Back to the House of Pain

        After a much needed rest, I returned to the gym today with incredible enthusiasm. I decided to let my body fully recover from last week's flu and all of the training I put it through over the last three months. I took six days off even though I wanted to train on the weekend. The break did my mind and body good.

        I went into the gym early this morning to get in some cardio and hit the weights before my Muay Thai session. Felt great to wake up those muscles again. When it was time to get in the octagon, I felt like a kid. I grabbed the blocking pads and my boxing gloves and was ready for some serious business. It was another great session and it was good to be back in the cage.

        After three days of barely eating last week, I've made a conscious effort to increase my caloric intake now that I'm better. One reason is that I don't want to lose too much more weight. I want to maintain my weight at about 210-215 but I still have a few percentage points of body fat to lose to reach the goal I set. Therefore I'm going to have to increase muscle mass while I continue to lose body fat.

         I also want to feed my body with as many quality foods so that I have enough energy for my workouts. They are very intense and I have to make sure that I have enough gas in the tank to get through the 2-3 hours of work I put my body through. The majority of my diet consists of fruits and vegetables and I make sure to consume an adequate amount of protein. I try and eat the majority of my carbs in first half of my day and I am constantly drinking water.

        It's good to be back in the gym. It's gonna be hard to beat the number I set at 99 workouts in a row. All I know is that today was day one and it felt really amazing to be back at it. I'm really looking forward to the summer training that lies ahead. Can't weight to start sledgehammer training, getting on the bike, playing some soccer and even training for the upcoming Spartan race that a few of us at Pump will be taking part in.

        Hope your training is on point and if you ever need any help don't be shy to ask. I'm also offering my massage therapy services now. My rates are very reasonable and affordable :)

Until next time... Don't forget to breath

Mike

    

Workout 99

        It's been an intense ride but the streak has finally come to an end. My plan was to get to 100 workouts in a row but as fate would have it, on day 100 I was sick as a dog :( Thoughts of trying to get a workout in still went through my head. However, logic made me think twice. My rule of thumb for training when sick is as follows; if it's above the neck I'll train but if it's below I won't. I'm not sure if I had a bout of gastro or possibly food poisoning, but there was no way training was going to help my situation.

        I won't lie. I am kind of dissapointed that I didn't reach the century mark. I won't linger on it though because I am super proud of my accomplishment. To train 99 days in a row is not easy. Life gets in the way, muscles are sore but I managed to find a place for exercise every day for over three months. It wasn't easy. It took a fair amount of time management and drive. I can't think of a day when I had to push myself to train. My enthusiasm level has been very high. I've been very determined to reach my goals and so far so good.

        I'm going to give my body at least one more day of rest. I'm still not feeling a hundred percent. I'm very proud of my accomplishment of 99 in a row but now I have a new goal... 100 in a row :P

Month Three Weigh-In

        Yesterday was my weigh-in. It's been three months since I set out on the road to reach my goals. Unlike my last weigh-in, I knew that my numbers were going to be on the right track. I've been getting a lot of comments lately about my "new look" and I must say it gives me the extra drive to keep pushing towards my goals.

        Over the last month I have lost 11 pounds which brings me to my target weight a month early. I lost another 2% body fat and I am on track to meet my goal within the next month. My hydration level has increased with every weigh-in. I have made a conscious effort to drink plenty of water throughout the day. I rarely drink soft drinks or juice and I have been limiting my alcohol consumption. I reached my peak metabolic age which is 12 so I'm super happy that all of my hard work has paid off. Overall it was a great weigh-in and I had a smile on my face all day long.

        I am approaching my 100th day of training and my enthusiasm for each session is still extremely high. I face every workout with high energy and am loving the fact that I have a sport to focus my training towards. I was going to reward myself with a new pair of boxing gloves when I reached my 100th workout. However, I was given a pair by the boss at work yesterday. Guess I'll have to find a new reward! I wasn't supposed to go into the gym today but I felt like a little kid with my new gloves. I just had to test them out and went in and had a good session on the heavy bags.

        People have been asking me how in gods name have I been able to train so many days in a row. The short answer is that I've really been mixing it up. I rarely train weights on back to back days and I'm lucky to work in a gym. The long answer is that my motivation level has been very high and I have been very focused on reaching my goals. Over the last three months I've dipped my feet into P90X, discovered battle ropes and kettlebell training as well as Muay Thai. The best motivation of all has been training for Muay Thai. My coach is awesome and has really pushed me to my limits. It's nice having a training partner to keep you moving forward with your training.

        With only a few more sessions before I hit the century mark of training sessions, I better figure out a new reward for myself. Would love to hear any ideas you may have :) Until then, guard your grill knuckle up.

Mike