I started working out 3x week back in August with a co-worker. Having someone just to keep me accountable to going to the gym is what I needed to get me moving. We never really worked out together, just gave each-other shit if we didn't go the day before.
I started by doing a mix of cardio (initially stationary bike, then the elliptical machines once I figured out it was OK to bounce a little while using them) and weight-lifting primarily using machines. My cardio work improved to a point and I saw improvement in muscle size and lifting ability.
Quitting Smoking
I decided to quit smoking on October 30th (actually quitting on the 31st) when I felt guilty for leaving the gym after a solid workout, getting into my car, and lighting up on the way home. It was clearly counterproductive to health and I felt it was limiting me. Used Nicoderm patches through a short-cycle and was off completely. I was smoking a little more than half-a-pack each day, which put me somewhere between a heavy and light smoker. I started on step 1 of the patches... did a 3 week cycle on that... moved to step 2... 2 weeks on that... step 3... 2 weeks, bought another 2 week box, and practically forgot to use it. A few days had gone by where I had forgotten to put on the patch (or even think about it till the late afternoon) and I decided to try to stop using the patches completely. It stuck. Done smoking completely now.
Kicking it up a notch
In late December, with the motivation from quitting smoking and seeing visible progress in the gym, I decided to take my level of intensity up, where I was going to the gym 6 days a week, 4 days of lifting and 2 days of cardio only. I was blowing away personal bests and trying new exercises. I transitioned away from machines towards free weights, feeling that they offered a better workout and more uniformity in comparison numbers. I track all my workouts on Fitocracy and have felt a bit of competition from it.
A good friend of mine who had recently gone through a body transformation recommended the rowing machine as a good, full-body workout. He said to shoot for 8 minutes on a 2Km row. My first attempt took about 11 minutes and I was beat. I found some videos online and got a better form, working that slowly down to around 9:15 and I had plateaued there. Asked him for some advice, and 2 workouts later, I was below 9 minutes... my own personal goal.
I felt this HUGE sense of accomplishment, but have fallen off the wagon a bit since then.
Exhaustion and Burn-Out
I have been feeling a little burnt out with the health-kick. Stopped tracking my daily food intake and started eating junk-food every now and then. I need another shock to my system like quitting smoking did for me, time to see some visible results. I posted progress pics on BB.com asking for a little motivation, and most of the feedback was that the progress pics should be motivation enough. Why stop now? Look how far you've come! This blog (and subsequent logging activity) will be my method to change-up my routine a bit, keep myself more accountable to myself (as my workout partner still goes to the gym... I've pushed way past him in intensity, drive, and routine. He's a father of 2, now, and I understand time constraints and differences in lifestyle, no blame here).
My Dedication:
I'll be logging every food I eat on Lose-It, Every activity on Fitocracy, posting summaries here and keeping you updated on progress through measurements, pictures, and what I've found helpful in keeping me moving.
Hit Me Up if you have any advice, questions, or additional motivation.
Rob
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