I have been interested in fitness, lifting weights etc for 25 years. Whether I was in shape or not, I have always tried to keep up with the pulse of fitness going back to the first time I saw Arnold on the cover of one of Joe Weiders magazines on my dad’s dresser when I was 12. (Yes there was a time in my pre teen life when I thought I would look like Arnold by the time I was 20, rotfl). There is something that has always bothered me about fitness and health, and is a pet peeve of mine, and still bugs me to this day. I just don’t understand why so many people must tear down every other program as garbage, and their own as “the only game in town”. (And I don’t mean because of the business financial aspect of it, because YES i do understand that side of things).
If there was only ONE way to exercise then we would not have the 34, 539 different books, programs, “Diets” and guru’s out there, each touting their own “Only way to get in shape”. On the internet there is an absolute wealth, and absolute abundance of information out there, both in terms of free information and of the “premium” (read: information you pay for) variety. I found a couple new websites last night with free workouts, like this one , that have simply amazing ideas for new ways to exercise (well new to me). At this stage of my journey I just want to get healthy, and I want to do it at home. This is just my choice and my decision, for my own reasons. That’s not to say I will never step into a gym again, because odds are I will, but for now I am looking for ways to exercise at home as cheaply as I can. The site I linked to up there has tonnes of free exercise videos, as well as a bunch of products I would like to invest in! (sorry getting off track here).
Back to what I was saying. I personally get turned off by the people, or gurus or whatever that rip down everyone elses programs, to build up their own. It drives me nuts and turns me off. At this stage of my journey, i am doing Beachbody programs. I am doing them and enjoying them thus far, but I am not some mindless drone, that is going to go out in the world and say “you must do “insert -beachbody-product-here” or you are doomed to walk around in a fat body forever! or other such foolishness. Esentially just move! If going to the gym works for you DO IT. If following South Beach works for you, DO IT! If Body for Life works for you, DO IT (love that program by the way) . But don’t automatically think that your program is the ONLY way to do things. Meh…..rant done.
My current goals, extend to this 100 day personal challenge I am currently doing. I posted the goals a few posts ago. I am looking to really give this my all. I was thinking about doing Tom Venuto’s summer challenge that starts tomorrow concurrently with my own personal mission or challenge that I am doing, but I don’t think that keeping a journal on that site talking about Beachbody programs or Weight Watchers would be allowed. Going forward past the next 93 days or so, I want to be in the best shape (and more importantly BEST HEALTH) I have ever been in by my 38th Birthday New Years Eve 2010. After that, my wife and I are going to go to a beach somewhere in spring 2010 down south and I would like to be in good shape for that.
Beyond these goals, some superficial (for example looking my best ever, getting visible abs etc) getting my health under control, I want to see if I can’t get off Blood pressure medication etc. I hate taking pills and although I will if I have to of course, I would like to get off the medication if possible. Also I would like to inspire others to undertake their own “transformations” or take responsibility for their own health. I certainly don’t pretend to be perfect, and I certainly am not 24/7 the model for good health and fitness. I will continue to occasionally enjoy a few pops with the boys at poker night etc, but I can honestly say that I have made alot of changes in my life the last few months, and I plan to keep up with those changes going forward. And if I can inspire someone else to make some healthier choices well then, mission accomplished.
The last thing I will talk about on this somewhat “ranty” post, lol, is why am I writing this blog. I know that some of my friends are reading this blog, and some of my family as well. 6 months ago I would have been mortified if I knew that certain people were reading this stuff, seeing the fat pictures of me posted etc. Putting the links to this blog up on facebook was probably one of the best things I have ever done. I did it for accountability. Maybe no one is watching, and that is fine to. But I will say this. I used to be scared to death that pictures of me would get out there at work, or wherever. Or my friends at poker, or that I grew up with or whatever would see them and would attack me ferociously. I had one of my best friends say to me yesterday “looks like you are sucking your gut in ” in the latest weekly progress pics, lol. Whatever, don’t care about any of it. One day in March I was laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an EKG machine. For a while that day, I thought I was having a heart attack. I had nearly a 50 inch waist. I wasn’t fooling anyone hiding under layers and layers of clothes. That day, that experience scared the shit out of me. My kids, (and Hi Nicole who is likely reading this) were scared. My wife was scared. My family and the friends that knew where I was, were scared. I made a decision that day, that I gotta smarten up. This is the way I decided to hold myself accountable. To write a blog (cause thats what I do I write), and detail the ups and downs of taking control of my health and fitness levels. To get my life back. I have spent all of my 30′s on the sidelines. I have spent all of my 30′s in pain from 120 different injuries, made worse by carrying around 30 percent bodyfat. I have spent all of my 30′s making excuses for an ever expanding waistline, and worse and worse health. Writing this blog is helping me get my life back. Taking pictures is helping me measure progress. It’s helping me exercise when I feel like playing some foolish video game or do something else sitting on my ass. What’s it going to take to get you moving?
