Just Push Start

It's only fitting that my second post back in the blog o sphere be about starting a routine.  I myself will be starting a new one after my vacation next week. It's called Mass Made Simple by Dan John.  Recommended by Lyle Mcdonald.  If you don't know who Lyle Mcdonald is check out his website www.bodyrecomposition.com.  His is one of the most informative-cut-through-the-crap websites about nutrition, muscle gain, fat loss and general training that I've found. I could get lost on that site for hours.  But don't go there yet...

Anyways, back to Mass Made Simple.  I'm not looking forward to it.  It involves a lot of squatting and a lot of eating.  The eating I can handle; the 50 rep squats.. well, we'll just have to see.  It's only a six week program so if its terrible its only for a little while.   This is my third year into lifting.  My second year of some what eating properly and my first year of almost knowing what the heck I'm doing.   It's a process.  A long learning process. And it will continue to be on going.  And I will continue to experiment and see what works and what doesn't.   As much as the supplement companies and the Dr. Oz's of the world and the fat-loss diet books or lean muscle gainer books (many of which I've read) want to tell you how easy it is; its not. It's difficult.  It's stab me in the eyeball difficult.  It takes time, dedication, commitment.  You have to make it a priority.  You have to make it a habit. But first you have to start...

 Google is magic.  I love it, use it and embrace it.  However there is a problem with google and the fitness world (and probably any other world for that matter).  Google has given us information overload.  It has given us the power to pour over details; to research anything and everything that we have a question about in regards to our body within seconds.  Too often we get lost in the details and so overwhelmed by the information that we forget to start.   Stop researching.  Stop trying to find the new fad diet or the new weight loss plan or the new magic pill that will make you super fit.  Just start.

Let's touch on my nerdy side a little bit and put into perspective.  Imagine if you will, a new video game.  Excitement fills the air as you watch the opening cut-scene, you are ripe with anticipation, you just want to play!!.  Then you push start.   You play.  You progress.  You learn to dodge enemies and kill bad guys but eventually you get stuck...  You always get stuck. And it's only at this time you decide to pick up the disregarded case, pull out the manual and learn how to play more efficiently. Or you go online and read the forums and strategies to get past the boss.  You get un-stuck and you progress some more.  The point is progression comes after the game has started.  The details and tricks and tips are learned as you go.  In order to go, you just gotta start.   Just push start.  Get a gym membership.  Get a calorie counter.  Make it a priority to go take a walk every day.  Just do something and figure out the rest as the game goes on...

They call me chicken legs..

They call me chicken legs.  This is something I've come to accept.  My legs are skinny. They are twigs.  I will never have diamond shaped calve muscles or tree trunk like quads.  I embrace the name now.  Before; it offended me.  I hated wearing shorts.  I hated the comments...

Times have changed. I use it as a type of fuel now.  Motivation. I look at these little twigs and it gives me all the more reason to hit the gym.  Leg day.  My arch enemy.  It's difficult putting up weight with these little things, it hurts. Squatting your body weight with chicken legs is not fun.  But through the pain comes progress.  When I first started my journey one of my friends gave me some great advice. He told me the things we don't want to do are often the things we need to do the most.  It's stuck with me ever since. And I've worked hard at doing the things I don't want to do.  Squats, leg extensions, calf raises.  They suck, leg day really really sucks.   But these chicken legs, they're a little bigger now... still laughable, but progress has been made.  My wife now tells me I have a nice butt and you know what... I'm darn proud of it.  Which leads me to this blog. To brag about my new found butt muscles.  Not really. The reality is I want to share progress.  I want to share ideas and thoughts and studies that I've read pertaining to my training and progress in hopes of helping and motivating others.  I realized the other day how much my goals have improved since I started logging everything (calories, nutrients, weights) and I thought to myself if logging is good blogging must be even better.  And thus; Chicken Legs was born.

I'm not too sure where all this is headed.  I can tell you this; Chicken Legs will be a place to motivate and to learn.  A place where I post thoughts on diets, weight lifting routines and a general progress from being skinny to being some-what-less-skinny (6'1 150lbs to the current 182lbs)   Follow along if you want, maybe you'll find some good information, maybe you'll find some decent advice. Hopefully through this blog you'll be able to find your own motivation, your own personal "chicken legs"