M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N

Haven't posted much in my blog lately...lots of other things going on but working out nonetheless.

Motivation...man, it is so hard to find. Just when you think you've achieved quite a few of your fitness goals..it's hard to get re-acquainted with the basics. Especially in fat loss, the equation is always simple: Nutrition (calorie deficit, all natural foods) + Exercise 3 to 4 times a week = Fat Loss. It's so easy to understand, it's applying it consistently to achieve the results.

That's what I'm in right now. Trying to re-commit to the fat loss mindset. Last few days was a wake up call. Pants fit...but just barely enough to feel comfortable in them. You ever get that look in the mirror when you just look at yourself and it just isn't exactly you?

That's when I know it's time to get on the fat loss wagon. I mean really on the fat loss wagon. People think you can just glide through a fat loss phase - and hope to see changes. Personally, it doesn't work that way - you have to SERIOUSLY WANT the change.

It's always a see saw battle when it comes to fat loss for me. I'm not back to where I was just a bit over the weight I want to be at. Could be the holidays, could be the goals I set forth at the start of the year...but I'm not finding excuses. It's time to move on...NOW. So over the weekend I went back to the drawing board and reviewed my nutrition, studied the calorie content of the food that I've been eating the past few months and what's causing these stalls, and have promised myself I will eliminate them from my diet the next few weeks...hopefully through the year.

Now it's spring...and soon summer...time to get things in full swing as I know how to.

So I kickstarted my nutrition for the week, went to the grocery last night and got the things that I need to really succeed again. It's not that I didn't want to before...I just felt I didn't have to thinking that everything will be alright eventually. So lots of lean meats, tilapia and chicken...and lots of greens to go with it.

Been there, done that...but you can't rely on past success to justify where I'm at now. You can only take care of what you have in front of you...I have the tools, I have the knowledge...I just need to re-apply and put things together again.

Drop it Low..

Still here. What a revelation...at the ages of 2 and 5, it such a really good age and pleasure where as a father am really enjoying more quality time with them, which is why I haven't been blogging as much as I would like. I will always put those little guys up first - always. I really appreciate my role as a Dad now than I was when they were younger, little babies. Now that they're involved in some team sports...that just gets me even more motivated than ever before.

Not that I haven't been training...I've been training - but what I've been trying to do these past few weeks is trying to adjust to my daily food consumptions. It's not going to be overnight - but am taking things generally slow and steady, applying what I've learned over the course of 3+ years. But you have truly have to get the mindset settled first before you can expect to see progress.

Main thing for me right now is to get consistent once again with my eating habits. Workouts are consistent, diet has been - I'll say so so but definitely on the up and up so and hope to only improve on it everyday. But I'm getting there. Just keeping things simple on that aspect of losing fat and not being over obsessed with it. Psychologically...that's the #1 thing here - don't overobsess yourself, or your going to fail. Not training for a sport or a contest here - so the "pressure" is not as bad if I were. But the pressure and accountability to myself is still there to continue to make healthier lifestyle changes as best as I can.

That's the whole enchilada right there...

Lots of goals set out to begin the year. Happy to have improved on strength. Now i REALLY just want to buckle down on nutrition and lean out. Took 2 weeks to play around with certain approaches to get my niche and my mindset back - now playtimes over and I think I found a program that I just may enjoy. So I'm excited about that.

Not shooting for the 6 pack this time. Not worried about that at all this time around. Just enough bodyfat to get through those hot summer days in San Diego and not have to cover up all that fat that lies under the clothing. I can just feel it in my clothing...and when that happens, it's time to drop the weight.

Well, guess I found my motivation haven't I?

Ramblings

Was going to hit the sack...but I wanted to post something in my blog. A good friend of mine told me how proud he was to see how I'm still going strong in this fitness thing. When alot of people tend to give up, lose interest...I'm still here - still giving it my all but continuously trying to learn new things.

Motivation is where it all starts...what motivates you to learn, what motivates you to keep it going? That's the question I always ask myself...everyday.

And yet, here I am... still able to manage my time with a fairly busy schedule. It's not easy...and no one's life should be. Don't be a victim of circumstances in life...there are reason's behind every obstacle we face. Just understand and do the best you can with what God has given you. Use those tools to YOUR advantage. Be blessed to have feet to walk with, arms to embrace, eyes to see the beauty that surrounds our very being - because there are probably many less fortunate one's out there that wish they can say the same. Be thankful with what you have and keep on pushing it to the very limits in EVERYTHING you do.

Obviously I do see alot of my own kids in me nowadays as they are getting older. It gives me a chuckle nowadays when they "workout" with Daddy in the garage and mimic certain movements that they see me doing. It's motivating that hopefully they too continue these habits as they get older. I hope that one day that it is to their benefit that they do and my wife supports it 100%. It's so nice to be that figure for them to look up to. No couch potato kids around this household.

It's family that will always push me through. That's what's going to keep me going.

So to those that are still in it...keep finding that motivation.

Target, aim and swing!

After picking up my boys from school at noon, I took them to a baseball park right next to where we live and had them tee off some balls for practice. Just started them to a t-ball league for the spring season coming up. It took alot of encouraging starting off, but now they are thoroughly enjoying the sport plus it gets them out there with other boys which is good at this age. They are still learning the basic fundamentals of the game, so it's a pretty exciting time as a parent to see them and give them some guidance on swinging, catching and throwing.

It's a great feeling how you can apply workouts to real life situations, much like the session I had with their t-ball on a gloomy Monday afternoon: You learn and you apply. You keep learning and you keep applying. You will get better.

After last week's trial run of a program circuit program, I've decided to mix it up with my own stuff this week. Still circuit training but will use a variety of similar approaches using the same concept split from Rosstraining. Today was work capacity so I mixed it up here with a kettlebell/bodyweight circuit. It was brutally fun. By the end of the first round, you'll be sweating like a pig.

5 rounds, 1 minute rest between circuits using a 54 lb Kettlebell:
a) One arm KB Push press 5 reps/arm
b) KB front squats 5 reps
c) One arm KB snatches 5 reps/arm
d) One arm KB swings 5 reps/arm
e) Burpees 10 reps/circuit

Tomorrow it's intervals...training is just like hitting a ball - lockdown your target, aim and swing.

Til next time.

a.

Got Kettlebells?

Got Kettlebells? DO you hate long boring cardio to mess up your knees? Do you like bodyweight stuff mixed in fat loss programs?

Watch this funny, yet informative youtube link and check out their site. They're good friends I've met online from mbodystrength.com and now have a site up called www.mymadmethods.com. It's good stuff and best of all - it's fun, free and they have some great programs for all kb levels:

Throwin' a curve ball!

Feeling good. I like these circuit type workouts I've started Saturday...for the whole month of March - that's the theme: metabolic restistance training or what I guess that's the "in" term these days in the fitness world.

One of the most effective ways to attack fat loss other than diet: full body workout splits of supersets and circuits. It feels really good to be able to get back to these training approaches. Have obviously been away from it for more than 2 months. Its time to rock and roll...

Checked my weight and I've already gone down a full pound in as little 3 days. Water weight...but that's how amazing the body works! It's just a little change up in an approach for a little bit and BAM - I feel like fat loss is so much easier.

It's like being "sedentary" for a little bit and then when you throw a curve ball in your repertoire - and BAM results just come quicker and you feel like a clean, fuel efficient engine again. Loved the strength and body building workouts....but this is where it's at for me. I've always enjoyed these type of workouts.

Took the day off today to recover as my glutes were very sore from the deadlifts last Saturday, as well as my core from yesterday's off day routine.