Tonight (i.e. Wednesday January 24) I did as I promised on my blog I would.
I did:
1 squat, 10 push-ups, 25-60 rope-skips,
2 squats, 9 push-ups and 25-60 rope-skips,
...
10 squats, 1 push-up.
Obviously I was out of breath many time, sometimes so much so that I couldn't go on, there were many 30-second (or longer) rests sprinkled in between. I remember taking a few water breaks too :)
Then I removed rope-skipping and mountain climbers from the circuit mentioned in the link above and it became like this:
1) Side-to-side jumping - 15 reps
2) Alternate Dumbbell Curls - 10 reps
3) Bent Dumbbell Rows - 10 reps
4) Military Press - 10 reps
And I did two such circuits. Only taking a break when I was too out of breath to go on. Since I am not lifting too heavy, and the volume is totally non existence, I could afford to be so hard. After all, I was treating this as cardio, and not as bodybuilding.
Since I didn't give myself any day to rest after yesterday's push-ups, I was kinda weak today after the first 18 or so reps. I resorted to knee push-ups, then gained some strength, and was back to full push-ups, but I didn't go all the way down. Anyway, I am happy with substituting 2 sets of rope skipping and 2 of mountain climbers with 10 of rope skipping.
Let's see what I do tonight. I am planning on doing the same though, perhaps doing curling instead of push-ups in the 55, and doing mountain climbers instead of curling in the circuits.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
A week gone by
In Urdu we have this phrase jumma jumma aath din which is often used to condescendingly say that something is very new in the market, so much so that it hasn't even completed eight days, eight days means even the weekday it was started on, hasn't come back around yet. So, today, Tuesday, I it's been eight days since I have been working out. Mujhay jumma jumma aath din hogaye hain! Haha...
For now, my focus has been to just do anything for more than 15 minutes that could be classified as physical exercise. So I had been doing. As discussed earlier, I had been doing a mix of squats with either pushups, curling, or military press, followed by one or two circuits of rope skipping, jumping side to side and mountain climbers. Anyway, it's time for me to formalize my routine a little bit, or at least, note down the quantity I do, so the progress can be gauged. For now, the only progress is doing more exercise with less rest within the same amount of time. I have been keeping any metrics, so I can't comment on those. Though I should. One other improvement I have noticed indeed is that regular exercise automatically keeps you from having a bad diet, and that's what's happening. It won't miraculously make you eat a perfect diet like pros, experts or hobbyists; but it will save you from capital diet offences, which usually go un-apprehended when you aren't working out. For example, if I am eating right after workout, I won't even be able to pig out, because personally I am too tired to keep eating beyond what's enough to kill the hunger, and also, because the stomach muscles have been worked, I feel like vomiting if I overeat right after exercise. Also, if you are eating before workout, you will eat less, because if you don't, you won't be able to exercise at all. So that's what I was talking about. Automatic fix.
Now, back to the formalization. I have noticed, on all the days, I find 55 to be a very comfortable way of doing 55 reps for any one muscle group, coupled with lightly working my legs daily. And since getting bigger is not a priority at the moment, that's alright. Secondly, I have been able to complete it within 10-15 minutes. Thirdly, I can squeeze in one or two circuits of 3-4 cardio exercises. And that also makes 30 minutes. Also, I learned that I can't do burpees with other exercises, it doesn't leave any energy in me to go on, and that I have gotten good at rope-skipping, I can do them seamlessly for longer if I concentrate mentally. So here's the map for what I am gonna follow, for the next week at least:
Warm up: 2-5 minute of jogging in place.
55: squats + pushups or curling or military presses. Recovery time needed na!
Followed by 1 or 2 circuits of:
1. Rope-skipping, 25-60 reps.
2. Jumping side-to-side, 15 reps.
3. Standing dumbell rowing: 15 reps.
4. Military press or curling depending on what's been done in 55.
5. Mountain climbers, 10 reps.
The original workout that I looked up on the internet didn't have 1, 3 and 4. And it instead had burpees and crabwalking. But I am skipping those for now, as I can't do them properly, may be later, and replacing them with anaerobic exercises, because I find them easier to do.
This shows that my workout is 25% and 75% anabolic. But that's not how it should be. It should be the other way around, 75% cardio and 25% anabolic. In fact, I don't even need anabolic right now, but I do it only to feel quick visible results and stay motivated. So I am thinking what I will do is, instead of just resting 30 seconds in between the rounds in 55, I will do a set of rope skipping. That will give me ten additional sets of rope-skipping. And if I can do that, I think eventually I will get used to doing rope-skipping, which is great because in my opinion it's a very fun and effective exercise. It's not just cardio, but also leg strength, core strength, agility and coordination.
That's all for now!
For now, my focus has been to just do anything for more than 15 minutes that could be classified as physical exercise. So I had been doing. As discussed earlier, I had been doing a mix of squats with either pushups, curling, or military press, followed by one or two circuits of rope skipping, jumping side to side and mountain climbers. Anyway, it's time for me to formalize my routine a little bit, or at least, note down the quantity I do, so the progress can be gauged. For now, the only progress is doing more exercise with less rest within the same amount of time. I have been keeping any metrics, so I can't comment on those. Though I should. One other improvement I have noticed indeed is that regular exercise automatically keeps you from having a bad diet, and that's what's happening. It won't miraculously make you eat a perfect diet like pros, experts or hobbyists; but it will save you from capital diet offences, which usually go un-apprehended when you aren't working out. For example, if I am eating right after workout, I won't even be able to pig out, because personally I am too tired to keep eating beyond what's enough to kill the hunger, and also, because the stomach muscles have been worked, I feel like vomiting if I overeat right after exercise. Also, if you are eating before workout, you will eat less, because if you don't, you won't be able to exercise at all. So that's what I was talking about. Automatic fix.
Now, back to the formalization. I have noticed, on all the days, I find 55 to be a very comfortable way of doing 55 reps for any one muscle group, coupled with lightly working my legs daily. And since getting bigger is not a priority at the moment, that's alright. Secondly, I have been able to complete it within 10-15 minutes. Thirdly, I can squeeze in one or two circuits of 3-4 cardio exercises. And that also makes 30 minutes. Also, I learned that I can't do burpees with other exercises, it doesn't leave any energy in me to go on, and that I have gotten good at rope-skipping, I can do them seamlessly for longer if I concentrate mentally. So here's the map for what I am gonna follow, for the next week at least:
Warm up: 2-5 minute of jogging in place.
55: squats + pushups or curling or military presses. Recovery time needed na!
Followed by 1 or 2 circuits of:
1. Rope-skipping, 25-60 reps.
2. Jumping side-to-side, 15 reps.
3. Standing dumbell rowing: 15 reps.
4. Military press or curling depending on what's been done in 55.
5. Mountain climbers, 10 reps.
The original workout that I looked up on the internet didn't have 1, 3 and 4. And it instead had burpees and crabwalking. But I am skipping those for now, as I can't do them properly, may be later, and replacing them with anaerobic exercises, because I find them easier to do.
This shows that my workout is 25% and 75% anabolic. But that's not how it should be. It should be the other way around, 75% cardio and 25% anabolic. In fact, I don't even need anabolic right now, but I do it only to feel quick visible results and stay motivated. So I am thinking what I will do is, instead of just resting 30 seconds in between the rounds in 55, I will do a set of rope skipping. That will give me ten additional sets of rope-skipping. And if I can do that, I think eventually I will get used to doing rope-skipping, which is great because in my opinion it's a very fun and effective exercise. It's not just cardio, but also leg strength, core strength, agility and coordination.
That's all for now!
Seventh Day
Today is the seventh day since I have been working out. I am thinking of resting, skipping it. I actually feel like I am more tired, swollen , even fatter because of working out. I don't know what happened to the feelings of energy and enthusiasm which come with exercising, though I must say I have been feeling happier, more confident since last Tuesday, when I started, but today... I don't know... Whatever.
On Saturday night, papa was giving us a treat. For what? Nobody knows, even he didn't. It was more we bullying a treat out of him, than he giving us a treat. So, all the Saturday, I was under the impression that he will manage the treat all by himself, the menu, the place, the delivery, everything. But as it turns out, the friend that he was depending on to ride with, didn't show up in the evening. So it was all on to me. If I had imagined this would happened, I would have worked out earlier, but since I hadn't, so I didn't.
So, after Isha, I came back home early. Skipped sitting in the taleem after Isha, also didn't offer witr rakaat. Anyway, I came home, did some quick small workout, I was gonna write here what I did, but I don't even remember! But, I kept moving for 20-25 minutes, which was essentially the point. Then took a cold water shower, and set out to Meerath Kebab House.
I wish I had noted down the workout, I am thinking of keeping a diary of the exercises I do. Because I always exercise in terms of time (20-25 minutes), the amount of work done in that time could be a good measurement of performance, hence a good gauge of results. The stamina, the endurance, the strength is the result. Fatloss/Muscle gain can come when they may. The first goal is always to be regular.
Post written on Monday, Jan 21.
On Saturday night, papa was giving us a treat. For what? Nobody knows, even he didn't. It was more we bullying a treat out of him, than he giving us a treat. So, all the Saturday, I was under the impression that he will manage the treat all by himself, the menu, the place, the delivery, everything. But as it turns out, the friend that he was depending on to ride with, didn't show up in the evening. So it was all on to me. If I had imagined this would happened, I would have worked out earlier, but since I hadn't, so I didn't.
So, after Isha, I came back home early. Skipped sitting in the taleem after Isha, also didn't offer witr rakaat. Anyway, I came home, did some quick small workout, I was gonna write here what I did, but I don't even remember! But, I kept moving for 20-25 minutes, which was essentially the point. Then took a cold water shower, and set out to Meerath Kebab House.
I wish I had noted down the workout, I am thinking of keeping a diary of the exercises I do. Because I always exercise in terms of time (20-25 minutes), the amount of work done in that time could be a good measurement of performance, hence a good gauge of results. The stamina, the endurance, the strength is the result. Fatloss/Muscle gain can come when they may. The first goal is always to be regular.
Post written on Monday, Jan 21.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
My Small Workouts
I have been working out for four days now! (Wow!) Well, I wouldn't actually call them 'workouts', because they're too small. I wish I could come up with another name for them. How about worky or ... small workout? I don't feel very creative. Alright? Okay.
So last Friday, or it would have been some time before that, I thought, man I need to start doing something to stop looking like I am forty. So, the thought was in the pipeline, and I was also googling the shortest and the easiest workouts, and the browser window that contained the workouts stayed open a good four days in my computer too. But well, I didn't quite get myself to do it. On Monday, I met friends, and asked them what's up and all, and a friend told me he's been really 'busy' lately, which basically meant he has not been giving himself time. I told him to workout, and well, told him to do a small workout ® . I told him such a thing can be fitted into the busiest of days, because all it takes is 15 minutes of one's time. And if one is worried one would have to take a bath after it, just because of the workout, well, to that I would say, just do it right before you shower! And those who shower in the morning, can do their workouts in the night, if they're too lazy to wake up Fifteen minutes earlier.
Since I have been reading up on small workouts, and since I had planned two workouts for myself. First I had stumbled upon the one called '55' and since that seemed like too little to have any effect, I kept googling until I came up one 'Beginner Men's Indoor Cardio' workout. So I was thinking I would do these both. And this is what I told Russell about, about 55. That it's a simple workout, and can be done in 15 minutes. And that he should do it. He didn't do it. But I ended up doing it the very next day. See? This is also the blessing of inviting someone to do good, you end up doing it yourself.
So the next day, I was thinking, that I am a lazy ass. Instead of doing the cardio workout plus 55, I will just do 55, which started seeming tough enough once I got down to doing it. It goes like this:
You do 1 squat and 10 push-ups, then 30 second rest. Then 2 squats and 9 pushups, then 30 seconds rest. And so on, till you do 10 squats and 1 pushups. That way, you've completed 55 squats and 55 pushups, hence the name. I liked this because I could do it and complete it within 15 minutes. Secondly, when a guy my weight does pushups and squats with only 30 seconds of rest in between, the workout is automatically a cardio workout too, albeit a very very short okay. But that's okay.
That was it for the first day. On second day, I thought, why not also give those cardio exercises a shot too, which I had initially intended to do along with 55. And main reason was that, having done 55 pushups in 15 minutes (I had never done more than 40 pushups in any one day before that workout) I couldn't even do a single pushup. Sore arms and all. So the second workout was like this: Walking/Jogging in place, Side to side jumps, Burpees, Mountain Climbers, Crab walk. Each to done 25 times in one circuit, and a total of two circuits to be done with 1 minute rest in between. Now, I had already ruled out crab walk, I wasn't gonna do that! And when I did attempt Burpees and Mountain Climbers after the first two exercises, I couldn't do them. They were just too tough for me. So, well. I just kept doing one thing or the other till 20 minutes passed. But then, I knew how to plan my next session.
On Thursday night, I introduced rope skipping to the mix. Well, I am very heavy for it, and there are hurdles I face when doing it. The joints hurt like crazy, coordination is not there, and I am out of breath before I can say 'sixty'... So I thought, I would call it a set if I can do more than 25 jumps in one go. And if let's than that, the set will have to repeated. And I did a new version of 55, my triceps still hurting, I decided I would let them recover some more. I did bicep curling along with squats. And did side to side jumps and walking/jogging in place. I did try mountain climbers again, but couldn't get them to work, so left them alone after 10 reps.
On Friday night, it was pretty much the same as Thursday night, except that instead of increasing the number of squats in from 1 to 10, I just did 10 in each round. I really wanted to hit my quads and hams, but haven't been feeling anything there. And I did military presses this time with squats. The cardio was the same, though I noticed some improvement in coordination while skipping rope.
Tonight I guess I will do the actual 55. Followed by some three sets of Jogging-in-place, side-to-side, mountain-climbers, and rope skipping. And if there's still time remaining, I will more something for the lats too.
I am happy I have been sticking with for at least 4 days now. I am not aiming for quick results, or visible, prominent results. If nothing else, the endorphin feel great.
Friday, 18 January 2013
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Aku
Some things, you just can't get over. Some favorite childhood cartoons are one of those things. As a child, I absolutely loved cartoons. Loveddddddd them! And I still have a lingering taste for them. The thing is, some cartoons respect basic logic and psychology, and those are the ones you can watch and enjoy no matter how old you are, you can indulge in them, suspend some disbelief, and be in the story. With others that don't do that, and violate their own assumptions, have plot holes (Swat Cats, anyone?), the back of your mind stands up with its arms wide open and says with with a disappointing face "That's not even possible when, even in cartoons!" Anyway, so as a child, I used to watch this cartoon, and I simply Loved it. It's called Samurai Jack. I loved everything about it from the animation to graphics to the dialogues to the story to the characters to the soundtrack! Down to the time it was aired. One thing I really can't get out of my mind was the 'Back-to-Back' soundtrack of it, and the dialogue that's said by The Aku before the cartoon begins. Here it is:
Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish Samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku!
:)
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Monday, 7 January 2013
FOMO
You’re always going to miss out on something.
So be comfortable with it.
So be comfortable with it.
And choose the things you're going to be missing out.
Friday, 4 January 2013
Book
I like a book for the company it keeps.
Books keep you company, just like humans do. Sometimes it talks to you in an accent (Lolita), sometimes it talks in kind warm voice of wise old person (7 Habits), sometimes it's a smart and stubborn child telling you his tale (Alchemist), sometimes it's that uncle's friend who can always entertain you over the dinner with his awesome tales (Tarzan), sometimes it's your cousin who is doing a doctorate in psychology and tells you about her research in a fascinated way and you get fascinated too (7 types of smart), sometimes it's that friend who's a little older, but has lived a hell of life and has so many experiences to share!(Daces with Wolves).
That's what books are to me. They keep you company. Some make you laugh, some make you angry, some irritate you with their dumbness, or worse, cunning. Some are downright fake. Some just talk, and bore you.
I like a book for the the company it keeps.
Books keep you company, just like humans do. Sometimes it talks to you in an accent (Lolita), sometimes it talks in kind warm voice of wise old person (7 Habits), sometimes it's a smart and stubborn child telling you his tale (Alchemist), sometimes it's that uncle's friend who can always entertain you over the dinner with his awesome tales (Tarzan), sometimes it's your cousin who is doing a doctorate in psychology and tells you about her research in a fascinated way and you get fascinated too (7 types of smart), sometimes it's that friend who's a little older, but has lived a hell of life and has so many experiences to share!(Daces with Wolves).
That's what books are to me. They keep you company. Some make you laugh, some make you angry, some irritate you with their dumbness, or worse, cunning. Some are downright fake. Some just talk, and bore you.
I like a book for the the company it keeps.