3-4-2013: First workout of the month

I have not worked out for the past 3 days.  I was giving my job my full attention for that time. I also started shopping for food as I would be preparing most of the food that I will eat.  I do not want to be at the mercy of other people especially now that I am more watchful on what I take in. It is not going to be easy but the rewards will be great when I succeed.

Gym Work

30 mins Zumba
1 hour BodyPump
1 hour Sh'Bam

It was a Bodypump day today and it was sandwiched with 2 dance workouts.  It was fun.  I was a bit late for the Zumba class but I was able to catch up and dance the nice parts. Bodypump today was mix and match and I really had a hard time finishing the biceps and triceps routine.  The biceps routine became hard because I used heavy weights (same as my chest and legs).  Triceps were hard because I did dips which I have not done for quite a while plus it followed that hard biceps track.  All in all, it was a great day at the gym.

Food

Chorizo Sandwich
Torta + Fit 150
Pinaypay (Banana Fritters)/Almonds/Potato Chips
Roast Pork + Salsa
small cone Ice Cream (choco chip cookie flavor)

I practically skipped lunch and for dinner, I cooked Roast Pork.  It is not really fatty, it was more protein than fat. I did not eat rice but I had ice cream for dessert.

Supplements
1 Tab Ripped Fuel Extreme
1 Tab Amino Chewables
Energy Drinks

Links:

Fitness Goals for March
Plans for March 2013
Curing my Japanese food craving by giving in

3-1-2013: Fitness Goals for the New Month

It's March already and it is practically the start of summer.  I have decided to take the day off to rest and evaluate my fitness goals for the month.  Sine I have established a fairly good routine, I felt that it is time to work on specific goals.  For this month, it is also about losing weight. I have proven to myself that I can exercise for around 3 hours and I have been diligently going to the gym for months already.  I am ready to really give another serious shot to losing weight.

Weight Goal on March 31, 2013: 87.5 Kilos (192.5 lbs)

Exercise Plan:

I will focus on cardio exercises.  The classes that I can join in will be BoyJam, BodyCombat, Sh'Bam, Zumba, HardCore. I will limit BodyPump to maximum of once a week. I will start running again. My run routine will be 15 minutes of intervals.  Rotex and Bike are also possible exercises.  For weights, my cycle will be 40 X 12. I will minimize lifting heavy weights.  I may join fun runs. I could target 5k by March 16 and 6k on March 24. I could also do double gym sessions on some days probably T-Th.

Diet Plan:

For March, I will be making most of my meals.  As much as possible, I will be the one who will make my own food because if keep on eating outside, I could end up eating more than allowed.  For sure, I can also eat out sometimes but it should not be everyday. I could retain my sandwich breakfast but I will be including veggies like lettuce and tomatoes to my sandwich.  I could have some nuts or nuttela for snacks. For lunch, it can be sandwich again as I bought some chicken ham. Dinner will be my lightest meal as I will probably just be eating cereal for most of the days. I will try to avoid eating rice the whole month. I will check if indeed rice is a counter weight loss item.

Supplementation and Rehydration:

Ripped Fuel Extreme will be taken at the meal before working out.  I will take a tab before most breakfasts and probably some dinners. Amino Chewables will be taken before sleeping everyday.  It could be 2 tabs on heavy workout days.  Endurance Fuel will be mixed with Gatorade or Powerade for my drinks.  I am not so concerned flavor so most of my drinks a bit diluted.


My bottom line this month is really just about my weight.  I really want to go way below 200 lbs for me to take on higher goals like strength and muscle building. I want to lose a lot of weight because I want to do longer runs and to focus next on functional fitness. For the past few months, it has been mix and match, and I realized that it is sometimes better to just focus one goal first. Hopefully, I will hit my targets for the month and really start to get fit in the summer season of 2013.

2-27-2013: Breaking the 210 lbs barrier

I think I have finally broken through my 210 lbs resistance level.  I had myself weighed in the official Fitness First Cebu weighing scale and my weight was 94.3 kilos (207.5).   Hopefully, I will still weight around that level when I weigh myself tomorrow but I am quite confident that I am going to be blow 210 lbs.  My next target will be below 200 lbs. It could take me from 2 weeks to 1 month to achieve this.  It all depends on my exercise pace, activities, diet, stress, and job related events. 

I am also planning to increase my Ripped Fuel dosage to the maximum 2 caps a day starting March.  I will probably do it every other day before I make it the regular dose. 

Gym Work

10 mins BodyCombat
30 mins HardCore
1 session SH'Bam
10 mins stretching and massage
I came to the gym around 8:15 and I was able to catch the last track of the BodyCombat led by Maricar "Cai" Durano.  I finished the track and completed the abs track and the cool down. Afterwards, I joined the HardCore class. HardCore is an intense 30 minutes session that involves plyometrics and other exercise routines  which focus on strengthening the core and its supporting muscles like the shoulders and the hips.  It involves some running, skipping, floor ab work, and some balancing.  I barely survived the class but still managed to pull it off. I still need to have the stamina to execute many of its moves. After the class, I joined the Sh'Bam dance class. Sh'Bam is fun as it uses popular tracks and the moves are easy to imitate. I ended up sweating really hard at the end my day.  I capped the work out day with a stretch and I did some massage moves using rollers.


Food

Spam + Fried Egg Sandwich
Hainenese Fried Chicken + Rice + Kuchay Dumplings
Pistachios /Almonds / Shrimp Crackers
Ramen + Tuna Sahimi

Well, I still made sandwich for breakfast since I still have bread in the ref.  My sandwich was made of 2 slices of Spam with a sunny side up egg with 3 loaves. I went back to Hainanese Delight in Robinsons Cybergate for lunch. I tried their other entrees. I enjoyed lunch after a somewhat draining work out. For dinner, I basically had instant noodles and sashimi.


Other Activities
90 minute Massage at Ming Thai Spa.
I had an oil massage plus foot massage in one of my favorite spas in Cebu. The masseuse was quiet strong so I really enjoyed it.


Supplements
1 Tab Ripped Fuel Extreme before breakfast
1 Tab Amino Chewables at bedtime
1 Scoop Endurance Fuel
1 Powerade
I practically used Powerade and Endurance Fuel as mid and post exercise drinks. 

Links:
Info on Endurance Fuel by Twinlab
My journey to a fit body
Fitness First Cebu Club Info

2-26-2013 Fitness Journal Entry: My First Entry

Today marked the first time I worked out since reviving this blog.  I started to take Ripped Fuel Extreme yesterday.  I just took 1 tab before breakfast.  Yesterday, it felt weird for a while as I felt my heart beat a bit faster after breakfast specially after I took down a cup of native chocolate drink from tableya I bought from Argao. Today tough, I felt good and I really had a great time at the gym.  The only surprise that I got is that I seem to lost a couple of pounds in the past 3 days.  I was like weighing around 212-215 lbs last week and when I weighed myself today after working out I am below 210 lbs.  I was like in the 206.5-207 range. I do not know if it is the effect the supplement or the weighing scale is rigged.  When I got home in the evening, I weighed myself again fully clothed this time (in the gym I am only in my jockeys). My weight was below 97 kilos (213.4 lbs).  The last time I weighed in that weighing scale in my shorts, I was like 97.1. I got reading 96.8 or just 213 while wearing leather shoes, office polo and undershirt, and slacks.

Tomorrow, I will weigh myself in the digital weighing scale in our gym to verify my results. I really do not like the idea of suddenly losing like 5 pounds in just 3 days to think that I did not go to the gym  from Saturday to Monday.  I did go swimming last Saturday but I also ate a generous amount in our company outing in Woodruff Beach, Argao.

Gym Work

1 Caloy Dumbell Circuit (at 40 lbs - 12 reps). My circuit includes Goblet Squats, Deadlifts, rows, pullover and press.

1 Hour BodyCombat 

1 Hour BodyBalance

My circuit routine is my warm-up.  It is 60 reps of activating my main muscles like legs, back, chest, core, shoulders, and arms. BodyCombat is a program develop by Les Mills which is being offered as a group exercise at Fitness First Cebu. It involves moves from boxing, karate, muay thai, and some pilates that is rolled into an intense 1 hour cardio workout. Bodybalance combines yoga, tai-chi, pilates, balancing, and meditation for relaxing yet challenging workout that will improve flexibility as well as strength specially in the core. 

Food

Tocino + Egg Sandwich

Hainenese Chicken + Noodles + Rice + Dumplings

Pistachios 

Grilled Pork + Rice

I made a sandwich for breakfast that included 3 slices of bread with a few slices of pork tocino and 1 hard-boiled egg. I wanted some carbs and pretty much protein for breakfast. My lunch was a bit as I had a lunch meeting in a newly opened food establishment so I practically ordered some interesting dishes. I ate some pistachios for snacks then had a light dinner with a little rice and some slices of grilled pork.

Supplements

1 Tab Ripped Fuel Extreme before breakfast

1 Tab Amino Chewables at bedtime

Links:

Goblet Squats

Products of Argao, Cebu

Info on Les Mills programs

2013 Revival

I haven't been writing in this blog as I became preoccupied with other things like work, studies, and business in the past couple of years.   I realized that I have ignored this blog for quiet sometime. Well, the new year has come and I am able to revisit this elusive goal once again.  The goal to be in the best physical shape in my life.

You see, I am already 36 and turning 37 in September.  I felt that the years of eating delicious foods like lechon, humba, rosquillos, dugo-dugo, kinuposan, chicharon, ginabot, etc. has slowly taken its tool in my body.  It shows in my belly and I could feel it in my knees, back, teeth, etc.

I realized it is time to recommit to a goal. Elusive, yes. Noble, perhaps.  Impossible, definitely not! I am dreaming of 6 pack abs, 32 inch waistline, V-shaped body, and having the strength and stamina of a 20 year old. I am declaring a fight against obesity... once again. ;)

Actually, I started renewing myself a couple of months ago.  It started when I wanted to cut my dormant membership in Fitness First Cebu gym. Well, when I visited Fitness First I somehow decided to give myself a month of working out and see what happens. Now it has been almost 4 months that I have been diligently going to the gym.  

I am starting to see some nice results.  I sure lost pounds. From around 234 lbs (106 kilos), I am now around 212 lbs (96 kilos). Twenty pounds or Ten Kilos lost.  Not bad.  I am just practically just getting started. My waistline has gone down from almost 40 inches to just 36.  I was able to wear some clothes that I have not tried on for 2 years. It really feels good but I know that I can lose more pounds and inches.

What have I done so far in the past 4 months?

1. For Cardio, I mainly danced.  I dance practically everyday.  I join Zumba classes, and some of Les Mill's Bodyjam and Sh'Bam.  It is quite nice that my gym offers such programs.  It might be a bit embarrassing for a guy to join these classes but dancing is a pretty effective and fun way to lose weight. When I started to go back, I felt that I was too heavy to fully exert in running. At 36, I don't think my knees and tendons was fit enough to run.  I also get bored with treadmills.  Dancing somehow develops  your coordination and in a way, memory. A few weeks of dancing made me up and running again and slowly, I was able to incorporate activities like spinning and even some running. 

2. My weight training program is all about developing stamina.  It is mostly high reps with light weights. I also joined another Les Mill's program called Bodypump. Bodypump is high rep work out that is equivalent to around 800 reps per session. A whole Bodypump session will have tracks for legs, chest, back, triceps, biceps, shoulders, and abs.  It is a complete workout that will surely improve stamina while toning your muscles at same time.  By joining this program, you will also learn how to properly execute moves like squats, presses, lounges, and lifts.  This practically preps you to tackle heavier weights in the free weights section in the gym.  I also sometimes use weight machines and work with materials like stability balls, kettle bells, and VIPr.

3.  For abs, I am doing mostly planks and modified planks like stir the pot and mountain climber. Core strength for me is more important that just having 6-pack abs.  A stronger core allows you to train better and perform better not only in the gym but also in the real world. 

4. I also started supplementing myself after 2 months.  I used Ripped Fuel Extreme. I just basically use half of the maximum dosage which is 4 capsules a day. I just use 2 because I do not want to have caffeine overdose.  I am quite happy with it so far but I am switching to Ripped Fuel 5X for the next month just to mix it up. I have not used protein supplementation yet but I will probably do it soon once I increase my weights workload.

I am practically resolving to write more in this blog and hopefully I will be able share my experience towards achieving a nice body even my mid-30's.

Here some of my pics in the last couple months. ;)

Downing a beer on my 36h birthday last September...;)

Walked at the Pink Run in October ;)

Travelled to Tagaytay in November

Joining a dance presentation at the gym in December

Island Hopping in January

Doing some effort in Philhealth Fun Run in February.... ;)

Strategy to lose weight

The classic and probably the most effective approach to losing weight is to apply a 2-pronged approach which is diet and regular exercise. By decreasing your calorie intake and increasing physical activity one is assured to lose those undesirable pounds. The usual problem lies in finding a sustainable system that can last a lifetime. Here is my initial plan for this month.

1. Give at least an hour for exercise everyday.
2. Go to the gym at least 4 times a week and if it is not possible then I would walk or run around my subdivision.
3. Limit the rice intake to 1 cup per meal.
4. No more sodas and other sweet drinks.
5. Avoid fried and baked goods.

I will not drown myself with more rules now because it will be hard to keep track if you a 100 rule guideline and you are still starting. It is very important that one should not be overwhelmed by the rules and goals that are set.

Once, a routine is set-up then it will be the right time to add new rules and changes.

Recommitment

Well, I made this blog a couple of months ago and i was not really able to write that much. Summer is fast approaching again and I am recommitting myself to achieving a fitter self in a few months. I have not worked out for quite some time. On March 1, I will start posting articles about my journey and struggles in getting the best "body" in my entire life. Good luck and I hope this blog can help. :)