This morning started off not quite as expected.  I went to bed around 10 PM last night, and went to the gym this morning without checking my cell phone.  When I got to the gym I started to warm up on the Arc Trainer, about 8 minutes into the warm up I realized the time was a few minutes past 6 AM, and no sign of Ali.  At 6:10 AM I realized something was wrong and told myself I’ll just get started and if he shows up late we can get a half session in. 

That's for you Ali, thanks for leaving me hanging buddy!

I decided with all the work that I’m doing with Ian, and Crossfit which focuses a high degree of work on the legs, and full body motions, I try to use the other days to do chest, and back exercises.   I found that even if I work the chest and back, it rarely prevents me from working out at Crossfit.  This morning was a chest day. 

Most of my self-driven workout was made up of short circuit routines.  I started on the bench press using dumbbells, moving up the following progression 50 lbs 15 reps, 55 lbs 12 reps, 60 lbs 10 reps, 65 lbs 8 reps.  After each set of flat bench dumbbell presses I would do 50 crunches on a resistance ball, and then use a medicine ball to do 50 overhead throw downs.   From the flat bench I moved to an incline bench and followed the same weight and rep progression as the flat bench.  After each incline bench set, I would did 50 oblique crunches on the ground, and then finish with one handed overhead medicine throw downs.

The third circuit I performed I did 30 reps of dumbbell flies lying on a resistance ball using 15 lb dumbbells, at the end of each set of flies, I would immediately go into 25 crunches on the ball while pressing the dumbbells straight upward towards the sky.  The next two exercises in the circuit were done using a TRX, 1 minute of TRX chest press, and 1 minute of TRX triceps extensions. 

My fourth and final circuit was more of a superset.  I used a 50 lb dumbbell to do overhead pull downs while laying on the bench, after 15 reps I would do 50 triceps extensions pushing the dumbbell off my chest.  The last part of the circuit involved doing triceps pull downs on the universal machine.  This final circuit was only done three times. 

From the weight work I went right into Monday Morning Mountain ( 12, 3 minute intervals, increasing in intensity) .  Using the Arc Trainer I warmed up for 5 minutes, and started my first leg of mountain at resistance level 35 and incline level 6.  Rather than working the resistance progressively over the 12 intervals, I decided to break the mountain session into three sections, section 1 done at resistance level 35,  section 2 done at resistance level 70, and section 3 done at resistance level 100.  For the first 4 stages of mountain I kept the resistance at level 35, and started with resistance of 6 and eventually reaching an incline level of 20, I followed this same pattern of increasing the incline in each section of mountain.  In the final four stages of mountain I made a slight change to the normal mountain routine and increased the work time in the 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th levels.

 It wasn’t my most awe inspiring cardio workout, but I felt good about what I was able to put out.  It was about 95% of what I had today, I just couldn’t sustain a high intensity level for more than a minute at a time. 

My eating habits were just ok today, I stayed on the meal plan, yet didn’t’ break them up enough.  I had two separate occasions today were I went past a period of time of feeling hungry.  Meaning I was hungry, then didn’t eat and just let it pass.  This is not good for the metabolism.

I did treat myself to another steak this evening, I ended up thawing out one too many yesterday, so I didn’t see a point refreezing something that was already thawed.  It just so happen that the cut that was left was a Delmonico steak. 

Red meat?  Yes please!

Grass Fed Delmonico Steak? Be careful I may cut you!

I have to vent something, or I might implode.  Driving on Columbia Pike from Arlington, VA to Annandale, VA is like driving through some bastardized international border crossing.  There seems to be an influx of immigrant, and foreign born drivers who don’t fucking get that slower traffic move to the right side of the road.  Every time in the last few weeks I’ve been driving down Columbia Pike my trip comes to a screeching halt when I get stuck behind someone whose primary language is clearly not English. 

It drives me insane!  

Hey Republican douche bags instead of telling the American people you are doing everything for the little guy, and then pass legislation allowing the banks to raise the fee that is charged to all consumers on debit transactions, how about you enact a practical law like requiring all foreign born people who want to get a US drivers license is required to take a seminar in the Louis Kim Institute for American Common Sense.

I know I’m a racist, oh well what can I say I just hate everyone. 

Now that my xenophobic rant is over.  I heard about a new book out by some guy who lost 40 lbs (big fucking whoop right), the title is “Die Fat or Get Tough, 101 differences between fat people and thin people”.  I’m interesting in reading the book, but I have some issue with a guy who lost 40 lbs telling obese people what the fuck to do, I mean really, it’s like a drag racer trying to tell a truck driver how to corner in an 18 wheeler.  After clicking on this guys website which looks like a cheap website done by an 8^th grader, it’s the kind of cheesy website that tries to sell the secret to gaining 6 inches in the pants, or eliminating baldness forever.   It gives you that oogy feeling that as soon as they get your e-mail address you will be whored out to every cheap offer on the internet.  The author has gotten quite a bit of attention purely because of the title. 

 I look forward to pushing myself this week, and trying to find a way to break the plateau.