12 Day of Christmas -- Gimpy Achilles Style -- Monday July 19th

First thing first --my Achilles seem to be getting better -- I think, hope, pray . . . well actually not pray . . . the higher powers out there don't need to be bothered with my whining.  I'll save the prayers for something truly horrid like cancer or hemorrhoids.  Regardless, the Achilles feel more sore and weak than inflamed.  The left one has always felt worse than the right one, but they both seem to be improving.  I've been riding my bike pretty much everyday since I got over my chest infection.  I ride to the gym and work both, which help keep my legs active while my running is curtailed and gives me a good warm up.  But there is of course the rick of over doing it, so I am still doing my stretches and exercises . . . maybe not as regularly as needed, but I am trying.  I think that it will be at least another week before I attempt my first run. 

Since I chose to be an idiot on Sunday, I didn't think it would be a bright idea to swim or lift on Monday, so I decided that I would do a modified 12 days of Christmas workout that avoided all of the running.  I wasn't really sure if it would do enough, but the changes that I made to the workout were ample.  I wasn't wasted at the end, but I felt it for sure.

The Workout

1 Burpee

2 Mt. Climbers

1 Burpee

3 Bird dogs

2 Mt. Climbers

1 Bird dog

4 Crunches

3 bird dogs

2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
7 Dips
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
8 Bicycles
7 Dips
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
 2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
9 Push ups
 8 Bicycles
7 Dips
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
10 Arm Extensions
9 Push ups
8 Bicycles
7 Dips
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
11 Crossover Crunches (each side)
10 Arm Extensions
9 Push ups
8 Bicycles
7 Dips
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee
12 Burpees
12 Mt. Climbers
12 Bird Dogs
12 Crunches
12 Lunges (each leg)
12 Prisoner Squats
12 Dips
12 Bicycles
12 Push ups
12 arm extensions
12 Crossover crunches (each side)
11 Crossover crunches (each side)
10 Arm Extensions
9 Push ups
8 Bicycles
7 Dips
6 Prisoner Squats
5 Lunges (each leg)
4 Crunches
3 bird dogs
2 Mt. Climbers
1 Burpee

Now that I see this all written down it looks sort of psychotic, which is sort of my goal I guess, so I am happy with this workout.

Gym Dunce: Sunday, July 18th

I wanted to Swim on Saturday.  Don't ask me why, but for some reason swimming was really important to me on Saturday.  I wouldn't even consider lifting or doing anything else.  It is not like I've become hooked on swimming or anything.  I enjoy my time in the water, but I'd much rather be running if I had the choice.  But Saturday, swimming was all that I could think about.  However, there was a constant rumbling of thunder all afternoon, which frustrated me even more because it wouldn't rain.  It would just thunder ever so often, making it impossible to swim because the Y won't let into the water for 20 mins after thunder is heard--Nazis!  I even went there once and just so I could make sure that they weren't letting people swim.  Honestly, I am not sure why I even bothered to confirm it with my own eyes -- really -- like they were going to let people swim just this one time as long as they promised not to tell.  Anyway, around 4:30 the sky opened up and the rains started, which allowed me to put my mind at ease and give up on swimming for the day.

However, I had planned to lift on Sunday, so the thunder storms and my refusal to let nature alter my plans left me with a dilima.  Should I swim on Sunday, Lift, or do both?  I thought that doing both was just stupid, so that's what I did.  Why?  Because sometime we are all stubborn dumb asses, and apparently this was my weekend to shine.  I decided that for safeties sake that I should swim first, lest I drown because my arms were to tired to swim after lifting.

The swimming was no problem, but the lifting truly sucked causing me to curse my jackass self nearly the whole way through, particulerly during the chin-ups and the Alternating Dumbbell Curls.  The underside of my left shoulder in the back right around my arm pit was killing as I did the chin-ups, my form was sloppy as hell during the ADC's.  I had to stop several time to rest so that I could correct my form.  I am really lucky that I didn't hurt my back.  Truly, I wish that I could say that I'll never do this again, but sometimes . . . we all just get a touched in the head and act the fool.



The Workout:

Swimming:
2 laps Frog
20 Laps Crawl

Lifting:

--Chest--

Barbell Press:
12 reps @ 25lbs
10 reps @ 30lbs
8 reps @ 35lbs
6 reps @ 40lbs
12 reps @ 25lbs
Dumbbell Incline Press: 12 reps @ 35 lbs

--Back--
Pull ups:
12 reps @ level 20 assistance
10 reps @ level 19 assistance
8 reps @ level 18 assistance
6 reps @ level 17 assistance
6 reps @ level 20 assistance DNF
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down:
 12 Reps @ 100lbs

--Shoulders--
Seated Dumbbell Press:
12 reps @ 25lb
10 reps @ 30lbs
8 reps @ 35lbs
6 reps @ 40lbs
12 reps @ 25lbs
Reverse Flyes:
12 Reps @ 100lbs

--Biceps--
Alternate Dumbbell Curls:
12 reps @ 25lbs
10 reps @ 30lbs
8 reps @ 35lbs
6 reps @ 40lbs
12 reps @ 15lbs
Preacher Curls:
12 reps @ 50lbs

--Triceps--
Dips
 12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps
12 reps
Triceps Kickbacks:
12 reps @ 15lbs

Free Falling -- Second Day of Lifting: Thursday, July 15th

Thursday morning was my second day of lifting and it felt good.  I wasn't nearly as sore afterward either.  I did have one small mishap, when I got my feel tangled up in some weights and fell down.  Luckly, the only thing that I hurt was my pride.  This is the second or third time that I have fallen down in public this year.  Everytime, I've been able to bounce back up pretty quickly, but I've never been able to fall without people taking notice.  I would like to think that my falls have all possesed a modicum of style and panache, but  . . . ummm . . . no . . . when you are as big as I am, there is very little that is graceful about falling down, espeically when you holding 30lb. dumbbells.  Anyway, here is the workout:

--Chest--
Barbell Press: 12 reps @ 25lbs
                      10 reps @ 30lbs
                        8 reps @ 35lbs
                        6 reps @ 40lbs
                      12 reps @ 25lbs
Dumbbell Flyes: 12 reps @ 25 lbs

--Back--
Pull ups: 12 reps @ level 18 assistance
             10 reps @ level 17 assistance
               8 reps @ level 16 assistance
               6 reps @ level 15 assistance
               3 reps @ level 18 assistance DNF
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 12 Reps @ 30 lbs

--Shoulders--
Seated Dembbell Press: 12 reps @ 25lbs

                                     10 reps @ 30lbs
                                       8 reps @ 35lbs
                                       6 reps @ 40lbs
                                       9 reps @ 25lbs DNF
Reverse Flyes: 12 Reps @ 110lbs

--Biceps--
Alternate Dumbbell Curls: 12 reps @ 15lbs
                                        10 reps @ 20lbs
                                          8 reps @ 25lbs
                                          6 reps @ 30lbs
                                        12 reps @ 15lbs
Hammer Curls: 12 reps @ 25lbs

--Triceps--           
Dips 12 reps
        10 reps
          8 reps
          6 reps
        12 reps
Seated Two Arm Tricep Press: 12 reps @ 30lbs

Weds July 14th: More time in the H2o and some abs

The heel felt a lot better on Weds.  I woke up pain free and stayed that way most of the day.  Also, the chest infection felt much better, some coughing in the morning but for the most part, no problems.  However, Tuesday, I was sore as hell from the lifting and swimming.  It had to take the day off because I could hardly lift my arms above my head, which is a really good sign that I need to make these changes.  I put some under worked and overlooked muscles to good use.  Wednesday morning I was looking forward to swimming that I just popped right out of bed.  The soreness was still there from the day before, but it wasn't that bad once I got in the water.

The workout:
2 Laps: Frog
25 Laps: Crawl
3 Laps : Frog

Abs:
50 Bicycles
50 Crunches
100 Cross over crunches 50 L & 50 R
25 Bird Dogs

Monday July 12: Swimming and Exercises

Still trying to rest the Achilles, which are beginning to feel better, so I  swam this morning and attended the latter part of Plycore where I did some the exercises that I thought would not hurt my heel.  When they were doing things that I couldn't I did some rehab exercises and abs.  I think that this will be my approach for the next few weeks or until my heel improves to the point that I am pain free for an extended period of time.  On a side note, I am really enjoying my swimming I think that it will really reshape my workout.  I already feel more eager for my workout than I had been recently, so if there is a bright side of this injury, it's that it has give me a good reason to change up my workout.

The Workout:

Swimming:
2 laps Frog
20 laps Crawl

Exercises:
50 Crunches
50 Crossover Crunches Left
50 Crossover Crunches Right
25 Bird dogs
heel raises 10
walking lunges: back and forth across the width of two basketball courts
heel raises 10

walking lunges: back and forth across the width of two basketball courts
heel raises 10

walking lunges: back and forth across the width of two basketball courts
Side oblique Crunch 15 each side

Sun July 11th: First Day Lifting

Wow, talk about a change of pace.  I knew that switching to weights would be a big change, but it was shocking just how strenuous it felt.  One of my co-workers gave me this workout plan that he has been doing since January, and I decided to give it a try.  I didn't really follow it correctly, but it was either way it was still a beast.  I will do it right next time.  I know that this change will be good for me because I have been doing a lot of conditioning but not as much strengthening.  I know that lifting will increase my metabolism, which will help me to burn more fat as I build more muscle. However, the danger with lifting and building muscle as you main way of losing weight is that if you don't keep up with it you weight will return quickly, which is one of the main reasons that I have avoided lifting until now.  But, I think that now is the time to make the switch because my body has gotten used to the workouts that I have been doing for the last six months, so I am no longer getting the most effective workouts.  By switching things up, I'll force my body to make adjustments and thus get a more effective workout.

Here is the workout:

Chest: Dumbbell Bench Press: 12 reps @ 20lbs, 10 reps @ 25lbs, 8 @ 30 lbs, 6 @ 35lbs.

          Cable Crossovers: 12 Reps @ 30lbs

          Dumbbell Flyes: 12 Reps @ 20lbs
Back: Pull Ups (assisted): 12 Reps @ 18A, 10 @ 16A, 8 @ 15A, 6 @ 14A (Lower #A is less help)
          Wide Grip Lat Pull downs 12 @ 110lbs
          Straight-Arm Pull downs 12 @ 20lbs
Shoulders: Seated Dumbbell Press: 12 reps @ 20lbs, 10 reps @ 25lbs, 8 @ 25 lbs, 6 @ 30lbs.
                 Reverse Flyes 12 @ 110lbs
                 Straight Arm Dumbbell Rows 12 @ 15 lbs
Biceps: Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 12 reps @ 20lbs, 10 reps @ 25lbs, 8 @ 30 lbs, 6 @ 35lbs.
            Hammer Curls: 12 Reps @ 25 lbs
            Preacher Curls: 12 @ 50 lbs
Triceps: Bench Dips 12 reps, 10, 8, 6
             Seated Triceps Presses (two arms) 12 reps @ 25 lbs
             Triceps Kickbacks: 12 @ 15 lbs

This kicked my butt.  However, I plan to do it again this week.  It was really effective, and I am still sore from the pull ups!

July 2rd to July 9th: Shutting It Down

I had hoped that it would not come to this but no real choice in the matter because when you are sick, you're sick.  I went to First Friday last week and had a nice bike ride, checkout the video here: July First Friday Bike Ride 

During the ride I felt really bad, lots of congestion and when we were riding up hills, I felt like my lungs were going to burst, and these hills we were going up were nothing. As much as I didn't want to, I realized that I was sick and getting worse.  I thought that I might be able to shake it if I rested on the 3rd and 4th.  I had already planned to take the 4th off because of the Holiday and my wife was returning that night, and I planned to spend my free time before my building's BBQ cleaning house.  I also thought that this would be a good time to give my Achilles a rest a well.  I was off on the 5th, but I wasn't planning to do much because I wanted to spend the day with my wife before we would have to go back to work on the 6th, then I off again on the 7th for my Birthday.  Anyway, I took off till the 7th, then tried to go back to the gym and rum, but I felt horrid afterwards, at long last I gave in an went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics, so I should be back in full swing on Monday.  TheAchilles' are getting better, but I need to be careful.  I am shocked by how well my mind has done during this time away from working out.  But, I realized that I had been wearing down for a while and really need to take this time to get back to full strength.  No use in fooling myself.  Just take the time and get back in the gym when I feel better.

Thursday July 1st: Plycore -- All out of sorts workout

This class was a mess for me.  It started with pain in my Achilles.  Unfortunately, my foot just wasn't getting better, so I spoke with out instructor before class about doing an alternative to stairs in the workout, and we were able to figure out some exercises that would help to strengthen my Achilles.  However, I would have some other problems later in the workout that would keep me from even getting that far.  The next problem was that I could tell that I was getting sick.  I had been trying to fight off the sniffles all week, but I wasn't working.  I had been feeling rundown for a while now, but I was trying to chalk it up to depression from my wife being out of the country and fatigue from helping my cousin move and driving a lot, but as the week progressed I could tell that my body was fighting something.  But, I still  proceeded with the workout, but I misread what we were supposed to do and ended up doing a workout that was very different form the rest of the class.  It was still a good workout, but not what I was supposed to be doing.  It was just fitting when you consider how out of sorts I was feeling.

The Workout:

Run outside .6 miles
100 Crunches
5 chin ups
lap inside 1/15 of a mile
100 Crunches

100 Squats
5 chin ups
lap inside 1/15 of a mile
100 Crunches

100 Squats
50 push ups
5 chin ups
lap inside 1/15 of a mile
100 Crunches

100 Squats
50 push ups
5 chin ups
lap inside 1/15 of a mile

I messed this up because I was only supposed to do 100 Crunches, Squats, and 50 Push ups, not 400 crunches, 300 Squats, and 100 push ups!  I misread the directions and wasn't paying attention to what the rest of the class was doing because everyone was spread out and not everyone did things in the same order.

Weds. June 30th Sprots Conditioning Class -- What I needed and didn't need

I wanted to go to this class because I needed some ab work.  Also, I thought that this would be good for my Achilles because this class doesn't require that much running or a lot of stairs.  However, I forgot that sometimes we do tons of calf raises, which really work your Achilles.  Of course, that is exactly what we did . . . tons of calf raises!!!  The abs portion was fine, as were the other exercise, but the calf raises really put too much strain on my heel.  I iced both of them right after the class and did a lot of stretching, but as the day went on my heels felt like they were on fire.  I even had to get one the ice pack out of an old first aid kit in the afternoon and put it on my heels.  On my hay home from work, I stopped and got an ankle brace, which is suppose to help with the healing process.   I put it on when I got home and ice my heels some more, and they improved a lot as the night went on, but I know that I need to change what I am doing and give time for recuperation. 

July 1st -- Advice for Others and Myself

Well six months of 2010 are down!!  I can't believe how quickly the time has passed.  Truthfully I thought that the scale would read a lot lower than it does at the moment.  Currently, I a fluctuating between 270 and 275, which is between 46 to 41 pounds lost. In January, I had hoped that I would be passed the 50 pound mark by now.  However, I am currently very happy with my progress.  And I thought that this would be a good time to share my thoughts because I know some people who are fighting this fight along with me and might benefit from me sharing a bit more than the details of my workout.  Also, I know that I need to stop and listen to myself from time to time.  Today I was reading The Fat Man's 180 Day Experiment   and Scott was talking about his injury and feeling discouraged today,and even though I am sure he didn't really need my advice I decided to offer some and as I wrote I just felt like I was talking to myself as much as I was Scott, so I decided to make this post.

 Today I am Sporting the Ankle brace. My Achilles is giving me problems, and it is getting to the point where I may need to shut things down if it doesn't improve over the next week or so. I have had so many tweaks, pulls, and strains over the last 8 months -- it is all part of the journey  Just remember that it will pass and you will be mentally stronger for having gotten past it.   Here are some of the injuries I have encountered along the way:

Strained Hip Flexor

Strained Rotator Cuff

Sprained Middle Finger

Groin Pull

Wisdom Tooth Removal

Strained Neck & Shoulder Blade

Knee and Hamstring Pulls

I am making this list for two reasons.  1) I have gotten past each one of these injuries.  You have to expect injuries when you are over weight, out of shape, and begin a lifestyle change.  The injuries are going to come, but you will move past them. They are part of the process.  In fact they are a pretty good indication that you are getting your body out of it's comfort level and it is resisting.  Of course, you should do everything you can to prevent injuries, but you must push yourself and expect injuries to occur.  2) This process is more about reshaping you mind than it is about reshaping your body.  You have turned the corner when you realize that it is not the external changes that matter but the internal changes.  I had the physical strength to do 50 pushups long before I had the mental strength to do it. 

I know that it is really hard not to focus so much on the scale, but the day to day fluctuations are maddening. Honestly, the scale is a really poor indicator of your effort.  Yes, I want to see the number on the scale get smaller, but I am much more interested in being able to run 5 miles. I won't care what weight I am at when I do that for the first time. I won't care if I am 270 or 265; I'll be happy that I was able to push myself to do it.  We are so focused on the scale that we lose sight of the fact that it is only a number. It is the effort and work that matters. One person's 260 is not the same as another person's.  What is important is how you feel about yourself, and no number is really going to feel as good as the satisfaction that you get from pushing yourself farther than you thought possible.  

It is better to trust your eyes when you look in the mirror than the numbers on the scale.  Take time to stare at yourself in the mirror.  Look at your cheekbones, you shoulder blades, stare deeply into you own eyes, it is not vanity.  It is getting reacquainted with the person that you have wanted always wanted to be.  I can always tell that I am doing good work by the weight I have lost in my face. I'll often wait a few days to shave because the weight loss is really apparent when I shave. And after I have taken notice of that, that is when I will look myself in the eyes and try to assess the more important internal changes.  At the beginning of this post, I said that I thought that scale would be reading a much lower number by now.   But, I am really much more happy with where I am than I could have imagined.  I have put in a lot of hard work and my body has changed a lot, but what makes me most happy is the mental strength and inner peace that I am discovering.  I always thought that I was dissatisfied with my physical appearance and that was why I was unhappy, but I was really dissatisfied with the internal aspects of myself that let me get to where I was physically.