So here's a chronicle of my vacation as I navigate the perils of having fun and still staying reasonably healthy. I'm going to list food choices and workouts for each day. That way I can see how well or poorly I did. Should be fun? Also started with a weight of 236. Let's see where I'm at after vacation.
Saturday is the first day of the vacation. I skipped workout with Lorinda as I was playing with the game group the nite before. We were up until midnite and I really didn't feel too excited about then getting out of bed by six in the morning. I had a commitment at 10am, I gave myself a pass. After my commitment though it was lunch time and lunch was Mexican. I was good and only ate half of the burrito I ordered but did add a soda (Mt Dew) and chips and salsa. Later in the day I finished off the rest of lunch. I mixed it up with some spinach and eggs for a giant scramble. Throw in a couple of donuts and pastry along with some adult beverages and there you have the first day of vacation. Not too bad but probably shouldn't have had the soda and donuts. Still for the first day I'm okay with it.
Sunday started with a 45 min bike ride. Starting to get out and ride some, felt good. Today was also a game day but that is later. So after the bike ride I had a double meat roast beef sandwich with the last of the pastry from the day before and some snap peas. At the game I had three granola bars and two rice crispy treats. After the game I came home and had a small nachos. Also some pistachios and the last of the pastry. Also a couple of adult beverages.
Monday I think I went off the deep end. Fortunately I did a full body workout with a 30min cardio thrown in for good measure. But I started the day with a egg/roast beef/cheese bagel. Lunch was a chicken and rice dish for a local restaurant and a soda. It was another game day but I didn't have anything until I got home (which was a mistake). I should have taken a couple of granola bars to tide me over. I was extremely hungry and my food decisions reflected that. I started with nachos along with guacamole, that was followed by a sandwich on rye bread with egg/roast beef/cheese. I finished it off with some almonds and an adult beverage. This was not good but I enjoyed the extreme meal choice. Again it just goes to show that depriving yourself really makes things worse.
Tuesday I slept in until almost 11am ( reaction to my late nite overindulgence?). I had another egg and this time pastrami cheese sandwich along with some chips. A mid afternoon lunch was a roast beef, pastrami, cheese, tomato sandwich on rye. Followed by some chips and almonds. I then hit the gym for my Tues kettlebell class. After the gym I was hungry again so I did a broccoli, cauliflower, shredded carrot, and chicken stir-fry. With some egg added for more protein.
I'll post the rest of the week in a second entry. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
The Workout Feeling
So still rocking 236lbs. Ready for another pound or two to come off but willing to put in the work to make it happen.
Speaking of the work, I've been thinking of how my workouts happen. At least in terms of the mechanics of motivation.
I start my day with a very short session of exercise. I do this because it just seems like the thing to do and it's very short, like 10 minutes long. So not really a workout but just a bit of motivation. Honestly I used to get out of bed thirty minutes early and do a 20min routine. Of course I burned out and so far (over three years) I've been unable to get back on that schedule.
The 10min session is a compromise. It satisfies my guilty conscious but I know it's not really a workout, but at least I'm moving.
Then for the rest of the day at work, I struggle to convince myself that after work I need to go to the gym. As I walk out heading to my car there's always an inner pep talk to point the car towards the gym. It never hurts to remind myself that I really enjoy the kettle bell class that I'm heading to or that I'm only going to be there for an hour at the most.
As I pull into the parking lot of the gym I start to feel better about working out. Once I walk thru the door of the gym, it's like I always wanted to be there to improve my body and thus my goal of living forever.
Then it gets really weird as the class starts. Part way thru I'm gasping and groaning and then the class is over and I'm already thinking about doing it again. I chuckle at the pool of sweat I've created and head home.
Tomorrow it starts all over again.
Here's a workout I like:
Okay this consists of six different exercises. Do the first five as a super set (one set each exercise until the five have been completed), then repeat three to four times total. Then follow up with the sixth one as a single set of three to four times.
(1)Chest press 10reps I use a 25lb weight for this one. Laying on your back on a flat bench. Press straight up over your shoulders
(2)Squat press 10reps I use a 15lb weight This is a squat with the weights at shoulder height and then when you come up from the squat press the weight over head. Palms facing each other.
(3)Tricep/partial pullover 10reps 15lb weight This one is a bit tricky at first. Laying on your back on a flat bench press the weights straight overhead,then bend at the elbows (like a skull crusher) and then press them out like you were standing up and doing a shoulder press. Now keeping your arms completely straight behind your head bring them back to the starting position and repeat. As I said this one is a bit tricky but it's a great version of the skull crusher or overhead triceps move.
(4)Leg balance with kettle bell row 10reps 20lb kettle bell This one is tricky because you are balancing on one leg. So standing on one leg, bend at the waist with a kettle bell in the same hand as the leg you are balancing on. Extend the other leg behind you straight out ( or as much as you can while maintaining your balance). Now row the kettle bell to your side. Do all the reps for one leg then repeat with the other leg. This one is about balance as much as the strength part of the exercise.
(5)Step up w/biceps curl and overhead press 10reps 15lbs Move to a bench or box that's 12"-15" tall and place one foot on it like you were going to step up on to it. In this position curl the weights and then at the top of the curl press them overhead. Repeat with the other leg.
(6)Hamstring curls on an exercise ball 10reps Repeat 3 or 4 times So laying on your back put your heels on an exercise ball and form a bridge (lift your butt off the floor) and pull your heels in towards your butt causing the ball to roll towards you and then push back out. That's one rep so do nine more. If you don't have access to an exercise ball then you can do this by laying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and close together. Now bridge and first straighten one leg out then the other and complete the reps (20 total)x 3or4 sets
The nice thing about this workout is that you could just do one run thru if you're short on time. Otherwise it's a great full body workout.
Speaking of the work, I've been thinking of how my workouts happen. At least in terms of the mechanics of motivation.
I start my day with a very short session of exercise. I do this because it just seems like the thing to do and it's very short, like 10 minutes long. So not really a workout but just a bit of motivation. Honestly I used to get out of bed thirty minutes early and do a 20min routine. Of course I burned out and so far (over three years) I've been unable to get back on that schedule.
The 10min session is a compromise. It satisfies my guilty conscious but I know it's not really a workout, but at least I'm moving.
Then for the rest of the day at work, I struggle to convince myself that after work I need to go to the gym. As I walk out heading to my car there's always an inner pep talk to point the car towards the gym. It never hurts to remind myself that I really enjoy the kettle bell class that I'm heading to or that I'm only going to be there for an hour at the most.
As I pull into the parking lot of the gym I start to feel better about working out. Once I walk thru the door of the gym, it's like I always wanted to be there to improve my body and thus my goal of living forever.
Then it gets really weird as the class starts. Part way thru I'm gasping and groaning and then the class is over and I'm already thinking about doing it again. I chuckle at the pool of sweat I've created and head home.
Tomorrow it starts all over again.
Here's a workout I like:
Okay this consists of six different exercises. Do the first five as a super set (one set each exercise until the five have been completed), then repeat three to four times total. Then follow up with the sixth one as a single set of three to four times.
(1)Chest press 10reps I use a 25lb weight for this one. Laying on your back on a flat bench. Press straight up over your shoulders
(2)Squat press 10reps I use a 15lb weight This is a squat with the weights at shoulder height and then when you come up from the squat press the weight over head. Palms facing each other.
(3)Tricep/partial pullover 10reps 15lb weight This one is a bit tricky at first. Laying on your back on a flat bench press the weights straight overhead,then bend at the elbows (like a skull crusher) and then press them out like you were standing up and doing a shoulder press. Now keeping your arms completely straight behind your head bring them back to the starting position and repeat. As I said this one is a bit tricky but it's a great version of the skull crusher or overhead triceps move.
(4)Leg balance with kettle bell row 10reps 20lb kettle bell This one is tricky because you are balancing on one leg. So standing on one leg, bend at the waist with a kettle bell in the same hand as the leg you are balancing on. Extend the other leg behind you straight out ( or as much as you can while maintaining your balance). Now row the kettle bell to your side. Do all the reps for one leg then repeat with the other leg. This one is about balance as much as the strength part of the exercise.
(5)Step up w/biceps curl and overhead press 10reps 15lbs Move to a bench or box that's 12"-15" tall and place one foot on it like you were going to step up on to it. In this position curl the weights and then at the top of the curl press them overhead. Repeat with the other leg.
(6)Hamstring curls on an exercise ball 10reps Repeat 3 or 4 times So laying on your back put your heels on an exercise ball and form a bridge (lift your butt off the floor) and pull your heels in towards your butt causing the ball to roll towards you and then push back out. That's one rep so do nine more. If you don't have access to an exercise ball then you can do this by laying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and close together. Now bridge and first straighten one leg out then the other and complete the reps (20 total)x 3or4 sets
The nice thing about this workout is that you could just do one run thru if you're short on time. Otherwise it's a great full body workout.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Weight for it
I weighed myself on Sat before training and wow I've lost some more weight. The scale showed my weight at 236lbs. Yea me.
I figured it would happen as my clothes are starting to fit looser. This is the way it was last year and the year before, so I'm glad to be back on the losing train.
Now I just have to keep it up. Which reminds me that this healthy life thing has it's good days and bad days. Also good weeks and bad weeks.
The challenge is always food. The other night I had met some friends for dinner at a restaurant and we ate a good meal. I left full but not over stuffed. When hanging with friends and eating stuff, it's easy to over eat. The notion that you need to be aware of what you're putting in your mouth is the last thing on your mind. After all this is fun time. But I did okay and left feeling good about the evening. Until I got home and sat down. Then I'm feeling hungry! It was not more than a couple of hours before this that I ate that great meal. So here I am feeling hungry and at the same time reminding myself that, really I just ate. It's baffling how the mind can fool the body into thinking it needs something it really doesn't.
I weighed 302lbs at my heaviest. I needed to see that number on the scale before I could also see what I was doing to myself. I realized that it was time to try and take back control. It was time to say, "No More!". I was still eating like I was in my 20's and even in my 20's I was eating like I was 12. The trip to the fast food restaurant was an orgy of food. Two different sandwiches, maybe a Big Mac and a Filet of Fish or a double cheese burger and a regular burger. Then there were the fries and onion rings and of course the milkshakes. Amazing! It all adds up!
I still eat some fast food but more like once a month if that and it's not the multiple servings like before. I know I need to be very careful about that but I still have to satisfy that craving to some extent otherwise it turns into a giant problem that can only be resolved by over doing it.
Of course it doesn't hurt to remind myself about the scale and the number 302. Especially if it's a bad week.
I figured it would happen as my clothes are starting to fit looser. This is the way it was last year and the year before, so I'm glad to be back on the losing train.
Now I just have to keep it up. Which reminds me that this healthy life thing has it's good days and bad days. Also good weeks and bad weeks.
The challenge is always food. The other night I had met some friends for dinner at a restaurant and we ate a good meal. I left full but not over stuffed. When hanging with friends and eating stuff, it's easy to over eat. The notion that you need to be aware of what you're putting in your mouth is the last thing on your mind. After all this is fun time. But I did okay and left feeling good about the evening. Until I got home and sat down. Then I'm feeling hungry! It was not more than a couple of hours before this that I ate that great meal. So here I am feeling hungry and at the same time reminding myself that, really I just ate. It's baffling how the mind can fool the body into thinking it needs something it really doesn't.
I weighed 302lbs at my heaviest. I needed to see that number on the scale before I could also see what I was doing to myself. I realized that it was time to try and take back control. It was time to say, "No More!". I was still eating like I was in my 20's and even in my 20's I was eating like I was 12. The trip to the fast food restaurant was an orgy of food. Two different sandwiches, maybe a Big Mac and a Filet of Fish or a double cheese burger and a regular burger. Then there were the fries and onion rings and of course the milkshakes. Amazing! It all adds up!
I still eat some fast food but more like once a month if that and it's not the multiple servings like before. I know I need to be very careful about that but I still have to satisfy that craving to some extent otherwise it turns into a giant problem that can only be resolved by over doing it.
Of course it doesn't hurt to remind myself about the scale and the number 302. Especially if it's a bad week.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Exercise=sweat Sweating when I Kettle Bell= Priceless
Kettle bell class is always a sweat inducing session. My shirt is soaked and I look like I just came in from a rainstorm.
The half hour starts with me wondering what the heck I'm doing here and by the end I'm so happy I made it. Yes it's only thirty minutes but in that time you are taxed to the limit and beyond. A bit of hyperbole but it really does apply. Let me run it down for you. First though here's a description of what a kettle bell is: I use a 20lb kb. A hunk of metal shaped like a ball with a handle in the form of a loop attached to the "top". You can hold it by the handle or grip the ball with both hands. Okay here's a 30min workout with the kettle bell:
We start out (after a few jumping jacks with twists and turns to warm up) with 20 swings. These swings go from between the legs with a slight squat and generating the movement with your hips and pushing thru your heels up over your head. Do that 20 times then go right into single arm swings 10 times alternating from one arm to the other (only going as high as your shoulders) at the apex of the swing. Now repeat the first set of swings 20 times again and then repeat the alternating swings 10 times each arm.
Okay now we're going into overhead presses. This starts as a shallow squat with the kettle bell between your feet on the ground. Grabbing it with one hand and pulling it up to your shoulder and then pressing it overhead. 20 times each arm and then do 20 swings from the first set over head. Back to the overhead presses, again 20 times each arm. Rest for a minute. Oh and at the end of each set of presses hold the kettle bell out to the side. Your arm is fully 90 degrees parallel. For a 10count. That was after each set of shoulder presses
Next up is a squat with a shoulder press. Get as deep as possible in the squat and press over head. do this 20 times each arm. Then 20 more swings. 20 more squat presses. Okay we're done.....with this portion of the workout.
Now we're going to a mat and get to do Turkish sit-ups and Turkish get-ups. The sit up is performed by laying on your back and placing your right leg with the foot flat on the floor and the left leg out straight. Then with the kettle bell resting on your right shoulder you do a sit up raising the kettle bell to full extension in the up position. Your left arm is a lever to help you up. Do that 10 times and repeat on the left side with your right arm as the lever.
Now next is the Turkish get-up. This is very similar to the sit-up but with this you stand all the way up. Do 5 each side. This sounds easy but take my word for it it's not. Of course we are going to repeat the sit-ups but this time we're doing 20 each side.
Finally we end with a plank but holding the kettle bell in front of our heads planking on our elbows as we hold the kettle bell off the ground for one minute.
So there you have it. 30 minutes of kettle bell HE double hockey stix. ;) That I do twice a week.
I have finally gotten below 240lbs and hope this is the beginning of new movement. My last two weigh-ins were 239 and 238. Not the biggest drop but it's a drop.
The half hour starts with me wondering what the heck I'm doing here and by the end I'm so happy I made it. Yes it's only thirty minutes but in that time you are taxed to the limit and beyond. A bit of hyperbole but it really does apply. Let me run it down for you. First though here's a description of what a kettle bell is: I use a 20lb kb. A hunk of metal shaped like a ball with a handle in the form of a loop attached to the "top". You can hold it by the handle or grip the ball with both hands. Okay here's a 30min workout with the kettle bell:
We start out (after a few jumping jacks with twists and turns to warm up) with 20 swings. These swings go from between the legs with a slight squat and generating the movement with your hips and pushing thru your heels up over your head. Do that 20 times then go right into single arm swings 10 times alternating from one arm to the other (only going as high as your shoulders) at the apex of the swing. Now repeat the first set of swings 20 times again and then repeat the alternating swings 10 times each arm.
Okay now we're going into overhead presses. This starts as a shallow squat with the kettle bell between your feet on the ground. Grabbing it with one hand and pulling it up to your shoulder and then pressing it overhead. 20 times each arm and then do 20 swings from the first set over head. Back to the overhead presses, again 20 times each arm. Rest for a minute. Oh and at the end of each set of presses hold the kettle bell out to the side. Your arm is fully 90 degrees parallel. For a 10count. That was after each set of shoulder presses
Next up is a squat with a shoulder press. Get as deep as possible in the squat and press over head. do this 20 times each arm. Then 20 more swings. 20 more squat presses. Okay we're done.....with this portion of the workout.
Now we're going to a mat and get to do Turkish sit-ups and Turkish get-ups. The sit up is performed by laying on your back and placing your right leg with the foot flat on the floor and the left leg out straight. Then with the kettle bell resting on your right shoulder you do a sit up raising the kettle bell to full extension in the up position. Your left arm is a lever to help you up. Do that 10 times and repeat on the left side with your right arm as the lever.
Now next is the Turkish get-up. This is very similar to the sit-up but with this you stand all the way up. Do 5 each side. This sounds easy but take my word for it it's not. Of course we are going to repeat the sit-ups but this time we're doing 20 each side.
Finally we end with a plank but holding the kettle bell in front of our heads planking on our elbows as we hold the kettle bell off the ground for one minute.
So there you have it. 30 minutes of kettle bell HE double hockey stix. ;) That I do twice a week.
I have finally gotten below 240lbs and hope this is the beginning of new movement. My last two weigh-ins were 239 and 238. Not the biggest drop but it's a drop.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
This Week
So I was going to title this "I'm hungry" but that was too obvious. The plan is to always be hungry but not starving. If I'm starving then I've failed to do it right. If I'm starving then I know I'm going to indulge to excess. That's the difference between going to McD's and ordering a filet of fish and an order of fries and ordering a Big Mac, a filet of fish, and a large fry with a milkshake. Which I definitely have done in the past. So starving bad, hungry good.
Right now I'm fighting the temptation I've set up for myself. A big bag of chips is sitting on the shelf in my pantry. I see it every time I walk by the refrigerator. I've decided that I'm not going to eat them but wait for another game day get together and then bring them. It's tough but I get a bit of good feeling when I shake my head and walk away. On Weds I drove past the grocery store and didn't stop for the $5 sushi they offer every week. I really wanted to stop but again didn't give in. Of course I will at some point, but then I hope to really enjoy the sushi for the right reason and not simply because I was lazy.
I'm quite happy with the latest weigh in as I broke the 240 mark for the first time in a couple of months. 238. I enjoyed a week of work outs. I did skip a kettle bell work out though as I wasn't feeling it. I have been continuous since the first of Jan. so I wasn't too bothered by skipping. I did skip though because my left ankle was tweaked when I took a tumble in an earlier kettle bell class. It just now started to bother me so I decided to take a break.
I did a workout on my own this week and it was a body weight workout.
First I did burpee's with a push up- 3 sets of 10
Then I did 3 sets of 8 push ups on the exercise ball. On my stomach rolling out to my thighs for 8 and then out to my shins for 8 than back to my thighs for 8. That was one set. I repeated that two more times.
Then on the exercise mat laying on my back with my heels on the exercise ball bridging off the floor and pulling the exercise ball into my butt. I did four sets of 12.
A short workout but I tried to make it count.
Right now I'm fighting the temptation I've set up for myself. A big bag of chips is sitting on the shelf in my pantry. I see it every time I walk by the refrigerator. I've decided that I'm not going to eat them but wait for another game day get together and then bring them. It's tough but I get a bit of good feeling when I shake my head and walk away. On Weds I drove past the grocery store and didn't stop for the $5 sushi they offer every week. I really wanted to stop but again didn't give in. Of course I will at some point, but then I hope to really enjoy the sushi for the right reason and not simply because I was lazy.
I'm quite happy with the latest weigh in as I broke the 240 mark for the first time in a couple of months. 238. I enjoyed a week of work outs. I did skip a kettle bell work out though as I wasn't feeling it. I have been continuous since the first of Jan. so I wasn't too bothered by skipping. I did skip though because my left ankle was tweaked when I took a tumble in an earlier kettle bell class. It just now started to bother me so I decided to take a break.
I did a workout on my own this week and it was a body weight workout.
First I did burpee's with a push up- 3 sets of 10
Then I did 3 sets of 8 push ups on the exercise ball. On my stomach rolling out to my thighs for 8 and then out to my shins for 8 than back to my thighs for 8. That was one set. I repeated that two more times.
Then on the exercise mat laying on my back with my heels on the exercise ball bridging off the floor and pulling the exercise ball into my butt. I did four sets of 12.
A short workout but I tried to make it count.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Look at me I'm a yoyo
Another week has passed and I've done the yoyo move when it comes to my weight. 240 then 243 than back to 240. It's almost a never ending cycle, almost. Talking to Lorinda always helps and this last time we made a pact to lose 5 pounds by summer. I hope to actually lose more than that but at least it's a doable goal. Especially considering that I was at 230 during the last year. It wasn't until the holiday season that the extra ten showed up.
My workout schedule is coming together. I am using the weight vest on Mondays for 15-20min of cardio before the stretching class. Tuesday and Thursday is still the kettle bell class and I feel like I'm getting better at surviving the hour of torture. Weds is the Pure Fitness class and Toney does a great job of making it interesting and a hard workout. Sat I've started to attend the cycle class followed by training with L and then another stretching class. Sun I get in my cardio with 25min on the treadmill (walking at an increasingly faster pace and incline) followed by 25min on the upright bike with the random hill program. This is when I wear the weight vest for the full 50min.
I've started to use the food scale that I bought recently. I decided to use it for some snacks and so far the results have been mixed. One snack I weighed according to the serving size was just silly (way too small to be satisfying). The other was quite surprising as it was definitely right on, in the perfect amount to keep me happy and not eat more department. I will keep it up and see if I can't incorporate the use of the scale into more food choices.
Coming up I will be skipping a Sat workout as I'm heading to the range for a competition. I've been trying to get to the range more so I can acclimate myself to shooting better. As the year progresses I hope to see improvement in that area in addition to my health.
Here's a workout I enjoy: It's called a Plate Exercise as you use a weight plate for most of the moves. For me I used a 10lb and a 25lb plate. I've also been known to throw in a kettle bell for variety. I have both 10lbers and a 25lb bell. Your mileage may vary.
(1) Around the world- 10lb- Hold the plate like you're holding the steering wheel of your car. Now starting at your belly button move the plate in a big circle around your body and behind your head. First one direction 12 times and then in the opposite direction 12 times.
(2) Row/press- 25lb-Hinge at the waist and row the plate to your chest then raise your chest vertical and press the plate overhead. Return to the starting position (hinge at waist with plate hanging at arms length to the floor) Repeat total of 12 reps.
(3) Overhead raise-25lbs- Holding the plate like you did for #1 but straight out in front of your chest now raise it over your head. 12 reps.
(4) Plate swing-10lbs- This works better with a kettle bell or a dumbbell. Hold the weight and swing it from a shallow squat between your legs. You want to use momentum to lift the weight not muscle it up, use your glutes. Press your heels into the floor as you make the forward motion. 12 reps.
(5) Prisoner Squat-10lbs- With the plate behind your head, elbows flared out and a wide stance, squat down and up. Keep your knees over your toes, don't over extend your knees forward. 12reps.
(6) Wood chopper-10lbs- Again holding your plate like you did in #1 lift it over your left shoulder up high and bring it across your body to your right ankle. Like you're chopping wood. 12 reps then repeat from the right shoulder to the left ankle 12 reps.
Rest and then repeat the whole list a total of three times. Once you get good at it go for four times. It's fun. Just do it.
My workout schedule is coming together. I am using the weight vest on Mondays for 15-20min of cardio before the stretching class. Tuesday and Thursday is still the kettle bell class and I feel like I'm getting better at surviving the hour of torture. Weds is the Pure Fitness class and Toney does a great job of making it interesting and a hard workout. Sat I've started to attend the cycle class followed by training with L and then another stretching class. Sun I get in my cardio with 25min on the treadmill (walking at an increasingly faster pace and incline) followed by 25min on the upright bike with the random hill program. This is when I wear the weight vest for the full 50min.
I've started to use the food scale that I bought recently. I decided to use it for some snacks and so far the results have been mixed. One snack I weighed according to the serving size was just silly (way too small to be satisfying). The other was quite surprising as it was definitely right on, in the perfect amount to keep me happy and not eat more department. I will keep it up and see if I can't incorporate the use of the scale into more food choices.
Coming up I will be skipping a Sat workout as I'm heading to the range for a competition. I've been trying to get to the range more so I can acclimate myself to shooting better. As the year progresses I hope to see improvement in that area in addition to my health.
Here's a workout I enjoy: It's called a Plate Exercise as you use a weight plate for most of the moves. For me I used a 10lb and a 25lb plate. I've also been known to throw in a kettle bell for variety. I have both 10lbers and a 25lb bell. Your mileage may vary.
(1) Around the world- 10lb- Hold the plate like you're holding the steering wheel of your car. Now starting at your belly button move the plate in a big circle around your body and behind your head. First one direction 12 times and then in the opposite direction 12 times.
(2) Row/press- 25lb-Hinge at the waist and row the plate to your chest then raise your chest vertical and press the plate overhead. Return to the starting position (hinge at waist with plate hanging at arms length to the floor) Repeat total of 12 reps.
(3) Overhead raise-25lbs- Holding the plate like you did for #1 but straight out in front of your chest now raise it over your head. 12 reps.
(4) Plate swing-10lbs- This works better with a kettle bell or a dumbbell. Hold the weight and swing it from a shallow squat between your legs. You want to use momentum to lift the weight not muscle it up, use your glutes. Press your heels into the floor as you make the forward motion. 12 reps.
(5) Prisoner Squat-10lbs- With the plate behind your head, elbows flared out and a wide stance, squat down and up. Keep your knees over your toes, don't over extend your knees forward. 12reps.
(6) Wood chopper-10lbs- Again holding your plate like you did in #1 lift it over your left shoulder up high and bring it across your body to your right ankle. Like you're chopping wood. 12 reps then repeat from the right shoulder to the left ankle 12 reps.
Rest and then repeat the whole list a total of three times. Once you get good at it go for four times. It's fun. Just do it.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Life and the Super Bowl
A bit of a digression if I may. This week started out with the Super Bowl feeding frenzy and the possibility of eating caused by depression.
So being a Seahawks fan and wanting to revel in the winning of a second Super Bowl in a row could have caused a breakdown in the plan. That didn't happen though. Yes there was eating too much nachos, chips, guacamole, and cake but that was expected.
The reality of it all became a life lesson when the Seahawks lost the game. It was a moment of despair and the sensation of the floor dropping out from under your feet. It was sad and disappointing and unfair and it sucked, yet in reality it didn't matter. Life goes on. I realized that it was just a game and it didn't affect me in any real way. Yes emotionally there was a moment of "Dammit!!", but in the overall scheme of things, it had no effect on my life. So no need to eat more junk to fill the hole made by the loss and no reason to ignore the gym because "we" lost.
So there again is another reason to think about the big picture. Living forever is rife with challenges. Out maneuvering those challenges is what I plan on doing.
Last year's Super Bowl weekend was a bit different as I made the journey to the ER. This year was very much more pleasant as there was no visit to the ER. With that visit last year there were changes made to the life I live now. Nothing dramatic but some tweaks that should have been done years ago. Live and learn I guess.
We did a great combo workout on Sat:
1st time through was just body weight to warm up. Then added weights to each exercise. Do these as a circuit. Run all the way through once and then repeat up to three times.
Squats-Kettle bell 25lbs x12
Triceps-pushups x10
Rows-Kettle bell 25lbs x12
Bicep curls-20lbs x12
Lunges-one leg at a time x12
Shoulder Press-20lbs x12
Bicycles-sit on floor with a band wrapped around a stable point. Lean back and bicycle your legs x12
Repeat.
Okay a word of advice ( if it needs to be said?) If you are going to do any of these work outs I am writing up be sure and adjust the weights and reps to your comfort level. Work up to the weights so you don't hurt yourself. I've learned that if you hurt yourself then you stop working out and lose whatever gains you've made. Be smart.
So being a Seahawks fan and wanting to revel in the winning of a second Super Bowl in a row could have caused a breakdown in the plan. That didn't happen though. Yes there was eating too much nachos, chips, guacamole, and cake but that was expected.
The reality of it all became a life lesson when the Seahawks lost the game. It was a moment of despair and the sensation of the floor dropping out from under your feet. It was sad and disappointing and unfair and it sucked, yet in reality it didn't matter. Life goes on. I realized that it was just a game and it didn't affect me in any real way. Yes emotionally there was a moment of "Dammit!!", but in the overall scheme of things, it had no effect on my life. So no need to eat more junk to fill the hole made by the loss and no reason to ignore the gym because "we" lost.
So there again is another reason to think about the big picture. Living forever is rife with challenges. Out maneuvering those challenges is what I plan on doing.
Last year's Super Bowl weekend was a bit different as I made the journey to the ER. This year was very much more pleasant as there was no visit to the ER. With that visit last year there were changes made to the life I live now. Nothing dramatic but some tweaks that should have been done years ago. Live and learn I guess.
We did a great combo workout on Sat:
1st time through was just body weight to warm up. Then added weights to each exercise. Do these as a circuit. Run all the way through once and then repeat up to three times.
Squats-Kettle bell 25lbs x12
Triceps-pushups x10
Rows-Kettle bell 25lbs x12
Bicep curls-20lbs x12
Lunges-one leg at a time x12
Shoulder Press-20lbs x12
Bicycles-sit on floor with a band wrapped around a stable point. Lean back and bicycle your legs x12
Repeat.
Okay a word of advice ( if it needs to be said?) If you are going to do any of these work outs I am writing up be sure and adjust the weights and reps to your comfort level. Work up to the weights so you don't hurt yourself. I've learned that if you hurt yourself then you stop working out and lose whatever gains you've made. Be smart.
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