I started an exercise blitz on 30 April with a 12 week program involving gym work 6 days a week (see my Check My Workouts! page for more detail), and pilates twice a week (which I have been doing forever).
Last week, I finished my second 12 week program where I was gymming 5 days a week, with pilates still twice a week.
I have just started my third 12 week stint.
Psychologically, it is easier for me to think of them as 12 week blocks than ‘forever and ever’ because the latter makes me go ‘What?! No way!’
So, it’s been almost 6 months. Status update time.
The good:
- Knowing I am fitter and stronger makes me feel sexier, more powerful. I feel *raawwrrrr*
- The workout crew who have joined me have been pivotal in helping me stay motivated, and I trust (hope) it’s been mutual (thank you, gentlemen!).
- I have missed *very* few days (maybe 3 or 4 in total) which I am crazy-proud about.
- I am much stronger… *grunt*!! Jefit produces graphs that illustrate this (see leg press chart at right!).
- I can feel awesome muscles where before there were none and I love that (someone come and feel my quads… they are yummy!).
- I am insufferably smug for sticking at it for so long, and being smug is one of my most favourite things *smug look*
The ‘could be better’:
- I am still not where I want to be and I find that a bit frustrating. I arrogantly expected my body to just *snap* into the vision of what I wanted really fast. I’ve done no exercise forever (ever?!), and I didn’t need to lose weight, so the shock itself should have been enough. But I *look* much the same, even if there is muscle underneath. I thought I would be sporting a lean(er) muscle-evident(er) body by now.
- I don’t get the ‘thing’ that everyone seems to get where you actually get to the point where you *want* to go to the gym for how it makes you feel. There is obviously something wrong with my ‘whatever it is’ that makes you feel that way. I really NEVER want to go.
- I don’t think I push myself as hard as I could or should, which is no doubt impacting results.
- Random ‘not good’ pains in places I have never had them before because I am working my body in ways it hasn’t been pushed before. The biggest being ‘Harold’, an internal, non-muscular pain in my abdomen that raises its ugly head when I run. Fuck you Harold!!
So what’s next?
I know that I need to change my workout routine. I do two different exercises for each muscle group, and I have been doing the same ones this entire time. I know that’s not ideal, BUT I chose the exercises for a bunch of good reasons, and I am actually terrified of making changes in case it demotivates me.
I am doing cycles of s-l-o-w reps of 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down (Hugh Jackman did this to bulk up for Wolverine… *sigh*… oh Hugh…), and I am calling this a change up. It is *really* hard and *does* make me stronger (that is, when I go back to normal speed reps, I can lift heavier things), so it works at least in some fashion.
I am tackling the way I eat. I don’t normally eat much, or regularly, or well, which I understand slows my metabolism and doesn’t support muscle building, so I am working on having 6 small meals a day, and more protein. I have a ‘food alarm’ on my phone (OMG, sooo fucking annoying!!), and I have bought HUGE tubs of protein powder like a proper body builder *neanderthal grunting*, because if I have to actually *make* food 6 times a day, well, I won’t. I am lazy.
I would like to note that while writing this post, I was also cooking pizza. Heh.
9 comments
I would gladly feel your yummy quads, except for STUPID OCEANS getting in the way. The arm and shoulder are looking sexy, too.
*flexes quads* Feel THAT!! Stupid oceans.
“The arm and shoulder are looking sexy, too.”
*smile* Thank you!!
Ferns
Kudos for sticking with it! I’ve done bouts of “eat healthy and exercise regularly” in the past, but like you, I never EVER get that “ooh I can’t wait to get up at 4:30 am and exercise” thing. Not ever. No endorphin rush, nothin’.
Which is why it’s so so easy to slip back into utter sloth mode.
Canoeing a (calm) river for three hours and hiking all over this week has reminded me just how far I’ve slid. Thanks for the inspiration and kick in my arse to get back at it.
“Kudos for sticking with it!”
Thanks!!
“like you, I never EVER get that “ooh I can’t wait to get up at 4:30 am and exercise” thing. Not ever. No endorphin rush, nothin’.”
I’m glad it’s not just me!!! Gym people keep *insisting* that it MUST HAPPEN. Nope. Doesn’t.
“Thanks for the inspiration and kick in my arse to get back at it.”
You’re most welcome! Go you!
Ferns
Sounds like you could use a wife! :)
It can be really easy to maximize protein intake without relying on powders or spending the whole day cooking. Keeping a few basics, like smoked salmon, nuts, dried and/or nitrite-free cured meats, and boiled eggs can be a really easy way to fix a quick small meal. To go with these proteins, I generally keep on hand a variety of fresh vegetables, hummus, cream cheese, and jars of marinara.
I feel for you in the not want to go to the gym! I have a sister who practically lives there and loves it. Freaks me way out! My fitness goals luckily do not require gym time. I am at my personal ideal weight (although this may be larger than someone else’s idea of ideal) and am working mostly on endurance–bicycling and running. Also, I do enough pilates to maintain my ability to hold a variety of my owner’s favorite submissive positions. ;)
“Sounds like you could use a wife! :)”
Or, you know, a lovely submissive man…
Thanks for the food tips. I do have nuts and boiled eggs handy. The other ideas are good too, I appreciate it.
“I feel for you in the not want to go to the gym!…and am working mostly on endurance–bicycling and running.”
No no, it’s not about not liking the *gym going* at all for me. It’s about *any working out/exercise things*: it’s all the same thing to me. I don’t *enjoy* any of it, so doing it is always hard work.
So you can’t be saying to me ‘Eh, I only do a bunch of cycling and running’, you say ‘I am ALL about the cycling and running, I’m so AWESOME!!’ and I will be uber impressed.
“Also, I do enough pilates to maintain my ability to hold a variety of my owner’s favorite submissive positions.”
*smile* I’m sure they appreciate it!
Ferns
As a member of your workout crew, I’ve been tracking your logs and pictures (swoon) from the very start and I continue to be impressed by your progress. You should be “crazy proud” of your accomplishments.
“I am still not where I want to be and I find that a bit frustrating”
I understand what you’re saying here, but from the pics I’ve seen and compared, there is real change there.
“I really NEVER want to go”
I’m right with you here… I never want to go either, but that’s where the encouragement from you helps so much! (Thank you!!!)
“Random ‘not good’ pains in places I have never had them before because I am working my body in ways it hasn’t been pushed before. The biggest being ‘Harold’…”
I can literally feel your pain here. In addition to rattling knees and ankles, I now have “Harriet” to contend with so working through pain makes your accomplishments all the more impressive.
I hope you enjoyed the pizza
“You should be “crazy proud” of your accomplishments.”
*smile* Thank you slapshot! Your cheerleading has been really helpful.
“I understand what you’re saying here, but from the pics I’ve seen and compared, there is real change there.”
I appreciate that, thank you. I think part of it is the hyper criticality of self, and since I see myself daily, I don’t see changes so clearly, but the photos I have sent were specifically designed to show off muscle gain. I mean, look at my bicep pics: I don’t walk around in the world all flexy-posy, funnily enough.
So in my day to day life when I am relaxed and going about my day, eh, to me I look much the same as six months ago (and I am not whining about how that’s terrible, I just expected better *visible* results from my body after all the work I have been doing).
In short, I was arrogant enough to expect MORE.
“I never want to go either, but that’s where the encouragement from you helps so much! (Thank you!!!)”
I’m so glad it has been helpful for you also. And you are so very welcome!
I now have “Harriet” to contend with…
I just hope Harold and Harriet don’t breed…
Ferns
And yes, the pizza was yum!!!
Ferns