What I Accomplished This Year

I must say 2012 was quite a prolific year for me, and no, it wasn't because I thought the world was going to end.  It all began on December 31, 2011/January 1, 2012, when I decided that instead of making resolutions for the new year, I would SET GOALS instead.  The first one was easy:  NO CAKE OR ICE CREAM UNLESS IT'S A SPECIAL OCCASION!!!  One year later, I've stayed true to it!

An even bigger goal was to pursue a secondary career in the fitness industry.  I love the gym; I love working out; I love living a healthy lifestyle, so it made sense to try and turn that into a job.  I started trying to find ways to make it happen.  In June, I became a Schwinn-certified cycling instructor, and in August, I received a personal trainer certification.  Those are just the first two of many certs I hope to attain (I'm setting new goals for 2013!).

I also wanted to start a blog on health/fitness/nutrition issues and before I ever began, I spent months brainstorming and trying to figure out how to make my blog stand out from all the others floating around in cyberspace.  After years of hitting plateaus and going back-and-forth in the body size department, I became frustrated over my inability (it seemed) to gain and maintain "good weight."  I decided to try and pack on muscle and document it over the course of a year.  That's when Kurt 3.0 was born!!  (Don't you just love him? :)

I also created the "Kurt 3.0" Facebook page, so that when I slacked on the blog (which I have), there would be enough posting on the "K3.0" page and my other Facebook page to keep everyone up to date on where I was, what I was doing, how it was going, etc.  The blog posts may have dwindled, but my dedication has not, which anyone who knows me in my personal life will attest to.

In November, I took things a step further and started the Body Beast program from Beachbody and was so blown away and inspired by the workouts and the results that I became a Beachbody Independent Coach later that month.   

Beachbody is a phenomenal company that has taken the world by storm.  There are more than 20 great workout programs to choose from, and I would love for some of my friends to choose one and let me coach them through it!  Maybe that can be one of my goals for 2013??

My Beachbody workout of choice at the present time is Body Beast, a mass-building program that comes straight from a bodybuilding professional who shuns the "steroid approach" and other performance-enhancing drugs, when it comes to gaining size and muscle mass.

Here is a look at what I've accomplished in the four months since "Kurt 3.0" kicked off in early September.  I've gained five-and-a-half pounds in skeletal muscle mass.  THREE of those pounds were gained after I started Body Beast on November 6th.  I can tell by the way my clothes fit that I've gained size (in a good way).  I've also raised my basal (resting) metabolic rate by 100 calories.

That's what I've managed to do as 2012 draws to a close.  I take care of myself first, so that I can take care of others later.  That said, I hope I can do something to help someone in 2013!

Happy New Year, everybody!! :)

                                            August 2012

                                              September 2012

                                       September/October 2012

                                    October 14, 2012

                                                     December 2012

...it's THE BEAST!!

Remember that line in "Poltergeist" where Tangina tells the Freeling family what's responsible for all the chaos in their house?  She talks about the force that's holding little Carol Anne captive in another plane of consciousness and explains what it is, ending it all cryptically with, "To us, it is The Beast!!" 

Flash forward thirty years later, and it could very well be Sagi Kalev busting out of that bedroom closet, scolding those pot-smoking hippie parents and telling them to get with the program and do some "Body Beast" to get into shape and get their household back in order! 

In fact, in 1982, everyone in the Freeling family probably would have benefitted from some Kalev tough love, including the older teenage daughter who ate Lays potato chips while in bed.

All joking aside, after months of making up my own workouts and following some of Muscle Pharm's (which I still highly recommend and plan to use again, by the way) on its Facebook page, I decided to order "Body Beast" from Beachbody.  They're the company responsible for "P90X" and "Insanity."  You may have seen the infomercials featuring Tony Horton and Shaun T, respectively. 

Yes, this post will also be part commercial... sorry!

As far as "Body Beast" goes, I had seen the demo videos, and that it was the newest Beachbody program.  Since it was devoted to gaining muscle mass, and not losing weight, it especially caught my attention.  After weeks of mulling it over, I finally ordered it.  Part of the program involves downloading worksheets for the workouts.  I decided to watch the DVDs at home and take the worksheets to the gym and do the workouts there.

Nearly three weeks later, all I can say is WOW.  The workouts are tough, but I enjoy them.  Check out the demo videos in the link up above, and you will see.

I can also feel my body changing in a good way.  I've put on a little too much "bad weight" with the bulking, but I've started to add in more cardio--and slightly cut the calories--to try and keep the muscle but lose the fat.  My body fat percentage went from 8.7% in September to 10.2% as of last week, so I freaked out and got a little paranoid.  I won't get too worried though, unless it actually goes to 11- and 12%.  That's another blog post though.

I also have other Beachbody plans that I will talk about in later posts.  I'm also about to start using Shakeology, which is on the way in the mail.  I've read a lot about it and its health benefits, so I can't wait to get started.

Bulking and ABS! (Not talking about "automatic braking systems")

Everyone has a six pack, sometimes it's just a little deeper in there than it should be.  You can also do 2,000 stomach crunches a day, but unless you eat right, you're never going to see those abs.

The big misconception about crunches and other ab exercises is that those are what make a six pack prominent.  FALSE!  They only make your core stronger.  Losing the belly fat through your diet and performing cardio (running, jogging, walking, biking, stairclimbing, etc.)  is the rest.  As far as your core goes, that's everything all the way around the middle, not just your abdominal muscles.  There are other things to do besides situps to strenghten that entire area of your body.

Tomorrow's "Manic Monday" on "Good Morning Arklamiss" focuses on abs!  I keep it simple, especially for the first timers who are watching.  I plan to revisit some segment topics in later weeks and introduce more advanced moves for viewers who are following along from week to week.

Signs of my abs come and go lately, since I've been "bulking" and trying to gain weight.  I've been doing the InBody 230 body composition analysis once a month since September.  I posted a picture of the two print-outs below.  I started out at 8.7% body fat, and for the past two months I've held steady at 9.2%.  My goal is to stay under 10% until I stop the bulking and start the "cutting" phase.  My weight has gone up two-and-a-half pounds since last month, and some of that is skeletal muscle mass, which I'm happy about.

I've been bulking almost a month and only plan to do it for another two to four weeks (giving myself six to eight weeks total at that phase) before moving to "cutting." 

I'm pretty much doing this whole thing alone and only asking for advice and help here and there.  I think I need to step it up and start being a little less hesitant when it comes to seeking outside help.

Have a great week, and remember to do something good for yourself! :)

The one on the left was carried around in my gym bag.  Pardon the wrinkles!  Left one is September; the right one is from October.

No, these aren't mine (yet), but I can dream!

"Manic Monday!" (Without The Bangles)

My apologies for not posting anything for the past two weeks.  It has a been a crazy and busy month with a lot of things going on, and while I've been slacking with the blog posts, I promise I haven't done the same in other areas of my life!

The "Manic Monday" workout/exercise segment kicks off tomorrow (10/29) during the 6 A.M. hour on "Good Morning Arklamiss" on KNOE 8 in northeast Louisiana.  For my "non-Arklamiss" friends, I will make sure the segments are also available on YouTube.  I'm hoping to get more creative with the segments in the future and incorporate/demonstrate things that people can do if they're too busy to go to the gym,  or don't even have a gym membership but want to exercise at home.  I'm starting with the basics and trying to keep it easier for beginners.  Later on, I'll add in more advanced options for anyone who may be following along and needs to move on to that "extra challenge."

I"ve also been sticking to six days a week at the gym.  I'm getting a little aggravated with a lack of results.  A friend assures me that stuff is happening, but perhaps it is things I can't directly see.  I'm trying to get bigger, but I feel like I'm staying the same size.  I'm also paranoid that the weight gainer I'm taking will make me gain too much fat weight rather than the kind of mass I am trying to put on.

I ordered "Body Beast" from Beachbody, so I will be watching the DVD's at home and adding that into my workout routine at the gym as well.

Anyway, if you are in northeast Louisiana, be sure to tune in to "Manic Monday" tomorrow morning around 6:15ish!  Many, MANY thanks to my favorite hangout spot and part-time workplace the Monroe Athletic Club for letting April Dovorany and me use the facilities for taping!

Have a good week -- and remember to do something good for yourself!

Don't forget to like the Kurt 3.0 page on Facebook!  

  

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (Am I Making Any Weight Gains at All?)

Anyone who stares at themselves in the mirror daily as much as I have, especially in the past month, isn't going to see much of a change.  If you're constantly gawking at or critiquing yourself day in and day out, you will have the same image stuck in your head.  In order to find out if all the working out is working, you have to arrange a meeting or a "bump in" with someone you haven't seen in a month or two.  Then you parade or walk slowly past them, hoping they will say, "Oh my gosh, you look great!  Have you been working out?"

I tried this about a week ago with someone who hadn't seen me in several weeks.  The only thing I got from the person in question was that I look "more defined."  I was fishing for "bigger," but "defined" isn't necessarily an insult either.

So in order to gain size, I've been eating a ton of protein (something I've already been doing a long time before a month ago, but I'm way more conscientious about it now), eating it from the right sources (lean meats, fish, raw almonds, some lowfat milk, protein powder) and doing my best to stay away from bad places.  My occasional Friday night "cheat" after work at the Taco Bell drive-thru has been done away with.  I've cut back on the cardio some, and I've added a weight gainer into my list of supplements.  I'm drinking a serving size of Weider Mega Mass 2000 with some 1% milk once a day, hoping that will help.  I am also doing extra abs, running a little harder (but fewer times a week) and carefully watching my diet out of paranoia that the weight gainer will make me pack on fat instead of muscle! 

Oh, and yes, I've also been working out with the weights like a muthamutha, too.  I really need to gain the right kind of weight. 

If anyone has any suggestions about weight gainer powder that is better than Mega Mass 2000, please feel free to let me know.  The "MM 2K" got mostly good reviews online out of my research on that and a few others, so I went with the Mega Mass.

Don't forget to "like" the Kurt 3.0 page on Facebook!  Have a great week, and do something good for yourself!! :)

Is Technology Making Us Fat?

I love how far technology has come along.  I am always on my iPhone texting away, constantly checking Facebook or Twitter, and I even played Angry Birds and Words with Friends until I got sick of both and had to finally stop.  My mom and brother often talk about how technology is/can be bad, and I argue with them and say "No, it is not!"

This morning I woke up and since "CBS News Sunday Morning" was three-quarters over, I turned it to the History Channel.  A show called "'80's Tech" was on, and havng grown up in the '80s, I was immediately glued to the TV.  They talked about the evolution of the PC, and also video games, along with showing old clips of arcades and Pac Man and Donkey Kong and the like.

I remembered Ataris and video arcades being popular at the same time when I was elementary school-age.  I never really thought about which one was there before the other.  According to the program, home video game consoles like the Atari became popular for people who didn't feel like going out to the arcades all the time.  So apparently there were arcades and then there was the Atari.  People a bit older than me who remember Pong (which came from Atari, Inc. in the 1970s) might dispute that though.

Then I started thinking about lethargy, and the fact that many people now stay inside all day, glued to their computers or their video games or their cell phones and never really do much else.  I wondered if maybe there was a connection between the growth of video game technology and accessibility and obesity rates, especially childhood obesity rates.

I searched around online (yes, I am biting the hand that's feeding this post) to see if there was a clear-cut timeline showing when the obesity epidemic began in the U.S.  The closest thing I could find was one article saying maybe the late 1980s/early 1990s was when it all started to take off.  Just when more video games and better, enhanced imaging and way better gaming consoles started flooding the market. 

There is also that matter of the internet taking off like wildfire in the mid-1990s.  I can still hear that dial-up "log on" sound in my head sometimes, even though most people younger than 20 probably remember dial-up the same way I vaguely recall 8-track tapes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents not let their children's total entertainment media time exceed two hours every day, but do most parents take this advice?

I also have to wonder whether our adult habits of staying on Facebook and our cell phones all hours of the day and night contribute to the problem.  Can you credibly tell your kid to turn off the TV and go play outside, if you're pausing in the middle of your text message to look up and do it?  That reminds me, does it burn more calories to write a letter or send a text to someone?  You don't have to move as much, and you won't have to get up and go walk around the house looking for paper and writing utensils.   

That being said, I LOVE technology.  I can't remember a life before texting and social networking.  I'm that person who will carry a text conversation for two hours instead of just simply calling someone.  I still haven't used facetime yet on my iPhone 4S (No, I don't have the 5 yet!).  Who wants to be the first to have facetime?  And what would I do without having google there everytime I have a question?

I'm not going to say technology is evil and the scourge of the Earth.  Maybe it's like food, and we need to better control our portions.

I will try to have a gym post later in the week -- and get back to posting about my workouts more.  I posted my latest workout pics from today on the Kurt 3.0  Facebook page. Be sure to "like" my page if you have not! :)

Have a great week, and do something good for yourself!!

 

Rest Days and Haters

I keep a log on my calendar on my phone of my workout days, what I do while I'm at the gym, etc.  It was something I never really started doing until the first part of the year.  Before that, I always kind of kept up with it all in my head.  Keeping a record of it all has helped me be more consistent and not overwork one part of my body and go one or two weeks neglecting some other area.

There was one month this summer where I went to the gym every day but only about two days.  It is hard for me to take a rest day.  I feel sometimes like I'm being lazy, or maybe even like I'm going to miss out on something if I don't get any exercise.  For example, I considered yesterday a "rest day," even though I ran a 5k.  I didn't do any weights or anything, so I said to myself, "Oh, I'll go home after this 5k and take a nap.  I won't go to the gym, so it will be a rest day." 

Even though I performed physical activity (3.1 miles in only 23 minutes and some change, I might add), I rationalized it as a "rest day" because I only ran for less than a half-hour and didn't pump iron for two hours. 

Out of curiosity, I decided to look back on my calendar and see how many "rest days" I've taken.  I didn't feel like going all the way back to January, so I only counted backwards from September 30 to May 1.  I have only taken twenty rest days since May 1.  Three of those were for a surgery I had in June, and even though I was recuperating, I remember being to the point of climbing the walls by the time that third day rolled around.  Oh, and yesterday is disputable, since I counted that to be among the twenty, and there is the matter of that 5k race.

No, no, not addictive behavior at all...

Rest days are important, and our bodies have to recover -- even though some of us feel useless when we take a day off.  We all hate that useless feeling.  Oh, and that reminds me of my next point.  Haters! 

I've had a couple of detractors lately who don't think I know who they are, but yes, I know who they are even though they don't realize that I know, and when I'm around them I just smile and pretend like I really don't know even though I KNOW quite well! 

If they try to read that and absorb it then they will be really confused, so anyway...

I won't hate on her, but I am just not a Rihanna fan.  However, she does say it best in that "Cheers (Drink To That)" song of hers.  People are gonna talk whether you're doin' bad or good! 

So the bottom line is, do your thing and don't worry so damned much about what other people say or think.  It's very difficult not to do so, I agree, but all you have to do is work harder and prove them wrong!  Oh, and chances are it's insecurity on their part that makes them judge you!

Don't forget to "like" the Kurt 3.0 page on facebook!  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kurt-30/229954267130220?fref=ts

Remember... Do something good for yourself today! :)

Popeye was on the right track, but....

After recently comparing my calves to those of a long-lost relative of Olive Oyl, I feel like I must bring up another member of that cartoon family.  You know, Popeye the Sailor Man, the one who ate spinach and suddenly acquired superhero powers.

While it may have done a service by encouraging kids to eat their vegetables, spinach alone couldn't have made Popeye's disproportionate arm muscles so big.  Spinach is a source of protein, but it's an incomplete source.  It lacks all of the nine essential amino acids that a complete source of protein has. 

Of course, Popeye is only a cartoon, but I mention all of this to lead to my other point... protein intake.  A piece of meat (preferably chicken or fish) goes well with those vegetables. 

For my vegetarian friends, I've read mixed opinions on whether tofu is a complete protein.  Lentils mixed with brown rice are a complete protein.  Soy is also complete protein, but I've also heard other negative things about soy.  I won't go into it all of it here, but you can always message me for a further dialogue on this.

I've heard different things, and while trying to get bigger, I went with one suggestion that I try to match protein grams to pounds of my body weight per day.  That would put me at about 170 grams of protein per day, which I probably get close to reaching some days.  I have oatmeal every morning with berries a scoop of peanut butter, I drink the egg whites and then the MusclePharm Combat powder with milk afterward, another small bowl of oatmeal during the day with a scoop of protein powder later in the afternoon, raw almonds, greek yogurt, vegetables, I eat a ton of chicken (recently a little sirloin steak here and there on weekends), other small meals and things throughout the day, etc.

BUT --  a couple of weeks ago, a trainer friend (who also has a master's degree in kinesiology, so I listen to everything she tells me) made another suggestion.  She says to avoid potentially hurting my kidneys, I modify the current protein intake and instead base it on another formula.  This one makes more sense:

First, you convert your weight in pounds to kilograms.  I'll use my own as an example.  At last check, I was 168.7 pounds, but I'll round up:

169 (lbs) / 2.2 = 76.8 kilograms

You then multiply your weight in kilograms total by 1.5

76.8 x 1.5 = 115.2

So, based on this formula, in order to gain mass, I need to eat about 115 grams of protein per day.  I have a feeling I'm still jumping ahead of this number.  It is tough to measure grams throughout the day, but I usually try to keep a rough estimate running in my head.

Anyway, this is what I'm trying now. 

I'm always open to suggestions for myself -- or hearing about what you're doing.  Please let me know!

Sexy and I Know It! (TELL YOURSELF THAT!)

Before the gym this morning, I took the scissors to one of the tank tops ("wife beaters" are what they're called, but I hate that term -- domestic abuse shouldn't be joked about) that came in the assorted pack of Fruit of the Loom ones I bought at Target the other night.  The tail of the shirt came down too far, and it looked stupid to wear it to the gym that way (Mr. Universe would never do that!), so I got out the scissors and altered it so that it is now shorter.  I kind of got carried away with the cutting, so after one trip through the dryer, that particular shirt will probably be too short to wear in public ever again.

Anyway, I bring all this up to make a point.  Feel good; feel confident in what you wear when you leave the house.  People all the time point out and poke fun at people who dress "inappropriately." 

They're not the right size for what they're wearing... he's too old to wear that loud-colored "wife beater" (ugh, sorry) and those kind of shorts... she shouldn't be wearing skinny jeans with that muffin-top belly... why can't that middle-aged woman dress more appropriately and stop trying to look like her teenage daughter, etc. 

Hey, look, even I've been guilty of this -- numerous times.  After thinking about it, and after displaying photos of myself online in a "WB" (I'm not going to use that term again) recently, maybe those people we think are dressed "inappropriately" feel good about the way they look, and maybe we don't feel good about our own selves at the moment in time when we make those kinds of comments.  Something to think about, perhaps?  It kind of makes sense, but I only came to this conclusion in the last few days.

Something else to consider: maybe their husband, wife, or partner who loves them unconditionally thinks they look sexy despite their size or age, and tells them that quite often!  This, in turn, gives them the confidence they need to put on or wear whatever it is that makes some of us shake our heads.

Anyway, enough of that sermon.  What's important is to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and tell yourself, "I look good!  I'm sexy -- and I know it!"  If other people are in the house, perhaps you shouldn't shout it or say it very loud, but you should at least tell yourself that in your mind.  This was actually a tip from the membership director at my gym on "keeping it real" in the newsletter at New Year's this year.  I liked and adopted it for myself!

Try it!!  Do it at least once or twice a week!  Even if you don't think you look good, try to pretend like you do.  Act like it when you leave the house and are at work or at the gym or at the store or something!  Sometimes confidence by itself can make you more attractive to other people, and some of them may see it and want whatever it is they think you have in your life.  As for you, you may even go out and have a better day and feel better about yourself  during the day.

On a side note, here are my progress pics from this week.  I'm going to start posting pics at least once a week.  I had my body composition measured this past week.  168 pounds, and 8.7% body fat!! (I had already been exercising for a little while on the day that was measured, so there is a margin of error.)

                                                   From the right!

                                                  From the left! (this is in a mirror)

                                                          Front view

Calves! (No, not baby cows)

For guys who are gym rats, many of us have that one part we want to make bigger.  No, no, get your minds out of the gutter.   I'm talking about that one particular muscle group or a body part that we work and work and work at the gym that never seems to grow or change or progress the way we wish for it to do so.

For some, it's their shoulders; others, arms; many, their chicken legs.  For me, it's all three -- but especially the latter.  Chicken legs... (feel free to make your own clucking noises)

I will admit it.  I am vain sometimes, and often I will stare at myself in mirrors.  Glancing at what's right and very often focusing on what's wrong!  Sometimes I look at pictures of myself and do the same thing.  My eyes instinctively and immediately go to one area that I find unfavorable.

During this little one-year bodybuilding adventure I've decided to take,  it isn't my shoulders or my arms or my pecs or anything above the waist that concerns me (well, maybe abs, but that's a whole other post for later).  Instead, it is my legs.  I have run hundreds and hundreds of miles over the past few years, and walked many, many more.  I ran a half-marathon and a marathon in the space of four months a couple of years ago, and I still walk and run and spin and use my legs like crazy at the gym.  But they always seem to stay the same.  They get toned up, but they never really seem to get bigger.

I was staring at a picture of myself from the other day at a running event where I was standing next to three other runners.  Not only were they all obviously younger than me, I had scarecrow legs compared to theirs.  Maybe Olive Oyl's long-lost brother, whatever you want to call it. 

All this, after I've made it an effort not to be that guy at the gym who only focuses on his upper body and neglects to work on his legs.  Why can't I have those bulging calf muscles? I often ask myself, as I stand on my tiptoes and watch a miniscule gastrocnemius poke out (anatomy chart is below).

While looking at the same photo of the running group (I haven't included it here -- I will protect the innocent bystanders), I also realized that perhaps I should stop wearing tube socks and further subjecting myself to "standing out" in a crowd.

I'm doing legs two times a week now.  Plus, running and teaching a spin class.  Let's see what we can do and where we can go with this over the next year!

Where I'm at right now!  Front view.  I don't have a photographer yet to go behind me.

Where I NEVER want to be.  This is gross, and these abnormally overgrown calves look more like roasted turkey drumsticks than real human legs!

Basic anatomy and terminology, in case you're interested...

                   Oh, and here is a calf, too.  But not the kind I've been talking about. :)

Balance, Balance, Balance... Oh yeah, and Group X and Yogis

I talked all about cardio the other day, so I won't go on and on about that again today.  If you've been reading along so far, you know what I'm doing and what my goal is.

Whether it's varying up workouts to cause muscle confusion ("confusion" leads to the muscles growing and getting bigger), I also like to do other "side things" while I'm at the gym. 

In all my on and off years of haunting gyms from the Deep South to the West Coast, I never committed myself to any group exercise classes until about a year ago.  That was spin/cycling, and here I am a certified spin instructor a year later!  I also go to Les Mills classes on occasion, usually Body Pump, though I've tried Body Attack a couple of times ("Attack" is a GREAT endorphin release!!).

A few months ago, I decided to try yoga.  I had been wanting to try it for years, but for whatever reason or another, I never got around to it.  I was perhaps intimidated, had heard the stories about people who accidentally fart in class (hey, it happens), and was maybe afraid of what would happen if I wasn't "as good" as the "other people" there.  I think seeing yoga illustrations of scorpion poses and thinking that was what you had to master on your first try could have been another factor that kept me away.  Oh, and isn't yoga kind of a "woman thing"?

None of that is true.  Well, except for the farting part, I hear, but so far, I haven't really seen nor heard it for myself.  Oh yeah, and there is a higher percentage of women who do it, but it also has its male practitioners.  I am very proud and unashamed to say I am among them now.  Yes, there are also quite a few other male yogis in Monroe, Louisiana as well.

Your yoga practice is all about you.  It's not a competition with the person next to you; not about doing an eagle pose (one of my favorites, by the way) better than someone else.  It's about you and your own personal journey on the mat.  And it all begins with your breath and your breathing.

I felt such a sense of inner peace and balance after leaving my first class.  It was almost as if I was walking on a cloud.  I started finding ways to arrange my schedule so I could go to at least one class per week.  No, you won't bulk up and look like an Olympic gymnast, but you will notice your body becoming more toned in ways that other methods of working out have failed to make certain changes.  At least I did.  I noticed changes in my abs (they were poking out more) and thorax that I hadn't seen in a long time.  Of course, that was one of the things that kept me going back.

One yoga class a week is still my goal, though sometimes lately, it's only been once every two or three weeks.  It's also an interesting practice to read about.  If you study closely enough, you can also find ways to do your own modified practice at home, when you're really crunched for time and can't make a class.

Yes, women make up the majority of yogis in the western world today, but it all started with men in pre-historic times near and around modern-day India.  Out of that grew many, many forms and practices.  It is all too much to explain here.  There is a ton of information on the internet and in libraries to read about it.

You've probably heard the stories of football players who take ballet to improve their coordination and agility.  Well, allow me to draw a parallel.  As much as I love going to the gym and working out, I usually HATE doing lunges on leg day.  Some days not so much, but there is always that thin line between love and hate.  Doing yoga helped me improve my balance and my flexibility on certain exercises like lunges.

Oh, and did I mention that yoga is good to have in your life if you have a job that sometimes stresses you out.  It's also a great practice for those of us who have trouble shutting off all the daily crap that clutters our brains.

Anyway, as the weekend wraps up, I did legs yesterday, and "crazy arms" today.  My legs and my arms are a big target of my "bulking" strategy, so I'm working hard to try and make them bigger.  They've been bigger in years past, but they always deflate very easily when I'm not working out as often as I should be. 

"Crazy Arms" is what I've nicknamed a circuit arm training I lifted off the MusclePharm page.  On top of my other workouts, I cycle this one in every eight days.  It is a doozy, and I will leave an illustration of it below (snapped off a computer screen--my apologies for the fuzzy resolution). 

I always try to make sure I've had a "leg" or a "run day" and not anything upper body/arms the day before "crazy arms."  I challenge you to try it out and see if your arms don't feel like Jell-O by the time it's over!

A Lack of Willpower, Or Are There Too Many Choices?

I did shoulders today, HARD, and I can barely type right now.  Oh my gosh, ARNOLD PRESSES ARE A BITCH AND A HALF!!!  If you are trying to get bigger and bulk up, I highly recommend that you "like" MusclePharm's page on Facebook.  New workouts are posted there several times a week, and they aren't for the faint of heart.  I photo-grab them on my phone all the time and off to the gym I go!

That being said, I was doing my usual "reading around" on the web yesterday and saw that the soda/sugary drink restriction proposal passed in New York City yesterday, banning drinks 16 ounces or larger in fast-food restaurants, theaters, and other eateries (it doesn't apply to convenience or grocery stores).  Of course, many New Yorkers call this a gross government intrusion and say it isn't fair.  I actually have to wonder if those who object to the new rules are perhaps right.

I usually solve the dilemma by skipping the soda and having a nice bottle or glass of WATER instead (no restriction on size there either), but I won't get on a soapbox about that.  At least not today anyway.

Does anyone need that huge Big Gulp from 7-Eleven?  Of course not!  But should we be the ones taking the responsibility for our own welfare instead of having the government do it for us?  Hmmm.  In this day of all-you-can-eat buffets, fast-food joints on every corner, and all-you-can-drink specials out at the bars and clubs on the weekends, there is a lot of potential out there for turning one into a glutton.

One day my Mom was talking about how tasty Coca-Cola used to be, back in the days when it was in the glass bottles.  Then she continued on about plastic bottles, how the taste wasn't the same, and how hard-pressed it is to find a soda bottle smaller than 20 ounces anymore.  The old Coke bottles, I believe, were 8 or 10 ounces, so naturally our conversation moved to portion sizes of drinks and food and how they are out of control now.

Who is to blame for that? Greedy vendors and manufacturers?  Or the wide-eyed consumers, who buy them and eat/drink up and soon don't fit into their clothes anymore?  More importantly, why can't we say NO sometimes and cut some of our portion sizes in half?

I had an occasional "cheat night" on Fridays where I would hit the Taco Bell drive-thru on Fridays after work and get a little "something something" to take home and sit with in front of the TV.  Of course, that has ended, since seeing "some" abs again has kept me on the straight and narrow lately. 

I always ask myself what MusclePharm co-founder Cory Gregory or "Amer the Hammer"  (@muslepharmpres and @amerthehammer on twitter, respectively -- OR you can also look them up on Facebook!) would do. :)

 

Grocery shopping and Low-Fat vs. Nonfat

Has anyone ever eaten fat-free cheese?  It tastes like rubber, and it's like that distant relative who came to visit after your favorite cousin moved away.  You think it will fill the gap that the real thing left behind, but instead it comes up short and leaves you disappointed.  I say if you're trying to cut calories and fat, go with low-fat, or even the real thing in smaller portions.  It's really all about portion control anyway.

Whenever I go to the store, I pick up low-fat instead of fat-free, when it comes to dairy products (except Greek yogurt--the brand I buy just happens to be fat-free).  I used to buy nonfat milk, but now I go with 1% or 2% after seeing an interesting segment on Dr. Oz's show and doing my own reading on the subject.

When all of the fat is removed from milk, all its fat-soluble vitamins go with it.  That's why it says Vitamin A- and D-fortified or "added" on those jugs.  There is a process used where the vitamins have to be put back into the milk.  Dr. Oz compared nonfat milk to "sugar water" on his show.  I don't consider him the 'be-all end-all,' so I found other articles online that basically say the same thing.

So 1% or 2% on the milk.  Stay away from whole milk!  Whole milk is high in fat content as well as bad cholesterol!

Back to Greek yogurt:  Since I'm trying to pack on mass, I've begun eating it.  It's low in fat, calories, and loaded with protein.  I also find it tasty.  Some brands are more expensive than others.  I buy the Nostimo brand at Brookshires for only about $1.05 per six-ounce container.  I like it, and you'll pay less than for Oikos and some of the other brands.  Despite all the talk, eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank.

One more thing about Greek yogurt, before I move on.  The plain stuff tastes surprisingly similar to sour cream.  That makes it a great substitute for sour cream on a baked potato.  Oh yeah, when it comes to baked potatoes, I bake sweet potatoes, but that's another post! :)

Your mama always told you to eat your vegetables.  Shopping for produce is also very important, when it comes to balancing your food choices out.  Where you buy your vegetables or produce is equally important.  Sometimes paying just a little bit more is worth it.  After a truly disgusting experience, there is one big-name grocery retailer where I absolutely stay away from the produce aisle (rhymes with Call Smart).  There are times when it's safer to stick your hand in the fire twice with an ex rather than give a product a second chance after a bad shopping experience.

I buy a lot of chicken and salmon at the store, and occasionally red meat.  I still haven't mastered the whole thing about which days are best for good deals on meat and all of that stuff.  Feel free to educate me and offer your own suggestions.  For someone who's single 98% of the time, my shopping skills aren't always up to par, and what little I have learned has taken time and a lot of trial and error.

I've talked about backing down from breads, pastas, and other bad carbs in previous posts.  I also gave up white rice, too.  (Except on cheat days when I'm at someone's house eating jambalaya or gumbo--you can't not have white rice in those, sorry, it is Louisiana, people.)  Brown rice is an acquired taste, but it's full of the nutritional qualities missing from white rice. 

All rice begins the same way.  Have you ever read about the process of turning brown rice to white rice?  Google it sometime.

Usually on Sunday night or on Monday morning after the gym, I make a 1/2 cup of brown rice, bake a pack of chicken breast tenderloins and chop up an onion.  I then throw the onion and some mushrooms into the rice when it's almost cooked.  After the chicken is done baking, I dice it up into small pieces.  This usually makes up to four meals I can take to work for lunch and spread out for four days during the week.  It saves a ton of money over time that would otherwise be spent on eating out. 

There is a can of Tony Chachere's in our break room at work that I sprinkle in to add a little flavor at lunchtime.  Tony's is packed with sodium, though, so I suggest using it sparingly.

I eat ridiculously healthy, especially now that the "Kurt 3.0" project is underway.  Also, as a spin instructor and an (almost) certified personal trainer, I feel like I have to lead by example.  I give myself a "cheat day" once every week or two where I indulge in something really good.  My "cheat day" is usually a Saturday or a Sunday.  Going to work during the week actually makes it easier for me to eat the way that I do.

Below is a rundown of basically what I eat every day, throughout the day at work.  I explained breakfast time in a previous post.  Here are my other "meals" broken down during the afternoon/evening.  I eat something every two to three hours in small portions.

The brown rice and chicken with the onions and mushrooms is the big meal around 7 P.M.  Leading up to that during the course of the day, I have a bag of carrot sticks, a handful of raw almonds (RAW--not roasted or salted!), another small portion of oatmeal (I include a small scoop of MusclePharm Combat powder to mix in), and a six-ounce container of the Greek yogurt mentioned above.

As I try to bulk up, there may be more added to that list along the way.

All the Damn Cardio!

Anyone who likes to run will tell you that it gets addictive.  If they say no, then they're like that alcoholic or junkie who's happily enjoying their drug of choice and remaining in denial.  Keep a runner indoors on a couple of rainy days, and we're climbing the walls and getting a lot fidgety.

Unlike with alcohol or drugs, many of us runners enjoy a "healthy" addiction -- even if we tend to lose too much weight and sometimes carry it so far that we get sidelined for a little while with an injury.

During my early adult life, I had periods of going to the gym, and then a few lapses along the way.  "Kurt 1.0" was too busy doing "other things" (think Miller Lite, lots of vodka tonics, and a pack-or-more of Marlboro menthols per day) instead of taking care of his body.  When I did work out, 20 minutes of the elliptical or the stairclimber after weights was my only cardio.

After getting sober in 2007, I began focusing on physical activity more, and during 2009-2010, I started running.  I had jogged off and on at times in previous years, but never anything long distance.  It all began with me getting ready for a 5k, and then grew into a whole other monster.  Instead of 3.1 miles, I was soon going for runs that lasted four or five miles. The mileage continued growing.  I signed up for a half-marathon.  I woke up an hour or more earlier every day and would go for my run (which itself was turning into an hour or longer) before showering and getting ready for work.  I was about 20-25 pounds overweight during the first part of '09, and all of this running made me drop all of that extra poundage and then about 20-25 pounds more that I did not need to lose very fast!!

I ran the half-marathon, and that still wasn't enough for me.  I NEEDED MORE!!  I signed up for a marathon that was to take place four months after the half.  I got busy training for the next race.  People were making comments about the stick figure I was transforming into (the half-marathon pic from February 2010 is posted below), and a couple of people who hadn't seen me in a while audibly gasped and asked if I was "feeling well." 

My weight, which is normally at a healthy range in the 170's now, was down in the 150's.  People kept telling me to eat, and I was.  Everything in sight!  But running 10-12 miles each day will burn up everything you put into your body.  You still burn calories and fat while you sleep! 

I enjoy running, am very passionate about it, and will never give it up.  But thanks to being away from southern California and back in the Louisiana weather, I don't go past five or six miles these days, and the treadmill is just so boring in the summertime.  I usually turn it off after about 30 minutes and/or three or four miles.  I'm very excited because I joined a running group this weekend and will get the opportunity to meet more cool people. (Newks in Monroe, 6:30 P.M. on Sundays-- COME OUT!)

The rest of my cardio comes from teaching spin class and taking spin from the other cycling instructors at my gym.  Which brings me to my point finally (yes, I know) -- it is hard to gain weight and bulk up when you are a cardio junkie, as I am.  When I started the blog and decided to become a "late-in-life faux bodybuilder" for a year, a couple of people told me, "You're going to have to cut back on the cardio if you think you can actually do this."  One friend told me that just yesterday. 

Running is a love of mine that has developed over the past three or so years and won't ever go away.  No matter how hard I try to gain weight, I can't let go of the run.  I also love teaching my regular spin class on Tuesdays (and whenever else I'm needed as a sub), and taking it a couple of other times during the week with the other instructors.

My goal right now is to work hard in the weight room and put on weight -- and still enjoy my cardio time.  I have to find the right balance!  Wish me luck.

Thankfully, I have a few more pounds to work with today than I did with this puny little 158 lb. frame from back in 2010.

The Alcide Effect: Why Most of Us Will Never Look Like Him (and that's okay!)

Nearly everyone who incorporates the gym/exercise/working out into their lives devotes a small fraction of their day toward it.  That small fraction of time usually revolves around whatever you can do before or after work.  The career is what brings money into the household, and even housewives who go the gym can't spend hours on end there.  They have domestic responsibilities and other demands on their time.

Many of these same people see their favorite celebrities with their "perfect bodies" (I'll get to this again a little later) in magazines and on entertainment news programs and then try to copy their diets and workout routines.  They think doing so will magically make them look like that person.

I am guilty of this.  I see someone who's looking really good, and I go to my favorite "stand by" (google) to see what articles and other information I can find about the person-in-question's diet and workout.  I'm not sure if a lot of people do this, or if my eleven years in southern California made this second nature for me.  Hmmm...

About a year ago I tried the "Spartacus Workout" for a few weeks because part of me wished it would transform me into one of the guys on the Starz show (any one of them would have worked!).  The logical part of me knew that probably wouldn't happen, but that I would gain strength and flexibility (imporant!).  The Spartacus Workout is circuit-based, and is a very effective one used by the actors on the show.  I've been meaning to get back to that one on occasion.

I also tried the "Jason Stackhouse Workout" a while back but hurt my knee when I fell over while trying to do a headstand (it was very ugly and thankfully no one was watching). 

Apparently Ryan Kwanten does headstand pushups while working out.  Well, aren't we happy for him.

While we're on the subject of True Blood, (ohmanIcouldwritealldayaboutthatshowbutwe'llsticktotopichere),  we can't neglect Joe Manganiello, AKA Alcide Herveaux, the current sweetheart of the show's female and gay fan base (I'm probably being conservative if I say that only makes up two-thirds of the show's demographic).

You don't have to be a True Blood fan to know who Joe M. is.  Unless you live in a cave or the Amish community, chances are you've seen pictures of him around.  I decided a while ago that I would google his diet and workout routine, and naturally, a ton of articles popped up.

I'll save you a little homework.  Joe goes to the gym twice a day.  He does cardio for 45 minutes in the morning before eating anything.  I've never understood how someone can do intense cardio activity like biking or running on an empty stomach.  If you do, please feel free to educate me.  I'm always a student in the world of fitness.

Back to Joe!  He, of course, eats a very strict diet.  I don't remember all the details, but I do recall a lot of protein.  He does weights later in the day around evening time.

The difference between Joe and you and I or (insert name of any hot-bodied female star) and my women readers is that these celebs are PAID to look like they do.  We are not.  We don't have time to go to the gym twice a day.  Most of us have our eight-hour workday, plus our workout.  And because of work and a long day and precious time doing other household errands, taking care of the kids, etc., our exercise time suffers.  Oh, and most of us don't eat clean diets.  That's because our livelihoods don't depend on it.

So guys, the next time you pick up a muscle mag with a super-pumped guy on the cover or see a pic of "Alcide" online, remember, it's their job.  Actors work long hours, but they also get plenty of downtime.  Oh yeah, they also get airbrushing.  I forgot about that part.

Ladies, same thing with Jennifer or Jessica or whoever else's perfection has you in a tizzy.

Just remember taking the time to take proper care of our bodies is important because we only get one, but it's also what's on the inside that counts!  There is nothing more unattractive that someone who's hot on the outside but ugly on the inside.

This brings us to photo time!  Guess which one of these photos probably wasn't touched up?  And--based on facial expressions, guess which one appears to have just woken up?  If anyone can figure out how to make mine look good, please feel free to lift it and send the modified version back to me!!

Friday After Party

Before I go into all the post-workout stuff, let me add that it is very important to take a multi-vitamin and something for your joints if you are working out or engaging in any kind of strenuous physical or cardiovascular activity!  I take One-A-Day Men's and Glucosamine Chondrotin with MSM for my joints (something I started when I was marathon training a couple of years ago).  I've heard arguments for and against multi-vitamins, which ones are best, which ones are bunk and blah blah blah...

My own personal opinion (keep in mind I'm not a physician and have never played one on TV either--haha) is that a multi-vitamin is only effective based on the individual and their metabolic rate.

Today I did a one-mile warm up, running on the treadmill, did back and biceps for about an hour and then ran for two more miles on the treadmill (it's hot outside) and then did abs for ten minutes before leaving the gym.  I always save abs for last.  I used to do it first, or last right before cardio, but started waiting and doing it very last, around the time I gave up bread and pasta (bad carbs! bad carbs!).

Post-workout, I take a scoop of creatine monohydrate (GNC Brand).  This is the LAST store-bought item in my cabinet.  I've had it forever, and it still hasn't run out.  I've learned that ordering supplements online (I recommend bodybuilding.com) is much easier and cost effective than going to a nutrition store.  Going to a store is time consuming, and in the end, you will spend way too much money.  I won't name names, but my Monroe peeps know which businesses charge out the wazoo around here.

The creatine I use is just the bland white powder.  I mix it with water and drink it fast and get it over with.  I may actually replace this product with another brand after I'm done with the cannister.  I'll have to research it.

Oh yes, the stereotypical raw egg drinking... I'm afraid to say I DO go there.  I usually crack three eggs, only drink the whites and throw the yolks down the garbage disposal.   I also have a scoop of Amino-X, the red container in the photo below.  It's a recovery agent that you can drink after a workout, or at leisure during the day, depending on your schedule.  I've tried both the green apple and fruit punch flavors.  Neither is too bad, but I prefer green apple.

I've tried different kinds of whey protein and other protein powders over the years and even in the past year.  I must say I LOVE MusclePharm Combat.  I know I keep touting MusclePharm, but I've felt results and liked all the products of theirs I've tried, and they do have a mostly-solid reputation among the online gym crowd.  Again, you will pay a lot at the store for MusclePharm products, so I urge you to order them online.  You will save money.  It is all about saving money anytime you order things online!!  The only two things I will probably never order online are pants and shoes.

Let's Get This Party Started!

Yay, it's Friday!  I slept in today because I had a venti Pike from Starbucks (my other addiction) last night at work around 7:30 and could NOT go to sleep until well after 2 A.M.

My day and breakfast before I work out starts very standard.  At least an hour before the gym, I have a bowl of oatmeal (plain oats from a round cannister--good carbs), with a scoop of peanut butter (protein), and a banana.  Sometimes I throw in blackberries, raspberries and/or blueberries, but as of yesterday, I've decided to use the berries as a post-workout snack.  BUT -- I'll get to post-workout later today...

I used to eat a bagel before the gym, especially if I was going to spin class or would be running.  I would smear on peanut butter and fig preserves.  I stopped doing that about three months ago and have seen a huge difference!  Huge difference being a FLATTER, harder stomach!  Unless I'm rnning 12 miles, I don't eat bagels anymore.  In fact, I gave up all bread about three months ago, though I'll occasionally allow myself to have a piece on a "cheat day."

As I mentioned above, I LOOOVE my coffee.  I try to limit my caffeine intake to only one or no more than two cups.  The reason for that is Assault from MusclePharm!

I've been taking Assault 30 minutes before my workout for more than a month now.  It's a pre-workout supplement that helps with endurance and for increasing the intensity!  I've noticed a change in the way I workout since starting it.  I follow the company and its owner on twitter and read independent, outside reviews on the MusclePharm products before I started taking them.  There were some mixed reviews on some sites, but I highly recommend Assault, and the Combat protein powder, but I'll get to the Combat in the post-workout entry later on.

Prologue

Kurt 1.0 was born on July 30, 1975 and died a drunken, disorderly mess in an alley behind a bar in San Diego in the early-morning hours of August 28, 2007. The point of the "Kurt 3.0" blog won't be to offer old drinking tales. I just explained all you need to know about that.

From the ashes emerged Kurt 2.0, a new sober being who had to learn to cope, love, win, lose, lose a few times again, balance a checkbook and accept the joys and the pitfalls of life without the bottle as a coping mechanism. Much of this came from a tried, true and well-known 12 step program I won't be discussing here.

Kurt 3.0 is now rising from the growth, success and failures of 2.0. When I fail, I get back up and start over. I don't cower in the corner and allow fear to control me.

Kurt 2.0 rediscovered the joys of exercise, the gym and physical activity. I trained for and ran a half-marathon and a marathon. I walked away from an unhappy situation in southern California and returned to my roots in Louisiana. I sat in front of a studio camera and anchored newscasts on the very television station I grew up watching. I'm a producer by trade though, and my days as a fill-in news anchor are over--at my own choosing. I joined the best gym in the Ark-La-Miss region (I'm biased). I received a certification to teach spin class. I am now certified as a personal trainer, once I have a CPR card.

Life is good. Life is about living.

Which brings me to Kurt 3.0 and my "biggest" goal that I will perform and record here. What happens when a former fat kid who's now too skinny on certain days decides at age 30something to "become a bodybuilder" for the next year?

Too late? Too old?

Hey, I won't be competing in any shows. Hmmm, I don't think so anyway. I'm just doing this to (first and foremost) better myself -- and prove it can be done.

For the next 365 days I'm going to bulk up through a lot of hard work, nutrition, SAFE and well-researched and LEGAL supplements (steroids are drugs, keep in mind, I'm Mr. Sober), and hopefully positive thoughts and vibes from those of you who follow the blog!

It won't be as dry as the "prologue," guys and gals. I'll be posting my workouts, what I'm eating, how I'm sleeping -- and probably more pictures of me and my transformation than you care to see!

LOL I'll start with this pic from yesterday. Besides getting bigger, one of my other goals is to turn the "four-pack" into a SIX PACK! Wish me luck, and here we go!