Jeff 2.0: Day 20: Upper, Middle, Lower Workout with Gary

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Day 20: Upper, Middle, Lower Workout with Gary

My friend and accountant, Gary Gray, heard I was doing the P90X and joined me for an early morning workout. The P90X had the Kenpo X scheduled but I decided the bonus UML (upper, middle, lower) workout would be fun to try. The UML had us hustling for 45 minutes as we rotated between a variety of push ups, sit ups, and lunging exercises. Gary loved the workout and I enjoyed the company. It gets lonely working out by myself sometimes.

My home gym is really coming together. I bought a 5-drawer cabinet to store some exercise equipment and replaced my television with a small flat panel television I wasn't using (I seldom watch TV anymore). The new rubber flooring is working out great and saving my knees. All I need to complete my gym is a pull up bar and that will be coming soon.

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About "Jeff 2.0"

Welcome to "Jeff 2.0." This website is a chronicle of my efforts to upgrade myself to the next level through serious nutrition and exercise. This next level is what I refer to as Jeff 2.0.

On April 16, 2008, I started exercising to lose weight, improve my health, and pack on some muscle. With the help of an excellent personal trainer, I made great accomplishments. I lost over 50 lbs, overcame chronic back pain, lowered my blood pressure, and was bench-pressing over 300 pounds. Unfortunately, in early 2009, at the peak of my physical conditioning I started having shortness of breath and lost my ability to do cardio almost overnight. After visiting a cardiologist and undergoing a battery of tests, I was soon informed that I needed an emergency triple bypass operation. They cracked me open on April 17, 2009.

After the surgery, I was physically devastated. My heart was very weak and my chest felt as if someone had hit me with a pickax. I shed 40 pounds within a few weeks and wasn’t permitted to lift anything heavier that 5 pounds for over 6 weeks. When I was finally allowed to start doing light exercise 7 weeks later, I felt as if I was starting all over again (I just didn’t have to worry about the weight loss part). However, I kept exercising regularly and was determined to get back into shape as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, by summer's end, with mounting medical bills and a still sluggish economy (I’m self-employed), I was no longer able to afford the luxury of a personal trainer. I was very worried because I didn't think I'd push myself as hard as a trainer does. Would I even continue exercising on my own?

Fortunately, that’s when a client told me about the P90X or Power 90 Extreme home fitness system. The P90X is a DVD collection of 12 extreme workouts designed for people who want to take their fitness to the next level. This program claims that if you follow the 90 day program, you will get totally ripped. This is exactly what I was looking for and at $120 the price was right.

As I stated above, this blog will chronicle my efforts to upgrade myself to Jeff 2.0. I’ll follow the P90X program very closely but will also mix in some of my own workouts. I’ll also pass on any useful tools and tips I come across and provide plenty of photos if you want to follow my progress.

I hope you enjoy the blog and I hope it inspires you to upgrade yourself to the next level.

Bring it,

Jeff 1.0

Sept. 17, 2009