Get Swole Begins!

I started Sunday instead of Monday. My first workout was chest and back and it was a great workout! With higher reps and more sets I use a little lighter weight but enough so that I’m having to work to get those last couple of reps out (failure is ideal). I was able to focus on the muscle group being worked and maintain good form.

The week of detox and primer was not a fun week. The diet got old fast. Going to the gym and not working hard was also challenging. I think that is one of the reasons why Sunday’s workout felt so good. I had missed that pumped feeling, the burn. I feel like this program is going to be incredibly transformational for me.

Before I began, I took some pics: front, profile, and back. I added a “stat” box to my training sheets and the photos. Every week I will take measurements and new photos and add those. I believe documentation such as this is a tremendously beneficial aid to stay focused, inspired, and motivated.

I was browsing through some of my photos that I took in November, then early January, and then just a month ago. The change is amazing!

Here’s the thing, my weight has not changed too much. I have had about a seven pound loss, but if you were to see my “before” pics compared to me now you would think that I had lost a bunch of weight. I have lost a lot of fat and I have gained a lot of muscle therefore the scale doesn’t change much. The measurements have. I log tape measurements as well as caliper measurements. Those have changed drastically in the last few months and obviously my overall appearance has as well.

The first phase of this program has me training four days and resting three. My “resting” days, however, will contain cardio, core work, yoga, and one “free” lifting day. Those are not part of the program but elements that I am adding. Ideally, I am supposed to be really resting but that sounds like no fun. 😉 These rest days are great opportunities for me to work on others areas as it is difficult to fit it all in during regular training days.

I am really excited about reaching new goals with this program and sharing my progress with you.

About Me

I just added the long story here. Short story is I dealt with some health issues over a year ago, became depressed and sedentary. As I began healing I vowed to never take my good health for granted again. Since I started bodyweight training three months ago, I have established a solid routine. I have missed only one workout and that was due to feeling ill. That is a pretty good record for me. I have a hard time switching gears. I’m slow to make changes. It’s when I’ve tried to make sudden, big changes that I have failed. Slow and steady works for me. I like to dip my toe into the water and slowly work the rest of me in. Some people dive in head first. That’s not me. I would jump out and say, “that was unpleasant and I’m not doing it again.”

I have an advantage though. My husband has been an inspiration. We both decided to make some health changes at the same time. He’s more of a dive-in kind of guy. He has embarked on a bodybuilding journey as well. He has studied and researched and shared so much helpful information with me. He has encouraged me, coached me, and pushed me (though gently because he knows I’ll resist if pushed too hard). We work together to help each other realize our visions. I buy and prepare the meals so I try to make what he needs to support his gains and goals. Fortunately, we are both on similar paths so it’s that much easier. On the weekends we are able to train together. It’s not easy for some couples to do this, as I have heard and witnessed. Egos get in the way and it’s not conducive to a supportive training atmosphere.

We are fortunate and perhaps our backgrounds contribute to that. He has trained in martial arts for about 30 years. He has coached many and he is excellent. I was a personal trainer for a short time and experienced the ego trips in the gym more than I care to recall. We understand the training mindset and the trainee mindset. We are not competing with each other, we are supporting each other. We want the other to succeed and will help as much as possible.

I have much to share with you and I would love to hear your stories and questions!