Apparently it's been more than a month since I posted. A Lot's happened. I'm only going to hit the high points. I had four jobs. Two of them out of my home. One of my outside the home jobs shut down due to lack of work to do. One of my in-home ones has slowed down because of the holidays (in part because of the holidays) that I may as well not have it. My boss for the other in home job developed cancer, so that's shut down for the foreseeable future. The last job only brings in $60 a week.
A not good situation.
So I started looking for work. On Tuesday I had two interviews. One was for a gimme job that I knew I'd hate. But it paid $11 an hour, and was full time with benefits after a thousand hours. And I wasn't exactly in a position to wait for something better. The other job I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting. The pay was great (for me anyway), $602.50 a week salary with bonuses on top. I'm not stuck in an office. It's customer service where I go out to area businesses who have requested our service. I'm great at that. For me, it would be a great job, as well as a step up from anything I'd done in the past.
I didn't stand a chance. I'd actually applied, and been turned down for the job a few years back. But I went, put on my best dog and pony, and acted like I was the natural choice for the job. They said They'd call between 3 and four if I had the job. So I went to the "gimme" job for my second interview. They said be prepared to be there for two hours. I was gone in less than twenty minutes.
Now I was worried. I needed money quick with both Christmas coming, and a whole slew of bills coming due. I knew eventually I'd get a job, but would it be in time?
At about 3:20 I was at home doing dishes when my cordless rang. I receive very few calls. I looked at the phone and thought, fuck no, it can't be. It rang again. I wiped my hands quickly and answered. Training starts Monday at 10 AM. It's 10 to 4:30 through Thursday. There's a $200 bonus just for completing training, and yes training is paid.
I've been on cloud nine since. That's all for now.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Update and stuff
It's been a few days, so here's an update. I ran Tuesday, but that bothered my back so I didn't do anything else. Wednesday I followed my regular schedule. Thursday 16 minutes of the Cardio Pull. Friday I used as my day off.
That covers the exercise stuff to present.
Today at work I was in the breakroom at lunch. This girl came in, all the chairs were taken. So I stood up and moved to the side to finish up. I tried to do it such a way that she wouldn't think there was any connection between her coming in and my standing up. But then I realized I'd left my pullover on the back of the chair and had to grab it. That drew her attention. She looked at me oddly, so I took my stuff and left. I finished up quickly in the bathroom.
Why? Because she wouldn't understand, nobody ever does. And I can't explain.
That covers the exercise stuff to present.
Today at work I was in the breakroom at lunch. This girl came in, all the chairs were taken. So I stood up and moved to the side to finish up. I tried to do it such a way that she wouldn't think there was any connection between her coming in and my standing up. But then I realized I'd left my pullover on the back of the chair and had to grab it. That drew her attention. She looked at me oddly, so I took my stuff and left. I finished up quickly in the bathroom.
Why? Because she wouldn't understand, nobody ever does. And I can't explain.
Monday, October 30, 2006
I'm back
This'll be a quickie. My back was feeling better Sunday, so I decided to workout. Just 15 minutes on the gym doing the cardio pull. I figured that would be a good one to start with because of the excellent back support.
Then I decided to wait a day and see how I feel. Not only did my back not feel bad, it felt considerably better than it had on Sunday. So I did workout #1 from my schedule for Monday.
Highlights:
#2 Leg pull 25 & 16 Level 3
#3 Arm Pullover 15 & 14 Level 5
#4 Butterfly 15 & 15 Level 3
#5 Seated Row 15 & 20 Level 6 + 5 lbs.
#6 Squat 15 & 20 Level 6 + 135.8 lbs.
#7 Decline ab crunch 20 & 20 same
#9 Stetchers 15 & 15 Level 3
Not even a twinge and I feel great. Monday's also weigh-in of course, 262 lbs., a little depressing. Part of it's the time off because of my back, but mainly it's because I showed no discipline in my eating. No point in dwelling on that though, it's a new week; and I'm recovered from my injury. That's more than enough to cheer me up. Plus on top of that it's been an unseasonably beautiful day in my neck of the woods, and since it's been my day off I've been free to enjoy it.
I also saw (pun unintended) the latest installment of one of my favorite movie series: Saw III.
Oh I added hypnosis to my program of self-improvement as well, more on that anon.
Then I decided to wait a day and see how I feel. Not only did my back not feel bad, it felt considerably better than it had on Sunday. So I did workout #1 from my schedule for Monday.
Highlights:
#2 Leg pull 25 & 16 Level 3
#3 Arm Pullover 15 & 14 Level 5
#4 Butterfly 15 & 15 Level 3
#5 Seated Row 15 & 20 Level 6 + 5 lbs.
#6 Squat 15 & 20 Level 6 + 135.8 lbs.
#7 Decline ab crunch 20 & 20 same
#9 Stetchers 15 & 15 Level 3
Not even a twinge and I feel great. Monday's also weigh-in of course, 262 lbs., a little depressing. Part of it's the time off because of my back, but mainly it's because I showed no discipline in my eating. No point in dwelling on that though, it's a new week; and I'm recovered from my injury. That's more than enough to cheer me up. Plus on top of that it's been an unseasonably beautiful day in my neck of the woods, and since it's been my day off I've been free to enjoy it.
I also saw (pun unintended) the latest installment of one of my favorite movie series: Saw III.
Oh I added hypnosis to my program of self-improvement as well, more on that anon.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Brokeback
The first to make a gay cowboy joke is outta here. This is very serious. I hurt my back Wednesday morning (what do you mean how'd I hurt it, none of your business, that's how), which means I won't be working out for a little while. Except maybe for walking. The last two days I've taken completely off.
How long will it be? That is entirely dependent on how long it takes my back to get better. I learned the hard way not to try and hurry that particular process.
I'll just have to find something else to talk about.
How long will it be? That is entirely dependent on how long it takes my back to get better. I learned the hard way not to try and hurry that particular process.
I'll just have to find something else to talk about.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Weigh in
Monday is my weigh-in. I came in at 256, same as last week. I'm not surprised. Considering how crappy my discipline was last week I'm not surprised. Quite frankly I'm glad it didn't go up.
Over all it was a good day, I did both of my workouts according to schedule. My high point for the first workout was the seated row. I hit 20 reps on both sets, which means it's time to go up. And since I'm on level 6, the highest on the XL, that means it's time to add weight plates. Which is cool because it's the first upper body exercise that I've needed to do that with.
My walk was pretty standard. My turn back point was just past Foster, which is about where it normally is.
Monday is also my day off (from work in this case) so I went to the movies. I saw The Marine, a good flick, if you're into action. If not, then it's probably not for you.
Over all it was a good day, I did both of my workouts according to schedule. My high point for the first workout was the seated row. I hit 20 reps on both sets, which means it's time to go up. And since I'm on level 6, the highest on the XL, that means it's time to add weight plates. Which is cool because it's the first upper body exercise that I've needed to do that with.
My walk was pretty standard. My turn back point was just past Foster, which is about where it normally is.
Monday is also my day off (from work in this case) so I went to the movies. I saw The Marine, a good flick, if you're into action. If not, then it's probably not for you.
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Weekend
Saturday is my off day, so not much to report. On Sunday I did both of my scheduled workouts (see, having this is already having a salutary effect on my routine), which is good. Though with the first workout I only did the bare minimum.
I've decided when I next do it on Tuesday , I'm going to set the bar a little higher. I'm going for 16 minutes on the Cardio Pull. Yup a whole minute more, I can tell you're impressed. Seriously though, in the past I've gone for these huge jumps right off the bat, only to fall on my face in one way or another. Now my philosophy is to start small and build. Doing it that way I've found you'll end up amazed at what you can accomplish.
I had a decent run. I made it past Mahlon, almost to Clark before I reached my halfway point and I had to head home. Oh those are cross streets to the street I run on if anyone was wondering.
That's all for now. Have fun.
I've decided when I next do it on Tuesday , I'm going to set the bar a little higher. I'm going for 16 minutes on the Cardio Pull. Yup a whole minute more, I can tell you're impressed. Seriously though, in the past I've gone for these huge jumps right off the bat, only to fall on my face in one way or another. Now my philosophy is to start small and build. Doing it that way I've found you'll end up amazed at what you can accomplish.
I had a decent run. I made it past Mahlon, almost to Clark before I reached my halfway point and I had to head home. Oh those are cross streets to the street I run on if anyone was wondering.
That's all for now. Have fun.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Friday
Friday is when I decided to put this blog up (I'd been thinking about it for a while, but Friday's when I actually did something about it), so I'm starting my journal there.
Which is perhaps a less than auspicious choice since not much happened Friday (now if I'd started it a week earlier on the 13th, that would've been a completely different story altogether). But I did have a workout (I know-according to my schedule I should have worked out twice-but I mentioned it might not be the best choice), so I'll go over that.
This was workout 1, but I skipped the warm-up, (yes I know how important that is, I told you I needed something to help keep me on track), so I went to exercise 1. The leg pull. I looked for it but Total Gym doesn't seem to have any pictures of this one, so I'm just going to have to use my descriptive powers.
You take the wingbar (go here and look under pull-up, it's what he's holding onto), and attach it to the tower end. Sit on the end of the glide bar and, holding onto the wingbar with one hand, stick you're feet into the openings of the wingbar. Lay back on the glide board, letting your legs stretch out. To perform one rep pull, using the back of your ankles, until you knees bridge up. Then go back down.
Leg pull Set 1 25 reps. Set 2 16 reps. At level 3. Which is 27% of my body weight or 69.12 lbs as of my last weigh in.
Oh the way I decide to increase the resistance is simple, my first set is normally 15 reps. Then the second goes to failure. When I can reach 20 or 25 reps before failure, depending on the exercise, then I go for that on the first set. When I can do 20-25 reps both sets, it's time to go up.
Arm Pullover Set 1 15 reps. Set 2 16 reps. At level 5. Which is 41% of body weight or 104.96 lbs. Or 52.48 lbs. in each hand.
Butterfly Set 1 15 reps. Set 2 14 reps. Level 3 or 34.56 lbs. in each hand.
Seated Row Set 1 15 reps. Set 2 20 reps. At level 6. Which is 47% of body weight or 120.32 lbs.
Squat Set 1 20 reps. Set 2 same. At level 6 + 140.8 lbs in weight plates. Which works out to 186.496 lbs because you're lifting a % of the weight on the glide board.
Now the decline crunch is a crunch you do on the glide board. So you don't stress out you're neck. But it's still set in the squat position with the weight, so by bending the knees a little you also give your legs a little endurance workout as well. Two sets of 20 for those.
Then I skipped the Cool down and stretchers. Well, I think that is more than enough, for now
Which is perhaps a less than auspicious choice since not much happened Friday (now if I'd started it a week earlier on the 13th, that would've been a completely different story altogether). But I did have a workout (I know-according to my schedule I should have worked out twice-but I mentioned it might not be the best choice), so I'll go over that.
This was workout 1, but I skipped the warm-up, (yes I know how important that is, I told you I needed something to help keep me on track), so I went to exercise 1. The leg pull. I looked for it but Total Gym doesn't seem to have any pictures of this one, so I'm just going to have to use my descriptive powers.
You take the wingbar (go here and look under pull-up, it's what he's holding onto), and attach it to the tower end. Sit on the end of the glide bar and, holding onto the wingbar with one hand, stick you're feet into the openings of the wingbar. Lay back on the glide board, letting your legs stretch out. To perform one rep pull, using the back of your ankles, until you knees bridge up. Then go back down.
Leg pull Set 1 25 reps. Set 2 16 reps. At level 3. Which is 27% of my body weight or 69.12 lbs as of my last weigh in.
Oh the way I decide to increase the resistance is simple, my first set is normally 15 reps. Then the second goes to failure. When I can reach 20 or 25 reps before failure, depending on the exercise, then I go for that on the first set. When I can do 20-25 reps both sets, it's time to go up.
Arm Pullover Set 1 15 reps. Set 2 16 reps. At level 5. Which is 41% of body weight or 104.96 lbs. Or 52.48 lbs. in each hand.
Butterfly Set 1 15 reps. Set 2 14 reps. Level 3 or 34.56 lbs. in each hand.
Seated Row Set 1 15 reps. Set 2 20 reps. At level 6. Which is 47% of body weight or 120.32 lbs.
Squat Set 1 20 reps. Set 2 same. At level 6 + 140.8 lbs in weight plates. Which works out to 186.496 lbs because you're lifting a % of the weight on the glide board.
Now the decline crunch is a crunch you do on the glide board. So you don't stress out you're neck. But it's still set in the squat position with the weight, so by bending the knees a little you also give your legs a little endurance workout as well. Two sets of 20 for those.
Then I skipped the Cool down and stretchers. Well, I think that is more than enough, for now
My workout schedule
Since one of the things I'm using this for is to keep myself on track for my workouts it only makes sense to put down what it is I'm supposed to be doing. Only time will tell if I actually do it.
Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday: Work out #1
1.Cardio Pull on the Total Gym XL (yup the Chuck Norris/Christie Brinkley machine) minimum 15 minutes
2.Heavy Bag minimum 3 one minute rounds
Workout #2
Run 10-30-5 (10 minute walk warm-up, 30 minute run, 5 minute walk cooldown) then at least a few minutes of stretching
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Workout #1
Warm-up 10 minute Cardio Pull
1. Leg Pull 2 sets 15-25 reps
2. Arm Pullover 2 sets 15-25 reps
3. Butterfly 2 sets 15-20 reps
4. Seated Row same
5. Squat same
6. Decline ab crunch same
Cool down 5 minute Cardio Pull
Stretchers 2 sets 15-20 reps
Worjout #2 Walk 30 minutes
Saturday: off
Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday: Work out #1
1.Cardio Pull on the Total Gym XL (yup the Chuck Norris/Christie Brinkley machine) minimum 15 minutes
2.Heavy Bag minimum 3 one minute rounds
Workout #2
Run 10-30-5 (10 minute walk warm-up, 30 minute run, 5 minute walk cooldown) then at least a few minutes of stretching
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Workout #1
Warm-up 10 minute Cardio Pull
1. Leg Pull 2 sets 15-25 reps
2. Arm Pullover 2 sets 15-25 reps
3. Butterfly 2 sets 15-20 reps
4. Seated Row same
5. Squat same
6. Decline ab crunch same
Cool down 5 minute Cardio Pull
Stretchers 2 sets 15-20 reps
Worjout #2 Walk 30 minutes
Saturday: off
Saturday, October 21, 2006
An introduction to me
I'm going to try (the first person to go Yoda on me gets a light saber up their, well use your imagination, I know I will), to keep this short since the whole blog is about me. My motivation in writing this blog is to chronicle my transformation into who and what I want to be.
That transformation is going to be on every level I can conceive of: mental, physical, emotional, financial, moral, ethical, everything. But to understand that change, it will be helpful for you to know where I started from.
The easiest to describe is the physical. At 6'1 and 1/2 inches I weighed 263 lbs. when I began my current workout program. My measurements were gut: 52", neck 16", chest 47", arms 15, and thighs 26". My body fat was about 36% and my BMI around 34. This puts me well in to the obese category of course, with all that that implies for my health. I do want to clarify one thing, I do not believe I am pathetic because I am fat, I believe I am fat because I am pathetic. The first would be self-hatred, the second is self-understanding.
As of my last weigh in (which I do once a week on Monday), I am 256lbs. I haven't bothered to re-measure myself, not enough weight loss to justify it. Seven pounds in nine weeks is not significant, but the lackluster results are do to less than spectacular diet, and not following my regimen as I should. That's no small part of the reason why I'm doing this (the blog). I think by having to record it all for the world to see, I'll follow my program more carefully.
Mentally, it's not so much a problem of what I have, I have an excellent mind (humble aren't I). It's what I've done with it. Or more to the point what I haven't done with it. After all it doesn't matter how good your mind is, if you don't use it, it's a waste.
Financially, I'm broke all the time. I know what I should do, I just don't most of the time. Far too often it's just too much of a bother to discipline myself financially. And though I have ideas for how to increase my income, I just don't move forward with them. And having to deal with debt and overdue bills all the time is one of the best ways to increase one's misery.
On the moral/ethical front it's not so much any great wrongs I've done or anything like that, I mean I haven't committed genocide or anything like that lately. It's just that except when life's pushed me into it I haven't really figured out exactly where I stand in those areas. I have a general framework kind of, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into it. That's something else I'll be doing here.
So much for keeping it short.
That transformation is going to be on every level I can conceive of: mental, physical, emotional, financial, moral, ethical, everything. But to understand that change, it will be helpful for you to know where I started from.
The easiest to describe is the physical. At 6'1 and 1/2 inches I weighed 263 lbs. when I began my current workout program. My measurements were gut: 52", neck 16", chest 47", arms 15, and thighs 26". My body fat was about 36% and my BMI around 34. This puts me well in to the obese category of course, with all that that implies for my health. I do want to clarify one thing, I do not believe I am pathetic because I am fat, I believe I am fat because I am pathetic. The first would be self-hatred, the second is self-understanding.
As of my last weigh in (which I do once a week on Monday), I am 256lbs. I haven't bothered to re-measure myself, not enough weight loss to justify it. Seven pounds in nine weeks is not significant, but the lackluster results are do to less than spectacular diet, and not following my regimen as I should. That's no small part of the reason why I'm doing this (the blog). I think by having to record it all for the world to see, I'll follow my program more carefully.
Mentally, it's not so much a problem of what I have, I have an excellent mind (humble aren't I). It's what I've done with it. Or more to the point what I haven't done with it. After all it doesn't matter how good your mind is, if you don't use it, it's a waste.
Financially, I'm broke all the time. I know what I should do, I just don't most of the time. Far too often it's just too much of a bother to discipline myself financially. And though I have ideas for how to increase my income, I just don't move forward with them. And having to deal with debt and overdue bills all the time is one of the best ways to increase one's misery.
On the moral/ethical front it's not so much any great wrongs I've done or anything like that, I mean I haven't committed genocide or anything like that lately. It's just that except when life's pushed me into it I haven't really figured out exactly where I stand in those areas. I have a general framework kind of, but I haven't put a whole lot of thought into it. That's something else I'll be doing here.
So much for keeping it short.
An Introduction to the Blog
Hello. I know I stole it from Johnny Cash, but I figure if you're gonna steal, steal from the best. Since this is the first post on my new blog, I felt a little explanation might be helpful. I chose the title of this blog because it describes my current situation perfectly. And, to make a long story short, I've decided to change.
Now I've tried (and obviously failed) to make this change before, and in looking back on the reasons for those failures I noticed some things. And when I looked back on those things I've succeeded on in life I noticed differences. One of those differences I've noticed is when I succeeded other people were either depending on my success, or they at least knew what I was trying to accomplish. Another factor I noticed in my successes was a stark honesty I subjected myself to in what changes I needed to make in myself to succeed.
That level of honesty can be difficult with people you know, your preconceptions can too easily get n the way. So I decided I needed a way to involve others that would also involve a certain level of anonymity. A blog seems the perfect solution. Over time of course you'll get to know me, and since you can leave comments I suppose in a way I'll get to know some of you, but there will still be enough anonymity to allow me the honesty I need.
In short (just imagine if it was long), that's why the Blog.
Now I've tried (and obviously failed) to make this change before, and in looking back on the reasons for those failures I noticed some things. And when I looked back on those things I've succeeded on in life I noticed differences. One of those differences I've noticed is when I succeeded other people were either depending on my success, or they at least knew what I was trying to accomplish. Another factor I noticed in my successes was a stark honesty I subjected myself to in what changes I needed to make in myself to succeed.
That level of honesty can be difficult with people you know, your preconceptions can too easily get n the way. So I decided I needed a way to involve others that would also involve a certain level of anonymity. A blog seems the perfect solution. Over time of course you'll get to know me, and since you can leave comments I suppose in a way I'll get to know some of you, but there will still be enough anonymity to allow me the honesty I need.
In short (just imagine if it was long), that's why the Blog.
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