The Burn of a New Workout Program

Workoutrageous V4 begins tomorrow.  We have 17 participants!  For a lot of them, working out twice a day is no biggie.  They’ve always had a good regimen and all they have to do is post their workouts.  I would argue that they will have a more challenging time with this game.  When you build a habit and someone asks you to change it slightly, it can be hard to adjust your routine… I expect to see several good workouts get dismissed because of our strict logging rules.

For others, this is a chance to dive into a new workout program with the support of friends and a fun competition.  They’ve got two great motivations – get in shape and get a win.  I’ve been off a serious workout program for the past six months, and I’m ecstatic to jump back in.  It’s been my longest break in over 15 years!

Over the past few days, I’ve had a chance to measure my strength and monitor my cardiovascular conditioning.  I was at my peak an year ago while training for the Melbourne Marathon (which surprisingly had a positive impact on my weight training as well).  I’m nowhere close to feeling like I did back then.  However, it doesn’t take a very long time to recover muscle mass.  My conditioning should return as well in due time.

I’ve decided to focus on shorter runs and a decent weight training routine.  I don’t feel ready for another Boston Qualifier this year, and if I push my luck I may end up injured again like last year.  I’ve decided to include leg training as part of my workouts which hasn’t been part of my plan for many years.  Training my hamstrings, quads, and glutes has never been enjoyable.  While it took me a large amount of time to build my upper body, my lower body has always responded to workouts abnormally well.  This imbalance doesn’t include my calves… which would have been nice.

While I’m not a professional body builder, I’ve always taken a body builder’s attitude towards weight training.  It’s not just about strength; it’s about selecting what parts of the body need training to achieve your “look”.  While genes determine much of your physical build, there is tremendous potential to work within those limitations.  For me, the benefits are endless. .  The “look” makes me feel healthy and more confident.  Others may not notice it, but I’m sure that they can feel my pride when I have it.

It’s kind of like the “Magnum” in Zoolander…

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