Throwing a Change-Up: Reshuffling the Fitness Routine MMA style…

I don’t know if I am the only one, but I absolutely-totally-understandably HATE when I hear the following words.

I love you, I’m just not in love with you.

Those words make my blood boil.  But I have to admit, when it comes to my workouts- that about covers my current relationship with exercise.  I love the idea of working out and I love the memory of past workouts, but when it comes to present workouts there is little joy top be had.  And I don’t mean to imply any sense of ease when I use the word joy.  some of my best workouts have been stomach curdling and involved severe nausea and lactic acid burning in my muscles that rivaled a four alarm fire for intensity.  And as a former fireman whose been face-to-face with extreme heat and crackling flames I can speak from experience.  My lack of passion led to a bit of mild depression about the future of my workouts- which as of late have been little more than a roughly choreographed bore fests.

That was until I happened across the Men’s Fitness Magazine website as I was doing research for another post (set to drop later this week).  On the front page there was a link to an article on an MMA fighter’s workout.  A few clicks later I was enthralled by this fast paced, intense, hard pounding exercise routine.

Ever tried anything like this?

The Top 10s…

Here are the top 10 lists of clicks, search terms, posts, and referrers from this humble blog of mine.  These numbers represent the entire existence of this blog- a little over a year. Enjoy…

Top 10 Clicks

1. youtube.com/profile?user=ultimask8er = 715
2. skinnyr.com = 609
3. totaltransformation.files.wordpress.c… = 419
4. jjkaiser.blogspot.com = 359
5. totaltransformation.files.wordpress.c… = 171
6. totaltransformation.files.wordpress.c… = 166
7. reply42.com/metabolism = 154
8. totaltransformation.files.wordpress.c… = 145
9. ediets.com/news/article.cfm/code_2443… = 144
10. totaltransformation.files.wordpress.c… = 138

Day 1: Pictures and Stats

Well here are the pictures. As you can see I’ve regressed a bit for reasons previously explained.

My Starting Stats are:

Weight: 178.2

Body Fat Percentage: 26.1% (I am going to check this figure over the next three days and use the average, as the scale seems to fluctuate a bit)

Waist: 36.5″ (taken at the point across the belly button)

R/L Upper Arm: 14.75″/14.5″

Hips: 39″ (taken at the widest point of the…ummm…behind)

R/L Upper Leg: 23″/22.75″

Calves: 15″/14.75″

Forearms: 12.75″/12.5″

Chest: 40.75″

Shoulders: 48″

Day 1 of the New Scale…

This post will be brief.  Here are my current statistics according to my new scale:

Weight: 176.6 lbs (A gain of 10 pounds since a month ago)

Muscle Weight: 42.6%

Body-fat: 26.4%

Water Weight: 56.6%

Bone Weight: 6.4%

Well, the good news is I have nowhere to go but up!  I think I can reverse this weight gain by the end of the month- at least that is my goal.

My goals for the end of the month are:

Weight: 170 lbs

Muscle Weight: 43.6%

Body-fat: 24.4%

It feels great knowing that I can begin working out again!

“Add Up To 18 Pounds Of Muscle In Just 2 Weeks”

HA!  When I first saw this subject line in my e-mail box I laughed…and laughed….and laughed.  I am not sure even a steroid freak can put on 18 pounds of muscle in a month- much less two weeks.  But hey, it’s been a while since my last two-week total transformation challenge and the opportunity to gain almost 20 pounds of muscle intrigues me.  Yes, I know it is probably a rip.  But hey, then I can write Mens’ Health an angry e-mail.

So what is the magical, mystical program that will give me 18 pounds of muscle in two weeks?   The New High Intensity Training: The Best Muscle-Building System You’ve Never Tried.  The book is basically a recap and redo of Arthur Jones training system from more than three decades ago.  After reading the comments my worries seem justified, but I always have been one for a good challenge. 

I plan on reading the book over break and giving it a shot come the first week of January. I’ll let you know how things turn out.

Re-Dedication, Again…

It is always interesting that whenever you take on a major lifestyle change the old habits always seem to find a way to creep in when you let your guard down.  They find the cracks in your resistance and slip on through with ease.  For me it was stress from school that got me eating like I used to and skipping my cardio.  I tend to eat when I want to get my mind off of whatever is stressing me.  That is why I reached 206lbs back in law school, as I was constantly stressed out back then.

Thanks to my continued resistance training I haven’t fallen too far off track, but for a perfectionist like me, I am INCREDIBLY frustrated that I am still hanging around between 167 and 171 lbs.  I should be 159lbs by now.  Well, I would be, if I hadn’t succumbed to my basest urges.

So now is a time for rededication of sorts.  To throw myself back into this fully and fit into this shirt– not to mention make it look good!  So for the next two weeks I am going to reintroduce cardio and bring my eating back under control- no more cookies or chips!

Accomplishing Goals: Another Bench Press Record

I did it again!  I went in the gym today, feeling pretty down thanks to the last three or four days of nothing but rain.  To compound matters dipwad A and dipwad B* were once again monopolizing the squat rack. So I had to substitute leg presses for squats- something I don’t like doing. 

After a mediocre showing at the chin-up bar (read: no progress since last time), I decided to go for it with my bench press.  I set the weight to 230lbs and settled down beneath the bar.  I performed my usual bench press ritual.  What is that ritual?  Well first I close my eyes and take three deep breaths.  Then I visualize myself performing 6 perfect reps, moving my arms as if I was actually pushing the weight.  Then on the sixth rep I just adjust my hands back a bit and grip the bar and transition into the exercise as if it were my seventh rep. 

Well anyway, I glided smoothly from my ritual weightless reps into a set of 6 reps with 230lbs on the bar.  It felt great.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Nope.  The last three reps I used a great technique called “stop-n-go.”  It makes the exercise more difficult and according to Mens’ Health magazine it recruits more muscle fibers into the movement. 

How sweet is that!?  I submit to you that it is wicked sweet!

*Note:* Dipwad A is a personal trainer and dipwad B is his annoying little client.  They are record holders when it comes to monopolizing equipment, standing around doing nothing, and showing very little progress of any kind.  They will show up again in another article this week.

A New Record: Bench Press

Although far short of my youthful record (which my pride now forces me to hide) I broke my recent record with a 220 lbs bench press.  This means that at 169 lbs I am currently bench pressing 125% of my weight.  I am aiming for a goal of 165% (or 275 lbs). 

I kept my workout short this morning with only: Squats, Shoulder Press, Chin-ups, Bench Press, Wood Choppers, and Chest extensions (into tricep extensions).  I felt good after my workout, but I can tell I still have some lingering stuff in my lungs from my recent fight with the common cold. 

What Would Have Been Day 6 and Still Sick

This congestion has settled in my chest which means the joy of those deep coughs that burn the esophagus.  I am hoping to be able to return to my workouts on Monday, but only time will tell.

Day 2: Wouldn’t You Know it…

Come up with a bold plan for change and wouldn’t you know it, I end up catching my daughters cold/flu.  I am in the early stages now and trying to down as much Airborne as I can.  But as I type my throat is achy, my sinuses are beginning to stuff, and I coughed a few times during my lecture.  Here’s to hoping this passes sometime soon.