Time for a reassessment…

It’s been just over a month since I hit the reset button and decided to refocus on achieving my fitness/health/lifestyle goals. So it’s time to reassess my progress thus far, the following is what my assessment looked like when I decided to refocus on my goals:

Exercise	Current Total/Time	Percent of Goal	Goal
Push-ups	42	42%	100
Pull-ups	10	33.3%	30
Squats	70	50%	140
Crunches	137	68.5%	200
Body weight Dips	12	40%	30
Minutes/mile	9:06	87.9%	8:00
Weight (lbs.)	175.5	91.1%	160

As previously posted,  I used the following markers for measuring my fitness level:

1. Number of continuous proper form push-ups
2. Number of continuous proper form pull-ups
3. Number of continuous proper form squats in two (2) minutes
4. Number of continuous proper form crunches (NOT full sit-ups) in two (2) minutes
5. Number of continuous proper form body weight dips
6. Run pace in minutes per mile
7. Body weight

The following chart is my results and new goals:

Exercise	Current Total/Time	Percent of Goal	Goal
Push-ups	46	46%	100
Pull-ups	12	40%	30
Squats	78	78%	100
Crunches	138	92%	150
Body weight Dips	14	46.6%	30
Minutes/mile	9:06	87.9%	8:00
Weight (lbs.)	172	93%	160

Remarkably, my run time was exactly the same, but I ran 1.46 miles, instead of the 1.02 miles I ran for the previous assessment, which means I’m able to sustain that pace for a longer period of time, so I’ll take that as a win 🙂  My average heart rate during my run was 147 beats per minute (BPM), and I burnt 211 calories. Tomorrow is a weigh-in day, so I used my weight from my last weigh-in a week ago in the above chart. From my previous and recent assessments, I’ve realized it would be extremely difficult to perform 140 body weight squats and 200 crunches in a two (2) minute time frame, so I reduced the target to 100 squats and 150 crunches. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask/share them. I wish everyone out there the best of luck on their journeys, and remember to properly warmup and cool down before and after exercise.

Just an update…

Yesterday was a core workout, I didn’t use the workout I normally do however. I used a workout video, which proved to be effective, I could definitely feel it in my lower abdominal muscles. I also went to a spa/hot tub and boat show yesterday, so I did a fair bit of walking while viewing all of the exhibits. Today I took the pups for a hike through the woods, which they really seemed to enjoy, the weather now is windy and raining, so I probably won’t be going out to run or ride my bike. It’s weigh-in day and I’m down to 174.5 lbs, so I’m averaging about 1 pound a week thus far. I will say I haven’t really been regulating my food intake, I did go out for all-you-can-eat sushi last night, so that probably didn’t help with weight loss, but it was delicious. Anyways, stay tuned for an actually workout and other fun stuff!

Update…I did a Hip-hop abs video workout called Cardio Groove, because it sounded interesting, and i was curious to see how many calories I might burn. I strapped on my heart rate monitor, and was pleasantly surprised, as I burned 343 calories in 40 minutes and 13 seconds. The instructor, Shaun T. makes the workout enjoyable with his remarks. I would definitely recommend these videos to my friends and anyone looking to burn calories and not feel like you are working out.

Time For A Reset

I’ve been slacking again with my workouts, eating, and posts. Therefore, it’s time to hit the reset button, I guess that’s the beauty of being off track, you can usually get back on.  It’s been a little over three months since I started this particular endeavor, and these were my goals and stats:

Exercise	Current Total/Time	Percent of Goal	Goal
Push-ups	25	25%	100
Pull-ups	8	16%	50
Squats	75	37.5%	200
Lunges	75	37.5%	200
Sit-ups	75	37.5%	200
Body weight Dips	8	16%	50
3-mile Run (min.)	30		25
Weight (lbs.)	173		160

I decided today would be a good reassessment day, so I’ve changed my goals a little and performed some assessments. I used the following as assessments for measuring my current fitness level:

1. Number of continuous proper form push-ups
2. Number of continuous proper form pull-ups
3. Number of continuous proper form squats in two (2) minutes
4. Number of continuous proper form crunches (NOT full sit-ups) in two (2) minutes
5. Number of continuous proper form body weight dips
6. Pace for a one mile run, in minutes per mile
7. Body weight

The following chart is a list of my results and new goals:

Exercise	Current Total/Time	Percent of Goal	Goal
Push-ups	42	42%	100
Pull-ups	10	33.3%	30
Squats	70	50%	140
Crunches	137	68.5%	200
Body weight Dips	12	40%	30
Minutes/mile	9:06	87.9%	8:00
Weight (lbs.)	175.5	91.1%	160

Eventually I would like to build up my speed and endurance to compete in a 10K run. I hope my quest and writing can help inspire others to reach for and accomplish new goals.

Weigh-in, weight down

It’s been just over a week since I decided to make a change and start living a healthier life. I decided to check my weight once per week, so as not to get discouraged with day-to-day fluctuations. Like most individuals I don’t like to weigh myself, not just because I don’t want to see the number go up, but I don’t feel it’s always an accurate representation of fat weight loss and overall health. First, you can become healthier without losing weight, for example, if you lose body fat and put on lean muscle, you may not see any change in your weight. Second, personally I assess my progress by how I feel and perform. For example, if I’m not feeling well I might take the day off, make it an easy day, or if I’m just feeling a bit lazy/lethargic I’ll push for a more challenging workout. I prefer this approach because, there are many different ways to assess your progress and level of fitness, such as body measurements, body fat percentage, physical assessments, mood, and overall feeling of wellness. I’ll expand on this in my next post. Alright…let’s get to the point of today’s post, my weigh-in. For my first weigh-in I was 173lbs and yesterday (about a week later) I was 171.5lbs., that’s a loss of 1.5 pounds, so it would appear that I’m on the right track so-to-speak. Generally speaking, a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week is a healthy goal for most individuals. As I mentioned in my previous post, that’s a reduction of approximately 500-1000 calories per day from your average daily caloric intake or 3500-7000 calories per week.