I really like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Kindergarten Cop was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, and after watching the 2023 Netflix documentary Arnold, I was extremely impressed by what I learned about his time as governor of California. Initially, I was opposed to Arnold running because I felt a celebrity with no political experience running for office was debasing government and a sign of a culture amusing ourselves to death.

If only I knew what was to come.

I was extremely impressed with Arnold’s commitment to bipartisan governance in California. He wasn’t interested in petty Republican-Democrat feuds. He made sure to reach across the aisle, and he had a Democrat as his chief of staff. It probably didn’t hurt that he had a brilliant first lady, Maria Shriver, by his side during his tenure. I was impressed with his accomplishments on budget issues, the environment, and infrastructure.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is Abraham Lincoln compared to what is going on now.

At almost 80, Arnold still works out regularly and looks healthy and fit. His training style has always been straightforward and not stupid, which is why he is still going strong. Arnold is one of the gold standards I look to for training advice.

I signed up for Arnold’s daily newsletter because I really like that he encourages positivity in this negative, toxic atmosphere. His newsletter offers great nutrition and training advice, some of the latest health research, and encouragement around mindset and habit change. It is exactly the type of newsletter that we should be reading daily instead of doomscrolling.

I loved the charge to readers in one of the newsletters this week. Arnold said he once asked Muhammad Ali how many sit-ups he did a day. Ali responded that he didn’t know because only started counting reps when they started hurting.  This week, we were charged with starting to count our reps started hurting.

Quote from Arnold’s Newsletter

So this week, we are making a simple adjustment to your training.Every set, whether it is 5×5 or 3×10, I want you to pay attention, and I want you to count like Ali, once the reps are hard. Count to 2 or 3, and that set is over.

You don’t get better at your job by cruising. You don’t become the best mom or dad by going through the motions. You have to push through discomfort to grow at anything. Growth starts where comfort ends.

I have been going through the motions for a long time now. I don’t want to cruise anymore. I want to push myself to get strong again and feel energized. It’s why I am setting strength goals again (Squat and Deadlift more than 135 pounds easy again) 

A Protein Shake a Day…

One of my goals is to make sure to drink a post-workout shake, especially in the mornings, because I notice once I start off with the blood sugar stable, I snack a lot less. Snacking has become a real problem, and a lot of it is due to boredom and not having my eating rhythms down.

When I was training for a competition that didn’t happen, I had a meal plan, and I followed it. That was not sustainable, but I do think one of the best strategies for fat loss is to have a routine and plan. I am not dieting or anything, but I am getting back into rhythms and a plan.

Last summer I had depressive symptoms and I tend to snack and eat more when I get depressed. Despite taking up running again and completing a 10K, I gained about fifteen pounds last summer. (Proof Positive that you cannot outrun a bad diet) I lost about 7 of the 15 pounds during the Fall Push, and as we start strong, I am focused more on the habits than the number. I went back to weighing myself every other week. I do so much better if I am not watching the scale every week. I assumed the weight gain was due to eating more while running stimulated the appetite, as well as being depressed and snacking more. This may all be true, but running may also not be compatible with Crohn’s disease. I have a mild form of Crohn’s disease and have mild flares from time to time.

This past weekend, I learned that distance running may not be the best for people with Crohn’s due to reduced blood flow to the digestive tract and cortisol spikes that can trigger inflammation, which Crohn’s patients need to avoid. From now on, I will not run for more than 30 minutes, and I will stop running for at least 6 to 8 weeks. I have a 5K at the end of March, but that may be it for running for a while.

LA Hot Girl shorts

I have a pair of shorts I call my LA Hot Girl Shorts. They were the kinds of shorts I wore in the early 2000s. Just for kicks, I put them on, and they were crying out for mercy. I could not even button them.

Welp, I am going to try them on again in three months and see what happens. LOL. Just because I am turning forty-five doesn’t mean I need to transition to muumuus full-time. Although I do love a good kaftan worn Rachel Zoe style with sunglasses and a glass of sauvignon blanc. I also like my shorts as well.

Thank you, Arnold, for the extra motivation this week. When it starts hurting, then I’ll start counting

. I am ready to get out of my comfort zone!