Good workout

We had a decent workout with Pablo tonight. I did my 40 minute cardio mixer to start and was primed and ready to work. We went upstair for some core training and then to the big boy room for some upper & lower body super sets. Sorry, I can't remember the exact routines we did but I do know that we were working on a lot of lower body stuff and I had a challenge with my knees. It's getting better and is a ton better than when we started.

Responsibility is Job 1

Tonight was cardio night for me. Patty had a doctor's appointment but I have put on my calendar that every Wednesday, I go to the gym and at least do the cardio mixer. I started off with the treadmill at 15 minutes doing an initial start at 5.0 elevation at 3.0 mph and after 10 minutes, I kicked up the elevation and speed 1 level (i.e. 5.5 elevation/3.1 mph, 6.0 elevation, 3.2 mph., etc.) and finished off at 3.5 mph. I normally do not go above the 3.0 mph but tonight, I felt like challenging myself and it was good.

After the treadmill, I hit the LifeCycle for 10 minutes. I'm still not a big cycle person as it doesn't really do much for me. The only saving item with that is it is just under the television and I usually get there when Judge Judy is on. That show really is motivating to me as it seems like everyone that goes on that show likes to blame others for their problems. There was a guy today who wrecked 2 of his girlfriend's cars and her mother was there to sue the guy to take responsibility. The excuse that he used for wrecking the car was so lame. He dropped off his girlfriend at her friend's house and he told her that he was going to go for a few drinks at a local bar. He has a few too many and gets into a wreck driving 70 mph into a pole. His blood alcohol level was .242 and he had the audacity to blame the girlfriend since she knew he was going to a bar and she should have had sense to not let him have the car. OMG!! What kind of crazy world do we live in nowadays?

Like I said, this show is motivating to me because if shows me in a practical way not to transfer any responsibility for the things I do to others. If I don't like the way things are in my life, it is my responsibility to make a change. I kind of relate to many things in terms of television and/or movies. There was an old Ford Motor Company slogan that said "Quality is Job 1". Well, I think it should be "Responsibility is Job 1". We have to take responsiblity for our own actions. If you don't like something, fix it or change it. You are the only You that You can be!

Now that's I've rambled on about Judge Judy, I'll get back to my cardio finale. I ended up on the ProCor elliptical machine for 15 minutes on the #2 - cross training session. I am starting to like that machine as I kick my heart rate into the 130's pushing myself to 130-150 strides/minute. By the time I was done with that, I was drenched and I love it when I sweat. Mel used to say that she knew she was kicking my butt when I was soaked so I felt like I got a good workout in.

After the cardio, I hit the exercize ball and did 2 sets of 50 ab crunches. I really want the stomach thing to break down and the only way is to hit that constantly. I don't like the big pooch so abs...abs...abs....and more abs. I then hit the big boy room and did some pull downs. I kicked up the weight to 90 lbs. which is 1 plate more than the 75 lbs. that I had been doing. I also did the other machine next to it at 50 lbs. I'm not sure what it is but it's the first machine in that room. You stand with your back on a padded pad and you pull down from the top keeping your arms close to you side. It's kind of like a bicep machine but not sure. I did 2 super sets and then had to go.

Overall, it was a good workout even though Patty was not there. I had fun.

House of Pain

Tonight was the house of pain. I couldn't resist as I sometimes watch a show on CNBC called "Mad Money" with Jim Cramer, author of the best selling book "Jim Cramer's Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World" and when something is going down, he hit's a button on his console and it says in a booming voice "House of Pain". My House of Pain tonight was in my legs and quads. I am really enjoying the workouts and tonight, my body was trying to rebel against me.

I started off with my cardio mixer but I did this in reverse order. I did the treadmill first, then the LifeCycle and then the elliptical. I did 35 minutes of cardio prior to getting together with Pablo for the training.

We went upstairs and were anticipating a lower body workout but it was more upper body with some lower body movements. We did ab crunches with weights (this was a first) and ball squats with curls. We did some toe touches and deep knee bends. We also did Russian Twists and bar lifts. We went downstairs for more arm work in the big boy room and then did some chest presses and calf lifts. We finished up on the machines with single leg presses and leg extensions and ended the workout with squats with weights (Pablo called us the oil rigs) and side step lunges (2 sets).

Patty will be on a Women's retreat on Thursday through Saturday so we will not be working with Pablo on Friday. I will be in the gym on Wednesday and Saturday as I have a meeting on Friday night. We did workout last Friday but since it is Monday night, I can't remember what we did but we were there.

Peace and blessings,

Jerry

Rockin' night self workout

No, this is no risque' post. I just totally rocked out at the gym tonight. I left my office and got to the gym around 4:00 and started on my cardio mixer. I did 15 minutes on the LifeFitness elliptical machine. Once I get past 3 minutes or so, I am fine on this machine and my legs are into the groove. After the elliptical, I hit the LifeCycle for another 15 minutes keeping my heart rate up and my RPMs above 80. I then hit the treadmill and started at 3.0 mph at a 4 elevation and worked for 20 minutes moving the elevation up to 9.0 to get extra resistance.

After all the cardio (total of 50 minutes), I hit the big boy room for some lat pulls, chest presses and seated pulls. I finished up doing 5 sets of stairs and went to the jacuzzi for 10 minutes of water therapy. I was pretty pumped for a good workout for myself. Too bad Patty was elsewhere otherwise she would have enjoyed the workout tonight as well.

Judge Judy was on the tube as I was on the LifeCycle and I was watching a lady complaining that she was on SSI and couldn't work and wouldn't pay back someone a loan. She and her husband had defaulted and the plaintiff had taken their car as collateral for the loan. The plaintiff had repo'd the car and that was what the lawsuit was about. Judge Judy was miffed that the lady and her husband had made no attempts to pay back any part of the debt and awarded the car to the plaintiff as his sole property in payment of the debt. After the show, the woman was all in tears crying that the plaintiff had taken their only means of transportation and it wasn't fair...blah blah blah.

I kept thinking to myself, I was that woman in my attitude regarding my health. I couldn't be to blame - it must have been McDonald's or Wendy's or the pizza, etc. It was everyone else's fault - not me. It was their fault that I got diabetes. It was my parent's fault that I have this gene that caused me to suffer. I was the victim.

What a crock. We all have to take personal responsibility for our actions. If you want real change and results, you have to work for it. No one is going to give it to you. You have to make the decision to change your life. This process is not going to end once I hit my weight and size goal as is now a permanent lifestyle that I have committed to.

I was also thinking about the Capital One commercial - What's in your wallet? It's now, what's your committment? Are you committed to a permanent change? My answer is emphatically "YES!!!!"

Good Intensity Monday

I was really pumped up tonight for our training. Seeing the results and weight loss, I am more than convinced that I can do it! I am so focused on 170-32 - 170 lbs. and 32" waist. The waist size is the more important of the two goals for me. If I am 185 or 205 and completely ripped with a 32" waist, then that's where I will be. I just want to be healthy and feel good. I am starting to see the results in the mirror and when I see myself walking into building and I know it's me but I am stunned to see myself. It just keeps motivating me to keep on track and I just want to end up doing more. I am so happy to be on this journey with you and with Patty. It's only been 7 months but time has really passed quickly.

Our session tonight started with my cardio mixer and then it was upstairs for some ab work, ball lifts, sissor kicks (getting better) and stup up lifts with weights. We then went downstairs and did an upper body workout with chest press, chest pulls (3 sets of super sets) and then went to the big boy room for more upper body stuff. We did some bicep curls and tricep extensions as well as hammer throws and forearm curls. It was a very intense night and I sweated profusely!

Man, I really am loving this!

Peace,
Jerry

Great session with Pablo tonight

We had a really great session with Pablo tonight. I had a pretty stressful day and couldn't wait to work out my aggrivation so I got to the gym at 4:15 pm and started off with my cardio mixer (eliptical, treadmill, bike) and then we were upstairs for some core stuff. Patty had come from the chiropracter where her lower back has been bothering her so she was unable to do some lower back exercizes.

Things are progressing well and we are seeing progress. I just got down to a size 40 pants - this is down from a 52 size - 1 1/2 years ago so I am quite happy with the progress. I only have 8 more inches to go on the waist and I will be at my size goal. Our last weigh in had me back down to 265 so I am only 95 lbs. to get to my emotional goal. This weight goal may change depending on how I look when I get down to 32". I will be there within 6 - 9 months so I am totally stoked!

Peace and Blessings,

Jerry

Alzheimers Risk

I saw this today on MSNBC's website at : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12203220/

Being 40 and overweight raises Alzheimer's risk

High levels of body fat increases chance of developing disease, study finds

Updated: 10:24 a.m. ET April 7, 2006

SAN DIEGO - Being overweight during one’s early 40s increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease decades later, new research shows.

“We originally thought that once we took into account diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that there would be no effect of overweight on Alzheimer’s disease, but that turned out not to be the case,” Dr. Rachel A. Whitmer said at a press briefing held at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting here in San Diego.

Whitmer, from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation Research Institute in Oakland, California, and her colleagues studied data on nearly 9000 men and women who were between the ages of 40 and 45 years old when they were first examined between 1964 and 1973. Body fat was measured in the back and arms using special calipers.

During an average follow-up period of 23 years, 221 cases of Alzheimer’s disease were diagnosed.

After factoring in the effects of diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure, “we observed a strong independent effect for people with high levels of adiposity” in middle age, Whitmer said. Subjects with high levels of fat in the arm and back were nearly three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with low levels.

The association was even stronger when taking into account body mass index (BMI), an overall measure of body weight in relation to height, the researcher added.

“BMI is a good marker for overweight and obesity, but it does not take into account fat regional distribution,” she told Reuters Health. This may mean that “even if a person is of normal weight, carrying a lot of fat in certain areas, especially the (trunk), puts people at risk.”

“Doctors need to remind people that they need to think about weight in middle age,” she said. Losing excess weight and body fat in middle age is not just good for the heart, it’s also good for the brain.

Whitmer and her team plan to evaluate whether weight loss reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

Mea Culpa...Mea Culpa

I have to apologize that I have not posted in a couple of weeks. Patty & I are still going strong at the gym and on our program. The good news is that on my last weigh in, I dropped the weight from February and am now down to 265. I also dropped 1 1/2 inches on the waist so I am seeing great progress! Patty is also doing well and we are still going for it and staying in the gym 3-4 times a week. Let me know if you would like to join us sometime and we'll be happy to have you workout with us!

The next workout is tomorrow night (Friday) at 5:00 p.m. Looking forward to a killer workout with Pablo!

Till next time,
Jerry