Primal Challenege- AppalachianMatt page 17

[AppalachianMatt]

2/13/2013.

I have been inconsistent with ym training but over the last few days I sat down and wrote out my goals. My goals are not to have a six pack or bench 500 lbs but to be as healthy as possible. I would liek to have a 6 pack as the by product of my hardwork but necessarily as an obsessiobn.

I drive about 750 miles a week for work and with that being said a gym membership doesn't work for me. I enjoy spending time with the family and waking up before 5 AM is not an option. I know some people do it but when you leave at 6 AM and then get home at 7 pm it ain't going to happen. So I have devised a workout plan to keep my energy levels up throughout the day. My entire workout plan hinges on body weight and the occasional weightlifting (when I have a chance).

Throughout the day I will do various sets of push ups, squats, lunges, stairs, dips and anythign else I can think of to throw in some variety. Yesterday I did a total of 120 push-ups (varied between standard and with my feet on my chair), about 60 dips, 3x up 4 flights of stairs (no more elevators for this guy), 100 squats and jumping squats with a few jumping jacks for warm-up. I do pull-ups and abs at the house. Again my goal is to build a solid base and focus on form and increasing my stength. When I do get a chance to go to the gym (already paid for this month so might as well use it when I can) I swim 20-25 laps after hitting the pull-up bar.

My diet has stabilized considerably. The family and I are back to 4-5 servings of veggies, 2-3 of fruit, clean protein (varies between beef, fish, chicken and pork). I have started to eat Greek Yogurt, sardines and am cutting back on grains and pastas.

I've been reading about one man's 100 day challenges which sound great but for me I like to start off with a smaller smaple and stick with 30 day challanges. I can build the momenttum and let it run from there. Over the next 30 days I am going to not drink any soft drinks, eat candy (processed foods), only 1 cup of coffee per day and keep the workout in tow. After 30 days I will reassess and go from there.

[AppalachianMatt]

Yesterday's workout.

125 push-ups, 125 squats (std and jumping), 50 dips, 50 lunges, 70 pull-ups.

Today I plan on continuing my workout but putting more emphasis on stretching. It feels good to commit to this again. Tonight I promised my son I would do push ups and mountain climbers and few pull-ups for good measure.

[AppalachianMatt]

What a good day to be alive. I had an amazing weekend with the family and it is never long enough. If only there could be a 4 day work week then life would be even better. I took some time to relax this weekend and focus on playing with the kids and spending time with the wife. It's amazing how hectic life can get at a moments notice and that if you don't take charge life can chew you up and spit you out without warning.

Work has been very good but the drive is starting to wear me down. I make great moneya nd love what I do but driving almost 750 miles per week is killing me. Not physically but mentally and emotionally. What I mean is I am very big with family. I want to spend as much time with my wife and kids as possible. I love playing, talking, goofing off with them and try to steer clear of the tv as much as possible. We make it a point to include our 3 yr old in nearly everythig we do from cooking to cleaning to helping change our little girls diapers (he doesn't change them but he tries his hardest to make her laugh while we do it).

I try to take advantage of my time in the car by listening to NPR or books on CD or my iphone. I figure if i am in the car I would rather do somehting productive then sit their aimlessly vegging out in traffic.

This morning I tried ot do what Mark was talking about with waking up with a purpose. I woke up (instead of hitting the snooze button), looked at myself all blurry eyed in the mirror and told myself that today was my day. I showered, made breakfast and was out the door in 20 minutes. Now I did rush but I also have a 1.5 hour drive to my office so I don't have much of a choice on that one but after I did this I have felt so motivated and positive all morning.

I plan on starting my workout as soon as I finish this post. 125 push-ups, 125 squats, 200 abs (crunches, bicycle kicks, chair crunches) and walking up 5 flights of stairs today. I can't believe how much better I feel since I started this little workout programa nd I am already seeing great results. I have energy all day, no caffeine after ym initial cup of coffee, no more sodas, cookies ( I work in HR and there is always candy). I hope you all have a great day and remember to focus on the positives. Write down your goals and attack them. If we sit back and wait for somehting to happen we'll never get anything done.

[AppalachianMatt]

Good morning fellow PB'ers. Another great day to get out there and make a difference. I woke up this morning a little blurried eyed but that quickly subsided with a few jumping jacks and stretches. I typically don't do workouts in the morning anymore b/c of time constraints but I've gotta tell you it makes a hell of a difference when the blood gets going.

I ran out of the house pretty quickly but on my hour long drive I hashed out a plan for not only today but also the rest of the week in regards to my workout, nutrition plan and stress relief. I will stick with my current workout format but up the ante. Instead of 125 push-ups I feel more comfortable now doing 6 sets of 30 push-ups, 150 squats/lunges, 150 abs (variations) and I've added a few new wrinkles to target other areas for strengthening. We just bought a water cooler for our office and I am keeping one of the extra water jugs in my office to use for lifting. It saves me from having to bring something in and there will be a never ending supply. It gives me a new challenge to try and the possibilities are endless.

I am the onyl man in 2 HR offices surrounded by 9 other owmen total. Now don't get too excited but I have directed them all to Marksdailyapple.com to show them how I stay in shape and the concepts I've been successful with at not only maintaining a healthy weight but also how I have been able to thrive in a world of choas. I say world of choas b/c if you have ever worked at a hospital then you understand this place is just as bad as High School with all the petty nonsense that hap[pens. One would thinka multi-billion dollar corporation would be different but far from it. Plus when you add all the high pressure situations to the sophomoric atmosphere it can be overwhelming.

My goal is to help create a program from the principles I've learned on this website as well as my journey through life that will empower the nurses ot get into better shape, handle stress more efficiently and give them the ability to control their own health. Far too many nurses are overweight and unhealthy. How can you expect patients to respect you if you are morbidly obese. Of course part of the program will cut down on missed work, increase critical thinking skills and overall job satisfaction. Again I just want to see others around me thrive b/c when others thirve it becomes contagious.

Have a great day.

[AppalachianMatt]

Todays workout so far

100 push-ups variation of standard, diamond, one leg raised (rotating)
100 squats
40 Dips
50 lunges
Water cooler raises (similar to dumbells)
Walked - 1 mile
Stretching

[AppalachianMatt]

Another great Thursday. Woke up bright and early and have already hit the day in stride. I cheated a little this morning and went to the dreaded McD's for breakfast. I know I said I wouldn't but time ran out on me this morning to cook my 4 eggs and bacon. No worries though as I am getting back to basics again.

Last night I started reading the Primal Blueprint for the third time and its still brings back that initial feeling of empowerment. I read the book the first time in about 3 days and I had to stop myself last night from staying up too late. It just lights a fire under me and I want to tackle it like I did before. Now I am not able to competely give up grains or at least I need ot find a substitute. Right now I am a healthy 195 lbs and feel outstanding.

[AppalachianMatt]

Thank God it's Friday. I need a break and could use some relaxation and more time with the family.

Yesterdays workout
150 push-ups
100 squats
50 Dips
20 pull-ups
40 lunges
100 abs (variations
hit the heavy bag for about 5 minutes when I got home.

I have to admit I am seeing some good results with my new workout. My main concern is not getting enough rest but I work on the phone all day and to sit idle for too long kills me. I typically try to rest on the weekends but I need to incorporate some sprints (once it stops raining here in Georgia long enough).

[AppalachianMatt]

Monday, Monday Monday. Why are the weekends so short? Well I took my weekend as my rest days and feel better from a soreness standpoint. I did some light stretching and hit the heavy bag for about 10 minutes but other than that we took it pretty easy. On Saturday we went to the Universoul Circus at Turner Field. Probably the best circus we've ever been too. Talk about pure athleticism. People doing flips off horses and elephants, the trapese artist balance and even some parkour to boot.

This week I am increasing the intensity and reps for my workouts. My goal is to consistently build up to 200 push-ups, 200 squats/lunges, 300 abs and hit the heavy bag 2-3 tims per week with one day of sprints. Again I have to stay busy or my energy levels drop drastically.

[AppalachianMatt]

Today has gone by much smoother than yesterday. For some reason my mornig yesterday was alittle off btu it rebounded nicely and today has started out pretty strong. Yesterday my total workout consisted of 150 push-ups, 138 squats, 3x 5 flights of stairs, stretching but no pull-ups or abs. \

Today I have been slammed but plan on starting my workouts before lunch. I have started using the water jugs for weights and the ladies in the office might think I am a little crazy but fitness is a part of my life and I plan on working it into every aspect. I don't have time to go to a gym and workout for an hour so I have to do it when I can. I feel pretty good right now but I wonder what other people think about a workout that spans throughout the day instead of one 30-50 minute session.

[AppalachianMatt]

Another great day to be alive. I have added a few more exercises ot my daily routine; RDL's, calf raises, more variations to the push ups and balancing on one foot (rotating of course) while I talk to potential interviews on the phone. I figure it will add a little variety and also get me prepared for flag football/softball. The wife and I are both former college athletes and not being in team sports is eating at us. I want our kids to see us play so they can emulate it when they get to the age of organized sports.

RDL's are rough though. I did a few last night and my back and hammy's are already sore. That'll probably be an every 2 or day thing but I plan on keepig up with my squats and push-ups. Again the goal is to reach 200 push-ups a day, 175 squats along with 75-100 pull-ups. By the end of March I want to be able to knock out 15 pull-ups without stopping. Going to be tough but it will help lead to me my ultimate goal of doing muscle ups.

Todays workout
175 push-ups
150 squats
40 RDL's
Dips 75
Stairs 3 times
Calf Raises 125
Pull-ups 50