This blog, created just a few minutes ago, was exclusively made to log my experience of getting back in shape. Well, I'm not really getting back in shape, but I've had quite a stressful senior year of college (exams, papers, recital, slumlords, etc.) and... I just got a little (more) out of shape. I was never exactly in shape before, but there were a few moments in my short life when I could play through a 60-minute soccer game or when I could swim 2500 meters in one swimming practice. But those days are long gone, especially after my four-year stint at university.
But I graduated, I'm out of the university, and beginning my life. Basically, it's a chance for me to start again from scratch. And I'm serious about getting into shape this time!
I've tried a few exercise programs before as well as received advice from two personal trainers, so I have an adequate sense of what to do in the weight room. But all of my attempts to get into shape have failed, due to school work load, loss of interest, irregular workout schedule, getting sick, etc. Last year I got pretty close to what I wanted to look like physically, but I barely had any strength because of my poor eating habits. But more on that in a bit.
First, a little bit about me. I'm your average quirky-short-technofreak-bat-socialist-musician-experimental-oldfashioned-homosexual Colombian-American. Physically, I'm about 1.6 meters tall, which is pretty short in America, and I weigh about 55.5 +/- 1 kg. According to my stats and my BMI, I'm fine, not overweight or too skinny. But I want something more. Doesn't everyone?
I want to be able to lift heavy things easier. I want to run/bike longer distances without running out of breath so fast. I want to swim faster and better. I want to feel stronger. I want to look better. I want to feel confident. I want to attract guys.
Blah blah blah. Same old story. But as long as I have goals, I should be fine, right?
Last summer, after two free sessions from a personal trainer whom I worked with (thanks Craig!) I committed myself to a regimen of diet and exercise for about two months. I achieved pretty good results: I excelled academically far better than ever before, I ate better (cooked basically every meal instead of going to the school cafeteria), and had a good level of self confidence. I also weighed 52 kgs, which I thought I would never drop to. But it happened, and I was surprised how fast I was losing weight. Well, if you swim 3 days a week and lift 3 other days, you are bound to melt some fat. But no matter how much I lifted, I wasn't gaining any weight; in fact, I still dropped weight. Then, two months later, I started feeling very fatigued all the time. I didn't even feel like walking or riding bike to go to class, because that would make me tired. A couple of friends advised me to EAT and take a break from the gym. So I did.
Eight months later, I'm back to my old self. I gained back the 3 or so kilograms, lost some muscle mass, and I'm more than ready to get back to where I left off.
While preparing for my new adventure, I heard that HotLatinSexGod/AC Slater Mario Lopez came out with a new fitness book. I've browsed through a few fitness books before, and they have all been helpful in developing workouts, but if Hot Hot Mario wrote a book on it, I think I would trust his advice, given his incredible physique and all that good stuff.
So yeah.
I pre-ordered it and received it about a week ago. The book has a very different approach to all other workouts that I've tried. He is an advocate of working the entire body in a short time interval, and combining different kinds of exercises to "melt fat and build muscle". Diet suggestions. Complete workouts written down. Boxing. Biking. Team sports. Not the boring, tedious half-hour-on-the-treadmill routine. Etc etc etc.
Well, sounds good enough to me.
And now, the cusp of what will be my blog from now on:
Saturday, May 17, 2008. I began my first workout as stated on his second chapter, Workout A, which consisted of various dumbbell exercises and bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups. I joined the local gym about a week before. It was a pretty speedy workout, but at the same time, because of the minimal pauses between exercises, very intense. I strictly followed the plan, doing three sets of each exercise, and when I biked back home I started the cardio portion of the workout: Lateral hops. Wow, did that take my breath away, literally. I haven't done something as strenuous as that in a very long time, so my heart was pumping hard; I gulped almost two liters of water throughout the entire workout. But I felt pretty good afterwards, primarily about myself finishing the workout. Afterwards, I drank a soy protein shake made with soy milk (I'm not vegetarian, but yeah).
Now, two days later, OW. OW OW OW. My arms and shoulders are really sore. I was going to do the second workout today, but I can't do it in this condition, or at least, I'm trying to be healthy, so I won't workout today. I'm hoping by Wednesday I'll feel better. I can't wait to do it again, actually, but perhaps I'll do two sets instead of three for each exercise so that I'm able to wake up in the morning.
My diet is better now (I'm eating 5 small-moderate meals a day and drinking lots of water), and I eat chicken and fish often.
So other than my soreness (my arms much more than my legs since I bike everyday to commute), I feel good. We'll see what happens this Wednesday, hopefully, if my body permits me to have a workout.
Until then.
