atlanta. Such is life, but I’m beat. The funeral was very nice. He was buried in a military cemetary on long island. It was very lush and quiet there. The weather seemed appropriately overcast but comfortable and there was a bit of a light mist, otherwise I found the whole thing to be very healing.

My roadbike is in perfect condition as of now and I enjoy riding it alot. I will be attempting to ride it more often and in obviously increasingly longer distances/ and with greater intensity. For now though I am incredibly tired from traveling and that plan will take a day or two to be thrown into the works.

Had an East Coast Sailing Assoc. race today. I got a minor upper body workout from it however i’m more burnt and bruised than anything. However I have noticed I’m stronger. Since coming home from college my diet has become really clean. I admit I haven’t been to the gym in a while but my roadbike should help things along.

I had a fantastic bike ride today. From campus to the PIKE frat house along the river. Of course…. it started to pour 5 minutes into it. I figured, hey at least I wont be covered in bugs. I was sopping by the time I got back. Rain miraculously stopped on my way back so I was able to increase my pace alot. The rain was only an impediment in the fact that it kept getting in my eyes and making it very uncomfortable to see. According to Google maps roundtrip I did 7.2 miles. NICE! I felt surely out of breath when I got back. However next time I go that distance I will MAKE SURE that its not raining. My workout could of been alot more challenging if it wasnt raining and I could see and navigate without fear or the bike tires slipping.

Been working on my tris alot. I really like them and they are definately my favorite muscle to work out. I still have some definition in my legs but I need to start actually working on them instead of watching them while I walk.

My 2nd set of abs are feeling alot denser. Starting tomorrow there’ll be alot more time to workout and hit the gym hard.

I’ve been avidly sailing in the Melbourne Yacht Club regattas. A recent goal I’ve set is to become stronger so that I can put up the spinnaker sail by myself. As of yet I’m too weak to properly execute this. Jib poles are fine but I’d like to have more strength so one day I wont have to sit in the front of the boat anymore doing all the scary things. I’m looking to increase my upper body strength considerably. Sailing can accomplish that but at the moment I’m only sailing for 3 days out of the week. 7 or so hours Saturdays and 4 hours some Sundays, 2 hours or less on Fridays. So with sailing alone I probably wont gain enough strength to accomplish this goal. I’m gonna poke around BodySpace and see if there are any training regimes I can modify for myself. Some rapid increase in strength would be really nice.

Okay so I’ve determined that any noticable changes to my body will be incredibly hard won. All my life I’ve basically looked like how I look now. Good effort isnt gonna cut it, alot of effort is required. I have a feeling my progress will be really long.

alrighty so the diet is going well. My boyfriend told me it’ll take about 2 weeks for me to notice any bodily difference. I’ve always had alot of energy so I can’t really use that as a reliable indicator. I’ve cheated a few times which is my own fault. Mostly really sugary candy like sweet tarts. I find that I eat it because I convince myself that its okay. So I’ve got to stop that. I’m figuring 3 weeks will be when I see some progress. I’m looking to lose a really small amount of pudge but its really difficult I’m contemplating cutting back calories also to expedite the process.

Okay so I’m getting back into the swing of things. Cardio-wise that is. I figure if I start getting to the gym again to relieve stress and boredom I’ll reap the benefits really soon.

So getting back to running after taking a 3…. whoops now its 4 or 5 week break isn’t easy. Lemme tell you it isnt easy being the only one on the treadmill without an iPod or MP3 player of some sort. Even running on the road is difficult if I’m not taking a new path. I get so bored that it ends my workout early. At least this was my problem affter I quit crew and started running by myself instead. I borrowed a friend’s iPod once and ran for much longer than I had and it felt really good.

I’m not really up for busting some cash on an MP3 player somewhere or asking my parents for some money either, so for now I’ll just run.

Another problem I’ve had is eating after my workouts. After I finish running and light weights I’m just ravenous. Well ravenous… not really but it just seems like the proper thing to do after working out, refueling my body.

I’m gonna try chewing some gum afterwards instead. See how that works.