As I wrote about a week ago, Project Food as Fuel is coming to a close. This doesn’t mean I will be footloose and fancy-free with my diet. I will maintain a low-carb diet, but I won’t be staying in ketosis 100% of the time. I will take a fine-tuning approach rather than the full focus I’ve had over the last year.
My new doctor and I agreed that my next focus should be strength training. It’s time to add muscle to further improve my metabolism, help eliminate excess fat, and become stronger to prevent injuries. I need to undo (or at least mitigate) the damage caused by sitting at a computer for 8-10 hours a day.
I haven’t done serious strength training in almost twenty years. I never planned to jump right into working out because I know that is a surefire way to get injured. Since October of 2019, I have been working with a flex therapist for assistive stretching. This was absolutely the right approach because now I feel more limber and able to take on more taxing physical exercise.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
My flex therapist also happens to be a physical trainer, and she’s put together a training program for me. I gave her one simple request to keep in mind when designing the program–imagine I’ve been in a coma for twenty years and I just learned how to walk.
The “Total Body Strengthening Program” targets three primary areas:
- Upper body - Using resistance bands and a kettlebell.
- Lower body - Squats and lunges
- Core - Kettlebell rotations and planks
Since I won’t be traveling for a while, I am going to stage my workout at home. If and when I start traveling again, I will figure out how to take the show on the road.
My first workout is in the books! I purposely waited until after my workout to write about this new project. I believe the technical term for my status is that I’m in “piss-poor shape.” My lower body and core are so weak, I’m not sure how I manage to ambulate this 195.5-pound body seemingly without much exertion.
I have a long way to go. I know it’s not going to be easy after neglecting my physical fitness for so long. I know I’m going to be sore tomorrow. I’m going to have a protein shake this evening, and I have set myself up for a great night of sleep–both are keys to recovery.
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” –Henry Ford
Project Strength has begun.