Week 3 Update

Wasn't the best of weeks, band were playing plus friends birthday and stop off at my mum's so lots of big meals and more than a few beers were had so didn't fancy my chances stepping on to the scales but.....
Lost 1.5lbs. Not great progress again but given how the week went I was delighted. Two weeks since last pictures so some updated ones below, don't know if there's much difference but it's not been long, as I keep telling myself :-)

Week 2

So second week weigh in yesterday (my web is down at home so only updating from work) and lost 1lb this week to take me to 16st 13.75lbs.

Not great progress but down under 17st (just) which is something I guess.

Big drop from the 5lb in the first week but suppose this would be expected. Pick up the effort levels this week and update with some new pictures next week.

On gym front, managed 70Kg deadlift for 6reps which was quite pleased with as only started doing these 2 weeks ago. Upper body strength is still really poor though. Something to work on.

Also discussed booking holiday for late August this weekend so another strong motivator, as if it was needed :-)

5-a-sides

Played some football with work last night and thought I was going to keel over after 10 minutes. Think people thought I was just quite generous offering to jump in goals so often, if only they knew that my heart was trying to escape from my chest!

Hopefully made for a good bit of exercise though as I was dripping sweat and running myself in to the ground trying not to look too much like a fish out of water. Don't think I managed that but hopefully another place to see some progress in the coming weeks/months/years

After some trusted advice...

Decided to change the routine that I posted below from a body part split to an upper/lower split. From my understanding the level I'm at I won't need as much recovery time as a week so hitting the big muscle groups more regularly must be a good thing.

Will also hopefully make it easier to manage, only two work outs to focus on rather than a huge number of exercises. Might through in some isolations once a week just because I like doing triceps so just to keep me going.

So new routing looks like:


UPPER
Bench Press
Bent over rows
Dips
Chin ups
Shoulder Press


LOWER
Front Squat
Dead Lift
Lunges
Calf raise
Good Morning

On the lower day I'm going to alternately lift heavy squat/light dead then heavy dead/light squat so that I can keep up both. Going to stay with the idea to do 5*5 for first workout of the week and then 3*8 for the second round to keep things mixed up a bit.

Did a lower routine yesterday and arse/hamstrings are killing me! Really trying to nail the squats and get as deep as possible. No jokes about sore arses and getting as deep as possible cheers ;-)

The first pictures, not great quality, only got my phone to take them on just now but you get the idea of the belly!

Hopefully be posting some improved ones soon

1st week check in

So the first week is done and time for a progress report...

Tentatively stepped on the scales this morning and was shocked/delighted with result

Weight is 17st 0.75lbs. Dropped 5lbs since last week.

Pleased because I've been eating plenty, not leaving myself hungry at any time.

Dropped the shit from lunch time which was the biggest problem and restricting carbs to morning and post workout. Been to the gym and not really followed a strict routine, just finding my feet again really, this will change over the coming weeks. Had some words of wisdom and advice so will be relooking at the programme posted below and posting new one up soon.

Will also take some pics later and put them up soon so I can hopefully eventually have a before/after.

Singing off happy and with a new motivation, results are really the best way to keep it going!

Potential new routine

A	B	C	D
CHEST	LEGS	ABS	BACK
Bench press	Squat (alternate back/front weekly)	Weighted crunch	Deadlift
Incline DB flies	Quad extension (machine)	Weighted torso rotation	Chin ups
Dips	Hamstring Curl (machine)	Hanging leg raises	Bent over rows
Incline DB press	Lunges		Seated row
BICEPS	SHOULDERS	TRICEPS	Lat raises
21s	DB shoulder press	Cable pushdowns
Concentration Curls	Upright row	Overhead rope extension
	Side shoulder raise	Kickbakcs

So thinking of making a 4 day split to make sure I'm not spending hours in the gym (doesn't go down well) and still make sure I'm hitting everything.

Plan is to do something Like

Monday - A
Tuesday - B
Wednesday - rest day
Thursday - 5-a-sides
Friday - C
Saturday - D
Sunday - rest day

As for sets/reps was thinking of mixing it up a bit so week 1 go 5x5 for the week then week 2 go 3x10. Just to keep it varied. Alternate these weekly.

Also once a week but different days each week (i.e once a month for A etc) through in a superset or two, again, just to mix it up a bit.

Comments welcome on what you think of this.

On Your Marks...

So this new kick started with a casual "oh lets stand on the scales" at my girlfriends last week and a kick in the face when I saw the results.

Currently

6'5" (don't imagine this will change much)
17st 5.75lbs
36" waist
Fat is held around my chest and belly and lack in muscle strength

Decided I'm going to set myself 8 week goals, so that I have something fairly close to work to when I can then establish new goals, rather than always working towards one single point (like the holiday last year).


So I took the start of this to be last Sunday 8th June with 8 weeks coming Sunday 3rd August. Potential problem lies in having T in the Park smack in the middle, will try and keep the booze to a minimum and NO 'burgers', whatever they actually are.

Goal for 3rd August is to drop 16lbs (ie 2lbs per week) by hitting the free weights 3/4 times a week plus starting 5 a sides with work next week so that will be weekly aswell.

Hugely cleaned up the diet this week, removed all drinks except water and green tea (coke and pepsie were flowing down my neck!), started prepping lunches of chicken/tuna salad to take in to work rather than popping next door to bakers or chippy and freezer is full of chicken breasts and salmon fillets. Also trying to keep carbs to breakfast time only in form of wholmeal toast and bran flakes.

Gym this week has been a bit of a mashup getting my bearings and working out what I want to put in routine, done a rough split of:

Sunday - legs (squats, extensions, curls. calf raises)
back (deadlift, lat pull down, BOR, seated row)
Monday - chest (bench, db fly, dips(assisted), incline bench
shoulders (db press, standing row)
Tuesday - Arms (21s, db curls, tri extension, skullcrusher)
Threw in assisted chin ups, peck deck, and some abs
Wednesday off
Thursday - went a run in the park with my flatmate

That's me so far, like I say, working out what I want to incorporate in to a routine which I'll sit down and work out this weekend and post along with hopefully a more structured diet.

If anyone happens to read this and feels like they have some input that coule be helpful please comment on any aspect of what I'm doing. All help greatfully received.

Background

So around Feb 2007 some friends and me booked a holiday in Greece for beginning of June, and so began the motivation. Had just finished up uni and was a total mess and too long on booze and take aways. Joined the local gym which was about 5 mins walk away and got an induction/training session with a guy who looked nothing like I wanted to (skinny, weedy) but he was a professional, so he must know what he's doing. Right?

Anyway, prescribed a routine of treadmill stationery bike cross trainer and crunches till home time. Definitely helped aerobic fitness and climbing the stairs was less of a problem but a month passed and was disappointed with lack of progress.

Started on some weights and got training with a couple of other guys on the weights and things picked up. Lost slightly over 3 stone in time for take off and had a great holiday.

Was still no where near where I felt I could be but was happy with progress. Then...week on holiday, came back to loads of overtime at work, graduation, graduation balls, always an excuse to miss the gym and the holiday motivation was gone. All went a bit pair shaped, or more egg shaped to be honest.

Moved to the big smoke a few months later and joined new gym but never really got into it again and found myself whiling away the time on the bike. Put back on 2 of the 3 stone I had lost this time last year. It was only last week that this occurred to me and I was quite disgusted with how I had let myself go. So, back to the gym

No short term motivation this time, just the general "don't be a fat slob".

Hopefully it will go better this time