woolcovered

Alright, so it appears as though I'll be using at least part of my extra hour working on an entry. I'm tired but surprisingly not quite sleepy yet, so I figure I'll plug away here for a little while until I'm ready to crawl into a nice, warm, bed...I'm already getting excited about it!

Anyway, this also marks the beginning of my last day of reading week. In some ways, its just felt like a slightly longer weekend, in others, I feel like I haven't been back into the swing of things in awhile. As much as I've missed the daily interactions with the classmates and profs, the whole 'class attendance experience' (my undergrad classmates will be surprised to know I've missed only one class this term, and it was for a Doc's appt.), what's really thrown me out of sync is not going to the gym. I just couldn't get inspired to try and do no-weight sets at home (I'm not quite knowledgeable enough to pull this off yet, but I'm working on it), so I only ended up working out once all week. My time at Co's where there's a few weights and a treadmill, was largely eaten up by homework and bonding time.

I'm hoping to get back on the fitness wagon (I went to the gym Mon-Thurs in the week before reading week), very soon. Part of the reason I'm still awake is that I've just finished reading a bit of the Arnold book I spoke of in a previous entry. I'm in the beginning stages of putting together a solid diet and a more structured routine. It is a little disheartening to try and work out my routine. My somatotype basically means I have to work really hard and long and I don't get to eat if I want to achieve the best results. I actually took down some points to better explain what I'm talking about here: I am what they call an endomorph, which means I've got more bulk on me than the skinny ectomorphs or the more chisled-looking mesomorphs. Why does this matter? Well, it means I've got to lose far while gaining muscle mass if I want this training to really work. The workout? Higher numbers of sets with more reps than average with short rests in between. Also 30-45 minutes of aerobic activity (I currently do 15) is reccomended. My diet? A low-calorie affair with the minimum amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats (vitamin supplements reccomended). As I currently already spend about an hour+ at the gym when I go, implementing these changes will prove to be a scheduling nightmare.

So, although blogging is a totally self-indulgent activity, why am I bothering to go into this much detail? Well, those who plan on starting to training, or have started training and aren't happy with your results can take note. Look at the pictures I've linked to and determine your body type (its said that no one is 100% one type, I merely outlined my dominant one). If you can properly tailor your workout, the experts say you should start to see results quicker. It can also be fun to see if the personality traits listed for your type are a good match for you (mine are pretty much dead-on).

Well, I was going to talk about the rest of the reading week, but it looks like I blabbed a bit on that tangent. So, my sleeping schedule was on par with my efforts to work out, and my eating habits were marginally better but a bit below par. I look forward to being back at my apartment, cooking for myself.

On the academic front, I've finished most of what I intended to accomplish this week, with more work to follow once I wake up and get home tomorrow. Given that I slacked off for a few days, I'm pretty happy with this.

I also tried to do a bit more leisure reading than usual. Aside from the bodybuilding book, I finally read my Daredevil hardcover volume I've had for over a year and Frank Miller's well-written Batman: Year One. I'm wishing they would've green-lit this script for adaptation, as I'm now realizing Batman Begins is just a Hollywoodized take on the story foundation already had in place. For those who aren't sold on it, it would've meant no Katie Holmes!