Tag Archives: perspective

Day 27: Remedial reading

Day 27

Weight: 126.8 lbs.
No workout today
Total inches: 118.8
Protein: 143 g (23 g over target)
Calories: 2,689

Nearing the end of my first month, I re-read the relevant chapters in “The 4-Hour Body” [Amazon | iTunes aff. links].

It helped me remember how I got to this point. A little shot of inspiration helps now and then.

A refresher on the finer points of each workout routine, on how numbers point you in the right direction (even if half of them aren’t perfectly accurate), on the people who’ve already worked toward their big goals using small, manageable steps.

I hadn’t read the info in about a month, save for a few glances at the exercise steps. Amazing what you forget in the interim.

Over lunch, I mentioned to Ginny my concern about my growing gut. She pointed out that some of that growth was muscle, which made me feel better. Her insight was helpful as always.

She is fascinated by this project, I guess because it’s about trying to become more than I am. I do need to ask her the specific reason.

I invited Ginny to come with me to Monday’s BodPod session, since she missed the first one. She will get a kick out of the whole futuristic space capsule journey, I’m sure.

The moral support, whether words on a page or from a friend, reminds me of how far I’ve come.

Day 23: The definition of failure

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Day 23

Weight: 126.0 lbs.
Workout A: 21 minutes, 33 seconds
Total inches: 118.1
Protein: 133 g (13 g over target)
Calories: 2,408

Today was another failed workout. If that’s how we look at it.

Each workout is supposedly designed to be done till failure. Getting through all the reps means the resistance is too low.

Only two of the seven workouts so far have resulted in failure, or not doing (n-1) reps.

So the next workout will come a little later, and at the same barbell weight.

But real failure would be to stop short. I wish that 30 days would be enough, but it’s clear at this point that I’ll need to invest more time.

Quitting happens because results are small, or even undetectable. They take too long, or cost too much.

I have great patience, so I don’t mind continuing to move forward on a slowly unfolding project. I believe the end results will prove me right. But even if at Day 60 or Day 90, it doesn’t happen, that will also not be failure.

I will see it as a great experience, something from which more lessons can be drawn.

No failure here. Only room to grow.

Day 20: A small win is still a win

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Day 20

Weight: 125.2 lbs.
No workout today
Total inches: 118.1
Protein: 155 g (37 g over target)
Calories: 2,333

I am sometimes discouraged by my overall progress. The daily photos tend to look the same. The weigh-ins are falling short.

So I focus on one area where I’ve seen progress: the workouts. No matter how small the lifts seem, they go up with each workout.

Maybe the number of reps increases by one. Or the total lifting weight goes up 10 pounds. It doesn’t matter that I started with 30 measly pounds for the slight incline bench press and can now do 40 pounds. It went up.

The most impressive number to me will seem puny to real lifter, but I’ve gone from 55 pounds for the Yates row to 75 pounds in 2 weeks. I end up sweating, but it is the sweat of glory. And I have not hurt myself in the process.

I can’t do 10 myotatic crunches. Yet. But I’ve gone from five-and-a-half to eight in 2 weeks.

Kettlebell swings kick my ass. But I went from 32 reps of 20 pounds to a full 50 reps, and then to 31 reps of 30 pounds.

Three weeks ago, I had never done any of this.

I go into each workout determined. I want to take that attitude with me to every challenge, whether physical or mental or spiritual.

I want to win.