Too sore to workout

Was so sore working out was crazy painful.  Cut my squats short, then tried to do deadlifts but my form was suffering from my soreness, so I ditched.  This is what I did get done:

Gold's Downtown, 8am.

Squat

65 x 8
130 x 5
150 x 4
170 x 3
200 x 5 x 2

Deadlift

85 x 8


I was going to stop working out completely and start anew on Tuesday, but after reading a blog about not letting injury keep you from training, I've decided to workout on Sat just upper body, then start anew on Tues.  I'm thinking about deviating from the structured 5X5 program towards one more flexible.  More on that later.

1: Cardio 1

Sore as a MF.  Still managed to get to Gold's for a treadmill walk.  Felt fine once I got going.

TM Walk

3.0 mph

1.5 - 5.0 Incline

:30 min

1: Weights A

Week 1, Workout A.

Gold's Downtown, 745a.

Squat:

Warm up sets

75 x 8

150 x 5

175 x 4

195 x 3

Work set:

230 5X5

The 5X5 was hard! I haven't done squats in over a week, and although my strength was good, that was a lot of weight to be doing 5X5! Felt good to be putting 2 wheels on each side. Had to really concentrate to get all the way down and keep good form on the way up. My right leg was especially tight and my right knee was pinging a bit. But I'm sure I just need to work it out. All in all, a hard but good start.

Bench Press:

Warm up sets

70 x 8

140 x 5

160 x 5

185 x 5

200 x 5

Work set:

215 x 5

My shoulder has been aching ever since I did my tests, but it doesn't bother me at all when working out. This was a lot of weight on the bench, but i still cranked it out. My bench is without a doubt improving. Saw a guy do 315 for multiple reps today. I want to do that.

Row:

Warm up sets

55 x 8

110 x 5

125 x 5

140 x 5

155 x 5

Work set:

165 x 5

Didn't have much trouble with the rows. My legs were tight from the squats, and I was a bit tired from the previous exercises, but I still managed with no problems. 165 is heavy, but for only 5 times not a big deal. Plus I do some light deadlifts and trap raises when I change the weights. Bonus!

Felt good to get back in the swing of working out. This round will be tough, and made more so by the addition of cardio. I will not go crazy on the cardio, though. My main focus will be my strength training. But I will still do 3 days of cardio along with this 5X5. So here we go!

Begin 5X5 Round 2

This will now become a training blog.

Went to Gold's yesterday morning for cardio.

Treadmill walk

1.5 incline
3.0 mph
:30 min

A little L knee pain, but went away. Barely broke a sweat. Trying to ease back into cardio after a long break.

Ate freely.

Weight: 161.4 lbs.

Birthday Post

Following the format of Marc's birthday post, I will also do a status report of what things are like now.

I am living with Marc in Tallahassee, FL. We've been living in the same apartment complex since we moved here in '06, but are now in a first-floor apartment, and have been for a year. The Mimi, Marc's cat from Destin, is now living with us, and I must say she has totally turned me into a cat person. This is no small feat: I have disliked cats for a long long time; I have always been a hardcore dog person. But she is such a sweet cat, and when a cat gives affection (which is infrequent) it is awfully nice.

I am currently working for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) as a Senior Criminal Justice Information Technician in the Firearms Purchase Program. What that means is I work in a call center, taking calls from gun dealers all over the state and running criminal background checks on potential gun buyers, to make sure they qualify for purchase. I work four ten-hour days, from 10:30a to 9:00p F, Sa, M, T. I've been working here since the end of March. I love working for the state, and I totally dig my job. It is easy, stress free, and when we are not taking calls we can do anything we want, like surf the web or read or eat or whatever. The benefits are great, but the pay is not. Oh well, this is my "in" for a good government job. I am planning on sticking with this for a while.

I have been getting into weight lifting pretty seriously for a while, and am now doing a 5X5 strength training program. I am really enjoying going to the gym, and I am interested in seeing where this goes. I have been running too, and am planning on doing a half-marathon in Feb. I've been on the bike some too, but it is easier to just run. Club rides are fun when we get to them.

I am back in Recovery. I have been going to meetings regularly since the end of March. I have a sponsor, and have been diligently working the steps. I am currently on Step 8. I am convinced that active recovery is producing major changes in my attitude and outlook on life. The steps are helping me to grow spiritually, and that is having positive effects on every part of my life. I will continue with this journey of recovery, and see where it leads me.

I am not dating anyone presently. Marc and I don't really have any friends we hang out with. We are social at work, and I am socializing a bit with people at meetings. But we don't have any friends in Tallahassee, really. But that doesn't bother me too much, in that Marc, Recovery, and work satisfies much of my social needs. Not all, I realize, but this will come with time. As will female companionship. I don't need to rush these things. I am already making progress with being more social, and prefer to do it slowly. Living with Marc is a major factor. If we weren't together, I am sure I would need to be more social. But we are planning on living together for a while, and that is fine with me. It will most likely change at some time in the future. Until then, I am fine where things are at.

That's a brief descrip of where I am now. Hello 38th year!

Trying To Get A Handle

So I was thinking about fringe diets and my own diet.  Keeping an open mind, I believe that those fringe diets such as paleo or low/zero carb can and would work with me, if I adhered to them.  But honestly, I like "bad" food too much to stop eating it entirely.  I have tried many times to not "cheat", and always come back to the "bad" food.  What's more, is that it always makes me happy when I have a meal of the "bad" food.  So that's what I need to remember.  Like that yoga post, eating "bad" food is part of me, and I enjoy it.  If I eat it all the time, I will gain fat.  But if I keep it in moderation, like a few times a week, I will either maintain or lose fat, depending on my calorie intake during the rest of the time.  This has been proved personally.  So that is my diet solution:  Eat healthy most of the time, and then have my out meals or pizza or desert a few times a week.  That is reasonable, and can even be considered a healthy diet.  Will this diet make me "shredded"?  Probably not.  But I don't want to sacrifice my out meals or pizza or desert to be shredded.  I like eating too much.  I like eating my comfort food too much.  I want to eat a po boy if I want.  (BTW I want one soon!)  I want to eat a hamburger with a bun if I want.  And so I will.  But, I need to keep it in moderation, if I don't want to gain fat.  So, I will keep on not listening to all the diet advice, and eat what I want, but what I know to be healthy, or healthy-ish.  (Or what tastes good!)  I do need to get back to tracking calories, though.  I will use my modified BFFM plan, which is tracking calories 5 days a week, and have 2 days a week which will be "refeed" days.  On those days, I will have an out meal(s) or pizza and not really worry about calories.  And for the 5 days, I will work a small deficit, maybe like 10-15%, leaning more to 10%.  I will keep fat and protein high, and carbs low, but not worry about a carb number or percentage.  I will try to keep protein at 1 gram per pound, if I can.  I will try low carb ways, but go off them when I want.  I'll eat fruit if I want.  I'll eat vegetables only if I want, which is not too often.  I will continue to take my multivitamin, but only that.  I will try to eat as cheaply as possible.  I need to simplify my diet, so that I can put that energy toward my spiritual growth and other things.  The calorie counting will take some time and energy, but I've done it before and I can do it again.  Once I get a general diet down, it won't really change that much daily.  Although I still need to figure what I will eat at work.  I am tired of turkey and vegetables.  And I don't care if I ever eat tuna again.  Lean cuisine, maybe?  4 a week may not cost too much.  Canned soup is cheap too.  I'll work it.  I want to stay away from sandwiches, though.  The less grains I eat the better, since I will be eating them on out meals. 

You know, I have lost my taste for some unhealthy foods, like chips and sugared cereal.  Sometimes chips are okay, but only a little.  And cereal I don't really miss anymore, especially sugared.  But I still love most candy, and chocolate, and bread, and pasta, and other foods like that.  So I will keep it moderate, and enjoy my eating.  It makes me happy! 

Back To Normal

I am done with letting people tell me what I can and cannot eat.  I am tired of reading all these people blogging on this is unhealthy, this is the right way to do it, this is how people should eat, blah blah blah.  I am still interested in diet and fitness, but I am getting bogged down with my current method of research, which is mostly reading blogs.  I have to remind myself that this is just one person's opinion; it may or may not be factual.  It may be backed by some study, but does that mean it is true?  For me or anyone else?  I do not have the answer.  But I know it is not really getting me anywhere.  I mean, I am, by nearly all definitions, fit and in shape.  I have good lean muscle mass, and my body fat levels are low but not unhealthy.  I look good naked, and generally feel good phyiscally at rest and in activity.  So what am I after?  Why do I feel the need to try to deprive myself of certain foods because other people are telling me so?  Or more acurately, why am I trying to live on the fringe?  

This I believe:  Grains are for the most part unhealthy.  There is too much evidence which supports this, which I believe.  I am okay with avoiding them on a regular basis, and eating them in moderation, as in pizza, pasta, bread, or pastries.  But these are occassional, and are not a part of my daily diet.  The same can be said with sugar.  But I am getting tired of trying to adhere to a set of dietary rules.  This is only adding stress to my life, and it is completely self-induced.  Screw this.  I am done.

I am gonna stop all the madness.  I will eat low-carb-ish, but not really follow a diet or a WOE.  I will eat whatever I want some of the time.  This could mean twice a week, or three times a week.  Basically, I'm going to try not to count or worry about it, or record it, or anything.  When I want to eat "bad" food, I will.  I need to get back to food being food, and not "good" or "bad" or "clean" or "unhealthy".  I have a general idea what is healthy or not.  I can eat healthy most of the time.

I miss my bananas and other fruit.  Grains I can keep to moderation.  I'm not really missing cereal too much, so I can hang with my bacon and eggs.  Maybe throw some sausage in there.  I am going to continue not to measure, and eat off hunger.  I will keep on my weekly weigh-ins, because this will keep me from letting my weight or BF get too high.  Or, at least, be aware of it.  I want my strength training to be my top fitness priority, so I don't want to be in a calorie deficit while I'm trying to increase my strength.  That makes sense.  I may or may not try a 24 hour fast.  I keep saying I want to, then chicken out.  Maybe one week I will do it. 

I am also going to ditch the whole minimalist running.  I miss running normally. Trying to make the transition to running in my VFF is hard and not fun.  So I'm gonna use my VFF only at the gym, and run like a normal person. 

I like that sound of that.  Like a normal person.  While I'm working so hard on my spritual program, I need to stop trying to change other aspects of my life so much.  I need to put my energy toward spirtual growth, and let the other changes come more naturally.  I will still exercise, and try to eat healthy, but will do it more sanely and normally.  I need to stop trying to live extreme and instead do what makes me happy.  I know what makes me happy, so I should do that.  Also, I need to be happy with what I have, and stop trying to make my life into something else.  Like trying to be paleo/primal or carnivore or low-carb or whatever. 

Moderation in diet, do what I like in exercise, and work hard on the spirit.  This is now my plan.