I have a list of 52 benefits of strength training (bodybuilding, fitness, call it what you will).  Here are a few…

My clothes fit well
my muscles have a great tone (not flabby)
I am more attractive to my wife
I relieve stress
I have a reduced risk of diabetes
I keep a high level of HDL (good) cholesterol
I have a reduced risk of many cancers
I recover more quickly from injuries
I tolerate extreme heat better
my lungs work more efficiently
I am satisfying a life-long desire.

That’s just a few…there are lots more.

Have a great new year!  

One thing that IS next is a more consistent workout schedule.  I am jacked about that and well…maybe I’ll get back to being a little jacked as a result!

My wife is calling.  We are cutting out paper strips to make stars for Christmas decorations.  If I don’t get back in a few minutes, she’ll be hunting me down.  I CAN’T be found making a post on my Bodyspace (hehehe).  

Two folks I’ve read just today helped me get all this in my head.  Tito (on my friends list), has some pretty huge commitments right now and is making adjustments to his training as a result.  DJ69 whose BLOG I picked up on from a post on the main page is struggling with his training and has for most of the summer.  

I can’t push back against life.  I can make good choices about my life.  

The longer rest period helped during today’s workout.  My total weight moved was 500 lbs (227 kg) over my last three workouts.  

Whew.  My workouts are still whipping my butt (not in a good way).  I’ve reduced my sets from 3 to 2.  I still can’t get thru what I call my workout "B".  (I alternate two workouts about every other or every third day.)  It’s not the weight wearing me out (as it should be).  It’s the air.  I’m just out of oxygen before I’m done.  So…I’m going up on my rest times.  Right now I’m working on 75 second rest periods (I know…I’m obsessed with the numbers).  I’m going to move to 120 (2 min) rests between sets and exercises).  I’ll work back down to 75 seconds but I’ve got to get to the point where I’m getting thru my workouts.  

I like the numbers because they tell me things.  I try (when my ego doesn’t get in the way) to make my decisions on the data–not my guesses as to what is happening.  For instance, I always get thru my "A" workout but so far not my "B".  I looked up my total volume of weight moved in the BB Workout Tracker (great tool BTW).  My volume of weight moved is about 4700 (2100 kb) no matter how many sets or exercises or which routine I use.  That’s about all I’m good for–4700 lbs (2100 kg).  I finished my workout about 20 minutes ago and I’m sitting here light headed now.   Longer rests are required…then work the third set back in…then shorten the rests back down.  

This is pushing some of my goals out.  No problem.  I’m making good decisions about getting them accomplished.  I’ll just adjust them with good reasons.  

I’ve said this before in my BLOG.  I’ve forgotten so much in the last 7 or 8 years.  It’s like starting over…what am I saying!?  It IS starting over.

Agricultural Extension Agent:  Mr. Farmer, I’ve been by to help you several times.  Why are you not doing the things I’ve shown you?

Mr. Farmer: Son, I wasn’t doing half the things I knew I should be doing before you show’d up.

My workout crashed today but I feel good about it.  My diet has been rough the last two days.  I’ve been running hard at work.  I carry my eats w/me but I have not had time to stop and eat much.  So, I have arrived home the past two evenings with most of my food STILL in the box.  

My poor diet stuck a knife in my workout today.  I feel good about it because I know what happened.  I can fix this problem.  I don’t need to try harder.  I just need to make some changes in the way I fix my food (making it easier to eat on the run) or I need to get space in my day to eat.  No problem.  There are fixes for this.  

I feet great yet I didn’t finish my workout.  Usually this is reason to feel badly. I feel good because I understand (really KNOW) something a little better now that I only "knew" before.  Strange, huh?  Really not.  We are all that way.  Thinking we "know" something just because it’s a fact in my head.  In my arrogance, somehow I am think I’m above being human (read: I ought to know better).  The result is to be surprised when I find that I’m NOT above my humanity.  Worse and NO surprise–I am one of the more poorly functioning humans.  Oh, how I need help.

–Stewart

I’m still not completing all my sets.  That will come with time.  My plan is to go higher on the weights and cut back on the sets.  When I can finish the workout, I’ll add a set to each exercise.  It’s mostly getting enough air to finish the sets.  The weights I’m using a small and they are not exhausting the muscle–they sure are exhausting ME!  

I’m feeling good about my workouts.  I’m on track–not according to my goals.  Not a problem.  They are MY goals.  I’ve done all I could to meet them.    

I’m trying out the BB.com Workout Tracker.  I’ll need to use it for a few weeks to see if it’s beneficial.  

I’m using 15 reps as a working set w/three sets of 15.  I’m making all my reps right now.  The weights will go up over the next couple of weeks and I’ll know where I’m at.  Right now I am continuing to get back into this on the slow side.  I may be sacrificing some time toward my goals.  No problem.  Injuries sacrifice WAY more time.  

I felt great about my workout today.  I didn’t get thru all my sets but I feel great.  My form was good.  My timing was good (75 sec rests between sets and exercises).  I’m interested to see how sore I’ll be tomorrow since I have not been under the weights in a week.  I enjoy that soreness.  It’s feels really good to me.  

.

I missed the first session of my new workout routine tonight.  I had to stay later than anticipated at a customer’s home.  I was tired when I got in–feeling a little defeated by the day and it’s circumstances.  I’m actually feeling pretty good about missing the workout.  Sometimes I have missed a single workout and that would be enough for me to toss in the towel and say, "Why try?"  I’m not thinking that now.  I’m thinking that tomorrow I’ll have the time to workout.  What a refreshing perspective!  I like this perspective.  It’s not something I conjured up.  It’s not because I gave myself a pep talk.  I just feel this way.  What a relief to not feel like I’ve got to get myself charged up to do something I REALLY want to do.  In the BB Forums I read posts like, "How do you stay motivated?"  I used to say things like that.  I’ll probably say them again before I go home across the shallow waters of the Jordan.  Right now, I’m just enjoying not having to try so hard to do something I want to do.  What a relief this is!  What peace has come over me?