2012 | Day 219: On the Journey of Life...

MOTIVATIONAL OF THE DAY

Prepare for Glory!

Sometimes you come to a point in your life where nothing but crossroads rest ahead of you. If you don’t already, start believing in yourself and your ability to take life as it comes and make your own decisions. Cast aside all fear and trust that your instincts will lead you true and guide you to the right fork in the road.

When you walk down a path not many take, there is nothing you can do but soldier on when obstacles obstruct you. You must have confidence in yourself, knowing that you have the strength to overcome whatever you come across.

There are going to be people and events that seem to be there for no purpose but to test you, push you, see what you are made of. They may be abusive; they may be full of bullsh*t, but trust in what your gut tells you about them and move forward, ready and willing to cast them aside and leave them behind, where they cannot touch you or bring you down to their level.

Stand tall and be confident, proud in whom you are, knowing that you are set apart for a purpose, a mission, something great in life. Look forward to the future and if you never give up, give it everything you’ve got, and refuse to back down when everything and everyone seems against you, prepare to expect what very few achieve!

© 2012 Rosie Chee

Quote for Reflection: “Prepare for Glory gentlemen! Throw your fear aside. Throw your lack of confidence aside. Throw all the bs in your life aside. When you make it this far...all you can do is climb up. Wrestle till your last breathe!!!” - Frank Michael

Day 327: Recovery Complete & Goals Achieved

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Nothing that happens in your life is insignificant…God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory." – Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

GOALS & PROGRESS

"Recovering from a double fracture in my left wrist...my main priority is to get back to MY normal training levels as soon as possible..."
I have now completely recovered from the double fracture in my left wrist - in fact, this happened at least a month ago, and my left wrist has not given me any issues for quite some time now.

"Secondary goal is recomping to maintain my current muscle mass and lean down to 7-8% bodyfat!"
I have recomped and leaned down to under 8% bodyfat - although I started at 8.8% bodyfat, it went up and down and I ended up at a final 7.9% bodyfat. I gained back ALL of the muscle mass I lost when I was unable to train because of my left wrist, and then some. The BIGGEST part about all of this though is the fact that - not for the lack of "intending to", I might add - I did it all withOUT dieting, my diet "normal" for me ("normal" is what everyone ELSE considers a "cheat" ALL the time!)

"Since I could not compete in July as planned...I am looking at competing in late October..."
I did not compete (for reasons explained when it came to make that decision), but my body is now more proportional than it has ever been - in fact, it is almost perfectly symmetrical on both sides re upper AND lower body, which it has never been before, and any muscle size discrepancies that were created because of what I could - and couldn't - do [when I started training again] re left wrist are now gone, and I have SURPASSED the aesthetic physical condition I was in PRIOR to my injury!

OTHER NOTES

Going forward, as I said in my last update, I am going to be doing my best to MAINTAIN the lower body composition that I have attained - usually, I would maintain between 8-10% bodyfat, but knowing how I feel and look at different stages, I now feel rather UNcomfortable at anything too much more than ~9% bodyfat, and so desire to maintain something closer to ~8% bodyfat, aiming to "allow" myself to go now higher than ~8.2-8.3% bodyfat from now on.

As far as training, I have trained for athletic performance purposes - strength, power, speed, endurance; I have trained for muscle growth - gains in upper body; I have trained for leaning - no different than training for anything else, honestly. I no longer have any focus on athletic performance and I am quite ok with the muscle mass that I now have in my upper body - in fact, I wouldn't mind LOSING some more from my lower body, and "slimming" up my lower back, because the muscle there seems to "bulge" out because of my scoliosis (something that becomes more noticeable the leaner I get). Therefore, training from now on is simply going to be working on maintaining the current muscle mass and leanness that I have, but also on improving several areas of my body - for example, no more work for Legs, because they are big enough already; and cutting work for Chest and Back down to only what is done in my weekly Full-Body session, because working my Back is making it wider and thicker all over, and I need to work on "slimming" the mid to lower region up. As far as strength goes, I am not too concerned with what I am lifting - so long as what I am doing is challenging me and making my body work and scream.

Re nutrition, the last 10 weeks have taught me more than ever what it is important for me to minimize - and ideally AVOID! - as far as food, and I need to take more heed of this for health reasons, which I will do. I have also continued to adapt my own modification of the Lean Gains nutritional protocol so that it is "perfect" for ME, and will continue on using such a method, albeit being better with WHAT I eat.

There you have it - the last 10 weeks have taught me a lot. Not just about my body and training and nutrition, etc., but about BALANCE - my life has become a little more balanced and I am starting to enjoy it a little more, albeit still stressed as anything (just not quite as much). I am growing and developing more as an individual, and I am slowly starting to accept myself, which is a HUGE deal - almost as huge as getting below 8% bodyfat. So, it has been an INvaluable journey - although VERY upset when I refractured my left wrist, it really was a BLESSING, and although I knew at the time that it happened for a reason, to teach me something, now I understand more fully just WHAT that reason was!

Through it all, though, it was never done on my own strength, and any Glory for what I have done and achieved over the last 10 weeks goes to God and Him alone - I am only a living testament to His Grace and Power, to show that ANYthing is possible if you but have Faith and Desire and the Willingness to JUST DO IT!

Day 226: Echoes in Eternity

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

Ephesians 5:15 says, "Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life, but as those who do." As Soldiers and Warriors of Christ, we are called to be the Light by which the world sees His glory. You never know the impact your actions or words might have on another, so choose to act and speak wisely. Live with a purpose. Live to make a difference in others' lives, the biggest difference that you can, seeking to motivate and inspire them to a better life, a higher way of living, to be the best that they can possibly be. Live to honour Him and reflect His glory. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." - 2 Corinthians 4:17

Day 213: Our Greatest Glory

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

(Background Image [taken from a larger image] courtesy of
Tony Mitchell - note that this particular edit re colour, contrast and
crop was specifically done for today's quote by Rosie Chee Scott)

In some cases, the glory comes not because we fail, but from rising up every time we are knocked down by life. Life loves to knock us down, but we are stronger than that! We HAVE to be!

Day 158: HIS Glory, NOT Mine!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OF THE DAY

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Phillippians 4:13

"God...also wants to use our weaknesses for his glory...Your weaknesses are not an accident. God deliberately allowed them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you...God is never limited by our limitations. In fact, he enjoys putting his great power into ordinary containers." - Rick Warren


TRAINING

Cardio - Run:
1.5 miles @ 4.2 min/km

Arms/Abs (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Rope Crunches 4 x 25
2. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises (feet to touch bar) 4 x 10
Alternate Set B -
3. Close-Grip BB Bicep Curls 4 x 8-10
4. Dips 4 x 8
Alternate Set C -
5. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 21s
6. Tricep Push-Downs 4 x 8-10
Alternate Set D -
7. Alternate Hammer Bicep Curls 4 x 15 per side
8. DB French Press 4 x 8

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 104 rpm

Stretch 23 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: ~8 hours. Interesting.

Mood/Aggression: Positive. Happy. In a really great place

Energy: Like you wouldn't believe!

Endurance: Awesome.

Pump: Strong.

Vascularity: Got told today that the vascularity in my upper chest and around collarbone has increased dramatically.

Quality of Training: Whew! Running outside in the midday heat - what was I thinking?! LOL But, it was only for a short distance, so managed, even if I had trouble breathing . . . Resistance training was pretty awesome. I felt a little nauseous half-way through, but pushed on and had a great session . . . Rollers afterwards to complete today's training . . .

Recovery: Amazingly fresh, which is awesome.

Other Notes: HIS glory, NOT mine! It's true that he uses your weaknesses to show His glory and power. I know He does with me, especially since one of my physiological weaknesses is one that is IMPOSSIBLE for me to change! Every time I went to see a hematologist, they tried to put me on EPO for my genetic blood disorder (my red blood cells can only carry TWO oxygen molecules instead of the usual FOUR), but I refused; and every time a doctor ever saw me, they were surprised that my sports performance was not hindered by my condition, one commenting that my TRAINING was compensating and "acting as EPO" for me, which is a small miracle, and one reason why I can NEVER STOP training if I want my body to continue to function "normally" re breathing. I am just one individual, full of flaws and weaknesses, but that hasn't stopped me from doing and achieving things I should "never" have been able to do! In fact, almost everything about how my body works, etc. is in opposition to what is "acceptable" and "should" happen. Like Rick Warren said, God demonstrates His power through us if we let Him!

Success: What Is It?

How do you define success? Is it money, wealth, power? A body rival to the gods in terms of leanness and muscle? Is it finding a balance between work and play? Or making your work something that you love, so that it is more play, and that play is your passion?



To everyone, success means something different. You can guarantee that if there were a thousand people in a room, each one of them would have their own definition of success. And each one of them would be able to tell you when they had reached it.



So, what does success mean? Achieving your goals? Having a vision for the future, and working towards it? Having self fulfilment and love and acceptance?



How do you measure success? By the times you try and fall down, only to get back up and keep soldiering forward? Or by the hills you climb to get to the highest mountains that you strive to reach? Is it the peaks you pass on the way to the top of the highest one you are seeking? Or is it something else? Something deeper, different, and unexplainable, that drives you?



Where do you go once you have achieved your success? Do you stop and bask in it for a while? Do you go backwards, because one you have achieved your goal, all effort dies from you? Or do you keep on striving, climbing higher and higher, ever seeking, ever searching, ever having to attain something more? Do you set for yourself a higher goal, and start from there? Do you keep your eyes upon the stars, the ultimate lifelong ambition to set yourself among them?



I am a Warrior . . . A Warrior never stops climbing. A Warrior never stops seeking. A Warrior works always to the highest glory possible.



. . . What are you?