June != April

Okay, so back in April I really started to get motivated, was working out more and working (day job) less. However that didn’t last all that long, in fact I stopped blogging because it wasn’t enough to even report. Well I am back now at the end of June to say I did keep some exercising in my schedule, but began working more than ever. In fact I ended up working from 9 AM to 2 AM the next day for a few weeks solid.

However, July is around the corner and I have been able to maintain my schedule pretty well. I have stopped “being online” at night and properly managing my working schedule. I think going on vacation was a very good thing even if I was sick many of the days because it gave me time to step back and evaluate how much I was working. In fact I recommend everyone take some time off ( even a few hours ) and evaluate your working and casual life to see if its were you want to be. After asking a few friends to try this I was quickly surprised how many of them began making minor tweaks because sometimes it takes a 3rd party to have you step back for a moment.

Okay, so now I bet your asking yourself “How long will this last?”, and I can’t really answer that at this time, yet I am driven to make this work and have never been more motivated about non-work subjects in my life.

Back again.. April is a new month

Seems updating this site is becoming a bit harder than I originally planned. Either way I am back with a pushup and health update. In the pushup category I am now able to complete 30 pushups with only minor strain as a result.. which is expected considering I have been off the Hundred Pushup program for a few weeks.

I got a quick shock of my “sitting” lifestyle late March when I was climbing 300 stairs at the Beacon Hill Monument in Boston with a friend. I made it to the top and back again but I could tell I was out of breath and generally not in good shape at all. Now I didn’t need this to really see I was out of shape, but now I have hardened proof.

So… what did this mean? Well once I caught my breath and continued to walk the remainder of the Freedom trail to the U.S.S. Constitution I began running my schedule through my mind and quickly adding in more workout and general fitness time. I had planned to start this last week but due to some past work ( I put off while at PhotoshopWorld ) I had to post pone the new plan to this week. So, without anymore delays I will be running (treadmill to start) and other general exercises during the week.

I now not only want to cut some of the fat and gain the muscle, I just want to stay generally healthy as I once was. Considering I am still young its not too late to get it back.

Do you have similar stories or triumphs in your life? If so, please share it with us all.

Pushup update

When I started this project I was only able to do 3-5 good form pushups, which was simply pitiful. After going through 2 weeks of the 100 pushups program I am now able to complete 20 good form pushups with little strain on my body. This is not the goal I have set for myself, but is certainly good progress.

Add that with the general workout process and I am happy overall. Once the weather gets better here in the East coast I plan to do more outdoor running as the treadmill (indoor) is not as satisfying.

Radio silence or failure

The term Radio Silence is a status in which all fixed or mobile radio station in an area stop transmitting (Source: Wikipedia).

In this case, I am using it to describe the fact I have been MIA from the blogging scene for almost two weeks now. Between work, work and more work I really didn’t have time to spend writing or even reading blogs. Then when I got back to the slower time in my work schedule I started to get sick, which slowed things down more.

During my non-blogging time I did find some time to workout, but not nearly as much as I originally planned to, which for being the first month of the new plan is not great progress! That being said I have never given up that easily, so today I got back into it and even threw in a rigid eating schedule to ensure the best possible results. I even found yet another iPhone application, which this time is used to track your food intake and even set limits based on weight goals.

The application, “Lose It!” is a free download from the App store, and has been developed for quick updates in mind. You can add or search for common foods which allows you to update your log more easily when you eat similar things, such as Cheerios for breakfast.

That’s about it for now, I will be sure to update more frequently as I get back into the daily schedule. I will even try to post some non-fitness topics once in a while to keep it interesting.

Day 12: January 23 2009

Finally was able to get in some much needed workout time today, I also managed to lose another pound which is not great, but less is good enough for me right now.

My (short term) goal is getting closer, the deadline is Monday, I am pretty confident I will make it. The Wii Fit tracking ability is actually pretty cool, you basically weigh in daily and it plots a fitness trend. You can also add in other activities that do not include the Wii Fit to get a better idea of how good you are doing.

Once the weather warms up I will be hitting the streets and fit in at least 3 runs a week, which is essentially phase 3 of this process. The runs will be monitored using the Nike+ system which I will have acquired by then. I will post more about that once I start using it.

Day 11: January 22 2009

Took the day off to take on a few more web development projects that were presented to me at the last minute. I did get in my pushup challenge, but nothing else. I plan to hit it tomorrow, no exceptions.

Day 10: January 21 2009

I continued the pushup challenge today and even surpassed the last set by double, which was pretty cool. I can begin to notice the various workout sessions and overall exercise has begun to show, which is awesome. I plan to take it up a notch next week and really push myself.

Day 9: January 20 2009

Continued the work out process today, but as I wrote this I realized I didn’t weigh in today. I will be sure to do that tomorrow as I am curious how the progress is.. well.. progressing. I have also decided the 2nd element of this multi-part workout plan will be outdoor running, using the critically acclaimed Nike+ system that connects your shoes to an iPod or iPod Nano. It will be interesting to see how well that works out, the only element I am not sure about is purchasing new shoes, or placing the Nike+ sensor in a pouch and strapping it to the shoes (poor mans solution).

However, if you do sign up for Nike+ I recommend you publish your runs publically as its a good form of motivation to see your little character displaying better numbers, and also lets you view your stats quickly, from your own web site.

Day 8: January 19 2009

Today is the first day of week 2, and I am still enjoying the activities. Especially the Wii Fit, which is quite entertaining for anyone watching or actually using it. I like that Nintendo has created a rewards system where you unlock more activities and games as you break records and work out for a set time.

I will continue to have the Wii Fit in my daily work out plan, but soon I will be adding more elements and eventually have a pretty robust daily schedule, at least that is the plan.

Day 7: January 18 2009

Worked out a bit, and basically made this Sunday a pretty relaxing one. I am down another 2 pounds from the last time, so it is still all going in the right direction. I did notice I need to be more dilligent about the time of day I decide to work out, but I am glad I am getting any time in.

More later.