Getting back to Basics
I recently had an epiphany: that in the excitement of "getting back to the gym" and being excited about fitness and healthful, life long eating, that I made the common mistake of "too many options."
I've seen it in selling: a customer will always feel overwhelmed when given too many options and will want to leave to "think about it" instead of buying something at that moment. As a sales person, I have learned to listen to my customers and feel them out through conversation and personal rapport, and from there give two-three options along with my overall best recommendation. I think the fact that my store ended the year as the number one store in the district for percent-over-sales plan is a good measure of my selling skills and ability as a leader of the business to instill those kinds of selling behaviors to the rest of my team.
Funny, then, that with my excitement of getting back into the gym, with equipment that I've wanted to use to try out different movements that I had only read about, I ended up doing less work than if I just went in there using my "tried and true" method of supersetting arm exercises throwing in some squats and leg presses and then end with high intensity cardio.
However, instead of being discouraged, I have looked back on my December and half of January, and have forgiven my perceived-lack of intensity. Realistically, I was a "beginner" again, since I hadn't performed formal exercises for over a year at that point. And, "going slow" and listening the my body probably set me up for better success in the next few weeks, because I didn't have to worry about injuries or extreme soreness (although, I will always die with squats...that's just a fact of life for me, I guess :)) Plus, I have gotten my mind-body used to the movement of deadlifts, skull crushers, and the like, that I can now fit them into my "routine" without wasting time getting comfortable with them and worrying about my form.
I do also want to recognize that I've gotten to the point that I can sustain moderate-intensity, steady-state cardio (for me, 6mph on the treadmill, which is a 10-min. mile pace) for 5-minute blocks (I would then walk for a minute before doing another 5-minute jog). Now I know, that this month, I need to be move to what I consider "phase 2": higher intensity and getting serious about my nutritional requirements.
Phase 2 will be for February and March, with the measure of my success being 120 pounds, 1-inch lost around my arm, waist, and leg, and visible muscle definition in my arms and abs (I tend to gain fatty deposits more in my upper body, so my legs are almost unchanged from 2008. I'm sure being on my feet all day helps, too). For my fitness goal, I want to be able to do my previous 1:1 HIIT training of 7.5mph/4.5 mph for 20 minutes. Do 1 unassisted chinup. Bench press 95 lbs 6-8 reps). Squat 150 lbs (6-8). Those last two may be a little ambitious for two months, but, like the air force, Aim High! I don't want to set my goals so low, that I lose interest and stop pushing myself.
After March, I want to sustain my progress, eventually being able to do 5 unassisted chin ups, 1.5 miles in 12 minutes (7.5 mph)....the last time I was able to sustain that was in 2002, while I was still working out consistently at JMU gym. At that point I was 117-120 lbs, and 17-18% body fat. I liked the way I looked at that point, and so that will be my visualization goal. I will change these goals along the way, since I've been seeing a lot of strong, shapely ladies with 12-15% body fat, but I will be content with doing my best to achieve my 17-18% body fat goal.
On a different but not unrelated note....the thing that had been nagging me for this past year is the fact that I haven't given my best to the priorities in my life. Health and fitness is a big priority in my life. I know what I need to do to get in the shape that I was happy with; that I've done it before; but I haven't been making it a priority, and haven't been giving my best. That's one of my pet peeves: not giving my best, especially when I knew better.
So, that's my motivation for 2010. Not only the fact that I have entered the 30-year-old bench mark, but to prove to myself that my best is still more than enough to let me attain any goal that I set for myself. Because, I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that I receive/have received from attaining a new physical personal record (bench press 1 rep max 115=basically my body weight back in 2002! not much, but for me, huge!), I want to achieve these physical goals to get my brain into believing that I can also attain my goal of being a full-time writer. And that, my friends, is the ultimate reason why this is so important to me, at this point in my life, rather than a year ago, or even 8 years ago.
Thirty was always my milestone for "being an adult" and "growing up" to fulfill the dreams of younger years. Well, I'm looking around and seeing that I can be successful in a career, but have never really pushed myself to being what I truly want. Just even writing that, I realize, "what's stopping me?" At this point in my life, I can look back and see no regrets and see for now, that my life is not wasted. But, my fear is that I will hit 40s, and begin to think that, and that thought, the thought of a life wasted, scares me more than I can express.
So, here I am to get my mind in "success" gear by bringing my body in line with my core beliefs of health and nutrition, and with that, the rest of my planning, falling into place.
I pray for the endurance to overcome any obstacle, physical or mental; I pray for discernment and wisdom; and I pray for those moments of grace that God gives at the opportune time, that always help remind me to be thankful of the here and now and to spread joy to those around me.
I've seen it in selling: a customer will always feel overwhelmed when given too many options and will want to leave to "think about it" instead of buying something at that moment. As a sales person, I have learned to listen to my customers and feel them out through conversation and personal rapport, and from there give two-three options along with my overall best recommendation. I think the fact that my store ended the year as the number one store in the district for percent-over-sales plan is a good measure of my selling skills and ability as a leader of the business to instill those kinds of selling behaviors to the rest of my team.
Funny, then, that with my excitement of getting back into the gym, with equipment that I've wanted to use to try out different movements that I had only read about, I ended up doing less work than if I just went in there using my "tried and true" method of supersetting arm exercises throwing in some squats and leg presses and then end with high intensity cardio.
However, instead of being discouraged, I have looked back on my December and half of January, and have forgiven my perceived-lack of intensity. Realistically, I was a "beginner" again, since I hadn't performed formal exercises for over a year at that point. And, "going slow" and listening the my body probably set me up for better success in the next few weeks, because I didn't have to worry about injuries or extreme soreness (although, I will always die with squats...that's just a fact of life for me, I guess :)) Plus, I have gotten my mind-body used to the movement of deadlifts, skull crushers, and the like, that I can now fit them into my "routine" without wasting time getting comfortable with them and worrying about my form.
I do also want to recognize that I've gotten to the point that I can sustain moderate-intensity, steady-state cardio (for me, 6mph on the treadmill, which is a 10-min. mile pace) for 5-minute blocks (I would then walk for a minute before doing another 5-minute jog). Now I know, that this month, I need to be move to what I consider "phase 2": higher intensity and getting serious about my nutritional requirements.
Phase 2 will be for February and March, with the measure of my success being 120 pounds, 1-inch lost around my arm, waist, and leg, and visible muscle definition in my arms and abs (I tend to gain fatty deposits more in my upper body, so my legs are almost unchanged from 2008. I'm sure being on my feet all day helps, too). For my fitness goal, I want to be able to do my previous 1:1 HIIT training of 7.5mph/4.5 mph for 20 minutes. Do 1 unassisted chinup. Bench press 95 lbs 6-8 reps). Squat 150 lbs (6-8). Those last two may be a little ambitious for two months, but, like the air force, Aim High! I don't want to set my goals so low, that I lose interest and stop pushing myself.
After March, I want to sustain my progress, eventually being able to do 5 unassisted chin ups, 1.5 miles in 12 minutes (7.5 mph)....the last time I was able to sustain that was in 2002, while I was still working out consistently at JMU gym. At that point I was 117-120 lbs, and 17-18% body fat. I liked the way I looked at that point, and so that will be my visualization goal. I will change these goals along the way, since I've been seeing a lot of strong, shapely ladies with 12-15% body fat, but I will be content with doing my best to achieve my 17-18% body fat goal.
On a different but not unrelated note....the thing that had been nagging me for this past year is the fact that I haven't given my best to the priorities in my life. Health and fitness is a big priority in my life. I know what I need to do to get in the shape that I was happy with; that I've done it before; but I haven't been making it a priority, and haven't been giving my best. That's one of my pet peeves: not giving my best, especially when I knew better.
So, that's my motivation for 2010. Not only the fact that I have entered the 30-year-old bench mark, but to prove to myself that my best is still more than enough to let me attain any goal that I set for myself. Because, I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that I receive/have received from attaining a new physical personal record (bench press 1 rep max 115=basically my body weight back in 2002! not much, but for me, huge!), I want to achieve these physical goals to get my brain into believing that I can also attain my goal of being a full-time writer. And that, my friends, is the ultimate reason why this is so important to me, at this point in my life, rather than a year ago, or even 8 years ago.
Thirty was always my milestone for "being an adult" and "growing up" to fulfill the dreams of younger years. Well, I'm looking around and seeing that I can be successful in a career, but have never really pushed myself to being what I truly want. Just even writing that, I realize, "what's stopping me?" At this point in my life, I can look back and see no regrets and see for now, that my life is not wasted. But, my fear is that I will hit 40s, and begin to think that, and that thought, the thought of a life wasted, scares me more than I can express.
So, here I am to get my mind in "success" gear by bringing my body in line with my core beliefs of health and nutrition, and with that, the rest of my planning, falling into place.
I pray for the endurance to overcome any obstacle, physical or mental; I pray for discernment and wisdom; and I pray for those moments of grace that God gives at the opportune time, that always help remind me to be thankful of the here and now and to spread joy to those around me.
posted by Liza at
12:36 PM
1 Comments:
Wow, nice! The very thoughts I have. I'm 5 months away from 32 and I have these dreams and goals that have been tucked away for so long. I ask the same question: What's stopping me? Faith and action go hand in hand and yet in these past five years I've allowed myself to be deficient in one or both. I stand in agreement with your prayer, and I pray that for all of us in this challenge.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home