What better way to kick off a new year than with exercise? It sets the tone for things to come, serving as both a physical and a psychological primer. For many millions, today's workout was an initial stab at making good on a new year's resolution. For the vast majority of those millions however, the commitment to that resolution won't last much past Valentine's Day, which is a shame for them, good for me.
One study I read indicated that only 8% of people who have gym memberships actually use them on a regular basis and that 4 out of 5 memberships go completely unused. Of course, gyms count on these numbers, taking a calculated risk by actively recruiting many more members than they can actually accommodate. I'd hate to be training at the gym where 100% of the members decide to show for a workout at the same time!
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| 12/29/14: Consider this the "before" pic in my grand experiment. |
Anyway, the gym I trained at at 2:30 pm today was fairly empty, which was good, except nearly everyone in it worked their jaw muscles far more than any others. My workout was punctuated by stories of NYE parties, upcoming travel, and work woes. Normally I'd have my trusty iPod Shuffle to shield me from the jabbering, but I recently lost the charging cable and so have to train earbudless until a replacement arrives in the mail.
Nevertheless, I hit it hard, pounding my chest, triceps, calves, and abs into submission. One of my goals for 2015 is to add 10 pounds of muscle, meaning a jump from around 165 to 175 pounds. 165 seems to be my default weight (I've hovered around it for the last 15 years or so) but I've recently discovered, quite by accident, that I am able to add muscle still... if I train less frequently with shorter workouts.
The "accident" was an overwhelming workload at the office that has kept my workouts briefer and less frequest than I'd prefer. Yet every experience lends new insight, and from this one I've learned that I'm not done growing yet, if I don't want to be.
And so begins my first attempt in a long time to "bulk up." I'm actually excited by the prospect, as I've been in "maintenance mode" since last decade. I'll be sure to provide progress reports and pics right here on a semi-regular basis.
As for you, I wish you a happy, healthy new year, and great workouts in a gym that's relatively free of temporary newbies!
Looking good, Shawn. 165lb is my "normal" weight too, but I've managed to push it to about 173 this last year working with Adam. Still coming in at 9-10% body fat too, so a lot of the gains were muscle. The last time I cut to <8% body fat, I was too small... I think I hit just 152lb!
ReplyDeleteHence, I'm trying to hit 180lbs this year at 10% body fat, with a plan to bring that down to 175lb and <8% by years end.
Good luck to you on your goal, you've got a GREAT foundation of muscle and conditioning to build on. Here's to 2015!