Archive for June, 2007

Building a Business, Making a Million (or, why I haven’t been posting)

Monday, June 25th, 2007

Self Employment

Ever since I was 8 years old I wanted to be a millionaire. Even in my youth I immediately realized the importance of money. It began with collecting comic books and baseball cards. Strategically collecting the ones that I thought would be worth most, in hopes of reselling them for future profit. This led into my first multi-level-marketing experience around the age of 18. I have attempted various schemes and scams, tried doing exactly what the rich did, and tried my hand at eBay and other various retail sales ventures. I even started personal training because it was ‘my own business’, but made the mistake of working for a gym rather than working for myself. For the most part, all of my ventures have been failures, EXCEPT for the one vital component that we must never forget: Every failure has at least one groundbreaking lesson, and the only true mistake is the one we make twice.

Ultimately, my lessons and studies led me to my final decision regarding how I could be a millionaire. It involves a step by step process that virtually guarantees success:

  1. I must work for myself, making money for myself, charging my own rates.
  2. I must do something that I love.
  3. I must become an expert in the industry.
  4. I must network like crazy, building a list of professional affiliations and associations.
  5. I must sub contract the grunt work to minions.
  6. I must develop a stream of residual income.
  7. I must partner with someone, or train someone to run the business like it was their own.
  8. If possible, given the timeframe of life, repeat these steps until rich.

How Do These Things Relate to This Post?

Well, I have developed a business with Tasen Software wherein I design, build, and maintain custom computer software and websites. My backlog of work is so tremendous, I am still completing projects from 2006 in June of 2007. Every day that I get out of work, I am forced to go home to my office and work. There is no time for family or relaxation, or even for getting all of my work done. I have decided that I must quit my full-time job and join the ranks of the self-employed, and so this is what I have done.

I am planning on working as a contractor for at least two days per week, and working on my own business three days per week, plus nights and weekends. To this extent I believe I am on my way to making my first million, AND I should be able to get back in the gym three days a week now. Three cheers for self-employment!!

Now, let the REAL hard work begin. I am coming for YOU Gates!

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Sick of Being Sick!

Thursday, June 14th, 2007

Once again I have gone on hiatus for about a week. I have been experiencing some sort of GI track bug which was causing my body to reject food in a wide variety of ways. This would not be condusive to deadlifting or squatting. In fact, walking around was annoying enough to me, nevermind hoisting iron all around the gym.

In any case, I am back again. I now have about 3 weeks to get ‘Swole in a Month’. Candlebox tickets have been purchased for the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, and I must prepare myself to be shirtless for the better part of 3-4 hours.

The Slacker

I am starting to feel like this guy. Do you know who I’m talking about? The Slacker is that guy that you’ve seen at the gym for the last year or two, who never seems to get any bigger, stronger, or leaner. He’s spinning his wheels, slacking off for a week here and there, taking a month off when life gets busy, or he just goes home at night and decides to stay home and drink a beer rather then coming in for some overhead presses. This is the guy I feel like right now. I am not doing what it’s going to take to get in shape. I am Mr. Lazy American.

Yesterday I got back in the gym for my first workout in 6 days aside from some fooing around at home. It was not a bad workout, but definitely not spectacular. If nothing else, I am definitely maintaining. =(

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Swole in a Month – Workout 1

Monday, June 4th, 2007

Monday 6/4/07

This is my second lunchtime workout under my new mid-day workout plan. So far, so good. I am clearly way too out of shape to excel at the complex that I tried today, but I did it anyway, and made it through unscathed.

Tip of the day: To promote maximum growth in your calves, train them every other day while varying the exercises. For example you might try standing calf raises Monday, seated calf raises Wednesday, and a wide stance incline calf raise with bent kness on Friday. Be creative!

Current Weight: 186.6 lbs
Current Bodyfat: too much

Diet: protein bar, coffee coolatta, ham/egg/cheese on english muffin, dried fruit, fruit, turkey/roast beef on whole grain bread, and tonight I shall dine on meat and vegetables.

Supplements: NO-Xplode, and X-Tend pre-workout, 1 serving of Gatorade during the workout, 1 serving of Biotest Surge post-workout. Multi-Vitamin

The Workout!

5 minutes of warming up with dumbbells.

1a – Dumbell Bench – 60 x 10, 90 x 7, 100 x 6, 100 x 3
1b – Incline Calf Raise – 180 x 12, 180 x 12, 205 x 10
2a – Stiff Leg Deadlift – 135 x 10, 225 x 7, 275 x 7, 315 x 5
2b – Ab Machine – 130 x 10, 130 x 10
3a – Deadlift/Hang Clean/Push Press/Back Squat/Push Press Complex – 135 x 5, 135 x 5, 135 x 5
3b – Ab Machine – 130 x 10, 130 x 10
4 – Dumbell Cross Eyes – 40 x 7, 50 x 7

Conclusion: I am enjoying the complexes right now. Originally I was supposed to do the complexes on my off days, Tuesday and Thursday, however I am out of shape and I really enjoy the way the complexes tax my entire body. For now I will keep doing them on regular workout days. Also, I am still weak.

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New Goal – Swole in a Month

Saturday, June 2nd, 2007

Candlebox!

I am going to Candlebox on July 6th. The show will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (in NH), in the middle of summer, in a swarming crowd of people, and I refuse to be forced to wear a shirt due to man boobs and love handles! Therefore I have roughly one month to kick it up a gear.

The Plan

I will exercise five days a week for four weeks. This exercise will occur during my lunch break at work. I will lift heavy Mon/Wed/Fri and Tues/Thurs will be additional workouts of high intensity cardio or complexes. For cardio, I will occasionally participate in the elliptical machine, but more often than not I will choose to workout on the heavy bag. On elliptical days, I will toss in 20 rep, light weight sets to stimulate blood flow and assist recovery. Complexes are also quite enjoyable, as I will go and and hit up a deadlift/hang clean/push press/back squat/rear push press combination.

The Goals

When I am as out of shape as I am right now, a deadlift/hang clean/push press complex is difficult enough, but in a month I want to be in solid enough shape to complete 5 sets at 135 of the full complex. It would be nice to be able to rep 315 x 5 again in the squat. This is not that difficult to attain. My deadlift should get back up to 405 x 5, 455 x 1 in a month. Benching shouldn’t cause me any trouble to get 225 x 5 and 275 x 1. I would also like to increase my current level of leanness, which I know will happen along with my other goals. Due to my intensity and the muscle memory theory, I believe I can accomplish these goals by 7/5/2007.

Notes to Self

  • More protein and water, less everything else
  • You will arrive at work no later than 9:30 am on any given morning
  • Somewhere between 12:00 and 3:00 you must get in 30 minutes of exercise minimum, 5 days per week
  • Breakfast, snack, exercise, lunch, snack, dinner, snack(?)
  • Hello supplements! Welcome back Biotest Hot Rox Extreme, Xtend, NO-Xplode, Biotest Surge

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