Dallas Desperado Tryouts Looming

As I prepare to become the next walk-on Desperado I find that my body is rising to the challenge. Just two weeks ago I started hitting the weights really hard. Last week I wanted to see if I could bench press 135 pounds 100 times – 4 sets of 25 reps, not all at once. On the 4th set I could only do 15 before my chest screamed out in agony and my triceps started to whine like little babies.

I thrust the bar back up the rack with a clank and hugged myself. I listened to “Closer” by Ne-Yo on my iPod while I geared back up for the final 10 reps. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… I pushed all the way through to 15 before I was forced to quit again.  My breath came in short gasps and so I focused on slowing it down. Deep inhalations followed by a slow exhale. I concentrated on the pounding in my chest and immediately could tell that the breathing exercises were working.

This week I added just 10 pounds. My goal is to be able to do 225 40 times non-stop by the time Desperdo tryouts get here in October. I picked up the 145 pounds and busted out 25 reps easily. The second set was even easier and is always the easiest because the muscles are warmed up. By the 3rd set I could start to feel the burn, the tearing down of muscle fibers and the build up of lactic acid. I continued to focus on my breathing and form and on the 4th and final set of 25 I pushed through with ease. 145 pounds 100 times isn’t a great feat, but what is great is to see how quickly my body is responding to the torture I am putting it through. Now it’s time to up the ante…

With just 2 months of training to go I have to increase my running, improve my diet, start taking post-workout recovery shakes, ice my joints, cool down in the hot tub and sauna, and if I really want to get serious I will start on a regimen of creatine and a host of other MuscleTech supplements that taste and smell awful but that over time I have found that they actually do work.

Last night I am talking to Attic Monkey about all of this and I tell him, “Dude, just imagine how much easier it would be to be a full time athlete. I’m doing all of this on top of working 40 hours a week at work, what if all I had to do was workout 4 hours a day, then work on recovery and then when I go home that time is mine, the workouts are done because the workouts were, well, Work.”

This little conversation only inspired me more. What if I could become a paid athlete for just a few years? After that I would like to tour the states as a motivational speaker. I would publish a book on eating and exercise and then of course I would write an Autobiography about my experience and how I went from Corporate America, to being a Fat Mavs ManiAAC dancer to being a Dallas Desperado.

So people keep asking me, “What have you been up to lately?” Well, pretty much working, working out, and taking care of my body and my house. What have you been up to?