Andrew’s (Spring85sigma) BodyBlog

Yesterday, I got off track with my workout! I received a call from the hospital saying that I could bring my Grandmother home! So, I finished the lifting portion of my workout, thinking I could do the cardio after getting back home. I arrived at the hospital to find out that Grandma’s blood pressure had bottomed out during cardio and that she could not complete the treatment. The doctor wanted to talk to me about what he was planning to do next. He wanted to adjust medications and the the flow for the dialysis machine and give it another try on Tuesday (today). Needless to say, Grandma was NOT happy! I spent the rest of the evening with her. Today, she is in good spirits. Her blood work looks good and we are praying for success with the dialysis and that she can FINALLY get home. She also WALKED today! We have been truly blessed.

As far as my workouts, I felt "lost" having not completed cardio on yesterday. This morning I decided that I would complete my planche push-up training, which went very well, my chest workout, and then complete my cardio from yesterday and for today! LOL! I can’t check my boxes off on my workout chart until everything is done! Today turned out to be a beautiful day and I was able to get everything done! I feel like I’m back on track now! Tomorrow is leg day!

Now I’m off to the hospital to sit with Grandma as she does her dialysis. Hopefully, she can come home afterward!

I hope everyone is having great Tuesday!

Here is what I did on Monday:

Here is what I did today:

In spite of the most recent events in my life, today I felt RICHLY BLESSED! Grandma didn’t get to come home on yesterday because her dialysis catheter has not quite stopped bleeding. She is, however, eating much better and very much more active and sassy as ever! She comes home tomorrow after dialysis!

Today was rainy and chilly, but as most of you all know, I will get out in the rain and do my cardio! Some of you also know that I like it chilly as well! As I walked my two miles with the rain hitting my face, everything just felt good! I suppose all of us who are experiencing experiencing a period of upheaval in our lives look for that day when there is that hint of the light at the end of the tunnel. Amazingly, today was that day! Ironically, today was one of the wettest, sloppiest, days we’ve had in a while with absolutely NO hint of sunshine! I enjoyed the feeling, the sense of peace and serenity, and being outside in God’s creation. I certainly hope that I am not the only one who has had this experience and if you have not, it is an experience that I wish that EVERYONE experiences!

Planche training went wonderfully! I am greatly encouraged by the strength gains. I think is particulary true sense I’ve changed my planche training workout! All in all a great day! I felt so good, I took a few pics in the rain! LOL! They are a little goofy I suppose, but I hope they reflect how I was feeling.

I wish all of my BodySpace friends and family a great week!

Here is what I did today:

Today was a low energy day for me! I got through the workout, but my cardio REALLY suffered today! I guess the events of the week and the BAD diet this week have taken their toll. Grandma is feeling MUCH better today. She’s called home with her orders. LOL! So, once again, I’m off to the hospital. We are looking forward to her coming home either tomorrow afternoon or Sunday morning.

Today, I did planche push-up training and my back workout! The planche training continues to go well. I’m looking forward to continued progress. The back workout was also pretty good. I concentrated on maintaining good form through all exercises. Now, the run was something different.. I ran the 2 miles in about 18:00! I had very little energy. Hopefully, I will improve on this next week after some rest!

I wish everyone a great weekend!

Here is what I did today:

Had a great workout. Hit the abs hard. Had a respectable 3-mile run! Just a little tired with the running to the hospital. As I write this, the doctors are in the process of working on Grandma and prepping her for her first dialysis. I will be going up to visit her later this afternoon. She should be discharged on Saturday or Sunday. We are praying that she responds well.

The workouts are keeping me focused and grounded. As mentioned before, it was a good workout.

Hope everyone is having a good Thursday! 

Here is what I did today:

I hit the legs really hard today. My quads are really sore! Also, been on my legs most of the day since the workout. We admitted Grandma to the hospital this afternoon. Tomorrow she gets the catheter put in and will have her first dialysis treatment! So, we’ve spent the majority of time comforting her and making sure that she is o.k. When we left she was in relatively good spirits. The doctor told her about a man who was 94 and had his first treatment fairly recently. This seemed to help.

Although I have not eaten much today. I haven’t made the best choices. Over the course of the last 8 hours, I’ve eaten 3 small chili-cheese hotdogs from 7-11. I washed down the last two with a cup of beer! LOL!  Definitely some comfort food for me since this is one of my favorite indulgences. When I was living in Syracuse, there were NO 7-11s. I will get back on track with the diet tomorrow after I hit the abs.

I hope all is well with everyone!

Here is what I did today:

I had a great workout today! Between the planche push-up training and the chest workout, I hit my chest really hard. The tuck planche training went surprisingly well. I pushed myself on two of three of the tuck planches and was able to hold them for 32 seconds. I’ve been working on 30 seconds. I had a great first 3-mile run of the cycle. The legs felt good and the stamina was there. Three miles were complete in 24:12.

Today, I’m getting ready to arrange for my Grandma to have her catheter put in so she can begin dialysis on tomorrow. We are praying that she makes the adjustment. She is still very fiesty and does not like the thought of having to be "on a machine" (as she puts it). Nevertheless, the doctor has told her that a lot of her irritating symptoms will be relieved. Once again, we are praying for a good result.

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!

Here is what I did today:

I enjoyed my first workout of the new cycle. Using the lower and slower reps has really allowed me to work my body better. Today, I worked my arms and shoulders and YES, I’m actually feeling a little sore, which I LIKE! LOL! Doing 6 x 12 reps of SLOW chin-ups was pretty intense as well!

Taking the week off allowed me to really appreciate the benefits of being able to take 2 hours out of an otherwise busy day to have to yourself. It has turned out to be some of my best thinking time! I’m working on a book and great ideas come to me, especially during my runs. Today’s run was not too bad considering the week off! I was able to complete 2 miles in 15:12. I could have pushed harder and will do so on my runs!

I’m working hard on keeping the diet clean. Last week, feeling a little sorry for myself, I overindulged. This week I’m more grounded and accepting of the fact that right now, I’m not employed. I’ve concentrated my efforts on helping out my mother and keeping my Grandmother as stable and comfortable as possible. I’m feeling that a positive change for me is coming out of this situation! I appreciate those BodySpace friends who have provided kind and encouraging words.

I wish everyone a great week of workouts and that you continue to get closer to your health and fitness goals!

Here is what I did today:

Today’s planche push-up training workout marks the beginning of Workout Cycle 14!

Given the stress and strain of the past week, I am happy to be back at it again! It gives me a chance to clear my mind and work out some of my frustration and stress. My grandmother is as well as she can be, but we learned last week that the time has come for dialysis. This week we will be vigilantly watching her condition and helping her to make the transition. Right now she will probably require treatments 3 times per week! She’s a tough woman and I am sure she will come through this with flying colors. I thank all of  you for your prayers and well-wishes. 

A brother has really lost his job (long explanation) and I take this as my sign to exit the mental health field. Competence and ability don’t seem to override cliques and mediocrity. ISSA personal trainers, give me some idea about the QUICKEST a person who has earned 3 degrees and almost a Ph.D. can work through the certification program. I forsee creating exercise programs for different age levels and integrating my knowledge of counseling and mental health! I’d appreciate any feedback that you can provide!

As far as workouts are concerned, my areas of concentration continue to be my chest and back. I’ve adjusted my workouts to include more push-ups and pull-ups. I continue to use lower and slower reps, concentrating on maintaining good form and really challenging my muscles. The cardio will remain essentially unchanged. I will also focus on my diet. I need to eat more protein and maintain a clean(er) diet. LOL!

The planche training went very well and I was able to see that the week off helped me to recover and that there was no loss of strength. I forsee adding time to the tuck planche very soon.

Thank you once again for your encouragement and support, my BodySpace friends—old and new!

Here is what I did today:

I just finished my 13th six-week cycle! I feel good because there were some tough spots in this cycle for me personally. I took time off twice during this cycle before resuming it to completion! I feel great about my progress and appreciate all of the positive feedback and encouragement! Now I’m planning for the next cycle! Today’s back workout went very well and the planche training continues to improve! I managed to run a 16:00 2-mile in rather chilly drizzly weather! Not too bad of a way to end the cycle!

A brother is virtually unemployed again! So next week I will be looking into ways, until I can get my PT certification to keep a little money in my pocket. I will try to complete my book during the next week along with some other things. Keep me in your prayers!

I will be snapping pics the entire week to keep myself honest with the diet. So, I definitely will be checking in! I wish everyone a great weekend!

Here is what I did today:

Yes, today is it! My first anniversary on BodySpace. While I would normally use this anniversary strictly for assessing the state of my physical fitness on this day, I have been, instead, assessing the contrasts between October 15, 2008 and October 15, 2009! This has been a VERY interesting 12 months.

Last year, in spite of the economic meltdown, I was fairly sure that I had found an agency where I would be able to grow and contribute to based upon my education and experience. On yesterday, I was told that I would no longer be allowed to see clients! While the owners of the agency were not courageous or appreciative enough of my efforts to tell me directly, I was told by one of the administrators within the agency who has been nothing but a great friend and a gentleman.  Now, the interesting point is WHY I will not be able to see any more children. Because I keep the SABBATH on Saturday and cannot and WILL NOT attend their Saturday session, I will no longer be allowed to see clients. When the Saturday session was proposed, I immediately told them that I could not attend because of my religious beliefs. I was told by the Executive Director that this would not be a problem because of my education and background and the excellent work I’d done for the agency. Furthermore, I was assured that I would be very valuable in assisting with training and other administrative duties. I saw both the Executive and Clinical Director on Monday and neither of them would tell me that I, for the most part, have been essentially fired. I write treatment plans for the agency, but this does not contribute a lot to my overall income. One person suggested that I not be so "strict" and "give in" sometimes. I certainly believe it is more important to obey God than man. So, I am looking for temporary work to keep my head above water and to pay for my ISSA certification.

When I joined BodySpace last year, Grandma was fairly healthy although we had weekly appointment with the doctors to assess the status of her heart and kidneys. During the past 12 months she has been hospitalized twice. She is finally reasonably stable and more or less back to her fiesty little self! For this I am thankful, but as dialysis looms in the future, will have to be more diligent and vigilant in caring for her.

More recently, my mother has been dealing with my Step-father’s madness. LOL! After nursing him back to health a number of times, including amputation and legal blindness, he wants a DIVORCE! He has been argumentative and plain nasty. I’ve been trying very much to support and help her out. It has been tough between her and Grandma, but I’m hanging in there. Much of the year has been spent traveling between doctors and lawyers—two professions for which I don’t necessarily have the highest regard! LOL!

As for BodySpace, the day I joined was a beautiful rather warm day! I had discovered this site in my search for bodyweight exercises and was rather intrigued by the concept of interacting on a site for people who, for the most part, are dedicated to improving their bodies and overall health. I’ve since learned that some people feel that the site exists for reasons other than health and fitness. LOL! Up to the point of discovering the site, I had never posted a shirtless picture of myself on the internet for any reason. I got up the nerve to finally complete the profile and posted a couple of pics of my self. The feedback was surprisingly good and now I guess I can be accused of posting too many pics! I distinctly remember my first few friends. Won’t name them here because they are still on my "friends" list but have never contacted me or acknowledged any communication from me. Since, I’ve noticed these people have thousands of friends, I suspect the self-gratification comes from collecting friends rather than actually interacting with them. I then, however, met IRA, T-Bone, Darkmuscle, BeBe, BigPops, B-Racer, Lovelyolmiss, JazzyJersey, Fit4Life, Al, and many others who have been great sources of friendship and encouragement! This friendship and encouragement has actually helped me to improve this old body in spite of using dumbells, pull-ups, chin-ups, bodyweight exercises, and a variety of cardio! I thank you and many of my BodySpace friends who have taken the time to type an encouraging comment or send an IM. I am also appreciative of those of you who have thought enough of what I do and have done to request workouts, diet tips, and other advice.

Now today has been rainy, off and on, all day. This morning I awoke to a torrential downpour which didn’t allow me to do my cardio, so I put off the workout until 12:00 noon when it actually cleared up. I was able to get in my 3-mile run and believe it or not I also took some progress pics. It began to drizzle again when I was taking these, so I took a few with the umbrella. I was comtemplating an Anniversary video, but decided that I may wait until the weather clears before doing this. After the first video ("An Honest Appraisal of How I Look at 45") , I guess I want to see if I can improve on my presentation.

In spite of what has been going on in my life, I have remained resolute in remaining secure in my faith and in taking care of this old body! I’m still convinced that I have not reached my peak! My Grandmother is 92 years old and her mind is still sharp as a tack! She is one of my inspirations. Another is Jack Lalane! The man does NOT look 95! In an interview he reported that he still works out two or three hours a day just to see if he can still do it! This resonated with me because one of the reasons I work so hard is to see if I can do it and see what level of physical fitness I can attain! I worked abs today and did a 3 mile run! Although I have received great feedback about where I am physically, there are still refinements that I want to see in my body during the next year on BodySpace (the back and chest are improving). I also feel that 2010 will be the year of my first planche push-up!:) I’m getting stronger.

I ask that all of my friends keep me in their prayers and thank you in advance for them and your continued support and friendship! God Bless you all!

Here is what I did today: