Thought about going running in the morning, but at 7am it was starting to rain. It still hasn't stopped, but hopefully it will soon.

Tris and rear delts ache from doing .... chinups?? I think I'll stick with the basic exercises for the next few sessions. Dips, Chins, Squats, Situps. I see those male gymnasts on TV with the mix of power and flexibility, and good looking physiques. I think muscle should be functional; I look at the oversized men in the muscle mags and think these guys aren't fit (in the cardiovascular sense). They just look good, but it's a wreck inside. Loads of big bulk, but I don't know how they'd do if they had to run or do some physical activity. In the last in-camp reservist training, there was this bodybuilder guy - pecs screaming out from under his vest, and everyone was admiring his "wings", but when we took to the 1 1/2 mile run he was panting after the first 1/2 mile. A chicken could strut faster.

I think the physiques of athletes - cyclists, runners etc - look better than those of bodybuilders. Why? The muscle's functional. You know it's been honed from training, and not from eating loads to bulk up and then trying to carve up striations using quick-fix "lose 20 pounds in a week" diet formulas.

I look at it this way - I'd rather watch a triathlon / marathon on TV than watch "Strongest Man in the World". I'd admire someone with the mental tenacity to keep plugging away for 2 hours on a run or 9 hours in the Ironman, than some guy who can bench press 500-pound logs.

Rain's picking up again - just had lunch so I'll do some weights and watch telly. At the same time. Am I the first of a new breed of couch athletes? (duh)