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After yesterday’s exhilarating workout, today was a bit of a disappointment. I’ve always known that my upper-body strength was lacking. Even in high school, I could lift great weights with my legs, but my arms were like putty.
Based on reader recommendations, I scaled back my upper-body workout this morning to compensate for the fact that my left arms is significantly weaker than my right. Things went better than Monday, but I still had some trouble.
Most of all, it’s disappointing to realize that for some of the exercises I’m using three-pound weights. Three pounds! Yet even using these for the side raises brings my left shoulder to fatigue.
I know I should be patient — this is only my first week — but it’s frustrating to be literally starting at square one. I wonder if I oughtn’t add daily push-ups to my routine. (After writing that sentence, I decided to do a quick test. I can do three push-up. Three. Based on national averages, a man my age should be able to do 27 consecutive push-ups!)
Meanwhile, I’ve had a minor struggle with Girl Scout cookies. The diet portion of my fitness program has actually gone remarkably well lately. I’ve lost most of my cravings for sugar, which is hard to believe. (Now I’m craving fried food instead.)
In a moment of weakness yesterday, however, I bought some cookies from a Girl Scout. She was cute as a button, so I bought some Lemon Cremes. In an ideal world, I would bring these home and then maybe have one or two cookies per day. But I don’t work that way. Not yet. The cookies were gone within 24 hours.
I have not learned to control my “spending” on food. I’m working on it, but I haven’t mastered the mental skill required to take control of food instead of letting it control me. Until I do, it’s best to just keep the tempting stuff out of the house.
Yesterday was a great day for my personal fitness. Today was a reminder that I’m still very much a beginner, and that I have a long way to go.
Mac
25 responses so far ↓
1 Roger Mudd // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Don’t get discouraged. First off, you’re just getting back into the swing of things. You should probably go easy for a week or two or you’ll be so sore you won’t want to go back.
Second, going easy will let you focus on form — which is much more important than the amount of weight you’re lifting. This is particularly true of the lateral raises you “struggled” with in the anecdote above.
This exercise is meant to target a very small and specific muscle group. One that was never intended to lift large amounts of weight.
Next time you’re in the gym, watch others doing this exercise. I bet you’ll see the vast majority of people, their bodies swaying, use momentum to complete the movement. This completely defeats the purpose.
If you do the exercises correctly you’ll see results faster and reduce the risk of injury. Stick with it and thanks for sharing your experiences!
2 Red // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:20 pm
In a few months you will pine for this time, when it was so easy to make progress.
As far as learning to control yourself around food, I’m a firm believer that it’s ALWAYS best to just keep the stuff out of the house. You have to be a zen master to avoid having those weak moments where half a box of oreos sounds like a good idea.
3 Sarah // Mar 14, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I call those types of things “trigger foods” - the things that will certainly trigger me into a binge. I didn’t get within 10 feet of a Girl Scout cookie this year, because it’s all too easy for me to polish off a whole box without blinking.
My trick, when it comes to treats, is to go and buy ONE of what I want. I want some ice cream? Fine, but I go and get a cone… not a half-gallon. Some candy? I get one bar, not a bag of snack-size treats (which are never consumed one piece at a time).
I don’t deny myself, I just find ways to have what I want without undoing what I have done (at this writing, I’ve lost 41 pounds).
Great blog, by the way… thanks for writing!
4 tom // Mar 14, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Don’t sweat the 3 lbs on side raises. That’s a very difficult exercise, and as Roger said, most people aren’t doing them right. Focus on keeping your body still and not using your legs, etc. I’ve been doing those for years, and the maximum I got to was like 25lbs, which was probably too much. Just because it’s 3 lbs doesn’t mean you aren’t working hard.
5 Debbie Cowherd // Mar 14, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Three pounds — it’s just a number, not some sort of measurement of character or anything. Whether it’s 3 or 25 or 50 doesn’t matter, it’s just a point on your journey; something to measure your future progress by, not to beat yourself with over the past. You start from where you are, not from where you think you should be. In all things, not just side raises.
I’m finding your posts very inspiring. This process is going to have its ups and downs, it’s just the way it goes. Don’t obsess about the numbers, just keep up with the process and you’ll do just fine.
6 Susan // Mar 14, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Congrats on a great workout yesterday!
Don’t beat yourself up for a less than ideal one today. Your body is just getting used to this and is probably recovering from yesterday’s workout. Maybe you need a longer rest time. OR, go lighter the day after your regular workout. You’ll soon build up strength and endurance.
Don’t even concern yourself about the 3-lb weights! They’re what’s best for your body at this time. Don’t compare yourself to others. Just go at YOUR pace.
Hey, if you start at 3, you have nowhere to go but up - and you will!!!
Girl Scout cookies “shudder!” I don’t even let myself look at them; they’re too tempting!
7 Joe Kennedy // Mar 14, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Just me and a box of Samoas.
8 luneray // Mar 14, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Hi JD,
Don’t get discouraged. Focus on yourself and not any “national averages”. I’m assuming that you are right handed, which is why your left side is weaker than your right. (I’m left handed, so it’s the opposite for me.)
Are you working with a personal trainer? At least at first so that you learn how to do the exercises properly.
My fitness routine isn’t going as well as I’d hoped (I’m not nearly as hardcore as you though. No marathons for me. I’m just trying to get off my butt more.) I’d had grand plans to walk to the library today (5miles roundtrip) but it’s just freaking pouring rain. Nope. Not doin’ it. Maybe it’s time to dust off the ol’ DDR mat.
9 luneray // Mar 14, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Oh, and those GS Lemon Creams are just freaking deadly. In terms of calorie count, ONE of those cookies is worth FOUR Thin Mints or FIVE Trefoil shortbreads.
Wish I’d known that before I’d consumed about half a package.
10 Cynthia // Mar 14, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Don’t worry… you’ll improve. Like others said, focus on form, don’t worry about how much weight you can or can’t do.
As for the cookies, best not to have bought them… or, if you had to, buy them, then give them away or throw them away immediately. Even back to the Girl Scout if necessary.
I am the same, I can go through a whole box… (I bought plenty of my own stock when I was a Girl Scout, way back when, sigh…) and well, I just cannot bring them into my house. Period.
11 MS // Mar 14, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I’ll echo everyone who said not to worry about the 3-pound weights. Side raises are a very weak lift, even the World’s Strongest Man competitors were using 30-pound weights for a similar lift (actually a hold), and they’re freakishly strong.
I wouldn’t add the daily push-ups. You get stronger while you’re resting from your workouts. Muscles need about 48 hours (at least) between strength training sessions to repair themselves.
Keep up the good work.
12 brad // Mar 15, 2008 at 3:08 am
Taking 24 hours to go through a box of Girl Scout cookies shows remarkable restraint, in my opinion. When I was a journalist on deadline, I would frequently go through an entire box of Oreos in 2 hours.
It’s funny how weak muscles can get when you don’t use them. I’ve been learning the uilleann pipes (Irish bellows-blown bagpipes, one of the most complex instruments in the world), and despite the fact that I’ve always done regular arm exercises, I’ve never done anything that resembled the force of squeezing a bagpipe bag and those muscles were remarkably weak. It still takes nearly all my strength to get the pipes to play correctly, and I can only play for 15-20 minutes at a time (not that anyone in my house complains about my lack of stamina). But I can see progress.
13 Mike // Mar 15, 2008 at 4:44 am
I agree with what the posters say — it takes time and you have to start where you are. The side raises are a killer and I had to start with modified push-ups (about 10 at first). I can do about 20 regular ones now which just blows my mind (about 6 months later).
My new strategy for food I don’t want to keep at home is to bring it in to work and share. My co-workers seem to appreciate the treat and I don’t eat the whole box. (I don’t leave it at my desk either).
14 Alan Bluehole // Mar 15, 2008 at 4:59 am
I just read an article which said that because of labeling laws, Girl Scout Cookies still contain transfat, but it’s not identified as such. They even subtly mention it in the FAQ. It’s a “per serving” roundabout.
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/faqs.asp#hydrogenated
15 Cammy // Mar 15, 2008 at 5:04 am
Keep in mind that it’s not the number on the dumbbell that makes the difference; it’s the amount of effort you expend in lifting them that will get you fit. It really doesn’t matter whether that’s three pounds or thirty.
Except for side raises, which I’m convinced only Superman can actually do without pain.
Hang in there; you are doing GREAT!
16 brooklynchick // Mar 15, 2008 at 5:14 am
Great article about push-ups in the NYTimes this week:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/health/nutrition/11well.html?ei=5087&em=&en=f0e33dbb2eeaad35&ex=1205726400&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1205586083-sAk2xzotd6MowOLgUyLhhQ
17 brooklynchick // Mar 15, 2008 at 5:18 am
To me, I’m impressed that you went to the gym!! That’s the part I struggle with (and my gym is ON MY FLOOR AT WORK!!!). Anytime I go, I consider it a victory.
Its not about how strong your arm is. Its about making permanent lifestyle changes. If you’re going to stay fit, you’ll be lifting weights for the rest of your life! You have plenty of time to build reps.
Pat yourself on the back for persistence!
18 greenman2001 // Mar 15, 2008 at 5:53 am
The “national average” for sit-ups is 27.
How do you even know this? And how on earth did they come up with that number?
The amount of negative self-talk in this post is incredible. I’m beginning to understand why it’s been so hard for you to get back in the gym: you’re climbing a mountain you’ve manufactured for yourself.
You’ve managed to infantilize yourself (I need training wheels), emasculate yourself (the average man “should be able to do” 27, I can only do 3), and completely invent a standard that doesn’t exist (minimum non-embarrassing weight for lateral raises) that you then beat yourself up for not meeting. Then you place these failures in a motivation-destroying context: I have a long way to go; and you increase the scope of work: this hasn’t been tough and depressing enough, so let me add another exercise (push-ups) that I do inadequately. Then I’ll blog about it.
Are you off your rocker?
You will never, ever hear this kind of talk from professional atheetes, serious bodybuilders, or competitors in fitness competitions. They are completely and totally results-oriented: they measure everything because progress forward is the fuel that drives them. They live for the day when they move from the 3 lb dumbbell to the 3 1/2 lb dumbbell. They have absolute faith in their program and the physiology that underlies it: make demands on muscles and those muscles will get bigger and stronger. When you are pushing your body to the limit of what it can do without injury, the statement “I have a long way to go” is of absolutely no value to you. What a professional says is, “Five reps, perfect form, let’s go.” Over and over again.
If you’re going to be self-conscious in the gym and pay attention to those beautiful, trim bodies, you’d be wise to take Roger’s advice and actually look at people’s form when they’re lifting: most people lift incorrectly, usually because they’re lifting too much weight and they have to compensate with other muscles to help out.
Girl Scout cookies are baked by the Devil.
I’m a little surprised that you’re not making more of the fact that your sugar cravings have disappeared. The people who responded to your sugar craving post talked about their never-ending struggle to manage their sugar cravings year upon year, and offered all kinds of hacks and tricks and tips. If I’m understanding you correctly, you cut way down on your sugar intake and your cravings went away on their own, just like that. That’s kind of extraordinary, don’t you think?
19 elisabeth // Mar 15, 2008 at 2:08 pm
When kids ask me to buy candy to support a school activity or the girl scouts come around, I sometimes give the money and say “keep the product” (and when it’s a parent at work I’m finding it easier to just say, no thanks), but I think there’s a larger question here and if I were a parent, I might be asking that there be some consideration of what we’re doing as a culture. There should be more “we’re selling boxes of clementines” than “do you want to buy some chocolate” [and it’s always milk chocolate… not even the better dark stuff].
20 Zulu // Mar 15, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Hang in there. I’m in a strikingly similar situation, except I started down the same road about a month before you did. I too felt weak. I also stuck with it, and I saw tangible results by doing it right and being consistent.
Maybe I’m just getting old, but I no longer really care about the impression others have of what I’m doing. You know what I mean, am I lifting enough, running fast enough etc. Who cares? It is what it is, and it won’t get better except by doing what needs to be done. If that means 3 lb weights so be it.
Just keep doing it for two months and re-evaluate. You’ll never notice the day-to-day difference, but you will notice the month-to-month.
Good luck.
Zulu
21 Andrew is getting fit // Mar 16, 2008 at 12:12 am
National average is 27? I’ll believe that when I see it. Maybe for 18 years olds.
22 greenman2001 // Mar 16, 2008 at 10:12 am
Following brooklynchick’s link, I e-mailed the NYTimes to get a reference for the 27 push-up national average. This sounds like an inference based on a guess to me. I just don’t know how you would measure something like this even if you are using proper statistical tools. I’ll report back.
23 Josh // Mar 17, 2008 at 4:44 am
Another vote for do not add daily pushups. You’re working out chest already. It would be very easy at this point to overtrain.
You’ll gain strength very quickly. This week I predict you nearly double your strength on a few lifts. I started training my wife 3 weeks ago. I have her do pushups for chest. She did three the first day, last night she did 11! In 3 weeks!
-Josh
24 Healthy Amelia // Mar 17, 2008 at 10:27 am
JD, I agree that you are being overly hard on yourself. You’ve chosen a very well respected program to follow (Body for Life) so give it a shot as it is described. These things are tried and true. Doing things like doing longer cardio sessions (like you mentioned in another post) and adding pushups will most likely lead to injury. Give yourself a break and give the program some time to show you results. It is extremely common for people to do these types of things out of impatience and overzealousness but it only leads to burnout. If it’s not a physical injury that impedes you, then a mental burnout from overdoing it will surely do the job.
I am guilty of this myself, and so speak from experience. I was following the Couch to 5k program and became impatient with the “short” 30 minute walk/run intervals. I upped them to 45 minutes but as soon as I had to deal with an obstacle (week-long bout of the flu), it was all too easy to blow it off even after I started to recover. I’m back to following the program as it was intended. It was a bit arrogant, I must admit, to think that *I* knew better. I just need to give it a chance to really work.
25 Sarah // Mar 18, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I have trouble believing 27 is the number of push-ups the average 40-year old can do. I think maybe the writer used confusing language, and 27 is a recommendation for a fit 40-year-old. As in, we should aspire towards this.
There is no way an average fat-butt American can do that many.
Also, way to go! Your blog posts (via Bloglines) keep my mind on going to the gym, where it would otherwise fall by the wayside.
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