What is Project Swole?
Project Swole is a project I have decided to start to better myself on a physical and mental level. I call it a ‘project’ because it takes planning, design, testing, refining, execution, and maintenance. Being Swole merely refers to being swollen up with strength, size, vigor, endurance, performance, confidence… all the good things in life that make us successful at what we do. To be Swole, one needs to a goal, a plan, a determined attitude, a desire for success, and of course some training equipment.
Starting Training From Scratch
For the last 5 months of my life, I have been only semi-serious about exercising. In the last 4 weeks of my life, I have not exercised at all. This is my acknowledgement that I am walking a thin line between hardcore and middle-aged mediocrity. This is my statement that it is time to get back in shape for the summer, and break new plateaus of strength, size, and leanness.
Why Am I Qualified to Undertake This Effort?
The simple answer is that I used to be a personal trainer in my early 20’s. The information that I use, which you will learn here, comes from years of training myself, training others, and continued education in the form of reading books, magazines, and articles. I have weeded out all the bogus information that just does not work, and I am now able to create a training program for any individual, to meet nearly any goal given an adequate amount of time.
For Better or for Worse, I Am Not a Bodybuilder
I am a (moderately) young guy that enjoys lifting weights and martial arts. Strongman, powerlifting, and mixed martial arts competitions are fun to watch; bodybuilding shows, male or female, are totally lame but some people are into it for whatever reson. Will I compete in any of these things? Honestly, I don’t know. I have never been strong for my height and weight, I have never been very big except when I weighed 220 lbs, and I have been down to 8% bodyfat only once, back in my early 20’s. MMA is fun, but I’m just starting out and have no experience. We’ll see what happens.
What are my goals?
To be functionally strong, agile, and flexible; to be able to defend myself in a brawl; to be able to run for miles in the case of an emergency; to be able to climb nearly anything if necessary. Essentially I want to be prepared for any situation that might involve an extreme physical effort, or a fight or flight response. Oh, I also want to look good naked.
How Will I Reach My Goals?
I will reach my goals through the combination of a healthy high-protein diet, mauy thai kickboxing and MMA 3 times per week, additional functional training workouts 1-2 times per week, a healthy lifestyle including limited alcohol consumption and plenty of sleep, and some outside assistance including massage, good sex, and stress coping strategies. I will be persistent in my efforts to make each and every training session, except where scheduled time-off takes precedence for recovery purposes.
Supplements?
Yes, I will use supplements. I will use legal supplements such as Pure Protein and Trioplex protein bars, protein shakes, XTend amino acid powder, NO-Xplode, Biotest Hot Rox Extreme, Bone Boost, a multi-vitamin, melatonin for sleep, and 5-HTP for mood. I will not use any illegal supplements or steroids. During the course of Project Swole I will add in and remove any of the various supplements as my body starts to adapt to exercise or when I feel that my body is ready to grow. Protein bars, a multi-vitamin, and 5-HTP are my daily staples even when I am not lifting. Also, I am prescribed the blood thinner Coumadin, or Warfarin, for a blood coagulation problem that I was born with.
Let the Changes Begin
Today is my first workout on Project Swole. The goal today will be to gauge where my current strength is, and to get my body back into the motions. I want to see if I have any nagging injuries or strength imbalances, or if my cardiovascular system is shot. There will be no one rep maxes performed today. I shall post my results after the workout. Stay tuned…
