The Muffin Top Challenge

The workouts have been going great! My shoulders, Chest, and arms have shown much progress. There has been one ongoing issue. An issue that prompted this new workout in the first place. Besides my wicked farmer's tan, this "issue" has made me very uneasy in taking/posting pictures without a t-shirt on. To be honest with you, even with a shirt on, there have been many pictures taken in the last couple months in which I looked "fat" or even oddly shaped (you can stop laughing now).  This issue..."muffin top". This was an expression I first heard from my cousin Shannon during her going away party from a company we were both employed at. Muffin top is when body fat hangs over the top of your pants. This issue has plagued me for years. As a matter of fact there was a picture taking of me (Thanks Ken) many years ago during a primary activity at the East Hampton town beach. This picture (actually there was a few of them) shows me wearing only my swim suite. My farmer's tan was embarrassing but still not as bad as the muffin top I had going. Oh sure, my shoulders looked good, as did my chest...but nothing could distract from the bell-shaped or bell shaped lower half of my body.

My new diet and workout has helped me shave many calories each workout. Adding jogging to my regimen has also made a huge difference. But nothing...nothing has helped get rid of my muffin top. The good news is it has not gotten worse. It could be lack of patients on my part or it could be my need for perfection ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkh-RitYuGg ). Either way, I would love to see less of the muffin top and more of a Randy Orton look. I realize that it's only September and I have two months left before the deadline, but I was hoping I would have made much more progress in that area. On a side note, I did learn a great way to burn calories is to do a workout with weights first and then cardio right afterwards. This helps burn more calories quicker. I'll explain the reason behind that theory in a future blog. 

So what do I do now? I do the one thing I always do when I seek more knowledge....GOOGLE!! Burning calories is the most important part of an ab workout. The other part...is the actual ab exercise. So I'll be spending time on GOOGLE and YOUTUBE ( http://www.youtube.com/ ) looking for another ab exercise to add to my arsenal. I hope in the near future that I'll have an opportunity to take and post pictures of my abs...but most likely not gonna happen until November. Well, until next time....STAY AWESOME!!  

Pictures of Geocaching

When geocaching your sleuthing skills become amazing. If you look closely, there is a well-camouflaged toad that was hiding behind of of the geocaches we found 

This was the hiding spot of my first find ("Sunday stroll"). The container in this picture is from another a letter boxing series. You would think that the park was big enough that people wouldn't need to hid there stuff in the same places as others.

"Sunday Stroll" geocache.  This was one of a series of geocaches named after the days of the week. 

My first geocache and the GPS that helped me find it

Maryanne and me at Giuffrida Park

First time Geocaching

On Saturday September 4th, my friend Maryanne took me geocaching with her at Giuffrida Park in Meriden, Connecticut. This was my first time geocaching and I was excited to learn as much as I could. I love hiking the trails at Giuffrida Park and love hiking up Chauncey Mountain which overlooks the park. But after awhile it gets to be kinda monotonous. Geocaching has brought a new excitement to hiking those trails.

What is Geo-caching? Think of it like a treasure hung using a GPS.  You can find more information on Geo-Caching at
http://www.geocaching.com/

The two of the many benifits of geocaching that I really enjoy are the fellowshipping with friends and getting exercise without it seeming like your working out. The time seemed to go by fast and I missed the deadline to pick up my dry cleaning (we started at about 1pm and finished sometime around 6pm). I didn't care in the least. I was having a great time and experiencing Giuffrida Park in a way I have never done before. I even went on different trails I never dared to go on. The views from atop of the hills were simply amazing to say the least. The challenge of looking for hidden containers was just that, a challenge. Well for me it was, maybe not Maryanne who has been doing this for about 4 years. In the end, we got stumped and decided to come back when another day with a better coordinance to input into the GPS.

This was the best way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon. It also gave me a chance to get to know Maryanne better. I would highly encourage anyone who loves the outdoors to get involved with geocaching, especially now while the weather is perfect. Its a fun and inexpensive activity and a great way to bond with others as well as burn calories and even hone your sleuthing skills. I'll be posting some pics up shortly.

After geocaching, I ended up watching BYU football with friends. GO COUGARS!!! It was a most awesome Saturday! This fall is going to be very adventurous. I have quite a few fun activities that I will be involved in and will promote them on my blog. Hope you are all enjoying life and remember...STAY AWESOME!!

Pictures of my last workout with Graham

Toward the end of my workout you can tell I'm getting tired. This was not my best lunge (almost improper form)

Lunges

Even I have to admit my body is looking AWESOME!!

"Wide leg" leg press with more weight

"Wide leg" leg press

Squats

That's me and the greatest trainer of all time, Graham

Last day with my personal trainer

So Thursday September 2nd was the last day with my personal trainer Graham at the Power House Gym in Berlin, CT (see link on the lower right hand side of my page). It was a six session training program in which I stepped up my normal routine by experimenting with different exercises than I normal do. My personal goal is to develop my chest, glutes, and abs. In the process I've learned new workouts for my arms, back, and shoulders. I have until my 33rd birthday (November 25th) to reach my goals and looks like I'm right on target. Even my running has improved! I've even cut about 2K calories from my diet and am still eating about 5 meals a day. I'm gonna try to post pics from my last day of training, but will update my blog with new pics and different exercises on a regular basis. (If you can ignore the amazingly awful farmer's tan that I'm sporting, you'll see my body is starting to look better already) This way you guys can see the progress I'm making.
Hope your all enjoying this amazing labor day weekend and remember...STAY AWESOME!!

Why am I blogging?

Anyone who knows me, knows I have never been a big fan of the "blog".  When it all started, it seemed people just wanted to complain about stuff (instead of doing something about whatever they disagreed with) and since their friends didn't want to hear them complain, they created a blog. Wow! How things have changed. Blogs are now being used to communicate with family and friends across the world to let them know how they are doing and what happening in life. Which is one reason why I started this blog. Another reason is that some Facebook friends have shown an interest in my progress in the gym, so why not use this blog to showcase my workouts/results? This also helps me push myself as I try to reach my fitness goals. For instance, my main goal now is to build up my chest, glutes, and develop my abs. The deadline for my goal is by my 33rd birthday (November 25). And of course for those that know of my love for running, you will be able to see pics of me from all my races and my times. (That is if I can figure out how to upload pics...I'm not too good with this technology stuff)

So sit back and relax and get ready to experience Awesomeness at its best! This is me and my adventurous life in New England. From the hiking, to running, to work, school, and my life at Berlin's own Power House Gym; your gonna have a chance to see life through my eyes. Let the adventure begin and remember....Stay Awesome!!