Where is a Super when you need one?

There are times when you shake your head and say "If only I had [Insert Superhero]'s power".
I was standing on the platform waiting for the train to arrive. After nearly 20min of standing around trying not to look anybody in the eye, (why are there such weird people around nowadays?), we were boarded onto a different train that had been standing around sheepishly all the time. Well, I assume it was feeling sheepish because that's how I would've felt if I was in that position.
It took 20min to figure out that we could just use a different train? I will assume that lateral thinking is not the railway speciality.
Anyway, the reason I mentioned Superhero Powers is for the dramatically simple solution they would provide to everyday issues.
Train late? I'll fly home. Or run home like The Flash.
Lawn not mown? I'll use my laser vision to give it a trim.
Low on cash? I'll just pull a cash disenser from the wall... Um, ok, maybe super powers won't be the greatest idea. Power corrupts as they say.
So, I suppose I'll just have to deal with annoyances and setbacks. Dang it! If only I could control the thoughts of other people to get things to work more smoothly. But then, how would I refrain from making everyone obey my every command? Guess being "normal" is safer for everybody...

Workout 3

Back to Day 1:
 Wall Pushups: 50,40,30
  Seated Leg Raise: 20, 15, 10

Once again I've been humbled by the simple exercises. It's not a brute strength problem, but rather a strength-endurance issue. I've never had the best of strength-endurance, and haven't really trained for it. So, I will continue to be humbled until I get to grips with it.

Every CC progression standard involves quite a bit of endurance, so I might as well get a foundation going for later on. I'm aching to get past the level 1 stuff, but need to be patient. Perseverance is the key.
One thing that is glaringly obvious so far is that my ab\hip-flexor area is not strong enough. I can tell that it will take a while to balance all the imbalances I've picked up from years of "gym".

Off Topic

Every now and then I may fall off the rails and post something that has nothing to do with exercise. (gasp!).
I've been pondering superhero status today. I know, I should get over this obsession with impossibility. But I've been thinking more along the lines of Captain America ("possible"), rather than Superman ("impossible").
Being a son of Krypton is simply beyond what a human being can accomplish, and is reserved for movies, comics and boyhood fantasy.
Cap, on the other hand, is pretty normal. He's just a guy pimped out with some cool gear and pumped up by some funky drugs. This is at least within the realms of possibility.
So after much soul-searching and day-dreaming, I've finally accepted that Cap is the superhero to try duplicate as my uber achievement. (I draw the line at running around in a silly blue and red outfit however).
What this means is that I will break the Cap's superhero makeup into attributes, and work on those in my training.
Cap Attribute 1: Strength. Wow, amazing how that works out. That just happens to be my current goal. What symmetry! (I accept that my strength will be less due to my desire to achieve without steroids).
More thoughts on achievable superhero-ness to follow... And workout 3.
Yeah, yeah in the end the post is still about exercise. I'm not perfect. I'm not even Captain MDV yet. Get over it.
Early days, but the plan is starting to take shape...

Strength, Power and Muscle

Ever since starting on CC, I'm continually plagued by my aspirations of muscular bodacity. Since time immemorial (well... 20 years at least) I've wanted to be big. I wanted to be a superhero. Or at least a reasonable facsimile.
Problem 1: I chose the wrong parents. My genetic construction is not tall, or muscular. These are 2 pivotal qualities in being super-heroic.
Problem 2: I'm actually rather lazy. I look for shortcuts and easy fixes. I like immediate gratification. This lends itself very easily to getting on some type of gear. But...
Problem 3: I'm convinced I need to do it "naturally". Sheesh, what a combination!
Anyway, all is not lost. After years of living in denial I've decided to finally get on with it. Either that, or I've developed a fear of my own mortality and am trying to wind back the clock. So, true reasons notwithstanding, here are the decisions:
1: Pick a goal. Ultimate bodacity is not a goal, it's a state. Defined by qualities. I will simply develop some of those qualities.
2: Pick a plan. I've done it all. HIT, Super Slow, Split Routine, Full-body. I've done high volume and high intensity. But for a long time I had ADD. I jumped around so many times I was the training equivalent of a junkie.
I made good progress on 531. A solid plan. I have just moved country, and my equipment is currently occupying space in a 3rd world shipping facility. I have no idea when I'll see it. Which led me to CC. Achieve goals, make progress, and no need for equipment. The CC train, however, will not allow me to disembark until it is done.
Patience. Perseverance. These will be my guiding thoughts.
Will I get back to lifting iron again? For sure. But only after I wring all the juice out of my current program. As long as that might take.

Workout 2

So CC (Convict Conditioning) calls for Pullups and Squats today.
When I say Pullups and Squats I mean "Shoulderstand Squats" and "Vertical Pulls".
The squats involve propping yourself up on your shoulders with your feet up in the air and then effectively pumping your legs up and down.
The pulls are accomplished by holding an object roughly chest height and pulling towards it.

Seems easy enough. Well, again, it's not as easy as one would think.
I had no problem with the pulls, and cracked the progression standard without breaking a sweat.
The squats are a bit ungainly when you're upside down, and all the blood is leaving your feet to hang out with your frontal cortex. So, as soon as I get used to the blood rush it'll be ok. The squatting action is not a problem, but it does work the erectors quite a bit.

So here are the figures:
Shoulderstand Squats: 40,30,20
Vertical Pulls: 40,40,40 > Progression standard!

I rock! We'll see if I still rock when we get to the more difficult stuff..
Til next time...

What is The Goal?

A goal. That is very important apparently.
I read it somewhere.

So, what's the goal? ... Awesomeness!
I wanna be: Superman. Thor. Spiderman. Name a superhero...
But, realistically I must be SMART about these things.
Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timed.
[What a bummer that I can't just order a batch of gamma radiation or my own mjolnir ]
[Hell, I'll even take some Super-Serum ]
Specific: I want to achieve a 1-arm pullup.
Measurable: Errr.. When I do a 1-arm pullup?
Achievable: Is this possible? [Uh... Apparently it's not that hard!]
Realistic: Ah, well, this one is always open to debate. I vote for "Yes".
Timed: Well, this one will take as long as it takes. So all the in-between steps will be short-term goals.

In order to be successful, I will need one or two other vital achievements:
1. Lower body fat. Somewhere around 10% will be ok. Currently? 14%. [fatty! ;p]
2. Progressing on all Bodyweight Exercises. [No 1 will help here]
   The exercises?
   [1-arm pushup, Handstand pushup, 1-leg Squat, Hanging Leg Raise, Pullup]
3. Guts. Tenacity. Perseverance etc...

Where is that gamma radiation when you need it?

A long post. Sorry. You can wake up now! I'll keep them shorter from now on (probably).
Tune in for Workout 2... Next!
[And perhaps a bit more clarity on short-term goals...]

Why Blog Now?

Have you ever stopped for a moment and thought: "I'm not all that I can be?"
And had the followup thought: "But it's ok because ... [insert numerous reasons here]"

Well, it happened to me. And I decided that it was just an easy way to accept mediocrity.
I will no longer 'go gently into that good night.'
I've decided to fight.
It may be in one small area at a time. It may take years.
But, this blog is the gauntlet. It has been thrown. It cannot be retracted.
So, it begins...