Moved onto level 2:
1 Shoulderstand Squats: 15
Squats (assisted): 40,40,40 -- Bam! Progression Standard
2 Horizontal Pulls: 10,7,6 -- these will take some work!
Time for grub!
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Oh no!
From distant shore over tempest sea
Came the great one, Khan Khari.
Heard, he had, of a great beauty
Fairest of maidens, Mara Talsee.
I thought it was about time to throw in a bit of poetry, lest my audience mistake me for a common man. An Uncommon man is what I am!
Why is it that we seek to be greater than the average? What moves us to rise above what we discern as the inadequacy of the masses? Life is easier when little is expected of one. If you just coast along, never straining, never pushing yourself what do you actually miss out on?
You won't waste time on exercise, leaving more time for relaxation or entertainment. You won't stress over what you eat. You'll enjoy more tasty foods and worry less about it's impact on your body. Wouldn't that be more fun! ? ?
NO.
Life without striving after something has no direction, and no achievement. You cannot see the value in pursuing health and fitness until you start to achieve something.
For someone looking to lose weight, just a few kilograms off feels terrific. Getting around is easier. Clothing fits better, and self-esteem grows. And a sense of achievement starts to develop. Believe me when I tell you that achieving a difficult goal feels a million times better than a truckload of chocolate ever will.
Often weight-loss goals change into performance goals, and this is where the real joy starts. Ask anyone who has trained for and succeeded with something (it could be a marathon or a PR lift). They gain a new attitude and approach that makes their whole life better.
But everything starts with the first step. And in order to make that step you need a decision. A decision is when you bend your entire will towards achieving the goal. And then you follow the decision with a plan, plenty of perseverance, and patience to stay the course.
Then your life becomes much better than that of the "average". Then you become "super".
I want to be "super". How about you?
Came the great one, Khan Khari.
Heard, he had, of a great beauty
Fairest of maidens, Mara Talsee.
I thought it was about time to throw in a bit of poetry, lest my audience mistake me for a common man. An Uncommon man is what I am!
Why is it that we seek to be greater than the average? What moves us to rise above what we discern as the inadequacy of the masses? Life is easier when little is expected of one. If you just coast along, never straining, never pushing yourself what do you actually miss out on?
You won't waste time on exercise, leaving more time for relaxation or entertainment. You won't stress over what you eat. You'll enjoy more tasty foods and worry less about it's impact on your body. Wouldn't that be more fun! ? ?
NO.
Life without striving after something has no direction, and no achievement. You cannot see the value in pursuing health and fitness until you start to achieve something.
For someone looking to lose weight, just a few kilograms off feels terrific. Getting around is easier. Clothing fits better, and self-esteem grows. And a sense of achievement starts to develop. Believe me when I tell you that achieving a difficult goal feels a million times better than a truckload of chocolate ever will.
Often weight-loss goals change into performance goals, and this is where the real joy starts. Ask anyone who has trained for and succeeded with something (it could be a marathon or a PR lift). They gain a new attitude and approach that makes their whole life better.
But everything starts with the first step. And in order to make that step you need a decision. A decision is when you bend your entire will towards achieving the goal. And then you follow the decision with a plan, plenty of perseverance, and patience to stay the course.
Then your life becomes much better than that of the "average". Then you become "super".
I want to be "super". How about you?
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
I am not a Man
I have been emasculated. My manhood has been removed.
Let me explain...
Yesterday on the train (this train is becoming regular feature!) there were two drunk-and-disorderlies being, well, drunk and disorderly. They were pretty close to where I was, and one of the passengers had already crossed verbal swords with them. I had already started preparing myself to unleash my "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" on them.
Long story short, the rail staff took them off the train. No action.
Late on I told my significant other about the ruckus. What did she say? Not "what would you have done", no. She said I mustn't get involved, because I'm not "prepared" for it. Shlop! Is that my manhood lying on the ground? If in her eyes I'm not prepared to deal with drunk-and-disorderlies, what does that say about her view of my ability to protect her from a real threat? I might as well just hire a personal bodyguard to keep us safe.
Say what you like about the modern world no longer requiring men to fight off threats to his family, or hunting for food. But, as any man worth his testosterone will tell you, there is a deep-seated need to know that you can protect your family, and to know that they trust you can.
My tactic for self-defense has always been "hit first, hit fast, and keep on hitting!" I will not start a fight, but you better believe that I will finish it if you bring it to me. So, could I have dealt with the drunk-and-disorderlies on the train? I am confident I could have. I may not have done any martial arts training for a couple of years, but I still have the knowledge, and I still have the attributes required: strength, speed, timing. I know about angles of attack and vectors. I know I can.
Now I just need a way to convince the little woman...
Let me explain...
Yesterday on the train (this train is becoming regular feature!) there were two drunk-and-disorderlies being, well, drunk and disorderly. They were pretty close to where I was, and one of the passengers had already crossed verbal swords with them. I had already started preparing myself to unleash my "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" on them.
Long story short, the rail staff took them off the train. No action.
Late on I told my significant other about the ruckus. What did she say? Not "what would you have done", no. She said I mustn't get involved, because I'm not "prepared" for it. Shlop! Is that my manhood lying on the ground? If in her eyes I'm not prepared to deal with drunk-and-disorderlies, what does that say about her view of my ability to protect her from a real threat? I might as well just hire a personal bodyguard to keep us safe.
Say what you like about the modern world no longer requiring men to fight off threats to his family, or hunting for food. But, as any man worth his testosterone will tell you, there is a deep-seated need to know that you can protect your family, and to know that they trust you can.
My tactic for self-defense has always been "hit first, hit fast, and keep on hitting!" I will not start a fight, but you better believe that I will finish it if you bring it to me. So, could I have dealt with the drunk-and-disorderlies on the train? I am confident I could have. I may not have done any martial arts training for a couple of years, but I still have the knowledge, and I still have the attributes required: strength, speed, timing. I know about angles of attack and vectors. I know I can.
Now I just need a way to convince the little woman...
Monday, 11 July 2011
Workout 5
And back to my poor wimpy abs...
Wall Pushup: 50,50,50 - Progression Standard.
Seated Leg Raise: 18,15,9
There is progress, but it's also slow. Bring on the patience!
I have also started trying to get a grip on my eating. It's been in "see it? eat it!" mode for 3 months.
What do I weigh now? No idea. My scale is sitting with the rest of my stuff back in the 3rd World.
Skin pinches tell me that I have a higher bodyfat %, but I have no definitive number.
I'm simply working with what the mirror tells me. At the moment it simply points at me and breaks out laughing. I'm thinking of getting a more forgiving one.
At least it's winter, so I get to hide my current appearance from public view, but I must get it together because the summer is not far away!
Must get my abs showing before I run around in my bikini! I mean swimming trunks!
Wall Pushup: 50,50,50 - Progression Standard.
Seated Leg Raise: 18,15,9
There is progress, but it's also slow. Bring on the patience!
I have also started trying to get a grip on my eating. It's been in "see it? eat it!" mode for 3 months.
What do I weigh now? No idea. My scale is sitting with the rest of my stuff back in the 3rd World.
Skin pinches tell me that I have a higher bodyfat %, but I have no definitive number.
I'm simply working with what the mirror tells me. At the moment it simply points at me and breaks out laughing. I'm thinking of getting a more forgiving one.
At least it's winter, so I get to hide my current appearance from public view, but I must get it together because the summer is not far away!
Must get my abs showing before I run around in my bikini! I mean swimming trunks!
How Did It Make You Feel?
In my post "To Eat or Not To Eat" I may have caused some emotional responses.
Ask yourself: "What will I do about it?"
You may choose to ignore the comments, or you can prove them wrong. I know many people are trying to beat the "battle of the bulge". Being overweight is not easy, but then neither is being fit and toned.
You can allow yourself to be fooled by adverts for "5minute abs" or "Instant Fat-loss Secrets".
Or you can accept the post for what it was. A Call to Arms. A Rallying Cry in the battle against mediocrity and modern weaknesses. Look, nobody is perfect. Everybody has their own demons and weaknesses. (Yes, even the super-fit vixen/hunk at the gym). The point here is to take your weaknesses and impale them on your "sword of fortitude". Take those problems (weight, fitness, strength, whatever) and crush them by the sheer power of your will.
Every day, one step at a time, drive them before you.
You could stand where you are and achieve nothing, or you can fight.
You have two real choices: Get busy living, or get busy dying.
Me? I'm going for the gold.
Ask yourself: "What will I do about it?"
You may choose to ignore the comments, or you can prove them wrong. I know many people are trying to beat the "battle of the bulge". Being overweight is not easy, but then neither is being fit and toned.
You can allow yourself to be fooled by adverts for "5minute abs" or "Instant Fat-loss Secrets".
Or you can accept the post for what it was. A Call to Arms. A Rallying Cry in the battle against mediocrity and modern weaknesses. Look, nobody is perfect. Everybody has their own demons and weaknesses. (Yes, even the super-fit vixen/hunk at the gym). The point here is to take your weaknesses and impale them on your "sword of fortitude". Take those problems (weight, fitness, strength, whatever) and crush them by the sheer power of your will.
Every day, one step at a time, drive them before you.
You could stand where you are and achieve nothing, or you can fight.
You have two real choices: Get busy living, or get busy dying.
Me? I'm going for the gold.
Friday, 8 July 2011
Workout 4
Decided that I need to get the progression standard sorted on the "B" workout.
Only did the Shoulderstand Squats: 50,50,50
Time to move to level 2...
Only did the Shoulderstand Squats: 50,50,50
Time to move to level 2...
To Eat or Not To Eat
Diet. Its a four-letter word. Women hate it, but spend most of their lives obsessed with it. Men generally think of it in terms of it being an activity carried out by the opposite sex.
At least that is how it used to be. Today almost everyone is on a diet, falling off a diet, or about to go on a diet. Maybe that's why the collective waist-band of modern man has stretched to it's biggest ever. Chairs everywhere quake in fear when people decide to sit. And sitting is the major "activity" carried out by people in this world.
But, it was not always thus...
Your body remembers a time when you ate to avoid starvation. When you ran to avoid being eaten. When you only sat down at the end of the day after a full day of actual activity. Yes, once upon a time the biological machine we call our body ran on good fuel, and performed optimally.
There was no way to get food while sitting on an ever-expanding backside like the drive-through. The absolute ease of obtaining food, along with the empty calories in modern food, has resulted in a population of easy prey. Except we don't have any sabre-tooth tigers around to benefit from it.
Your body will adapt to perform the activities that are the most difficult to accomplish. And your mind will try to find a way to avoid the difficult activities.
Eat with a purpose: "This food fuels me for xxx".
Train with a purpose: "I want to be better at xxx".
If you make your body think it is a gazelle-chasing, tiger-hunting uber-machine of grace and power, by eating and training for that purpose, it will take the necessary shape.
So, what do you want to look like?
A cream-pie or a carved greek statue?
Your choice...
At least that is how it used to be. Today almost everyone is on a diet, falling off a diet, or about to go on a diet. Maybe that's why the collective waist-band of modern man has stretched to it's biggest ever. Chairs everywhere quake in fear when people decide to sit. And sitting is the major "activity" carried out by people in this world.
But, it was not always thus...
Your body remembers a time when you ate to avoid starvation. When you ran to avoid being eaten. When you only sat down at the end of the day after a full day of actual activity. Yes, once upon a time the biological machine we call our body ran on good fuel, and performed optimally.
There was no way to get food while sitting on an ever-expanding backside like the drive-through. The absolute ease of obtaining food, along with the empty calories in modern food, has resulted in a population of easy prey. Except we don't have any sabre-tooth tigers around to benefit from it.
Your body will adapt to perform the activities that are the most difficult to accomplish. And your mind will try to find a way to avoid the difficult activities.
Eat with a purpose: "This food fuels me for xxx".
Train with a purpose: "I want to be better at xxx".
If you make your body think it is a gazelle-chasing, tiger-hunting uber-machine of grace and power, by eating and training for that purpose, it will take the necessary shape.
So, what do you want to look like?
A cream-pie or a carved greek statue?
Your choice...
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