Stepping it up!

A week of solid Plateau. No weight loss, no fat loss, and no waist size reduction. My body has finished shifting to the changes of the previous month, and, ever efficient, it now requires but I increase intensity and change up my routine. So today I upped my game (a little). Instead of just walking the track, I did several sprints... OUCH... sprinting at 250lbs is shin-splint agony! I also swapped from doing machine (safe, stabilized weights) lifting to doing full body movements with dumbbells. Going from a push-up, to a squat, to bent-over-row, to bicep curls, to shoulder press, and cycle down. UGH... that's a quick full body flush, sweat pump.

Back to really being focused on my eating (no second helpings, no eating after 8pm, drink at least 64oz water). And YOGA! Really, I just gotta do it!

Everyone is telling me I look "lighter", which is sweet... and I'm sure I do look lighter than I did at the end of 2015... I'm about 10lbs lighter, etc. so YAY that it shows. I can also tell I can do more exercise at higher intensity that I could a month ago. I am improving, I am attaining goals... just have to keep going!

Asanas, Isometrics, Weights and Injuries

Taraksvasana

As of Sunday I've upped my physical recovery regime. I now do at least 30 minutes of yoga/isometrics/weights per day, and try to do 2 sessions (morning/evening). Last week I couldn't do more than about 15 minutes before I ran out of steam... now I'm puttering out at 25-30 minutes. That's distinct improvement.

I've added light resistance to some of my moves (10lb weights) to help with the recovery of muscle. I've also begun doing "iron Body Qi Gong" (or a variant there of -- it has been several years since I practiced regularly) to help begin revving up my cell energy and metabolism. It is amazing how quickly I can heat up and sweat doing IBQG.

I lost a good deal of weight a week ago, but last week I didn't lose an ounce. What I did lose was fat off my waist. I remember this particular cycle. My body seems to lose weight and size (fat) in alternating weeks... one to three weeks of weight loss, then a week or two of size reduction without weight loss... then weight loss again. It can be very frustrating and discouraging if I only use one measure of success... that is why I always check weight and waist size, because one is usually improving even when the other is at a stand still.

I presently can't do any thing like the beautiful Taraksvasana asana above. At the peak of my yoga practice I was barely able to manage that pose. I can't even do inversions yet... though I think my left shoulder could manage simple inversion poses, my right wrist is no where close to ready. I am doing yoga stretches and therapy work on my wrist, thumb and shoulder daily... but I'm not so stupid as to think I could just "do it" when just holding a pen to sign my name is a challenge.

My goal is to be able to do Taraksvasana again before I turn 48. I see no reason why I can't manage that... so long as I avoid any further grievous physical injuries in the next 15 months. I don't think I'll aim to look like the model above, however... for one thing he's in is 20s, and that'd be creepy... for another, I've got more muscle than that and want to keep it!

I have an inspirational magnet on my fridge that says "Growing Old Is Not For Sissies." If I manage to follow my grandfather & mother's examples of what 80s-90s should be, I'll still be doing my yoga, hiking, canoeing, and maybe even still riding a motorcycle (probably a trike) when I get there!

Dancing with progress

What many people don't seem to realize when you workout a lot and are striving to build a new lifestyle, new body, etc. is that progress is not linear. It isn't even always continually "upward". I generally consider that it works somewhat in a wave, with peaks of progress and then troughs of back sliding. One could consider it a dance of 3 steps forward, one step back. The backslide should never be as large as the gains, but there are days when you just aren't as strong, tough, enduring, as others.

Some trainers (and the military) would say "work it HARDER" at such times, but I believe in honoring the body's wisdom. Does this mean you don't do anything? Absolutely not! It means, don't push for that heavier weight, faster run, more intense effort -- back off a bit and honor your body, say "I hear you; I am listening. Let's just do this!" In the long run, your body and your health will thank you for it!

Why we climb Mountains!

600lbs on Leg Press Machine

When I began this reboot, my leg press had been at 470lbs. Some people would consider that a great amount of weight; I do not. I know with certainty that 50+ year old grandmothers are quite capable of 600+ pound leg presses (I've watched). At my strongest a couple years ago, I was pushing over 800lbs on the leg press.

I am happy that I have pushed from 470 to 600 pounds within the first month. This has helped me be accepting of the fact that my weight and waistline have not yet diminished significantly. As long as I make progress, I will strive to be satisified.

I consider that in order to be strong, a man should be able to do the following at minimum:

• Bench Press = 1x body weight
• Dumbell Bicep Curl = 1/3 body weight
• Pull Up = 1x body weight
• Row = 1x body weight
• Leg Press = 3x body weight

and I expect a man claiming to be "really strong" to be able to:

• Bench Press = 1.5x body weight
• Dumbell Bicep Curl = 1/2 body weight
• Pull Up = 1.5x body weight
• Row = 1.5x body weight
• Leg Press = 4x body weight

I know that may seem extreme; but I see such displays of strength so regularly in men (boys) whom do not "live in the gym".

I have been asked by several people (all women) WHY I would want to be able to move X amount of weight. My response is: why not? Is there any reason not to achieve such a thing? Once one has enough money to live, why do we want more? If we learn a skill, why do we want to improve our ability in it? I could continue with similar questions that parallel that initial one leveled at me by friends and relations.

Pride is the answer. Pride is not the evil emotion that has become so condemned these days. If we have no pride, in ourselves, in our family, in our friends, in our jobs, in our community, what would the result be? We would not strive to improve anything... we would simply be complacent in our acceptance of what is... we would not even care, I suspect, to even maintain that which we already have. Without pride I believe there is very little fuel to power accomplishment.

I will have PRIDE in myself, in mind, body and spirit. From that pride I will be able to fuel my accomplishments. Take that as egotism if you prefer... I look toward better things!