Body Beast, Yearly Physical, Next fitness goals

So I seriously suck at blogging regularly.  Its a problem, I recognize it.  Like anything else I do, I work on it.  lol 

Today I completely Body Beast.  Hell of a workout program.  Really challenging and if you like lots of weights and little cardio, this is the program for you.  My goals going into this program were simple.
1) Gain more muscle/size/definition
2) Shed more fat

I started this program at just under 174lbs.  At 5' 11" I'm far from being considered overweight.  I'd still like to see what I look like being fit at say 165, or even 160.  A lot of people may argue with me that its just too low, but I don't agree.  Personally I think its how much fat vs muscle you carry.  I'm kind of tall I guess, but I have a small frame - if that makes sense. 

I am now 169lbs after completing the program.  Again it was a serious challenge.  The workouts are MUCH longer than I'm used to.  The first 5 weeks your workouts are between 50min and 1 hr.  That's pretty tough when you are used to 30min workouts.  They are intense.  You need to move fast, switching weights quickly as you don't get much rest between sets.  Some sets (progressive) you move from set, to set to set with only 10 seconds change over between sets.  No screwing around.  I definitely got more muscle out of the program.  I had some challenges though.

2 months into the program I came down with a bacterial infection that started as a common cold.  It built up to a sinus infection.  Before I knew it I was onto a double ear infection.  This put me down and out for a month, seriously.  I couldn't do shit.  Actually I'm still trying to get my hearing back to 100% and we are talking all the way back to the first week of December.  RIDICULOUS.  None the less I forged on and completed the program and I'm proud that I did.

Next up - health update.  I had been on pills for high blood pressure and high cholesterol for years.  At one point my cholesterol was at almost 400.  Clearly not healthy and that was all a result of my choices.  My decisions.  My laziness.  My Dr for the past few years has been monitoring me closely and I've essentially been doing 2 physicals a year.  Fasting blood work done every time.  Back in July I told him, hey, I'm done taking pills.  I've lost almost 30lbs.  All my habits are healthier than they've ever been and I challenge you to find other 40+ yr old men to be as healthy as I am.  He didn't like me coming off the pills.  I didn't care.  I told him, I'll see you again in January and at that time you'll see.  You'll see my cholesterol is regulated.  My blood sugar is.  My blood pressure is.  Well, I proved it to him.  My blood pressure was 124/88.  My cholesterol was 182.  My blood sugar (hemoglobins) level was 5.4 (I guess when you get to 6.0 they want to start talking to you about diabetes and treatment, but 5.1 - 5.6 is the normal range.)

Needless to say the Dr was very pleased with everything I have accomplished.  He suggested I start exercising regularly AFTER he asked me if I was still doing crosstraining.  LOL  Uhm, yes, I exercise 6 days a week.  We talked about my current health condition.  Some concerns I had/have.  My goals and my plan for my next 8 weeks of fitness.  He saw no reason why I shouldn't just continue doing what I'm doing if I'm happy with it.  He seemed generally pleased at the lifestyle changes I've made.  We talked about how there are no such things as diets.  There are healthy foods and less than healthy foods and its all about choices.  I'm just making more healthy choices than less.  I'm pretty good with my portion control and as a result my blood work results and my overall body are reflective of that. 

What's next?  Well I want to shed more fat!!  I want to lose more of my belly.  I know abs are made in the kitchen (mostly).  I know you can't out exercise poor nutrition.  Can you have less than perfect nutrition and still get abs?  I don't know... but I certainly keep trying!! lol 

My next 8 weeks will be fairly simple.  6 days a week working out and 1 day off.  That's the goal.  My routine will be days 1, 3 & 5 cardio.  Days 2, 4 & 6 strength.  The cardio days will be Couch25K.  The strength days at first will be alternating between Power90 Level 3-4 Strength and Body Beast - Total Body Circuit.  Both of these routines incorporate a lot of weights and are obviously all strength workouts.  I'm looking to maintain the muscle I've gained and shed more fat.  I'm not looking to lose anything. 

Goals?  My first goal is to complete the Couch25K and be able to run a 10min mile pace for 3 miles.  I want to complete a few 5K races this spring/summer.  In addition I'd like to join some of my fit friends and complete some OCRs (Obstacle Course Races).  I think that would be a lot of fun.  I guess some people consider it work to train for these things, but honestly - I don't think I'm really "training for it" so much as I'm just trying to find other ways to stay fit.  Keeping it varied and adjusting to new things to keep my body working for me.  Its working so far.  July of 2013 I weight 197lbs.  I was NOT carrying it well.  LOL  That is an understatement.  I was not strong, not fit and not healthy.  At 169lbs I am certainly much closer to where I want to be.  I sound like a broken record when I say "I'm not there yet, but I'm still pushing", but its true.  I'm not there yet.  I have some ideas of what my body will look like when I get there, but its not there.  I am my own worst critic and I'm OK with that.  No one can judge me more than I judge myself. 

Well onward and upward as they say.  New program with slightly modified goals starts tomorrow morning.  :)