No Fitness Muppet

Greetings All,

    I was watching some old Sesame Street clips recently, and I began to notice that there was never any emphasis placed physical fitness.  Then I began to think back to all the other Children’s Television Workshop shows and I don’t recall anything there either.  3 2 1 Contact had a short feature occasionally about particular athletics, but nothing that really was fitness oriented.   All the CTW shows had a particular emphasis:  The Electric Company (spelling and vocabulary); 3 2 1 Contact (physical sciences); Reading Rainbow (reading and literacy); Sesame Street (elementary skills); Square One (Mathmatics).  I don’t recall any of those great shows we loved as kids ever delving seriously into fitness.  It’s almost as if it were taboo in children’s edutainment.  With the childhood obesity epidemic on the rise, it seems like there should be a show (or at least a regular segment on a show) devoted to fitness.  Someone needs to write to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and tell them to fund a kids show for fitness, exercise and kinesiology.  Thoughts?

Super Jerry

Time is short!

Greetings all,

    Well, it’s getting really close to Dragon*Con and the deadline for my first major goal.  After nine months of dieting and working out, we’ll see how well I can pull off this costume.  Of course the quest will not end there.  After Dragon*Con and a short layoff period which will on consist of light cardio and calisthenics, I will be at it again.  I am told that this is how bodybuilders usually balance their year out.  The next long term goal will be to reach 235lbs. at 5% body fat.  That’s certainly not going to be easy, but I am a firm believer in the expression “The game isn’t big enough unless it scares you a little.” 

    As cutting continues, I have to work in all the time for the aesthetics of the costume (hair dyeing, spray tanning, etc.)  The next 5 weeks are going to be quite a challenge.  I will keep everyone posted!

Super-Jerry

The Revenge of Football Camp

Greetings All,

  Well, the fun stuff is over (relatively speaking) and now we are into cutting.  Now begins the intensely involved circuit training.  Lots of cardio; lots of compound movement exercises.  Doesn't that sound delightful?  I feel like fate is punishing me for not trying out for any sport in high school.  Now it's like "The Revenge of Football Camp."  I was an impromptu bookie in high school as well, so maybe this is penance for such opportunism.  Still, many have told me that this is the phase that makes it all worth it.  I dearly hope so.

    I am down to 16% body fat and 209lbs.  The target by Dragon Con is 10%.  I also have to go get waxed (no 40 Year Old Virgin references please) 3 times beforehand.  Let's not forget hair dyeing and spray tanning.  The things we do to pretend we are someone else.  I just keep telling myself "It's worth it! It's worth it!"


Super-Jerry

As promised, here are some progress so far pics:

These were taken last Thursday:

These were taken at the top of April:

No cannon ball if you are over 300lbs.

Greeting All,

    So I went to our local water park this weekend with some friends.  Apparently the park had some sort of discount for guests that qualify as morbidly obese or excessively inked (possibly double for both).  At first I was terrified to take my shirt off but after looking around at that place, the modesty evaporated.  I found myself openly acknowledging the childhood obesity epidemic and I had to actively contain my contempt for the massively obese adults as well.  I don’t want that to sound arrogant, but after only about 6 months of hard core training I have gotten my body fat levels to a much more health level.  Surely people with less intense goals could simply maintain good healthy levels.

    I do wonder what the significant change was from the 70’s when we (Americans) were among the skinniest, to now when we are the fattest.  Some say it’s the availability of fattening fast-foods, but McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King have been around a lot longer than that.  Some blame video games and TV; that might be partly true but I certainly doubt that it’s the root cause.  I don’t think that there is any one smoking gun other than apathy.  

    I am starting to learn that fitness is very much self reinforcing.  It feels kinda good when you can start (as my trainer puts it) setting the bar higher.  The real trick is not to become excessively arrogant or vain.  I am using the (very effective) imagery I got at the water park to motivate me on my mad Quest.  I can say to myself that I want better than all of these people have settled for.  Cliché? Maybe, but it seems to be working.

Super-Jerry

PS:  More “progress so far” pics next week