Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Day Three

Diet: Back on track...had some Stir Fry with rice and veggies in a wok...really good...
Then my fiance made her world-famous Chicken Salad...Great for sandwiches....

Workout: had to make up for yesterday so today is gonna be a rough one...first I did Plyometrics which is alot of jumping, squating, lunging continuously for about 50 minutes with very, very short breaks...wow, I shoulda taken a picture of the pool of sweat on the ground when I finished...

and then when I was done it was time for Shoulders and Arms which is by far the easiest workout so far, but still pretty tough...I guess because you are working out all small muscles that it doesn't tire you out too bad, Thank God....

Weight: 231 hmm...going the wrong direction...but no worries yet..

Day Two

Starting to get pretty sore...love that lactic acid build-up....

Diet: Went to hell already...had to take some clients out this morning and they wanted to go to a barbeque place where they pretty much only have pork sandwich and fries...tasted great tho...

Then I had to take other clients to the Alabama-Florida basketball game (GO GATORS!!!!) Florida won in a pretty exciting game but I couldn't celebrate too much since my clients are all from Alabama...and, of course, we ate out and drank a few Bud Lights...

Workout: Couldn't work out because of the game...great way to start this, huh?

The Real Day One

Wow...taking the time to make blog post sure can be difficult...Let's catch up...

One thing I'm not going to miss when I get back in shape: Those "heat rash" bumps you get on your sides...hate em...kinda gross...

so I really began my P90X workout on Monday Jan 7...I ran Sat and Sun (Sun I did 2 miles....not too bad until I think back that I once ran a marathon...Big Sur Marathon ...if you ever plan on doing this insane thing, and are only going to run one, I recommend checking this one out...you start out in the middle of redwood trees and then run most of the run on the PCH overlooking the Pacific Ocean...its incredibly beautiful...

Oh yea...my start on Monday...I did the first workout...Chest and Back ...it really is tough. Basically you are alternating between a chest exercise and a back exercise, doing one set of reps to exhaustion, about a 15 sec rest and then on to the next exercise. Because of my shoulder, I can't do a pull-up...YET!!!...so luckily I have a lat pull down machine in upstairs workout room.
You do about 12 exercises (with 15 s rest btw each and a 35 s rest each 4 sets) and you are beat...but its not over, you now start at the beginning and do it again...This is what I did for my first day














Thursday, January 3, 2008

Day Two

Weight: 229 lb

Workout: I did about 2/3 of the Shoulder and Arm Workout ....still trying to just get sore and start the real training on Monday.

Diet: Started out well, but had to take some clients to lunch and they wanted Mexican...I have absolutely no will power when it comes to those damn chips they put in front of you...again, the real diet is starting on Monday...

Day One...continued

Well...getting all those pictures straight took longer than I thought...

What I didn't get to post last time was my beginning pictures...what I look like now...




It still shocks me...I hate these pictures..

Well, to continue the story from yesterday, I had my shoulder surgery in June 06...My shoulder was immobilized for about 2 months and then I did about 4 months of rehab.


My flexibility was horrible (I could hadly lift my arm to put on a t-shirt) and I couldn't lift weights...I went back to the doctor with these complaints and he recommended losing up the string (yep, string...that's what's holding my shoulder together now) to give me more flexibility...

My second shoulder surgery was in Feb 07...not as long of a recovery but still painful...my flexibility was back some, but far from 100%

In March of that same year, I moved to Birmingham, Ala and started a new job with a company called Toolsmith
We also bought my first house:













With all of this going on, I kinda let my therapy slide...

so now its '08 and I haven't really been working out for about a year and a half...and it shows...


Starting weight: 229 lbs

Workout: I did half of the first DVD Chest and Back. Felt good but I didn't want to push it...the rest of this week is time to get sore..

I also ran for 1.25 miles....not too far but I'm just getting started again...

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Day One

Well, its the day after New Years Day...I guess its pretty cliche to start something like this at the beginning of the year, but you'll get over it.

This blog is titled The Grant Life...I tried to pick The Good Life, but that was taken (Duh?!) so this alternative popped in my head (Grant is our last name if you haven't figured it out yet)...might not be too imaginative, but I'm new at this...Plus, I'm an engineer and we're not known as the most creative with language (see: Engi-nerd)

So, I decided to start this blog for a couple of reasons. One, because everyone's doing it, Mom!!! and I felt I needed to try this out.

Two, to try and document my attempt to get back in shape (woohoo...another cliche)...

so here goes....its Jan 2 and I am starting on the P90X Workout Routine ...I chose this workout because my fiance (it always feels weird saying that, can't wait till we get married so I don't ever have to say that again) had the DVDs and it seemed worth trying...Its actually a pretty hard workout incorporating many disciplines that I have ignored in my previous workout life.

For a little background, I started working out regularly in college at the University of Florida -GO GATORS!!!!! - and I've been in pretty good shape for most of my life...







Me and my sister about 2001 at an outdoor concert in California...





and then me, looking a bit cheezy, in Sept 05.




















Then I went on my snowboarding trip over New Year's in 05...we were in Colorado and we had a blast...







...until I landed on my shoulder a little hard...and a few hundred times too many....






So now my shoulder is screwed up...I have messed up both shoulders a bit in the past so I put on my doctor's cap and do my best to imitate the shoulder therapy I've undergone in my past...This actually works for a bit...my shoulder feels a little better and I can still workout if I'm really careful...


and then I'm out on the boat one beautiful Sunday and someone suggests waterskiing...how can I pass that up? BIG MISTAKE...the next day I could hardly move my left arm...


and so I try surgery...now if someone is reading this and is considering surgery, think long and hard about it...one, its is very, very painful...and the rehab is long...both of those wouldn't matter to me if I got my shoulder back healthy...but I didn't...in fact in some ways I think its worth....

for those interested...this is what the inside of my shoulder looks like:














Don't ask me what any of it is...I was a little asleep for the grand tour...