Day 9 (Fri)
The algorithm gifted me with this gym prankster, Anatoly. He looks like an unassuming janitor and he ends up PUSHING weight with east that these massive guys struggle with. And it reminded me of some of the gym inspiration I had while I tried to reclaim what my idea of fitness would be outside of how its defined by the Marine Corps. And I found a lot of inspiration from calisthenics athletes specifically, because they demonstrate incredible strength separate from their size. Anatoly reminded me of that. It reminded me that while I like Dr Mike from RP, a lot of his advice is about getting “jacked” and being strong is kind of a consequence of that. I want to be very efficient at carrying my body without getting big.
I am under no illusions that getting big is easy, but I do think the fitness advice for someone who is trying build muscle is different from one trying to build strength. So I want the advice I incorporate into my routine to focus on that. I was looking into Anatoly and what attributes to his success. Largely, his years of training has made him very efficient and masterful technique to do these movements. There are principles that focus on neural strength over hypertrophy, which builds muscle. I’m not really doing much weight training now, but it is something I want to incorporate during my maintenance phase. This did make me think that my goal isn’t really muscle growth, it is building strength.
So the main activity I do for fat loss is HITT with heavy bag boxing classes at Title Boxing Club. I got into boxing off of the recommendation of a guy I met on deployment. He used to box and I do recognize that boxers are often lean and powerful and have great stamina. I have no interest in sparring or competition, but the conditioning was very interesting to me. This has been more third experience with boxing and this is definitely the most bang for my buck.
The first was also boxing classes. GREAT classes and I really felt endurance and stamina improving quickly because it was led by a very talented veteran boxing coach. The first downside was the price. It was a bit out of my budget for long term use. Also, while there were other coaches, when the owner of the gym had to go travel to train a client, I just didn’t feel like I was getting that same quality from the other coaches.
My second was three-month one-on-one coaching. It was even more expensive, and the training was good, but it didn’t push me as hard. Now, with Title, it feels like the best of both. Classes that really challenge me and at an affordable price. Plus there are gyms all over the country. And some gyms have these Impact Wraps that give me a score based on the force and number of punches which is cool. I do like data and it is nice to have objective information to track how my progress improves over time.
I was attending classes three times a week for ten weeks and I fell off for two weeks. So I’m going to try to pick up further than where I left off doing five times a week now. Definitely had to shake the cobwebs off, but I’m glad to be back. It did really trigger my piriformis pain I’ve been struggling with for years. It is good feedback for me because boxing power really comes from the core. So it is a reminder to brace.
One thing that lead to my to my two weeks off was the increased pain. I was trying to do hip mobility drills before class but that actually ended up making the pain unbearable during class. I do have to work evenings for the rest of the month, but once that ends, I think I will bring back the mobility drills for after class. I can’t trust myself to just do it at home, but it is easier to tack on right after class is over. ChatGPT did help me reframe it as a deload instead of a fall off. It is a deload if I retcon it. But if I’m being honest, it feels more like me just not feeling like it and that feeling justified by not staying on top of my work and falling behind and the pain. So I just want to get back in to it like I never left. I’m going to try to go for five times a week.
Much better on protein today. I never have any issues with carbs and fat. So I need to make sure I have some fat free protein sources at the ready—protein powder, chicken breast, nonfat yogurt, egg whites, cottage cheese, etc.
