Thursday, 10 August 2006, 7:58:56 EDT

I've been going to the gym for a year now. I went three days per week during the fall and spring semesters, but have been going four times a week (on average) this summer. I haven't really lost any weight, only ten pounds, but I think I am doing rather well. I definitely have more cardiovascular stamina than I did when I started and the weights I use have increased a decent amount. Here is a list of the machines I use, the weights I set them at when I started, and the weights I currently use in parentheses: chest press @ 90 (140), seated row @ 80 (120), shoulder press @ 60 (120), lat pull-down @ 100 (150), triceps press @ 70 (120), biceps curl @ 60 (100), back extension @ 100 (150), leg press @ 140 (260), leg extension @ 8 (150), leg curl @ 7 (140), and pec deck @ 7 (130).

My legs, shoulders, and arms are looking pretty good. My torso still needs a lot of work, though. I've been trying to concentrate on my chest area this summer, and I've stepped up my cardiovascular routine to try to burn more fat. I use an abdominal crunch machine, with thirty-five pounds of resistance, on which I do at least forty crunches. My stomach is starting to take shape, but I need to loose some more fat off of it for the work to really show. It would help a great deal if I could manage to fix my horrible diet, but that has been very difficult to do.

Some days I really don't feel like working out, but I (usually) force myself to do so. I have two motivators. The first is that I like the way my appearance is starting to look and the increased ability I have to do things. For example, it is nice to be able to stand from a crouch without feeling like I'm trying to do the impossible. The second motivator is all the people I see walking around campus or stores and such. I understand that some people are naturally big, but there are an inordinate number of people who are unnaturally obese. I'm sure you have seen these people. They're the people that can barely walk for all of their weight. I may have a bit of a gut (for now), but at least my rear fits on the toilet. So whenever I'm feeling like I don't want, not can't, to exercise I think of one, or both, of these two things. It works for me.

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