Busy

I've just looked at my  post No more Bucket Lists…this one is a Fuck It List.....and where exactly has the last year gone?
Have I achieved: In no particular order:

1    1. Get my BMI-Waist measurement - Weight down to a healthy range.

2.      2. Stay alcohol free.

3.      3. Become physically beautiful. The goal is complete muscle definition with accompanying loss of my belly.

4.      4. Get my arse into Lycra without inflicting trauma on everybody.

5.      5. Climb walls with a rating of 20.

6.      6. Move well beyond the Sun Salutation in Yoga and become a serious student of Pilates and Yoga.

7.      7. Exercise for an hour every day.

8.      8. Become fluent in Indonesian. Will be writing a multilingual edition of the Dhammapada.

9.      9. Cycle from home via the Dingley-Dandenong Bypass-East link and Mullum Creek Trails into the city.

 

       No, I haven't.

Things haven't gone as expected this year.

Positives:

 

     I have gone from Obese to Overweight, so my BMI has dropped. My muscle definition is increased all over my body. I am clearly and increasingly toned. Whilst I'm not physically beautiful and the belly is still there, I am happier with how I look.

Climbing walls beyond 20...I Boulder more these days, so the ratings aren't there. When I do Top Rope, there is a change in my climbing...I'm stronger and technically better.

And there has been no Lycra inflicted trauma. Selina has essentially forbidden me to wear Lyrca EVER!!!

 

     As for the Pilates and Yoga.... Selina and I had a tough time this year. I was out of the house for almost 6 months, but things are certainly mending. My ability to build momentum just died. Having said this, I stretch when I climb, so my flexibility has increased.

My aerobic fitness is better. I'm cycling more and further.

      
My Indonesian IS a lot better. The Masters of Translation I'm doing has been a lot more work than I thought it would be. I've translated over 10 000 words this year. So my fluency has gone up.

Alcohol consumption has dropped. About September I was faced with a choice...I can either drink regularly or exercise...I can't do both. Drinking just kills my stamina and alcohol is a sugar...and sugar is discretionary calories. And as someone who wants to self-identify as an extreme sports nut...I need my stamina. So the choice was made for me and I drink about 3 - 4 times a month. Don't want to get drunk ever again. As I told people: I've never met an endorphin rush I didn't seriously like. I have, however, met plenty of hangovers I have hated. So with booze consumption way down and exercise way up...I've had a win.

I got a new phone in November. Using fitness app to record my exercise. Nice to have a series of maps showing my increasing fitness.

Negatives:
Family has struggled. Selina and I were apart for 6 months.

 

A Question of Body

Above there are photos of different types of physiques that are the result of different exercise regimes. 

I am, as you know, in the midst of a change in my life. I’ve spent seven years in tertiary studies, proven beyond doubt I’m more than just bright. Now I’m pursuing physical goals with the same discipline as I’ve pursued my intellectual goals.

So I’m doing a lot of physical activity. This week alone I’ve climbed for 8 hours, done about 500 lifts of weights (I never lift anything more than 12 kg, I’m about tone, not bulk),  better than an hour of Yoga, cycled for 20 km and played an hour of tennis with my very fit seven year old son. I haven’t managed all that much time on my rowing machine due to wanting to increase my Yoga & Pilates. I’m exercising most days.

With this amount of effort being put in the question has to be asked: What is it I want from the exercise?

 On the understanding that you are engaged or about to engage in a fitness regime this is a question you must ask yourself. Apart from the abundant and quite empirical material that exercise is good for you, why are you doing it? Answering this question will make achieving your goals easier.

My answer to this question is: I want a Yoga bod. My goal isn’t to bulk up. Selina isn’t a fan of the people that Clive James so aptly described as looking like stockings stuffed with walnuts. I’m not a fan of buying either a shitload of expensive and dangerous supplements or a new wardrobe. I want lots of long lean muscles. A Yoga Bod will support my climbing. The aerobic fitness from my tennis, cycling and rowing will get my waist under control. The visceral fat that is keeping my waist over 100 cm…and is slowly killing me has to go. In order to get that vigorous old age I want, the belly has to go and all my exercise supports that.

I expect, not unreasonably, that a very toned me will result in more sex. We make no attempt to hide our extracurricular activities…and the better I look…. I want to be a Disgusting Old Fuck. My version won’t be taking drugs, smoking or drinking heavily. My version will be climbing, cycling, rowing and being a Yogi into my 80’s. 

So I very clearly know what I want from my exercise regime….do you?