Unleashing The Beast :: FitBob

Weight: 212

Pigged out on carbs last night and saw the expected weight jump on the scale this morning. Busy day today, energy levels almost back to normal. Went to the club for a body composition assessment at 5pm, came in at 19%* body fat. Not great, but already improving. Wish I had comp assessed Jan 1 so I could put this number in a more positive perspective. Regardless, I have a starting point. My target is to get to 10% by July 31.

Historically, I can drop .5 to 1 percent a week – more when I’m doing a lot of outdoor cycling. So let’s say 20 weeks to transform 20 pounds of fat to 20 pounds of muscle and energy. Throw in an extra week or so and that’s five months, ergo my cutting phase must begin on March 1.

Until then, I am primarily working on building strength with the weights and low intensity (LI) zone cardio to prepare the body for the training loads that will be thrust upon it come March. With two weeks’ training under my belt, hopefully the bod’s adapted and recovered enough to start moving more serious iron this week.

I sleep 8-9 hours a night now and struggle to stay awake until 11pm, not used to hitting the bed before 2am. Nice.

Feeling good about the first two weeks’ training – a great start to 2012, let’s keep it going!

*3-fold pinch + estimated weight + late in the day + food = inaccurate test, take results with a large grain of salt, and use number as a guideline rather than absolute. Pinch tests generally have a 3-5% margin of error to begin with. The results stated 20%, 209 was input for weight when I was actually 214. That 2% difference in weight input changes the calculations to a lesser result, so I’m going with 19% math++!

March 3 – April 6, 2011

Timeframe: 35 days
On Plan: 26 days
Missed: 9 days

Exercise Time: 19 hours
Total Calories: -13465
BodyFat Equivalent: 3.74 pounds!

All in all, a good month. I missed more training days than I would have preferred, but life has a way of happening. The important takeaway for me is that I accomplished a solid month of base training and can now move on to the training I like better.

By charting my training, I am now able to look back and see a distinctive pattern/flaw: Rest days. In March, they were momentum killers – most of my missed days occurred after a scheduled rest day. Methinks I need to change the program and add a bit more structure.

So for April I’m switching to a different routine – the old standby that has served me well for years: Train Mon-Fri, with weekends “off.” Since month two is the strenght phase of my plan, I’ll lift one body part a day Monday-Friday, followed by some core work and at least :30 min cardio. Typically:

Monday: Chest
Tuesday: Back
Wednesday: Shoulders
Thursday: Arms
Friday: Legs

Training legs on Friday gives me two off days over the weekend to recover from blasting them, so I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.

And while weekends are technically non-training days, I’ll still do rides for fun or with friends. Now those rides become “bonus” workouts – a key mental distinction.

Diet remains the same: eat healthy six days a week, with one cheat day to eat whatever I want.

(BTW – Cheat days are great! No only do they give you a mental break from restriction, they provide a short term, achievable goal. I usually put them on Sundays so I have a week-end target: “I can’t eat that today, but I can have as much as I want on Sunday!” And by putting it at the end of my week, I can choose to enjoy it earlier in the week and just eat healthy on Sunday instead.)

My weight has remained pretty constant over the month, but I can see the changes in the mirror and feel it in my clothes. Don’t get hung up on the scale – this past month my body has burned off fat and replaced it with muscle. So, while I may weigh the same, I look and feel different. THAT’s the important thing, not the pounds.

Spring is springing and I’ve been hibernating for a looonnng time… Fortunately, a week of training is in the bag and all systems are nominal.

Registered for my first century last weekend – The Elephant Rock Ride in Castle Rock, CO – and have three months of training til the June 5 date. Training notes and logs will be posted as soon as I catch up on a few things. (In tonight’s case, sleep!)

Hope everyone is having an excellent 2011! I’ll part for now with a fave tweet from @ApoloOhno:

Face ur fears
Understand ur insecurities
Demolish self doubt
YOU are in control, so drive carefully and mash the gas.
#InspireYourself

(His book, Zero Regrets, rocks btw)

So far this year, my training has been without a concrete goal. Tonight, that changed when I registered for my first century (100 mile) ride – The Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival in Castle Rock. It’s not a race or competition (at least for me), so that immediately eliminated the pressure I’d have put on myself to kill it and the emotional let down I’d likely feel if I didn’t feel I finished well. (Experienced that fun at the Discovery Channel’s “Race to Replace” I did in Indy back in ’06 when I flatted after 5 laps – I had always wanted to cross the finish line at the Brickyard, I just never thought it’d be on a bicycle! So I had that going for me, which was nice.)

I have wanted to do a century for some time now. Shortly after I got my Masi road bike, I tried to log 100 miles, but didn’t bring nearly enough food and had to cut it short at about 60 miles. Since then, I’ve occasionally done rides up to around 70 miles, but have never crossed the century mark.

Tonight, that changed when I registered. Three months from today is the ride, which is perfect – it gives me at least a month to develop a solid aerobic base, a month to work on strength/climbing, and enough time to work on whatever needs it before the ride.

Having a specific goal or target to reach for gave me something I need: something specificity, immediate, and attainable. Since I know I need to ride 100 miles on June 5th, I can plan the steps I need to take, the intermediate goals needed to measure progress, and it’s short-term enough to keep me motivated to train and focused on the target.

Game ON!

After taking a month off for the holidays and dealing with a pinched nerve, (annoying as hell) I finally made it back to the gym today for a light workout. Call it a sign from the universe or whatever, but there was an extended citywide power outage today. No internet, so I couldn’t work. No television, so I couldn’t distract myself. The result? More productivitiy!

I cleaned up a pile of bills, made some calls I had been putting off, and went to hop in the shower only to discover/realize that tankless water heaters require electricity to run their temperature control… doh! Since I was beginning to smell a bit ripe, I figured I would go take a shower at the gym. I called them to see if they were affected by the power outage and happily they weren’t.

I had let my training fall off long enough that, as happens to many I suppose, I wasn’t overly eager to jump back in. I had replaced the habit of training with the habit of not training. Work seemed more important. Holidays seemed more important. I had let the workout priority slide.

Since I was powerless (all pun intended) to use any of my usual distractions as excuses and really needed that shower, I knew it was time. And there was no way I could justify paying the gym for a shower. So off I went.

I did the usual 10 minute warmup on the spin bike and some light stretching before moving on to the weights. My hand is still tingly so I wanted to take it easy, plus I wasn’t feeling particularly energetic, so I rotated through some high-repetition/low weight upper body exercises: cable rows, pulldowns, barbell shrugs, incline bench press, dumbell shrugs – my own little “mini-circuit”.

Next it was off to the pool. The rec center has several pools for aquatic therapy, one of which is essentially a small indoor waterpark ride. It’s fun to float around with the current, but I turned against it – using the water pressure as gentle resistance against my pseudo swim strokes. By changing the angle of my hands I could control how much resistance they were getting while letting my legs and core work a little harder.

After 10 minutes of that, I went to soak in the outdoor hot tub for another 10 minutes. Those few steps from the door to the tub, dripping wet, in the winter mountain air… that’s BRISK baby!

As luck would have it, one of my fellow soakers happened to be a physical therapist. I explained I was doing some light rehab work on my pinched nerve, he asked me a few questions and showed me the location of the cubital tunnel on the elbow, which is where the ulnar nerve passes through the bone. We chatted for a few minutes and he said he thought my self-diagnosis of a pinched nerve coupled with carpal tunnel was spot on.

Many of us resolve to get in better shape, eat healthier, take better care of our bodies every New Year’s Eve. These resolutions often have strong beginnings (ever notice how much busier gyms are the first week in January?) but will often fade after a week or two. Life gets busy, people get sore, tired, or lose motivation to train.

I would bet that most people who resolve to get in better shape for 2010 haven’t been working out much in 2009 – working out isn’t a habit for them. While there’s no hard and fast rule on how long It takes to break a habit, plan on it taking about three weeks. Time to break the habit of NOT working out and create a new, more positive habit OF working out.

Three weeks to change your life for the better – who can’t do that? You CAN do it. Commit to it, make it a priority, and see how your life changes for the better: Better mental outlook, better sleep patterns, better body composition (less fat/more muscle), better self-image and thus more confidence. In short, a better, more enjoyable life.

Here’s a simple solution that will help you make it through the habit transition time, make your workouts more enjoyable, and make the time pass more quickly – group workouts. Here’s why groups are a great way to get (and keep) you going:

- Group workouts have a set time so you know you’re supposed to be there. By registering for them, you have an implied social obligation to show up.

- You can make new friends or go with existing ones. Either way, you’ll know people who are going to be there. Just about everything is more fun with friends.

- Time flies when you’re playing. Whether it’s a spinning class, aerobics, zumba, dance, yoga or a host of other options, you won’t notice the time go by as much when you’re in the company of others.

- Everyone is there for the same reason. Whether you’re just starting out or training for a specific event, each and every person in the class is only there to improve themselves.

- Competition and social pressure. While you may not naturally be endowed with that ‘competitive spirit’, by being in the same room with a bunch of people trying to do the same thing you are doing can often fire an unexpected, perhaps primal, urge to outdo them. Maybe less so if they are total strangers (hence the suggestion to make new friends) but nonetheless we are all human beings with an innate survival instinct. Take advantage of your biology!

Time and time again research has shown that the true “magic pill” for human beings is exercise. As humans have moved into the Information Age, we have so much available to us, at our very fingertips, that we no longer need to be active to survive. But we need to be active to thrive, our bodies need exercise to function properly.

It IS that simple. Overweight? Don’t take some pharmaPill, make better food choices and get active. Back hurting? Don’t rely on drugs, strengthen your abs and back through exercise. Want to add distance to your golf game? Don’t get a new driver, get a gym membership. I know that I can drive the ball 20 yards further when I’m working out regularly.

BIG REMINDER: Don’t overdo it! Listen to your body! Ease into working out. If you’ve been inactive for a while, try starting out with a 30 minute walk every other day. Feel ok? Do it every day. Not willing to go every day? Up your walk time to an hour. If you’re hitting the weights, take it easy for a few weeks – your body needs to adapt and adjust to the new workload you’re putting upon it. You won’t feel like going back if you’re so sore you can’t move. Make it a habit, a regular part of your life. It’s not a sprint for instant results, think of it as a lifelong marathon – slow and steady wins the race.

It will probably take some sacrificing on your part – be mentally ready to give something up. If you’re not willing to give up after work happy hours, have kids, or often have to work late, consider getting up an hour earlier to get your workout in before the demands of the day kick in. (If you’re efficient, you only have to get up 35-40 minutes earlier to get in a 30 minute walk!)

Always remember to embrace your victories! For some, just making it to the gym or a group class should be considered a win. For others, just finishing the class is a win. See how far you can go this year and amaze yourself at the changes you can accomplish!!

Have a happy, healthy and fit and fun 2010!!
FitBob

“You don’t have the body of a 41 year old.”

“Modern-day warriors are examples of the best that can be achieved through bodybuilding. You don’t have to be an advanced bodybuilder or a Mr. or Ms. Olympia contentder to be a warrior, but you must possess the personal qualities characterized by the following guidelines. These guidelines can be thought of as the warrior’s code, a summary of the things you need to be in order to be the best possible you.

1. Warriors are disciplined people who are committed to excellence. Warriors are dedicated to bodybuilding and give it a priority in their daily lives. They are not afrid to dream or to aspire, but they go the extra step in putting these thoughts into specific, appropriate, and attainable goals and plans.

2. Warriors are positive people. Warriors know that in approaching any situation they really have only two options: to be positive or to be negative. They actively choose to be positive – to realistically build themselves up and approach every situation with a ‘can do’ attitude. Warriors assert active control over their lives by believing and trusting in themselves. They know that they not only must be positive, they must also exude this positiveness. Right thinking must be coupled with right action.

3. Warriors view training sessions as personal proving grounds. They approach their training as the ancient warriors approached their battles, but modern-day warriors do not battle anyone. They do not even battle the weights. Their goal is to join with the weights to become the best they can. Their challenge is to battle their fears, doubts, and insecurities. Bodybuilding warriors are purposeful people who concentrate fully and imaginatively on the tasks at hand. They focus on churning out quality sets with proper form. They feel an inner sense of satisfaction in training the proper way.

4. Warriors are persistent. They know that they are involved in their training for the long run. Warrriors value and even cherish their striving and struggling. They endure discomfort knowing that this is precisely the time when they are best extending themselves physically as well as mentally. They continually push themselves to their own frontiers of growth and development. Warriors accept and learn from their failures and disappointments to become better at what they do. Warriors are always willing to keep on learning and expanding themselves. They are involved in pumping iron ‘for life.’

5. Warriors live a balanced life. They know that in order to consistently put in quality workouts, they must have the rest of their lives in order. They have integrated their beliefs and practices into every area of their lives so they are consistent and congruent. They have learned how to juggle their life roles in order to give each attention while maintaining an overall rhythm. Being a warrior means being a warrior in all aspects of one’s life.

6. Finally, warriors serve others. These people understand that part of their duty is to give something back by helping others. They teach and assist so others can maximize their own progress. In a way, warriors serve as role models so that the novice and intermediate bodybuilders can eventually also become warriors. By continually sharing knowledge and experience, warriors also advance the sport they love.

This code of the bodybuilding warrior, I propose to you, is meant to be a challenge. Do not blindly accept or reject it, but expand upon it to develop your own standards of bodybuilding excellence.”

- excerpted from Mind Pump

Saw a sign like this near the finish line on this year’s Ironman t.v. coverage. Gotta respect those who even attempt such a feat.

“You are an artist, and the bars, weights, machines and food are your tools. As an artist controls his brushes, hammers and chisels, so to must you control yourself so you can create the kind of body that is good enough to be framed.”
- Mind Pump