Return to training....but I can't tell you why.

Over the past few weeks, folks close to me may have noticed that I have been spending more time training than I have in years. There is a reason for this,m but I can't talk about what it is. There ain't no law, however, against me talking about my training.

I don't have much time right now, so I w ill just start by saying I started in the 4th worst shape of my life. My strength was down, my endurance was down, and my armor needs an upgrade. I blame it on simply not choosing to actively, regularly exercise to keep in shape. I have allowed myself to do things like edit videos, write about various Captain Marvels, and correct people who are wrong on the Internet. I also have an office desk job, and I have been in a play or two.

While those plays did involve dance workshops. rehearsals, and warm-ups, it was not regular enough, or long-term enough to really affect my fitness. Likewise, my daily commute which involves a light jog and climbing up a significant number of stairs, was already factored into my unsatisfactory fitness level.

My diet is what I would call "casually healthy"; I try to avoid things like excess sugar, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutimate, excessive fat and sodium, French-fried potatoes, pasta, and more than a small serving of cakes and other desert-y baked goods. I try to have vegetables and/or salad at every meal, choose juice and tea drinks over soda, drink green tea every day, and eat healthy, all-natural breakfast cereal.

But I am not a vegan, I do eat chocolate, and I like cookies. I probably do not eat enough fruit, and energy drinks keep me going more often than I would like to admit. I am also more sedentary than I was before my knee surgery.

In fact, two of the three worst shapes in which I have been have been since my surgery. These were periods in which I was not actively training for anything, did not have the money to keep up my gym membership, and was involved with work that had me sitting at a desk for long periods of time. I know my shape was terrible because I have pictures top prove it. Also, when I went to the Pennsic War, after marshaling one battle, I would be so exhausted, I would have to sleep half the rest of the day.

So I am grateful for this impetus to get off my ass and do something again. I have found, however,. that I have a ways to go until I am in top shape. I discovered that I was about 215 lbs, that where I used to be able to run 5 laps around the park in my gambeson and helmet, carrying sword and shield, now I can barely to three laps, even without the helmet, that while I used to be able to do three sets of ten reps of 135 lbs, now I am back to doing "almost two" reps. Also, I have not been able to fit into my 34-waist pants in a couple of years.

So I will try to post reports of my training here, so we can all see how  hard I am working and if it doing any good.

Stay tuned!

New Workout Begins!

I am hereby officially launching my push for the "Redemption of Captain Zorikh" video project. I went to the gym today.

I actually have gone to the gym four times in the past two weeks. Not much, I admit, but I gotta start somewhere. First I tried a 30-minute, upper-body circuit workout I found in an old Muscle & Fitness magazine. After doing that twice I realized a few thing things: 1) My pecs need more work, 2) My shoulders need to be handled carefully, and 3) this workout is for folks who go to the gym regularly and once or twice a month only have thirty minutes where they would usually spend a little more time. To build strength and muscle one needs to concentrate on body parts. On Monday I did back and triceratops, today I did chest and bicycles. I will try to go tomorrow or Monday and do shoulders, legs, and trapezoids. I do abs each time.

I also have a home workout routine I do that involves lifting furniture and super-sets with my barbell and dumbbells. I also am going to start running up and down the stairs like I did a year ago.

Over the past few months my low income and active work had conspired to lose me about 15 lbs. If I entered a grappling tournament now I would be fighting guys that come up to my sternum, I'm so light. So I have lost some mass, and people are noticing. My face is thinner, and so is my waist. But I have less body fat and greater definition than I had when I was 197 lbs., working out 4-5 times a week and eating a lot of high-calorie foods.