An object at rest tends to stay at rest. Wow, is this true. At least for me it is. I struggle so much to start an exercise program with any consistency. I struggle to get out of bed in the morning. I struggle to go to sleep at night.
I know what rewards await my success. I know how much better my life can be. I know where my current path leads. Shouldn't that be enough to motivate? To energize?
Yet sadly I continue to stay . . . at rest.
In continuing with my physics theme, in order to entice an object from rest into a state of motion takes an application of energy. (At least that's what I remember from school, bear with me here, it's been a while.) So where do I find an application of energy that will push me into motion?
An object in motion tends to stay in motion. My hope is that this equally will apply to me once I start on a consistent program. I know from experience that it is possible. I have done it before. Of course before I had a clear "impact" that started my path and kept me focused. I'm having trouble finding that now. My natural proclivity toward procrastination is in full effect.
It's not for lack of planning. It's not for lack of knowledge. It just comes down to lack of will power. Lack of the ability to concentrate enough will power into energy that will spark movement and set me in motion.
My goals seem so far away as to be indistinct. Where as once they served as motivation, now they are on the level of fantasy, like winning the lottery. Sure it can happen, but does it ever really? It's just something that you see on TV.
On days like this it is hard to imagine being able to exercise enough to make a significant change. I can't possibly move enough to create a caloric deficit that will erase all the mass I've accumulated. It's hard to imagine exercising at all through this lethargy that has me firmly in its grip. I feel like I am watching life go by through a cloudy haze. I don't know if this is physical, mental, or both. I just know that despite my wish to be active, I am held fast by a metaphorical anchor and drowning in a sea of resignation.
Sorry to be so down, maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Good kinda sore . . .
Baby steps. That's what I keep telling myself I'm taking. Baby steps toward fitness, toward reclaiming or restarting a life that's been on hold for too long. Baby steps are effective, but only when consistent, and lets be honest, consistent isn't my strong suit.
See, I tend to be an impatient kind of guy. An instant gratification type. Hence the over eating and lack of exercise. So this is a paradigm shift for me in more ways than one. I've definitely made some positive changes to my nutrition, which seem to be holding. Now I'm ready to up my game.
The other night we dusted off the ol' weight bench. My son started it, he decided to start working out again and I decided to join him. We decided to max to give us an idea of where we are and how much we should be lifting. It's been a LONG time since I've done any weight lifting, and even longer since I maxed. To the uninitiated, max is when you see how much you can bench press once. You typically continue to increase the weight until you can no longer life it with good form without help. The last amount you successfully lifted is your current max. It's a good way to measure improvement over time.
At my prime I could bench 315. I was about 220 pounds then, so that was pretty good. A rule of thumb for normal sized fit people is that you should be able to bench press your own body weight.
So on this first max in many years I got 165 pounds.
In some ways it was better than I expected. I warmed up with a set of 115 pounds to get the blood flowing. I had this fear that I wouldn't be able to bench more than 135. It's always good to be at least slightly ahead of where you think you are. I realize this isn't some life changing number, but its a small win and I'll take it. This morning I woke up with a slight soreness in my chest and arms that I haven't felt in a long time. It was a good feeling.
See, I tend to be an impatient kind of guy. An instant gratification type. Hence the over eating and lack of exercise. So this is a paradigm shift for me in more ways than one. I've definitely made some positive changes to my nutrition, which seem to be holding. Now I'm ready to up my game.
The other night we dusted off the ol' weight bench. My son started it, he decided to start working out again and I decided to join him. We decided to max to give us an idea of where we are and how much we should be lifting. It's been a LONG time since I've done any weight lifting, and even longer since I maxed. To the uninitiated, max is when you see how much you can bench press once. You typically continue to increase the weight until you can no longer life it with good form without help. The last amount you successfully lifted is your current max. It's a good way to measure improvement over time.
At my prime I could bench 315. I was about 220 pounds then, so that was pretty good. A rule of thumb for normal sized fit people is that you should be able to bench press your own body weight.
So on this first max in many years I got 165 pounds.
In some ways it was better than I expected. I warmed up with a set of 115 pounds to get the blood flowing. I had this fear that I wouldn't be able to bench more than 135. It's always good to be at least slightly ahead of where you think you are. I realize this isn't some life changing number, but its a small win and I'll take it. This morning I woke up with a slight soreness in my chest and arms that I haven't felt in a long time. It was a good feeling.
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