June 14, 2013
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Exercise and me
Those who know me well (my kids) know that I’m the world’s biggest slob. Well, not the biggest, but definitely in the top quarter of the class. I used to work several nights a week plus Saturdays on my handyman business. Once there was less financial need for that, I started spending my evenings on my recliner watching TV and blogging, while dishes piled up in the sink, cat hair collected in the corners, and my weight crept up and up.
I played in a church summer softball league for nine years. Each year I’d vow that by next year I would have lost weight and worked out so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. And each year I was several pounds heavier and slower.
Then I got reacquainted with the world’s most wonderful woman, and suddenly had to deal with the responsibilities of being the world’s most fortunate man.
We got married in December and joined a gym in February. YouFit is the cheapest gym I’ve seen (about $15 a month) and has great equipment. They offer a free one-hour “coaching” session, which turned out to be a sales pitch for personal training. We got talked into four training sessions a month for a year.
The training didn’t go that well. We didn’t hit it off with our first trainer, and then had trouble finding anyone else available in the evenings, so eventually I begged off the contract. But I learned a handful of things that have been helpful.
I learned that weight training burns more fat than a cardio workout, and that the body needs to be stressed for the exercise to have an impact. Variety is good. It keeps the body off balance. You can’t keep doing the same things and expect the same results because the body adapts. And it’s better to work out with weights first and then follow up with cardio.
In the last month, I’ve lost about 8 pounds. I spend five minutes warming up on the elliptical, then do a circuit of 5-6 weight machines or free weights, 12-20 repetitions depending on what I can handle, plus sit-ups, three times around the circuit as fast as I can. I invariably work up a sweat and am panting by the middle of the second circuit. Then I go back to the elliptical machine, set resistance to 15, and plug away for 22-25 minutes until I’ve burned at least 325-350 calories. I’m usually done with everything in 45-50 minutes.
I’ve increased weights as I’ve progressed, to keep my body stressed, and I alternate between working the upper body one day and legs the next. If I happen to set a machine’s weight too low, I do more reps. I try to complete my weight routine in 15-20 minutes, so it’s very annoying when other people sit at a machine and rest between sets instead of moving on. But rather than talk to them, I skip that exercise and come back to it at the end of the circuit, or I find a similar machine.
The nice thing about doing cardio on the elliptical machine is that it keeps my arms and legs both moving smoothly, so I never end up sore from the weights. I usually feel exhausted when I start, but after ten minutes it gets easier and I can pick up the pace. After 20 minutes I set myself a series of small goals so I’ll keep going: 3 miles, 300 calories, 22 minutes, 3.25 miles, 24 minutes, 350 calories, next commercial break, finish this inning… The machines have a screen where you can watch TV. (If it wasn’t for TV sports, I might have quit the gym months ago.)
I’ve also changed my eating habits since Alicia left on her trip to Colombia. I skip supper or make a salad, and after working out I make a massive fruit shake with whatever is in the house, usually 4-6 fruits: strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, orange, lemon, kiwi, apple, whatever I have, plus crushed ice and milk or fruit juice and maybe a little ice cream. I put the leftovers in the freezer to be blended up another day. It tastes like dessert and is very refreshing, and is full of fiber and vitamins since I use nearly the whole fruit.
The difference is notable. My waist is smaller and I feel energetic and youthful. I still don’t like going to the gym, but it’s part of my schedule now.
Comments (16)
Congrats on the weight loss!
I’m impressed. I’ve tried and failed at working out so many times.
good on you.
@Finity - It helped to be going with my wife the first couple of months. We enjoy being together wherever we are. Now it’s just part of my routine. Having specific activities and the goal of getting through them as fast as possible makes it bearable.
@promisesunshine - @Thatslifekid - Thank you. Getting into shape was long overdue.
Good for you! Almost a year ago I got a fitbit… it is a super good tool for me!
cool. I’m glad for you. I have a dislike for the gym, although I keep a membership there so I might some day actually use it. I’d rather work or something outside and get in shape that way than do meaningless repetitive exercises. I think the Army ruined me on working out.
but, I will try. maybe I can get into better condition. the good thing about your loss of 8 pounds is that it would be more, actually, except for the fact that you’re building muscle, which weights more than fat.
On your way to become Superman?
@plantinthewindow - I’ve always had trouble with exercise that wasn’t fun or necessary. In this case I cope by doing the circuit as fast as I possibly can so I can get out of there (and away from the horrible music) and by watching ballgames as I do cardio. Alicia provides motivation, too. Much funner to do it with her.
Wow! Good for you! It’s good to see progress from your changes. peace always
A good balance bbetween the different exercises and cardio vs. weights is key. The best training though remains boxing training. There you have a all in one package for the whole body. I have been a gym trainer for a while and I can tell that a lot of people make a lot of mistakes. However, you seem to have come up with a quite reasonable plan there. so, all the best with that, may the fat burn!
good job on burning that weight and having fun with it! i think it’s a great idea you and alicia are doing this together!
@Iassi - I don’t see anyone in the gym moving as quickly between exercises as I do. I suppose the young guys are more interested in bulking up their muscles than in overall fitness, and they don’t need the weight loss yet. The older guys plod along or sit and rest for several minutes between sets. I suspect they didn’t get the message about keeping up the pace so their system is working hard all through the workout. They might come to the gym more frequently if they got through their workouts faster.
I haven’t boxed since I was a kid. My parents gave us gloves, and my brother and I used to fight in the living room, only I had to kneel because I was a foot taller than he (he’s adopted from Colombia). I wrestled briefly in PE class in high school, and that was the most exhausting sport I ever tried.
@l0311879l - It’s a great bonding experience.
@peacenow - @Thatslifekid - Thank you. I dread it every night, but the results have been encouraging.
@Roadkill_Spatula - Very encouraging. I never stick with anything. I wish I could get addicted to working out like my son is. Maybe you’ll get to that point – where you just have to do it
. I like the saying that no one ever regrets working out after they do it. It goes something like that. And it’s true.