Intro
Alright,
I'm taking another stab at this here blog thing.
My last one went okay; but I didn't like the fact that I had like 3 separate blogs between the beginning of '06 and the end of '07.
2006 was a tough year for me in my personal life.
2007 was a rebuilding phase, but some things had to be torn down before new things could be built - lost my job, but moved to a new city and found a new one; also got a great girl.
Now, in 2008 I'm hoping I can finally get it right.
In December I joined Gold's Gym here in San Antonio.
I got a personal trainer, but it wasn't working great and it was just too expensive.
Started to do my own thing, but it felt a bit too unfocused and repetitive.
In February I picked up a weight lifting book written by a contributor to Men's Health and t-mag.
It's aimed at shlubs like me, who run back to the gym too quick, get injured, and get caught in a nasty cycle of starting over.
I've been working through the book since February, but wanted to make sure I was sticking to it before I started blogging on it.
FYI, the book is "Better Body Blueprint: The Start-Right, Stick-to-It Strength Training Plan" by Michael Mejia, CSCS.
In addition to Gold's Gym about a month ago I started visiting the local Muay Thai gym. There are 2 coaches there from Thailand and it's definitely a good fit for me - especially the schedule, which was always a problem in Fort Worth. After a couple trial classes I decided to join, eventhough it'll make my budget a little tight.
Methodology
My goals are:
1. Lose bodyfat
2. Gain strength
3. Recover endurance
4. Get in Fighting Shape
5. Fight again (if the circumstances allow me to)
6. Stick to the plan
7. Make sure I don't overdo it (doing too much too soon)
8. Make sure I don't go back to being the guy who does nothing but train (letting other stuff fall to the wayside)
My plan:
1. Set a baseline in Muay Thai of 2 or 3 times a week that I do consistently, week in and week out, without losing too much energy for normal activities (like cleaning my house, professional development for work, and maintaining my relationship with my gf).
2. Set a baseline for fitness workouts at Gold's gym of 1 to 2 times a week, under the same guidelines.
3. Use the above mentioned book for my fitness workouts, adding additional Combat Conditioning type training if necessary.
4. Clean up the diet via the Zone (once I'm done reading the book). Diets and me don't get along, I hate obsessing over what I'm going to eat, so my goal is more "sensible" than anything else.
5. Leave the option open in the case of a possible competition- whereby I step up my training & clean up my diet for a minimum of 6 weeks, with the intention of returning back to the baseline once the competition is over.
The Workouts
My Thai class is pretty much in the hands of my coach; however I will be adding extra heavybag work and Combat Conditioning drills (calisthenics, plyometrics, and interval work). I've been consistent about 2 muay thai classes a week; but I think in the next week or 2 I will move to 3 times.
I've completed the first phase of my workout book, which is aimed at correcting structural imbalances and improving posture. Up till now I've only been consistent with 1 fitness workout a week - I'll need to increase this frequency. I'll detail each phase as I go through it and make extra notes as the book calls for them.
In addition to my scheduled workouts, my girlfriend loves the outdoors. We do a lot of hiking, fishing, rock-wall climbing, and other outdoor activities. These activities have already cut into scheduled workouts somewhat, they can be very tiring, I'll blog about them here as well.
Last, but not least, I've still got a couple of sessions left over with my personal trainer and when they happen I'll blog about them here too.
Thoughts
I just want to be a lot more patient this time around. I don't want to set unreasonably high expectations and feel like a failure when I can't meet them. Some of my workouts may appear to be too easy, infrequent, or conservative; my diet way too unstructured, but I'm reserving the right to play within the bounds of what I can handle, regardless of how it looks on paper. It's been a long road to where I am right now and I don't want to get obsessed to the point that I don't appreciate and enjoy the great things that have come my way.
Starting the next phase of my workout and will blog again later tonight.
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