This Is Who I Am

Training and competing are as much me as my flesh and bones.

To me, the weight room is not just a place to train for competition, but rather a temple, a church, a mosque of sorts – I have chosen to commit to grueling personal discipline and the continual challenge to improve myself: I strive to lift heavier weights, complete one more repetition...with better form, jump higher, run faster, add another pound of muscle mass, subtract another pound of body fat, and my reward?

More self-understanding, more humility.

By training, I learn great self-control and self-realization,which I apply to my life. Life is not always easy and may not always go the way I had planned, but my training has taught me that I have the strength to shape the outcome and to improve my life. I have learned to focus on my goals, design a detailed plan of action and complete whatever task I choose. I am responsible for my successes AND my failures. I am accountable for my actions.

Competitive training requires me to turn the eye inward and deepen my understanding of what I am trying to achieve. Training is the daily practice of focused concentration. This means I shut out all negative and/or extraneous thoughts and focus only on what I need to accomplish. No cell phones, no chit-chat, no excuses, no self-doubt.

As with any difficult challenge, there will be sacrifices, disappointments, anxieties and frustrations, and most likely injuries. But these trials continue to make me a stronger and more humble individual.

This is who I am.

Today's Training and Diet:

7 a.m. Wake Up, 1/2 liter water, fat burner, vitamin

Laundry and cleaning

8:00 a.m. MP Protein Gel (90 calories), 1/4 cup grits, 1/4 cup oats, 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 8 almonds, 8 raspberries, water (& Diet Mt. Dew)

9:00 a.m. UXF with Stephanie Martin (Summah's mom)

CHALLENGE ONE:
.5 Mile for time = 3:21

CHALLENGE TWO:
Minute Man (10 Minutes): every minute on the minute
1 push-up w/ 10 prone runners x 4
10 weighted squat jumps

CHALLENGE THREE: 21-15-9

KB Swings (20 kg)
Burpee Box Jumps (28" Box)
BOSU Get-ups (10 kg KB)
Run Fire Lane
Total Time = 13:14

10:00 a.m. 6 egg whites, 1 pear

LEGS AND PULL-UPS
Bulgarian Split Squats: 10 x body weight; 5 x 25 lbs.: 8 sets
Mt. Climber Pull-ups: 12,10, 10, 8, 10, 11

Bulgarian Split Squats (front foot on step - deeper!): 10 x body weight; 5 x 15 lbs.; 5 x 25 lbs.: 8 sets
Chin-ups: 18, 15, 13, 12, 12, 10

Leg Press: 30 x machine; 25 x 90 lbs.; 20 x 180 lbs.: 5 sets
Calf Raises (seated): 30, 28, 25, 25

Leg Extensions: 25 x 50 lbs.: 8 sets; 15 x 80 lbs.:2 sets
Ring Pull-ups: 10, 9, 9, 10, 10

12:30 p.m. 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cucumber, 2 tbsp. salsa, 1/2 cup grits, 10 raspberries, 8 almonds

Run errands (Diet Mt. Dew)

3:30 p.m. MP Protein gel (90 calories)

Clean house, cook and Prep Files for Monday

6:30 p.m. Protein cake: UMP, 2 eggs, water, unsweetend cocoa