Weight

Today I weighed in at just under 76KG. Progress.

Mid-Term Strength Goals

Mid-Term strength goals are: 90KG Bench Press 130KG Squat 155 Deadlift I imagine bench will be the hardest of these to achieve.

Enjoy the Journey

I remember in 2005 reading on the back of a Wheaties box with a photo of freshly crowned NBA champion Tim Duncan a quote from the man himself "enjoy the every-day struggle". Back then it seemed like sage advice and something I wanted to take from someone who had achieved at such a young age. And even though I tried to implement it into my life, I really do feel as though only just now am I starting to understand how to apply it. Take my weight-training for example. I started in December 2011 (7 months ago) with a simple goal of 'working out consistently for a year' and not much else. Apart from getting stronger and improving my physique. But I didn't really set any expectations for myself. Between December to May, I for the most part achieved my primary goal. I missed two or three workouts for that period, but for the most part I consistently worked out three times a week, every week, every month. I also made some decent progress in my strength during this time, too. My most notable achievement was taking my deadlift from 70KG up to 132.5, bordering on 'intermediate' strength levels. And then, toward the end of May I had my first major setback: international travel. I went to both England and America to see the world and visit family and friends. Though I had good intentions (but clearly not enough planning) I only worked out once over this two week period while overseas. Once I got back, did I feel like working out? Not really. It was a full two weeks after returning home before I got back into the weight room again. My diet over this now four week period was also particularly bad, as I did not pay attention to my macro-nutrients. Particularly protein and carb intake. What happened? I lost 4KG during this period, but I lost muscle and gained fat. So, two weeks ago on the 16th of June over the weekend I took some time to myself and re-dedicated myself to working out, and figuring out what I was going to do. My goal? Lose fat while retaining strength. My first workout back in the gym was somewhat of a wakeup call. I knew that I had to lift 'light' weights as I would not be able to pick up where I had left off. I tried to deadlift a modest 100KG for 5 reps and achieved only x3. Ouch! Since then, it has been a slow road to recovery in the gym and today I was able to successfully deadlift 105KG for five reps. Nowhere near where I have been, but an improvement on where I was x2 weeks ago. Progress. "Enjoy the every-day struggle". There are many ways to look at the above. Am I disappointed in my regression? Yes. Is it my own fault? Yes. Is there a lesson to learn? Yes. Have I achieved something over these six months? Yes. It is what it is.

my weight.

I weigh 78KG today.