Legs and Wins

I had a huge leg day today - first I kicked up the elliptical to lvl 7 to keep pushing myself (I couldn't really tell the difference from lvl 6, so I assume I'll be up to lvl 8 next week). Then Dan and I switched up the leg program. We tossed out the hack squat and brought in a V-squat. Somewhat similar, though instead of at a 45° angle, you're mostly upright. The hack squat focuses on the quadricep, while the v-squat gets that muscle, the hamstring and the butt. And holy cow could I feel it. I was soaking with sweat by the time we were done with our third set. We then did leg extensions, followed by calf raises. We gave the hammys and the step up machine a rest this week, just to keep things fresh and attack the legs from different angles. I feel great right now!

For those who are just starting out, or mulling over starting up a weight-loss program, I wanted to talk a bit about my legs. Or more specifically, my knees.

Back in May/June/July, when I'd get up out of my computer chair at either home or work, I'd find myself limping. Limping because my knees were screaming at me. They were always stiff and inflexible and in pain. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, "when I see my folks at Thanksgiving, how am I going to hide this?" and didn't have an answer. It was a bit embarassing, but mostly it was a cause for concern. I didn't want another 40 or 50 years of this crap.

I didn't even realize that it was going to happen, but the elliptical machine has completely resolved that issue. Seriously, after about two weeks of 20 minutes a day for 5 days a week, my knees were back! And I didn't notice it right away, but I distinctly recall sitting in my computer chair at home, and having to go to the bathroom. I stood up and walked to the hallway, and realized halfway there that my limp was gone, that my knees didn't want to buckle and give way, and that I was getting better. It was just one of those "a-ha!" moments that felt so good. Small victories like that really help to keep the motivation going strong. Now that I'm down some 22+ pounds and can see the difference in the mirror, I don't need little things to motivate me as much. Now I'm like Michael Jordan back in the day - winning is addictive. I want to just keep winning. I don't need to read a book or a blog or watch a disc or clip or anything like that. I just want to add to my victory pile.

I want to not be 300+ pounds.