Upper Body

Today I focused all of my efforts on my upper body. This includes biceps, triceps, lats, deltoids, traps, etc. While most weight-lifters are focusing on one area a day, I focus on sections. I prefer to work on my entire upper body one day and my lower body the next day. Of course, every day contains some of the same areas.
Every day I do push-ups, pull-ups (alternate days with pull-ups and chin-ups), calves, quads, abs, and lower back. These are the most important muscle groups to my body. Abs and lower back are two things that must be done every day. A strong core is more important than anything else in my body. My legs are also important and are worked on every day to varying extent (lower body days they are worked on a lot, and upper body days they are subjected to endurance excercises).
Every day I find it important to do a minimum of 50 push-ups. This can be split in different ways, but can never be included in my bench presses. I also find it important to do pull-ups every day, generally 3 sets of 10 per day. This helps keep my arms and back active, but not overworked. Just using your own body weight is acceptable on these fronts.

I had my standard breakfast of 2 packets of oatmeal. Then for lunch I had peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches on honey oat bread. Never underestimate the importance of a pb&j. The peanut butter helps to replenish the muscles while preventing muscle soreness. The jelly (or bannana jam in my case - thanks Pangie for the jam) is good for fructose and simple carbohydrates. The bread is good for soaking up any lactic acid built up inside the stomach (though not suggested for those with stomach lining problems). In short, pb&j is an excellent fuel source. After my workout, I ate a couple granola bars and had some hard boiled eggs after a whey protein drink. While I never used to use whey protein, the benefits of using it while trying to sculpt the body are limitless. I suggest a caramel/chocolate flavor. It's delicious. For the evening meal, I had a mondo burrito from Taco Del Mar. Not the healthiest suggestion, but it's packed with energy and also tasty. I was tempted to get the Alaskan fish for meat, but went with seasoned pork instead. The jalepenos were an excellent addition and also helped keep me warm on cold nights like tonight.

Sadly, I had an indulgence this evening. Being a Tuesday, I made my way to the Walrus for a couple beers and some good music. I had two beers, which is not the best for my training, yet still enjoyable and positive for my mentality.

The snow is falling in Bismarck, which makes me believe that I can go cross country skiing and running tomorrow. So, I will probably go xc skiing before lifting weights and go running with Phil after lifting. The time to hesitate is through. The Fargo marathon approaches more rapidly than one might think. I need to be ready.