Quote:
Originally Posted by bacardio
Now this is scary, RL. This is EXACTLY what I was going to title my training log thread.
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Pick any Zemeckis or Mel Brooks movie quote -- you'll be in good shape.
Now this log virgin will share his story:
Background
I was always the scrawny, frail kid growing up. Not slightly thin, but super-skinny in the "Do his parents feed him?" kinda way. At 18 years old I was 6'2", 140 pounds and couldn't bench 75 pounds.
In college I discovered weightlifting and put on 50 pounds and another inch in height. The height may have been unrelated to the lfiting. I was playing baseball at the time (NCAA Div. 2) and got a lot bigger and stronger, but was still the weakest guy on the team in the weight room even though I had the most hitting power. I'm very powerful in rotation sports (baseball, golf) but pretty much suck in the weight room. So I won't be putting up very impressive numbers anytime soon, and I'm cool with dat.
Putting on muscle is pretty hard, especially since I've already come so far and the newbie gains were long, long ago. But hypertrophy/strength are still my favorite training goals. The skinny kid's still in me, I guess.
Potential Stumbling Blocks
Injury-wise, I've had two right knee dislocations (age 19 and age 21). I'm 31 now. Smarter training and rehab have prevented recurrences and helped avoid surgery. After 20 years of baseball, much of that including pitching, I've got the expected shoulder issues. Smarter training and prehab have kept me away from major problems.
Body-wise, I have a genetic defect and am missing some muscle in my "inner" pecs, especially the right one. The more muscle I build, the funnier it looks. So that may be a subconscious factor in my pattern of on again / off again training. Kind of a self-sabotage program to prevent mutant chest. This time I'll just train through it and see how things look.
I like to have free time at night to read, watch movies and play video games after the kids are in bed. Consistent training means getting up earlier, which means going to be earlier, which means less free time. That's usually a tough adjustment for me.
Why I Want to Do it
I wish I had an answer here. I know the mind is important, motivation is everything, blah blah blah...
But as a former athlete, it's really hard to train without a big game on the horizon. I'm not vain enough to care about getting buff. As long as I'm not a fattie I'm pretty much OK with it. I'm a married guy, so being shredded won't get me laid any more. If I want some action I just wash the dishes and suggest a Mark Wahlberg movie on DVD.
Bottom line -- RedWifey and I both joined the challenge, so we're reciprocally accountable. Working out does make me feel better and makes me more effective in every area of life. For now that's enough.