Bleach And Ammonia

I researched this to help my daughter with a project she was working on, and want to save the information somewhere so I can reference it wherever I may be. Mixing bleach and ammonia is dangerous, don't try this at home.

Bleach and Ammonia
There are several ways household ammonia and bleach can react. All of them are dangerous. Bleach is about 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and household ammonia is a solution of 5-10% ammonia (NH3) in water (H2O).

Reaction 1
If you have more ammonia than bleach, the ammonia reacts directly with the bleach to form hydrazine (N2H4), a component in rocket fuel, which, in addition to being extremely poisonous, can burn even in the absence of air. It explodes on contact with rust.

2NH3 + NaOCl -> N2H4 + NaCl + H2O

Reaction 2
If you have more bleach than ammonia, the bleach hydrolyzes (breaks down by reaction with water) into sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which in turn decomposes into chlorine gas (Cl2) and nascent oxygen (both poisonous). The chlorine gas in turn reacts with the ammonia to form chloramines, also very poisonous.

NaOCl + H2O -> NaOH + HOCl
HOCl -> HCl + O (monatomic oxygen)
NaOCl + 2HCl -> Cl2 + NaCl + H2O
2NH3 + Cl2 -> 2NH2Cl (chloramine)
4NH3 + 2Cl2 -> 2NHCl2 (dichloramine)
6NH3 + 3Cl2 -> 2NCl3 (trichloramine or nitrogen trichloride)

Keeping a Marriage Together

Soulful Vibes today reported that Will Smith has found the perfect way to keep his marriage together: Rule out divorce as an option.

While this is a great step, it is not the only, nor the best, method. Things I would rate along with, or higher, than ruling out divorce:

1. Don't get married until you are sure you are ready to be with one person and only one person for the rest of your life. If you aren't sure you are ready, you will always be wondering "what if" and that wondering may lead you to wandering.
2. Ensure what you feel is love, not lust, for the person you intend on marrying. Lust is immediate, while love lasts. Lust requires immediate satisfaction, but can't last without constant refresh, which is why many relationships based on physical interactions fail when the physical interactions reduce in frequency.
3. Keep it fresh by doing new things with your spouse. Getting into a rut, doing the same old things all the time, will cause you to take each other for granted because you know exactly how each other will act and react. Instead, try something different, to see a new side of each other; experiment and experience different things together.
   

Raquetball

Current Weight: 223lbs
Body Fat: 30.8%

An hour of racquetball burns approximately 650 calories according to a listing by the Mayo Clinic. I've always loved racquetball because I always feel like I got a great workout, but no pain, and I can play for hours. I'm not great at it, but that isn't important, it's just fun to play. Hopefully starting next week I'll have a partner to play with at lunch.

Monday's Workout:

Seated Leg Press: 10r at 190, 8r at 195, 6r at 200
Seated Leg Extensions: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Seated Leg Curls: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Chest Press: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Lat Pulldown: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Seated Row: 10r at 100lbs, 8r at 105lbs, 6r at 110lbs
Overhead Press: 10r at 70lbs, 8r at 75lbs, 6r at 80lbs
Tricep press: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Curls: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs

Body Weight Exercises

Current Weight: 223lbs
Body Fat: 31.4%

Friday's Workout:

Treadmill: 5 min at intensity 4
Squats: 2x12r at 65lbs
Backward Lunges: 2x12r
Straight Leg Deadlift: 2x12r at 15lbs
Pushups: 2x12r
Tricep Dips: 2x12r at 64lbs of assist
Pullups: 2x12r at 88lbs of assist
Bicep Curls: 2x12r at 15lbs each
Bicycle Crunches: 20r
Scissor Kicks: 20r
Crunches: 20r
Recumbent Bike: HIIT 30sec on 30sec off for 8 minutes, 2 minutes cooldown

How to Enjoy Yoga?

Current Weight: 223 lbs
Body Fat: 33.7%

Another hour of Yoga tonight. I'm getting a good stretch out of it, but I don't really enjoy doing it. I don't know if I'm not doing it right, or if it is supposed to be just this boring.

Another Monday

Current Weight: 222lbs
Body Fat: 34.6%

The TENS unit has worked and my shoulder injury is almost gone.

Monday's Workout:

Seated Leg Press: 10r at 190, 8r at 195, 6r at 200
Seated Leg Extensions: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Seated Leg Curls: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Chest Press: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Lat Pulldown: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Seated Row: 10r at 100lbs, 8r at 105lbs, 6r at 110lbs
Overhead Press: 10r at 70lbs, 8r at 75lbs, 6r at 80lbs
Tricep press: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Curls: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs

Happy Mother's Day

Current Weight: 222lbs
Body Fat: 34.6%

The kids and I took my wife out to breakfast for Mother's Day. Then we went to church and went swimming for an hour or so.

Before bed I performed the "8 minute Abs" with my wife. 8 minutes of sustained abdominal exercises is not really fun.

Shoulder Injury

Current Weight: 221lbs
Body Fat: 31.4%

I hurt my shoulder either working out yesterday, or wrestling with my dog last night. To help speed up healing, I'm finally getting the TENS/EMS unit I've been wanting.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is used to send electrical signals through your body's nerves and relieve pain. Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS) is using electric impulses to mimic signals from the Central Nervous System and cause involuntary contractions of voluntary muscles.

Monday Workout

Current Weight: 221lbs
Body Fat: 31.4%

At least the body fat readings have become consistent once again.

Monday's Workout:

Seated Leg Press: 10r at 190, 8r at 195, 6r at 200
Seated Leg Extensions: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Seated Leg Curls: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Chest Press: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Lat Pulldown: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Seated Row: 10r at 100lbs, 8r at 105lbs, 6r at 110lbs
Overhead Press: 10r at 70lbs, 8r at 75lbs, 6r at 80lbs
Tricep press: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Curls: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs

Swimming

Current Weight: 221lbs
Body Fat: 31.4%

Took the family swimming today and we all had a good time. Such a great exercise, relaxing and enjoyable too.

1 hour swimming

More Yoga

Current Weight: 221lbs
Body Fat: 40.4%

Body Fat measurements are still cycling like crazy. I need to learn how to use the calipers for a consistent reading.

Did an hour of Yoga today.

What a Difference Batteries Make

Current Weight: 224lbs
Body Fat: 31.6%

Putting in new batteries in to the scale seemed to make a difference. Especially in the Body Fat check. I recently ordered a set of AccuMeasure FatTrack II body fat calipers. I'll take a while learning to use them properly and see what kind of numbers they give me compared to the Inductance method of the scale.

Monday's Workout:

Seated Leg Press: 10r at 190, 8r at 195, 6r at 200
Seated Leg Extensions: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Seated Leg Curls: 10r at 50, 8r at 55, 6r at 60
Chest Press: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Lat Pulldown: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Seated Row: 10r at 100lbs, 8r at 105lbs, 6r at 110lbs
Overhead Press: 10r at 70lbs, 8r at 75lbs, 6r at 80lbs
Tricep press: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Curls: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43lbs, 6r at 50lbs

What The Funny?

Current Weight: 231lbs
Body Fat: 41.5%

I think my scale's batteries are dying. The values are insane. I'll change them soon and we'll see Monday what my numbers are then.

Friday's Workout:

Treadmill: 5 min at intensity 4
Squats: 2x12r at 65lbs
Backward Lunges: 2x12r
Straight Leg Deadlift: 2x12r at 15lbs
Pushups: 2x12r
Tricep Dips: 2x12r at 64lbs of assist
Pullups: 2x12r at 88lbs of assist
Bicep Curls: 2x12r at 15lbs each
Bicycle Crunches: 20r
Scissor Kicks: 20r
Crunches: 20r
Recumbent Bike: HIIT 30sec on 30sec off for 8 minutes, 2 minutes cooldown

First Day of New Workout

Current Weight: 224lbs
Body Fat: 38.4%

Today I started my new workout routine. Monday's I do the weight machine circuit, Wednesday I'm doing Yoga, and Friday I'll be doing Body Weight exercises.

Monday's Workout:

Treadmill: 5 min at intensity 4
Seated Leg Press: 10r at 195lbs, 8r at 200lbs, 6r at 205lbs
Seated Leg Extension: 10r at 50lbs, 8r at 56.25lbs, 6r at 62.5lbs
Prone Leg Curl: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43.75lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Chest Press: 10r at 100lbs, 8r at 105lbs, 6r at 110lbs
Lat Pulldown: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Seated Row: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Overhead Press: 10r at 70lbs, 8r at 75lbs, 6r at 80lbs
Tricep Extension: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43.75lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Bicep Curl: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43.75lbs, 6r at 50lbs

Keep Active, Play Catch

Current Weight: 227lbs
Body Fat: 40.2%

Today we went to Phoenix to visit my step-mother and my sister visiting from Arkansas. I took the kids to the greenway by her house and we played catch. It was a nice day and we had a great time. While I don't expect to burn tons of calories this way, being active is far better then being sedentary.

My Personal Trainer

Current Weight: 224 lbs
Body Fat: 40.5%

After doing my wife's workout, I had some serious Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in my quadriceps. The workout didn't feel too hard, but I sure feel it today.

So I went to the personal trainer myself to get a workout geared toward my needs: weight loss and upper body strength. We didn't do a full workout today, but did some test exercises to verify I had proper form and knew how to perform the exercises. I performed so many different exercises, for most I don't remember the weight or the repetitions.

Saturday's Workout:

Treadmill: level 4 warm-up for 7 minutes
Seated Leg Press: 10r at 195lbs, 8r at 200lbs, 6r at 205lbs
Seated Leg Extension: 10r at 50lbs, 8r at 56.25lbs, 6r at 62.5lbs
Prone Leg Curl: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43.75lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Chest Press: 10r at 100lbs, 8r at 105lbs, 6r at 110lbs
Lat Pulldown: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Seated Row: 10r at 90lbs, 8r at 95lbs, 6r at 100lbs
Overhead Press: 10r at 70lbs, 8r at 75lbs, 6r at 80lbs
Tricep Extension: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43.75lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Bicep Curl: 10r at 37.5lbs, 8r at 43.75lbs, 6r at 50lbs
Squats: 2x12r at 65lbs
Deadlift: 2x5r at 60lbs
Pushups: 15r, 12r, 10r
Bicycle Crunches: 2x20r
Scissor Kicks: 2x20r
Recumbent Bike: HIIT 30sec on 30sec off for 8 minutes, 2 minutes cooldown

Personal Trainer

Current Weight: 227lbs
Body Fat: 41.2%

So my wife went to a personal trainer I did her workout on Friday. Mostly body-weight exercises.

Friday's Workout:

Squats: 2x15reps
Ball Squats: 2x15reps
Back Lunges: 2x15reps
Side Lunges: 2x15reps
Step Ups: 2x15reps
Crunches: 2x15reps
Bicycles: 2x15reps
Double Crunches: 2x15reps
Dumbbell Curls: 2x15reps at 15lbs
Dumbbell Overhead Press: 2x15reps at 20lbs
Dumbbell Bench Press: 2x15reps at 15lbs

Gaining Weight!

Current Weight: 227lbs
Body Fat: 40.8%

I can't believe I'm still gaining weight, and not losing body fat. I'm obviously gaining strength, as indicated by the increase in weight amounts I am able to lift. But, muscle mass and body fat percentage are not changing and my weight is increasing.

Tuesday's Workout

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 11 (58 lbs)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15 (82 lbs)
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 125lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 120lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 7 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 81lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 94lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 144lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 55lbs

Finally Not Sick

Current Weight: 222lbs
Body Fat: 38.4%

I'm finally over the sickness and am looking forward to working out once again.

Thursday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 11 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 125lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 120lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 7 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 81lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 94lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 144lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 55lbs

Happy Birthday Giovanni

Current Weight: 226lbs
Body Fat: 38.3%

Today we took the kids horseback riding to celebrate Giovanni's 11th birthday. They all had a great time and so did I. Supposedly, horseback riding is a great core workout. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd love to try it daily just to find out.

Still Sick

Current Weight: 222lbs
Body Fat: 38.4%

I'm still not feeling well, congested chest, sinus blockage, but I need to get something done today.

Saturday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 11 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 120lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 120lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 7 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 81lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 94lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 144lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 55lbs

Sickness

Current Weight: 219lbs
Body Fat: 38.7%

I'm sick and not working out today. I hate being sick :(

Yoga

Current Weight: 226lbs
Body Fat: 38.4%

I tried something totally new today. 1 hour of Yoga. It was more physically exerting than I expected, and the stretching was great. The only problem I had was the "Eagle" pose with my bad knees.

Body Fat

Current Weight: 221lbs
Body Fat: 40.4%

I'm not really sure what's going on. My body fat is increasing, yet my weight is decreasing. That means I'm losing lean muscle mass. Instead of using the impedance method I may have to purchase calipers and check my body fat that way. We'll see.

Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 11 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 120lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 120lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 7 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 81lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 94lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 144lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 55lbs

Monday Morning Bike Ride 3

Current Weight: 222lbs
Body Fat: 40.1%

This is my third Monday in a row riding my bike to work. I made it in 55 minutes, we'll see how the homeward commute goes later today.

Home in 69 minutes, making it a 62 minute average.

Goal Reaffirmation

Current Weight: 222lbs
Body Fat: 37.4%

Having a written goal is an important part of achieving it. Writing your goal down assists you in visualizing it, seeing the success you want to achieve, and working toward achieving it. As I mentioned before, goals should be specific and achievable.

A common problem with most goals are they are only a single, long term goal. This can become discouraging, and make it harder to see the progress you are making toward that goal. To prevent this issue, take your long term goal and break it down into smaller steps. This gives you intermediate goals you can achieve and helps you see the steps you are taking.

An important part of goal setting is defining a time limit. A goal without a time limit is only a wish. Goals are things we WILL accomplish.

My Goals are:

• Get below 20% body fat by January 1
  
• Drop 2% body fat each month for the next 10 months
  
• Perform 12 pullups without assistance or kip by October 1
  
• Perform 2 pullups without assistance or kip by May 1
  
• Perform 4 pullups without assistance or kip by June 1
  
• Perform 6 pullups without assistance or kip by July 1
• Perform 8 pullups without assistance or kip by August 1
• Perform 10 pullups without assistance or kip by September 1
• Make my 12 mile work commute on bike (both ways) within 45 minutes by January 1
• Make 12 mile commute within 55 minutes by June 1
  
• Make 12 mile commute within 50 minutes by September 1
  

Smaller Plates

Current Weight: 223lbs
Body Fat: 38.4%

It has been shown that by eating food from a small plate, people feel fuller than if they ate the exact same amount of food from a larger plate. With a larger plate, especially at a buffet, we also have the tendency to try to fill every inch of the plate, causing us to eat too much.

So instead of grabbing the largest plate you can and piling on the food, find a normal sized plate, and eat a normal serving size.

The Scales

Current Weight: 220lbs
Body Fat: 38.7%

I did it. I broke free of the stigma of the scales and am going to use it only as an additional measuring tool. I weighed myself today with the attitude of "so what?" So what if I've gained weight. So what if I've gained fat. I expected to since I didn't do anything for almost 6 months, and now I can use the scales to measure my progress once again.

Wednesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 11 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 115lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 115lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 7 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 81lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 94lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 144lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 55lbs

Paul McKenna: I Can Make You Thin!

My wife and I recorded "I Can Make You Thin!" on TLC with our DVR last Sunday and finally had a chance to watch it. The show is based on Paul McKenna's book of the same name. Paul's rules make sense, and reiterate a few things I've said previously. His 4 golden rules are:

1. When you are hungry, eat.
2. Eat what you want.
3. Eat consciously.
4. When you feel full, stop.

First, when we starve ourselves, our metabolism slows down, saving precious energy and storing fat for later. When we feel physically hungry, as opposed to emotionally hungry, we should eat, so our body knows food is available and our metabolism can maintain burning calories. Paul also revealed a very important weight loss tip: if you think you are hungry, you might simply be dehydrated. It seems that 75% of the time we think it’s hunger, it’s actually thirst. McKenna recommends drinking one glass of water and waiting to see if the hunger passes, common to the "15 minute" trick I mentioned previously.

Second, appetite only increases in the absence of the thing we desire. If we eat the foods we have cravings for, the cravings go away. If we deny ourselves that which we want, we only want it more, and will most likely binge on it when we get it. The foods we desire, however, will change when we follow rule 3.

Eating consciously means to eat slowly and deliberately. Don't multitask while you are eating, focus on the food. Take small bites and enjoy each bite of food. Place your silverware down between bites and relax, savoring the flavors of the food. Instead of getting a rush from quickly eating foods high in sugar, you will begin to actually taste them and find you no longer crave some of the processed garbage you used to like.

Despite what your mother told you, don't feel guilty for not cleaning your plate. Better for the unused food to go into the trash than to your hips and thighs. Eating to excess is one of the largest causes of weight gain. It is far easier to guiltily consume 500 calories than it is to burn it off afterward, you will always be under the control of the calorie equation.

Monday Morning Bike Ride

As with last week, the ride in to work was nice, and it seemed easier to maintain my peddling pace. I got there in 55 minutes.

The ride home was hot, 85 degrees when I started at 5:00pm, and I was foolish enough to forget a water bottle. I made it home in 60 minutes.

Now my coccyx hurts. My bike seat is well padded, spring based, and has a gel cover. The middle of the seat has a crevice so it appears less pressure is put on the base of the spine, but I still felt it all day at work and at night tonight.

10x3 or 12x1

I previously researched, and posted, about how many sets and repetitions one should use when working out. I started my workout routine in February based on what I discovered and used 1 set of 12 repetitions to muscle fatigue.

While this appeared efficient, and initially saw gains, I'm not seeing gains now. Today I decided to try the 10x3 approach to see how different it would feel. Of course, I thought I wouldn't be able to use the same weight for the 10x3 as I used for the 12x1. It appears I've been short-changing myself and not pushing as hard as I should. For every exercise except assisted pullups I used the exact same weight as I used previously.

Friday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 10x3 at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 10x3 at lvl 16
Seated Chest Press: 10x3 at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 10x3 at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 10x3 at lvl 6.5 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 10x3 at 75lbs
Seated Flys: 10x3 at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 10x3 at 137.5lbs
Camber Curls: 10x3 at 50lbs

Maunday Thursday

Today is Maunday Thursday, so no workout tonight.

Discouragement and a Reboot

Last winter I got seriously discouraged due to a plateau. I couldn't break 213, and my weight kept going up and down around there. I took a break from measuring, took a break from Taekwondo, and from all other exercise. I gained a few pounds in the process. I should have at least maintained what I was doing to hold the current weight, now I feel like I have to start all over again and it makes it harder than when I initially started.

Regardless, in February of this year (2008) I enrolled in the local YMCA and started a weight lifting regimen. The choice of exercises right now are to build the muscles I want to focus on, my perceived weak spots. By gaining lean muscle mass I hope to increase my metabolism and further my long term fat loss goal. I'll be back-posting the old workouts as I get time, as well as future workouts and additional informative articles.

In addition to the exercises I'm doing at the Y, I'm also starting to ride my bike to work irregularly. It's a 12 mile trek 1 way and my bike is a mountain bike (Trek 4100 Alpha), not really designed for street riding, but it does the job. I'll be discussing that too.

Tuesday Workout

The week has already started yesterday with my bike ride, such as it was, and my workout for this week has no gains. My son has started Baseball and practice is on Tuesday and Thursday nights, so we'll be working out after practice, if it doesn't go too late.

Current progress:
Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6.5 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 69lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 50lbs

Bicycle Commuting

The City of Tucson is trying to promote riding your bike to work. You'd think they'd have employees (of which I am one) set the example by giving them incentives or something. Budgets being tight, I can see where the problem may be, but for my health, and cost savings, I'm going to give it a try anyway. I'll start one day a week, and see how it goes, especially as the weather changes into the Summer.

My path is around Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, down Golf Links road then all the way down Aviation Parkway to the Public Works building downtown. The map of the route isn't exact due to the nature of bike lanes and the Snake Bridge, but it's close. It's about 12 miles each way. At 6:30 in the morning the ride is nice and cool (for now), but the ride home at 5:00pm at 80 degrees isn't going to be as nice.

So today I took my bike, a 3 year old Trek 4100 Alpha mountain bike, and rode it to work. The rear tire was flat, but I had self-sealing tires so I pumped it up and was ready to go. Halfway to work the tire went flat again. It appears that sitting for a year didn't keep the self-sealing goop in good condition. I pumped the bike up again and almost made it to work before it was flat again. I didn't ride home on it because I didn't feel like pumping the tire on the way so I called my wife to pick me up.

I made the trip in about 60 minutes, so that's an average of 5 minute mile. For my first bike ride in years, and my first ever long distance bike ride, I don't feel I did too badly.

End of the Sixth Week

Another week come and gone. Increases are still being made, but they appear quiet slow. I'd make a change, but I'm going to be starting to ride my bike to work Monday, so we'll see how that pans out.

Saturday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6.5 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 69lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 50lbs

Another Thursday

Just another Thursday workout.

Thursday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6.5 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 69lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 50lbs

Cutting Exercises

I want to focus more on my upper body and feel my bubble-butt doesn't need expansion. However, with the gluteous maximus being the largest muscle in the body, I'm not sure I should remove the directed exercises. We'll try it and see, it's not like I'm weighing myself.

Wednesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6.5 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 69lbs
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 50lbs

Workout Changes

I'm adding Camber Curls to my workout routine to help increase arm strength. Camber curls are arm curls with your upper arm resting on a padded frame, focusing all work on the Biceps.

Current Progress:Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 69lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs
Camber Curls: 12r at 50lbs

End of the Fifth Week

Another week come and gone and I'm still avoiding the scales...

Saturday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 110lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 110lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 69lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

Too Much?

It seems I won't have a chance to work out Thursday, so I'm making up for it today. Or am I? Working out the same muscle groups 3 days in a row without a day off may work, or it may over-stress those muscles and joints giving a diminished return, with increased risk of injury. I guess we'll see.

Wednesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 100lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 90lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

Week Five

Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 90lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 90lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

Missed Day Makeup

I missed working out this weekend so I'm seeing if I can just make it up today. When working out you need to give your body enough rest so it can rebuild, but I'm not a power-lifter and don't think 2 consecutive days should be too bad.

The below image is a chart of my current progress:Monday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 12 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 90lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 90lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

Working Out With the Kids

Most of the days I work out, I'm working out with my kids. They are learning proper safety, form, and the joys of working out, in addition to gaining some strength and self-confidence. I don't force them to work out with me, and some days they choose to play racquetball or go down to the skate park and ride skateboards. It is good they can see the benefits of exercise and are enjoying it.

Thursday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 90lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 90lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

Week Four

Another week, and it feels like a smaller jump in weight. I'll have to chart the changes and compare...

Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 100lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 85lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 87.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

End of the Third Week

Another week passes and I still don't want to weigh myself. Things are going well, I feel well, I see increases in my weight training, why jinx it?

Saturday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 95lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 80lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 75lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

What "Assisted" Means

The "assisted" exercises I've been doing, dips and pullups, are using a machine that counters your body weight with weights that help lift you. For someone who is overweight, like myself, or simply whose strength to mass ratio is not enough where they can do a full set of dips or pullups, having an assisting machine helps you do a full set of exercises. While this may seem like cheating to some, I feel it is far more effective to do 12 proper pullups with assistance than 3 pullups struggling and kicking.

Thursday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 95lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 80lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 62.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

Week Three

The beginning of week three of my new workout regimen and once again I'm going to increase some weights.

Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 90lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 70lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 6 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 195lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 62.5lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 87.5lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 62.5lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 137.5lbs

End of the Second Week

Second week over and things are going well. I'm not sure when I'll start weighing myself again, however, because I'm worried the lack of weight loss, or even weight gain, will be discouraging. Even though I know in my head that by building lean muscle mass, which is denser than fat, will cause a short term gain.

Saturday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 80lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 55lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 5 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 190lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 56lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 81lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 56lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 131lbs

Second Week Workout

The workouts are feeling great, and the new weights appear to be working well.

Thursday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 80lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 55lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 5 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 190lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 56lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 81lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 56lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 131lbs

First Jump

After the first week, I've decided to try to move up a little in specific exercises that were getting too easy at 12 repetitions. Also, I was doing pullups with my arms in front of me instead of the harder method, with the arms out to the side, so I've changed. This required a drop in the level since they are much harder this way.

Tuesday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 13 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 15
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 80lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 55lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 5 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 190lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 56lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 81lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 56lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 131lbs

One Week Down

This is the last workout of the week. It feels good to be lifting weights again. I haven't done any weight training since I was in the Marines 14 years ago. I intend to go into detail on specific muscle groups and why I chose the workouts I have, but for now I'm just detailing what I'm doing for my own tracking.

Saturday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 14 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 14
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 75lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 50lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 4 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 170lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 50lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 75lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 50lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 125lbs

Thursday's Workout

The choice of 12 repetitions is explained in more detail here: How Many Sets? This is a test of that, and we'll see how well it works.

Thursday's Workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 14 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 14
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 75lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 50lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 4 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12reps at 170lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 50lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 75lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 50lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 125lbs

Achieving a Good Baseline

It is recommended to constantly increase the number of repetitions or weight with a workout to continue to stress the muscles, creating an increasing gain. Currently, however, I am attempting to reach a baseline where I can perform all the exercises to a full 12 repetition set, with muscle fatigue. This will be my baseline, and from there I can see how best to advance.

Tuesday's workout:

Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 14 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 14
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 75lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 50lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 4 (weight unknown)
Seated Leg Press: 12r at 170lbs
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 50lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 75lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 50lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 125lbs

New Exercises

On February 3rd, 2008, I signed up at the local YMCA and am starting an exercise routine. Here's my first day's workout:

Seated Leg Press: 12reps at 170lbs
Assisted Dips: 12r at lvl 14 (weight unknown)
Assisted Pullups: 12r at lvl 14
Seated Chest Press: 12r at 75lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 12r at 50lbs
Cable Crossovers: 12r at lvl 4 (weight unknown)
Standing Calf Raises: 12r at 50lbs
Glute Extensions: 12r at 75lbs (each leg)
Seated Flys: 12r at 50lbs
Seated Rows: 12r at 125lbs