Xfit Idioms - Part Deux

People liked my last round of idioms, so I thought I would share a few more.   First, full disclosure that I didn't think most of these up... instead...


I have a couple of friends in Indy whose interest I have peak regarding Xfit.  They decided to supplement their workouts with some WOD.  Initially, I helped them research gyms.  Unfortunately, gyms in large cities are a lot more expensive than Crossfit 540 (don't freak, Trevor already knew).  Indy is $125 - $200 per month.  Atlanta is $250.  Big cities set it up a little different and most seem to be "pre-filtering" their clients through the price.  Anyway, these guys decided it was a little too steep for just a supplemental workout.


So I helped them put together some WODs. In doing so, I looked over a lot of different sites and found some true, but funny stuff.  Here are my favorites from various Xfit websites:

• Get Fit or Die Trying
• Routine is the Enemy
• This one is from the "how not to market your gym" site:  "It's torture, but it works!"
• I met Pukey today.
• Unleash your inner badass!

And my personal favorite:  "Crossfit will smoke you like cheap crack."

There is also some great reading on Xfit.  A couple of that stuck with me:

In response to articles saying that the guys from the movie 300 couldn't get their bodies from workouts alone:  ''Evidently there are some bozos out there who think that the 300 crew could not have gotten the results they did without chemical aids."

Despite such testimonials, guys like Billy Polson, warn that CrossFit isn't for everyone. "I think it will definitely be for people who are really wanting to test who they are and what they're capable of," he says. "And from my experience, a lot of people are scared of that." Glassman thinks we have better things to be scared of. 

I also happened upon a great website for Crossfit shirts.  Here are the best ones:

• Somebody may beat me, but they will have to bleed to do it.
• Your girl does pilates, my girl does Crossfit.
• I Clean, I Jerk, and I have a nice Snatch.
• WOD = WTF
• We don't use machines.  We make them.
• Today we do what nobody else will do, so tomorrow we may do what nobody else can do.
• Your gym sucks.
• I do Crossfit because I'm at war with my body.
• Run. Jump. Lift. Squat. Puke. Repeat.
• I fear no man, but I fear my workout.  If I don't fear my workout, it's not hard enough.

And my favorite:

• Buck Furpees

Finally, some great reading on the basis of Xfit.

CF Tips from the 40 Year Old Fat Guy

A quick blog to share some tips about Crossfit from the 40yofgw1a.  That sure is a crappy acronym.

Tips for an Injury Free Crossfit Workout:

I may not be the biggest stud at the actual workouts, but I'm a mental giant.  I Rx the thinking....

Burpees suck and I'm terrible at them.  But since it is one of the best all around exercises, I'm sure we will keep doing them.  I've found they are rough on my knees (since I can't jump to my feet immediately).  I've started using these:    

1 for each knee really keeps the scraping down

They are also great for whenever we do deadlifts.  Wear on the calf area and keep the shin scraping down.

Finally, for those of you that still use a band (like me) on the pull-ups but hate wearing long pants.  Wear one of these where you put the band and eliminate the pain.

Next, CF is tough on the hands.  I started buying athletic tape and taping my index fingers (well 1 of them).   the other option will also protect your hands during pull-ups:  hand wraps

You ladies just might be able to have a hard body AND soft hands ;)

Tracking Your Results:

Most people track their CF results religiously.  Many do it in a small notebook and that's cool.  But I hate paper so I have two electronic solutions.

iPhone Apps:  If you have an iPhone, you can dl'd an app called WOD for $1.99.  It is the highest rated of the CF apps.  It has all of the standard workouts pre-programmed.  It has a template for any non-standard workouts.  You enter your data and it logs by date.  I've used it a little and it seems fairly good.  It has an RSS feeder that can pull your gym's specific WOD, but I can't get it to work with the blogspot we use.  I don't use it because it only resides on your phone and you can't access it anywhere else.  But for some, that is good enough.  I will keep it because it has so many different workouts and explanations.

Evernote:  This is my method.  This program is free download for the iPhone, Blackberry or any Android phone.  It also has free software for MACs and PCs.  Finally, you can access it from a web browser.  The cool thing is, once you sign up, you put your login info in each of these and they will stay synched.  I have a notebook specifically for Crossfit.  Typically, I enter the workout ahead of time.  It synchs to my phone so that after I finish at CF, I call open the app, find the workout and enter my score. The changes then synch back and I can review it anywhere.  On my rest days, I enter my weight from that day so I can track those changes too.

My format:

Title: 3-20-10 Workout

Body:

"Cindy"

20 min AMRP

5 pull-ups, 10 sit-ups, 15 squats

Score: 13 rounds

Be aware, there is a paid version for heavy Evernote users, and they will occasionally bug you to upgrade.  But I've never even come close to the free monthly limits.  I also use this program to take and catalog pictures of great wines I encounter.  I keep a few key pieces of info that I can't remember to save my life... like the size of my home's air filters, the model year of my car's, pictures of things my wife might like for a gift, etc.  It is a very cool storage program.

Enjoy!

Progress Update on the Fat Guy!

Things are progressing well for the Fat Guy so I thought it was time for a progress update.  The Fit part:

Starting Weight: 300
Current Weight: 279
Muscle gain: 6 - 10 lbs (estimate)

Starting Blood Pressure: Borderline Hypertension
Current BP: Normal (down 20 points)

Starting Resting HR: 70 - 75 Beats per minute
Current: 60 - 62 BPM

Fat % pre and post: getting measured this weekend.


Starting Pull-ups: Used heavy duty purple band for assists

Current: Using mid-range black band, kipping much better.

Starting Condition for CF:  Suffered imminent heart attacks about every 30 seconds, saw flying unicorns through most of the workout, believed my eyes were bleeding, wished pain on all the people already finished.
Current:  Only 1 - 2 imminent HAs per session, no more seeing things and no longer want to kill people finishing ahead of me.

I still only have 1 arm with full range of motion.  And I'm still 40.

Nerds - Know Thyself

I am a nerd.  For those that know me, you know this is not a revelation. Funny thing is, I'm not a very good one.  I'm an Electrical Engineer from Georgia Tech, but I've never worked as an engineer.  I like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Matrix, but can't ruminate over the intricate details of any of them.  I love gadgets, but only in the context of making my life easier or more enjoyable.  I never buy anything that doesn't have a use.  I'm a nerd, but a "casual" one :D

You may wonder "what is the difference between a geek, nerd and dork"?
Geek is a slang term, noting individuals as "a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things.

Dork is slang for a quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same intelligence level.  It's also the official name for a Whale Penis, but I'm trying to keep this clean! :D  I have no idea why I just italicized that - LOL!

Nerd refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests. Therefore, a nerd will tend to associate with like-minded people.

There are other typical traits of a nerd:

• They tend to speak a different language when discussing their passion.
• All their jokes are "inside".
• They love to discuss/debate the minutia of their passion.
• They congregate regularly to enjoy their interest with like-minded people.

Given this, I would submit that most of you reading this are nerds.  My colleagues at work think Supply Chain humor is funny (I guess it can be).  Sales people think their "inside" sales jokes are hilarious (they usually aren't).  Supply Chain nerds.  Sales nerds.  You all fit the bill.

I am now associated with a new set of nerds.  Fitness Nerds.  The traits of a nerds are so typical of a Crossfit session!

• Our language: AMRP, Tabatas, Burpees, GHDs, kipping, Rx.
• "Did you see me almost miss that box jump?!?!?! HAHAHAHAHA!"  "I'm so sore. I can't lift my arm!  HAHAHAHA...."
• Minutia: Who knew Kipping was such a complex thing!!!  We discussed the finer points of "cleans" today for a while.  We needed to because you can wreck yourself quickly doing them wrong.  But its still amusing and very similar to what Dungeons and Dragons players probably do about whatever they hell they talk about.
• Congregate:  Yep.... 3 out of every 4 days, we congregate.

We talk and laugh about things no one else finds funny!  Yep, we are Fitness Nerds.

Short and Random

For those enjoying my blog, I appreciate the nice words you've given me.  This one will probably suck, so I'm glad you've already complimented me.

BMI
I think this measure is total bullshit for big people.  I don't mean big as in 5 foot 3, 600 lbs.  I mean big, linebacker kind of people like me.  As we all know from this blog, I make the "fat" cut no matter what measure you want to use.  BMI calls me obese.... firmly in the middle of the scale obese.  Overweight yes, obese.... hmmmm...

At my current height (6' 3") I have weighed from 200 all the way to 305.  At 200 lbs, I had family members trying to enroll me into a clinic for eating disorders.  My step-uncle thought I had bulimia.  LOL  In other words, I was a little too thin.  Of course, once I cut the mullet, I dropped to 190....

At my best shape with some ridiculously low body fat, I weighed 215.  According to BMI, to be within normal weight, I'm supposed to be 190 lbs.  Seriously?  I thought I was looking at the women's chart.  Oh well, I'd have to cut off one of my legs to make weight.  I guess I'll always be overweight or obese to the "BMI'ers" out there.

I wish they made a chart for elephants.

Einstein's Theory of Weight Loss:
I'm convinced that for every pound one person loses, someone they know gains it.  I think my dog is gaining all the weight I'm losing.  Pooch is getting fat...

I'm Not the Only One
While this blog is mostly about my experience, I have to share the progress of some good friends.  2 of the 3 have simply followed "The Culprit and the Cure" book to get these results.

Martin:
This dude is HUGE.  He's 6'8" and probably 350.  He's overweight, but even if he weren't he would still be HUGE!  His nickname is NormalGuy LOL....  He would fit right in on any NFL offensive line.  He has lost 50 lbs in the last 5 months.

Brett:
This guy first recommended the book.  He is not doing CF.  He has just followed the book's simple rules and lost 40 lbs in just a few months!! Amazing.

Don:
He isn't overweight.  Matter of fact, he's a little bit of a pip-squeak ;)  However, he was diagnosed with diabetes last year.  He lost weight and improved his diet.  He went back a year later and his condition was slightly worse.  He had the wind knocked out of his sails a little.  I told him about the Cure's section on low glycemic foods.  He read up on it and then bought the book.  He started following the eating recommendations and in 1 week dropped his sugar within normal limits.  A couple of weeks later, he was consistently below it.  Hopefully he can lower his insulin soon!!!

So if my stories of CF scare you, BUT you want to make a change, please take away the very serious recommendation of buying and reading this book.  I said it a few blogs back but worth restating.  IT CHANGED MY LIFE.

So in summary, I told you this one would suck.

So for a totally unrelated laugh.... and if you clicked the Sarah Silverman link and want to know what happened next, click this.  BTW, it is NSFW... language...

No Excuses

I've debated on posting this one for a while.  I wrote a lot of it in a pretty emotional state and it was harsh... mostly on myself, but people in a similar situation might think it was directed at them.  So I trashed it, kept the subject and am rewriting it now.

For obvious reasons, I've lived in a world that required me to figure out many things for myself.  From simple things like wearing a pair of gloves, to more complex things like perfecting a crossover dribble, I've had to figure it out without a lot of advice.  Because of this: "I rarely make excuses."  For people that work with me, I hope the statement rings true!  I am known as a frank person (hopefully this also means honest) and its true.  Deep down, I probably have some fear that if I ever make the first excuse, it becomes addictive.  (Fear of addiction is also why I've never used a single drug in my life LOL -- I'm one of the last true drug virgins.)

Anyway, there was a notable exception to my "no excuses" personality.  Exercise and weight.  DAMN I was good at excuses!  I won't list them because we all know them.  But this isn't about when I used excuses, it is about when I stopped.  I said in a an earlier blog that others don't motivate me, that's true.  BUT, I do get a little emotional when I see others accomplish great things, but oddly, not when I do it.  I expect it from myself so it was odd that I was so excuse-ridden.

Everyone is a bit vain.  I'm no exception to that rule.  But it is hard to be vain when you don't look as well as you have in year's past.  I am a true believer in the "beauty is on the inside" cliche but I also want to look good.  Who doesn't?  If you raised your hand, you are lying to yourself .... LOL.

Oddly, my vanity is EXACTLY what kept me from improving.  I didn't think I was going to be mistaken for Brad Pitt but I also wasn't willing to admit how far I had fallen.  I was excusing myself from the reality of my situation.  Instead, I just kept telling myself that I "carry it well".  After I started CF, I looked myself in the mirror one day and admitted I was fat.  Soberly. Honestly.

I began describing myself as FAT on purpose.  It may not be politically correct, but since I'm talking about me, the PC people can stick it...   By admitting and be honest about being FAT, I removed the vanity and exposed my excuse.  I put it in my blog title, I use it to motivate others ("don't let the fat guy beat you"... right Kate?), and most of all, I tell myself I'm fat everyday... but not for too much longer.

My advice to you, if you are overweight and want to do something, then do this:  Go over to a mirror and look at yourself and admit you are fat.  Then make a decision to either (a) accept it or (b) do something about it.  For me, I will never judge someone that choose to stay the way they are.  If you are satisfied with your body then great... that is your choice alone.  Like any choice, there are downsides and upsides.  If you decide to do something about it, then you MUST accept No Excuses for it.

Finally, to indulge my vanity a little.  I've had more than one person tell me I look a little like Matt Damon.  No, I'm not ****ing Sarah Silverman.... but you be the judge if we look alike.

 

Crossfit Idioms

These are idioms about Crossfit I've created or heard in the last two months:

- The easier it looks on paper, the harder the workout.  (See Fight Gone Bad :D)

- If it is named after a woman, it's gonna hurt.... a lot.  Fran, Barbara, Karen, arrrrgggghhhh...

- Burpees are God's way of punishing fat people.

-  "It's all about the whiteboard."

-  If the people from the previous class are still there when you arrive, it's gonna suck!

- "If you want Rx, then you must..."

- "Oooo, look, the ladies won again."

- "Let's make it hurt!"

- "Our warm-ups are most people's workout."

- After seeing the WOD:  "Has he gone crazy?"

- My personal one: "I think I'm going to die..."


From the ladies:

- After hearing complaints from her husband about her 'pull up callouses':  "Do you want me to have soft hands or a 'hard body'?"

Finally, I made me a new t-shirt.  :O

HAHA!!!

I Really Used to Be Fit!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so my writing will be brief.  Those that have only known me for a few years may not believe I used to be really athletic.  I also used to have a mullet.  I have pictures to prove both are true :D


A few months ago, with my lovely wife:


I am probably at my highest weight ever in this picture, a whooping 305.  It was a great weekend in Austin, hot and with my personal thermostat all goofed up, I sweat the entire time.






 
 Now, this is me back when I was a health nut.  I ran 3 miles a day, weight lifted 4 x a week, basketball or kayaking all weekend.  I ate like a horse (and anything I wanted), drank beer like a champ, but I was still in great shape.  If I could only bottle a 20 year old's metabolism and energy...


Picture of me as an athlete:

 Peachtree Road Race - 10k

And while it may look like I photoshopped my head on the body, notice the right arm.  That is too hard to photoshop :D















Finally, to prove I had a mullet :D

Alcohol

I haven't sent my mom a link to this blog yet, so I guess I can be honest :D

I had my first drink when I was about 8 or 9.  I jumped out of the community pool, ran over as my dad brought our food back from the snack bar.  He set down a Solo cup with what looked like a vanilla milkshake.   I grabbed it and took a huge swig.  Turns out foamy beer and milkshakes look a lot alike in a Solo cup!  After I spit it all over my sunbathing mother, my dad started laughing his ass off.... that was my first drink!

I like to drink.  I enjoy the taste, I enjoy the process of fixing a drink.  I like what a few strong cocktails does to my psyche.  As my friend Wellman says "drinking makes me smarter...  funnier ... and better looking."  I like tequila, rum, vodka, beer, wine, whiskey and scotch.  Anyone hanging around me over the last few years knows I can put it away.  REALLY PUT IT AWAY.

I'm glad the Hornbakers haven't seen this blog, or I might get comments about my shenanigans during our late night parties.  He might post about us urinating in my front yard, or my "fashion show" on I-540, or dropping a bowling ball (representing my "ball and chain") during a WAC beer tasting event.

Anyway, alcohol has been a pretty constant part of my life over the past 20 years.  It's never been a problem nor was it becoming one.  But it was ingrained in my habits.  So that makes it even crazier that, two weeks and half weeks ago, I stopped drinking cold turkey.  Why?

Just to prove to myself I could.


P.S. It is a common belief that one or two drinks per night is actually good for your health.  This is true relative to heart disease.  The first 2 drinks actually lower the risk.  Unfortunately, the risk of cancer goes up linearly with each and every drink from first to last.  Check the book I posted about earlier...

P.S.S. I haven't set a time frame, but my guess is that I will introduce drinking back into my life once I hit my target weight, but I don't know for sure.

The Culprit and The Cure

OK, so here I am bringing myself to the brink of cardiac arrest 3 out of 4 days but I had made little other changes. When I lost so much weight in my college years, I did it through serious workouts and a restrictive diet. I must have eaten two Iowa counties of corn and peas, and I’m certain Tyson named a chicken house in my honor. So I knew how to do it, but didn’t want to.

About the same time, I saw a Facebook status from a friend referencing a book. A book that would take my dedication to another level and have another profound impact on me like CF. I ordered it and within the first 100 pages, I made significant changes to my life. Not the kind from false inspiration, the kind from a deep down shift in belief.  A permanent shift.

The book is called “The Culprit and the Cure”  and it exposed my failings so clearly. It scared me even though the author clearly didn’t intend to. Within the first few pages, I determined that my lifestyle choices put me at HIGH RISK for DYING 20 years early. You heard correctly... 20 YEARS EARLY. That means I would only be 10 years removed from a cubicle before I wound up in an even smaller box. I knew that I was killing myself with my habits, but I assumed it was just a couple of years AND “surely medicine will have solutions by then”. HA. Try 20 years you dumbass. That meant my life was already 62% complete.  Let's break it down:

Overweight – 11y

Lack of Normal BP – 3.7y (only slightly high now but sure to rise)

Doesn't eat nuts 5x per week – 2.5y

Doesn't exercise regularly – 2.4y

Total for me = 19.6y

The book is by a doctor who took a 2 year sabbatical to pour through all the respectable fitness and dietary research available. He was not attempting to definitely study any aspect of health on his own. Instead, he was trying determine what ALL the research would suggest as the best way to maintain a healthy body. He acknowledges ALL studies in his research even if they conflict with common sense. He basically gave it all a fair shake and plotted out the most likely conclusion based on what the majority of studies show. Then he created some really simple rules to maximize your life:

Eating:

5+ fruits and pure form veggies a day

whole grains only (every meal)

poultry/dairy/fish: 0 – 2 times per day

red meat 1 /week or less

nuts 1/day

no refined sugars, fat solids, refined flour

little to no alcohol (more on this later)

Exercise:

30 mins per day of moderate intensity mixing cardio and strength training

That’s it. I started immediately and have been doing it for 4 weeks. The changes came quick: 

Anyone that knows me, knows I sweat… a LOT. I don’t wear a jacket unless it gets below 25 degrees. My wife and I fight over the thermostat. My "hot naturedness" was really bad. My buddies nicknamed me CastleDew because my dew point is so damn low (I sweat at 65 degrees). After starting this diet, it COMPLETELY switched my thermostat within a week. I suddenly realized I was COLD in the house.  I surprised my wife by turning the heat up instead of down.  Something was definitely wrong with me before but I’m too scared to try and find out what it was LOL.

My energy is incredible. It is constant from the moment I rise until the moment I sleep…. no more 3 o’clock sleepiness. And of course, I am dropping weight faster than Toyota is shedding customers.  The cool thing about this way of eating is that if I'm hungry, I eat.   Seriously, I eat as much as I want as long as I don't violate the restrictions.

I thought the hardest change would be alcohol.... I've been drinking for a long time.  But choices must be made :D

Crossfit Pride

If you workout, ask yourself this question:  "How often do I finish a workout and feel like I accomplished something?"  1 out of 4?  1 out of 10?  Do you walk out of the gym thinking, I bet not many people did THAT today?  Over the course of 20+ years of traditional workouts, I can say it didn't happen that often for me.  I'm not knocking traditional workouts.  Most research shows that 30 mins of moderate exercise per day gives you 90% of the health benefits.  Traditional workouts are great for a vast majority of people.

But Crossfit is different.  After almost EVERY workout, you have a distinct feeling of accomplishment.  True... it is a prideful feeling, but a well deserved one.  For me at first, it was merely surviving without a heart attack.  Then it became about actually finishing.  After 2 months, it is now about doing as well as I can.  I know I'm going to finish, but how long will it take me?  Can I scale up the weight?  Can I beat the next guy?

Another reason you feel that "Pride" is each day is that workouts are different everyday.  You only repeat an exact workout about every 3 months.  This is a BIG REASON for the great results you get.  Since the combinations are different each time, you really aren't quite sure how to predict your performance.  You can't bargin with yourself about the number of reps, rounds or time.  You just have to GO!  

In traditional workouts, you repeat so often, you begin to mentally restrict your progress.  You do just a the same or just a "little" more each time.  In CF, you just work as hard as your body lets you and the rapidity of results shows.  Then, when you finally repeat a workout, you have 3 months of hard training under your belt and kick your old time's ass!!

There are a finite number of exercises we use to work the entire body:

Air Squats, Front Squats, Back Squats, Deadlifts, Kipping Pull-ups, Dead-Hang Pull-ups, Sit-ups, Push-ups, Burpees, Cleans, Push Presses, Snatches, Ring Dips, Kettle Bell Swings, Sumo Deadlift High Pulls,  Wall Balls, GHDs, Box Jumps, and everybody's favorite, Thrusters!  I probably missed a few, but these are the major ones.  Many of these require nothing more than a couple of dumbells or your own body.

The other important aspect about this is technique.  CF trains you to move large amounts of weight over long distances.  To do so, you need great form.  The two keys in almost every exercise:  lumbar curve in the back, power up on your heels.  These two protect your back and your knees... two traditional injury prone areas.  After I was taught the proper way to do a squat, I lifted my college max almost immediately... even at 40 and fat :D

Finally, sit-ups.  We do full range sit-ups.  But it doesn't hurt the back because of this awesome thing:

The Abmat.  You tuck it under your butt and go to town.  Full range sit-up with NO back pain!!  Well, no back pain.  Your abs will feel the burn.

Crossfit was going great but after a few weeks, I discovered something that was even more important to me.  It told me how to live 20 years longer.

Crossfit 101

Desire.  Grit.  Pain.  

Those are the 3 key ingredients of Crossfit.  Mine seems to be a little heavy on the pain :D  The name of my gym is Crossfit 540, but this is about my first two weeks, so 101 is apropos.  Honestly, the first two weeks should be called "Crossfit - Holy Mother of Hell, You Have to Be F---ing Kidding Me - 101".

The owners of the gym are two of the best people you'll meet.  Most people start a business to make money.  I have no doubt that is their goal as well.  But when you meet them, you see the passion in their eyes.  They want you to succeed, not because you pay them but, so that you, well…. Succeed.

As I said before, I have a radial club but it doesn't stop me.  HOWEVER, it does present challenges for a workout like Crossfit.  Fully 2/3's of the exercises require some modification for me.  Most of the time I come in, I know what to do.  Sometime, Trev has already thought about what I could do differently.  If neither one of us have, we figure it out together.  The one thing he never substitutes is the PAIN.  I get it just like everyone else.   There are days you actually feel nervous about the workout!! LOL

So… the first two weeks were a blur of burpees, pull-ups, wall-balls.  Workouts named after women: Barbara, Fran, ......Sarah Jessica Parker.  More pull-ups, sit-ups, squats… and more burpees.  I hate Burpees....HATE. A mean, nasty hate.   I started hurting 10 mins after the first workout.  (Editor's note:  The "women workouts" are so tough, they have to be named in "honor" of the founder's ex-wives.  People swear the names are from the original female cross-fitters.  I think that's bullshit. LOL) 

I was told I would feel a "little soreness and discomfort" the first two weeks.  HA.  My proctologist told me I would "feel a little pressure"....... Liars. 


The first two weeks of Crossfit, I couldn't walk.  Or sit.  Or lay down.  As my friend Kate said, "I'm considering installing wheelchair handles in the bathroom".   Crossfit works because it works EVERYTHING.  CF 101 was close to debilitating for me, but remember, I'm a 40 year old fat guy w/ 1 arm.  Most of the people coming to Crossfit are already in great shape and looking to take it to the next level.  I show up and totally blow the grading curve for everyone!

After two weeks, I started to move away from the dramatic soreness and into a more consistent "workout sore".  In that small time frame, my core became stronger than it had been in 15 years.  Also in that time frame, something else gets stronger.  I call it "Crossfit pride"...

So What Happened?

For those of you that know my wife, you understand what a great person she is.  The single most important trait she has, for me, is that she loves me for who I am.  When we married, I was in shape, feeling great, and full of energy.  As I declined over the years, her love for me never changed.  Period.  I would feel worse about myself, but she never gave a single indication that she was unhappy with my changes.  She would encourage me and offer to do things to help me get back in shape, BUT … only in response to my complaints.  Never unsolicited.

I remember one day distinctly.  I was bitching about my weight and shitty habits (and my job LOL).  She told me that she thought a personal trainer might be a good idea.  I told her, a little forcefully, that "When I'm ready, I'll do it.  I'm clearly not ready.....  I don't know why, but I'm not!"  It is, was, and probably always will be one of the truest things I've ever uttered.  I wasn't ready. 

Personal trainers don't motivate me.  No one motivates me.  I motivate me.  I'm tougher on me than anyone else will ever be.  Dunno what drives that, probably being ridiculed as a child... but no one can push me harder than I push myself.  I wasn't ready and dammit, no one could tell me otherwise.

But she kept her suggestions and encouragement coming.  Then it happened.

Crossfit…

She told me about the Belline's and their new gym called "Crossfit 540".  She told me it was different and I might like it.  That was all she said.  She told me Kate went and to ask her about it.  That's how my wife does it.  She lets me decide.  She's so damn smart.

Kate confirmed it was… different.  I visited one day with my son, committed to come back for the Foundations class.   I did and it scared me a little.  Check that... it scared the hell out of me.  I get choked up now thinking back... because I had no idea what was to occur.

To some, it's just a gym… it's just a workout.  But to me… it's where my life took one huge leap toward "better".  It happened during my second workout.  I knew it.  Desire.  Motivation.  Drive.  They came back and landed right on my aching shoulders.

Do You Have What It Takes?

I've always thought I had what it takes.   My confidence comes from a healthy tension during my childhood.  My parents never coddled me, nor allowed me to use anything for an excuse.  This led me to a life where I tried almost anything.  Despite my arm, I tried everything.  I was pretty damn good at a lot of things, but never truly great at anything.  I figured out how to play basketball, football, even baseball (think of the MLB pitcher, Jim Abbott).

Later I learned tennis, soccer, racquetball, and even weightlifting and kayaking.  People would stare!  I loved the surprise on their face when I would start lifting 80lb dumbbells off the rack.  No excuses...

 At 36, my excuse list was long.  I was tired.  My back hurt if I tried to run.  My knees hurt when I tried to workout my legs.  Blah Blah Blah.  I wanted to lose weight and get back to my old self.  I would get pissed every morning I weighed.  Then I would go eat a semi-healthy breakfast, crappy lunch and so-so dinner.  I became the KING of rationalizing why today was a bad day to workout.

At 39, I committed myself to being "the most fit ever, by 40".  At 40, I weighed more than I did at 39 :(

WTF??

Commitment.

Desire.

Drive.

Nope.

Then it happened.  And things were never the same...

Let's Get It Started!

I’ve started this blog to document my journey to fitness. As you guessed from the title, I’m a 40 year old man that is overweight and out of shape. Also, my right arm is a radial club . None of that matters to you, but it sure as hell makes a funny blog title!

My history is a see-saw regarding weight and fitness. My body prefers to be heavy and will gravitate that way without overt intervention from me. I was fat through high school, hovering around 275, but in college I became a fitness buff. Interestingly, it was a Spring Break trip and rejection by a cute Lacrosse player that inspired my first weight loss. I attacked it with voracity. I educated myself, learned about diet, exercise, heart rates, weight lifting, etc. I undertook everything, weights, running, soccer, tennis, basketball, karate, kayaking, hiking, spelunking, etc. I dropped from 275 to 195 over the course of a couple of years. Yep, 80 lbs. At times, I looked almost too thin. But the girls loved me, I felt great, and was living the great college career.

Fast forward a few years… as I settled into a typical life or work, marriage, kids, and age, my weight was a good compromise weight of about 215 - 230 depending on how much lifting I was doing. I ate mostly like crap, but since my main fitness activity was weights and basketball, I didn’t gain weight. I stayed there for many years until about 6 years ago, when I tore my calf muscle scrambling for a loose rebound. With basketball gone, I put on 50 - 60 lbs in 2 years and became the awesome specimen I am today! :D After 20 years, workouts were boring and tedious, so it never came off.

Well, I started a program called Crossfit. It is intense. A cross between gymnastics, powerlifting, and calisthenics, the workouts are tough but short. No workout lasts for more than 40 mins. Most take 15 - 25 mins. But after each one, you feel like curling up with a heating pad and ibuprofen.

The competitiveness and impossibility of the workouts is what appealed to me. I am very competitive with myself, and the mere thought of not finishing a workout makes me work twice as hard. Most people get NERVOUS when they see the workout, but when it’s finished, the smiles are broad.

When I started, I weighed 300lbs. I carry it well at 6’3”, but I’m still fat. I will use this blog to chronicle my progress, the program I use and my diet changes. It’s for me. But if anyone stops by to read it, that’s cool too.