I'm not perfect

Sometimes I get discouraged. Because my body is not perfect or chiseled. And I still have some work to do.But then I realize how far I've come. And I look at pictures of the "old me" and I realize it's not about perfection, it's about progression. 

My friend, the Swiss ball

I am able to do a total body workout with just these few things: A Swiss ball or also known as a stability ball, a few dumbbells and a step up plank. 

Tip:Swiss ball

Make sure to use correct size of Swiss ball for height. I've included a chart below. If the ball is too small, it won't support your weight and could cause injury. If the ball is too big then you won't be able to stabilize the bridge between body and ball. The bridge is a basic starting form where your legs are in a 90 degree angle causing a bridge between body and ball.

The swiss ball is a great way to provide an unstable exercise in a controlled environment, which helps to burn more calories,due to your body constantly shifting to adjust.

Cardio Insanity

Thanksgiving Blessings

First and foremost, I am thankful for my family. They are at the very core of my success and happiness.Without their unconditional love and support, I would not be where I am today. My mom has always been my biggest supporter. She has always been there to talk to and bounce ideas off. She is my best friend and a wonderful mother. She's instilled excellent work ethic in me. My sister Angie, or as I call her "soul sister" is my biggest cheerleader. She has also been a second mom growing up. Whos incredible loving and nurturing ability is eclisped by no other. And she's always been there for me when I needed her most.

My sister Cindy has always been a great source for guidence. My dad, has always been generous and kind, he would give his last dollar away if you needed it. He taught me the value of generosity towards others.

I am thankful for my niece and nephews. My niece Danielle, who is basically a girl version of me. We both love horror movies and have the same taste in music. She is my buddy. And she's a beautiful intelligent and lively girl. I am thankful to have my nephew Nathan back in our lives. It is a blessing beyond measure.
  
I am thankful for my health.  Body, mind and spirit.  I feel invigorated.I am thankful for my friends, who have had a large part in making me smile and laugh. I am surrounded by positive energy.

I am thankful to my precious cat, Toby. He has brought me many days of joy.

I have a lot to be thankful for. And no amount of money could create these bonds that I cherish so much.  ♥

Next level

I've taken my workout to the next level. Because of the strength I've built up the last several months, my body is capable of more. 3 days Cardio, 2 days Resistance training. I feel great and I am enjoying learning new exercises from my NASM National Academy of Sports Medicine textbook.

Anything but conventional

I don't let conventional standards or labels define who I am. I am anything but conventional.

Vertical loading

Yesterday I tackled a vertical loading training system with a circuit style. Vertical loading is a training system that works out the entire body. The way it works is that you work out each body part and go vertically down the list then repeating. I.e. Total Body, Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, legs. Then repeat.

I incorporated this workout with a circuit which is doing each exercise back to back with minimal rest. The advantage of vertical loading is that by going down the list you are allowing each body part to rest while also staying motive. The circuit style helps boost metabolism and burn more calories.  Allowing adequate rest for each body part avoids exhaustion or undue stress. And also helps add strength to each set.

I did 4 circuits with 8 reps each exercise. This was my workout:

Step Up balance,curl, to overhead press (Total Body, 8 reps)
Ball dumbell chest press (Chest, 8 reps)
Ball dumbell row (Back, 8 reps)
Single leg dumbell scaption (shoulders, 8 reps)
Single leg dumbell curl (biceps, 8 reps)
Supine ball dumbell tricep extension (Triceps, 8 reps)
Step up to Balance (legs, 8 reps)

Quote of the week

"What does not destroy me, makes me strong."-- Friedrich Nietzsche

Chapter 13--Resistance Training Concepts

This week--

We are learning about Resistance Training Concepts. I am excited because today I am going to test out some new exercises that I've learned from this chapter. I am planning to do a Split-set (breaking up the body into parts to be trained on different days) circuit (doing a set of exercises back to back with mimimal rest between sets) style workout. Today I will focus on Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. Legs on Thursday and Back, biceps on Saturday.

Here is an example of my workout:

Stabilization First

I had someone come up to me at the gym today. He said he wanted me to show him what I was doing. I was doing my Men'sHealth Phase 2 circuit workout. He said he started working out and wanted to do some weight training.  He asked if he could see what I was doing. I wanted to help him but I also told him he needed to start at a basic level to avoid injury. The first level of the OPT, Optimal Performance 

Training model is Stabilization/Stabilization Endurance. It is the foundation of a successful workout regime.

I've just started studying for NASM's CPT and I didn't want to mislead him. It did feel good to be asked and I can't wait until I have clients of my own to train and help them achieve their fitness goals.

The Change

There was a point in my life. Not too far in the distant past. Where I couldn't conceive waking up before noon on a Sunday morning.I would sleep most of the day.I was having trouble breathing at night. I was obsese and depressed. I wallowed in my self pity for far too long. I made a decision to change.

Today I woke up at 8am and hit the gym early. I am a much different person then I was 8 months ago. I've lost almost 60 pounds and I am much healthier. My blood pressure is pretty close to normal, 129 over 73 (120 over 70 is normal). I say this not because I'm preaching but rather serving as an example of what is possible. Chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are preventable, with consistent exercise and healthier eating.

When you put your mind to it, you'll be amazed at what the body can achieve. 

But it takes the first step. It doesn't have to be a giant step. It simply has to be a decision to change. 

Revelations post workout

The awesome thing about studying for my NASM CPT exam is that I can study/workout at the gym. Two birds, one stone. Brilliant!

GAGA Cardio Session

This cardio sessions musical entertainment brought to you by Lady Gaga's ArtPop!

Note taking made easy

I've had the Galaxy Note 8.0 for about 5 months now. And it's fantastic for web browsing, games and even blogging. But I wasn't able to put this powerful device to the test until now.

 

It has made note taking fun and painless. My app of choice,  S Note which is a Samsung app that works brilliantly. It's easy and quick to jot down notes. And the SNote syncs with my Samsung Note 2. The dual screens come in handy for multi-tasking. Example, you can have your web browser on the left side and your S Note on the right. It's a perfect companion for studying.

OPT Model

OPT or Optimum Performance Training model is the foundation of NASM's Personal Training program.

There are 3 main categories broken up into 5 sub categories.

STABILZATION      Phase1 Stabilization Endurance
STRENGTH                      Phase 2 Strength Endurance
                                                     Phase 3 Hypotrophy
                                                           Phase 4 Maximal Strength
POWER                                                 Phase 5 Power

The first is the most important. In order to progress successfully you must first be able to master stabilization.  

This is part of what I've learned so far. And writing it down is helping the information sink in.  There are a lot of terms that I will just have to take one at a time. I am determined and focused on success.

BMI Body Mass Index--breaking down the numbers

I'm not perfect. Nobody is. I'm always looking to improve myself. One the areas that I want to work on, towards my path of overall health fitness, is my BMI or Body Mass Index. Currently, my BMI is 27.1.

NASM has an easy calculation to figure out your BMI:

BMI= 703 x weight (lb) divided by height (in) squared 

Example:BMI= 703 x 178 divided by 4,624 = 27.1 

Obese-- BMI over 30 or 30 Ibs over recommended weight

Overweight-- BMI between 25-29.9

Acceptable-- BMI of 18.5-24.9

I am considered overweight. My goal is to get within the acceptable BMI range 18.5-24.9. 

My NASM package arrived

My NASM National Academy of Sports Medicine package arrived today. It took less then a week but seemed like forever. The anticipation was killing me. It came in a neat mini locker box which contained my NASM backpack and my textbook, NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training.

I am super excited to get started. My class starts on Monday but I will be reading Chapters 1 & 13--The Scientific Rationale for Integrated Training and Resistance Training Concepts (before class starts). Wish me luck! :)

My visit to the dentist

I had a deep cleaning and a few teeth extracted. So I have to take it easy for a few days. And eat soft foods.

I want to be overall healthy and healthy teeth are an important part of my goal. I learned that my blood pressure is relatively normal,129 over 73.

 

3 hours in the dentist's chair was no field trip. And it is important for me to maintain proper care to avoid further complications. Because it can be prevented with daily flossing and proper brushing techniques. 

I am looking forward to returning to the gym in a few days.

My pre-workout shake

My pre workout snack is a protein shake by Body Fortress. It's easy to make and tastes great. Just add 1 full scoop of powder to 8 oz of water. The chocolate flavor is my favorite.  It also helps keep me energized for my workouts.  You can purchase it at Wal-Mart for about $15.

Workout notes

With strength training, comes an increase in strength and endurance in cardio.

A combination of strength training and cardio are key to optimum performance. I like to do a combination of walking and running(3-7.5 mph) with an incline from 3-5. 

I've noticed my running being much less stressful.I can feel the strength in my body carry me through. And I'm not huffing and puffing afterwards ( like I was months ago).  It's exhilarating!

325 ccalories burned

2.72 miles with speeds ranging from 3-7.5 m.p.h

Quote of the week

I want to introduce a new fearure Quote of the week. Each week I will do my best to provide a quote of the week. A quote that truly captures the quintessential qualities of motivation and self empowerment.

This week I got my inspiration from Breaking Benjamin's "I Will Not Bow". "I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away."

This song really pushed me through a difficult set. The lyrics matched the mood I was in. Determined. And unbreakable. 

My study space is ready!

I finally got around to cleaning my closet. And have the perfect space to do my studying for the NASM  National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Training Certification.  My e-class starts on Monday. I am ready to learn!

My swim day

I've been swimming for most of my life. From a time as far as I can remember. I was a kid of probably about 7 or 8. I'm 30 now, so that's about 20 years or so. My dad said he was going to teach us how to swim. And then he dunked us in the lake (with our life jackets of course).And I remember floating. That's the first time I was introduced to the water. Our dad taught us how to swim. And I've been swimming ever since. I feel so at comfortable in the water.

Today was off day. And it being a beautiful Texas day, deep blue skies and cool breeze, I decided that it was a perfect day for such an activity. I did about 45 minutes of laps and jogging in the water. I've also read that swimming is a great recovery technique.  It sure felt great and then afterwards I relaxed in the hot tub. A perfect ending to a great swim day!

Phase 2 notes

I've jotted down some notes as I was going through my routine yesterday. 

On Wednesday I used 25 lb. dumbells and on Sunday I used 20 lb. dumbells. I noticed more stability with the 20 lb. dumbells but also noticed that the weight was too light on the dumbell swing and rows.

For the Half Turkish Getup-- I've found that the 20 lb. dumbells provided more stability and less strain. It's best to start the excercise slow and steady while your body and mind are learning the excercise. Make sure to focus on keeping your lifted leg up and your other leg down and steady as possible. Keep your eyes on the dumbell.

Recovery

It is important to have a day of recovery between workouts.Taking time off between rigorous workouts is crucial for muscle and tissue repair. It also aids in faster muscle growth. Check out the link below for more tips on recovery techniques.  

Source:http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/After-Exercise.htm

Jump Rope Mishap

I go so hard at the gym that I broke my jump rope. Actually it may be unlikely that my physical strength broke it but rather the durability of the rope. Not to say that I haven't noticed an increase in strength but I am no Incredible Hulk. A lesson learned. I had a Gold's Gym licensed beaded jump rope. It lasted about 6 weeks. Not too bad. And it was only about $5 at Wal-Mart. So it wasn't a big loss.

After today's workout  I went to Wal-Mart to get another one. I stayed with the Gold's Gym brand but instead purchased a Speed Jump Rope. This jump rope seems new and improved and is advertised to Build & Tone.Let's see how long this one will last.

My Latest Obsession with Nuts

I am obsessed with Planters Nut○rition Men'sHealth Recommended mix. They are a delicious and healthy snack. They are easy to eat if you're on the go or busy at the office. It also keeps your hunger at bay.

Nutritional Value--7 Grams of Protein, 7 vitamins and minerals and are also a good source of fiber. 

Rock'n Playlist

I've often discovered that when I'm getting worn out over the duration of my workouts, that really good music pushes me through. I particularly like listening to rock. The bass lines and crunchy guitar riffs get me pumped up! This is one of my current playlists. It consists of Staind, Breaking Benjamin, Korn, Linkin Park, Mudvayne, Seether and Taproot.

What music gets you pumped up?

Energy

This past week I have noticed a significant amount of energy. I would have to partly contribute that to the Daylight Savings time change. Since we gain an hour, the sun is up earlier.  When I sense the sun, I wake up suddenly. Thinking that I've missed my alarm.

Of course once I realize that I am up an 1 hr and 30 minutes before work, I want to go back to sleep. 

This morning I woke up early and watched Friday's episode of NBC's Dracula featuring the astonishing Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the title character.  But I digress.The other reason that may contribute to my ante of energy is my current workout. It's tough and intense but it leaves me feeling great!

National Academy of Sports Medicine

I'd been doing a lot of thinking lately. Pondering about where my life is heading. Looking for a fulfilling career field that would I would be passionate about. And since physical training has become such a large part of my life I thought that getting my NASM Personal Training Certification felt like a natural step. I love helping people and also think that having a gym as my office would be exciting.  

I made the call today. Jessica Fluss is my educational consultant.  And I couldn't be happier. She made me feel at ease. She was very helpful and pleasant. She had excellent customer service.  NASM is one of the top accreditation agencies for a PT Certification. And If I aim to be the best, I know that NASM's program will be an integral factor in that endeavor.

There are chances in our lives where we make great decisions, choices that have the possibilty to impact our lives forever. I feel it in my gut, this is one of those decisions. 

I start class on Monday, so no more easy days off. I need to study hard when I am not working or working out. I want to absorb all the information as best as I can. So that I will be ready for the NASM PT Certification exam next year.  I am ready for the challenge!

Strong and Lean in 90 Days Phase 2

Phase 2 of the Men's Health challenge is titled Sizzle and Chisel. And boy does it make your body work. This program is designed to progressively challenge the body. Each phase is 4 weeks to avoid a plateau. In this phase each exercise is performed 30 seconds with 30 seconds of rest between sets.

Workout A
When I first started I was not a fan of push ups. I'm still not. But I have gained the strength to be able to perform such exercises. The spider man push up is brutal. Make sure you have your arms a little wider then shoulder width. I made the mistake of having my arms too close in and it made the push ups uncomfortable.  Another notable challenge in this workout is the Half Turkish Getup. It took me a little adjusting to get it right. Keep your eye on the dumbbell and move slowly at first. Do your best to keep your legs stabilized.

Workout B
Today I did Workout B.  The Split jumps! Oh my. This one you have to be very careful. Because the potential to injure yourself is great. Don't worry about how high you jump. Just focus on landing softly on your alternate foot after the jump. When I started this one I was scared. I was all wobbly and unsure. But now I am able to perform this exercise with more confidence and stability. The combination of exercises in this one are brutal. I am up to 4 sets and hopefully will be able to do 6 sets by next week (my week 3 of Phase 2). 

I started with 20 lb. dumbbells and have moved up to 25 lb. dumbbells. 

I am noticing more strength with each workout and look forward to Workout A on Sunday.

My Latest Obsession with Soup

It's that time of the year again. When the weather is nice and cool. And the holidays are right around the corner. It's also the time of year I crave soup so badly. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. I love them all; Tortilla Soup, Caldo De Pollo, Vegetable Beef Soup and Menudo. What is your favorite soup?

Strong and Lean in 90 days Phase 1

Phase 1: Furious Fat Loss

When I decided to take the Men's Health Strong and Lean in 90 days challenge, I really had no clue what I was getting myself into. I was excited. I was scared. And very nervous. As I looked through the diagrams. I felt a sense of anxiety. Panic. Could I actually do this?

The very moment I committed to the plan, I had unkownly made the best decision I had made since joining Gold's Gym. I started miming the exercises. Studying the diagrams with deep intent. The basic premise: there are 2 workouts which alternate with a day of rest inbetween,Workout A and Workout B.

 

There are a set of six exercises meant to be done back to back with 40 seconds of rest between sets, 4 to 6 times.  The one exercise I just simply could not physically perform were the chin ups, so I skipped them. I didn't leave those out because I was giving up but because my upper body strength was not strong enough to support my weight. So I skipped the chin ups to avoid injury. 

 

Week 1 & 2 were intense to say the least. I finished each workout in a heap of sweat. At first I could barely push through and I found myself running out of energy towards the end of my 4th set. But I remained focused on my form and pushed through. The burpees and explosive pushup were the most challenging in Workout A.

 

Workout B was progressively more difficult. The single leg deadlift was one of the most challenging. It took an extreme amount of effort to stay balanced on one leg while performing the deadlift with the other leg.

 

Week 3 &4-- I noticed my form improving with each workout. My strength and mobility were much improved. I was also able to do 6 sets of each workout. I also noticed being able to do more reps within the given amount of time. I had conquered Phase 1 and I felt invigorated. There is no greater feeling then putting your mind to a specific goal and then achieving that goal. Never give up. Even when you think you can't go on. Because your body is an amazing tool, and if your mind is in the right place, you can achieve amazing results.

My Fitness Journey

My name is Robert and I started this blog to chronicle my journey into the fitness world. I am 30 years old and work for a local performing arts theater. I'm an average joe. I'm not a bodybuilder or a supermodel. I'm just a normal person looking to better my life. In the last 7 months, I have transformed my body through rigorous exercise and eating better.

           

I love going to the gym and I feel like I've come into my own. But I am not even going to lie, the most difficult part is dieting. That is definitely an important aspect I would like to master. I've had a few personal training sessions and my trainer said that it is 80% diet and 30% Exercise. I am not perfect. I slip up like everyone else but I don't let those slip ups drag me down. That is key. If you slip up, don't let the guilt consume you to the point of exhaustion. Just brush it off and get back on track. One bad meal is not going to ruin your progress. 

          

My background also includes an intense semester of Weight Training at Northwest Vista College. In this blog I will chronicle my daily workouts and provide insight based on my experience.        

 

This is me when I started going to the gym. 4/3/2013

Starting Weight: 235lb.

This is the most recent picture of my progress 10/30/2013

Current Weight: 175 lb.