Making Some Gains

This week was pretty uneventful, except for the weather.  The photos on the left show last Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.  I took advantage of the nice weather Sunday and went for a walk in the Metro Park, hitting some of the walking trails and climbing down to the creek bed.  I ended the week with some more time at the beach (Yes, it warmed up again by the weekend!).

At the gym, I got in my usual workouts, plus I went back to the cardio kickboxing class.  I think I’m going to make it a part of my regular routine for a while.  I didn't have any issues with my diet last week, though I did eat more for breakfast than I did last week.  I think that the extra food made a noticeable difference in my energy levels.  I continued with my usual snacks, eating a small lunch and observing portion control for dinner.  This all resulted in a one pound weight loss.

I continue to notice signs of progress.  My shirts are fitting a little differently in the upper back and chest.  I've started doing bent over dumbbell rows again.  In the past, this exercise has been great for developing my upper back muscles.  Depending on how I feel, I work with 60 – 75 lb. dumbbells, performing three sets of ten reps with each arm.  I've also added incline presses to my chest work.  I’m doing 90 – 100 lb. shoulder presses and 90 lb. shoulder shrugs.  My shirt sleeves are starting to fill out, too.  I’m up to 90 lb. reps on the preacher curl bench and 50 lb. dumbbell curls.  Tricep exercises are in the 45 – 60 lb. range.

I feel like I’m on track to hit some of my body shaping goals by July 23, which will be the eighteen month point of my fitness restart.  It’s possible that I may not hit the weight loss goals, but I consider that less important than reaching my overall fitness targets.

Inspiration

This time, my inspiration has nothing to do with me.  I have a cousin who is a little older than me, who has had some fitness issues in the past.  He managed to turn them completely around.  He’s become a runner, averaging 5-6 mile runs.  He eats very clean and has become a smoothie guy, making his own fruit and vegetable smoothies.  He works out regularly in his home gym.  He’s probably now in his best shape since his time in the military.  His success helps to motivate me to keep working towards my own.

Weight loss to date:  45 lbs