Heard that a millions times, right? Well it’s true and I can prove it just as anyone that has been in my shoes can. Yesterday was the first time in a good long while that I have really worked out hard. I warmed up with some stretching and a set of 30 push-ups. I did 3 sets of 8 reps on flat-bench, standing dumb bell curls, and Arnold presses. After that I did a set of 30 sit ups and 30 crunches. Doesn’t sound like much, but for someone who has not worked out in quite some time it was enough to get me back on my feet without over-doing it. Speaking of back on my feet, I went for a 3.75 mile run afterwards. Now let me explain where I use to be about a year ago before my slow decline and total drop off.
I used to warm up wit 40 push-ups just to get my blood flowing and I could do them with easy and at a good pace. Yesterday I almost struggled with 30.
On the bench I used to be able to bench 225 at my peak. Not too shabby for someone that only weighed 165. ON a normal day I use to pack anywhere from 180 to 205 and bench 3 sets of 8. Yesterday morning I struggled getting 3 sets of 8 reps at 150. It was pretty depressing. I know I can get my strength back up. I don’t feel that I’ve lost size much, but I felt pathetic.
With the standing dumb bell curls and Arnold presses I usually use 35 lob dumb bells, but used the 25 lbs because I knew I wasn’t at where I used to be and didn’t want to wear myself out too fast. I used to curl 92 lb Bar bells. I wouldn’t dare try that now.
I took it really slow when I ran too. I used to be able to run that loop in about 30 minutes in 85 degree whether. This time it took me almost an hour, but I really wasn’t pushing myself the way I could have.
All this was when I was working out almost everyday or every other day. I used to be religious about it, almost obsessive. All I can do now is work myself back up to where I was an beyond.
Bottom line is that the saying is true. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. You will start to lose strength and then muscle atrophy will kick in and start breaking down muscle for energy and store fat. I can probably work my strength back up in about 4 weeks. It’s going to take me a bit longer than that to shed some of this body fat that I have acquired in 9 months. It’s no ones fault but my own. I could blame work, I could blame blogging, but the truth is that instead of making an hour or so each day or so, I used that time for something else. I slept longer or laid around. I ate stuff I would normally be more disciplined with, like ice cream and candy when I should have been eating fruits or granola like I used to. I could probably blame my sciatica, but even that hasn’t bothered me in quite some time.The worse part is that I have been preaching about this every now and then about getting back in to it but ultimately didn’t follow my own advice. I’m sore as all hell today and it actually feels good. It’s important to maintain what you have, especially after you have worked hard to achieve it. If you don’t maintain, it will break down just like anything else.
Tags: execising, lifting weights, working-outShare This
Heard that a millions times, right? Well it’s true and I can prove it just as anyone that has been in my shoes can. Yesterday was the first time in a good long while that I have really worked out hard. I warmed up with some stretching and a set of 30 push-ups. I did 3 sets of 8 reps on flat-bench, standing dumb bell curls, and Arnold presses. After that I did a set of 30 sit ups and 30 crunches. Doesn’t sound like much, but for someone who has not worked out in quite some time it was enough to get me back on my feet without over-doing it. Speaking of back on my feet, I went for a 3.75 mile run afterwards. Now let me explain where I use to be about a year ago before my slow decline and total drop off.
I used to warm up wit 40 push-ups just to get my blood flowing and I could do them with easy and at a good pace. Yesterday I almost struggled with 30.
On the bench I used to be able to bench 225 at my peak. Not too shabby for someone that only weighed 165. ON a normal day I use to pack anywhere from 180 to 205 and bench 3 sets of 8. Yesterday morning I struggled getting 3 sets of 8 reps at 150. It was pretty depressing. I know I can get my strength back up. I don’t feel that I’ve lost size much, but I felt pathetic.
With the standing dumb bell curls and Arnold presses I usually use 35 lob dumb bells, but used the 25 lbs because I knew I wasn’t at where I used to be and didn’t want to wear myself out too fast. I used to curl 92 lb Bar bells. I wouldn’t dare try that now.
I took it really slow when I ran too. I used to be able to run that loop in about 30 minutes in 85 degree whether. This time it took me almost an hour, but I really wasn’t pushing myself the way I could have.
All this was when I was working out almost everyday or every other day. I used to be religious about it, almost obsessive. All I can do now is work myself back up to where I was an beyond.
Bottom line is that the saying is true. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. You will start to lose strength and then muscle atrophy will kick in and start breaking down muscle for energy and store fat. I can probably work my strength back up in about 4 weeks. It’s going to take me a bit longer than that to shed some of this body fat that I have acquired in 9 months. It’s no ones fault but my own. I could blame work, I could blame blogging, but the truth is that instead of making an hour or so each day or so, I used that time for something else. I slept longer or laid around. I ate stuff I would normally be more disciplined with, like ice cream and candy when I should have been eating fruits or granola like I used to. I could probably blame my sciatica, but even that hasn’t bothered me in quite some time.The worse part is that I have been preaching about this every now and then about getting back in to it but ultimately didn’t follow my own advice. I’m sore as all hell today and it actually feels good. It’s important to maintain what you have, especially after you have worked hard to achieve it. If you don’t maintain, it will break down just like anything else.
Tags: execising, lifting weights, working-outShare This