I’m Back!

A lot has gone on in the months I have been gone from the bloggy blog world and I plan on sharing some of it with you.  But until I can find the time, I pose you this….

Join me in this challenge!

There is no place you need to go but an open area that allows you to jump around like an idiot and sweat like a maniac.  I have already done day 1.  I am so out of shape and I have a whole list of excuses for that but instead of using them, I’m going to get back in shape!

Day 1 time: 3 min 32 sec

That is about 7 seconds a Burpee…..Let’s see how low I can get that time.

The Little Man In My Head Needs To Put The Sledge Hammer Down

Hey all!  This is going to be a real quick post.

The past two weeks I have incurred massive headaches during my workouts.  Today I figured I would take it easy and skip my regularly scheduled program and just do some maintenance on the glory muscles.

So there I am clanging weights around and I was feeling good.  So I pressed my luck and increased the weights and intensity.  BLAM!!!!!!  The worst headache crept up my back and landed on my shoulders and in my lower neck.  Son of a +#@%1/& !!!  It doesn’t stay in one spot all the time.

Today I tried some “alternative” alleviation and rubbed some peppermint essential oil into my temples and forehead area.  It worked but it didn’t.

Anyway, I have no idea why I’m getting these things.  My diet is pretty clean, I’m super hydrated and I’m not working out hungry.

I can’t think of what is going on.  And I really need to figure this out to keep training.

Any thoughts Blogging World?

I would appreciate input if you have suggestions.

Thanks!

Viciously Mediocre

Everything I have been doing lately, of a physical nature, could be rated exactlly as that, viciously mediocre!

I can’t really remember the last post I did for you all.  It has to be at least a month ago.  Since then my wife has come home on a 2 week pass from her deployment.  It was great to see and spend time with her.  But boy did it throw me off track with any kind of training.  Pizza, ice cream and pancakes killed my diet as well.

In those two weeks I gained EVERY single pound I had lost in the first 8 months of her deployment.  Just goes to show how easily one can lose the handle on healthy living.  Not that I blame her for everything.  I made the choice to eat that crap but when I’m the only one that cooks and I have to cook for her and myself and her sister(when she visited)….who wants to cook 6-8-10 different meals in a day?  Ugh!  I have my work cut out for me when she comes back for good in a few months.

Of course I didn’t go back to my healthy ways right away either once she went back.  Again, all personal decisions made by me.

I am happy to say I have worked my ass off the past few weeks.  I have been running regularly and doing some other great workouts that were created by some of you.  So thank you all for that.  I added my own little tweeks but the core of it all was what some of you have shared.

The workouts have been great, the runs have been great but I know I could do better.  Only because I have done better in the past.  I just haven’t been feeling the “greatness” I have felt before.  I have actually felt mediocre.

I made a concious decision to start training for a duathalon again.  Last year I started to train then broke my ankle.  I’m hoping for better results this year.  I’m not sure when or where this duathalon will happen but I will train for one.  I started riding my bike again today!  It felt really good to be back on the road with the wind flying through my helmet and over my bald head.

I do have two positives that have happened recently.  First, I did my body measurements.  I lost over 1 1/2 inches from my waiste.  It doesn’t seem like much but after the jump from the happy healthy wagon I encountered, I’m super thrilled with that.

The second is that we will be moving soon.  I’d rather not say to where right now.  Only because when things seem they are about to happen well in military living, they take a huge 180 degree turn and you end up screwed.  So I don’t want to jinx it, only because this could have a huge change in career potential for me.

Oh I so need to do something mentally satisfying and challenging soon.  Although I have been moved to two different positions since being the produce man, it just doesn’t do it for me.  I have already learned everything there is to know about this job and I have only been in it for a week and a half.  I did have to receive a security clearance (low low low level) to become a receiver for the store, which is a big positive for potential moves up.  Don’t get me wrong, the job is fun and I am still very thankful to be employed.  Some of the cool stuff I can now do is: mess with inventory numbers(not that I do that!) and mark stuff down.  Hey, it’s something.  Plus I now work from 5am or 6 am till 11 or noon.  Which gives me a ton of time to go workout!

Well that is all for now y’all.

Smell ya later!

Some People Are Thrill Junkies, I’m An Exercise Endorphin Junkie

Well another fun-filled week of trying to get a little more fit has passed.  The Insanity workouts are really something!  I’m tired during and after, along with soaked by sweat.

I have never really been a cardio type person.  I was always the workout with weights guy.  I’m not really sure what made me understand that cardio will help make me a whole physically fit person but I do realize that now. I also see that body weight exercises are just as good if not better.

Again, all of a sudden things just clicked in my head.  Maybe it’s because I’m seeing results by not working out with just weights.  Or maybe it’s because I’m so close to 40 that I realize I’ll never be “Arnold-like” in physical stature.  I will no longer participate in those kill the man with the ball type sports (except maybe some lacrosse) that I would need to be that big.  Certain things might be a little more enjoyable if I was lighter such as running or cycling.  I certainly would be faster at those activities.  I can’t be much slower, that’s for sure.

Quick change in topic: Most of you know I like to give bloggyblog love to those I enjoy reading on here.  This person got me all excited about riding my bikes this year.  It was a simple (lack of a better term, cause it wasn’t simple it was awesome) post about cycling clothes.  Mountain bike clothes to be exact!  EXCITEMENT!  Yes, excitement…..some guys like to shop for athletic wear.

So before I drag this out any further I want you all to click HERE and check out a great fitness blog called JOY FITNESS AND STYLE.  Stop reading this and go click!!!!  Do it!  I’ll wait right here till you come back.

OK, you’re back now.  You liked that blog didn’t you?  I knew you would.  Joy is a pretty cool fitness gal.  I would have said fitness chick but Joy could pretty easily beat me up if she wanted, especially if the word “chick” offended her.  So I’ll stick with gal. 🙂

OK, enough about her.  It’s back to me me me time.

Hey, guess what….

I finished a full week of Insanity!  Yup, that’s right.  I’m pretty awesome.  I do have to give some props to my fitness guru though.  Here is his latest guidance:

Thanks cat!  I knew you wouldn’t let me settle for being mediocre.  Always pushing me to do better.

That’s it for me, I’m out!

Greatest Trainer Ever

I have been loving my Insanity workouts.  I now know I should have done these before trying out P90X.  I am sore as heck but I feel so alive after I’m done every day.  Today I decided to workout before going to work.   I knew it was going to be a long hard day of unloading trucks and I wouldn’t have the desire to do anything when I get home.

Today’s Insanity was pretty much insane.  If you are not familiar with the program, Shaun T has you do 3 rounds of a circuit with each round being faster/more intense but the same amount of time as the round prior.  And there are several circuits.  At the very end he threw in an additional 3 minutes of crazyness (I spell it with a “Y” because there is nothing like it) after the final 3rd round of our last circuit.

I pushed through and I made it.  I survived!  I pushed so hard I needed to close my eyes and concentrate on the moves and not what wanted to happen.  I called my trainer, cause he didn’t show – something about never waking up before 10.  This was our conversation:

I feel like his star pupil.  He certainly makes me fell like I accomplished something today.  Tomorrow is a recovery workout so I shouldn’t have to push so hard.

Insanity Update

I’m really diggin Insanity.  It’s kicking my ass but I feel so charged and accomplished afterwards.  I actually worked out twice today.  I lifted for back and shoulders in the morning, then after work I pushed out some Insanity.  I have to give a shout-out to my trainer for being such great support in my workouts.

I have to give it up to this guy.  He is always demanding more of me.  I know by the end of the 60 day period of Insanity I will be pushed to new physical heights.  And I will have no one to thank but my Grumpy Cat trainer.

I Have a Personal Trainer Now

I was feeling so tired and sore I skipped working out today.  I actually came home and fell asleep a few minutes after I sat down on the couch.

I knew something had to be done about my laziness.  I know sometimes it’s good to just rest but I napped for 3 hours!

I needed that special motivation.  So I called my buddy back up to see if he could help out.  As usual he was spot on with his words of wisdom and motivation.  He is a bit pricy but I couldn’t pass up the chance to work with him.

Here’s how the conversation went:

I can’t wait to workout tomorrow!  I have a really good feeling about him…..

You Can’t Argue With Grumpy Cat

I was getting really motivated by a lot of you Bloggybloggers out there jumping back on that fitness horse.  I figured I haven’t challenged myself with anything lately so I started brainstorming what to do.  And boom!  An idea hits me.  Let’s do Insanity workouts.  I needed some additional motivation so I gave my buddy Grumpy Cat a call (since I don’t have any of your phone numbers).  Here is what he said:

Amazing how he can motivate you.  I wanted to do another workout session right after we talked.

I have his number if any of you need a little Grumpy Cat motivation.

My Phone Is Smarter Than Your Phone

Well, let me just clarify: my phone is super intelligent.  It’s not because I have a super cool brand or the latest of the latest or some super secret prototype made by the Chinese government.  It’s because I feed it knowledge to assist me in my everyday needs.  And in turn my very well-educated phone became super intelligent, like me!  I can’t help it my phone is smarter than yours.  I really can’t, I’m sorry.  Maybe if you were a better owner and took it for walks or showed it some attention now and then it would learn something.

My phone loves me so much.  Just today it taught me some very insightful things about the food I eat.  Not just when I get it home but before I even buy it at the store.  Let me tell you a story:

So here I am slaving away at work, all of a sudden the big voice in the building calls for all cashiers to come to the front to assist with the huge line snaking around the store.  Of course I head up to help (as a good employee would).  I get “stuck” up front helping for over an hour.  Now I’m a fast cashier but these people kept coming and coming.  I swore they were just showing up because they all heard I was ringing today.

Anyway, I had this one customer that brought his daughter with him to shop.  She was being such a great help to him as his fat ass watched her unload the grocery cart.  It took forever!!!!!  She took at least a minute to place each item on the belt.  As she placed each item on the belt she would say a letter.  I was a bit confused but I was also preoccupied because I just wanted to not stand there in my most uncomfortable steel toed boots.  There goes another box and she says “B-“.  I was trying to think of a way to ask the dad what she was doing and not sound like I was peeved at her taking so long.

Finally after the millionth item I was done with them.  The girl came over to stand next to dad.  I looked down at her and asked “what was with all the alphabet stuff?”  She held up a smart phone and proceeded to tell me about this app she was using…..

Ohhhhh, an app!

“OK, now we are talkin.  What app were you using” I asked.

She mumbled something then just showed me her phone.

The app she was using is called Fooducate.  Now, just so you know I don’t get anything from anyone if I tout this awesome app. This is just me giving an opinion.  I don’t want to go on and on about what all this app can do.  You can see for yourself at their site HERE.

I spent most of the night after work grading my pantry by scanning all the stuff in there.  Then I attacked the refrigerator.  I had some interesting finds.  Some things were the total opposite that I thought.  But over all I believe my fridge and pantry averaged a “B+” to an “A-“.  I had a few items that dragged my grade down but who doesn’t?

So my bolgyblog friends, if you want to educate your phone as well as yourself, I suggest you check this cool app out and possibly add it to your healthy living toolbox.

Oh, almost forgot…..best part about this app…..IT’S FREE!!!!

Happy scanning my friends.

Things You Learn During Physical Therapy

As most of you know I am back in physical therapy.  This time it’s for my neck.  I’m really trying to avoid surgery on my herniated discs. Surgery is just a scary thing to think about.  I have a buddy that had a fusion of his C6 and C7 and it wasn’t as successful as originally thought.  He just recently went in for his second surgery to have the sides of his C7 cut out to free up the nerves as well as have the front of his C6 and C7 fused.

I don’t want that!!!!!!!!

I really hope therapy works but the pain is still there.  I know, I know, things take time to heal and I have only been at this for about 1 1/2 months now.  During my time at this clinic I have learned some great moves for strengthening my neck muscles and some really great stretches.

But that is not what I’m here to write about….

I want to share the things that you learn from talking with people during physical therapy.

First topic on the plate is Hollywood.

THEY LIED TO US!!!!!!

How do I know this?  My therapist told me so.  Not in those words but through my summation of what he told me about the human body.

I’m gonna call out only a few actors here because of their physical stature(they are small peps): Jean Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris and Matt Damon.  But pretty much all of our favorite action heroes are fake!  Really!  No lie.  They all did a “move” that can be done but it is actually a low probability move that only a superhuman could accomplish…..the broken neck twist.  Regardless of the character they played and the supposed training that character had it is still pretty impossible to break someone’s neck by doing the neck twist.

Don’t believe me?  Ask a chiropractor.  Those dudes would all be in jail if it was that easy to break a neck.

The second topic on the plate is Alternative Exercises and Moves.

It doesn’t look it but it does feel good to have a TENS unit hooked up to my neck with a very large and hot pack on.

During one of my electric stimulation sessions the proprietor of the therapy clinic came up to me after he overheard my discussion about liking alternative ways to exercise and trying new moves.  He pulls out his smart phone (his is only smart – mine is intelligent) and proceeds to show me this….

It is called the SledgeBell.  This thing looks awesome.  Here is the LINK if you want to check it out yourself.  I’m still waiting on my permission from the “Ball and Chain” to get one for myself.  But it looks pretty awesome.  I may have to click the purchase button and just ask for forgiveness later.  The weather looks like it wants to change for the better and this is just another reason to go outside.

Well that is it for now.  I leave you with this to think about……….Are you as dedicated to your workouts like this pup is to playing fetch?