Hello Everyone!
It has been crazy times lately. Last week I had to sadly say good bye to beautiful Southern California. The weather, friends, and mostly family were an amazing combination for my stay but I believe I made the right decision on the move. Some already know where I am currently hanging my hat but for those that do not......
...Washington! I am currently in Tacoma and loving it thus far. Between packing, the actual drive and getting settled I have sadly not been able to get to the gym since I have been here. Job hunting has been my main focus since I have been here. I have been given the opportunity to complete 3 interviews with LA Fitness and am waiting to hear back on their final decision for a position that I really want....WISH ME LUCK!
Tonight will be my first time I get to hit the gym since I have been in town and I think it will be the perfect time for a great legs workout. I typically like to hit legs twice a week. One day I will go heavy and then I will do a day of training areas that I may of missed or need extra work. I have not been implementing this schedule for very long but since I have there has definitely been an increase in my size and strength so I will stick with it. Tonight will be my heavy day.
- Legs Day (a) -
Warmup:
- 7 Mins on stair climber
Workout:
- Super-Set of Leg Extensions and Leg Curls - 5 Sets Total. 2 Warm-Up Sets @ 15 reps. 3 Working Sets @ 8 reps.
- Leg Press - (1 leg at a time) 4 Working Sets Each @ 8 reps.
- Back Squats - 2 Warm-Up Sets @ 10 Reps. 3 Working Sets @ 7 Reps.
- Romanian Dead Lifts - 4 Working Sets @ 10 Reps.
- Hack Squats - 4 Working Sets @ 8 Reps
- Standing Calf Extensions - 3 Working Sets @ 21 Reps. Each Set includes 7 lifts with your toes straight, 7 lifts with your toes pointed out, and 7 lifts with your toes pointed in.
- Seated Calf Raises - 3 Working Sets @ 8 Reps. 2 Sets Till failure.
Progress Update:
I KNOOOOWWWWWWWW I have completely missed the 1 month update and progress pics. I apologize. Now that I am settled at home and I am no longer traveling like I have been for the past month I can truly focus on my goals and keeping everyone updated.
I can now report that after the 1 month mark that I am down 8 lbs from the original start mark. That puts me down to 187 from 195 lbs. I do not really have much emotion about it either way. On one hand I am happy that I am moving in the right direction but in the other hand I know how much closer I could be if I was being more dedicated towards my commitments. If anything this first month has further proven to me how vital a proper diet is to reach your targets.
Aspects of month 1 I am happy about:
Diet -
I was happy with my progression of keeping a clean diet. Even through road tripping. I have decreased my alcohol intake and my sugar filled soda intake is at an all time low (I think I may of had 1 all month). I had the support of family members while I was home which really helped. My mother even got in on the action and we traded cooking duties. She was hooking it up with some amazing dishes. I posted some of them on my Instagram...go check it out - @LifeOfCouncil. I honestly believe that this area was my biggest strength for month 1 and the main reason for my weight loss.
Cardio -
I have been really good at doing my HIIT cardio 3-4 times a week. Mostly sprints on basketball courts. I have increased the amount of sprints I have done twice since starting already. I am getting closer to my ultimate goal of 2:1 rest ratio. Meaning that for every burst of energy I will rest for half that time. (30 seconds of sprinting & 15 seconds of rest). PLEASE read my previous post regarding cardio if you have not yet and stop thinking that you need to set aside hours of jogging time to see real results. 3-4 times a week of 20-30 minute HIIT sessions can change your body composition drastically if done right.
Aspects of month 1 I did poorly:
Resistance Training -
My biggest area of shame has undoubtedly been my actual resistance training. My gym visits drastically went down and I felt like my actual workouts were very unorganized and lacked focus. I had some really good sessions but as a whole I feel like the month was merely a time period spent running in place. Saw no real gains in strength through out the month and consider it a large failure in that department. No excuses. I should of and could of found ways to make it work.
Areas of focus for Month 2:
Proper schedule & Planned Workouts -
Last month is the past. Done dwelling on it. This month will be far further focused on my schedule. This schedule will include a calendar with specified days/time periods for my strength/resistance training, HIIT cardio, and even my stretching. I will be looking for a new workout program to follow that fits my goals. Bodybuilding.com has a great database for workout programs developed by proven experts and I would personally advise anyone to check it out if they have not yet. Once I chose a program I will be more than open to share it with everyone in the next post.
Continued Diet -
This does not really need much explanation. I feel like it was my strong point last month and I don't want that to change. Stay clean, stay healthy. Avoiding soda is not really much of a concern with me as I don't ever crave it anymore. Limiting my alcohol intake to a minimum will continue as well.
Documentation -
Tracking your progress is key. I have been awful at this thus far. This month I will be making a conscious effort to track my workouts in a very detailed manner. I will be taking measurements so that I can add those to my progression reports and share with everyone. The only thing that I will not be tracking to a key is my diet. I know that is important and it will be something that I do in the future but it will not be something that I focus on this month.
I hope that everyone is doing well with their new years resolutions and goals. Do not get discouraged and know that there is always someone out there that can help you if you need it. Send me an email @ LifeOfCouncil@gmail.com if you have any personal questions or feel free to leave some feedback below in the comments section.
Until Next Time...
-Ryan
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