Journey back to my old self

The_boat

Today i have decided to get serious about returning my body to its former, well glory is the wrong word, but shape might be approriate.

Some recent events have made me make a real go of this as previous attempts have failed.

I am 22 soon to be 23 and i feel as if i have really let myslef go since i stopped playing competitive rugby at 17. As a hooker i had always had a few extra pounds but i could finish a game. My former shape was not something that would appear on the cover of mens health but it was not too bad either - i could bench press 80kgs and i had slightly visible lines on my stomach.

I have decided to use a suplement to aid me on this journey, i feel it is necessary as unless i train every day i will take a rest day which will soon become a rest week. I will use creatine to, hopefully, enable a speady recovery from work outs. I am not attempting to grow big muscles just train often enough that i can feel/see results. By the end of my trainin i hope to be doing it all natural.

My end goals are

1. To drop fromm 230 pounds to 190.
2. To be able to comfotably bench press 3*10*80kgs
3. To be able to comfotably swim 1km at a reasonable pace
4. To be able to comfotably run 5km in less than 30 mins
5. To reduce my %body fat from (unknown) to (uknown)
6. To get an "o wow" from my amazing girlfriend who i will not see for the duration of my training as she will be living abroad.

I will use this blog to track my own progress and hopefully get advice and or encouragement from some commentators and who knows maye even inspire others to take on a similar routine/challenge

Killme00

Best of luck to you. Achieveing the fitness goals will put you a long way towards losing that 3 stone. I dont think you will need the Creatine.

The_boat

Thanks for the well wishes

The reason for the creatine is to enable me to speed up recovery. My problem in the past has been that my body can take 2-3 days to recover from a light work out. I need to be able to train 3-5 days per week to keep motivaion high. The creatine will prevent weight loss early due to water retention but i think that it will get me from 0-50% quick enough that i dont loose my motivation. Once i havea reasonable amount of muscle strength i will return to natural training.

The_boat

Day 2 started with my first morning Weigh in - 16 stone even, which i was surprised at. I thought it would be worse. I rang my local gym to set up my membership and the next time they can see me is on monday. That sucks because it means another weekend with the draw of the pub.
I think i'll spend this week focusing on my diet - both detoxing from recent holiday and exploring new foods to eat during training.

FunkZ

The_boat wrote: »

Day 2 started with my first morning Weigh in - 16 stone even, which i was surprised at. I thought it would be worse. I rang my local gym to set up my membership and the next time they can see me is on monday. That sucks because it means another weekend with the draw of the pub.
I think i'll spend this week focusing on my diet - both detoxing from recent holiday and exploring new foods to eat during training.

Don't bother with the pub just 'cause ya don't have a gym to go to man.

Try some push ups, try them with your hands placed in different areas, do the same with squats, widen your stance for some of them. Maybe go for a short jog or a cycle man.

Best of luck!

The_boat

Day 3 went ok - i ate well for breakfast and lunch but then started work in my parents garden dismanteling the decking and up rooting trees. This was some good exercise and i was sweating like hell by the end of it. but then my mother put on the BBQ and i finished 2 cans of cider a rack of ribs, a burger, kebabs and white bread.

Day 4 i started with a weigh in and was surprised to see 15st 9lbs appear on the scales. there must be some sort of fluctuaion in my water content but i've been drinking well.
Later today meeting some old friends for lunch time drinks and they cant be avoided its been planned along time. I'm not worried about the alcohol calories its more the saturday craving for crisps breakfast roles etc.

Sunday i move west and start a new job - this will giove me a clean slate from my friends who i will meet ocasionally for drinks rather than 2-3 nights per week. Hopefully they will see the difference when i return to the pale in about 3 weeks time. I had planned to move earlier this week but had forgotton about todays drinks and well couldn't get an appointment with the gym.

I'll check in Monday with the results of my assesment.

The_boat

Day 5 - Was pretty hung over all day but resisted temptation of crappy food.

Day 6 - Went well today, ahd a family dinner (43 people) but i volunteered to drive to avoid drinking. I stuck to the water all day. First Day in the Gym tomorrow. Bit apprehensive

The_boat

Day 7 is the real begining. I am back in the west after 3 weeks off, one in america and one rsting up in my parents house. I hit the Gym today and well here's what i acomplished


Warm up
3 mmins on level 2 of the rower - i was aiming for 5 but i really started to feel it in my arms and decided not to get injured in a warm up. Stretched

Running
I ran for 10 minutes on level 9 walked for 3 on level 5 and ran for another 10 on level 9. I covered 3km My calfs are pretty stiff right now. I stretched before hand but i am very infleixible (always have been)

Weights
Bench Press 3*10*40 kg (20kg plus the 20kg bar)
Seated row 3*10*level 5 - i'm never sure what this number means - can anyone explain?
4*15*level1 on the ab machine - i enjoyed using this not sure ont he long term effectivness but abs are sore right now so must be doing something
3*8*16kg(8 per arm) alternate biceps curls
3*10*8kg(4 per arm) where i pulled dumbells up to my chin and then shoulder pressed them

Finished up with a bit of a stretch then i chilled in the sauna with a banna flavoured shake. i ended up getting the maximuscle brand they stock in elvery's I got the bannana flavoured cyclone(60g protein and 10g Creatine). Was impressed at how good it tasted. Hopefully the advantage i get from this is to be able to train more often and train harder.

Tomorrow i am planning to cycle 6km in the gym and then do some squats hamstring curls and leg extensions. Does anyone know any other leg exercises i can do?

I have eaten well so far today too

Breakfast
3 wheatabix low fat milk two tall glasses of water
Snack
Shake after gym
Lunch
Chicken and Sweatcorn whole grain sandwhich
Dinner will depend on what they are serving in the work canteen but i'll try keep it small in portion size and as fat free as i can get it.
I'll try load up on water too as the day goes on.

The_boat

So i had very good intentions about going to the gym today but i'f stiff after my run. My upper body is fine after the weights but my legs, calfs in particular, are tight.

I think i'd be able to cycle through the tightness but i really dont want to do any damage and give myself a set back. Maybe i was over ambitious about the effects of the creatine - maybe it takes more than 12 hours to work.

I'll be back in the gym tomorrow with a fresh set of legs. and i'll go thursday too and just work my arms chest and back - no cardio

Had my shake for breakfast - not too bad today either

Disapointed not to be in the gym - donig some online research.

Just finished lunch - I went tothe butcher and got some lean steak minced mixed it with a tiny bit of stir-in-sauce, some sweetcorn and the smalest portion of pasta i've ever eaten.

blah

The_boat wrote: »

6. To get an "o wow" from my amazing girlfriend who i will not see for the duration of my training as she will be living abroad.

I did this when my girlfriend went travelling, it was nice to hear when she got back, so good luck :-)

The_boat

Day 9 I'm still a bit stiff today but i'm going to push through it and work my legs only. Had shake for breakfast, not finding them too bad, looking forward to seeing the results.

I gave my legs an awful hammering in the gym today.
First I cycled my 6km in 15mins flat, and i could really feel it.
After the cycle I ran 2km ( 0.8km at 10km/hr // 0.2km at 5km/hr // 1km at 10km/hr) the last bit was really tough.

Weights
Seated leg press 3*10*level 7 - easy enough will go up to level 9 next day
Seated leg extension 3*10*Level 6
Seated Leg curl 2*10*level3 -found these really tough
Side leg raises 3*10*level2 - these were tough i've never done this exercise before
Lunges 60 30 on each leg (holding 2.5kg in each arm)


Finished with 10mins in sauna and a shake

Hamstrings were quite tight afterwards - the stifness tomorrow will tell me the difference the creatine is making

I have my assesment tomorrow at lunch time i might cancel if i am too stiff but hopefully i can manage it. If not i will go and work my arms, chest, abs and back. we'll see what the morning brings

The_boat

Day 10 Stiff today but nowhere as bad as expected, and its just the hamstrings. Going to go to my assessment later - should be good. Had shake for breakfast again.

So my assesment never happened - some stafing issues with the gym, they apologies to me today and blamed the kids being on holidays for how busy they were.

I worked my upper body today - this was the first time i've worked my upper body to exhaustion - I couldn;t een do a push up by the end.

I warmed up on the rower for 3 mins level 2

on the weights i did 3*10

started with bench press (45kg) and seated Row (level 6) then biceps culs (8kg) front standing rows (4kg) and shoulder press (4kg)
I did some triceps curls ling on the bench and pulling weight from behind my head, this really hurt. I used a 10kg dumbell but held it in both hands. Then i moved to machines and did some pull downs with a wide grip (cant remember level) I used the machine where you pull levers from wide to meet infront of your face.

I did some work on my abs too - sit ups, ab machine, exercise ball sit ups and bridges.

Finished up with some inclined bench press but couldn't lift it past 5 reps.

The_boat

Taking a rest day today, legs and tri's a bit sore. I'll do a few pushups before bed but that will be about it for today.

I'm not sure how my diet is going, i seem to be eating alot of sandwhiches. my shakes are not going in as meal replacements they are just extra meals. I'm not sure if thats a good or bad thing.

I plan to do a lot of cardio tomorrow ( on an empty stomach based on advice i found here) a run cycle and a bit of a swim.

The_boat

Went to tthe gym today - really pushed my cardio today and i did it on an empty stomach. I ran 4.5km in 32 minutes. cycled 5km in 12 mins and then spent an extra 15 misn on the bike. I sweated some ammount.

Got in the pool and tried swiming but my tri's were still sore from work out 3 days ago.

I'm feeling alot better after the first week and a half and while i dont think i will have lost much weight i'm looking better. The weight will come off once i start getting my cardio up to 4 hrs per week.

I saw a couple of really big guys in the gym this past week and i am determined not to get that big. might replace the creatine with a pure protein shake once i'm 4 weeks in.

celestial

The_boat wrote: »

Went to tthe gym today - really pushed my cardio today and i did it on an empty stomach. I ran 4.5km in 32 minutes. cycled 5km in 12 mins and then spent an extra 15 misn on the bike. I sweated some ammount.

Got in the pool and tried swiming but my tri's were still sore from work out 3 days ago.

I'm feeling alot better after the first week and a half and while i dont think i will have lost much weight i'm looking better. The weight will come off once i start getting my cardio up to 4 hrs per week.

I saw a couple of really big guys in the gym this past week and i am determined not to get that big. might replace the creatine with a pure protein shake once i'm 4 weeks in.

It's always amusing to hear guys going 'I don't want to get too big, as if it's something that's almost inevitable from lifting weights;) You'd need to be determined to get big, not the other way around! Trust me, unless you set out to be that big you won't be getting that big.

The_boat

Went to gym in the evening today. had a shake about an hour before and one after. I worked upper body today and i have to say i worked it to exhaustion. My upper back and arms are quite sore now - but in the good way.

Gave my abs a good working too.Felt like getting sick by the end of it.

First week in the gym is over and i've enjoyed it. I feel alot better and i have more energy. This is also the first week in my memory where the only liquid i consumed was water (well milk on my cereal). I've been pissing alot but i guesse thats good for you.

Week 2 targets:
Cardio 3 days
Upper body weights 1 day
Lower body weights 2 day

Tomorrow i will try go for a 3k run and then leg weights.

Diet is going well enough, think i need to cut down on my portion sizes though. Will keep up the water and keep out the rubbish (chocolate, crisps, carbonated drinks, beer)

The_boat

Had my 2 week weigh in today, granted it was on a different scales but i am 15st 7lbs

I am sure my progress on the weight loss will get slower as time goes on becasue its easy make quick gains. I'm encouraged though, because alot of the creatine reviews say that you will gain weight. I cant get too happy though or i will slip back to my old habbits - i'm still fat and i'll keep being honest with myself until i hit my target.

Off to the gym now for some running and leg weights

rottweiler

heres a link to face pulls on you tube ,the bird is alright too.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ5qv35izRQ

keep up the good work.

The_boat

So i had a good work out at the gym but i'm f***ed if i can remember exactly what i lifted. I'm going to start bringing a small diary with me.

I covered 3km in total ( ran 1km walked 200m ran 800m walked 200 ran 400 and walked 400) My abs hurt like hell during the last part of the run, guesse what ever i did yesterday worked.

Gym work was lower body, Squats, leg raises, hamstring curls, lunges, side leg raises, squats, calf extensions. was pretty tired afterwards bu ti feel i could have worked them a little harder.

Diet broke down in work today, i was busy and the canteen salad bar was closed when i got there so it was a choice between breaded pork chop and fried liver - so i had the pork chop with potatoes and gravy. i usually enjoy my fatty food but after a week on good healthy options this was horrible tasted so fatty. I'm proud of myslef, i thought it might break me but i'm more determined than ever.

The_boat

Rest day today, no gym kept the diet well. back to gym tomorrow going to go hard at the cardio.

Should have been day 15

The_boat

Off to gym now, hopefully to have my assesment and then do some cardio

No assesment, not sure i want one now, did my cardio work out

I covered 5km - biggest distance so far - ran 1km walked 0.2km ran 0.8 walked 0.2 and so on

legs were tired but not in pain, which i sgood i dont want any injuries

Cycled 4km after he run and had a long session of stretching for a cool down.

The_boat

Had a good work out today, upper body.
I benched 50kg (30 +bar) and did 3*10 felt quite good after that.

Worked arms chest and back, was lifting enough to be unable to complete 10th rep but by the time i was finished the work out i felt i coudl have continued. I walked for 25 mins then did some ab work and some push ups until exhaustion.

Diet craked a bit today, i am usually a bland enough eater but i am getting serious cravings for strong flavours. Had some chili nuts with my sandwhich today.

Gym in the morning, will decide what to do when i get there, i feel up to leg weigths i'll do em otherwise might just try swim for 20 mins and do some in water power walking.

BossArky

The_boat wrote: »

I covered 5km - biggest distance so far

Well done. Looks like things are going well. I remember the feeling of satisfaction upon running my first ever 5km!

You should investigate glutamine. This will aid recovery from heavy weights sessions.

What height are you?

The_boat

Day 19
Missed the gym yesterday, i drove to it all set to go for a swim but the kids had some inflatable **** so i skipped it and went home.

Hit the gym today and again covered 5km only this time i ran first 2km and walked 0.2 ran 0.8 walked 0.2 adn ran the final 0.8

It was tough, went for an overall weights session afterwards.
Benched 52.5kg today and struggeled with final rep but felt ok

Went food shopping afterwards, decided to only buy healthy, i bought a low fat avenmore soup and it it the blandest thing i have ever tasted, might invest in a blender and start making my own.

Going out for dinner with people from work, any advice on eating well, i woudl liek to avoid the wine with the meal but i think i'll just go for it. Any advice on recovery for tomorrrow?

Cheers for support boss, i'm 5'10" ish

The_boat

had a heavy night out last night, red wine was flowing at the meal, always does when the company is paying.
anyway it was I who was paying today, absolutly dying, no more booze until late september.

Ate very well today considering my handover, lots of water, juice, scrambeled egs for breaky and i cooked a nice pasta and chicken dish, i made enough for 2 big bowls and i ate 3/4 of it but i spread it over the day in small portions.

Decided to give myself an extra boost in motivation today i took photos hopefully so i can do a before and after when i am eventually happy with my body. cant remember who's thread recomended this but i think its a great idea - feel free to poke fun at my belly, it will only spur me further into loosing it.

wish i had been more oriional with the names of the files - but i'm not uploading them again
headless = frontal shot
headless2 = side shot
headless3 = back shot


So a few people have loked at the photos but not commented, so i've added poll - please fill it out - honesty appreciated

celestial

Very, very good idea on the photos - you will really see the changes bit by bit over the weeks and months - otherwise it's just like watching the grass grow - you won't notice it. It's photos and watching your jeans get looser that illustrate progress the best.

Frankly - I think you have quite a bit of fat to lose but not a huge amount either - the good news is that with watching what you eat and plenty of exercise you'll be lobbing off a lot of flab in no time at all.

The_boat

Just back from Gym,

Did a 10k Cicycle in 25 minutes on resistance level 5. Found it tough going towards the end but feelign good now.

Did some back weights afterwards, used machines (seated row and pull downs) and used free weights, bent over rows and a few other excercises i dont know the names of.

Trying to get my form right this week as the weights i am lifting are gettign heavier.

Had a good lunch leftover pasta and chicken from yesterday a bananna and some left over low fat chicken soup - still bland but i laced it with salt and pepper so it was a bit better.

Please vote in my poll when you view pictures, i want to put up a photo once a month and see the difference in my perception and that of others

The_boat

Gym this morning,

Runnning Covered 5km
(ran 2.2 @9.1km/her walked 0.2 @5km/hr ran 1km @9.1km/her
walked 0.2km @6km/hr ran 0.4km @9.1km/hr walked 0.2@ 5km/hr
ran last 0.8km at 9.5km/hr)

Benched 57.5kg did 2 sets of 10 and one set of 7

did a good few other exercises on chest biceps and abs feeling tired but pretty good afterwards.

I've competly cut out my morning shake and i am just having one after the work out for pure recovery. I am gong to the gym on an empty stomach so that my cardio attacks the fat? is this a good idea?

littlefriend

God you are doing great. From your pictures it looks like you were really fit before but have loosened out a bit. The little extra will fly off you before you know it. Just stick with it really, you don't have that far to go.
Keep posting - I love reading these things

Transform

Yes eat before all training sessions so you can do a good session.

Even a small banana with some nuts 30mins before a session would be good.

Doing a whole day of lower body weights might be a mistake as your legs will be knackered when you go to do some cardio the next day or two - my suggestion would be to do a chest, thighs, triceps core day and a hamstring, back, shoulders and biceps day. its still full body and just aim to move a little quicker around the weights

The_boat

Yes i was reasonably fit a few years ago but i'm more than loosened up i've expanded too.

i try not to plan what excercises i'm going to do and when iwarm up on the rower ande stretch i ask myslef am i up to a run? then i check where i'm feeling the DOMS? Teh creatine and diet have been helping me recover quickly.

Moving quickly around the weight is a major problem for me i tend to take a break between exercises and sets, i need to work on that.