Week 2 Complete... Only 4,680 More Weeks to Go!

     Yesterday marked the end of the second week, which is the first milestone in my program.  Now, obviously I don't have 4,680 more weeks before my deadline this November, but that is not the point of the title.  You see, the pursuit of becoming a Steel Dad is a life long journey.  So, while I am shooting to achieve my current goals by my birthday this year, I should always be striving to make new gains and improvements throughout my life.  And, since my wife says I am not allowed to die until I am at least 120 years old, that gives me roughly 4,680 more weeks before my program is complete...  (If you think about it, the lifelong pursuit of becoming a Steel Dad encapsulates our lives in microcosm.  Our goals should ever be to continually improve ourselves, in all facets of our capabilities, throughout our lives.)

     If you look at the exercise logs and the fitness goals a couple of things will likely stand out.  The first is that I made some incredible progress in my measurements such as adding 3/4 of an inch to my chest measurement, or decreasing my overall body fat percentage range by .09-1.93%.  The second is that I have used relatively light weights on all of my exercises, and went fairly easy on cardio.  My results were not completely unexpected since I am returning to a prior ability rather than starting for the first time.  So, even though I used a light program, I expected this kind of result right away.  In the next two weeks, I am not expecting significant changes in most of my measurements, however, I am not overly concerned with making huge gains in the first few weeks and frankly, you shouldn't be either. 

     The first few weeks are what I call a foundation period.  The point should be to get your muscles, ligaments, and tendons primed for the harder loads that will come later on.  So while my capacity may increase, I will likely continue using relatively light weights through the first 4-6 weeks.  If you are a beginner who has never lifted before, or haven't lifted for a few months or more, then you should also follow a similar approach.  If you try to go all out in your first couple of weeks, you are opening yourself up to an increased risk of injury.  So, even though I know I can lift more, it isn't wise to do so right now.  Besides, why rush?  I have 4,680 more weeks, waiting another 2-4 to make sure my body is properly prepared to handle increased working loads should be seen as an investment, not a hindrance.

    Even still, if you look at the exercise logs you will see that the foundation period is not a stagnant, boring rehash of the same workout day in and day out.  Switching up some of the secondary exercises for muscle groups keeps each workout fresh during this phase.  Also, trying to increase the workload by reaching for additional reps each time (with good form- now is not the time for cheating) keeps the workouts challenging despite the light loads.  The next time I will take measurements is two weeks from now, near the end of the foundation period.  However, I will upload the third exercise log at the end of this week.  Currently, I am working on publishing a few staple routines that I use for hypertrophy as well as a few of my favorite strength programs.  (I have a few routines that are almost guaranteed to increase your max in 6-8 weeks by 20-40 pounds on the bench press, squats, cleans, and deadlifts...)  I am also working on a series of short articles to post as well.  If you happen to have a particular topic you would like to see me post about, shoot me an email and let me know.  Until then, stay hungry for your goals!