Day 4: HELP!!! I've worked out and I can't get up!!!

Remember my little diatribe about not easing into it?? Well, today I was given a very firm reminder what intense weight lifting is all about...PAIN. I really dont mind though, exept for not being able to push the sheets off this morning.

Charged ahead inspite of the pain today none the less. I've always had a good deal of quadraceps strength and i've always enjoyed pushing massive amounts of weight with my legs so that part of my LBW went very well. My hamstrings on the other hand...I've always been prone to excruciating cramps back there, so i need to approach this muscle group with some caution, being my first day back and all. I tell you the truth, i did ease into this one. Its one thing to not be able to wash your hair or put on a shirt, but its quite another to not be able to walk or get up out of a chair. I got through my first set with little to no discomfort and I figured i'd be good. WRONG! 2 reps into my second set, i felt that charley horse coming at me like a loaded freight train. I just managed to get out of the way, but not before I got clipped. I got the leg straightend out, got off the bench and walked it off....but what now?

My daddy always told me "Have a plan, any plan, just have a plan, then be ready to change your plan". It was his way of telling me to have a backup plan when the unexpected happens. Me, i'm very stringent and structured, and little deviations really get me off balance and out of rhythm. I don't like not doing what i had planned on doing because in my mind i had already worked the whole thing through, visualized it from start to finish, But there was no choice in this one. I walked over to the barbell rack, worked through a set of straight leg dead lifts to get them hammys stretched and walked it off. i eventually went back to the torture rack (lying leg curl) and worked another light set.

I had to make a choice, be bull headed and work compromised in pain and risk possible injury, or be sensible and recognize that day's limitations. I opted for the latter. I'd much rather back off for one day so that I can give 100% another, than to sacrifice my future performance for one day's worth of macho glory.

So, I had one minor set back for one day. Big Deal. I made up for it by KILLING my ab rioutine. Take that.

Lower Body Workout

Quads:

Leg extensions

Leg press

Hamstrings:

Lying leg curls

Straight leg barbell dead lift

Calves:

Seated calf press

Calf press (leg press rack)

Abs: (tweaked. if you're a beginner, stick to the book. really. Remember KISS?) I really don't find the ab routine by the book sufficient for me so for the first two weeks (until my abs reacclimate to abuse) i do 2 sets of as many reps as i can before it starts to burn really bad or my form is compromized due to muscle fatigue, with no rest between exercizes. i plug abs in with cardio three days a week. after the first two weeks, i'll add a few reps to each set, then start adding exercizes to the set until i've got all 10 floor based movements worked in. at 8 weeks i'll change to more hanging and weighted movements)

Std. crunch

Oblique crunch (right and left)

Leg lift

Day 4 Nutrition

Meal 1 6:50

zone bar, thermo, 2flax, 2 CLA

Meal 2 9:30

myoplex

Meal 3 12:00

1 can tuna, 2 slices whole wheat berad, 1/2 avocado, 1 tbsp red. fat mayo, 1 slice fat free chz.

2 flax, 2 cla

Meal 4 3:30

myoplex, thermo

4:30 muscle armor

Meal 5 7:15

chicken breast, 1 egg, 1 egg white, mushroom, onion, bell pepper, 1 potato fried in 1 tbsp safflower oil, 1/2 avocado, 2 flax, 2 CLA, muscle armor

Meal 6 10:00

1 cup lo-fat cottage cheese, 1 yoplait fat free yogurt.

The 5 P's Part 2

I cant tell you just how much preparation plays a vital role in the success of your BFL journey. I learned after a few fizzled attempts that without a game plan, i was destined to fail. Not because I'm a failure, or even failure prone, but because in our busy lives it is just easy to get distracted or find ourselves without the tools necessary for success....preparation.

Today, we'll discuss planing and preparing nutrition. The first step is to read and memorize the nutrition section of the book. Why is it so important? Although exercise is a huge component of the Body for Life-style, it is nutrition that enables the body to do what it has to do to build muscle, shed fat, re-energize, and become a high efficiency performance machine. If you dont give your body what it needs when it needs it, you will feel off balance, unmotivated, sluggish, tired, and a whole host of other things that dampen success.

Myself, i took about three weeks of lead time after making the decision to transform my life and buying the book before i took one step into the gym. Instead of diving in without knowing what was in there, I took a week or two to learn how to shop, cook and eat properly so that i would be over the initial shock, and could hit the ground running. I pored over the food lists and picked out the things i like, looked at some of the recipies, scoured the BFL website for information, and took notes, made lists, and made a plan.

Preparing for success is as simple as what you would normally do in your everyday life. You need groceries, you make a list, you visit the store. Simple. Its the same here. Take the time on a Saturday to sit down and map out every meal for 6 days (including supplements). Once you have your meals planned, figure what ingredients you'll need to successfully prepare healthy, delicious food to fuel your efforts.

Once you've got everything together, take some time to pre-cook anything you can. I usually grill or bake a package of chicken breast, make a big pot of brown rice, keep plenty of frozen and canned (no salt added) vegetables so that i can whip up a meal in about 5 minutes. I like to make a couple bowls of quick chicken soup and stick it in the fridge so i can pop it in the micro and BAM...quickie lunch. I like to keep a couple of tubs of low fat cottage cheese and fat free yogurt on hand for quick breakfasts or snacks. I keep a handful of nutrition bars on hand to save me in a pinch, like when i'm on the road, at a seminar, or running late. I always keep a package of ready to drink meal replacement shakes in the fridge for the same purpose.

Nutrition tip for beginners:

Follow the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid) in the first week or two.

Don't try to wow yourself with extravagant recipies from the get-go. Even if it means a little boredom, you might even want to repeat some meals for the sake of ease. Concentrate on learning HOW to eat for life, then once you have a firm grasp on the routine, feel free to stretch your culinary legs a little bit.

By mapping out (preparation, planning ahead) every step, you'll find your nutrition plan more organized and easier to execute. and you haven't even lifted a weight yet. If you learn to discipline yourself early on, in time it will become like second nature and you wont even need to think. It becomes a way of life just like buying chips, soda, junk food and fast food was. You never thought twice about buying that stuff, and it was killing you. Take a minute or two to organize and set up a nutrition game plan to ensure success daily.

Proper Preparation Prevents Possible Problems

Quick Chicken Soup Recipie

1 can (14 oz) Swanson Italian seasoned or Garlic flavor Chicken broth

1 Portion grilled or baked chicken breast

1 Portion potato (baked or microwaved), cooked barley, or egg noodles

1 Portion fresh or frozen veggies

Seasoning (I use garlic powder, seasoned salt (or mrs. dash table blend) chili powder and a dash of louisiana hot sauce.) your tastes may vary so experiment away.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, heat till almost boiling, reduce heat, simmer two minutes.