Archive for the ‘52 DC Challenge’ Category

29 Oct

52 DC progress,…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Mostly Exercise. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I’m not crushing this challenge though I’m feeling good about my start. All I have done since March has been to work. Exercise has included not much more then to walk or carry a golf bag. Not quite the same as pressing it at the gym.

Today (Tuesday) I had a great circuit, amazing how quickly it’s bouncing back. 600 weighted reps in my circuit today. I have a couple of 750 rep routines that I should be able to finish in 45 minutes each. I’ll alternate the routines through at least the end of this challenge.

I’m listening to system and working my way up. Thursday I’ll finish the 750 in the 45 minutes for the first time. Gotta start somewhere.

Here are my goals and what my post on Wednesday 10/30 will be.

My Goals

CE: 25/28/85
RT: 3/12
CT: 2/12
PG1: 6/45 50 push Ups @ day

RB

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29 Oct

Tomorrow I test,…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Health, Mostly Exercise. Tagged: , , , , .

5AM Work Out 10-23-12

Kickboxing last Thursday night, kickboxing Saturday morning, kickboxing again tonight. The routine is only 40 minutes or so but when Mother and I are done, man, we are dripping and feeling a bit used!

These routines are easy in comparison to the Tuesday/Thursday  5AM Rise & Shiners!

Ya Gotta Love It! It’s what we go for!

I got a little off track there,… I usually do not look forward to testing my vitals but this week I’m actually anticipating some good numbers. Last week I had missed my meds on Monday night so my glucose numbers were off on Tuesday morning, 206, wicked poor.  The good though is that my blood pressure is down to a more manageable range.

Last Tuesday after a tough 5AM circuit I posted a 119/72/59HR, frigging amazing for me!

Here are my 52DC numbers and All Out Fitness challenge numbers 2 weeks in;

    52 DC Goals

CE: 24/26/90   Clean Eats
RT: 4/15          Resistance Training events
CT: 6/15          Cardio Training events
PG1: Drive my fasting glucose below 130 (10/23/12 = 206)

    All Out Fitness 3 weeks in;

Lost an inch off my hips
Lost an inch off my stomach
¼ inch off my chest
¼ inch off my thigh
I’ve lost 4 pounds, 3 of which are from fat.

I feel like I’m doing well, though Nanc is doing better than that!

The exercise routines Mother and I have been involved in are spot on with our goals. Emily and Glen at All-Out Fitness are kicking our arse every time we go in. I would recommend this place to anyone.

If you go – be sure to wear your big boy panties,…. they are going to help me get where I need to be.

20 Oct

One week, more or less, into the challenge(s),…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Health, Mostly Exercise. Tagged: , , , , , .

You know I’m kind of liking the Two-Fer here! My body does not recover any more quickly after my workouts though I’m getting double the credit for my pains! At least that’s the way I see it.

Into the first weekend with the Men’s Health 52 Day Challenge my numbers out of the gate are pretty decent, at least exercise wise. I’ll test my sugar on Tuesday morning after a workout.

My Goals

CE: 5/6/90 (5 Clean Eats of 6 possibilities, 90 of a possible 104 is my goal)
RT: 2/15    (resistance training)
CT: 1/15    (cardio training)
PG1: Drive my fasting glucose below 130

The “All out Fitness” Challenge is what is really keeping me disciplined. I mentioned in my prior blog post that it is a “Biggest Loser” type challenge that’s taking place at a fitness center just about ½ a mile from my home.

Mother and I joined this group recommended to her by one of her friends. We both joined and have keeping each other in check with this one. The kickboxing on Monday night is awesome; the 5 AM’s on Tuesday and Thursday are kicking my arse! We are sticking with it.

I have no designs that I will win this challenge thing but I know I’m going to be better off for taking part.

Capt’n

17 Oct

52 DC – The Fall Classic,…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge.

I’m up for this challenge, here are my goals:

Clean Eats: 90/104

Resistance Training: 15 Events

Cardio: 15 Events

PG 1: Push my fasting glucose below 130

Being the lab rat I am, here are my starting specs; (everything is a number)

Weight an even 206 pounds on my scale this morning

Blood Pressure: 150/90 with a 53 BPM pulse

My INR is in Range at 2.4

My Fasting Glucose number this morning was 188.

It’s this last number that leads me to my Personal Goal this time around.  My fasting glucose value is the vital I really want to work on for this challenge. The best thing I could do for myself is to push my fasting number below 130 on the average going forward. I’ll drive it down through exercise and diet.

I am not neurotic about checking my sugar levels many times a day or even once a day, I check once a week. Each Tuesday I sit and do all of my testing /reporting for the week as I have for 3 ½ years or so I will continue to throughout this challenge and report the valuers here.

This challenge is going to be kind of a two-fer for me. I am currently taking part in a Biggest Loser type challenge through a local fitness center (“All out Fitness”) with my wife and we are enjoying the hell out of it,….if you call the killer workouts for us anyway “enjoyment!”

I’ve discovered kick boxing and, “choke”,… 5 AM workouts. I’m making my way through. Mother and I started the challenge a week ago Saturday.

My plan is to kick box on Monday Night, 40 minute exercise classes on Tuesday & Thursday mornings at 5, and lifting at the Y on Wednesday’s. Friday through Sunday are going to be free days for make-up circuits or extras, healing the body, rest, I expect all in all I will post 5 workouts a week. This should keep me on track to be successful with all of the fitness challenge/goals I’ve set for this term.

Now, as for the diet,…….

12 Feb

On a good track with this 52DC,….

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Health. Tagged: , , , .

A couple of times in the past week I have had individuals compliment me on my “look”. I couldn’t help to feel really flattered. Both used the same term too. ”You know, you are looking really healthy.”

I don’t know that you could pay a person a better compliment, especially one who has not always been all that healthy at any time in their lives.

This particular 52 day challenge has been an experiment for me. I actually started back in November trialing a new diet and working with a tightly monitored exercise format. I don’t know that my gains have been dramatic though by what I have been seeing in the mirror and now hearing from a few I might be moving in the right direction.

Three things I have done this time around;

First I have made sure to eat breakfast every day. The days I have skipped for one useless reason or another I find are the days I continue to make poor food choices.

Second, I set up an exercise schedule and routine and where I have not stayed 100% on schedule I have tightly monitored my circuits both cardio and resistance to be sure as not to overdo. This has been a known problem with me in the past and its lead to some very unpleasant side effects.

Third, and what I personally feel has been the key to the bit of success is, I factored in rest periods. I afforded myself a couple extra too. By going to the gym with proper energy and the feel that you could work instead of just go through the paces due to fatigue I’ve made gains.

As of today with 13 days remaining to the challenge I have 3 Resistance Training circuits to complete, 5 cardio events and to eat clean the bulk on those days. God willing, I might just finish in good fashion.

The compliments are nice reminder that the work you do sometimes actually works.

23 Jan

Just a tweak or two,…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Mostly Exercise.

What I do in the gym is never going to be misconstrued as overly difficult.

There are guys (and gals for that matter) at my gym doing some pretty impressive things.  That’s not me however. I’m the low and slow guy on the corner matt doing alternating sets of sit-ups and core stabilizers with a 25 pound plate.

Today I added a twist to a couple of my regulars.

During my 3rd set of 20 weighted sit-ups (I hold a 25lb plate about an inch off my forehead) I drop back to about the 70 degree position or so, hold for a second then do an overhead (or more so) a chest press with the plate, then back to the top and with no hesitation go into the next rep. It just adds that one more degree of stress I do like.

Today I did the last set of 20 this way then added an additional 12 for a total of 72, 32 with the press. I may need to stick to sets of 12 or 15 instead of 20 because the heart rate runs into the mid 140’s. I need to stay under 140.

I like BOSU push-ups, I like decline push-ups, so today I combined them.

3 sets of 20 alternated with wide stance prisoner squats.

Again, I’ll have to watch the heart rate until I get more use to them. One more time, it adds that extra little stress to the move. I feel in my shoulders tonight.

The routines and the perimeters I’m working inside seem to be doing the job.  I do like to mix em up.

15 Jan

The smaller plate & K.I.S.S.,…..

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge.

So far so good, it seems like almost too simple eh? It never is though!

Two things I have been working on during this 52 DC, eating less, (though eating more often) and keeping the exercise routine to 5 days out of seven. Again I say “So far so good”, it’s taken a few weeks for it to become more like habit.

Here are my results 11 days in;

Clean Eats:  19 of a possible 22

Resistance training; 4 of a goal of 15

Cardio training; 4 of a goal of 15

Days at the gym; 7 of a goal of 26.

The smaller plate is as psychological as its reduced physical girth aids. I tend to load the 9 ¼ “ just like I do proportionately to the 10 ½ inch, ¼ protein, ¼ starch, ½ vegetable, visually you feel like you have a full plate. I’m careful about what I choose for starches, not much of anything white. I would do the same with the 10 ½.

I’m not sure what the calorie count difference is because I’m not tracking calories though I have to think it’s proportionately smaller. The scale has never much been my friend though it’s ever so slowly edging in the right direction.

Simple is how I have been trying to keep this 52 Day Challenge. You can make yourself absolutely crazy by making too many radical changes all at one time only in the end to fail at all.

K.I.S.S.

8 Jan

Pickin up a few old moves,…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Mostly Exercise. Tagged: .

It's Not Me!

It’s a perfect form BOSU plank. It’s the only picture on Google that I could find that showed someone doing one.

I Like Em! Do enough reps and hold them for a long enough time and they work to beat the fat out of your midsection. I’m a believer.

 

 

Again, Not Me!

 

This 52DC has had me looking back to a few of my older routines and I’ve been pulling a handful of exercises that I use to perform though for some reason or another left out of newer circuits. Tomorrow’s resistance circuit includes Weighted Bulgarian Split Squats, I’ll be a little gimpy for a day or so but they will end up doing me good

3 Jan

Eating plan and the plate,….

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Food.

I have restructured my exercise for the winter 52 DC to a level I can live with, literally. Now it’s time to stick the diet. Nothing like waiting until the last moment eh!

My cardiologist and I have had a bit of a disagreement in how I should eat. I know that eating a rigid low carb higher fat diet like the TNT Plan A, similar to an Atkins Plan works in helping me to hit my BP and glucose targets. I know it, I know it, I just have a wicked hard time following it to the letter.

The diet that my cardiologist most recommends, The DASH Diet, reads like this for my situation.

Folks with Type 2 Diabetes should avoid high carb, low-fat diets. Instead choose low carb, moderate protein, and moderate fats. We are getting closer in theory.

I know TNT A works though it excludes a few foods that I just enjoy too much to give up near completely. Hense my ability to be successful. As far as I see it, The DASH diet is the next best choice.  It’s a plan that appeases my Doc as well as allowing for a few foods I really enjoy.

I’ll continue to eat very low carb, It’s what I do and it’s the best thing I can do to help keep my glucose numbers in check.  What carbs I do consume will be of the complex variety and come from vegetables, fruit, strongly suggested oatmeal, and a limited amount of whole wheat breads.

I have been following the plan for a few weeks now and my glucose and BP numbers are responding accordingly.

As a kicker, to help with the amount I eat, especially at night, yesterday I bought a set of 9 1/4″ plates to replace our standard 10 ½’s we have used forever and fill almost every night. Even if I fill the smaller plate my portions should be proportionately smaller.

The smaller plate won’t do any good if I fill it more than once.

Let the Winter 52DC Begin! I’m in a good position to actually succeed this time around.

1 Jan

Tackling the diet,…

Posted by Captdhd in 52 DC Challenge, Food. Tagged: , .

Like trying to tackle a wild cat to me and then to hold it down!

As for the 52DC’s and real life here is where I kick my own arse time and time again. I know what I need to do though doing it consistently is a constant on the mind task. Seems also that the more I focus on rounding out a diet to maintain my weight inevitably I gain, frustrating as hell!

This break from work has given me a chance to read up on a couple of concept diets and evaluate not just their abilities to have me meet my targets but at the same time be a method that I can actually stick to so that it does work.

You hear so many times where someone will say, “hey, this diet or that diet does not work,…blaa, blaa, blaa,… what I hear is that “I didn’t dedicate 100% to it therefore I failed at it”.

I wish I could somehow mix the two concepts I am evaluating though I suspect that if I were to I will continue to post weight and personal vital numbers that are out of range further than they should be.

I will dial something in by Wednesday and go with it for the 52 days.

A wise friend of mine posts; ”The best diet is one you can stick to”. …….

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