Strength Training Update #2: Puketastic Workouts!

I like to set fitness goals for myself. In the first quarter, my goal was to run a half marathon which I did on March 31st.

Now it’s time for a new goal and in the second quarter, I’m focusing on strength training. I’ll see how much I can increase my push-up and pull-up maximum repititions before the end of the quarter. I’m also keeping track of body composition. This is part of an overall mission to get in better shape.

Puketastic Workouts!

I’ve thrown up once from exercise. On the campus of my old office, there was a 15 story building. My manager and I would walk up the stairs and then take the elevator down. Repeat Repeat! Repeat!! One day, I was ambitious and did this 25 times (375 flights of stairs). This feat took me a couple hours and towards the end, I wasn’t feeling so good. About an hour after I completed the workout my stomach revolted. I went into the bathroom and threw up. That was the first and last time a workout ever did this to me. However, the P90x workouts that I’ve been doing take me to the verge almost ever time. It’s unpleasant, but no pain, no gain, right?

Strength Training Update

Results are not coming easy or fast, but I do see changes. The workouts are a challenge and so is the diet. In many ways, I’m still adjusting. It’s getting easier though.

Not much change in the front view, although, my belly is shrinking:

I don’t see much change here either except for the slimming down:

My back is where I notice gains the most. Again, it’s not much, but as long as I see progress, I’m not discouraged.

Here are my workouts since my last update:

And here is what my bioimpedance scale has to say about the state of my body:

I’m skeptical of the results of the scale, especially for 5/3. Despite what the scale says, I know that I’m slimming down. I had dinner out the evening before and had eaten a lot (Mmmmm, BBQ), so I think that threw the results off.Despite what the scale says, I know that I’m slimming down.

I haven’t tried to max out my push-ups or pull-ups lately, but will do so before the next update in two weeks.

Walking Update

My quixotic goal of walking 6,000,000 steps this year is slightly behind schedule. For the first third of the year, I’m at 1,914,083 steps. To be on pace to achieve my goal, I should have had 2,000,000. I’ll be able to make up the difference in the summer months when I’m outside more.

Thoughts

I’m about a month into this experiment and in many ways, I needed the time just to figure out the workouts. In the first two weeks, I could only make it halfway through some of them. My muscles ached or I was sure I was going to throw up if did one more repetition. But now, I’ve found my rhythm and I look forward to seeing if the results accelerate.