My first workout video and it's dedicated to my favorite exercise: Push-ups. It's my first time recording, so hopefully you all will enjoy!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
My First Video
My first workout video and it's dedicated to my favorite exercise: Push-ups. It's my first time recording, so hopefully you all will enjoy!
Friday, June 7, 2013
A Little Friendly Competition
I don't know what it is, but I have this little competitive streak amongst my friends that go to the gym. I'm always there to encourage my friends to go to the gym and I'll teach them some things that I've learned along the way. Once they start getting these great results I say, whoaa SWERVEEEE!! I have this incredible urge to be top dog in the gym. I'm rooting for everyone to succeed, as long as I can still maintain my dominance. It's not jealousy in any way, but rather it's motivation for me to stay on my toes and keep striving to get stronger and healthier. I'm still the fitness guru around here, and no one's taking my spot. That is all.
Just Keep Running
The weather is getting warmer, which means running season has begun for me. I never thought there would come a day that I would enjoy running, but I love every minute of it. It's just a great feeling of accomplishment after you've ran a few miles and you're just dripping with sweat. There's nothing else quite like it for me.
I like to get my runs in before work. Around 9:30 am, I'm out the door and I'm hitting the pavement. I'd like to get up earlier around 6ish, but something in my spirit just tells me to stay in bed. I have my running app on my phone that tells me how far I'm travelling and how many calories I'm burning. That, combined with my playlist, there's no stopping me. I'm pretty sure my neighbors get annoyed with me singing my MJ loud and off-key, but I could care less. The area where I live is basically a series of hills, so it's an even better workout for me. What does suck is running uphill after it's been a good 30 minutes in the hot sun, but that extra push makes it completely worth it.
Just last week, the greatest thing happened to me. I, Vaughn Martin, weighing 294 pounds ran a complete mile without stopping in 10 minutes. That's never happened before ever in my life. That last minute I pushed myself to run up that hill and get it done and I felt so proud of myself. When you set a goal and then you ACTUALLY achieve that goal, man it is the greatest.
I plan to get that mile time around eight minutes by the end of the summer. Also, I want to do another marathon. I have friends that want me to train with them and as long as I got some water and two good lungs, I'll be able to keep up. So lace up them running shoes, put on your headphones and get to running!
I like to get my runs in before work. Around 9:30 am, I'm out the door and I'm hitting the pavement. I'd like to get up earlier around 6ish, but something in my spirit just tells me to stay in bed. I have my running app on my phone that tells me how far I'm travelling and how many calories I'm burning. That, combined with my playlist, there's no stopping me. I'm pretty sure my neighbors get annoyed with me singing my MJ loud and off-key, but I could care less. The area where I live is basically a series of hills, so it's an even better workout for me. What does suck is running uphill after it's been a good 30 minutes in the hot sun, but that extra push makes it completely worth it.
Just last week, the greatest thing happened to me. I, Vaughn Martin, weighing 294 pounds ran a complete mile without stopping in 10 minutes. That's never happened before ever in my life. That last minute I pushed myself to run up that hill and get it done and I felt so proud of myself. When you set a goal and then you ACTUALLY achieve that goal, man it is the greatest.
I plan to get that mile time around eight minutes by the end of the summer. Also, I want to do another marathon. I have friends that want me to train with them and as long as I got some water and two good lungs, I'll be able to keep up. So lace up them running shoes, put on your headphones and get to running!
Remxing the Routines
Seeing as how I've been making some changes to my eating habits, the same had to be done for my workouts as well. Once you reach a plateau, you have to shake things up to get that metabolism going. I'm also fortunate enough to have friends who are also fitness fanatics that give amazing advice and tips.
My supervisor at work just happens to be a trainer and we've been going to the gym together the past few weeks. I must say, this is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I'm pushing my body to the limits and learning new routines that are making big differences to my physique, the curse is that on some days it's hard to move around. But I love it all, I'm gym junkie and that's how I get my high (an occasional bottle of henny but I digress).
We've been incorporating a lot more arm workouts into the arsenal. A lot more bicep curls but in different variations. You would be surprised at how a slight twist of the wrist or angle of the arm can make a difference. I'm also a lot more work on back, doing the lawnmowers, lower back raises, pull-up, etc. I haven't benched in quite awhile, but I have been making great gains with different dumbbell exercises. I'm also doing pushups and core work galore. He also pushes to train harder and to never sit down and just power through the workout. I give the occasional eye roll, but it's all in love though.
This is what my workout schedule looks like nowadays:
Monday - Chest and triceps w/pushups and core
Tuesday - Running 2-3 miles
Wednesday - Back and biceps w/pushups, pull-ups and core
Thursday - Running 2-3 miles
Friday - Legs & shoulders w/pushups and core
Saturday or Sunday - My bonus day. I'll either do full body drills or run a few miles
It's still early but I'm seeing some results. I feel stronger and my endurance and stamina are improving significantly. This is only the beginning.
Some after workout pics, some also with my amazing friends!
My supervisor at work just happens to be a trainer and we've been going to the gym together the past few weeks. I must say, this is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I'm pushing my body to the limits and learning new routines that are making big differences to my physique, the curse is that on some days it's hard to move around. But I love it all, I'm gym junkie and that's how I get my high (an occasional bottle of henny but I digress).
We've been incorporating a lot more arm workouts into the arsenal. A lot more bicep curls but in different variations. You would be surprised at how a slight twist of the wrist or angle of the arm can make a difference. I'm also a lot more work on back, doing the lawnmowers, lower back raises, pull-up, etc. I haven't benched in quite awhile, but I have been making great gains with different dumbbell exercises. I'm also doing pushups and core work galore. He also pushes to train harder and to never sit down and just power through the workout. I give the occasional eye roll, but it's all in love though.
This is what my workout schedule looks like nowadays:
Monday - Chest and triceps w/pushups and core
Tuesday - Running 2-3 miles
Wednesday - Back and biceps w/pushups, pull-ups and core
Thursday - Running 2-3 miles
Friday - Legs & shoulders w/pushups and core
Saturday or Sunday - My bonus day. I'll either do full body drills or run a few miles
It's still early but I'm seeing some results. I feel stronger and my endurance and stamina are improving significantly. This is only the beginning.
Some after workout pics, some also with my amazing friends!
Setting New Goals
Hello everybody! I don't know what brought me back to this blog, just a random burst of inspiration I suppose. But anywho, I hope everyone is living happy and healthy lives. I've been staying busy since graduating from college. My life consists of work and the gym, and some fun with my friends in between. I've hit a plateau of sorts with my workouts. I went through this phase of bulking and just wanting to be the big guy that I'm naturally built to be. Drinking all of the protein shakes and eating pretty much whatever I wanted. I didn't get the desired results, so I had to reevaluate my plans.
The fact of the matter is, my eating habits were starting to get a little out of hand. I work in a kitchen 40 hours a week, so I'm around all types of food. While I have access to healthy foods, there's also the burgers, the pastries, the ice cream. Being a fatty at heart, I can't always resist these treats. I went to weigh myself and I was at 294 pounds. If you looked at me, you probably wouldn't guess that amount, but my weight fluctuates in the 290s constantly.
I finally had to get it in my head that just because I'm a big guy and I workout a lot, that I can bend the rules and eat anything and still look good. That's not the case whatsoever. Don't get me wrong though, I'm in good shape now, but I'm striving to be better. So I've made little changes with my eating habits. I'm trying to force myself to have a small breakfast before my workout, whey protein shake after my workouts, I'm eating mostly lean meats and veggies for lunch, granola bar or yogurt for snacks, and lots and LOTS of water (with some juice as well). I'm also trying to lower my bread and cheese consumption, the keyword here is trying. I can't completely cut it out of my diet, but a little less won't kill me.
My ultimate goal really is to lose 10-15 pounds. I'm not gonna drive myself crazy to lose weight like I did back in the day. I just wanna be fit and healthy for the rest of my life. I wish there was a secret formula to getting in shape, but it's quite simple. Eating healthy and exercise is truly the key. I'm ready to accomplish these new goals. Let's go!
The fact of the matter is, my eating habits were starting to get a little out of hand. I work in a kitchen 40 hours a week, so I'm around all types of food. While I have access to healthy foods, there's also the burgers, the pastries, the ice cream. Being a fatty at heart, I can't always resist these treats. I went to weigh myself and I was at 294 pounds. If you looked at me, you probably wouldn't guess that amount, but my weight fluctuates in the 290s constantly.
I finally had to get it in my head that just because I'm a big guy and I workout a lot, that I can bend the rules and eat anything and still look good. That's not the case whatsoever. Don't get me wrong though, I'm in good shape now, but I'm striving to be better. So I've made little changes with my eating habits. I'm trying to force myself to have a small breakfast before my workout, whey protein shake after my workouts, I'm eating mostly lean meats and veggies for lunch, granola bar or yogurt for snacks, and lots and LOTS of water (with some juice as well). I'm also trying to lower my bread and cheese consumption, the keyword here is trying. I can't completely cut it out of my diet, but a little less won't kill me.
My ultimate goal really is to lose 10-15 pounds. I'm not gonna drive myself crazy to lose weight like I did back in the day. I just wanna be fit and healthy for the rest of my life. I wish there was a secret formula to getting in shape, but it's quite simple. Eating healthy and exercise is truly the key. I'm ready to accomplish these new goals. Let's go!