61 Days in The Bank

Last night, I started reading Convict Conditioning in preparation for August. It's a book written by a guy who spent 20 years in prison. And when it came to being in shape, all he had was time and his own body.

I don't have a gym membership. I have a few pieces of equipment, but nothing fancy. Sometimes I worry that I don't have what I need to get in the shape I want to be. Then, someone recommended I pick up this book.

Talk about perfect timing! But first... let's get the end of July fit test out of the way.

As usual, I don't look at my previous fit test numbers leading up to the next one. I hit the garage this morning and was surprised with my results after 61 days.

Of the 7 exercises, I bested 6. Fell off in the push-ups. Scoring even lower than my Day 1 fit test. But, I'm not quite sure it's an apples to apples comparison. On Day 1, I was doing incline push-ups. Today, still on knee push-ups, but my form has improved and I'm getting closer to the ground.

I know these push-ups today are worth more per rep than the ones from Day 1. And when I look at it that way, I SMASHED MY LAST FIT TEST SCORES!!! 100 high knees!!! That's DOUBLE from Day 1! Burpees have doubled and switch lunges has nearly tripled!

WOOOOO!!!!! =D

Now, back to Convict Conditioning...

I wanted to give y'all a tour of my gym. With this new guide, I'm super stoked to see what kind of athlete my gym can produce!

Weight Bench
I don't use it much anymore, but it's there when I need it!

Wood Block
This is how I modify my burpees, mountain climbers, and other routines. It's about 18inches off the ground. It's old and has rusty nails sticking out, so I cover the top with my soft floor tiles to keep my hands safe.

Resistance Bands
Don't use these as much anymore, but plenty of great routines to be had on these babies!

Jump Rope
I use this A LOT! I need a longer one so I can move my feet more.

Medicine Ball / Kettle Bell
8lbs - I use it a lot, from uneven push ups to kettle bell swings.

Yoga Mat
Thanks to GE! I use this thing for planks, push ups, sit ups, bridges, and any other floor work.

25lb Dumbbell
It may be old and ugly, but I use this bad boy quite often.

80lb Sandbag
This is my newest toy! I love it. I don't have 80lbs in there. It's between 25 - 30 lbs of rocks inside right now. Thanks to my cousin and BodyRock.TV, I use this thing in almost every routine. Throw it, pull it, drag it, carry it, lift it...

I don't have a picture, but the other items I use EVERY workout are my gloves and phone! I've got my music to get me through and an interval timer app to tell me when to move on to the next move. The moment I started using the timer, I noticed an IMMEDIATE difference in my workouts. I had only counted reps before June. Now, I can't imagine doing half of what I do without an interval timer.

My, oh my, how technology can help and hinder all at the same time!

But my FAVORITE piece of equipment in my gym... I call it a MEAN MACHINE...

ME