Earlier This Week

Sunday Night Gym

My Sunday night gym. Push-ups to the left of the shirt. Fingers were slightly over the edge of the curb. This allowed me to grip the street. T'was an interesting sensation. Sit-ups were done on the shirt, with my coccyx on the bottom of the shirt and my bare back taking up the rest of the available real estate on the shirt (this shirt also leant itself to flutter kicks). Pull-ups were done on the fence. The top of the coated chain link fence had a bar running across it. It was not an ideal pull-up bar, but it got the job done.

My David

The next morning I did "My David." I did this pose on an off day (a day where I don't work out) because I felt the David statue, even though he's amidst a battle with Goliath, is in a somewhat relaxed position.

Sick and Tired

Sick since Monday afternoon. Feeling like crap and my body feels old and weak.

50

Warming up and then maxing out at 50 push-ups. I could have done more, but 50 seemed like a nice round number. This rounding I did counters the whole idea behind "maxing out" since I did not reach my full (max) potential. Next time I will give myself 2 minutes to empty all the gas in the tank. I need to feel that burn, that pain, more than I did today.

Push-Ups

The Push-Up

Tomorrow I will try to do as many as possible in one go. Gravity costs nothing, except your will.

Warning Order

http://www.navysealteams.com/warning.htm

The above link has a 2 phase (15 week) workout schedule that will take someone in moderate shape and get them in supreme shape.

In your 15th week you'll be completing:
30 miles of running
1200 push-ups
1875 sit-ups
900 dips
180 pull-ups
6 hours and 15 minutes of swimming w/ fins.

In my book, that is an individual who is honing his body and putting his best body and mind forward to face the trials ahead. Obstacles designed to weed out the weak from the strong, both physically and mentally.

I'm currently at only 375 sit-ups a week and these are the side effects on my coccyx

I hope calluses form when I am at 1875 a week.

The Thinker

Rodin's Thinker

My Thinker

This was a fun exercise. This one will be repeated until I get it right i.e. right elbow on left knee, mouth smushed into top of hand, feet laying at a 45 degree on object. Rodin's subject is well built; strong legs and a muscular back round out this man.

The ideal man?



A Week Away

I just took a week off from everything. Far away, in the middle of PA, I thought long and hard about my last critique. Two issues stand out: the core of what I'm doing and my blog. So, I'm told I will answer the former with doing the latter. Here I go.

Why am I concerned with my body? How am I making art with my body? So, most will agree the watershed moment for Modern Art is Duchamp's Fountain. Prior to that moment, artists were making representations of life. The Fountain planted the seed for the avant garde to begin to question art and life. In the mid 20th century Avant-garde art, no longer just an agent for commenting on culture, entered everyday life, and hasn't looked back. Allan Kaprow pioneered this sentiment with his art, which he did not regard as removed from daily life, but rather as something that should create daily life...

Alan Kaprow

BINGO!

Spencer Tunick and Workout Anywhere

This is the work of Spencer Tunick (http://www.spencertunick.com/). He coordinates the gathering of mass displays of public nudity. Modernity is left to respond to his attempt at a "pre-industrial, pre-everything" existence. What interests me is the body is focal in the work. These bodies are captured at a standstill. What if I captured bodies in motion? Better yet, what if I planted the seed in an individual to take back his environment; what if he/she realized they didn't have to go to a gym or the confines of their home to workout? What if I started a free athletic club on the streets of Philadelphia?

What if everyone was clothed, but doing push-ups? What if it wasn't a one time thing? What if we met once a week and took back our environment with sweat on the brow?