Results

This seems like a funny place to talk about results, since I just told about my introduction to working out with free weights.  We’ll talk frequently about results, but there are some fairly immediate results I experienced that need to be mentioned.

I’m going to say this so many times that it’s going to seem crazy, but the first good result that came from my free weight workout routine is that it was fun, and it felt great. And I’m not talking about the good feeling you get from accomplishing a difficult goal. I’m talking about back rub good, and hot tub good.

I feel like a weight lifter. I have a hobby that is making me more fit every day. Even after a very short time working out with the weights, I began to notice results. My double chin started to go away. My arms started to grow and define. My shoulders got bigger.

One thing that didn’t change right away is my belly.  That took some know-how. We’ll talk about that later.

But remember, I didn’t get involved in lifting weights so that I could lose my belly. I didn’t it because it was fun and it felt good.

Very soon after I started I could bound up the stairs without huffing and puffing. I could get off the couch without straining. My posture immediately improved. I no longer lean on grocery carts. I stand up straight and push them.

My diet changed. That will be an entire blog entry by itself. But my cravings for certain things vanished, and my tendency to over eat went away.

My stress level dropped. I was happier. I didn’t worry about things. I had more focus.

Of course, there were negative results as well. No one wants to hear a pudgy middle-aged man talk about his new found enthusiasm for weight lifting, and I was excited to talk about it. I had to come to grips about the way the world sees tubby middle aged men, and that’s another blog entry too.

Next we’ll talk about how I learned the nuts and bolts and technical procedures of weight lifting. It’s all about education.