My Fitness Journey, Part One: Background and Workouts
While this blog is dedicated to health and fitness across history, I'm often asked about my own fitness journey, especially since I don't look like the stereotypical "bookish" type (whatever that is). The following is a bit of background on my personal journey, with basic overviews of my current routine. This is not an advice column, but simply a very brief summary of what has worked for me. It may or may not be what is right for you.
Some Background:
As of this post, I'm forty-eight years old, leaner, fitter than at any time in my life, often mistaken for someone in their early to mid-thirties. To be fair, I use lots of face moisturiser, and my hair colour comes in a box! 😄Those who've only known me for the past few years are shocked to learn I've struggled with weight my entire life. Like most people, I did not go on one fitness journey, but many. I've done the "fat-to-fit-to-fat" roller coaster so many times. I'd kept fit while in the Army, even earning my Master Fitness Badge and serving as the Physical Fitness NCO of my unit. Yet excess bodyfat always plagued me.
So, what finally changed? Since retiring from the Army Guard in 2014, I'd slowly ballooned over several years. By 2019, I was around 280 pounds ... and to be fair, that's only a guess. I honestly think it was higher! Oh, and I'm only 5'8". My self-esteem was in gutter. My wife, Tracy, was worried about my health. She's always been very fit. We used to hike, workout, and even ran a few races together. At 5'10", with very long legs, she was hard to keep up with! Sadly, the last time we raced together was in 2016. My weight was already increasing, and I really struggled. By our niece's wedding in summer of 2019, I was so fat, I couldn't wear any of my suits (I have four, plus a Victorian Era tailcoat!). I had to get 47" waist slacks, and a simple button-down shirt. While no one judged me, I was thoroughly ashamed. Thing is, I knew better! I'd been a Master Fitness Trainer, had competed for several years in both Spartan Race and triathlons. I knew what it was like to be fit! I'd simply let myself go and had only myself to blame.
What finally did it was, the day after the wedding, we were at Tracy's brother's, who has a nice pool. As I explained to friends later, "I nearly ruptured an old Achilles injury by simply diving into a pool while fat!" Eight weeks of rehab to sort that out! I told Tracy I'd had enough. As soon as we got home, I dusted off the food scale, dug out the measuring cups, and went to work. When it came to exercise (again, I knew what needed to be done), I kept fretting about things and what I should do. She gave me the simplest and best advice, "Do what you love!" Well, I love road cycling and weight lifting!
At the Washougal Spartan, August 2013. Even in peak form, I was around 225 pounds and devoid of the leanness I have now
Cardio for Calorie Burn:
I constantly get asked, "What workouts should I do to lose weight?" thinking I'll bring up some kind of lifting / crazy HIIT workout. My response (especially for novices or those seriously overweight and out of shape), "Go for a walk." Lifting weights, while crucial for building and maintaining muscle, does not burn many calories. Most calorie-burn estimates on fitness apps are way off, but this is especially true when it comes to lifting weights. If I do a really intense workout for about an hour, I'll burn a little over 200 calories. Part of the reason is because a weight workout is in short bursts, with most of the actual time spent recovering. I can burn about the same number of calories going for an hour walk at a moderate to brisk pace.
According to the American Heart Association, we need around 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every week to maintain good heart health. Understand, that is the minimum baseline, and pretty easy to achieve. Going for a 30-minute walk five times a week is great for beginners. My own cardio is mostly spent on a road bicycle. I enjoy it. It's low impact. It gets me out of the house. And it burns a lot of calories! In an hour of hard cycling, I can burn around 800 calories, four times what I do in a weight workout. Actual riding times vary between 45 and 90 minutes, sometimes two+ hours when I'm feeling extra motivated and only doing cardio that day.
I also enjoy hikes in the Boise foothills, which I'll usually do a couple times a month during the summer. These average around two to two-and-a-half hours, six to eight miles.
UPDATE: As of winter 2023 / 2024, I've started doing spin classes at the gym. I enjoy these much better than trying to do stationary cycling at home. They're a lot of fun, I get to be around people, and it's a much easier way to knock out an hour of hard cardio!
Body Pump for Muscular Endurance:
One of my favourite workouts over the past seven or so years has become Body Pump. An intense, one-hour session that hits all muscle groups, it's fantastic for muscular and cardiovascular endurance. I go Tuesday and Thursday evenings, plus Sunday mornings at Axiom Fitness in Boise. When Tracy first took me with her, she said, "Check your ego at the door!" Maximum weight, between the bar and three heavy plates on each side, is 77 pounds. Doesn't sound like a lot, until you realise each block you're going constantly for five minutes without stopping! I only do the heaviest weight on the squat, chest, and sometimes back track, and that took years to build up! During the workout, you'll hit: Warmup, Squats, Chest, Back, Triceps, Biceps, Lunges, Shoulders, Core, Cooldown. I always used to say that Body Pump was great for maintaining muscle, yet I gain a half inch on my arms during the past year of doing nothing but Body Pump for my lifting. Below is a short video on what Body Pump is.
Weight Lifting for Building Muscle:
I built up a lot of muscle over the years, which is easy to maintain just in doing Body Pump. While that is all I'm currently doing, below is a typical weight program when I'm doing regular weight lifting.
I lift heavy weights simply because I enjoy it. I should also caveat that "heavy" is a relative term. People often assume I'm lifting gargantuan amounts of weight for low repetitions. At one time, I did. My all-time best on the bench press was 425 lbs. I've dead-lifted over 500 lbs, and squatted close to 600. I don't do any of that now. Firstly, because it hurts too damn much! Since I'm not a competitive power-lifter, there is no reason for me to sling heavy weights, especially with the risks of serious injury. Instead, I focus on time-under-tension and control. If, like me, you're lifting for aesthetics, you can build more muscular size by keeping to a moderate weight, between 12 to 20 reps, while pushing close to failure. That last part is key. If your goal is 20 reps and you get there, don't just stop if you still have plenty left in the tank. Keep going until you're close to failure, then add weight. My typical workout sets are:
1x Warmup Set (20 to 30 reps) - Warming up the muscles, still keeping good form. Don't just "sling" the weights! You don't have to push to failure, but make sure the muscles are working. Also, don't be afraid to do more than one warmup set if needed. I sometimes do this with shoulder presses.
1x Rampup Set (20ish reps) - More weight, but still manageable. In essence another warmup set, just heavier. Don't have to push entirely to failure, but good to let the body know it's time to work!
3x Work Sets - Here's where the fun begins. I keep to a 12 to 15 rep range on working sets, pushing close to failure, or until my form starts to slack. If I can't get at least 12 reps, I'll go down in weight next set. And if I hit 20 or over, I'll increase weight.
Jonni Shreve, a Canadian IFBB pro bodybuilder and overall fitness expert, has some great videos that better explain ideal set and rep ranges.
Even accounting for rest between sets, usually around two minutes, my total workouts take maybe an hour. You don't need to spend hours and hours in the gym to build muscle. Quality over quantity of time spent.
My Past Lifting Workouts:
Fridays - Arms
Bicep Curls (bar, dumbbell, machine, doesn't matter)
Tricep Press or Overhead Extension
Cross-Body Hammer Curls (hits the tops of the forearms)
Wrist Curls
Saturday - "Push" Day
Dumbbell Press (slight incline)
Shoulder Press (either seated with dumbbells or standing with straight bar)
Flies (either dumbbells or cables)
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Sunday - "Pull" Day
Dead Lifts
Rows (either bar, dumbbell, or machine)
Lat Pulls or Pullups
Bent Over Flies (for back and rear delts)
Note Regarding Legs:
You may notice I didn't have a designated Legs Day. This is because they were getting hit twice a week in Body Pump with a lot of squats and Lunges (which also hit the calves). Plus, I'm bicycling so much, that an added Legs Day would be overkill. Unless you're doing Body Pump twice a week and / or a ton of cycling, do not neglect the legs!
Also, you may wonder why I have a designated Arms Day. Again, because I enjoy it.
Below is My Current Workout Schedule (as of 2024). You can substitute my former weight routine for Body Pump:
Monday - Yoga (morning), Cardio (afternoon)
Tuesday - Body Pump (evening)
Wednesday - Cardio
Thursday - Vinyasa Yoga (morning), Body Pump (evening)
Friday - Cardio (morning), *Alternate Weight Lifting (afternoon / evening)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Body Pump (morning), *Alternate Cardio (afternoon)
*Alternate workouts are uncommon and usually just when I'm feeling extra motivated
This changes all the time, though my Body Pump and Yoga schedules are locked in. One has to allow for flexibility, especially when extra rest days are needed. Never skip these!
In summary:
I try to achieve a balance of strength and cardiovascular training every week, plus a yoga session for flexibility, balance, and mental health. I do allow for "deload" weeks every two to three months, where I take some time off for the body to recover.
In the words of the great Coach Greg Doucette: "Train Harder than Last Time!"
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