Week Two Review

Hi Everyone!

I hope your week has gone well thus far! It is almost Friday and the weather has been cooler here in Texas! I’ve been a little behind on keeping my blog updated and will try to do better moving forward. However, yesterday I started Week 3 or the current 5 Week Body Transformation I am doing, but I figured I would talk a little bit about Week 2.

Week 2 has me repeating the workout routines from Week 1. I can tell I am making some progress but it really is tough from week to week to truly see how far I’ve come. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is my left foot seems to be handling the pounding better than in the past. I still have to be very careful with it, but the only thing that seems to bother it is doing high knees after a certain amount of time. I have to remind myself that I need to have patience with this issue like I was with my back and hip injury. It is all a part of the journey and I am taking small steps daily. The long term goal is still for me to start getting outside and move towards running, but the important thing is for me to be consistent right now and listen to my body. It will tell me what it can and cannot do.

The other issue I’ve been dealing with is the eating right on a consistent bases. I will be at work and I’ll see a cookie, and I’ll tell myself one cookie won’t hurt me. Well, one cookie leads to 3. Overall, I would say I eat fairly healthy and drink a good amount of water, but I am not doing it enough to see better results. I hope that makes sense. They say the first thing you have to do to fix something is notice there is a problem. I worked my tail off yesterday evening, but more than likely only worked off the cookies I had. It is going to be a struggle, but I know I will defeat it.

In case you want to see the workouts I am doing below are the links for Workouts 1, 2, and 3 for the first two weeks of my current program.

Workout 1 – http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-1.html
Workout 2 – http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-2.html
Workout 3 – http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-3.html

Alright, I am going to eat lunch and most importantly stay away from cookies.

Blessings!
Jared

Where I’ve Been

It has been over a month since I last posted anything. I wish I could say that my workouts have been going strong but that isn’t the case. I finished the 5 week program I was doing and had started strong on another program. However, I slowly started to go downhill and then I fell off the cliff.

After about a week and a half of ending my 5 week Body Transformation program my lack of sleep really caught up to me. I missed one workout and once you miss one workout it is much easier to miss another. Now, I did get in a workout here and there but not on a regular bases. Then I had to start picking up my nephew and watching him after I got off work. I love my nephew and enjoy every moment I get to spend with him. The issue here was that I had to watch him until 10pm, which made it hard to ever get to bed at a decent time. I am the person you don’t want to be around if I am hungry or tired. I am a Grizzly Bear.

I thought about working out in the mornings, but I was barely getting enough sleep as it was. There is one good thing that did come out of me taking a month off. My left foot which has been an off and on issue for months has improved greatly over the last month. I am started to think if I take it slow I’ll be able to start running again later this year. More than likely it will start off with me walking and then transitioning to running.

Things have worked out where I am no longer watching my nephew daily, and after being sick at the end of last week the time has come for me to start working out again. I’ll end it there, but I do want to say that I have missed keeping up with my fellow bloggers and I hope you’re all doing great!

Blessings!
Jared

Week 4 Workout #11

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I did my last workout of Week Four for the current 5 week plan I am doing, and it was a hard one. At work we had some ice cream to celebrate the fourth and I probably had a little more than I should have. I have a feeling that caused me to not have the same energy for my workout. Also, I have been tired the last couple of days and it is starting to catch up with me. I seem to be sleeping alright during the week, but there will be one night on the weekends where I don’t sleep all that well. I will wake-up around 2:30-3 and for some reason I cannot fall back to sleep. It is odd because it isn’t like my mind id wondering or that I am stressing out. It is frustrating because I know sleep is important in the weight loss/building muscle process. I seem to be getting enough sleep to function, but I know I’m not getting the amount I truly need. I guess I am going to have to focus on sleeping like I have my workouts. At least with the 3 day weekend I should be able to get a little more sleep. I know I cannot get it all back in one day.

Moving on, my workout last night was a tough one. I redid the workouts from Week 1 of the program but I don’t remember the order. I did each routine one time. I always listen to a song and start moving around a little bit to warm up the body before I work out. However, yesterday I think I got a little into it, and I could feel it during my workout. However, I feel fine this morning. Below is the workout in what I believe was the order I did them in.

Workout #3 – (http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-3.html)
Beginner: 10 reps, 30 seconds timed
Intermediate: 15 reps, 45 seconds timed
Advanced: 20 reps, 60 seconds timed

Repeat 1-3X

1. High Knees (timed)
2. Walk the Plank
3. Superman
4. Leg Lift Abs
5. Reverse Lunge
6. Jumping Jacks
7. Sumo Squat
8. Reverse Plank Side Step
9. Bicycle Abs
10. High Knees

Workout #2 – (http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-2.html)
Repeat 1-3X

1. Lunge Curl (alternate legs)
2. Plank Lift
3. Side Plank Hip Drop (right)
4. Side Plank Hip Drop (left)
5. Heel Tap Abs or Leg Lift Abs
6. Hip Press
7. Leg Series (right)
8. Leg Series (left)
9. Sumo Pushups
10. Bicycle Abs

Workout #1 – (http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-1.html)
Beginner: 10 reps, repeat 1-2X
Intermediate: 15 reps, Repeat 1-3X
Advanced: 20 reps, Repeat 1-3X

1. High Knees (60 seconds)
2. Side Plank (right) (60 seconds)
3. Side Plank (left) (60 seconds)
4. Jumping Jacks
5. Bicycle
6. Walking Pushups
7. Sumo Squat
8. Mountain Climber
9. Temple Tap Abs
10. Plank (60 seconds)

As always I stretched it out after my workout. Have a happy and safe weekend!

Blessings Mates!
Jared

Week 2 Workout #5

Hi everyone!

Week two of the program I am doing has you repeat exercises from week one. I redid workouts 2 and 3 and did each routine one time. I felt really strong after doing workout 3, but as I have said before I am not pushing myself too hard early on. I have old injuries that I don’t want to flair-up by going too hard too soon. It is all about me creating a strong foundation, and then I’ll start really pushing myself more and more. The thing I have noticed is I am starting to look forward to my next workout, which is a nice feeling. The other great thing is I am not waking up and being extra sore or having old injuries causing issues.

A quick recap incase you haven’t kept up with my blog for long or you just came acorss it. I had a running injury occur back in 2009, and I never addressed it. Last summer I started having major pain in my back, hips, and butt, which was casuing me to not sleep well. I was in pain 24/7. I started going to a chiropractor and slowly I have recovered. Also, I got a new mattress, which took some time for me to adjust to. I stopped working out but recently started up again.

Here is the workout I did yesterday.

Workout#2- http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-2.html
Repeat 1-3X

1. Lunge Curl (alternate legs)
2. Plank Lift
3. Side Plank Hip Drop (right)
4. Side Plank Hip Drop (left)
5. Heel Tap Abs or Leg Lift Abs
6. Hip Press
7. Leg Series (right)
8. Leg Series (left)
9. Sumo Pushups
10. Bicycle Abs

Workout# 3 -http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-3.html
Beginner: 10 reps, 30 seconds timed
Intermediate: 15 reps, 45 seconds timed
Advanced: 20 reps, 60 seconds timed

Repeat 1-3X

1. High Knees (timed)
2. Walk the Plank
3. Superman
4. Leg Lift Abs
5. Reverse Lunge
6. Jumping Jacks
7. Sumo Squat
8. Reverse Plank Side Step
9. Bicycle Abs
10. High Knees

I would love to hear from anyone who may have a question about my journey, or simply to say hello.

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!
Blessings!
Jared

Week 2 Workout #4

Hi everyone!

Yesterday I started the second week of the current Body Transformation program I’ve been doing. It went well and I can tell that my strength and endurance have improved, but I still have a ways to go. I woke up this morning and didn’t have any usual pain, which is a good, good sign. Week Two of the program I am doing calls for one to redo the routines from Week One. Here are the workouts I did. I did one round of each routine.

http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-1.html
Beginner: 10 reps, repeat 1-2X
Intermediate: 15 reps, Repeat 1-3X
Advanced: 20 reps, Repeat 1-3X

1. High Knees (60 seconds)
2. Side Plank (right) (60 seconds)
3. Side Plank (left) (60 seconds)
4. Jumping Jacks
5. Bicycle
6. Walking Pushups
7. Sumo Squat
8. Mountain Climber
9. Temple Tap Abs
10. Plank (60 seconds)

http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-2.html
Repeat 1-3X

1. Lunge Curl (alternate legs)
2. Plank Lift
3. Side Plank Hip Drop (right)
4. Side Plank Hip Drop (left)
5. Heel Tap Abs or Leg Lift Abs
6. Hip Press
7. Leg Series (right)
8. Leg Series (left)
9. Sumo Pushups
10. Bicycle Abs

Have a great Tuesday!
Blessings!
Jared

Workout #2

 

Hi everyone!

I was tired by the end of the work day, and at first I thought about not working out. I remembered I already put it out on my blog that I would be working out, so I did what I said I would do. I only did the routine two times, and probably could have done it a third since it wasn’t that tough. However, I am taking it a little easy the first couple of weeks, so I stopped after the second round.

Here is Workout# 2
Repeat 1-3X

1. Lunge Curl (alternate legs)
2. Plank Lift
3. Side Plank Hip Drop (right)
4. Side Plank Hip Drop (left)
5. Heel Tap Abs or Leg Lift Abs
6. Hip Press
7. Leg Series (right)
8. Leg Series (left)
9. Sumo Pushups
10. Bicycle Abs
(Link – http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-2.html)

Here are the links to the Fit Test and Workout #1 I did last week.
Fit Test – http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fit-test-2013.html
Workout #1 – http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-1.html

Also, I had my monthly chiropractor visit and it by far is the best one I’ve had. I have made a ton of progress over the last month, and even the Chiropractor bragged about how far I’ve come. He actually said he was having a hard time finding anything wrong with me!!!! My range of motion in my back and hips is as good as it has been in years. It took many more months than I thought it would, but the chiropractor was right that it would take about a year for me to start seeing true improvement. My first visit was back in late September or early October.

Have a great day!
Blessings!
Jared

Fit Test and Workout #1

Hi everyone!
I get off work early on Fridays, and decided it was time to finally start putting in the work to reach my goals.

The Fit Test confirmed that I am really out of shape, and since I haven’t worked out in months I wasn’t surprised. Still, you always want to do better than what you actually do. The nice thing is I have something to help motivate me and I can do the Fit Test again after week 3 of the program and I can see how far I’ve come. It is all about taking baby steps, and enjoying the journey.

Fit Test
All Levels: Max reps for each exercise in 60 seconds. Write down/keep track of your results. Repeat this workout in 2-4 weeks to see if you have progressed.

1. Bent Arm Hang (go for max time, keeping your chin above the bar. Try not to let your body swing)
2. High Knees
3. Pushups
4. Jumping Jacks
5. Situps
6. Mountain Climbers
7. Plank (hold for as long as you can and keep track of your time)

I followed the Fit Test with Workout #1 of the Body Transformation Series I am doing. I only did it once, since I did the Fit Test. I am really going to ease into the first couple of weeks. Yes, I need to push myself, but I need to get a good foundation first. I always give max effort, but I know my cardio and strength have a certain limit right now. I don’t want to push myself so hard that my form falls apart, because that leads to long lasting injuries. My #1 goal with this program is simply to finish it and make it through the 5 weeks. Everything is secondary after that…I hope that makes sense.

I did do a few modifications. My left foot started to get tight either at the end of last year or earlier this year. It’s been so long it is tough for me to remember exactly when, so I try to lay off the feet some. Plus, I need to get much stronger in my upper body. So for example, instead of doing High Knees I did Overhead Presses.

Here is Workout #1
Beginner: 10 reps, repeat 1-2X
Intermediate: 15 reps, Repeat 1-3X
Advanced: 20 reps, Repeat 1-3X

1. High Knees (60 seconds)
2. Side Plank (right) (60 seconds)
3. Side Plank (left) (60 seconds)
4. Jumping Jacks
5. Bicycle
6. Walking Pushups
7. Sumo Squat
8. Mountain Climber
9. Temple Tap Abs
10. Plank (60 seconds)

After the workout I stretch for a while. I always feel better after doing a good stretch, and with my back/hip/ITBS/Gluteus Maximus issues I have to spend time to make sure I continue to improve these areas. Best part of all this is Saturday I woke up and I was sore, but nothing more than that. To wake-up and have recent injuries not bothering me was very nice.

Alright, I am going to do Workout #2 after work. Have a wonderful day everyone!
Blessings!
Jared

Current Goals

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone’s Monday is going well. Yesterday I spoke about my new work out plan, and today I am discussing my goals while I do my current five week workout plan. I think in the past I have tried to have too many goals, or maybe they have been a tad too detailed. Also, I need goals that are current but move towards me sticking with working out, because my health/fitness needs to be on-going….below are the goals.

1. Finish the 5 week Workout program I am starting. I have started it at least 2 or 3 times but I haven’t been able to finish it. I have had an injury/injuries come up or some other excuse. I simply want to finish the program more than anything else. If I can commit to five weeks, then I feel that fitness will become part of my daily routine.

2. Average 7.5 hours of sleep. Right now I would say I get between 6-7 hours of sleep a night and the average is probably closer to 6.5. That isn’t enough and that is part of the reason I stopped working out at the end of last year. I simply didn’t have the energy to work out once I get home. Yes, I would always feel more energized when I got a workout in, but when I am sleepy it is easy for me to skip a workout. It is true if you miss one workout, it is that much easier to miss the next one.

3. Eat more vegetables at dinner. One thing I have been much better about over the last few months is eating better more consistently. That is a big reason I have lost some weight even though I haven’t been working out. Still, I have room to improve. Usually for dinner I’ll eat chicken strips or grilled chicken, a potato with cheese, a glass of milk, but after that is when the meal goes a little downhill. I will have some cereal, one too many handfuls of goldfish crackers or a granola bar. I know none of those things are awful, but with dinner being my last meal for the day I need to have a more health meal. By adding one vegetable to my dinner I can cut out extra calories.

Alright, these are my goals, and all are straight forward. I know some people will say I don’t have very specific or any result driven goals, but if I do the above three goals, then results will come.

I am curious if anyone has any thoughts, questions, or maybe you tell me about your goals.

Blessings! Jared

It has been a LONG time!

Hi everyone, I hope you haven’t forgotten about me. It has been ages since I last posted a blog. To be honest I fell off the wagon. After Thanksgiving things started to go downhill fast: I got out of a good sleeping pattern, which led me to not feeling like working out. It is true when you miss one workout; it is easier to miss the next one. Also, my left foot started to get tight, and it got so bad that running in place and even jumping jacks caused it to tighten up. At work I no longer had access to my blog and when I get home I really don’t enjoy spending a ton of time on the computer. I do that enough at work.

Long story short I let all this get me down, and I simply stopped caring. It seemed like for every step forward I went two steps back. I take full responsibility for falling off the wagon. Just because I couldn’t get on my blog didn’t mean I still couldn’t workout. I have a lot of excuses and none of them are worth anything.

However, not all my news is bad. I have lost a little weight and am now hovering around the 165 mark, which is better than the low 170’s I was at towards the last quarter of last year. My back/hip/gluteus/ITBS pain has gotten a lot better, but I still have a ways to go. I have much more range of motion in those areas, and I am still seeing my Chiropractor. I have finally gotten my new mattress broken in, and I am sleeping better. I am eating a little better overall which helps explain the weight I lost. Still, I need to start working out again, but I think this time I need to slowly get into it. I think the last few times I have tried to hit the ground running, and that’s not a bad thing. However, when you haven’t worked out regularly for as long as I have, you have to be smart about how you start the program out.

I haven’t figured out my exact game plan, but I will be thinking over that the next few days. For some reason I can now access my blog from work again, but I think in the past I was a little too addicted to my blog…if that makes sense?

It would be great to hear how everyone is doing, and I have thought of you all off and on over the last several months.

Blessings!
Jared

My 1st run in ages and Week 3 – Workout #8

It has been a week since I last posted a blog. It is hard to keep up with my post since I can’t get to my Blog at work anymore. I use to do all most post during my lunch break. I will try to be better moving forward, but let me get to the stuff that matters.

One of my long term goals when I originally started this blog was to get back into running. I thought I was close to accomplishing that, but then had an old injury flare up again. I have been going to the Chiropractor since October and that has helped a ton. I restarted the 5 week program and it has gone great. During Week Three of the program it wants you to combine cardio to go along with the daily workouts. However, due to the fact that I am recovering from a leg/hip/gluteus maxims injury I have decided to not do those on the same day.

I finally got around to going for a run last Saturday, and of course I picked the day when it was 40 degrees with a 10-20 wind blowing. I went to a park somewhat close to where I live, and it went pretty well. The path at the park is around a half a mile around and overall I went around 2 miles. I couldn’t see a sign of the exact distance, but I asked someone and they said it was half a mile around. I didn’t run the whole time. I did a combo of walking and running. I walked a half mile to get the body as warmed up as possible, and I started to run until I felt my body get a little tight. I would. Then I went back to walking and this continued until I did my last bit of walking as my cool down. I did complete one lap running the whole time, and all together I would say I did around 2/3 to 3/4 of a mile running. Not a terrible start for someone who hasn’t ran in I don’t know how long. I did a very long stretching session and then went home. I didn’t feel to bad the rest of they day and overall the next day felt the same. My left foot did get extra, extra tight Sunday to Monday, and I wish I knew why. Still overall I would say it went great for a first run.

Due to my foot being stiff and the fact I was tired I didn’t workout again until this Wednesday. This time I did the next workout in the Body Transformation Series I have been doing. It was a 15 minute workout and I only did it one time. My brother needed my help watching his son/my nephew. It was a great workout and I would like to do it for more than one round next time I do it.

Beginner: 10 reps
Intermediate: 15 reps
Advanced: 20 reps

*Repeat 1-3X

1. Alternating Lunge Lift
2. Tricep Leg Lift
3. Extended Situp
4. Mount Climber/High Knees (30 seconds each, 10 second rest in between)
5. Squatting Side Kick
6. Tricep Pushup (right)
7. Tricep Pushup (left)
8. Bicycle
9. Mountain Climber/High Knees
10. Warrior Row (right)
11. Warrior Row (left)
12. Leg Lift Abs
13. Mountain Climber/High Knees
I did do one additional round of exercises 2, 6, and 7.

Stretch Out

The Warm-Up and Last Stretch are not in the video link.

Here is the link for the Workout.
http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/01/fitness-transformation-workout-5.html

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!
Blessings!
Jared