Day 19

Just finished a shoulder bicep workout and it feels funny typing.  Odd.  My biceps are spent.  All good.  Again following the HP program. 

Looked like this:

Wide Grip Chest Press    20
Incline DB Press             20
Lateral DB raise              10
DB Side Swings              10

Day 16

Well now.  Another morning another workout.  Talked to a pal yesterday and we decided to go for a ride in the am.  So, after waking at 5:44 AM, I got set to go.  The ride is ten minus away, so it's easy.  Still.  5:44  Really.  Anyway, I'm back and feel great. 

Great place to ride.  The trails were cut by mountain biker for moutain biking.  Not the old roads, horse trails, or walking trails.  Moutain bike trails with great, squirely lines with tons of technical-ness.  You have to be on your game when you come to rock fields.  The side wall of my tires are taking a beating.  And let me thank the makers of my arm and leg pads. 
 

Day 6

Got up, dressed, grabbed the dog and went for a walk for 27 minutes,  Now, who said a good walk wasn't part of this plan?  I hadn't done that in a long time, just got up in the morning and gone for a walk with the dog.  I think that will change in the future.  There are two programs out there that insist that walking is integral to the program - one is the incline walk and the other is a 4 mph walk, but nonetheless, it's walking.

I will continue to bike (mountain and road), walk, and swim.   I too will be starting the rehab protocol for my foot - it is susceptible to stress fractures.  And that is something that I WILL NOT DO TO MYSELF AGAIN!  Stress fractures suck. 

Day 5

Again. Yes, again. I worked out again. Today was Shoulders and Arm and Ab Ripper X.  I like the S&A workout the best of all the P90X workouts.  It seems that as I got fit that the fat seemed to leave my shoulders and arms first, and I could see definition of the muscles.  Fat comes off in layers, and the layers that stick longer go 'round my gut and chest. 

So, yesterday I completed that HIIT bike ride and came in and saw Mrs. Ntckfit.  She was a tad freaked out, as I was grey.  Yes, grey.  Which means that my blood oxygen level was WAY too low.  Kind of scary for the Mrs. and a wake-up call for me.  First get in shape then push myself that hard.  Walk before running.   

Day 3

Ok.  It's three days in and I'm feeling good.  Just got back from a 6 mile mountain bike ride with my bud in a place called "Vietnam".  No, not the country, but a parcel of land that was purchased exclusively for mountain biking.  And truth be told, it's one of the best places on the east coast to ride.  Very technical in parts, while in other parts, it's rolling trails. Good fun. Sweet workout.

 

This morning I did Chest and Back from P90X and that was interesting (for me).  The amount of strength I've lost is considerable.   As it should be because I've done squat for so long.  So be it.  Thing is if feel good, and that's the ticket. 

So I sit here and think that my birthday is coming up.  50  I wonder if I've done enough to be healthy.  Hmm.  Makes me think.  Truth is, its been a on and off eating well (clean) and working out for ages.  I worked out for two years straight and changed my body.  Big time.  But it all fell apart right around when I was dealing with my dad dying.   I lost the focus I had.

I hope that someone who reads this can identify with the struggle.  Fitness is a path.  Sometimes your find yourself on it and rock solid, other times you fallen in the rut on the side of the path.  Right now, I feel like I'm in the middle, maybe with some rocks that I can plow over on my mountain bike. 

Later,

Day One

I've decided to post what I'm doing to get healthy and to be consistent about it.  I look at the heading of the blog and feel that its as true today as it was when I wrote it: diet, working out, consistency, and determination.  The reality is that I have allowed other things to get in front of what is important - my health.  And that is not the way I want to live.  The fact that I've lived in a state of stress for too long (long story) has something to do with the falling off the cliff of fitness.  But that, in a way, is an excuse. So be it, I'm on the path again and feel good about it. 

I went for another mountain bike ride today.  33 minutes in the heat and humidity - nice workout.   Mrs. Ntckfit wants to do laps in the local pond here later.  Sounds good. 

Today:

Today: 181.6 BF%:   24 43.58 lbs. fat
Goal:   167.0 BF%:   18 30.06 lbs. fat

Goal calorie intake: 2400
Goal water intake: 72 ozs.
Goal Calorie Deficit: 500 - 600

This is the plan for the remainder of the year:

Cycle One: (3 Months)

P90X  -      Weight Resistance: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
                   Cardio (HIIT, mountain and road biking, swimming laps, chasing Mrs. Ntckfit) Tuesday,
                   Thursday, and Saturday  (Not doing the program's cardio bits)

Cycle Two: (2 Months)

P90X/Insanity Hybrid       Cardio and Weight Resistance as Above

Cycle Three: (2 Months)  Cardio and Weight Resistance as Above

Kettle Bells, TRX, WODs, Tabata fun

One of the things that I have in the quiver of programs is the Hollywood Physique.  It's a program that focuses on developing specific muscles that create the definitive Hollywood body - think Brad Pitt in Fight Club.  Now, I like the program for its focus on the creating of the body type, yes I'm vain, but the diet is wacked.  Eggs and more eggs ..... then more eggs.   I can appreciate that the protein is natural, that the focus on fats (animals?) is what they are after too .... but the diet is not for me.  I'll take parts of it and run with the things that I find helpful.  I like one of the things that they focus: slowing down and focusing on every single rep to the point you are totally wiped out at the end of the workout.

Ok, enough said for today.

Right.  I haven't posted all summer.  Like to think that was because I was too busy working out and stuff, but not so.  I was looking for a job. Still not a good reason, but I'll use it.  Oh, I got a job.

So, what have I done for workouts this summer? Hmm.  I went mountain biking, which is a blast in one of the best places on the east coast, a bunch.  I went for some road rides on the cape and around here.  I swam laps a few times.  I hiked the Grand Canyon for a hour, then a day later, Bryce, then later still, Zion.  Wow, that was amazing stuff.  A workout at elevation.  I have no wind.


My first view of the Grand Canyon:


So, I've been working out a bit, but it's not enough.

My weight today:  186.3 Body Fat 23%    Ugh
Goal weight:          167.0 Body Fat 18%

The trail on the Grand Canyon.

What is the plan?  6 meals a day.  Eliminate processed food and sugars.  A lot of load of water.  B12, Calcium, and Multi Vitamin each day.  Two workouts a day.  Alcohol consumption eliminated. Sleep 8 hours a night.

I have to choose a program to begin.  These are the options:  P90X, Insanity, Hollywood Physique, TRX and Kettle Bells, Turbulence Training ...... oh, the decisions.

I'll start out with P90X.  It's known and it works.  I transformed my body with it before.  Ok, that's the start.  Going to do early morning workouts.  Then have a post workout drink then breakfast.

Diet.  If I burn about 500 cals working out each day, my nutritionist says I should burn eat 2900 cals a day.  With a 500 cal deficit, to lose weight, that translates to 2400 cals.  I want to eat as close to paleo as possible but found it to be tough.  I'll start that again too.

P90X and Ab Ripper X

Finished another day one.  Funny thing about this path I've found myself on - I have the knowledge of how to get in friggin good shape but choose not to. And I have to ask myself, why?  It's to do with laziness, for sure.  Its also due to the patters I fell into.  The fricken broken foot for three months derailed me. Then there's all this work shixnit.

Im sick of the frickin reasons.  Im sick of the excuses.  I tired of feeling like crap because of the way I ate, slept, or  - you name it.

It's spring time now and I'm ready to restart

I'm working on my foot through a protocol established by a sports medicine podiatrist out of Brown University - with the hope that the fricken foot will heal in total.  Intervals are NOT going to be running anymore; I foresee road bike work.  The mountain bike season is here.  I live 5 minutes away from some of the best trails on the east coast.

It's time.

Im in with both feet.  

Week Two in the Walking Boot

Right.  Second week in the boot.  The foot doesn't hurt like it did last week, but I can still feel it.

I ordered a GymBoss interval timer so that I can begin to mix up some functional fitness workouts into the program when the foot heals.  The program will look something like this:

Monday          AM  P90X      PM Mountain Bike or Rollerblade
Tuesday          AM  Insanity    PM Hills Road Bike
Wednesday     AM  P90X      PM Mountain Bike or Rollerblade
Thursday         AM  Insanity    PM Intervals Road Bike
Friday             AM  P90X       PM Mountain Bike or Rollerblade

Now, doubles will be intense.  On days of Insanity, I can burn between 500-950 calories.  Add on top of that 500 or so riding the mountain bike.  I'll have to watch what I eat.

Last year I worked with a nutritionist who looked at my diet and what I was doing at the time for workouts. At that time, I was 167 lbs. or so.  He told me that 2900 cals would be what I should shoot for, then with the calorie deficit to lose the stomach ring, a 500 cal deficit.  So, then I was shooting for 2400 cals.  The breakout in terms of percentages was 45% carbs., 35% protein, and 30% fat.

The more I think about it, following this plan along with P90X and Insanity, I was loosing about 1% body fat a month - which really is not that much - or is it?  Hmm.

I finished the Advocare cleanse and the 24 day challenge.  No change in body weight or fat %.  Interesting.  I was reading about the contents of some of the product.  Odd things about ephedrine and reformulated sugar with a new name.  I have to look into that.  Suffice to say, I may go back to Beachbody products - as I know that they work. 

Day Ten - Back and Chest and Ab Ripper X

Right.  Back at it.  The weekend move really messed with the schedule. And the fact that I knocked myself on my *&^ moving a ton of stuff.  Well, that is more a rationalization than anything. I have to say that I set the alarm two times for 4:30 AM and bagged it.  The bed is such a draw.  I used to pop out of bed and head down every single morning for nearly three years.  Three years.  What happened?

Funny how working out is after a while.  I can feel the change in two weeks - more energy by far.  I think too that I have been eating a lot better contributes to that.  The paleo diet is out there, I've been in and out in doing it completely, having difficulties with following it ..... hmmm.


So doing P90X again, man, I think its time to turn the sound off and plug in the iPod. This is the second time I did Ab Ripper X since I started again.  I forgot how I liked it, but didn't.

Shopping Day

Right. Went shopping with a list that I took from The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf.  What did I get, let's see: Strawberries, cantaloupe, avocados, bell peppers, steak tip meat, ground turkey, carrot sticks, onions, sweet potatoes, and baby spinach.   Here's a video about the diet.




With what I have in the fridge now, its looking good for a good week of eating.   I mentioned the Advocare cleanse in the post below.  A co-worker put me on to Advocare and it looks like a great product. I'm suspect of products that are out there, but in in a healthy way.  I've seen what P90X and Insanity did for me.  Now it's a "wait and see" with this upcoming Advocare cleanse.

Went to to a local diner for breakfast and logged into Fitday.com mobile.  The Fitday journal, logging into Beachbody for the workouts, and this blog all keep me honest.

I'm looking into TRX right now too. 

Time to cook some meat.

Later

Day Six - Back and Chest

Right.  Day six of P90X.

Just finished the weight resistance part of this morning.  About to start Ab Ripper X.   Truth is that Im the edge of bagging ABX - but will not. 

This is the third time I've done the program.  But its starting all over again.  Current weight - 181.8 lbs. at 24% body fat. In a month or so, I'm going to work in some Insanity cardio workouts.  Both programs are Beachbody products.

This week I go shopping for food that follows the Primal Diet.  That should be interesting.  I'm going to fire up the FitDay.com account to log my food.   I know what I need to eat, when it comes to total calories and fat, protein, and carbs percentages.  So, after shopping, log it, I start an Advocare cleanse.

Later.

Hola! No workout today

Hmm.  I got up early to go for an interval run, and holy crap, my glutimus maxius was .... well, the pain was there.  It was from the lunges yesterday.  So, I bagged the run.  The thing is that that sucks.  Well, maybe not "sucks" but I could have gone, maybe should have gone.   Chalk one up to getting back on the path, this day was a rut.

Day Five - Legs and Back

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.  What happened to my blog - I put, what, three hours or so into the design, and "poof," it's gone!   Grr

Anyway, I got up at 4:30 AM this morning.  I know.  Holy crap!  But the leg and back workout was sweet - the legs still ache and its 12 hours later.  That says something,  More later

Day Three - Shoulders and Arms

Done.  Right, this is my favorite workout of this program.  Feel good.  I was going to workout yesterday in the am and the alarm didn't go off.  Hmm. Subconscious mind at work? Hmm.

I was reading about functional fitness.  Looks good.  The workouts that really workout your whole body are intense in a different way, rather than the isolated weight excercise workouts.  Like flipping a huge tire, or swinging a sledgehammer.  Crossfit takes functional fitness to a new level.  There's a new gym that opened up that is works this angle to.

Day One. Chest and Back plus Ab Ripper X

So, I started P 90X today, first day of 90 to come. The workout was great.  I'll stopped working out partly due to a nasty shoulder sprain that turned into "frozen shoulder." So, the first day is in the books and I feel great about it. ABX was tough.  I know that time will change that. Heading off to down a recovery drink.

So I was thinking that the reason for the shoulder putting out of action sounds lame, in a way.  It was something that scared me like no other.

I found out I sprained the AC joint on my shoulder.  And by not using it, my shoulder literally froze up.  The range of motion just, well, it was NOT good at all.  My PT (she is incredible, btw) told me to talk to a orthopedic surgeon about my shoulder - and that I might have a torn rotator cuff.  And that would suck big time.

So off I went to a hospital in Boston and had my first MRI.  The next day, I met with the surgeon.  It went well until there were four doctors in the exam room and he brought up interesting here.  "Oh shit," I thought to myself.  "I have a tear, I HAVE A TEAR!"   But no.

Teres Minor Muscle

Turns out I had a tumor in my shoulder, I know.  It was in the teres minor in the shoulder, taking up a lot of the muscle.  Hmm.   The doctor told me that he was setting my up with a colleague and friend at Dana Farber for an biopsy.  So, I was headed to one of the foremost cancer centers in the world.  Holy crap.

Fast forward and the biopsy came back negative.  What I have is a lipoma in the muscle - very rare.  Lipomas are just fatty tumors.  Did you ever have a dog that had bumps under their fur?   They're lipomas.

So, after three months of PT, I received the green light to start lifting weights again and today was day one.