Day Two- Flips, Fitness & Second Chances: A Middle-Aged Man's Return to Gymnastics

Day 2: First Signs of Change (Rain or Shine)

The second day of any journey is where reality starts to set in. The initial excitement gives way to the first real challenges, and that's exactly what happened today - with the added challenge of persistent rain.

Consistency Through the Rain

It rained all day today, but that didn't stop me from completing my 5K run and 2.5-mile bike ride in the downpour. As my old Ninja Teacher Bud Malmstrom once passed down in his book, from his master Masaaki Hatsumi: the key to improvement is consistency.

There's a story about Hatsumi that resonates with me today. After drinking with his students all evening, he told them he was going for his three-mile walk. The students protested, "But Master, it's raining!" His response was simple but profound: "That's the difference between students and me. Consistency."

While I wasn't about to get muddy doing gymnastics outdoors (though don't put it past me), I stayed committed to my other training elements despite the weather. Showing up, rain or shine, is half the battle.

Weight Update: First Drop!

First, the encouraging news - I'm already down 3 pounds from yesterday, weighing in at 197! While I know much of this is likely water weight, seeing that number move in the right direction so quickly is giving me the motivation I need to keep pushing forward.

The 5K Reality Check

My 5K time today was 36:34, which is actually slower than yesterday. I'm not going to sugarcoat it - it was terrible. While my Day 1 caloric intake wasn't as low as I initially recorded (actually 670 calories, not 170), I'm still operating at a significant deficit compared to my pre-challenge diet of 2500-3000 calories. When you cut calories this dramatically while beginning a new exercise regimen, your body needs time to adjust.

I'm reminded of something Chico, my former gymnastics mentor, would often say when I'd get frustrated with slow progress: "The body must learn before it can perform." Right now, my body is learning how to operate efficiently on fewer calories, and that adjustment period comes with some performance dips.

I anticipate my times will improve as my body adapts and potentially enters ketosis - the metabolic state where your body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This transition can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, so patience is key.

Expanding My Exercise Routine

Today I added biking to my routine, completing 2.5 miles. I also continued with martial arts practice, focusing on kicks for 10 minutes. The muscle memory is starting to awaken, though the flexibility isn't quite where it once was.

Push-ups have been a surprising bright spot - I managed to complete 100 today, more than doubling yesterday's count of 40. I also added 40 sit-ups, which I missed entirely on Day 1. These basic calisthenics are foundational to gymnastics conditioning, and I'm pleased with how my body is responding to them already.

Nutrition Today

I'm being mindful about gradually increasing my caloric intake while focusing on nutrient-dense foods. Today's menu consisted of a salad (140 calories), chicken with salad (550 calories), 2 cups of almond milk (60 calories), and half a pepper with peanut butter (150 calories), bringing my total to 900 calories. This is 230 calories more than yesterday's 670 calories, but still maintains a significant deficit compared to my pre-challenge eating habits of 2500-3000 calories daily.

Looking Ahead

As I move into Day 3, I'm focusing on striking the right balance between caloric deficit for weight loss and sufficient fuel for performance. The initial 3-pound drop is encouraging, but sustainable progress is what matters.

Tomorrow, I'll be introducing some basic gymnastics movements - nothing fancy yet, but exercises to reawaken those dormant neural pathways and prepare my body for the more advanced skills to come.

Remember, this journey isn't about instant transformation - it's about consistent effort and gradual progress. As I wrote in my book, "The beauty of gymnastics is to make something impossible look extremely easy." Right now, I'm in the "impossible" phase, but I know from experience that "easy" will come with time and practice.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update!

---

A Middle-Aged Man’s Guide to Beginner Gymnastics is awaiting an official announcement, but has a planned latest release date of January 2026.

Jay Horne is the author of the science fiction fantasy realm of Rootworld where magic came before science. His latest works explore the discovery of magic on the Earth when the first witch is born and turns water into wine. Now, both realms are trying to educate and acclimate their students into new subjects.

Jay is the father of four and works as a cardiac monitor tech while he writes. He has a newsletter at substack called Stories that Slap. The only thing he loves more than writing is fooling his children.