Archive for the ‘Fitness Together’ Category

This week has been going great.

Monday: I went to a University of Alabama recruitment meeting where people discuss all of the latest information about high school players being sought by the University. There was a pretty good turnout, and the coolest part was meeting Matt Caddell, a former wide receiver from Alabama. He played one year for the St. Louis Rams.

Tuesday and Wednesday: work, work, work. A did do a little bit of walking and working out, but I was still recovering from last week’s work out. The first workouts are the worst, but after the first few, it gets really easy.

Today: I went and worked out with Donnie at Fitness Together at Patton Creek (Hoover, AL). There is an incredible difference in working out with a trainer and working out by yourself. First, the trainer plans and demonstrates your workout. Second, the trainer spots and counts your reps. I think this is really important because when I’m struggling with lifting, I tend to lose count or not track the first few reps because I’m focusing on how heavy the bar is. (Yes, I’m weak, only lifting the 45 lb Olympic barbell.) Finally, the trainer is  there encouraging and pushing you to do it

We focused on arms at today’s workout, and used the straight olympic barbell as our primary lifting equipment, but we did do a little bit of work on legs and abs.

I’m putting together a list of gym equipment that I want to buy. My goal is to spend as little as possible and get some sturdy equipment. (Not because I want the best, but because I have a big rear end.

I plan on starting out with the following:

1. Sturdy weight bench with separate bar holder like the following:
   
2. 45 lb Olympic 7 ft straight barbell
   
3. 10 lb Medicine Ball
   

I’ve already got a set of 5lb and 20lb dumbbells.

What’s cool is the above will get me by for a while, all I’ll need to add is weights as I need them, and they can be bought individually.

I’m gonna see what the thrift store has. Also, I hear that Wright Fitness downtown has used equipment, and they carry gym grade stuff. We’ll see what happens.

My birthday is this month so I have asked for either cash towards gym equipment or a Casual Male gift card. It’s funny, I used to loath trying on and buying clothes. Now, I want to go buy the whole store. I can’t wait to be able to buy clothes at a regular clothing store.

This weekend my mom and I are going to clean out my junk room (a former bed room/office). I’ll be donating the stuff I no longer use to the Civitan for a garage/yard sale they are doing on the 12th. This room will be my home gym.

I’m gonna setup the video camera in my soon-to-be weight room. I think a video montage of weight loss/strength building progress will be awesome. Every day I am noticing changes to my body. I’m losing my padding, and I’m doing it without surgery.

There’s nothing wrong with weigh loss surgery, but you still have to change your eating habits with weight loss surgery. I have heard so many stories of people having surgery, losing a lot of weight, and then gaining it all back a few years later. So, there’s no end-all miracle cure for obesity. Maybe except desire and self-discipline. Blogging has helped me tremendously. Have I been perfect since March this year? No

Without this blog, I would have quit after my first bump in the road, but knowing that my friends and family are reading it and so many others have left so many kind, life changing comments, I couldn’t let them down.

Also, I’m getting pumped about the upcoming 5k on Oct 10th. I changed the color of my NASCAR to pink for the 5k. I am diligently walking varying distances to work for this goal. Squats are really helping me speed up my pace.

Finally, I’m stoked about this weekend. We’ve got college football, and I’m a big Alabama fan (insert joke here). Also, it’s labor day weekend. It’s gonna be a fun, relaxing weekend. Well, except for cleaning up my room.

Who’s your team? Are you a Tiger, Dog, Buckeye, Wolverine, etc.?

Roll Tide Roll

 

On to the next item: Wednesday afternoon I went over to the Trak Shak in Homewood, AL to help stuff swag bags for the Make-A-Wish 5k on Saturday. I will be a volunteer at Saturday’s race. The volunteer’s will be registering runners and performing other duties. Yes, I’ll be posting pics of the race.

I didn’t realize there was such a community of runners/walkers in Birmingham, and I think it’s awesome they have the Trak Shak to meet up at. The Trak Shak sells shoes, clothing, and accessories for runners and walkers. Also, it is the hang out. The best part is: (drum roll please) they have free low carb light beer for runners and walkers. (Before you fuss, no, I didn’t drink any beer. Honest.)

It was great to see a local independent business doing well in this economy.

I didn’t know that runners consume a ton of beer. I was even told that at most marathons, they give out beer on the last drinking station of the course. Who knew?

The Make-A-Wish Dream Team will be meeting this Sunday for our first training run/walk. It’s only thirty minutes, so it should be fun. And, again, the coach is going to provide water and beer. (wow) (I am easily impressed.)