While upping my physical activity, I also decided to reduce the lard that'd collected around my midsection. I figured I had about 15 pounds to lose, as I'd gained about that much since the accident.
The CSSF summer program put a pause on progress, of course, what with pretty much every waking hour spent with the Workshoppers, then Conference attendees, then Institute students, but I stuck (mostly) to good eating habits and stayed physically active if not working out. But after July (and the SF Institute) ended, I jumped back into it, almost completely cutting out grains while upping the workout routine. Yesterday morning, I was 21 pounds lighter than when I started all this in April. I'm able to wear pants only my undergrad-me could have fit into before, and the new clothes I bought last winter are just huge. Who knew I had so much weight to lose? I hear that guys underestimate how much fat they're carrying, and gee whiz is it true, folks.
However, I hit a snag a couple of weeks ago, and maybe you have a suggestion. The tendon on my left forearm, where the muscle joins the inside of the elbow, no longer approves of exercises that require a grip and pull, like curls or pull-ups. Still bothered me last night when I tried to resume my workout schedule, even after letting the arm mostly rest. Tendonitis? Something else? I should probably get it looked at by a professional. Dammit.
Anyhow, here's some photo documentation (taken August 24 - should update this, as I'm down another 4 pounds!). A little embarrassing to show these, but a good motivator to watch improvement:
Front shot (replicating stance from previous post to compare):
Back shot:
I like that my shoulders now look even from behind!
Workout details - for tracking purposes, here's my workout circuit (until the arm started bothering me...):
Exercise | Reps/Sets | Technique |
Sit-ups | 30/2-5, time-limited | exercise ball under back, add set between other exercises |
TRX free pushups | 12/2 | start with grips at knee-level, slowly dip through full range of motion, slowly push back up to full extension - challenging! |
TRX rows | 15/2 | start back on floor, squeeze shoulderblades together while pulling grips to chest |
Single-leg squats | 12/2 | stand near wall to balance |
Dead-hang pull-ups | 15-20/2 (then add 2-5 kipping pull-ups) | start hanging full-extension from bar, pull until chin is over bar, lower slowly; at end, use momentum for added kipping pull-ups |
Dumbbell push-ups | 15-20/2 | grip dumbbells, lower slowly until nose touches floor, push up fast |
Dumbbell curls + shrugs | 10-15/2 | 34 pounds, alternate curl and shrug, both arms simultaneous |
Triceps extensions, dips, stair-running, etc. | however many I'm in the mood for | various |
And I'm bicycling to work most days now that it's cooled off and I don't show up to the office all sweaty. Other suggestions of what to add to my circuit?
Breakfast each day is usually a spinach salad with a variety of nuts and sunflower seeds, whatever meat I find in the fridge, feta cheese, veggies if I can find 'em, and either
Finally, I leave you with this: If I can manage decent eating-and-fitness progress even with a frakked-up shoulder and a sweet tooth, you can do it, too! Thanks so much to
Best,
Chris