The road back to fitness

[Gibsorz]

 I figured I would start with an introduction. I just found this site and it speaks my language.

 

Current stats 5'9, 188 (down 11 from a month ago), M, 30

 

Fitness has always been a fickle bitch for me. In my late teens, early 20s, it just happened. When I was 16 I spent a summer yanking rocks from Farmers fields, 17 laying bricks with my grandfather, and 8 months after turning 18 I joined the infantry corps. Once there, my endurance was amazing. I could go for days, because army training is made to turn the overweight into lean fighting machines. But I was 150 lbs soaking wet, probably with all my gear on. I had a side gig as a certified personal trainer. Then when I was 22, I left the army for a 6 month job training. I This training included fitness classes, as well as a log book to be kept requiring 5 workouts a week. Here I was able to customize my training regimen and over the 6 months, with my army experience and knowledge from being a trainer, I managed to slap on 25 lbs of muscle, without increasing my body fat % (this was all measured and tracked), despite an ankle injury during a kickboxing match, that reduced my ability to do cardio for 3 months. This is when I became friends with HIIT. 

 

When I was done all that, I thought I was golden. You would think fitness would be a habit by then. But no. I got into rock climbing for about 8 months. Indoor/outdoor lead climbing. Well I took a fall with my protection run out before making the next clip and thought I was going to hit the deck. I did the only thing I thought I could in a free fall with no time until a met the flat Rock below. I tried to catch myself, or well, I caught myself, on a jug. When I got back down, my entire right side of my back seized, had some other soft tissue injuries and I could barely breath for a couple weeks.

 

Having never been in charge of my own fitness before (it was always mandated), and needing to be physically capable of doing my job, I justified not returning to climbing. I have the nagging ankle injury, and my knees/hips have issues from the military, so I justified not running. I was full of excuses and I didn't pick up the weights again. 

 

That was 7 years ago now. I turned 30, was pushing 200 lbs and had a typical dad bod. A month ago to the day, I decided to make a change. I cleaned up my eating habits. I guess I'm low carb now, but I'm not going keto, at least ketosis isn't a goal. I nixed grains and starches completely from my plate, cold turkey. Today was my first bread product in a month, because I had a social gathering.

 

So I'm down 10 pounds in a month, my sleep is better, my energy levels are constant throughout the day so. It is time to start recomposing my body.

 

My long term defined goals are as follows

1.5 mile run - 9 minutes

100kg 1RM Bench

135kg 1RM squat

Bodyweight continuous -

20 pull ups

50 pushups

70 sit ups

 

This has all been achieved in the past except the pushups. They are the bain of my existence. My goal is to achieve this within 18 months.

 

Right now I sit at 6 pullups, 12 pushups and about 30 situps. 1.5 miles in 14 minutes and I have not tested my Squat or Bench max. 

 

My short term goals

- Get back down to 175 lbs (it was my heaviest 'fit' weight).

- Keep my food intake clean, with no more than 1 off meal a week.

- Don't skip a workout.

 

Right now my main focus is building the self driven habits. My biggest struggle. I've introduced StrongLifts for my workouts, because 5x5 is what got me my strength last time. I started from the beginning. Empty bar, so I don't want to set a lift goal for by the end of the summer. If I put my mind to it, and buckle down on each workout, I'll make gains. I have beginner gains and muscle memory working in my favour.

 

TL:DR

 

I'm back. Pick things up, put them down.

 

 

 

[porkkchop]

Hey, just came across this after you’d written something on one of my logs. 

 

I can deifnitely relate to the feeling of falling out of fitness even though I’ve more recently done it in a far lesser way. 

 

That sounds like a pretty crazy climbing injury, and while that’s pretty awful it’s good to know you’ve come out the other end okay. 

 

Great tangible goals, so it’d be great to see how things go for you because it seems like you’re really serious and are on the path to success!!

[Mortimer]

Well the last time I fell off the bouldering wall I landed wrongly and ended up hopping for a few days, so I'm not too surprised at what you can pick up while rock climbing. 

 

*Oggles admiringly at the pull ups* Oh my, I wish I could do them! 

[Gibsorz]

Thanks all, the climbing injury sucked. It was more of scare than anything else. Kept me from work for a couple weeks, but wasn't anything major. Climbing was my last form of fitness (it was good enough to keep me In shape, I was doing it 4 times a week) that I was doing, and when I didn't go back to that after the injury, and was scared to be active, because I was required to be physically capable for work, it was a long road down hill.

 

Mortimer, re the pullups, my back is my strongest muscle group for some reason. It responds well to exercise, and generally is good. Probably why I loved climbing so much. So pull ups come natural to me. Every single pushup in life is a struggle though. I don't know what is up with that. 

[Luminous Kells]

Wow, Gibsorz,  you obviously have a very solid foundation of discipline and hard work; your post kind of glows with it.  You've had a great first month already.  Your clear goals, your unbiased assessment of your current conditions, a month of solid gains ---  you are definitely setting yourself up for success.     Welcome to the Rebellion!