Return of the King

BossArky

So I weighted myself this morning --> 70.5kg. I was expecting my weight to have gone up over xmas not down from the 71kg 10 days ago.

My electronic handheld cheap gadget gives me the following readings:

• 21.1% something
• 24.4% BMI

Here are my aims for the coming year:

Strength

• Bench Press 100kg ... current 80kg max 1 rep
• Squat 100kg ... current 80kg max 1 rep.. with extra bad form
• Deadlift 150kg ... current 115kg max 1 rep

Cardio

• Run 10km in 45mins ... currently around 57 or 58 mins I'd say. Only did this once so far off a threadmill in the London Tri in Aug 2007
• Run 5km in 22mins ... currently managed 1 or 2 sub 24 mins
• Swim 750 metres in sub 15 mins, all front crawl ... currently it takes me about 20 mins alternating front crawl and breast stroke every 100 metres

Weight

• Maintain approx 70kg ... whilst getting stronger and faster as outlined above through weights and triathlon training
  Get to single digit bodyfat ... not sure what it is now, perhaps 12 - 14%

Triathlon Targets

• Complete an Olympic distance triathlon in sub 2 hrs 45 mins ... last year I managed 3 hrs 3 mins for the London one
• Complete a Sprint distance triathlon in sub 1 hr 22 mins ... best so far is around 1 hr 26 mins

BossArky

Thursday January 3rd:

Run 4km (20:00 mins, 326 cals)
---
Bench Press (incline)
50kg x8 x8 x8
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
50kg x8 x8 x8
---
Bicep Curl
7.5kg per arm, alternating x8 x8 x8
---

Today I went to Runners Need (Holborn, Procter St, London WC1, 020 7405 5344) where they performed a gait analysis for me. This involves running for about 30 seconds on a threadmill in the shop. There is a small camera behind the threadmill, focused on your heels.

Apparently I am heavily over-pronating when running. The sales assistant reckoned over-pronation affects 80% of people to some degree. She then recommended a running shoe with a support factor of 7 (scale of 1-10, 1 being low support).

Take a look at your everday walking shoes. If they are worn down on the inside part of the heel, then you too are an over-pronater. Welcome to the club!

Armed (or footed) with my new running shoes I headed to the gym tonight to try them out on the threadmill (too cold to run outdoors). They are fine. Now I feel as if equipped with goat, as opposed to my previous camel, hoofs.

Apart from that I'm still a bit stuffy in the head from a mild xmas cold. It seems to have drained my strength a bit, as the stiff leg deadlifts felt twice as heavy as they actually were.

BossArky

Friday January 4th:

Pull Ups
x7 x7 x7

Hanging Leg Raise (knees bent)
x7 x7 x7

Calf Raise (on step, one leg at a time)
x7 x7 x7
---
Bench Press (dumbell, one arm at a time, other arm on hip)
22.5kg per arm, x5 x5 x5

One Arm Row (dumbell) ... personal best
22.5kg per arm, x5 x5 x5
---
Lunges
7.5kg per arm, x8 x8 x8

Reverse Fly
7.5kg per arm, x8 x8 x8
---
Bent Over Row (barbell)
40kg x8 x8 x8
---
Fly (dumbell)
7.5kg x8 x10
12.5kg x8 x8 x8

Bench Press (dumbell)
7.5kg x8 x10
12.5kg x8 x8 x8
---

The one arm bench and row superset is a nice little ditty. I feel my abs straining to keep me in position doing the one arm bench, plus the one arm row is a pb.

Quads have some serious DOMS from Wednesday evening. It is that incredible DOMS you get once every now and again after taking a prolonged break, i.e. xmas. The lunges at 7.5kg per arm, 3 sets of 8 reps was just enough and not overly taxing at the same time.

My traps were starting to catch fire on the reverse fly, due to the pull ups and one arm row pb earlier. Nice one. Finishing off with the barbell row felt so much easier than last time I've done it (about 2 months ago). That is probably 'cos I was nicely warmed up.

Good workout. I managed to eat alot today and had a mini snooze this afternoon so energy levels were high.

eclectichoney

Where abouts is runner's world??

I over-pronate too, and after some initial blister problems seem to have settled into my Asics 2120s. The difference the support makes is incredible - i sould not have been running in my cross-trainers for so long! What did you end up with?

BossArky

Saturday January 5th:

Skipping ... about 8 minutes. I have DOMS in my calves from the calve raises yesterday, so this is about all I could manage. I felt clumsy. Perhaps the rope is too new and needs to be more bendy and fluid. It was like skipping with a branch

Run 1.6km i.e. 1 mile (6:49) ... started at 13kmph for the first 800 metres, then up to 15kmph for 400, then 17kmph for the last 400, before having to slow down or risk heart failure.

I continued on and ended up doing 3km in about 16 minutes. This was made up of two sets of sprints and walking. I walked about 600 metres to calm down the body after the mile, then up to 13kmph for 100m, 15kmph for 100m, then 17.5kmph (first time) and 18kmph (second time) for the last 200m.

I will do this type of sprint training more often this year. Hopefully it will help my speed. Last year I would just chug along at 12kmph or 13kmph-ish for the distance.
---
Squat
40kg x5 x5 x5 x5 x5

Shrugs
15kg plate per arm, x8 x8 x8 x8 x8
---
Bicep Curl (dumbells) ... did these when I got home from gym
6kg per arm, x10
14kg per arm, x5
6kg per arm, x10

BossArky

eclectichoney wrote: »

Where abouts is runner's world??

I over-pronate too, and after some initial blister problems seem to have settled into my Asics 2120s. The difference the support makes is incredible - i sould not have been running in my cross-trainers for so long! What did you end up with?

Actually that was a typo. I mean Runners Need. It is in London:

Runners Need – Holborn
Procter St, WC1, 020 7405 5344

I ended up with a pair of Nike, Bowerman Series, Air Zoom Equalon 2, PRS 1000. They seem to be doing the job fine so far after 2 runs in them.

Haha, yeah proper runners do make a difference don't they. I used to run in flat soled ones initially (2.5 years ago). Oh the pain!

BossArky

Sunday January 6th:

Cycle 10.5km ... I was out measuring a loop that I will run once it is a bit less wintery

BossArky

BossArky wrote: »

Friday January 4th:

Calf Raise (on step, one leg at a time)
x7 x7 x7

Calfs still absolutely killing me three days later. Even the sole of each foot seems to have been stretched in new ways. I put it all down to doing the calf raises on a step now as opposed to just flat on the ground.

walt0r

a feckin psycho...

BossArky

Monday January 7th:

Pull Ups
x7 x7 x7

Hanging Leg Raises
x7 x7 x7

Single Leg Split Squat
bodyweight, alternating each leg x12 x12 x12
---
Bench Press
70kg x5 x4 x3

65kg x5 x4 x3

60kg x5 x4 x3
---
One Arm Row (dumbell)
25kg per arm, alternating x6 x6 x6 ... pb
12.5kg per arm, alternating x6 x8 x10
---
Fly (dumbell)
12.5kg per arm x8 x8 x8
---

I wanted to start off with some deadlifting tonight but the gym was way to packed with Christmas gluttons.

I will use the bench press weights from today as a base going forwards and either do the same, or increase if possible each week.

Hopefully tomorrow morning I'll get up and make it to the gym for opening at 6:30am with the aim of finding some free space to deadlift.

BossArky

walt0r wrote: »

a feckin psycho...

Careful now walt0r. Before you go hurdling some poor farmers fence down in County Clare, to press a suckling calf over your head, I'd best remind you that the calves I refer to are the ones at the back of my legs, so it is not really that impressive.

walt0r

hahahaha, sure I'm only a country fella what would I know

BossArky

Tuesday January 8th:

Deadlift
80kg x5 x5 x5 x5 x5
100kg x1
80kg x3 x3 x3

Bicep Curl (dumbell)
17.5kg per arm, x3 x3 x3 x3 x3

Shrugs
15kg plate per arm, x20 x20 x20 x20
---
Bench Press (dumbell, steep-ish incline)
25kg per arm, x10 ... personal best
25kg per arm, x5
25kg per arm, x5

One Arm Row (dumbell, steep-ish incline)
25kg per arm, alternating, x5 x5 x5
---
Lunges (dumbell)
7.5kg per arm, alternating legs x8 x8 x8

Reverse Fly
7.5kg per arm, x8 x8 x8
---

I didn't make it into the gym this morning at 6:30am as planned 'cos I was knackered from last night and was too sore too sleep. Went at lunchtime instead.

BossArky

Wednesday January 9th:

Cycle 10 mins (4.14 km, 120-ish cals)
---
Run 3km (13:11)
---
Squat
45kg x8 x8 x8 x8 x8 x8 x8 x8
60kg x5 x5 ... all squats today were good
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
60kg x8 x8 x8
---
Calf Raise (on step)
bodyweight x10 x10 x10 ... one leg at a time, alternating. Not sure if it was these or the skipping last weekend which had me crippled with DOMS for days
---

Purely cardio and legs today. I was hoping to start off with 10 minutes skipping, but the studio room was closed for renovation. I then switched to rowing, however the 3 free rowing machines (of 6 available) were broken, the other was soaked with someones sweat. I ended up cycling and running instead.

Over the past days I have been trying to eat as much as possible, with the intention of putting a bit more muscle on my bones, and lifting heavier. Gaining a bit of weight. Will check exactly how much tomorrow.

BossArky

I weighed in at 72kg (plus a tiny bit) this morning. This means I've stuffed 1.5kg extra onto my bones in exactly 7 days.

BossArky

Thursday January 10th:

Pull ups (parallel narrow grip)
x7 x7 x7

Hanging Leg Raises (knees bent)
x7 x7 x7
---
Seated Cable Row
45.5kg x8 x8 x8 x8 x8 ... this is the max stack. Could potentially go heavier
---
Barbell Row (oly bar)
60kg x8 x8 x8 x8 x8
---
Barbell Bicep Curl (oly bar)
40kg x2 x2 x2

Barbell Shrugs (oly bar) ... bent slightly forwards
40kg x8 x8 x8
---
One Arm Rows (dumbell)
27.5kg per arm, alternating x8 x8 x8 ... personal best
---
Lunges
10kg plate per arm, x8 x8 x8
---
Reverse Fly
7.5kg per arm, x8 x8 x8
---
Hammer Curl
10kg per arm, alternating x8 x8 x8
---
Run 1km (5:00, 80 cals)
---

Today I tried out a few exercises that I don't normally do such as the barbell curls, barbell shrugs, heavy barbell rows and hammer curls.

BossArky

Thursday January 10th (2nd workout of the day)

Run 5km (24:51)
---
Side Bends
20kg plate per arm, alternating sides x8 x8 x8
---
Leg Raises (upper body on bench, legs off, lying flat)
x20 x15 x10 x5
---
Twisting Crunches (feet on bench, back on floor)
x10 x10 x10 x10

BossArky

Friday January 11th:

Swim 750 metres (19:00 mins approx) ... personal best
---

Good swim. i.e best one since I've started recording times.

Today I swam front crawl for the first 16 lengths (400 metres), then 4 lengths (100 metres) of breast stroke to get my breath back, then switched again to front crawl for the last 10 lengths (250 metres).

Previously I would alternate front crawl with breast stroke every 100 metres.

The time is "approx" 19 minutes as there is no second hand on the pool clock, just one for minutes.

I realised that I actually run out of air when doing the breast stroke, not front crawl as I had previously thought.

Hopefully I'll soon be up to doing the full 750 metres front crawl.

BossArky

Friday January 11th (2nd session)

Deadlift
40kg 8 sets x 10 reps
---
Bench Press (incline)
70kg x5 x4 x3 ... tiny spotter touch on 1st and 2nd sets, so last reps really halves
65kg x5 x4 x3
60kg x5 x4 x3
---

A lot of people in my area must have given up Friday night drinking in favour of the gym. It was packed tonight, so much so that I couldn't find an oly bar or bench and had to settle with all those sets of light barbell deadlifts until a bench was free. Still, they felt pretty good.

My bench strength seems to be increasing. I'm stuffing myself with food.

BossArky

Sunday January 13th:

Swim 750 metres (20:00 mins approx) ... all front crawl
---

Wohoo! I managed the distance all front crawl for the first time.

The pool was packed, so I gess I could have made up a few seconds here and there if I wasn't getting kicked and battered with the other lane hogs. Good practice for the real flying elbows and knees of a triathlon I suppose.

BossArky

Monday January 14th:

Squat
47.5kg - 7 sets of 8 reps ... coming along nicely, getting to parallel and knees not getting forwards. Managing to increase the weight every session or two. We'll see where this gets me in a few more weeks or months
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
80kg - 4 sets of 5 reps

Military Press (standing, dumbell)
20kg per arm - 4 sets of 5 reps
---
One Arm Row (dumbell)
30kg per arm - 4 sets of 6 reps
---
Reverse Fly
7.5kg per arm - 4 sets of 8 reps
---

I was still half asleep arriving at the gym. 6:30am is early :mad:

BossArky

Monday January 14th (second session):

Run 10km (51:49 mins, 820 cals)

BossArky

Tuesday January 15th:

Swim 750 metres (19 mins approx)... front crawl pb

BossArky

Tuesday January 15th (second session):

Bench Press (incline)
70kg - 3 sets of 4 reps
65kg - 3 sets of 4 reps
60kg - 3 sets of 4 reps ... wasn't sure I'd get all the above following todays swimming
---
One Arm Row (dumbell)
32.5kg per arm, x7, x8, x10 ... pb
---
Lunges (dumbell)
10kg plate per arm, x8 x8 x8
---
Reverse Fly (dumbell)
7.5kg per arm, x8 x8 x8
---

Good session.

BossArky

Yesterday I had a work sponsored medical. It was optional and advertised a few months back so I signed up, keen to check out what sort of shape I was in under the hood. The tests were as follows:

VO2 Max - 39.

I was dissapointed with this. Apparently this is only fair to average for my age (26 yr old male). I'm going to work on more sprints/intervals in my cardio to get this up. My cardio is something I know I have to work on anyway. I have been doing some investigations into training programmes for my run and swim. May as well start now in Jan and give myself time to get into decent cardio fitness for the summer triathlons. For reference: The Derby Country football team of 2005 had an average VO2 max of 65 (+ or - 5), whilst the max recorded in humans is about mid 90's for cross country skiers.

Body Fat % - 8.4%!

Very happy with this one, considering one of my aims when I started this log in April 07 was to get to single digit body far. Apparently I was well hydrated. The doc commented that this could potentially make the bodyfat reading slightly lower than it actually is, by max 1%. Still, 8.4% or 9.4% are both single digits.

Cholestrol - 3 point something.

Good. Very Low apparently. The doc asked if I ever suffered from aniexty, which is apparently reported in some cases of low cholestrol. For the record, I don't.

Blood Pressure - fine

Glucose - fine

Urine - fine

Heart (Rate Resting & Non Resting) - fine.

There is a medical term for these heart rate tests which I cannot remember. The first is taken when you are lying down and relax for a few minutes, the second is taken just as you stand up.

Posture - Brutal! I need to sit properly in front of my laptop and stop slouching. Also, more upper back and trap work required to combat the forward pull from the chest mucles. This is probably down to benching. I also need to do more back stretchs.


All in all the assessment was pretty positive. Two things I need to focus on are my sprinting (to increase VO2 Max) and upper back work (for posture).

BossArky

Thursday January 17th:

Deadlift
35kg - 3 sets of 10 reps
90kg - 3 sets of 5 reps
70kg - 3 sets of 8 reps

Bicep Curl (dumbell)
17.5kg per arm, alternating, 6 sets of 3 reps
---
Run 3km (15:49, 320 cals I think) ...intervals, between 10kmph and 15kmph
---
Upright Row (machine)
50kg - 3 sets of 8 reps
---

I found the interval button on the threadmill after 6 months. I think I will like doing these. Tonight I did something like this:

10kmph for 400m ... 400m
15kmph for 400m ... 800m
10kmph for 400m ... 1200m
15kmph for 300m ... 1500m
10kmph for 400m ... 1900m
15kmph for 100m ... 2000m
10kmph for 400m ... 2400m
15kmph for 100m ... 2500m
10kmph for 200m ... 2700m
15kmph for 100m ... 2800m
10kmph for 100m ... 2900m
15kmph for 100m ... 3000m

A late dinner and those deadlifts wasn't ideal preparation. I have some headache now.

BossArky

Friday January 18th:

Tricep Extension 6kg - 3 sets by 8

BossArky

Saturday January 19th:

Shoulder Press (seated, dumbell)
20kg - 5 sets of 8 reps

One Arm Row (dumbell)
20kg - 5 sets of 8 reps
---
Run 3km (15:04) - intervals, 10km to 14km every 300 metres
---
Low Row (machine)
40kg - 3 sets of 8 reps
---
Pull Ups
x8

Hanging Leg Raises (knees bent)
x4

BossArky

Sunday January 20th:

Pull Ups (narrow, parallel grip)
x8 x6 x4

Hanging Leg Raises (knees bent)
x8 x6 x4

Upright Row (barbell)
30kg x8 x8 x8
---
Squat
20kg x8
50kg x8
60kg x8 x8
50kg x8
20kg x8

Bicep Curl (dumbell)
7kg per arm
palms up x8 x8
palms facing x8 x8
palms up x8 ... forgot the last set. Too light anyway
---
Deadlift (stiff leg)
50kg x8 x8 x8

Bent Over Row (barbell)
50kg x8 x8 x8
---

I also went to the swimming pool earlier in the day. After 30 seconds in the water I hopped out again and went home as the pool was way too packed for swimming. They even gave me a refund.

thirtyfoot

BossArky wrote: »

---
Run 3km (15:04) - intervals, 10km to 14km every 300 metres
---

I would mix up the interval training and maybe only do it once a week as a starter. You still need to get your long runs in too and the body needs to recover from the previous interval session of only two days previous especially since its on a treadmill. The same theory of weighlifters doing split program or not could be applied, when running it helps to work different energy systems on alternate days, a hard-easy-hard-easy approach or even aerobic-anerobic etc etc.

But you're hitting 50mins 10k pace already on a treadmill in an interval session in the dead of winter so I'd say it will be PB-ville come summer.