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