Ron, you can do it!

[Guest guest]

Ron:

You can do it! I'm so glad to hear about the weights. Let me tell

you, the weight lifting part of my exercise regime has had magical

effects, and particularly since we're men, and our bodies respond to

the weight lifting in such a beneficial way (it's good for the ladies

too, but building muscle is something that men want--and more muscle

burns more calories!).

I'll let you in on how I do my routine. I have chosen three hours a

week that are MY TIME for weight training. No one, nothing can

interrupt that sacred time--no phone calls, no family, nothing. I do

my workout in the early morning because there is a quiet and a

stillness that is, for lack of a better word, Holy. And I start my

workout with a prayer. I invite God into my heart to make my work

out pleasing to Him. I ask God to help me through the workout, and

it's amazing; it helps me when I don't feel like going on.

Also, I DON'T over do it. I started with 1 lb weights (in each

hand). I followed a video (Power 90), and all the workout is done

easy and slow. Then after 6 weeks, I increased the weights, to 2

lbs. Then to 5 lbs, then to 7.5 lbs. Now I do a combination of 10

lbs for a warm up set (10 reps each exercise), then 15 lbs for a

regular set (10 reps), the I go back to 10 lbs for an endurance set

(15 reps).

I also do sit-ups and push-ups on my weight training days. I started

with 10 different types of sit-ups, doing one each for a total of 10

situps. Now, after progressing to 2 reps, then 5, then 7, then 10

reps, then 20, I do 320-340 sit-ups on weight training days. I only

started doing push-ups recently because my arms weren't strong enough

to handle my weight before. But now, I do 45 - 50 push-ups at

intervals during my work out (10 warm-up push-ups, 10 more between

sit-ups and weights, 15 mid way through weight training, 15 at the

end).

The key is that I listen to my body. I don't do anything that hurts,

but there is discomfort sometimes. And after a while, you'll know

the difference. That's why it's important to follow a reputable

video (bowflex must have one), or book, or even a trainer to help

avoid injury. Remember it's not a sprint, it's a marathon of

endurance that you will be doing for the rest of your life. You can

do it.

One other key aspect to my workouts has been to set aside a place

that is only for working out. It's my sacred space that communicates

to me how much I honor my workout. It's important to me that I set

it up with my likes in mind, to make it as pleasant as possible. The

reason I like the Power 90 videos is that there is no music so that

each person can add their own. Sometimes I work-out to latin music,

but I also like County & Western, classical, jazz, high energy disco-

type music, and even new age. It all depends on my mood.

Now here's a little bit on my own " craziness " about my workout. In a

prominent place, I put up two pictures of guys with amazing bodies,

and I gave them names ( Hecho and Derecho). Their " last

names " (Hecho and Derecho) come from a Spanish phrase that means

something like " Proud and Accomplished. " " Un hombre hecho y derecho "

is an " upstanding, pround, accomplish man. " It's hard to explain. I

hope you get what I mean.

Anyway, I also gave and voices. When I was feeling like

quitting, they were my " trainers " who told me to keep going, that I

could do it. They reminded me to exercise without taking short-cuts

because I was only cutting myself short. It's better to do one sit-

up correctly, than 10 that will not produce results and may even hurt

me.

Those two pictures have a nostalgic place in my heart. I framed them

and took them with me here to San Francisco when I moved out from

mine and Zach's home in Castro Valley. To this day, I look at those

two pictures every morning, and they are a visual reminder of what

I've been through and how hard I've worked. They've seen me through

every workout. They are my guardian angels. Strange, I know, but it

works for me.

Ron, the thing about weight lifting that I didn't expect is that they

are like the fountain of youth. The energy I get from doing the

weight training is AMAZING. You won't feel it at first, and you'll

be sore, but then the power starts to come in. I used to feel so

weak in the world, but now I have this physical strength that makes

me feel like I can protect myself if I needed to. It's not like I'm

going out to pick a fight (I am SOOOO not a fighter), but I walk tall

and proud ( " hecho y derecho " ), not because I'm better than anyone

else, but because God dwells within me. My body no longer reflects

the pain I stuffed down with food. My body now reflects the honor

and respect I show it as a gift from God.

Like I've said before, this weight training is so unbelievably

spiritual. I let God into my heart to perform this miraculous

transormation, and the sense of health and well-being is so wonderful

that at times I can't believe it's me. But the only way to get to

this point (and it's still a work in progess), was to believe and

have faith that I could do it.

I have prayed so many times to thank God for this miracle. But also,

I realize that I must take responsability for my pouch--this

miraculous gift. I have to be a good steward and put forth my best

effort to demonstrate to God and me that I deserve the benefits. I

want God to know that He was right in chosing to bestow this gift on

me. I don't ever want to forget that not everyone is as blessed as I

to have gone through such an all-encompassing transformation of mind,

body and spirit.

Anyway, best of luck with the weights. They may feel heavy, but soon

you'll start to feel light. And then your wings will spread and

you'll feel your spirit soar.

Francisco

The weights make me feel powerful

>

> Francisco, you are so welcome. I only wish it could be more. AIDS

is a very worthy cause and I'm so happy to know someone who's running

in the marathon.

>

> As for how I'm doing... well, I had a couple setbacks recently,

but I'm still in the game. I haven't had the doctor confirm this yet

(but I will), but I believe I have arthritis in my ankles. Some days

it is so very painful just to walk around the house. So I haven't

been doing as much walking. I do push myself sometimes, but I tend

to PAY for that with more pain. Since the pain has subsided though,

I am getting out there and walking as much as I can. I also got my

Bowflex all assembled and started a light regimine this past week.

As time progresses, I'll be adding more to the workouts, but since

I'm not used to exercising, I need to start easy and advance a little

at a time. So far, it's working fine. I've been playing the yo-yo

game with the weight over the last couple weeks, but I'm back on the

losing side and just about caught up to the starting point. Now that

I'm working out, maybe I can always be a loser.

>

> I'm glad things are working out so well for you Francisco. I wish

you well and again... I really enjoy reading your posts. Keep up

the good work, and maybe Mr. Right will run right into your life

soon.

>

> Ron

>

> Ron, thank you

for sponsoring me

>

>

> Ron:

>

> Thank you so much for sponsoring my marathon training!

>

> What a surprise!

>

> This week I logged these totals (divided over three days--M,W,F):

>

> 980 sit-ups

> 145 push-ups

> 3 hours of circuit training with free weights

>

> I also ran 4 miles on Tuesday and another 4 on Thursday.

>

> Tomorrow, Saturday, I will run 5 miles with my pace group.

>

> I can't believe that I can exercise like this! It truly feels like

a

> miracle. And I can't believe how great I feel.

>

> But I don't want anyone to get discouraged. I started 2.5 years

ago

> with 1 sit-up, and 10 minutes on the treadmill at 1 mile per hour.

>

> I built up slowly and gently. Until recently I couldn't even do

one

> push-up.

>

> And now, with the power of positive thinking (this is really a

> physical and mental challenge) I can run free.

>

> Ron, thanks again. How are you doing? How's the walking going?

If

> I remember, you were doing better and better with your walking.

Let

> us know what's up.

>

> Francisco

>

> P.S. If anyone else would like to sponsor me, you can do so at

> www.aidsmarathon.com. I'm runner/participant 6010 in San Francisco.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Ron:

You can do it! I'm so glad to hear about the weights. Let me tell

you, the weight lifting part of my exercise regime has had magical

effects, and particularly since we're men, and our bodies respond to

the weight lifting in such a beneficial way (it's good for the ladies

too, but building muscle is something that men want--and more muscle

burns more calories!).

I'll let you in on how I do my routine. I have chosen three hours a

week that are MY TIME for weight training. No one, nothing can

interrupt that sacred time--no phone calls, no family, nothing. I do

my workout in the early morning because there is a quiet and a

stillness that is, for lack of a better word, Holy. And I start my

workout with a prayer. I invite God into my heart to make my work

out pleasing to Him. I ask God to help me through the workout, and

it's amazing; it helps me when I don't feel like going on.

Also, I DON'T over do it. I started with 1 lb weights (in each

hand). I followed a video (Power 90), and all the workout is done

easy and slow. Then after 6 weeks, I increased the weights, to 2

lbs. Then to 5 lbs, then to 7.5 lbs. Now I do a combination of 10

lbs for a warm up set (10 reps each exercise), then 15 lbs for a

regular set (10 reps), the I go back to 10 lbs for an endurance set

(15 reps).

I also do sit-ups and push-ups on my weight training days. I started

with 10 different types of sit-ups, doing one each for a total of 10

situps. Now, after progressing to 2 reps, then 5, then 7, then 10

reps, then 20, I do 320-340 sit-ups on weight training days. I only

started doing push-ups recently because my arms weren't strong enough

to handle my weight before. But now, I do 45 - 50 push-ups at

intervals during my work out (10 warm-up push-ups, 10 more between

sit-ups and weights, 15 mid way through weight training, 15 at the

end).

The key is that I listen to my body. I don't do anything that hurts,

but there is discomfort sometimes. And after a while, you'll know

the difference. That's why it's important to follow a reputable

video (bowflex must have one), or book, or even a trainer to help

avoid injury. Remember it's not a sprint, it's a marathon of

endurance that you will be doing for the rest of your life. You can

do it.

One other key aspect to my workouts has been to set aside a place

that is only for working out. It's my sacred space that communicates

to me how much I honor my workout. It's important to me that I set

it up with my likes in mind, to make it as pleasant as possible. The

reason I like the Power 90 videos is that there is no music so that

each person can add their own. Sometimes I work-out to latin music,

but I also like County & Western, classical, jazz, high energy disco-

type music, and even new age. It all depends on my mood.

Now here's a little bit on my own " craziness " about my workout. In a

prominent place, I put up two pictures of guys with amazing bodies,

and I gave them names ( Hecho and Derecho). Their " last

names " (Hecho and Derecho) come from a Spanish phrase that means

something like " Proud and Accomplished. " " Un hombre hecho y derecho "

is an " upstanding, pround, accomplish man. " It's hard to explain. I

hope you get what I mean.

Anyway, I also gave and voices. When I was feeling like

quitting, they were my " trainers " who told me to keep going, that I

could do it. They reminded me to exercise without taking short-cuts

because I was only cutting myself short. It's better to do one sit-

up correctly, than 10 that will not produce results and may even hurt

me.

Those two pictures have a nostalgic place in my heart. I framed them

and took them with me here to San Francisco when I moved out from

mine and Zach's home in Castro Valley. To this day, I look at those

two pictures every morning, and they are a visual reminder of what

I've been through and how hard I've worked. They've seen me through

every workout. They are my guardian angels. Strange, I know, but it

works for me.

Ron, the thing about weight lifting that I didn't expect is that they

are like the fountain of youth. The energy I get from doing the

weight training is AMAZING. You won't feel it at first, and you'll

be sore, but then the power starts to come in. I used to feel so

weak in the world, but now I have this physical strength that makes

me feel like I can protect myself if I needed to. It's not like I'm

going out to pick a fight (I am SOOOO not a fighter), but I walk tall

and proud ( " hecho y derecho " ), not because I'm better than anyone

else, but because God dwells within me. My body no longer reflects

the pain I stuffed down with food. My body now reflects the honor

and respect I show it as a gift from God.

Like I've said before, this weight training is so unbelievably

spiritual. I let God into my heart to perform this miraculous

transormation, and the sense of health and well-being is so wonderful

that at times I can't believe it's me. But the only way to get to

this point (and it's still a work in progess), was to believe and

have faith that I could do it.

I have prayed so many times to thank God for this miracle. But also,

I realize that I must take responsability for my pouch--this

miraculous gift. I have to be a good steward and put forth my best

effort to demonstrate to God and me that I deserve the benefits. I

want God to know that He was right in chosing to bestow this gift on

me. I don't ever want to forget that not everyone is as blessed as I

to have gone through such an all-encompassing transformation of mind,

body and spirit.

Anyway, best of luck with the weights. They may feel heavy, but soon

you'll start to feel light. And then your wings will spread and

you'll feel your spirit soar.

Francisco

The weights make me feel powerful

>

> Francisco, you are so welcome. I only wish it could be more. AIDS

is a very worthy cause and I'm so happy to know someone who's running

in the marathon.

>

> As for how I'm doing... well, I had a couple setbacks recently,

but I'm still in the game. I haven't had the doctor confirm this yet

(but I will), but I believe I have arthritis in my ankles. Some days

it is so very painful just to walk around the house. So I haven't

been doing as much walking. I do push myself sometimes, but I tend

to PAY for that with more pain. Since the pain has subsided though,

I am getting out there and walking as much as I can. I also got my

Bowflex all assembled and started a light regimine this past week.

As time progresses, I'll be adding more to the workouts, but since

I'm not used to exercising, I need to start easy and advance a little

at a time. So far, it's working fine. I've been playing the yo-yo

game with the weight over the last couple weeks, but I'm back on the

losing side and just about caught up to the starting point. Now that

I'm working out, maybe I can always be a loser.

>

> I'm glad things are working out so well for you Francisco. I wish

you well and again... I really enjoy reading your posts. Keep up

the good work, and maybe Mr. Right will run right into your life

soon.

>

> Ron

>

> Ron, thank you

for sponsoring me

>

>

> Ron:

>

> Thank you so much for sponsoring my marathon training!

>

> What a surprise!

>

> This week I logged these totals (divided over three days--M,W,F):

>

> 980 sit-ups

> 145 push-ups

> 3 hours of circuit training with free weights

>

> I also ran 4 miles on Tuesday and another 4 on Thursday.

>

> Tomorrow, Saturday, I will run 5 miles with my pace group.

>

> I can't believe that I can exercise like this! It truly feels like

a

> miracle. And I can't believe how great I feel.

>

> But I don't want anyone to get discouraged. I started 2.5 years

ago

> with 1 sit-up, and 10 minutes on the treadmill at 1 mile per hour.

>

> I built up slowly and gently. Until recently I couldn't even do

one

> push-up.

>

> And now, with the power of positive thinking (this is really a

> physical and mental challenge) I can run free.

>

> Ron, thanks again. How are you doing? How's the walking going?

If

> I remember, you were doing better and better with your walking.

Let

> us know what's up.

>

> Francisco

>

> P.S. If anyone else would like to sponsor me, you can do so at

> www.aidsmarathon.com. I'm runner/participant 6010 in San Francisco.

>

>

>

>

>

>