What the fuck? Weird shit has been happening. I didn't work out this entire week, the whole damn week! I ate whatever I wanted, drank beer, soda, partied, hung out with my friends. The whole week. Somehow, I lose 5 pounds in 6 days, doing absolutely nothing productive. From 194 to 189. I'm totally confused. This is exciting in some ways, but I really have to get back exercising.
Rode my bike for an hour today.
Walked DRAHNER ROAD! THE WHOLE THING. Woot.
Diet:
Water
Vitamin
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
July 5, 2008
June 30, 2008
Week 5-2
Man, I've been pretty bad. I haven't worked out in three days, and I haven't been watching my eating too much. On top of that, I should have been doing intervals today, but I woke up so late and felt like a zombie.
I will do intervals tomorrow I suppose, but today I rode my bike for 50 minutes. I will also do DDR for an hour, later on today. Despite me not doing much the last three days, I lost 1 pound. So I guess progress is made regardless. Alright. Peace out blog, hopefully tomorrow will be a more eventful day.
Diet:
Water
Vitamin
I will do intervals tomorrow I suppose, but today I rode my bike for 50 minutes. I will also do DDR for an hour, later on today. Despite me not doing much the last three days, I lost 1 pound. So I guess progress is made regardless. Alright. Peace out blog, hopefully tomorrow will be a more eventful day.
Diet:
Water
Vitamin
June 26, 2008
Rebuild 4-5
Yeah, so I didn't wake up until almost 8:30 today. I felt like a zombie. So by that time it was already pretty hot outside, so I said forget that mile run. Don't think I'll do it tomorrow, as that's intervals tomorrow, but maybe Saturday, or possibly Sunday. First day of the new work month! Woo. But yeah.
Applied a fair amount of sunscreen and let that settle in, then I rode my bike for about 50 minutes. It definitley felt like over an hour, at least based on the distance I went, and it being an hour the last time I went down that way. I even took some detours through uncharted Hazel Park territory, but still. 50 Minutes. Bah.
Did over an hour of DDR. Burnt 521 calories, YEAH. Going to Gameworks today with some friends, going to be boring. But whatever, social interaction is all the rage these days.
So overall it was a cinch, and I discovered some trasure! THIS IS THE WAY!
Diet:
Water
Vitamin
Applied a fair amount of sunscreen and let that settle in, then I rode my bike for about 50 minutes. It definitley felt like over an hour, at least based on the distance I went, and it being an hour the last time I went down that way. I even took some detours through uncharted Hazel Park territory, but still. 50 Minutes. Bah.
Did over an hour of DDR. Burnt 521 calories, YEAH. Going to Gameworks today with some friends, going to be boring. But whatever, social interaction is all the rage these days.
So overall it was a cinch, and I discovered some trasure! THIS IS THE WAY!
Diet:
Water
Vitamin
June 24, 2008
Rebuild 4-3
Rode bike for an hour today. DDR for two hours. Word.
Diet:
Yoplait Yogurt - 100 calories
Bowl of Cereal w/ fat free milk - 190 calories
2 servings: Cheez-its - 600 calories
PB&J w/ whole wheat - 350 calories
8 oz. fat free milk - 90 calories
Water - 0 calories
22 oz. Arizona Green Tea - 210 calories
8 oz. V8 Fusion - 120 calories
Vitamin
Total - 1660 calories
Diet:
Yoplait Yogurt - 100 calories
Bowl of Cereal w/ fat free milk - 190 calories
2 servings: Cheez-its - 600 calories
PB&J w/ whole wheat - 350 calories
8 oz. fat free milk - 90 calories
Water - 0 calories
22 oz. Arizona Green Tea - 210 calories
8 oz. V8 Fusion - 120 calories
Vitamin
Total - 1660 calories
June 22, 2008
Rebuild 4-1
So my tower of endless determination and positivity could have quite possibly toppled over today. Rick spent the night and all that, and I weigh myself in the morning, only to realize that I still weigh 195 lbs. I know weight isn't necessarily an accurate representation of how much fat I'm burning -- as I'm more than likely gaining muscle every day -- but it's still a bit depressing. I'm just going to keep pushing on however, as best I can. PUSH IT TO THE MAX, like Brucie.
So I woke up at 6:30 this morning, and didn't feel like going out and exercising, to spare my friend from confusion, as he would undoubtedly wake up and wonder where I had gone to. BUT, that doesn't mean I neglected my training for today. NO WAY, never again will I skip a day of cardio - I know the consequences.
Around 11:30 Rick had left for his Mother's baby shower, and that meant that it was on. I geared up and hopped on that bike, and I rode like the wind. Took about 80-85 minutes this time, not necessarily taking my time but just going with the flow, pushing myself a fair bit along the way. Rode to a couple familiar places, picked up a green tea on the way back, from 7 Eleven (since I don't believe in paying $1.25 for a bottle of water). It was definitely an invigorating experience, riding at high noon. It was a bit hot, but not unbearably so, and the combination of the summer breeze and the rays of the sun, was definitely refreshing. I might opt to do cardio around this time more often, on the non-interval days.
So I got home and then just felt like riding my bike some more, so I rode up to my Grandma's, and basically just chatted it up with her for a while, and she gave me some money, which was very nice of her. I said I'd cut the grass for her if she ever needed it, etc. So then I ride to 7 Eleven again and get a Gatorade, and I'm on my way back home. Overall, a great day for cardio. That bank card should get here soon enough, and I should be able to purchase DDR, for even more cardio throughout the day. I know it seems ridiculous but I really want to shed off the pounds, pounds of fat anyway. A little muscle is obviously welcome. So I imagine I'm going to be bumping up cardio to two hours in one day, once I get that in the hizzy. Hour on bike/interval, hour on the ddr. Pumped.
I'm definitely watching the portions that I eat from now on, no two sandwiches at a time, only one. Things like that. I know I'm strong enough to do this, and the fact that not really anyone believes me really just drives me to prove them wrong. It might take more than six months, I might be talking about this come next June, but I'm getting genetically superior, whether you like it or not world.
P.S. This will be the last week where I blog about my experience every day. I will instead be referring to an Excel sheet for the specifics. I will still post every week and recap my experiences, and my progress. I know not really anyone reads this, but I need online documentation to further drive myself. Think of how pumped I'll be when I'm reading this a year from now - like, yeah past mike, GO FOR IT. Since I'm paranoid about my weight I won't be doing any bodyweight training today. I know I'm lame. It'll give my arms time to rest anyway. Talk to you G's tomorrow!
Diet for Today
----------------
Big Breakfest (Eggs, Hashbrown, Bacon)
Footlong Sub
Green Tea
Gatorade
Water
Vitamin
So I woke up at 6:30 this morning, and didn't feel like going out and exercising, to spare my friend from confusion, as he would undoubtedly wake up and wonder where I had gone to. BUT, that doesn't mean I neglected my training for today. NO WAY, never again will I skip a day of cardio - I know the consequences.
Around 11:30 Rick had left for his Mother's baby shower, and that meant that it was on. I geared up and hopped on that bike, and I rode like the wind. Took about 80-85 minutes this time, not necessarily taking my time but just going with the flow, pushing myself a fair bit along the way. Rode to a couple familiar places, picked up a green tea on the way back, from 7 Eleven (since I don't believe in paying $1.25 for a bottle of water). It was definitely an invigorating experience, riding at high noon. It was a bit hot, but not unbearably so, and the combination of the summer breeze and the rays of the sun, was definitely refreshing. I might opt to do cardio around this time more often, on the non-interval days.
So I got home and then just felt like riding my bike some more, so I rode up to my Grandma's, and basically just chatted it up with her for a while, and she gave me some money, which was very nice of her. I said I'd cut the grass for her if she ever needed it, etc. So then I ride to 7 Eleven again and get a Gatorade, and I'm on my way back home. Overall, a great day for cardio. That bank card should get here soon enough, and I should be able to purchase DDR, for even more cardio throughout the day. I know it seems ridiculous but I really want to shed off the pounds, pounds of fat anyway. A little muscle is obviously welcome. So I imagine I'm going to be bumping up cardio to two hours in one day, once I get that in the hizzy. Hour on bike/interval, hour on the ddr. Pumped.
I'm definitely watching the portions that I eat from now on, no two sandwiches at a time, only one. Things like that. I know I'm strong enough to do this, and the fact that not really anyone believes me really just drives me to prove them wrong. It might take more than six months, I might be talking about this come next June, but I'm getting genetically superior, whether you like it or not world.
P.S. This will be the last week where I blog about my experience every day. I will instead be referring to an Excel sheet for the specifics. I will still post every week and recap my experiences, and my progress. I know not really anyone reads this, but I need online documentation to further drive myself. Think of how pumped I'll be when I'm reading this a year from now - like, yeah past mike, GO FOR IT. Since I'm paranoid about my weight I won't be doing any bodyweight training today. I know I'm lame. It'll give my arms time to rest anyway. Talk to you G's tomorrow!
Diet for Today
----------------
Big Breakfest (Eggs, Hashbrown, Bacon)
Footlong Sub
Green Tea
Gatorade
Water
Vitamin
June 21, 2008
Feel Good 3-7
Last day of the week. YEAH. One more week to make it a month of work. I'm pumped.
So I rode the bike for 60 minutes today, Rode up to Target on 11 Mile & Dequindre and then turned back. Was good, listened to the Giant Bombcast Metal Gear Spoiler Edition while riding.
Washing clothes, and probably hanging out today. That's it! Rest of the day is a easy day. Talk to you NEXT WEEK.
Diet for Today
---------------
3x PB&J
Cookie
Some Soup
Water
Vitamin
So I rode the bike for 60 minutes today, Rode up to Target on 11 Mile & Dequindre and then turned back. Was good, listened to the Giant Bombcast Metal Gear Spoiler Edition while riding.
Washing clothes, and probably hanging out today. That's it! Rest of the day is a easy day. Talk to you NEXT WEEK.
Diet for Today
---------------
3x PB&J
Cookie
Some Soup
Water
Vitamin
June 18, 2008
Feel Good 3-4
Alright! So I took a day off from the intervals, as I got my new stuff the other day.
I rode my bike for about an hour, my NEW bike...and it rides pretty darn good. A fair bit lighter than my old mongoose, despite having pegs on it (which I could do without, it's not like I use them). Rode in some random direction and ended up hitting 11 Mile anyways, then went past Mound Road and somehow ended up on Sherwood. Didn't know what direction I was traveling in, but luckily I eventually hit 9 Mile, I could have been going the wrong way, for how much I knew about my current location. It was definitley refreshing to ride the bike, took me a couple minutes to get back in the swing of things though, it was harder initially than I remember. Tomorrow I might use my in-line skates, or if I do interval training before, I'll just ride the bike again afterwards.
So I opened up a checking account the other day, when I went to cash this check. I had to put a minimum of $50 in the account, so that's exactly what I did. I can't purchase DDR at the moment because of this, because I don't get the checking card for 7-10 days in the mail. Once I get that, I'll combine the $50 in my wallet with whatever else I need from the account, to buy it. Might buy a used older version, like the first Supernova, and buy the pad seperately. Just need something with the workout mode. That'll be a totally new spin on cardio, I'm personally excited. My ex has both the DDR pads and the game in Texas, and the funny thing is, I DOUBT she even plays it. Man, makes me mad. That's a wasted investment. I probably shouldn't have left her half of my damn games, because the only game she cares about is World of Warcraft.
But yeah, after the cardio, I did the exercising. 120 pushups for today, 60-40-20 fashion. I broke 50 in one set! YEAH. The last 20 were elevated pushups, which felt pretty good. Crunches I did 300-200. That was pretty intense as well. Then I did week 1 of Air Alert III, the leg training program. I'm spent. Thinking about doing upper body stuff every day, just the pushups at least...I seem to be getting noticably stronger.
That's about all for now, hopefully I won't take a huge nap today, but we'll see how things go. Off to take a shower. Later.
Diet for Today
---------------
Muscle Milk
Powerade
x2 PB&J
Chicken Sandwich
Cookie
Milk
Cheezits
Burrito
Water
Vitamin
I rode my bike for about an hour, my NEW bike...and it rides pretty darn good. A fair bit lighter than my old mongoose, despite having pegs on it (which I could do without, it's not like I use them). Rode in some random direction and ended up hitting 11 Mile anyways, then went past Mound Road and somehow ended up on Sherwood. Didn't know what direction I was traveling in, but luckily I eventually hit 9 Mile, I could have been going the wrong way, for how much I knew about my current location. It was definitley refreshing to ride the bike, took me a couple minutes to get back in the swing of things though, it was harder initially than I remember. Tomorrow I might use my in-line skates, or if I do interval training before, I'll just ride the bike again afterwards.
So I opened up a checking account the other day, when I went to cash this check. I had to put a minimum of $50 in the account, so that's exactly what I did. I can't purchase DDR at the moment because of this, because I don't get the checking card for 7-10 days in the mail. Once I get that, I'll combine the $50 in my wallet with whatever else I need from the account, to buy it. Might buy a used older version, like the first Supernova, and buy the pad seperately. Just need something with the workout mode. That'll be a totally new spin on cardio, I'm personally excited. My ex has both the DDR pads and the game in Texas, and the funny thing is, I DOUBT she even plays it. Man, makes me mad. That's a wasted investment. I probably shouldn't have left her half of my damn games, because the only game she cares about is World of Warcraft.
But yeah, after the cardio, I did the exercising. 120 pushups for today, 60-40-20 fashion. I broke 50 in one set! YEAH. The last 20 were elevated pushups, which felt pretty good. Crunches I did 300-200. That was pretty intense as well. Then I did week 1 of Air Alert III, the leg training program. I'm spent. Thinking about doing upper body stuff every day, just the pushups at least...I seem to be getting noticably stronger.
That's about all for now, hopefully I won't take a huge nap today, but we'll see how things go. Off to take a shower. Later.
Diet for Today
---------------
Muscle Milk
Powerade
x2 PB&J
Chicken Sandwich
Cookie
Milk
Cheezits
Burrito
Water
Vitamin
June 17, 2008
Feel Good 3-3
So I woke up about 5:30 this morning, and got ready to go run a bit. I did more interval training, this time increasing the running to 2 minutes, while keeping the rests at 1 1/2 minutes. Did four of those, then did one run for 3 minute, and walked back to my house. I've been running just around my block, but I've been thinking about running in one direction, and then just walking my way back. This would burn more time, if I spent 30 minutes interval training, going north, it would probably take me 45 to walk back. This would make it like a full cardio workout, plus interval training. I'm thinking...
I will continue to up the ante with each day I interval train, be it increasing reps, extending running time, or shortening resting time. When I run in one direction, I may not look at time at all, and instead run for as LONG as I can, and then rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then continue to do that until I'm completely burnt out.
Whereever I decide to go with this, it's irrelevant at the moment. I have to cash this check I got today, and go to the Dick's Sporting Goods and pick up some in-line skates, and probably a bike. I've been looking at this sweet mongoose on their website for about $130, and these K2 skates for $80 or so.
Did 70 pushups today, 50 were elevated. I would thrust away as hard as possible, so my hands would leave the surface, then land back down. Elevated pushups are a different kind of burn, not as hard to begin with, but I couldn't see myself doing 100 of them. The joints in my legs are pretty sore, I'm not used to the impact running brings me. That's all for all. Out.
Diet for Today
---------------
Footlong Sub (Subway)
Water
Vitamin Water
Orange Drink
Vitamin
I will continue to up the ante with each day I interval train, be it increasing reps, extending running time, or shortening resting time. When I run in one direction, I may not look at time at all, and instead run for as LONG as I can, and then rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then continue to do that until I'm completely burnt out.
Whereever I decide to go with this, it's irrelevant at the moment. I have to cash this check I got today, and go to the Dick's Sporting Goods and pick up some in-line skates, and probably a bike. I've been looking at this sweet mongoose on their website for about $130, and these K2 skates for $80 or so.
Did 70 pushups today, 50 were elevated. I would thrust away as hard as possible, so my hands would leave the surface, then land back down. Elevated pushups are a different kind of burn, not as hard to begin with, but I couldn't see myself doing 100 of them. The joints in my legs are pretty sore, I'm not used to the impact running brings me. That's all for all. Out.
Diet for Today
---------------
Footlong Sub (Subway)
Water
Vitamin Water
Orange Drink
Vitamin
June 15, 2008
Feel Good 3-1
195 lbs.
So Rick spent the night once again today, so I won't be doing anything excercise wise, other than hours of walking like yesterday probably. For sure I'll start back up tomorrow though, with intervals and some bodyweight training.
Despite that being a slack week, I still lost three pounds. I find that exceptionally dope (excuse my ghetto) and I account it to those three days of interval training. I've found that I can still live a little and eat some foods that I like, a couple times a week, as long as I do it in moderation.
When I get my check from the government, I'm going to pick up some rollerblades for sure, even more important since I don't have a bike. DDR also, for those indoor aerobic-like activities on days like today. Where I didn't get up before the heat. It's just good to mix it up. I'll ask Rick about the bike again, since I do need one still...if not I may have to pony up some more money from somewhere and buy another one. Rick is currently sleeping on the floor in my room (as usual), and it's almost 1 pm. I don't want to get back into this habit, so I'll probably make sure he goes home today. Maybe I can physically take him home and pick up the bike, I'm not sure. I was sweating, that's why I woke up. Hate sweating when you're sleeping, so uncomfortable.
Probably wash some clothes today, watch what I eat and all. and begin SUPER interval training starting Monday, and going as long as I can baby. More than three days a week probably, since I have no other cardio means at the moment. Wish I had a tredmill, or a stationary bike. Oh well.
That's a pretty hearty update if I do say so myself, I'll let you know a little of what I ate later today. Peace out, keep the faith.
Diet for Today
---------------
Honey Bun
Candy Bar
Gatorade
Water
Vitamin
So Rick spent the night once again today, so I won't be doing anything excercise wise, other than hours of walking like yesterday probably. For sure I'll start back up tomorrow though, with intervals and some bodyweight training.
Despite that being a slack week, I still lost three pounds. I find that exceptionally dope (excuse my ghetto) and I account it to those three days of interval training. I've found that I can still live a little and eat some foods that I like, a couple times a week, as long as I do it in moderation.
When I get my check from the government, I'm going to pick up some rollerblades for sure, even more important since I don't have a bike. DDR also, for those indoor aerobic-like activities on days like today. Where I didn't get up before the heat. It's just good to mix it up. I'll ask Rick about the bike again, since I do need one still...if not I may have to pony up some more money from somewhere and buy another one. Rick is currently sleeping on the floor in my room (as usual), and it's almost 1 pm. I don't want to get back into this habit, so I'll probably make sure he goes home today. Maybe I can physically take him home and pick up the bike, I'm not sure. I was sweating, that's why I woke up. Hate sweating when you're sleeping, so uncomfortable.
Probably wash some clothes today, watch what I eat and all. and begin SUPER interval training starting Monday, and going as long as I can baby. More than three days a week probably, since I have no other cardio means at the moment. Wish I had a tredmill, or a stationary bike. Oh well.
That's a pretty hearty update if I do say so myself, I'll let you know a little of what I ate later today. Peace out, keep the faith.
Diet for Today
---------------
Honey Bun
Candy Bar
Gatorade
Water
Vitamin
Killer Combo 2-7
So I didn't do anything at all this day, since Rick came over and all. Hadn't had social interaction for two weeks, so I didn't mind the company.
Ate a little generously today as well, two hamburgers at a graduation party, french toast sticks at burger king, and consumed a fair amount of alcohol at a house party. But it's good to take a day or two off once in a while. I suppose when Rick leaves I'll continue training, but I'll only be doing the intervals because I don't have a bike...talk to you soon.
Ate a little generously today as well, two hamburgers at a graduation party, french toast sticks at burger king, and consumed a fair amount of alcohol at a house party. But it's good to take a day or two off once in a while. I suppose when Rick leaves I'll continue training, but I'll only be doing the intervals because I don't have a bike...talk to you soon.
June 13, 2008
Killer Combo 2-6
Don't know how I feel about today. Was a bit reluctant to get up and exercise yesterday, I stayed up overly long playing MGS4, but I did it anyway. I did my interval training like I promised, this time I combined the two 1 minute runs into one 2 minute run at the end. So I'm ready to go riding my bike for the rest of the cardio, and low and behold - my bike isn't there. Someone seems to have stolen my bike from my garage. This is silly, I can't imagine how this could happen.
So where do I go from here, I have that 300 dollar check from bush I should be getting in a week or two. I'm already purchasing roller blades and ddr with it, for some cardio variety, I guess I could buy a new $100 bike from some large retail chain. That is where I got this bike from many years ago, as it stands. Rick might be able to lend me a bike, which would be very nice. I'll lock and chain this one up, even in my own garage. Totally sucks though. I'm bummed. Guess I'll go finish off MGS4 so I can feel even more depressed.
Diet for Today
---------------
Bowl of Cereal
Protein Shake
Chili Fries
Water
Vitamin
So where do I go from here, I have that 300 dollar check from bush I should be getting in a week or two. I'm already purchasing roller blades and ddr with it, for some cardio variety, I guess I could buy a new $100 bike from some large retail chain. That is where I got this bike from many years ago, as it stands. Rick might be able to lend me a bike, which would be very nice. I'll lock and chain this one up, even in my own garage. Totally sucks though. I'm bummed. Guess I'll go finish off MGS4 so I can feel even more depressed.
Diet for Today
---------------
Bowl of Cereal
Protein Shake
Chili Fries
Water
Vitamin
Killer Combo 2-5
So I totally got Metal Gear today. I rode my bike up to teh Gamestop. There's my cardio, and for now that's all. Sleep, exercise, then more metal gear. Later!
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
Chicken Sandwich
Baked Beans
Bowl of Cereal
Water
V8
Vitamin
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
Chicken Sandwich
Baked Beans
Bowl of Cereal
Water
V8
Vitamin
June 11, 2008
Killer Combo 2-4
Ah, so with that shitty day behind us all, I hop up out of bed a minute before the alarm goes off. It's some kind of skill I have I guess, I don't want to hear that beeping so I just know to get up a minute earlier.
I purchased a bike chain as well as a water bottle holster and things the other day, so I put them on yesterday afternoon. I had my bike ready to go in the backyard, but first things first: had to do my running. I did the same thing I did on Monday, alternating between 1:30 running and 1:30 rest, four times - then 1 minute running and 1 minute rest twice. This equals 16 minutes. Next weeks interval training I'll definitely be upping the ante, because even after that one day I've done it, it felt considerably easier today. I'll probably go to 2 minutes running 1 minute rest, or just do it for like 25 minutes. So that was a success, still had to push myself.
Afterwards, I took what could be considered a semi-casual stroll on my bicycle, up to 11 Mile Road. My bike chain popped once, but no big deal, it's easy to put back on, and it's not all greasy and rusty like the old one. I just pressed on and sprinted at some intervals, though not as intensive as usual, because my joints were still feeling a bit of the impact from that interval training. The whole fiasco took about an hour out of the day, and left me feeling refreshed. I DEFINITELY feel I can last a whole lot longer during these physical activities than I used to, so if anything, that's a good sign. I walked for 5-10 minutes outside to cool off, then came inside and started working on my upper body. I did 100 push-ups today! I didn't think I would reach it so soon, but I did 4 sets to get there. 30-30-20-20 -- the last being the diamond shape. After that I did 500 crunches! Man I know, I was pumped too. that went like 200-300. I originally only planned to do about 70 push-ups and 300 crunches, but I just kept feeling the need to up the ante. Overall, today has been a success, and it's only just started!
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
Bowl of Cereal
Chili
Chicken Sandwich
Beans
Chips
Chocolate Milk
Green Tea
Water
Vitamin
I purchased a bike chain as well as a water bottle holster and things the other day, so I put them on yesterday afternoon. I had my bike ready to go in the backyard, but first things first: had to do my running. I did the same thing I did on Monday, alternating between 1:30 running and 1:30 rest, four times - then 1 minute running and 1 minute rest twice. This equals 16 minutes. Next weeks interval training I'll definitely be upping the ante, because even after that one day I've done it, it felt considerably easier today. I'll probably go to 2 minutes running 1 minute rest, or just do it for like 25 minutes. So that was a success, still had to push myself.
Afterwards, I took what could be considered a semi-casual stroll on my bicycle, up to 11 Mile Road. My bike chain popped once, but no big deal, it's easy to put back on, and it's not all greasy and rusty like the old one. I just pressed on and sprinted at some intervals, though not as intensive as usual, because my joints were still feeling a bit of the impact from that interval training. The whole fiasco took about an hour out of the day, and left me feeling refreshed. I DEFINITELY feel I can last a whole lot longer during these physical activities than I used to, so if anything, that's a good sign. I walked for 5-10 minutes outside to cool off, then came inside and started working on my upper body. I did 100 push-ups today! I didn't think I would reach it so soon, but I did 4 sets to get there. 30-30-20-20 -- the last being the diamond shape. After that I did 500 crunches! Man I know, I was pumped too. that went like 200-300. I originally only planned to do about 70 push-ups and 300 crunches, but I just kept feeling the need to up the ante. Overall, today has been a success, and it's only just started!
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
Bowl of Cereal
Chili
Chicken Sandwich
Beans
Chips
Chocolate Milk
Green Tea
Water
Vitamin
June 8, 2008
Killer Combo 2-1
Start of the week with a bang! So, there goes the idea of interval training this lovely Sunday morning. This RAINY Sunday morning, if I'm to be more specific.
Was going to alternate jogging and walking for 20 minutes or so, outside in the actual world (not just my backyard), but realized upon waking that it was raining cats and dogs outside. I could have said well, guess there goes cardio for today, or better yet - OH I'll wait until the rain stops, but no way man. I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity of my first workout day in the rain, all dramatic like that. So I started out this week the same way I started out the last. Started up the iPod, rode with vengeance my friend. Clad in cheap zip-off shorts and a spitfire hoodie, I went into the storm. Decided to go down Stephens today, to see if I could spot that "big yellow house," as Rick would put it. Funny mentioning him, because right about the time I got near his house, the unthinkable happened.
I had been doing my best to increase the cycles per "upright set," as I'll call it, and suddenly the pedals gave way and I wasn't going anywhere. That's right, the bike chain popped off. I knew the chain was a little loose, so I figured this to happen someday. Just not in the rain. So for the first time ever, I had to stop my momentum, get off the bike, and address something - not exhaustion, mind you. After beating the hell out of the bike, I got the sucker back on, wrapped my newly-greased hands around the handlebars, and was back on the road. Nothing too much to note, other than the typical amount of cycles I'd do while standing up used to be 20 last week, and it's about 50 this week. 75 or 100 next week? Who knows. Needless to say, it stopped raining right after I fixed that chain, and I knew things were looking up. I definitely need to start interval training this week, as riding the bike isn't getting me pumped like it used to, I'm not covered in sweat anymore as I used to be, so the only remedy for that is standing upright and pedaling for my life. I suppose I can make the trip down to the Oakland Mall this week, maybe make the the coup de grace, to end it off. I know I have the endurance to do it, if I don't do all that sprinting anyway.
So IMMEDIATELY after getting home I walked off the cardio a bit, and then went right to bodyweight training. Only did 50 push-ups today, in 25-15-10 fashion. Did crunches, 100-150, 10 negative chin-ups, and did the usual Air Alert III Week 1 training. Two days in a row I did my entire body, I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but the only thing that gave me trouble was the push-ups, I really had to push it to get to that 50. My arms are just real weak I guess.
After that, protein. Banana. Water. You know how it is.
A somewhat-brief note. I've noticed that my weight fluctuates multiple times in one day, by as much as 4 or 5 pounds. I know the reason for this, and because of this am only going to weigh myself once a week, at the beginning of every week, first thing in the morning. (I'll start tomorrow since I already ate and did the workouts.)
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
x2 Banana
Soup
Wheat Bread
Chicken Sandwich
V8
Water
Vitamin
Was going to alternate jogging and walking for 20 minutes or so, outside in the actual world (not just my backyard), but realized upon waking that it was raining cats and dogs outside. I could have said well, guess there goes cardio for today, or better yet - OH I'll wait until the rain stops, but no way man. I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity of my first workout day in the rain, all dramatic like that. So I started out this week the same way I started out the last. Started up the iPod, rode with vengeance my friend. Clad in cheap zip-off shorts and a spitfire hoodie, I went into the storm. Decided to go down Stephens today, to see if I could spot that "big yellow house," as Rick would put it. Funny mentioning him, because right about the time I got near his house, the unthinkable happened.
I had been doing my best to increase the cycles per "upright set," as I'll call it, and suddenly the pedals gave way and I wasn't going anywhere. That's right, the bike chain popped off. I knew the chain was a little loose, so I figured this to happen someday. Just not in the rain. So for the first time ever, I had to stop my momentum, get off the bike, and address something - not exhaustion, mind you. After beating the hell out of the bike, I got the sucker back on, wrapped my newly-greased hands around the handlebars, and was back on the road. Nothing too much to note, other than the typical amount of cycles I'd do while standing up used to be 20 last week, and it's about 50 this week. 75 or 100 next week? Who knows. Needless to say, it stopped raining right after I fixed that chain, and I knew things were looking up. I definitely need to start interval training this week, as riding the bike isn't getting me pumped like it used to, I'm not covered in sweat anymore as I used to be, so the only remedy for that is standing upright and pedaling for my life. I suppose I can make the trip down to the Oakland Mall this week, maybe make the the coup de grace, to end it off. I know I have the endurance to do it, if I don't do all that sprinting anyway.
So IMMEDIATELY after getting home I walked off the cardio a bit, and then went right to bodyweight training. Only did 50 push-ups today, in 25-15-10 fashion. Did crunches, 100-150, 10 negative chin-ups, and did the usual Air Alert III Week 1 training. Two days in a row I did my entire body, I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but the only thing that gave me trouble was the push-ups, I really had to push it to get to that 50. My arms are just real weak I guess.
After that, protein. Banana. Water. You know how it is.
A somewhat-brief note. I've noticed that my weight fluctuates multiple times in one day, by as much as 4 or 5 pounds. I know the reason for this, and because of this am only going to weigh myself once a week, at the beginning of every week, first thing in the morning. (I'll start tomorrow since I already ate and did the workouts.)
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
x2 Banana
Soup
Wheat Bread
Chicken Sandwich
V8
Water
Vitamin
June 7, 2008
Training 1-7
Hey, the end of a week! I made it an entire week. This is hardly an accomplishment, but it's taken some physical and mental focus to stick with it. I'm so far in the grind now, with health influencing my eating habits, inspiring me to purchase protein powder, and perform cardio every day - that there is NO turning back. A month though, that would be an accomplishment, because I usually drift off from fitness-related motivation after a week or so. So here's to three more weeks, here's to thirty more weeks!
Nothing special, didn't want to start intervals until next week, so this being somewhat my "cooldown day," I decided to hop on the bike one last time. I rode to 11 Mile Road again, not worrying about time at all, just figuring it would take 45 minutes, but it took no more than 40. I was trying to get my heartrate up as far as possible, so I'd stand up and pedal for as long as I could, as fast as I could possibly go. that really made this a more effective workout than usual. The whole way there and back I could maintain that off and on feel, so that means my stamina must be increasing, at least a bit. It was in essence like interval training, except on the bike and with shorter reps, bout 20-30 seconds of sprint, 40-60 seconds or sitting and pedaling. Good shit, my ankle isn't too soar like the last too days, in fact my body feels strangely alive, so I'll most definitley be doing interval training 2 - 3 days a week, in place of my cardio. Even if it's for 15-20 minutes, it's still an amazingly intense workout that works your body in ways that normal cardio can't. I want to LOSE weight, not maintain the same weight over time - Lord knows I've done that for years without even exercising.
So yeah, I was up late last night, despite feeling drowsy prior hours of that day, because I was motivated to finish a song. I had it layed out for me, all I had to do was record the guitars. I'm surprised that I had the energy and drive to do something like that, despite me 'pushin' it to the max' every day. Guess doing healthy things gives you energy, who knew? So this being my "day off," I should probably just go back to sleep...but I can't. I should probably not do any other exercising either, but I'm sort of addicted so that probably won't fly either. Guess that's a good thing though. I feel good.
So about half an hour after my cardio, I started the bodyweight training. I did all three areas today because I was pretty pumped for some reason. I did 60 pushups again, but this time in sets of 25, 15, and 20. I then did two sets of 100 crunches, I threw on an extra one so I could feel special. Afterwards I went outside and with the aid of my porch steps I did the entire Air Alert III Week 1 training, with the exception of the squat leaps. That includes 2 sets of 20 Leap-ups, 2 set of 10 calf raises, 2 sets of 10 step-ups, 2 sets of 15 thurst-ups, and 1 set of 100 burnouts. Right afterwards I came inside, washed off, and mixed me a protein shake, and at a banana alongside it. I got everything out of the way in a couple hours. I'm going to go stretch now, and then probably relax a good deal.
Talk to you soon.
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
Banana
Yogurt
Baked Beans
Brown bread
Chicken Sandwich
Apple
x1 Gatorade
Water
Vitamin
Nothing special, didn't want to start intervals until next week, so this being somewhat my "cooldown day," I decided to hop on the bike one last time. I rode to 11 Mile Road again, not worrying about time at all, just figuring it would take 45 minutes, but it took no more than 40. I was trying to get my heartrate up as far as possible, so I'd stand up and pedal for as long as I could, as fast as I could possibly go. that really made this a more effective workout than usual. The whole way there and back I could maintain that off and on feel, so that means my stamina must be increasing, at least a bit. It was in essence like interval training, except on the bike and with shorter reps, bout 20-30 seconds of sprint, 40-60 seconds or sitting and pedaling. Good shit, my ankle isn't too soar like the last too days, in fact my body feels strangely alive, so I'll most definitley be doing interval training 2 - 3 days a week, in place of my cardio. Even if it's for 15-20 minutes, it's still an amazingly intense workout that works your body in ways that normal cardio can't. I want to LOSE weight, not maintain the same weight over time - Lord knows I've done that for years without even exercising.
So yeah, I was up late last night, despite feeling drowsy prior hours of that day, because I was motivated to finish a song. I had it layed out for me, all I had to do was record the guitars. I'm surprised that I had the energy and drive to do something like that, despite me 'pushin' it to the max' every day. Guess doing healthy things gives you energy, who knew? So this being my "day off," I should probably just go back to sleep...but I can't. I should probably not do any other exercising either, but I'm sort of addicted so that probably won't fly either. Guess that's a good thing though. I feel good.
So about half an hour after my cardio, I started the bodyweight training. I did all three areas today because I was pretty pumped for some reason. I did 60 pushups again, but this time in sets of 25, 15, and 20. I then did two sets of 100 crunches, I threw on an extra one so I could feel special. Afterwards I went outside and with the aid of my porch steps I did the entire Air Alert III Week 1 training, with the exception of the squat leaps. That includes 2 sets of 20 Leap-ups, 2 set of 10 calf raises, 2 sets of 10 step-ups, 2 sets of 15 thurst-ups, and 1 set of 100 burnouts. Right afterwards I came inside, washed off, and mixed me a protein shake, and at a banana alongside it. I got everything out of the way in a couple hours. I'm going to go stretch now, and then probably relax a good deal.
Talk to you soon.
Diet for Today
---------------
Protein Shake
Banana
Yogurt
Baked Beans
Brown bread
Chicken Sandwich
Apple
x1 Gatorade
Water
Vitamin
June 6, 2008
Training 1-6
So that thing I said about two days off? Not happening. As it turns out, I'm pretty addicted to cardio exercise, and now it seems that I wouldn't really be able to function throughout the day without it.
I rode for 42 minutes or so, once again on bike. This just seems like the best option for a solid heartrate for me. I was going to do 20-30 minutes of that interval training with the jogging beforehand, like I had yesterday, and then do 30 minutes on bicycle for a total of an hour...but somewhere along the way I must have walked on a rather uneven patch of grass, one too many times, because the right side of my right ankle is a bit sore, and probably couldn't take the impact of jogging.
So riding today felt unnecessisarily easy, I'm not sure why. I pushed myself about the same amount as I did all the other times, but it really felt casual to me. I guess I'm going to have to up the ante next week, because it seems I've already grown accustomed to riding to 11 Mile Road. I didn't really start breathing heavily until the way back, when I had rode down a street that was esentially a dead end. I thought on my toes, by choosing to ride over this enormous field of grass next to the church, because it connected to Ryan Road without me having to turn back. The changes in terrain, plus the fact that I didn't know if I would ride into a ditch or not - it being so dark - really wore me out a good deal, and as a result I may have to do those things intentionally from now on. No biggie.
So I go shopping today, and I'm going to be sure to pick up a larger abundance of food, and all sorts of it. I realize that I need to up my calorie intake to make sure my metabolism goes up, and not down. Burning more calories than I take in only leads to muscle loss and a loss of metabolism, which is definitley not a good thing, that whole "starvation mode" thing. Not that I'm starving myself, but I can be a tiny bit more liberal about my foods, consume a bunch of carbs, and all of that. So I figure since my body is accustomed to about 2000 calories, I'll go about 20% below maitenence on that, and hit about 1600 a day.
Picked up two 2 lb. containers of Whey Protein, I was going to stop by the GNC to get them, but strangely enough I found them at Wal-Mart. Talk about the one-stop shopping center. I eat a fair amount of calories, which contain a good daily amount of carbohydrates, but due to my limited budget and lack of time, I can't prepare the foods that I need to, to intake the amount of protein my body needs. So that's where the Whey comes in. I'll probably make a shake out of it after a workout, mainly a muscle-building one, not cardio. I should be taking in about a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, which I'm most definitley not at the moment. I don't want my metabolism to go down, and my muscles will need to repare themselves and all of that. So anyway.
So I did another couple sets of push-ups, this time equaling out to 60. I did two sets of 100 crunches as well, and then downed me some protein. We'll see how this works. I have no idea what a "heaping scoop" is, but that's the approximite mesurement for a serving of this whey protein. I just went by tablespoons..."HEAPING" tablespoons if you will. I'll probably alternate between uper and lower body exercises daily now, with the exception of tomorrow, which I will take completely off? Well...I might not. I don't know. But you know how it is. Maybe I'll take a nap. But maybe not. I've been having trouble getting to sleep at night, and it may be because I always take an incredibly long nap half way through the day, probably because I don't get a good sleep the night before. It's a catch 22.
Diet for today - 194
--------------------
x1 Bowl of Cereal
x1 Orange
x1 Subway Footlong (indulgence!)
x1 Banana
x1 Yogurt
x1 Gatorade
x1 Vitamin Water
x1 Protein Shake (4 tblspn)
Water!
Vitamin!
I rode for 42 minutes or so, once again on bike. This just seems like the best option for a solid heartrate for me. I was going to do 20-30 minutes of that interval training with the jogging beforehand, like I had yesterday, and then do 30 minutes on bicycle for a total of an hour...but somewhere along the way I must have walked on a rather uneven patch of grass, one too many times, because the right side of my right ankle is a bit sore, and probably couldn't take the impact of jogging.
So riding today felt unnecessisarily easy, I'm not sure why. I pushed myself about the same amount as I did all the other times, but it really felt casual to me. I guess I'm going to have to up the ante next week, because it seems I've already grown accustomed to riding to 11 Mile Road. I didn't really start breathing heavily until the way back, when I had rode down a street that was esentially a dead end. I thought on my toes, by choosing to ride over this enormous field of grass next to the church, because it connected to Ryan Road without me having to turn back. The changes in terrain, plus the fact that I didn't know if I would ride into a ditch or not - it being so dark - really wore me out a good deal, and as a result I may have to do those things intentionally from now on. No biggie.
So I go shopping today, and I'm going to be sure to pick up a larger abundance of food, and all sorts of it. I realize that I need to up my calorie intake to make sure my metabolism goes up, and not down. Burning more calories than I take in only leads to muscle loss and a loss of metabolism, which is definitley not a good thing, that whole "starvation mode" thing. Not that I'm starving myself, but I can be a tiny bit more liberal about my foods, consume a bunch of carbs, and all of that. So I figure since my body is accustomed to about 2000 calories, I'll go about 20% below maitenence on that, and hit about 1600 a day.
Picked up two 2 lb. containers of Whey Protein, I was going to stop by the GNC to get them, but strangely enough I found them at Wal-Mart. Talk about the one-stop shopping center. I eat a fair amount of calories, which contain a good daily amount of carbohydrates, but due to my limited budget and lack of time, I can't prepare the foods that I need to, to intake the amount of protein my body needs. So that's where the Whey comes in. I'll probably make a shake out of it after a workout, mainly a muscle-building one, not cardio. I should be taking in about a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, which I'm most definitley not at the moment. I don't want my metabolism to go down, and my muscles will need to repare themselves and all of that. So anyway.
So I did another couple sets of push-ups, this time equaling out to 60. I did two sets of 100 crunches as well, and then downed me some protein. We'll see how this works. I have no idea what a "heaping scoop" is, but that's the approximite mesurement for a serving of this whey protein. I just went by tablespoons..."HEAPING" tablespoons if you will. I'll probably alternate between uper and lower body exercises daily now, with the exception of tomorrow, which I will take completely off? Well...I might not. I don't know. But you know how it is. Maybe I'll take a nap. But maybe not. I've been having trouble getting to sleep at night, and it may be because I always take an incredibly long nap half way through the day, probably because I don't get a good sleep the night before. It's a catch 22.
Diet for today - 194
--------------------
x1 Bowl of Cereal
x1 Orange
x1 Subway Footlong (indulgence!)
x1 Banana
x1 Yogurt
x1 Gatorade
x1 Vitamin Water
x1 Protein Shake (4 tblspn)
Water!
Vitamin!
June 5, 2008
Training 1-5
Wow, I'm spent.
It's not that I did another 60-minute marathon. It's not that I rode that bike faster than ever before. It's not even the fatigue of a hard week's worth of work coming to an end...I just pushed myself a bit harder than I thought I would.
So with no podcasts to listen to, I started up some electrically-inspiring music, courtesy of OmTheory, and departed on my bicycle. I only spent 30-minutes on the bike this time, but I'll get to that in a moment. This is maybe the first day of training that I've had a pretty good smile on my face for a good length of time. The things were just working in my body and while it was incredibly tiring, I couldn't help but make a goofy face, throw my arms up in my air, and ride. It's like something you'd see out of a motivational montage of some sort. Whenever I was feeling any amount of stress or pain, I'd immediately crank a smile, start doing some over-exaggerated arm movements, and press on. It was nice fighting through the pain today. I did ride harder than ever before, because I knew I'd only be doing it for a half-hour, and I rode sporadically throughout the surrounding city.
So of course I need to hit that 40-45 minute benchmark of cardio, so when I arrive back at home, without hesitation I run up to my porch and do a 360 vault right over the rail. I hop back over the rail and do another vault. Than another. I would keep doing these for a couple minutes, then I'd walk down the driveway, sprint back, and do a couple more. Sprint down the driveway, walk back. A couple more. This only lasted like 12 minutes, but it was such a horribly intense 12 minutes, clearly another level beyond what I'd been pushing myself to achieve on the bicycle. I got worn out eventually and walked to the end of the block, then walked back. My heart rate settled just a tad by then, but then I did another 12 vaults in a row. A crazy end to a crazy session.
In hindsight, in the future I'll probably start out doing the free running things, THEN hop on the bike when I get fatigued, since clearly the former is the more labor-intensive exercise. The bicycle will help me regain my bearings, and keep my heart rate going at a steadier pace than the walk I took towards the end. But man, I feel good. I feel like a bowl of jello as well, something weak and without structure, but still somehow good. Will I do cardio a 6th day of the week? This remains to be seen. My original plan was to take Friday and Saturday's completely off. But I mean what can more cardio do but help? I might go 6 days a week.
So anyways, I went outside about four hours later, and started randomly jogging around my back yard. I then turned this into interval training for 25 minutes or so, I'd jog for a minute, then walk for a minute, run for a minute, walk for a minute and a half. This was extremely effective, or at least it seemed to feel that way. If I can work this up to about 45 minutes, this can be an effective substitute for my usual cardio.
Diet for today - 196
--------------
x1 Chewy Bar
x1 Salad
x1 Ham Sandwich
x1 Carrot
x1 Smart Ones
x2 Gatorade
x1 Glass of Milk
Water
Vitamin
It's not that I did another 60-minute marathon. It's not that I rode that bike faster than ever before. It's not even the fatigue of a hard week's worth of work coming to an end...I just pushed myself a bit harder than I thought I would.
So with no podcasts to listen to, I started up some electrically-inspiring music, courtesy of OmTheory, and departed on my bicycle. I only spent 30-minutes on the bike this time, but I'll get to that in a moment. This is maybe the first day of training that I've had a pretty good smile on my face for a good length of time. The things were just working in my body and while it was incredibly tiring, I couldn't help but make a goofy face, throw my arms up in my air, and ride. It's like something you'd see out of a motivational montage of some sort. Whenever I was feeling any amount of stress or pain, I'd immediately crank a smile, start doing some over-exaggerated arm movements, and press on. It was nice fighting through the pain today. I did ride harder than ever before, because I knew I'd only be doing it for a half-hour, and I rode sporadically throughout the surrounding city.
So of course I need to hit that 40-45 minute benchmark of cardio, so when I arrive back at home, without hesitation I run up to my porch and do a 360 vault right over the rail. I hop back over the rail and do another vault. Than another. I would keep doing these for a couple minutes, then I'd walk down the driveway, sprint back, and do a couple more. Sprint down the driveway, walk back. A couple more. This only lasted like 12 minutes, but it was such a horribly intense 12 minutes, clearly another level beyond what I'd been pushing myself to achieve on the bicycle. I got worn out eventually and walked to the end of the block, then walked back. My heart rate settled just a tad by then, but then I did another 12 vaults in a row. A crazy end to a crazy session.
In hindsight, in the future I'll probably start out doing the free running things, THEN hop on the bike when I get fatigued, since clearly the former is the more labor-intensive exercise. The bicycle will help me regain my bearings, and keep my heart rate going at a steadier pace than the walk I took towards the end. But man, I feel good. I feel like a bowl of jello as well, something weak and without structure, but still somehow good. Will I do cardio a 6th day of the week? This remains to be seen. My original plan was to take Friday and Saturday's completely off. But I mean what can more cardio do but help? I might go 6 days a week.
So anyways, I went outside about four hours later, and started randomly jogging around my back yard. I then turned this into interval training for 25 minutes or so, I'd jog for a minute, then walk for a minute, run for a minute, walk for a minute and a half. This was extremely effective, or at least it seemed to feel that way. If I can work this up to about 45 minutes, this can be an effective substitute for my usual cardio.
Diet for today - 196
--------------
x1 Chewy Bar
x1 Salad
x1 Ham Sandwich
x1 Carrot
x1 Smart Ones
x2 Gatorade
x1 Glass of Milk
Water
Vitamin
June 4, 2008
Training 1-4
So I purchased some sweatpants and vitamins early on yesterday morning, and as such I started out the day wearing just those, and taking just those. It's AMAZINGLY easy to stretch in these kind of pants, and it almost feels like you're not wearing any pants at all - they are pretty much weightless. Take that as you will...anyway.
Pumped up the tires. Started the Giant Bombcast, and I'm off. So after doing more research on cardio activities, I stumbled upon something called "interval training," which is combining high intensity cardiovascular activity with some medium-to-low intensity stuff. For instance, you could sprint down the street to a set destination and it would take about a minute, you would then take two minutes to walk it off and recover. So I took this same concept into bicycling. I would stand up on my bike and sprint for a minute or so, then sit down for a couple minutes and cool off a bit. This combined with the fact that I went to 12 Mile Road and back, made this an exceptionally taxing day of exercise (in which it took an hour total), but was exciting nonetheless. I've now hit my goal of doing intense activity for an hour, although I think that this was a special occasion, and due to how I felt afterwards, I probably won't be able to maintain that on a day-to-day basis. I'll probably drop back down to 45 minutes or so tomorrow, it being my last day of the training week.
So as I said earlier, I've been doing my research on fitness (cardiovascular activity in particular, since that is the primary source of weight loss, along with proper diet), and it is because of this that the following week of training, I won't be riding a bike. Not to say that I won't be returning to it in the future -- because it's definitely a killing machine for my heart and things -- but there is the concept of diminishing returns. Varied cardiovascular exercise will quicker tone my body and help me lose weight, so I might try some mixed things next week. Remember all that is required for cardio is to get your heart rate up and your blood circulating - There is NO best exercise. This is a good philosophy to take, and if anyone is interested in losing weight as I am, I suggest that you do something that you can enjoy while still working your body, whether it be DDR, Running around the house dancing like a maniac, aerobics, a treadmill, or free running. Just do it.
So after an hour or two of rest, I went outside and practiced a couple cat leaps on the edge of the kitchen window, and also did some standard leaps over things, like the central air conditioning unit. The funniest part was that there is a junction of fencing that is half mine and half my neighbors, and I was jumping from this patch of grass and simultaneously vaulting over the fence as I was running up the brick wall to the guy's house. Well after a couple of these he came out and gave me some sort of verbal warning, but he asked too nice so I couldn't say anything snarky in response. Regardless, what a jerk. It's not like I'm trampling your precious flowers or something. I've realized that these sort of movements I'm doing out there for fun, are quite possibly a better source of cardio than what I've been doing in general. My heartrate is usually through-the-roof intense, from all the climbing and jumping. Now if only I could keep that up for 45 minutes or so...
So after another brief session in front of my computer, I glance at my front porch and realize that I have a nice handrail going all the way around it. This handrail is the perfect height for my practicing, despite the 5 1/2 foot drop on the other end, so I give it a go. The lazy vault as they call it is clearly the easiest to achieve, and I can also do that combined with a tac or tic tac. Next I tried a 360 vault, and got it on my first shot, I then did it another 20 times so I could practice the landing and the takeoff afterwards. Then I just started hurdling the rail completely, without the use of my hands. If only there were more rails of this height randomly spread throughout the city, then I'd be having a bit of fun. So with any luck, I should be able to get over my fear for the dash and monkey vaults. The dash vault as it stands I almost do anyway, when I jump over the rail completely, all I really need to do is put my hands down. The monkey vault however, that'll take a lot of fearlessness. I thought about trying out a sit turn or a palm spin, but I didn't want to overdo it, and I didn't know really where to begin with them.
Diet for Today
---------------
x1 Chewy Bar
x2 PB&J
x1 Salad
x1 Lean Cusine
x1 Glass of Milk
x1 Gatorade
Water
Pumped up the tires. Started the Giant Bombcast, and I'm off. So after doing more research on cardio activities, I stumbled upon something called "interval training," which is combining high intensity cardiovascular activity with some medium-to-low intensity stuff. For instance, you could sprint down the street to a set destination and it would take about a minute, you would then take two minutes to walk it off and recover. So I took this same concept into bicycling. I would stand up on my bike and sprint for a minute or so, then sit down for a couple minutes and cool off a bit. This combined with the fact that I went to 12 Mile Road and back, made this an exceptionally taxing day of exercise (in which it took an hour total), but was exciting nonetheless. I've now hit my goal of doing intense activity for an hour, although I think that this was a special occasion, and due to how I felt afterwards, I probably won't be able to maintain that on a day-to-day basis. I'll probably drop back down to 45 minutes or so tomorrow, it being my last day of the training week.
So as I said earlier, I've been doing my research on fitness (cardiovascular activity in particular, since that is the primary source of weight loss, along with proper diet), and it is because of this that the following week of training, I won't be riding a bike. Not to say that I won't be returning to it in the future -- because it's definitely a killing machine for my heart and things -- but there is the concept of diminishing returns. Varied cardiovascular exercise will quicker tone my body and help me lose weight, so I might try some mixed things next week. Remember all that is required for cardio is to get your heart rate up and your blood circulating - There is NO best exercise. This is a good philosophy to take, and if anyone is interested in losing weight as I am, I suggest that you do something that you can enjoy while still working your body, whether it be DDR, Running around the house dancing like a maniac, aerobics, a treadmill, or free running. Just do it.
So after an hour or two of rest, I went outside and practiced a couple cat leaps on the edge of the kitchen window, and also did some standard leaps over things, like the central air conditioning unit. The funniest part was that there is a junction of fencing that is half mine and half my neighbors, and I was jumping from this patch of grass and simultaneously vaulting over the fence as I was running up the brick wall to the guy's house. Well after a couple of these he came out and gave me some sort of verbal warning, but he asked too nice so I couldn't say anything snarky in response. Regardless, what a jerk. It's not like I'm trampling your precious flowers or something. I've realized that these sort of movements I'm doing out there for fun, are quite possibly a better source of cardio than what I've been doing in general. My heartrate is usually through-the-roof intense, from all the climbing and jumping. Now if only I could keep that up for 45 minutes or so...
So after another brief session in front of my computer, I glance at my front porch and realize that I have a nice handrail going all the way around it. This handrail is the perfect height for my practicing, despite the 5 1/2 foot drop on the other end, so I give it a go. The lazy vault as they call it is clearly the easiest to achieve, and I can also do that combined with a tac or tic tac. Next I tried a 360 vault, and got it on my first shot, I then did it another 20 times so I could practice the landing and the takeoff afterwards. Then I just started hurdling the rail completely, without the use of my hands. If only there were more rails of this height randomly spread throughout the city, then I'd be having a bit of fun. So with any luck, I should be able to get over my fear for the dash and monkey vaults. The dash vault as it stands I almost do anyway, when I jump over the rail completely, all I really need to do is put my hands down. The monkey vault however, that'll take a lot of fearlessness. I thought about trying out a sit turn or a palm spin, but I didn't want to overdo it, and I didn't know really where to begin with them.
Diet for Today
---------------
x1 Chewy Bar
x2 PB&J
x1 Salad
x1 Lean Cusine
x1 Glass of Milk
x1 Gatorade
Water
June 3, 2008
Training 1-3
So day three, here we go.
I took a couple benedril last night for sleeping purposes, but ended up staying awake until almost 1 am, on the count of the wings going into triple overtime...which they lost, by the way. So waking up at 4:45 am this morning didn't feel as special as it did yesterday, but much like how countless children wake up in the early morning to go to school - I woke up and began my routine, like it or not.
Did some basic stretches, a couple dynamic ones to wake up my muscles (as opposed to static stretching,) and hit up the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. I snagged a banana from the kitchen counter, and filled up my bottle of water. After my tiny meal, I go outside and check the tire pressure on my bicycle, and as soon as I start my iPod up, I'm rolling. Listening to EGM Live once again, this the new one of course, where Crispin announces he's leaving. Nothing really special to note here, I did my thing, but this time opted to ride as far down Stephens as I could, instead of up the Mile Roads. My breathing was much more controlled this time around, and I seemed to be keeping a steady pace very often, all while keeping my heartrate up, which is splendid.
One thing to note, is that my ass is pretty sore from that bike seat. Can I go the whole five days without resting from the bike? I'm not even sure, but I have three down, so let's hope I can push through. Maybe my ass will eventually get used to the pain and I won't even care anymore. But yeah, after getting a bit past the Viking Arena, I glance at my iPod and realize that it's been more than 20 minutes, so I head back. All in all it took me a good 45 minutes to complete this ride, and as usual it was all worth it after I rolled back up my driveway.
After some failed-attempts at vaulting over a fence, and the fact that my body is a bit sore - I'm going to call it a day today, and skip over any exercises I had planned. See you tomorrow!
Diet for today
--------------
x2 Banana
x2 Chewy Bar
x1 Yakisoba
x2 Salad
x1 Lean Cusine
x1 Glass of OJ
x1 Glass of Milk
x1 Glass of V8
Water
I took a couple benedril last night for sleeping purposes, but ended up staying awake until almost 1 am, on the count of the wings going into triple overtime...which they lost, by the way. So waking up at 4:45 am this morning didn't feel as special as it did yesterday, but much like how countless children wake up in the early morning to go to school - I woke up and began my routine, like it or not.
Did some basic stretches, a couple dynamic ones to wake up my muscles (as opposed to static stretching,) and hit up the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. I snagged a banana from the kitchen counter, and filled up my bottle of water. After my tiny meal, I go outside and check the tire pressure on my bicycle, and as soon as I start my iPod up, I'm rolling. Listening to EGM Live once again, this the new one of course, where Crispin announces he's leaving. Nothing really special to note here, I did my thing, but this time opted to ride as far down Stephens as I could, instead of up the Mile Roads. My breathing was much more controlled this time around, and I seemed to be keeping a steady pace very often, all while keeping my heartrate up, which is splendid.
One thing to note, is that my ass is pretty sore from that bike seat. Can I go the whole five days without resting from the bike? I'm not even sure, but I have three down, so let's hope I can push through. Maybe my ass will eventually get used to the pain and I won't even care anymore. But yeah, after getting a bit past the Viking Arena, I glance at my iPod and realize that it's been more than 20 minutes, so I head back. All in all it took me a good 45 minutes to complete this ride, and as usual it was all worth it after I rolled back up my driveway.
After some failed-attempts at vaulting over a fence, and the fact that my body is a bit sore - I'm going to call it a day today, and skip over any exercises I had planned. See you tomorrow!
Diet for today
--------------
x2 Banana
x2 Chewy Bar
x1 Yakisoba
x2 Salad
x1 Lean Cusine
x1 Glass of OJ
x1 Glass of Milk
x1 Glass of V8
Water
June 2, 2008
Training 1-2
I had to force myself to go to bed last night, so I could get back on a normal sleeping schedule -- I ended up not getting much sleep at all however. While laying there helplessly, attempting to slip into dream-land, I had a familiar experience. It was as if it was Christmas eve, and my Mom had put me to bed for the evening, with the promise of all the presents and festivities the following day. I was so antsy and restless, anticipating that very morning - that I just couldn't fall into sleep. It happened this night as well, for different, and perhaps slightly unusual reasons.
I couldn't sleep because I was pumped about working out that next morning. I know this may be hard for some to grasp, and even I don't completely understand it -- but something about the discipline and dedication that it takes to get into shape, and the promise of that if I continue on my current course, motivated me. I couldn't wait to hop on my bike and see how far I could push myself. It's definitely a different pain than any other I've felt, this one pleasantly surprising. So, needless to say, I ended up getting just a couple hours of sleep, and I'm sure this will come back to bite me in the ass later this afternoon, but so be it -- I had to get used to waking up around this time.
So after rolling around a bit and flipping over my pillow numerous times to no avail, I glance over at my alarm clock as it is fastly approaching 5 am. I get up despite my better judgement, and choose some comfortable clothing to begin my journey. I do some simple stretches and jump around a bit to get those joints working, then I go check my garage for a foot pump. I couldn't find one, but figured the bike tires were full enough. I set up my iPod for EGM Live, and I'm rolling.
Today my philosophy is to ride 20 minutes in one direction, so that I am forced to ride back the same distance, to prevent me from bailing out of the cardiovascular activity too soon. This worked out pretty well, using the same sprinting for short periods of time, then squatting back down, continuously pedaling the whole time technique I applied yesterday. I rode to 11 Mile Road, which takes me a little over 19 minutes, and feeling pretty accomplished, I make my way back. While the fatigue started to set in fairly short after that, I pushed through. I would frequently check my pulse by placing my fingers against my neck, and if the pulse wasn't intense or fast enough, I would adjust accordingly, by pushing even harder. I didn't set foot on solid ground the entire ride, meaning I was constantly moving forward from beginning to end. When I made my way back into the confines of my own property, I could definitely see this becoming a trend, as this kind of thing is such a rush. Upon planting the kickstand into the cold concrete of my garage, I wisely walked up and down my driveway for 10 minutes or so, to properly "cool down." This one was definitely a success.
In the future, maybe monthly -- I'm going to attempt to push myself further and further on the bike, but still elapse the same amount of time. Which means at some point I should be able to ride to 12 Mile Road in 20 minutes, and not 11 Mile. This way I will constantly be pushing myself to achieve more.
On a side note, I chose to start my training very early for a couple reasons. I'm slightly paranoid, and as a result, tend to think everyone watches me and judges me based on how ridiculous I may look, so at 5 am it's safe to say that there aren't many people out and about, or even on their doorsteps for that matter. It's also much cooler and refreshing to ride so early, and it will become especially important once those hot summer days kick in. Bonus - not much traffic to worry about.
So afterwards I took a long nap, so I could be up for the Wings game and Monday Night Raw later tonight. Upon waking up, I went outside and practiced some vaults over the hood of the car. I never could completely clear it, maybe due to my fear of clipping my toes on the edge of the car, so I'd always and up lifting one of my two hands (usually my left) from the surface, and hitting my ass on the end of the car. I'm pretty sure if I can overcome my fear and pull my knees into my chest while running at it, I can clear it no problem. For the time being, I was doing some sort of half dash vault, half monkey vault, and it was fun nonetheless.
After getting inside and taking a breather, I started on my exercises. I worked mostly upperbody, and some core. I did three sets of pushups, the first totaled 25, in normal shoulder-width stance, the second totalled 15, and was with my hands together in the "DDP logo", and the third was for 10, back in the standard stance. This came up to a total of 50 pushups, and I'm fairly happy about that. After that, I did two sets of 50 crunches, and I was spent.
Overall, a pretty amazing day for my training, a definite confidence booster that I can stick to this. I'll have to work out a scheudle when fatigue starts to kick in, when I get more familiar with what I can and can't handle, day in and day out. For now I'm figuring five days of the intense cardio a week, Sunday-Thursday at the moment. Friday and Saturday will be more relaxing days, to let every part of my body rest up for the next week. One thing to note, my ass is pretty sore from that bike seat, I may have to take a day off from it just because of that. But I'm sure I can push through the pain a couple more days. I'm off to prepare for the Hockey game, peace out.
Diet for Today
---------------
x2 Bowl of Cereal
x1 Chewy Bar
x1 Lean Cusine
x1 Glass of V8
x2 Gatorade
Water
I couldn't sleep because I was pumped about working out that next morning. I know this may be hard for some to grasp, and even I don't completely understand it -- but something about the discipline and dedication that it takes to get into shape, and the promise of that if I continue on my current course, motivated me. I couldn't wait to hop on my bike and see how far I could push myself. It's definitely a different pain than any other I've felt, this one pleasantly surprising. So, needless to say, I ended up getting just a couple hours of sleep, and I'm sure this will come back to bite me in the ass later this afternoon, but so be it -- I had to get used to waking up around this time.
So after rolling around a bit and flipping over my pillow numerous times to no avail, I glance over at my alarm clock as it is fastly approaching 5 am. I get up despite my better judgement, and choose some comfortable clothing to begin my journey. I do some simple stretches and jump around a bit to get those joints working, then I go check my garage for a foot pump. I couldn't find one, but figured the bike tires were full enough. I set up my iPod for EGM Live, and I'm rolling.
Today my philosophy is to ride 20 minutes in one direction, so that I am forced to ride back the same distance, to prevent me from bailing out of the cardiovascular activity too soon. This worked out pretty well, using the same sprinting for short periods of time, then squatting back down, continuously pedaling the whole time technique I applied yesterday. I rode to 11 Mile Road, which takes me a little over 19 minutes, and feeling pretty accomplished, I make my way back. While the fatigue started to set in fairly short after that, I pushed through. I would frequently check my pulse by placing my fingers against my neck, and if the pulse wasn't intense or fast enough, I would adjust accordingly, by pushing even harder. I didn't set foot on solid ground the entire ride, meaning I was constantly moving forward from beginning to end. When I made my way back into the confines of my own property, I could definitely see this becoming a trend, as this kind of thing is such a rush. Upon planting the kickstand into the cold concrete of my garage, I wisely walked up and down my driveway for 10 minutes or so, to properly "cool down." This one was definitely a success.
In the future, maybe monthly -- I'm going to attempt to push myself further and further on the bike, but still elapse the same amount of time. Which means at some point I should be able to ride to 12 Mile Road in 20 minutes, and not 11 Mile. This way I will constantly be pushing myself to achieve more.
On a side note, I chose to start my training very early for a couple reasons. I'm slightly paranoid, and as a result, tend to think everyone watches me and judges me based on how ridiculous I may look, so at 5 am it's safe to say that there aren't many people out and about, or even on their doorsteps for that matter. It's also much cooler and refreshing to ride so early, and it will become especially important once those hot summer days kick in. Bonus - not much traffic to worry about.
So afterwards I took a long nap, so I could be up for the Wings game and Monday Night Raw later tonight. Upon waking up, I went outside and practiced some vaults over the hood of the car. I never could completely clear it, maybe due to my fear of clipping my toes on the edge of the car, so I'd always and up lifting one of my two hands (usually my left) from the surface, and hitting my ass on the end of the car. I'm pretty sure if I can overcome my fear and pull my knees into my chest while running at it, I can clear it no problem. For the time being, I was doing some sort of half dash vault, half monkey vault, and it was fun nonetheless.
After getting inside and taking a breather, I started on my exercises. I worked mostly upperbody, and some core. I did three sets of pushups, the first totaled 25, in normal shoulder-width stance, the second totalled 15, and was with my hands together in the "DDP logo", and the third was for 10, back in the standard stance. This came up to a total of 50 pushups, and I'm fairly happy about that. After that, I did two sets of 50 crunches, and I was spent.
Overall, a pretty amazing day for my training, a definite confidence booster that I can stick to this. I'll have to work out a scheudle when fatigue starts to kick in, when I get more familiar with what I can and can't handle, day in and day out. For now I'm figuring five days of the intense cardio a week, Sunday-Thursday at the moment. Friday and Saturday will be more relaxing days, to let every part of my body rest up for the next week. One thing to note, my ass is pretty sore from that bike seat, I may have to take a day off from it just because of that. But I'm sure I can push through the pain a couple more days. I'm off to prepare for the Hockey game, peace out.
Diet for Today
---------------
x2 Bowl of Cereal
x1 Chewy Bar
x1 Lean Cusine
x1 Glass of V8
x2 Gatorade
Water
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