Progress so far

knot_enough

This is my progress through 8 weeks. On the left is me during late August. At that point I was exercising but I wasn't really watching what I eat. Strength was my goal, and I was the strongest I'd ever been. I felt strong, and I thought that that was what I wanted but even though I was getting stronger, I still didn't feel all that great.

So I decided to begin training for a 5K. I have never been a runner and never ran over a mile in my life. I ran in my area, 2-3 times a week, slowly progressing in mileage or pace, sometimes even both. By the time that the first 5K came along in late August, I knew my goal was to finish in under 30 minutes, but I finished in 31 minutes. I know it wasn't bad but at the same time I knew I could do better.

I also joined a high-intensity training gym, much like CrossFit. In fact, we used some Crossfit workouts, but I still wouldn't consider it Crossfit. We did a lot of workouts involving overhead squats, pullups, box jumps, burpees, cleans, rope climbs, and more. Everyone there was well motivated and it was easy to go all-out in that gym. I broke great sweat in that gym. Everyday was like a full-body routine focusing on explosion and stamina. On Saturday afternoons we did olympic lifts like the barbell snatch and clean and jerk.

Finally the thing that helped out more than anything is food tracking. I've tried eating clean in the past, but I've always been a dangerously picky eater since I was a child. I'm the guy that never grew out of it. So every time I've attempted to eat clean, it would last for 2 weeks at the most. Then I heard of "If it Fits Your Macros" or IIFYM for short. The idea was very basic; set a calorie goal, split the ratio of carbs, protein, and fat, and meet those goals. Not to mention to meet the daily fiber goals as well to ensure one is eating fruits and vegetables. Many people, especially hardcore bodybuilders, do not like this approach because it means that we could eat anything. But what it really teaches is portion control. I still ate pizza, but instead of eating 4 or 5 slices like i usually do, I ate one. It taught me how to satisfy those taste buds with minimal sacrifice. I eat carbs. I watch my protein. I'm all about calories in calories out. If I have enough calories at the end of the day and still have carbs left, it's an ice cream sandwich. mmmmmm...

So maybe the guy on the right in the picture above can't bench press as much as the guy on the left. But these days I can run faster and for a longer amount of time. I've signed up for my 3rd 5K in 3 months next week. In fact, my 5K time was 2 minutes faster than my original. My squat form looks great. I'm deadlifting now just as much as I was when I was 20 lbs heavier. I have better cardio, and I've kept most of my strength. Overall, I'm just more fit. I can feel it and it's easy to see. That picture is proof.

I'm not where I want to be, but nowadays I have a lot of time on my hands. I've decided to dedicate myself to improvement and tangible goals. I've never been an athlete. I've never been the strongest or the fastest. But anyone can tell you that I'm a grinder. It's always going to be me vs. myself. There's no one pushing me in the gym or on my routes. It's just me. I'm turning 27 next week, I'm still young. But how much longer will I have the feeling that I can still be in the best shape I've ever been? While I can still do this, this is what I'll be doing.

KellyJannine

You looked good before.. but you look even better now!! Great progress!

knot_enough

Thanks!

knot_enough

whomp