This is going to be a short and sweet punch in the gut (I hope)!
For the last 8 weeks, I have done a combination of heavy weight training and High-Intensity Interval Cardio (HIIT) to build some muscle and get buff.
Each workout consists of 3 sets of different weight exercises, 3 sets of HIIT exercises, and 3 sets of Core exercises.
Yes, that's a lot of work in only 30-40 minutes, which means it is fast paced. The bonus is that you just do this style of workout 4 days a week. That means you have 3 days to do whatever you desire. I usually spent 1 rest day on Wednesdays when I was super busy at Church accompanying Children's Mass, rehearsing choirs, Coordinating funerals, etc. And took my Weekends OFF! Of course, chasing around 2 little ones is its own form of exercise, it was at least an opportunity to sleep until 6:30 AM vs. 6:00 AM ( Hey! every little bit helps!). So My daily routine looked like this.
6:00 AM- Woke up
6:30 AM- Took Performance Energize, got wife and kids off to work/ daycare
7:00-7:15 AM- Pressed play, moved weights, sweat my A$$ off!
7:45-8:00 AM- Chugged my recovery drink
8:00-8:15- Gathered my lunch and snacks for the day
8:15 AM- Did my S's
8:45 AM- Mixed up my Shakeology
8:50 AM- Drove to work.
That what my mornings look like
So the starting stats:
Weight- 177.4 Pounds
Body Fat- 12.4%
Chest- 39.5"
Waist at the belly button- 35.4"
Right Arm- 13 3/4"
Left Arm- 13 1/2"
Right Thigh- 23"
Left Thigh-23"
As you can see, I wasn't in bad shape. I just wanted to take my frame and build it up a bit. So that's what I did!
My resistance increased across the board. You can see in my weight tracker that I made a significant gain in strength around week 3 or 4. It's a good feeling to know you can lift whatever you need to when called upon. (I'm thinking a 3-year-old and 15 months old at the same time, up from the floor).
I was sore most days, but it usually wore off by mid-day and the recovery/ rest days are a huge help. I would be lying to you if I didn't also say that my Recovery Drink helps that a TON! Honestly, I don't get sore as I used. Yay, Fitness!
Here are my final stats:
Weight- 172 Pounds Even!
Body Fat-11 %
Chest- 40 1/2"
Waist at the belly button- 33"
Right Arm- 14"
Left Arm-14"
Right Thigh- 22 1/2"
Left Thigh- 22 1/4"
So in 8 weeks I dropped 5 pounds off my frame. I'm down 2 inches in areas that count and up in my main muscle groups. My body fat percentage has decreased to 11% which is the impressive considering I started pretty lean!
Allow me to put this in perspective for a moment. I started at 263 pounds in 2009, began my in Home Fitness DVD at 239 pounds, Finished those first 12 weeks and dropped to 196 pounds. My body fat was above 25% when I started.
I hope I ever hear you utter as an excuse that you're too big boned. I'm barrel-chested and tall. Nobody ever thought I was "fat" so when I shrank 50 Pounds, it was a wake-up call for many.
What I never want to hear you utter as an excuse is that you lack the time. Look at my morning routine. It's luxurious because my family and career afford me such luxury. The days that I had to take care of my kids at home. I shifted that whole timeline up an hour, and yes, I was tired. Health is more important (well, unless I am running on less than 5 hours of sleep, then I shifted my rest days around) than most other choices in your life. There! That's flexibility you can live with every day of your life, right? 3 days to shift around to accommodate your day to day life.
What I never want to hear you utter is that this is too expensive... No, it is just a lack of perspective on your priorities. My $4/day in dense nutrition, my $2.60/day in supplements, my $0.27/Day for exercise programming is undoubtedly cheaper than many of the things that stall your health progress. Honestly, do the math with your grocery receipts, your restaurant receipts, or for goodness sake look at your bank statements. We all waste money on things, when you want to afford something, you can afford it, you just have to adjust spending priorities!
I never want to hear you say now isn't the time you start a fitness routine. Why? Because it is never a good time to have a heart attack. It's always a terrible time to have a stroke. It's a miserable time every single day to have type 2 diabetes. So if you're going to wait until those things creep up on you, you're denying yourself a lot of fulfillment in life. I'm not saying you'll be immune to these diseases, but nearly every study proves that exercise and nutrition can help prevent or eliminate those diseases from your life... Sh*t, I just sang for a funeral of a 95-year-old woman who lived on her own and was active until 3 weeks before she died! I saw a picture of her throwing a Jump Shot with 3" of air under her feet at age 74! That's the kind of life I want to live. Being me until my spirit outlasts the body.
So friends, what do your next 8 weeks look like? What do your next 6 weeks look like? Ok. How about committing to only 4 weeks of just eating better and exercising if you feel like it? If you're ready to shelve your excuses, click HERE and let's get rocking for Summer!
If you're still scared, still worried, still shy of taking that step forward. Keep subscribing to this blog, follow my Online Missionary page on Facebook until you can't stand NOT DOING SOMETHING!!
With those thoughts expressed, friends, be well and lets chase some results together!
Peace,
-Matt