My Lower Body Workout

Well today was a leg day.  Headed to a different gym but to my horror all the muscular in shape people gravitated to this gym as well.  What’s going on?  Shapely people taking step, perfect figures in cycling and let’s not even talk about what was going on in the weight area.  Why does everyone with 2% bodyfat want to workout where I am? Ugh!!!!

Being the trooper than I am, I hoisted my body up the stairs to start my leg program.  Leg press not so bad.  Leg extensions I made it.  Off to the curls.  Damn! I had to watch the guy with the huge biceps work out in front of me.  At least I was on my stomach. Straight leg deadlifts were challenging however the girl next to me was using the same weights as a baton. I keep telling myself Day 3… Day 3…. Day 3.

For supplements, I’ve decided to use Phos Force for pre-workout and Betagen and Muscle Armor for my post workout.  Trying to be frugal, I decided to order them online.  I’m drinking Myoplex Lite for my meal replacements.  I like it better that the regular Myoplex but that’s just me.  Anyway, I wanted to start using them on the first day I started the program.  However, I didn’t want to delay starting my transformation because I figured if I waited I must just come up with other excuses of not starting at all.  Besides I could still start and only be a couple of days late in supplementation.

I expected my package to arrive today.  But surprise, my EAS order didn’t arrive today.  Curses The Vitamin Shoppe!  You will not derail me from this program!  I did make an awesome salmon dinner though.  That lifted my spirits.  Well tomorrow it’s back on Mr. Treadmill but I’m ready for him!

Day 2 - Hit the Treadmill

I can’t believe it’s only Day 2. Ugh!  I have 11 more weeks and 5 days of this?  What did I get myself into? Up at the crack of dawn to get on the treadmill.  I have to admit it wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be.  As I began my run, I decided that my beginning level was much too easy so I cracked the pace up, popped on my headphones and made it through the entire twenty minutes!  Each minute, I added 1 to the speed level and by the last minute I was able to crank it up by 2. I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment especially because I ran the entire time and didn’t stop. Yea!!!!! My excitement was somewhat muted as I looked around the gym and saw all the well-tone muscle gods who make every workout look effortless yet don’t seem to sweat. Where do these guys come from?

Took a quick stretched, showered, downed a Myoplex shake and headed to work.  Why am I doing this?  That’s the question that’s been bothering me.  I know I can do it; I’ve done it before with awesome results but can I do it again now that I’m older, lazier and crave instant gratification?  12 weeks seems so long.  Well the vain person in me naturally wants to get back to how I used to look.  I don’t look good with a gut! Too see my abs again would be nice.

Shallow I know.  Plus I have some awesome clothes that I would love to fit back into. 

But more than these somewhat superficial wants what I think I just want is to get back to the healthy lifestyle that I’ve let slack.  Is this really only Day 2?

The Adventure Begins....

I was really excited to start the first day. Trying to readjust myself to an early morning workout was my first challenge.  I had every intention of going to bed at a decent hour however with all my prepping…er procrastination, it was almost 2 0’clock when I finally jumped into bed.  Boy that 6:30 alarm came quickly.  Needless to say I was really loving the snooze button.  It had become my new best friend.  Fortunately, I did come to my senses, dragged myself out of bed and managed to get out of the by 7:20.  Not quite the gym by 7:30 goal I set for myself but I made it.

Since I have done the challenge before and have flirted with the routines off and on for the last 10 years, I knew what to expect from my workout.  Clearly I’m not lifting as heavy as I was back then but surely I thought it wouldn’t be too bad.  Once I got going I find myself in a good routine.  My only distraction was looking at myself in the mirror.  How did I let myself get heavy again and why were all the muscular fit people working out while I was there?  Surely there must be a secret section for us fatties to workout in peace!  But I’m not quitting and besides, it’s only day 1.

It was a pretty good workout.  There were places where I could push myself a little more and others that I thought I wouldn’t have a problem with.  WRONG!  Let me tell you if you haven’t done pull-ups in a while, they’re not as easy as they once were!  And to it all off, I finished off my workout with a visit to the bane of my existence….. the scale. YIKES!  I could just hear the scale groan as I hoisted myself on the machine not eager to see the results.  Just like my Before pics, I’m waiting to share them.  It’d be nice to see a little progress first.

At least I was happy with my nutrition today.  I haven’t had time to go shopping to really prepare my meals but I think I did a fairly decent job today.  Myoplex Lite right after my workout and some Betagen. (I’ve grown to like that drink) Oatmeal for a midmorning snack.  Subway 6” Turkey sandwich for lunch. But uh oh I was almost derailed!  When you working in an office and have made a commitment to be good there seems to be food everywhere.  Today we had an office meeting and of course they had one of my weaknesses: chocolate chip cookies!!!!!  To make matters worse, they were actually brought in especially for me.  But I perservered and only had a little fruit.  Stayed on track for dinner too and even drank lots of water.  All in all, it was a good day. 1 down, 89 to go.

Now I just have to see if I wake up sore tomorrow.  Hah!  It’ll be just in time for my cardio.  Treadmill hell!  

The Transformation Starts

Day 1

Ok here goes.  It’s been about 10 years since I originally did Body for Life.  Wow time has flown!  I’m now in my late 40s and feeling like an old man.  10 years ago BFL provided an amazing transformation for me and now it’s time to jump back on the horse. I guess I realized I was gaining the weight back but somehow I seem to justify that it was ok.  I was putting on some shorts from the previous summer and they somehow seemed tight.  “It’s okay.  They must’ve just shrunk!”  After all, they were white, I had bleached them and put them in a very hot dryer.  Lame excuse! Fast forward to fall, one of my choir members started calling me “Fat Boy!”  Hmmm I didn’t think I had gained that much weight and besides he’s a senior citizen and at the age where he believes he can say anything and get away with.  I thought, “Don’t’ worry you still look good!”

But certain things you cannot deny, some of my favorite clothes weren’t fitting well but to me, the reason was because I bought them when I was at my smallest size so it was ok that they didn’t fit. “I’ll just drop a few pounds and I’ll be back in them!”

That didn’t happen and overtime I found myself buying larger sizes when I went shopping for new clothes.  It hadn’t dawned on me that I was back on the wrong track.  A couple of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups turned into a whole bag.  A gallon of ice cream could disappear in a few days and who could say no to a breakfast brunch?

Life continued… school, work, vacations and the gym time started to be more sporadic.  I was still going to gym (I teach a spinning class) but not as often as I should’ve.  I noticed I was looking heavy and was dreading anytime someone would take a picture.  It’s true. In this situation… THE CAMERA DOESN’T LIE! So it was time to do something.  I kept starting new programs… P90x but the guy I was training with lived too far for early mornings.  I joined Weight Watchers at work but the meetings weren’t very motivating for me and at an inconvenient time.  So things weren’t changing.

I had taken a little break from my choir and I decided at the beginning of the year that I was going back.  Sure they were happy to welcome me back however after that first rehearsal, but after one of my choir members gave me a hug remarked, “You’ve gotten a belly!”  I guess there was more of me to welcome back.  This time I couldn’t explain it away.  That was the final straw!  Really something has to change.

So here I am. I’ve taken my “Before” pictures.  Not a fun thing to do!  I refused to let anyone take them for me.  I decided self pics were the way to go at this stage.  The pictures are still in my camera but I’ve decided not to really look at them until I’m further along in the program.  Chicken! I know, but it’s too early to face my fears.  Plus it’s something to look forward to as the transformation happens.  Tomorrow will be my first upper body workout.  Let’s see how it goes.  Wish me luck!