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This is one of the “farthest” trips down memory lane that I’ve taken in a while – – but I’ll do so today!
Flashback to the year 1998, I believe – or 99, actually, hehe. Or no. 98 it was! The first recollection is always RIGHT …
I was in college back then – – a long haired skinny version (even skinner!) of what you see now, with very little muscle – – and not that much knowledge of fitness.
I’d walk all day long up and down stairs though to get to class – and then up and down four flights of stairs multiple times a day in my dorm building – – and would NOT take the elevators – – for whatever reason, so I’d stay fit.
I don’t know why – or if – this paved the way for my later hill climbing etc at the age of 23. Maybe it did, but I was 19 at that time, and one day I noticed I was getting “fatter” around the midsection than I should be.
That was of course thanks in no small portion (pun intended) to the SUDS – golden ones if you get my drift, hehe – – and of course the great “Southern style” food I ate on a regular basis. All great stuff, but not good for the waistline, and if I hadn’t been walking as much as I did back then without even thinking about it (usually with a book bag in tow) – I would likely have turned into a bonafide LARDASS – – more than what I did at a later stage in my life!
Often times I’d remember thinking “I wish I had a car” – – I didn’t back then – – but curiously enough, not having one was a blessing in disguise in terms of fitness. Hehe.
And one fine day, I remembered an exercise that had ALWAYS appealed to me – ever since my grandfather and I did it, that is.
I’ve written before about my morning swims with my grandfather in the past – -a very poignant memory that has STUCK, so to speak – – and as the memory resurfaced, it was off to the apartment complex pool with me after class – daily – for a long swim!
Now, these pools were tiny. Certainly NOT the Olympic sized pools I had access to back then in the gym, but those were often crowded, so I’d prefer the apartment pools (although yes, I DID swim in the regular pool on occasion).
Now, I have spoken about swimming before, of course, and the great workout it gives you – IF done right, and most people do NOT do the strokes right – – and I certainly did NOT back then.
Especially not the breast stroke, which was the only stroke I did. For whatever reason our instructor (and even my grandfather at the time) taught us the “modified” version of the breast stroke which works well in an OCEAN – or RIVER – or for SURVIVAL – but not so well in a pool, hehe.
It was the version where you lift your head out of the water while doing breast stroke – NOT the best and most “fluent” and “ergonomic” pose in which to do it, and yet, I’d do it – – for at least 50 laps a day – – which in an Olympic sized pool would mean about 10 – back and forth (so that’s 100, actually).
I’d remember counting down the laps as I swam. Slow and steady. NO sprints whatsoever!
I remember sneaking into the neighboring apartment complex pools on occasion when the pools at mine were shut down and being asked to leave on occasion too, hehe.
I still remember a History professor that lived in the neighboring apartment complex whose name I’d often use as an “excuse to be there” and he knew it, of course.
I still remember the girls laughing (in a good way) as they walked on past. “One more lap, Rahul!”
And this workout – – believe it or not – – due to the sheer inefficiency of the movement was GREAT for the shoulders, traps and UPPER ABS.
And chest, of course. I still remember a friend saying “you have a deep chest, because you swim in that style!”
And while I learned all the correct strokes later by my lonesome, and years later, made SURE to teach my daughter the RIGHT way to swim – that still remains a very fond memory indeed!
And it got me in great shape – not the best – but great regardless – and yes – I’d often do pushups after my swim too – – albeit nowhere near in good form. 12 pushups was about all I did, and yet …
And that’s today’s trip down memory lane, hehe. I’ll be back again soon!
Best,
Rahul Mookerjee
P.S. – That workout got me the six pack I wanted – but truth is, it took a long, long time to get it done in terms of “how long I swam for daily”. And you, my friend – can get it in much shorter time if you know how, and I didn’t back then. I do now though – – and want to share it with you – – and HERE is where you can learn all about the patented workouts that WILL give you the six pack you want – – https://0excusesfitness.com/corrugated-core/
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