Legs

... are a very funny thing you know?!
Yesterday, I gave them the blitz. Squats, Lunge Squats, Incline Squats, Pliet Squats and Calf Raises. Yup, they got hit harder than Chuck Norris did by Bruce Lee.
Legs are very important, especially when you have back conditions. By having a stable base to support your spine, it allows you to minimize back pain. Now what happens when your legs are not as stable as they should be?
From personal experience, and not from a focused educational standpoint, I find that it can be a hard road to work. . You try to maximize your leg strength, but in doing so, you possibly can encounter hurting your lower back.
Moral of the story, FORM!

Fitness..

Yesterday, it became official.. YO BITCH!! YOU ARE NOW ABOVE 150Lbs.. Who da MAN!?!?! That's right, for the first time I am celebrating a weight gain milestone! Yes!! I think about 15 more lbs, and I should be a walking mutant Charles Atlas. Maybe even 20. The reason I am posting this, is because in the last two years, a lot has changed, and the main change was a change in my gym. I went back to my old haunt, the World Health Club. Got back in touch with my first personal trainer. And went back to 5 days a week. New equipment, new focus equalled a new goal, and one that I think is what I have been thinking for a long time, but never having received encouragment for it from the right people. I needed some people in the industry to give me some input. This they did. I actually got in touch with a very prominent work out person, who is an acquintance of my personal trainer Dean Somerset, and asked him for advice after giving my background. Their response was a resounding yes. Do so, get to that market that we can't get into because we are normal. I love how the normals feel so out of whack when they deal with us cool folk. You know us, more structural issues than a derelict house. More plumbing problems than my toilet received this morning after my increase in ginger intake. You know what I mean? So after some sage advice from these two gurus of the glut, lamas of the lats and barons of the biceps, I thought sweet, this is a good thing. But, the final affirmation was from one of the hottest trainers I have ever seen in existence. Sweet Latino lady, with deadlier curves than a fully tricked out baseball pitcher. I was checking her out, I ummm... I was also checking out this particular exercise she was doing. A single arm Lat pulldown on a cable pulley. It was what I had been after in a lat exercise for ages. So I went over, after having a mental cold shower, and started chatting to her about it. We got onto the subject of why I was looking for a change of exercise, and then she asks "what is the degree of scoliosis you have?" It was like this girl is good. I replied with something around 59 degree kyphotic curvature. So she then followed up with the question that made me realize I was on the right thought of job change: "SO, as someone who has back issues, I am wondering what exercises you do to keep yourself active? My cousin has just had back surgery at the age of 17." After the initial, shit I feel for this poor kid, she was suffering moreso the worst part of back problems, the neuromuscular and neurological disorders that came with scoliosis. So, I told her my basics, and then thanked her for affirming that I was on the right path for my job change. Then had a nice cool shower...

Guilt... and why it is bad

I was reading this blog on an Agent Orange Second Generation sufferer, and came across this message by a man stating what is wrong with his child and grandchild. Then, in caps, he starts breaking down, and saying that he is responsible for the murder of thousands of people, and unborn children etc. Don't get me wrong, I had sympathy for the guy, but this was too far. Firstly, it was not this guys fault that he was following orders. He was paid to do a job, and he was told that it was tactically important. Only through hindsight has he realized what he was doing 45 years ago. Secondly, Monsanto, and not this gentleman, should be held responsible for this problem. They released a chemical for military use, without thought of consequence. They knew at the time that dioxin was carcinogenic, but they refused to advise the government and the military, what its' lethality was. Thirdly, the US and Australian military are at fault, for not providing significant chemical warfare equipment to their troops on the ground, and their ordnance personell. They knew that it was a chemical, and as such, should have taken some precautions. Fourthly, the amount of guilt that this guy was feeling, as deep seated as it was for him, is actually a byproduct of those back home, who during the war, alienated, hated and slandered those troops who were doing what they thought was right. By calling someone a babykiller, for something that 90% of them did NOT do intentionally, is going to unsettle their psyche for their entire life. Should all the antiwar protestors be held responsible also? Yes they fucking should. All wars before Vietnam, the soldiers were treated with respect, yes even in WWII, their were antiwar sentiments, even amongst the governments, but the soldiers received a welcome home. This did not happen for Vietnam Vets for 25 years AFTER the fact. As you all know, I suffer from several issues from this horrendous chemical, and the only people I truly blame are Monsanto and the US and Australian militaries for using something that they were given, and were not FULLY informed about. Rant done. As a side note, I sent this guy a reply and suggested that he seek help for his guilt. Told thim that as someone suffering from this, I did not hold him or others like him responsible for this. My advice, do something positive from it, help his family, help himself above all. I just hope he listens. Take care, and peace to all. Especially the leprechauns...