thepainter5’s BodyBlog

Hello, I am Rod.

I have been working out off and on for 30 years now. I started first by cycling and then switched over to running. I really fell in love with running. I ran all the time and found it to be a great stress relief. Sadly, in ‘84 I was hit by a car when riding my bike and it damaged one of my knees. That stopped me from running for quite a while. I was able to return to running but only with the help of a knee brace.

I bought my first set of weights 31 years ago. Being the #5 boy in a family of 6 brothers, I had my share of being picked on by my older brothers. After one such incidence was when I went out and bought the weights and a heavy bag. Over the next several years I woked out in spurts and always enjoyed it. Too bad I had a monkey (drugs) on my back. Then for my 30th birthday I made the commitment to enter a drug program. My only requirement was that there be weights at the facility. I enter the program at 139 lbs. When I finished the program 3 months later, I left weighing a healthy 175 lbs. Eating, training and sleeping a lot had more positive effects for me than the weak drug program at that facility.

After that time I was again sporadic in my training due to work & family commitments. 12 months ago I started  seriously lifting. I have put on 24 lbs of lean muscle and I am really enjoying my workouts. I also started riding a bike again in preperation for my training for a couple of half marathons this year. Fortunately, I was finally able to have surgery on my knee which allowed me to dump the knee brace.

I am really blessed with a wife who allows me the time and the space to workout as 60% of our basement is strictly for my gym. We originally started our dating training for a half marathon. I still hope to get the wife to start lifting as osteoporosis & arthritis run in her family. She is just waiting for her work to transfer her closer to home this spring. I have bought some books to help prepare her for weight training, both for the mechanics of it as well as for proper form.

I wasn’t really sure that the wife payed much attention to changes from my training. Then yesterday we were talking about our vacation in March and she asked me if I was interested in pre-tanning my "buff" bod before the trip. That was the first time she ever said something like that to me. Then this morning she asked me how much bigger I wanted to get. She says I am pretty big. I will admit that I wondered if some of that was smoke or that she is concerned I will keep building until the viens are popping out from everywhere. Either way, a boost from the wife to start the day never hurts.

P.S. I asked the wife and she said she wants to still be able to wrap her arms around me. Whew, I can still grow some more.

Rod