As I have said before, I have started lifting and stopped lifting only to find myself starting again. Over and over I go through this cycle and I'm sure that I'm not the only one. Well yesterday, I started my last, first workout. With this workout I have promised myself that I will never stop or give up. I choose to make it a part of my lifestyle and I refuse to let weakness or laziness take over and beat me ever again.
When I made that decision and I chose which day I would begin, I was in for a rather nasty surprise. Because it was a duty day for me, (duty is a day where you remain onboard the ship overnight and stand 5 hour watches in various stations) I figured that it would be a day of little distraction and since we have a gym onboard it would be easy to get a workout in. I couldn't have been more wrong. The day started with outside contractors and continued with a mix of random duty section chores and a few other items stacked on top. To add to my obstacles, I was given the 2 am to 7 am watch so sleep was out of the question.
I found myself finishing up my work at around 9:30 pm and I told myself that I was going to go to bed but I had promised myself that I would start this workout so I compromised. I went to bed at 10:00pm and woke up at midnight so that I could get a workout done before watch. Once again, I had another surprise on the way. After getting up, putting on my gym clothing, gulping down a kasha bar, and stepping outside, I found out that it was raining. Usually that wouldn't be a problem except that our gym is outside on the roof. "Damn.... Back to bed?" This was the question that was streaming through my mind. I was almost convinced that it was a lost cause and that I could start again tomorrow, but I made a promise and I needed to prove to myself that I was serious. So I went for it. I strapped on my gloves, stepped out in the rain, and began a rather amazing workout.
It wasn't the heaviest of workouts or anywhere near the hardest. I had planned it out as a re-acclimation workout. The rain turned out to be more of a blessing than a curse but I had to take the initiative to push myself out of my comfort zone and try something new. It kept me cool, but not cold and it was almost inspirational for my soul. If I can workout in the rain, then what excuse could I use in the future? Not one would make any sense.
So the workout. I took a few of my favorite staple exercises and built a workout that would bring my muscles back to life and help kick start my new fitness lifestyle. It looks like this:
Wide Grip Pull ups 3 sets with each set being to failure
Squats 3 sets @ 115 lbs. 12 reps per set
Bench Press 4 sets @ 95 lbs. 12 reps per set
Dumbell Deadlift 3 sets @ 60 lbs. 10 reps per set
Hanging Knee raises 3 sets with each set being to failure
It didn't exactly work out perfectly and I had to modify the Hanging knee raises due to some shoulder pain, no doubt remnants of a motorcycle accident several years ago. After the first set, I switched to Lying Leg Raises on a bench.
Overall the workout felt amazing and I'm so glad that I overcame mother nature's attempt at ruining my perfect start. I did suffer immensely today though, because of the lack of rest. The soreness began to kick in as the day wore on and now I feel as if I stared into the eyes of the World Champ Mohammed Ali and called him a punk. If I was any more beat up, I would be knocked out cold but that's not a problem. It's one more milestone down for me and it's the beginning of a whole new life.
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