My Accountability Page

Had a little scare 2 weeks ago. A short episode of chest pain during a Monday night training session. At the time I thought nothing of it, I was just getting over bronchitus, until I go to my yearly woman checkup, and the Doc tells me I have a heart murmur. Me! Never! I have been through several very intense military physicals, and believe me. The Army was sending people home right and left for that kind of thing.

However, I went to see the Cardiologist on Monday and she doesn't seem to be that concern. Said to go back to working out as long as a feel good, no pain or light headedness, etc. Still having some test done just to be safe, due to family history and such. Whatever!

Also so a new back specialist. Evidently, I got some bad info from the first one. Things are not nearly as bad as I was first led to believe.

Yee Haw! I'm training again.

As much as I liked it, I will be leaving the YMCA. Reason? I'm training in Martial Arts again! Just training for now, and that's enough. My body has to remember and I have to re-build strength in certain areas. I can't justify the monthly cost of both in the household budget.

Both the kids are back at it. Gabe (surprisingly) the first, with gusto! He loves the structure, and boy is our new Master structured! Chris decided today that he would train again. He had been dragging his feet, but after a heart-to-heart with Master Berry, he is excited and literally has a new spring in his step! He sees martial arts training as a vehicle to bring himself closer to his goal of a career in Law Enforcement.

2007 is going to be a much better year!

Just a quick update. Decided to join the YMCA so that I could take classes. I was having a hard time being motivated for solo work-outs anymore.

Have been doing some of the Les Mills classes. Specifically Body Pump and Body Combat. Both are great workouts. I encourage anyone reading to try a few, just be prepared to work and sweat.

That's it. Thanksgiving is coming so try to be good where the pumpkin pie is concerned!

This has been a strange week. My Endocrine system is definitely not quite right yet. Starting last Friday, I was feeling very down and lethargic. Had a couple major crying jags and found myself sitting around in my P.J.'s thinking "what's the point". Exercised anyway and felt better when I was done.

I've had a lot to do, been cleaning out my garage. My goal is to finish out my 3rd bay and make it a home gym. Weights, Cardio machines, and a Heavy bag for punching. There's a lot of junk that has to go first. Because of this, I haven't done weights at all this week, but there has been plenty of heavy lifting in the garage. I have, however, found time to run, yes run!, on Monday and Tuesday. Took yesterday off because I could tell my muscles and feet needed a day to recover. Today and tomorrow I will go again. I'm probably doing about 2 miles and how it hurts! What took me 3 years to build in my body, evaporated in the last 6 months. Seems really unfair, but who are you going to argue with? At points when I think that I can't take one more step or control my breathing any longer, I picture myself in my size 4 shorts and pants that fit just a short time ago, and I find the strength to go just a little farther.

I've hit a plateau of sorts. My measurements haven't changed since last week and the weight, well it is what it is. I keep telling myself, that when I went through this process before (3 years ago), I hit a plateau at the same point. The thing that got me past it was jogging, really bumping up the cardio intensity, so I'm doing it again. I am going to have blood drawn today just to see if there's something else holding me back.

Decided to lay off the squats and lunges until my body gets acclimated to the running. My left knee was starting to bother me a little anyway. I tend to favor my right, so the left gets a lot of abuse.

Here's what I plan to do today and tomorrow and will probably carry it over into next week.
Will increase the reps rather than the weight. Mostly because I haven't gotten to Sports Authority to buy 20#Dbs. Am starting wide arm push-ups to try to simulate the action of bench pressing as I don't have a bench.


Alternating military Press: 15reps @ 15#'s

30 sec of low angle flutter kicks

Upright rows: 15reps @ 30#

20 Oblique crossovers

Seated Bicept curls: 15reps @ 15#

20 Oblique crossovers (other side)

20 wide arm push-ups (slow and controlled)

30 crunches

Double hand overhead Tricept press: 15reps @ 10#

20 pelvic tilt style crunches


3 cycles then 30 minute jog.

The Common Cold is a terrible thing.

Last week, I was laid low by this common viral infection. Due to an inherent weakness of mine, I still have my tonsils, I was miserable and unable to swallow without pain for about 6 days. This is was a good and bad thing at once. Bad, because it hurt, dammit! Good, because I didn't eat much while it lasted, especially during a time when most of what I was doing was laying around reading or sleeping.

Everything is pretty much back to normal now, but because of the break in the workout routine, Week 6 is a repeat of Week 4. The Cold did indeed effect my physical performance. Monday's workout was difficult. I only got through 2 cycles before I had to stop and the cardio section was only 30 minutes. Thank goodness, yesterday's workout was as specified.

Another thing of note. I noticed yesterday that Vitamin supplements should not be taken until 4 hours after taking Synthroid. I'm assuming this is because it makes the uptake of the hormone less effective. Well, guess what I've been doing? Have changed vitamin time to lunch. Hopefully this change will speed things up even more.

Measurements since Week 4

Waist: -2cm
Hips: -2.5cm
Upper Thigh: -1cm

Weight: somewhere around 142.

Weight = 143.8 Bodyfat = ?

Waist: -3cm Hips: -1.5cm Upper Thigh: -.5cm

Changed things up a little bit.

This is the last week that I will be looking at the scale for a while. I'm an impatient person and the scale measure is too slow for me and leads me to get aggravated and frustrated. I'm also not going to list bodyfat percentage anymore because the method by which I was getting that figure is too unreliable. It depends upon the level of hydration in my body and right now, with this heat, that level is very "fluid" due to sweating. Am relying on the tape measure for a while. Decided to use centimeters because it's more precise and the change is quicker (a little mind game with myself).

New workout schedule. I'm not looking at the days of the week anymore. I just work out every other day. Every third workout will require a change to keep with the "muscle confusion" theory of exercise.

Deleted the Inner and Outer thigh exercises. I suspect that they were aggravating my lower back issue. I will bring them back when I feel that my core muscles have been strengthened enough. To facilitate this, I have put 2 different types of Abdominal work in the cycle.

Also changed the way that I am doing the weights. On the Military Press and the Bicept Curls, I am alternating each arm while holding the opposite arm in a static position. I feel that this is keeping the muscles engaged constantly throughout the set. Kept the weights and reps the same. I must say that this way of doing the set is very challenging. My heartrate spiked to 177 during all sets of these exercises. Changed Tricepts to doublehand behind the head with a higher weight. This seems to also work the lats a little also. Upped the weight on the Upright Rows.

Here's the routine for the next 3 workouts


Lunges - 20 each side
Alternating Military Press - 15#db/12reps
25 leg extensions
Dbl. hand Overhead Tricept press - 10#db/12reps
25 squats
Alternating Hammerstyle Bicept curls - 15#db/12reps
25 crunches
Upright rows with two 15#db/12reps

3 cycles of all. Heartrate throughout 135bpms sometimes spiking to 177bpms.

Extended cardio time to 45 minutes. Heartrate throughout 160-165bpms. It's hard to carry a water bottle big enough in this heat.

I'm really enjoying exercising again. I am also beginning to see the changes in my muscle structure, particularly my shoulders. I feel that my shoulders and back are some of my best physical features so I'm glad to see the improvement. My legs are definitely stronger but there is still too much fat on top of the muscle to really see the difference.

Kind of discouraging day. Although I can feel a change in my muscle structure, a noticeable change in the firmness of major muscle groups, I was disappointed at the scale this morning.

Weight - 145.2

Bodyfat - 29.8%

I spoke to Jacki after my workout and she suggested 2 things. Add a 4th day of exercise per week and quit looking at the scale and measure my progress via tape measure. My calorie intake at this point is a low as is healthy. Rationally, I know that I have only been back on the Synthroid for a month, so the levels are just now reaching were they need to be. Hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks, I should see more noticeable changes.

Lunges have finally gotten easier. I attribute this to my Quads finally kicking into gear. Added a 4th arm exercise and broke the inner/outer thigh routine into separate segments while also adding 3# ankle weights.

Here's the routine for this week

5 minute warm-up

Military Press - 15#db / 12 reps

15 lunges each side

Upright rows - 10#db/12 reps

20 squats

Tricept kick backs - 5#db/12 reps

Inner or Outer thigh lifts - 3# ankle weights/12 reps

Bicept curls - 15#db/12 reps

Inner or Outer thigh (opposite leg)(see above)


3 total cycles on 3rd cycle Ab work instead of thigh lifts

I'm tracking the time of the weight lifting and aerobic separately.

Weight segment - approx. 30 minutes Heartrate 139 - 165

Aerobic walk - 30 minutes Heartrate 150 - 163