December 5th, 2006
I weighed in this morning at 189.6 pounds, up 3 pounds since 8 weeks ago. I am very surprised at this number since I thought I’d have gained more than only 3 pounds in that amount of time.
My plan is to get down to 185 pounds, and I’d like those 185 pounds to be as much muscle as possible without looking like I’m addicted to athletics. A few people have asked me why I joined the gym, especially after I had said that I never wanted to do so – well I realize there is a balance here. I never want to attempt to look like Arnold, simply because I think that says something about a person – rather I’m trying to get into better shape for the sports I like.
Basketball and frisbee, my two favorite sports to play at the moment, require a fair amount agility, flexibility, strength, and endurance. I’m hoping that by joining the gym, working out on a regular basis, and decreasing my body fat, I’ll pick up a few of those along the way.
In addition to my diet, I’ll start posting my body fat percentage (I’ll need something from Mike for this) along with the amount of weight I’m working with, my workouts, and my experiences at the gym. I can tell you that thus far, lifting weights is the most boring thing on the face of the planet.
How did you do this week? Post your comments here or in the Flickr group.
[tags]weigh in, diet, the-diet, gym, basketball, frisbee, sports[/tags]
Glad you’re getting back into the swing of things. Of course the swing being posting about your progress and things being things.
What exactly does lifting weights and looking like Arnold say about a person?
It is probably just my opinion, but to me it screams “full of oneself” (perhaps not someone like Arnold who was actually doing it for a competition more than just to look big in a tight shirt, but perhaps he did it for both).
I don’t mind if people look at me and say “he must workout”, but I would mind it people looked at me and said “he must be addicted to working out”.
Maybe I’m the only one that thinks this, but it is simply not my desire to be perceived that way.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to look good in your shirt, and I don’t believe that says about me that I’m full of myself.
What it says is; I care about myself, which is something I would like people to think.
Now, on the other hand, those guys (and ladies) who are 5’7″ and workout all day, everyday in order to get giant thighs and look like they’re not physically capable of “wiping” themselves, they’ve gone too far.
It’s one thing to sculpt your body and be proud of it, but when you get that big, naturally or unnaturally it is the same thing as just getting really fat, you’ve just gone the other direction in destroying your body, although it takes much more work and therefore could be construed as conscious self-abuse as they’ve made an effort to become massive, where as most overweight people it kinda sneaks up on.
Both are self-abuse, but the former is more so as it’s purposeful.
I hope that if we ever meet face to face you do not consider me to be full of myself based on my body composition and the fact that I enjoy lifting.
Also I think in comparison to the Mr Olympia body-builders of today, Arnold had a very lean and defined body, with a full range of motion and didn’t look abnormal or uncomfortable as they do these days.
James: Perhaps then Arnold is not a good choice as an example. However you have made my point for me – in a much better way. I think there is definitely a line, and I have no desire in crossing it. So I think you and I are on the same wave length, I just am not as good at making points as you are.
Agreed, sorry for misunderstanding you. I just don’t want anyone to think I’m stuck up because I lift weights.
I lift weights. I’m the one that is sorry for not making my point more clear – but then again that is why we have comments on this blog thingys.
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