Rekindle The Flames

About a year ago, well I guess a little short of a year ago, I started a rigorous 4 day per week of lifting weights followed by a short period of cardio (20-30 minutes of running on the treadmill/using the elliptical). It worked for about 6-7 months, give or take for time off due to vacation or other reasons that would lead to an inability to go (whether it be time or lack of motivation for that day). Sometime in late October/early November of 2019, I fell off the workout train since I hadn't been able to work out due to the volume of people in the gym. I didn't feel like waiting 20 minutes to use a bench press. Sure I could start elsewhere, but bench was the pinnacle of my chest days, and I wanted my best performance on it, so I couldn't tire myself out beforehand. Sure that's not a great excuse, but then that day that I dropped off it was also incredibly busy on everything else. Pros and cons of a college gym.

It's been a solid 3-4 months now since I had considered exercising regularly. Well, ever since I came home for Christmas and now indefinitely, I had gotten back to training consistently at aikido, but that's more of a cardio exercise than anything. No strength training, which I would like to incorporate. For the past few weeks leading up to getting a job, I had gone to a group exercise class at the local gym we have a membership to. It started to rebuild some of my presumably lost strength. And these past couple days, well just today and yesterday, before I went to work I did a total of 70 push-ups.

Push-ups are a great exercise. Requires you to lift approximately 70% of your bodyweight, and works the chest, triceps, shoulders, core, and a bit of back if you go low enough. I would get out of bed, do 35, go have breakfast, and as I got changed for work, I do another 35. I also have been making sure I incorporate a solid amount of protein in my breakfast to help fuel my muscles and strength for the day.

Also, I must be getting my body conditioned to standing for hours in a row, because my knees do not hurt me today. Well hurt in the sense of being tired. I don't know if it's because I moved more or if I have figured out tactics to combat the tiredness, but it's good that my knees don't feel tired. With that being said, I remember a few weeks ago, I told a friend I would get back into running. And now that I got my work schedule pretty much solidified and am feeling overall better about myself, I might incorporate a small run on the treadmill in the gap in between the end of work and the start of aikido.

To add to it all, I've been consistently losing a few pounds. Sure weight fluctuates on a day to day basis, but after tracking and logging my weight data into Fitbit, it shows that each week's average is consistently going down a half pound to a pound. Maybe that's because I'm on my feet more and being a bit more active than just milling about at home.

So if I were to start running, I could probably shed a few more pounds and cut my body fat down to a spot that I like. Then I'll have to figure out if I want to get up earlier to go do weight lifting before work or find other bodyweight exercises I can perform for strength training.

I feel good about myself. I feel the fires for working out and taking better care of my physical self starting back up. The forge is running hot now, and now it's time to reforge myself. Trial by fire, and I'm going to shape up my physical as I shape up my mental. I'm going to be a different man physically and mentally. This is good. I am excited.