See a Doctor Before Attempting this Exercise

Not Approved by Certified Fitness Trainers

One reason, you should check with your doctor: Make sure you're in good health.

Another reason is, you might need a psychological evaluation, too.

Before beginning any strenuous physical activity, it's a good idea, to make sure you're fit.

It's especially important for senior citizens, like me and, some of my cronies.

That animation, created this morning, is me on a rainy day in Okinawa, Japan.

My redneck weight, gets lifted over my head, at least 150 times a day, at this stage of the game.

It's not, some New Year resolution.  I've been doing it for two months, now.

When it first started, I could barely lift a concrete block, over my head, five times.

If, you try doing things too fast, the block bumps your head and, things can get bloody.

Beat your head against a brick wall enough times and, you should get smarter. Right?

How It All Got Started

One day during October, I found something online, concerning physical fitness.

There are all sorts of videos and advice columns; better than half of them, garbage.

One mentioned, lifting something, over your head, at least 10 times a day.

It went on to say, it doesn't need to be heavy. Just getting your body exercised.

I'm always walking around the island with cameras and, usually a tripod.

Remembering the lifting advice, I'd raise things over my head, 10 times, just for fun.

A couple of times a day, while out waiting for some action with the camera, lift.

People, driving by, must have been wondering. "What's that guy doing?"

A camera, mounted on a tripod, with a big lens is sort of clumsy, for weight lifting.

All the weight is either on your right arm or, the left. Not very good balance.

But, I did notice some, working of rarely used muscles. And, it felt good after a few days.

One afternoon, out behind the office, I spotted a cinder block, lying around, doing nothing.

I borrowed it. We became weight training buddies, along with some other blocks, too.

They're not, my cement blocks. I sneaked out and lifted them, when nobody was around.

Sometimes, I'd wait until after dark to, make sure the landlord wasn't around or, awake.

A Trip to the Hardware Store

Guilt, from sneaking around and using someone's cement blocks, got the best of me.

One day, I got a connection, to take me shopping and, bought my very own, brand new blocks.

Four concrete blocks, of varying sizes, cost me about five bucks. Imagine that !

A little redneck gymnasium, in my office, keeps me from stealing time with those old blocks.

Anytime, I feel like it, I can get an awesome workout, without going anywhere.

Actually, I still go out and, use the original cement block, sometimes. Old buddy.

That cinder block has some of my hairs and blood, still attached to it. We're like friends.

Frontal View at a Later Date

There's a reason photos, weren't taken showing the front of the model above.

The big beer belly (in former selfies) has been melting away but, more needs to be done.

After a few more months of the 18-Minute Kick Butt Kickboxing Workout, we'll see.

It's important, to start this kind of training, in small increments, a little at a time.

When, the abdominal muscles, look like, they were chiseled in stone, I'll give you a peek.

Interested in Shaping Up ?

Friends and family have been asking me, "How did you do that?"

What works for one person, might not, for others. We're all different. So, I just don't know.

Using Google, you can find all sorts of fitness information and videos.

The majority of them, I find useless. And, I try them all, sifting through, to get good ones.

So far, for beginners, I would recommend WebMd Fitness & Exercise to get you started.

It has excellent advice for men and women, young and elderly with, short and sweet videos.

If anyone, wants links to the crazy sort of things, I do with cement blocks, let me know.

Want to learn how to get in shape, from someone, who calls cinder blocks his friends ?