Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

[RedLefty]

We all have our own patterns and habits as they relate to health. Over the past 10 years my own patterns have been very simple and extremely consistent:

3 months on (working out diligently)
2 months off (no workie)

Something always seems to come up to knock me off the fitness trail, and I just let it happen. The men's fitness challenge snookered me into the bet that I can keep the "on" phase going for six months this time. No derailments and no excuses. Who can I look to for inspiration to break the old habits and start fresh?

Steve McCroskey, that's who. A man who's battled hoards of his own demons. Just listen to the pain of his repeated failures to defeat those demons, as every time stress arrives he falls back into the old patterns:

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines."

Yet when the chips were down and the crisis imminent, did Steve McCroskey give up? Did Steve McCroskey let the busyness of life detour his commitment to excellence?

Actually, he did. Unfortunately a high-stress airplane incident led the air traffic manager to engage in an epic series of drug ingestions until his hallucinogenic mind thought it could fly and he jumped out of an air tower to his death.

But that was him. My chances are better, right?


The man himself, before going bat crazy and jumping through an 80-foot high window.


My background, goals and all that other crap will be along shortly.

[RacerBill]

At last! A RedLefty Log! This will be fun to follow.

And I get firsties.

(F...ing lame, I know!)

[Kevin T.]

Hahahaha really looking forward to this log.

[rem1956]

oh I'm looking forward to this one. and that was a great movie!

[bacardio]

Now this is scary, RL. This is EXACTLY what I was going to title my training log thread.

Now I might have to go with "It's only a flesh wound"

[Iamjennmedic]

Awesome RedLEFTY See I can read (sometimes). Good luck to you on your personal quest to consistency. I am sure RedWIFEY won't let you slack and if for some strange reason she does, well we'll be happy to fill in. Now get to it!

[RedLefty]

Originally Posted by bacardio

Now this is scary, RL. This is EXACTLY what I was going to title my training log thread.

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.

[dillytl]

LOVE the log name!!! LOL

[SpacecityPaula]

Finally an RL Log.

I think the Houstonians should have a get together after this challenge

[BamaDave]

Originally Posted by RedLefty

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines."

LOL, RL!! Only you would come up with this stuff for a log intro. Good luck in the challenge!

[RedLefty]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

LOL, RL!! Only you would come up with this stuff for a log intro. Good luck in the challenge!

The Zucker brothers get the credit. Their genius speaks to me:

[RedWifey]

Quote this blog: "Good job, RL"

[Victoria]

I just stopped by your wife's log...figured I'd better give you equal time! Best of luck in the challenge, RL!!!

[RedLefty]

Today's workout -- Workout 1 from Chad Waterbury's Hybrid Hypertrophy

I feel funny putting the whole set/rep scheme here. If you haven't bought Chad's book that includes HH, then you can at least go to the site that paid him to write the program and read it there. He signed my book with a pen he used to slay two rebel Viking villages, so it's the least I can do.

So I'll just include the number of sets. You can assume 100 reps per set. I'm good for it.

DB close-grip bench press -- 4 sets, worked up to 45s
Skull crushers -- 1 set, 45
Deadlift -- 4 sets, worked up to 225
BB hack squat -- 1 set, 115
Chin-up -- 4 sets, bodyweight only
DB pullover -- 1 set, 17.5

Here's some more detail on my recent exercise background. Programs completed over the past 18 months are all from NROL (Strength I, Hypertrophy I and II, Fat Loss I and II) and Muscle Revolution (BBB, ABBH, TTT, SOB). So that's nine programs completed in that time. Not shabby I guess, but there were just too many breaks between programs.

YMCA story #1 -- I just finished deadlifts and was setting up for hack squats in the only place in the gym where it's possible. A small open space by the power rack. An attractive teenage girl comes over and just sorta looks at me for a minute. Finally she asks, "Am I in your way?" I replied no, and said I didn't need to move around to do what I was doing with the loaded bar. Just up and down. She proceeded to come closer to me and start doing lunges. She couldn't have been more than 18 inches away. I bet she could tell you whether I was chewing peppermint or spearmint gum.

Anyway, I couldn't tell if she was giving me a signal, or was just an innocently ignorant gym newbie common to this time of year. Alas, if I had only known she was giving me a signal, I could've let her down gently. But since I didn't know, I didn't say a word and actually moved away a few inches. If that action crushed her self-esteem and doomed her to a decade on the pole, I shall never forgive myself.

Who am I kidding. She was probably blind.

YMCA Story #2 -- I was still in the same area and a college-aged guy starts doing squats. Strongly. He works up to 365 and says he wants to do a final set, and would like me to spot him. "Uh", I say, "You're squatting more than I just deadlifted. How could I possibly help?" He said not to worry and just stand behind him, in case he can't finish the reps. Again, I have no idea what I would do. As if I could catch that much weight or lift it off him if he failed. Thankfully he finished the reps, and I went through the spotting motions behind him to make him feel better.

[Cynic]

Originally Posted by RedLefty

The Zucker brothers get the credit. Their genius speaks to me:

The video compiler left out one of the best scenes, McCroskey hanging from the ceiling looking all wasted from his smoking, drinking, pill poppin' and glue sniffing.

Good luck Red!

[stingo]

This is going to be a fun log to read - good luck with the challenge.