Tag Archives: yoga

Day 147: Off-days

Day 147 - front

  • Weight: 137.0 lbs.
  • Workout C: 8 minutes, 43 seconds; next: Workout C, Jan. 28
  • Total inches: 124.5
  • Protein: 136 g (7 g over target)
  • Calories: 2,311

This month is a typical month. “Typical” meaning January is like December, the only 2 months of the kettlebell-heavy routine.

I work out three times a week, about 13 times a month, for about 16 minutes each time or three-and-a-half hours total in a month. But what do I do on the 17 or 18 days off?

Ideally, walk or do yoga. In reality, very little of either.

I have made Project Bulk a priority, sticking rigidly to exercise schedules. And while I maintain my photos and diet every day, I have not made too much effort to move otherwise.

I am consumed by project work, which leaves me little time to walk the neighborhood or pop in the yoga DVD. Or, at least, it’s a good enough excuse.

Originally, I didn’t want to skew the numbers with additional exercise, but I feel confident that the current workouts are, well, working out. So walking would just be for fun and fresh air, with a few calories burned to boot. Yoga would be to help with breathing, flexibility and focus.

Late at night, I am content to slow down, settle in, not move. As long as I swing the kettlebell 150 times a week, I’m set.

Day 147 - side

Day 52: Yogi barely

Day 52

Day 52
(See the gallery for more photos.)

  • Weight: 133.6 lbs.
  • Workout B: 17 minutes, 15 seconds. Next: Workout A on Oct. 28.
  • Total inches: 122.0
  • Protein: 133 g (8 g over target)
  • Calories: 2,514
  • See more measurements.

I have focused on my new workouts for the last 2 months, but I’ve been itching to walk or to practice yoga.

I have held back because I didn’t want to cloud the results with other exercise. I took up yoga earlier this year, and walking/running on a treadmill was my primary form of exercise for many years.

Plus, I wanted to be lazy.

Still, the temptation of yoga was too much. I have a couple of instructional DVDs I’ve never played, and I have episodes of “Wai Lana Yoga” [Amazon | iTunes aff. links] stacked up in my TiVo. Options coming out of my satsang.

A few minutes on the mat made me realize how out of shape I really am.

No matter how much I improve in lifting in free weights, yoga can humble me in one pose. I am reminded of how little range of motion my legs have, or how far I have to go in bending and stretching and balancing.

But yoga isn’t simply an exercise in humility for me. It gives me peace on a noisy day. It helps me to focus and work on being in the moment. It centers me.

Pumping iron does, too. Yoga lets me tune in to my body in a different way. And, I don’t think it will cloud the results when it comes to burning calories or developing and toning muscles.

Especially when I end up nearly heaving on my mat.