Ever since I found out that Abraham was incoming, I’ve not worked out. First, I broke my elbow and big toe, then my membership at the gym ran out, then the weather turned nice right when Abraham showed up. I’ve put on about 15 pounds that I need to take off. Cardio and less gorging are the only ways I’m going to get the weight off. This is going to be hard, since I like to cook and the women I work with bring in delicious chow on a regular basis.
When I was doing my weightlifting, I didn’t notice too much improvement in my upper body muscle tone, so I’m aiming to improve that by putting myself through the 100 push-ups meme. I’m shopping around for a good ab and lower-back calesthenics routine, but haven’t found one that doesn’t seem like it is more marketing than effectiveness. Basic training. I’m not expecting to get a six-pack, since that involves getting my body fat down to 5–6%.
I’m a bit odd-shaped. My legs are carved from wood due to 15 years of near constant running, fencing or cycling, but from the waist up I look like some dude who sits in an office chair all day eating donuts. It’s a shame I can’t run outdoors in the Cleveland winter, but my marathon training from a few years back has taught me that running in Cleveland winters ruins my arthritic knee. I don’t really want to drop cash money at a gym just for treadmill use.
I might recommend taking one Pilates class each week. It is effective in toning the upper body and reversing the effects of office work on posture, back and abdominal muscles. They offer classes at Studio 11 and you won’t need a gym membership.