Pumping it Out!

Have just returned from a gym/bike ride. For the first time I got off my backside and rode to the gym instead of car-ing it. Sounds like a reasonable idea no doubt. Except when I mention I set off at 9pm and didn't return until 11pm with a threatening of rain. Still was really good work up for the gym and work down afterwards. Hopefully I can continue this cycling trend tomorrow morning to and from work. The 50min return bike ride allowed me to focus more on pumping weights, which I find a lot more enjoyable. Tonight was upper body. From now on I am going back to basics. The first time I used gym to lose weight was in 2007 while attempting to build myself back up from a shoulder reconstruction to play rugby. There I got to the gym in the mornings, alternated between upper and lower body. While it probaly helped that I was doing intense First XV training 3 days a week and cricket/ cross country 5 days a week later in the year, it is still something that will continue to motivate me and give me a break from cardio, cardio, cardio.

Diet today was again iffy, missed brekky, had a good sized lunch and a decent sized dinner but still room to improve. Hopefully monetary constraints will be relaxed in the near future and I will be able to supply my diet that I want to follow i.e. high protein but I got to do the best I can until that date. Overall feeling very good in the world at the moment. Alpha and Out!

(picture from http://www.bennadel.com/resources/uploads/arnold_schwarzenegger_in_pumping_iron.jpg)

Harder,Faster,Stronger

Again the dark of night strangles out the light of day but the flame within burns bright. Another quiet, sleep all day, nothing but TV and eating and sleeping. Not too concerned as I seem to be getting into a more productive state with each night, unfortunately the fire dies to embers with the rise of the sun. This is something I need to address but something that I can work around. I can schedule my study late at night or early in morning. I can aim to train late at night. Not great as I have to work during the day but perhaps as I get a pattern things will continue to build and improve.

While my weight has unfortunately returned to around 95-96kgs I feel in a much better place in striving for my goal. I feel I have let myself believe that I am great whom I am whether at 80kgs, 95kgs or 130kgs. I am great now but I believe that I can become greater and strive for the heights that I have been destined to achieve. I feel a real burning in my heart that I was born for greatness and I truly believe I am truly moving forward rather than stagnating. I want to be stronger, I want to be faster I want to train harder, stud harder, live life harder. Alpha and Out!

Overcome but Flames are Burning

Not a great end to the week. Missed lecture, felt like crap most of the day and now struggling with a pounding headache. Adding to that I didn't do any study last night or tonight and missed the gym. I spent today in bed trying to feel better but I think this will keep me up all night and is one of the reasons of my headache.

I hope to pull out of this difficult period and hit the ground running. Despite all the drama, I feel the fire burning bright- I want to work harder, I wanter to study smarter, I want to train harder, I want to do better. It is weird that I get this motivation at the most un-useful times usually before trying to sleep late at night. And unfortunately when I wake up, it has just about all gone. Another thing t think out and work around. Despite the day pumped and empowered. Alpha and Out!

Midweek Plateau

After an excellent start to the week I agin have succumbed to the dreaded mid week plateau. While things have not dived to the depths it is floating in the waves instead of soaring the skies. I still feel good, fresh and active but just not with the same potency as at the start of the week. I have not made it to the gym yet this week and I think that is playing on my mind. However I plan to rectify that tonight by riding in and catching a gym sesh with my brother. Now I plan to get a decent study session in before jumping on the bike.

My thoughts at the end of a mental rebound week (after the turmoil of last week) turn to breaking the weekend pattern of sleeping and eating all day. I've tried planning, saying I can sleep in if I get out etc etc but nothing has seemed to pull me out for more than a weekend. I need to have a regular Saturday activity that I have to be there and also I want to be there. Something like rock climbing or some group activity. I will put some though into it over the weekend and see what I can organise. Alpha and Out!

Leaps and Bounds

Today continued my positive steps toward the Alpha. I jumped on the bike after a sleep in to be greeted by a very cold and windy morning. Being my first bike ride in ages and the low temps really took a toll on my lungs. It felt like ice was expanding in the lungs severely reducing my breathing capacity during the bike and also for the remainder of the day. Both rides to work and back were really tough but that will get better if I keep it up.

Having no real dramas at work really helped my mood and motivation and while I didn't get my hours done today I will make up for it tomorrow. Another university lecture today went as per normal with the content fairly straight forward bar one or two concepts. And tonight I plowed through a very productive study session.

My plan to go the the gym was thwarted by the prolonged study session and the fact that I have been struggling with an unsettled stomach. I had hiccups all day on or off. Diet was average today with a big brekky and big late lunch but the cycling offset too many dramas. All up and upper, Alpha and Out!

(pic from http://www.brayersfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/wet-lung.jpg)

On the Up!

The good life is flooding back into my body. Although I slept in this morning I didn't feel too bad because I was up late and it was a pretty cold morning. Things are starting to resettle or be rectified at work. Things seem to be falling into place again.

Uni was good today, the big session I put in last night really helped me get back in the "study zone". My diet was alright today. I am trying a weight-loss supplement derived from acai berry, green tea and caffeine. It is quite potent, the couple of days I have taken them I don't feel hungry at all to the point that I forget to eat. This results in amid-arvo crash. However I have changed my pattern from two in the morning to one in the morning and one at night which seems to work much better and avoids the crash. After weeks of no exercise I intend to restart tonight with a big gym session, gotta get pumping again. Alpha and Out!

Organisation: The Comeback

A much improved day today in the River city. After a decent sleep in/relax in watching a Clint Eastwood western I jumped up had breakfast with Dad discussing the weeks events and getting some planning together. I then got home and went through my "Organisational Hour" which I intend to do every Sunday so that I can hit the ground running on Monday. It involves me sitting down marking my week-lectures, pracs, work, study sessions and other events. I cranked this out then went to the big Broncos v Dragons rugby league match with my Grandma. A really hard fought defensive game but the Broncs came up trumps thanks to a great team effort. It really stamped them as possible preimers.

After a simple but still nice family dinner I relaxed in front of the TV for a bit before getting stuck into some study. It feels really good to have planned something and then hitting the target in terms of finishing what I get done, I suppose its because it is hitting little goals which all add up. Well on the mend and keen for a massive week, Alpha and Out!

(pic from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/KbuItRUTLGT/NRL+Semi+Final+2+Broncos+v+Dragons/A13LrRPmi3K/Jharal+Yow+Yeh)