Didn't get a chance to post on Friday so jotting this down now. Hit the gym on Thursday evening for a reasonably light session. 15 mins running, 20 mins on the bike. We'd left it too late when we set off for the gym to put the 10-20 additional minutes we'd have like to but that's life.
The new trainers were great on the treadmill. No slippage, brilliantly comfortable, good feel through the material. My calves and tendon felt fine at the time but I was feeling an ache kick into the toes. From what I've read this is normal as you develop strength to these areas, so I'm not worried. The following day or so my calves were very noticeably bust up in the best of ways, so that's good. Ate clean for the rest of the day.
Friday to Sunday I had off, though we did a fair share of trooping around shops on Saturday. On Friday it was nothing but fruit and yoghurt for me till dinner, so far so good. Then my first sweet, sweet beer of the weekend. Following that was maybe 4 more beers, glass of white wine, half a bottle of red, drop of brandy. Oh dear.
Saturday was more restrained on the booze, but as it's coming into Christmas season I had a couple of mince pies with cream, approx 300 calories a pop. Ouch.
Sunday slipped a little on the booze (1 glasses of red, 2 glasses of mulled wine, glass of home made high strength cider, yum). More mince pies.
So today will be clear execept I will be having a mince pie today and tomorrow. I'm not tossing em out, not a chance in hell. But otherwise diet will clean up. I suspect I won't have time for the gym today so I'll look to do it tomorrow, hopefully go for a short run in the morning if we don't go to the gym till after work.
I will post stats later today if I remember.
Monday 21 November 2011
Thursday 17 November 2011
Three days in a row
Three days in a row, impressive no? No, right.
Went to the gym last night, 45 mins endurance training on the bike. I'm guessing 400kcals but as the bike stopped registering kcal burn for 20 mins I'm not sure. DW, fix your equipment!
Eating wasn't bad. Yogurt and honey, cherry juice, grapefruit, protein shake for breakfast. Tuna sandwich for lunch. Apple and banana in the afternoon. Slice of bread with peanut butter pre-workout, protein shake after. Dinner was a spag bol (home made, of course. Heavy on carrots and mushrooms) with a glass of pomegranate juice.
Calorie wise it'll only be a small deficit, but as I'm also looking to improve all round strength slowly it's the trade off. With the heightened metabolism to handle the rebuilding of muscle as well as the burn while working out, it should keep it on the right side of intake to keep a slow drop in weight.
As I'm having two protein shakes per workout day, one per none workout day if I'm still aching, I'll go to water as the base for the whey. It's not nearly as tasty as with milk and it also cuts the nutrient content, but as I am looking to cut the weight, it's something I can do for now. When (if..) the weight approaches my target region I'll swap back in with the milk.
No gym this morning but I'll try go this evening.
The new trainers, Merrel Barefoot Trail Gloves, are feeling great when on foot but they don't have a thick enough base to make standing on the pedals of the spin bike comfortable. I might mix it up a bit and hit the treadmill again to see what they're like there. I did intend to do that last night, but my pecs hurt like buggery when they bounce due to the dips earlier this week. I know it's sad, but I'll get better if I can keep up this level of attendance.
Went to the gym last night, 45 mins endurance training on the bike. I'm guessing 400kcals but as the bike stopped registering kcal burn for 20 mins I'm not sure. DW, fix your equipment!
Eating wasn't bad. Yogurt and honey, cherry juice, grapefruit, protein shake for breakfast. Tuna sandwich for lunch. Apple and banana in the afternoon. Slice of bread with peanut butter pre-workout, protein shake after. Dinner was a spag bol (home made, of course. Heavy on carrots and mushrooms) with a glass of pomegranate juice.
Calorie wise it'll only be a small deficit, but as I'm also looking to improve all round strength slowly it's the trade off. With the heightened metabolism to handle the rebuilding of muscle as well as the burn while working out, it should keep it on the right side of intake to keep a slow drop in weight.
As I'm having two protein shakes per workout day, one per none workout day if I'm still aching, I'll go to water as the base for the whey. It's not nearly as tasty as with milk and it also cuts the nutrient content, but as I am looking to cut the weight, it's something I can do for now. When (if..) the weight approaches my target region I'll swap back in with the milk.
No gym this morning but I'll try go this evening.
The new trainers, Merrel Barefoot Trail Gloves, are feeling great when on foot but they don't have a thick enough base to make standing on the pedals of the spin bike comfortable. I might mix it up a bit and hit the treadmill again to see what they're like there. I did intend to do that last night, but my pecs hurt like buggery when they bounce due to the dips earlier this week. I know it's sad, but I'll get better if I can keep up this level of attendance.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Good day
Yesterday I had the day off, as BT were supposed to be installing a new line to my house (they previously had activated someone else down the street - stupid new build address). But it did mean that a) I could go to the gym for a decent session, b) eat fairly well and c) sign for my new Merrel Barefoot Trail Gloves...
I'll give them a review shortly. They came after my gym session and I couldn't persuade the wife into a second in a day session. So far though they seem like they will be good - plenty of room in the toe box while the heel to ball of foot section is so snug (but not constricting) it feels like a second skin, so I'm expecting near zero shearing.
So my day went like this -
Breakfast - Yoghurt and honey, small portion of cherry juice
Mid-morning snack - Apple
Pre-training - Slice of seeded wholemeal bread with peanut butter
Post-training - Whey protein (with water)
Lunch - Tuna sandwhich, same seedy wholemeal bread
Late Afternoon - More whey protein, this time with milk
Dinner - Roast sausage and winter veg (roast cumberland sausage, carrots, parsnips, onion and garlic all roasted in the juice and zest of one orange, served with mustard mash), followed my fresh mango and lemon juice.
Not bad at all for me.
Exercise - 30 min walk to the gym, 15 mins hard sweating on the exercise bike (emphasising speed over power, I use the spin bike for the latter), dips (8 free weight, 5 dips with 5kg add, 5 with 10kg added, then a decline of 2 at 10kg, 2 at 5kg, arms like jelly, good good), straight legged deadlifts (8 at 20kg, 8 at 30kg, two sets of 8 at 40kg) and finally lateral pulldowns (yeah yeah I'll work back to pull ups when I'm feeling a little stronger. 10 at 25kg, 8 at 35kg, 8 at 42.5kg, 8 at 42.5kg, 8 at 30kg), then back on the exercise bike for another 15 mins hard pedalling, then a 30 min walk back home.
Also went out for a walk in the evening. And actually was asleep by a little after 11.
If every day was like this I would be melting the fat off me in no time. Sadly, I have a job (shouldn't say that in this climate..) so day's like this are few and far between.
As for today, well I slept right through the alarm so I'll be hitting the gym after work but it does mean that the session can be longer than it would have been. Food wise doing fine now, but then it is only 10:30am.
Keep moving forward.
I'll give them a review shortly. They came after my gym session and I couldn't persuade the wife into a second in a day session. So far though they seem like they will be good - plenty of room in the toe box while the heel to ball of foot section is so snug (but not constricting) it feels like a second skin, so I'm expecting near zero shearing.
So my day went like this -
Breakfast - Yoghurt and honey, small portion of cherry juice
Mid-morning snack - Apple
Pre-training - Slice of seeded wholemeal bread with peanut butter
Post-training - Whey protein (with water)
Lunch - Tuna sandwhich, same seedy wholemeal bread
Late Afternoon - More whey protein, this time with milk
Dinner - Roast sausage and winter veg (roast cumberland sausage, carrots, parsnips, onion and garlic all roasted in the juice and zest of one orange, served with mustard mash), followed my fresh mango and lemon juice.
Not bad at all for me.
Exercise - 30 min walk to the gym, 15 mins hard sweating on the exercise bike (emphasising speed over power, I use the spin bike for the latter), dips (8 free weight, 5 dips with 5kg add, 5 with 10kg added, then a decline of 2 at 10kg, 2 at 5kg, arms like jelly, good good), straight legged deadlifts (8 at 20kg, 8 at 30kg, two sets of 8 at 40kg) and finally lateral pulldowns (yeah yeah I'll work back to pull ups when I'm feeling a little stronger. 10 at 25kg, 8 at 35kg, 8 at 42.5kg, 8 at 42.5kg, 8 at 30kg), then back on the exercise bike for another 15 mins hard pedalling, then a 30 min walk back home.
Also went out for a walk in the evening. And actually was asleep by a little after 11.
If every day was like this I would be melting the fat off me in no time. Sadly, I have a job (shouldn't say that in this climate..) so day's like this are few and far between.
As for today, well I slept right through the alarm so I'll be hitting the gym after work but it does mean that the session can be longer than it would have been. Food wise doing fine now, but then it is only 10:30am.
Keep moving forward.
Monday 14 November 2011
R&R
Well that was a whole week of training before I took a whole week off and pretty much drunk every night. Not productive. Not really budged the scales but pretty depressing loss of opportunity.
More positively, got a session in this morning. Spin bike, 400+ kcals. USN Protein bar. Grapefruit. Will later be eating an apple and a tuna sandwich. Dinner will be pasta pesto. Training will recommence tomorrow morning.
No numbers yet, no time, will try remember tomorrow.
More positively, got a session in this morning. Spin bike, 400+ kcals. USN Protein bar. Grapefruit. Will later be eating an apple and a tuna sandwich. Dinner will be pasta pesto. Training will recommence tomorrow morning.
No numbers yet, no time, will try remember tomorrow.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Baby steps
Thursday morning - crawl out of bed. Coffee. Gym, 23 minutes on spinning bike. USN Pure Protein bar and a little protein shake (bugger all left in tub which is why I bought the bar). Forgot towel. Come to work, sweating like a beaver.
So the 23 minutes sounds lazy but it was all I could fit in since I took too long getting out of the house and traffic was piling up on the main road to the train station. Additionally, given the lack of towel situation I'd rather of not been dripping head to toe in sweat when I got into my suit. As it was that was fine, but walking quick from the station to the office in too heavy a coat for the morning has me trying to avoid colleagues.
Hopefully my legs will be better tomorrow and I can put more effort in. I have the day off from work so I'll put a good session in, less limit on time.
As for the rest of yesterdays food, - well lunch was the beef stew, afternoon was milk and handful of almonds, dinner was prawn stir fry. Not too bad really.
Today should be beef stew again, almonds, milk, banana, fish cakes with mash and veg.
I'm thinking I should take a full range of measurements on Monday morning so I can start tracking it again properly, only avoided doing it so far just so this weeks work could get rid of any water weight held on.
So the 23 minutes sounds lazy but it was all I could fit in since I took too long getting out of the house and traffic was piling up on the main road to the train station. Additionally, given the lack of towel situation I'd rather of not been dripping head to toe in sweat when I got into my suit. As it was that was fine, but walking quick from the station to the office in too heavy a coat for the morning has me trying to avoid colleagues.
Hopefully my legs will be better tomorrow and I can put more effort in. I have the day off from work so I'll put a good session in, less limit on time.
As for the rest of yesterdays food, - well lunch was the beef stew, afternoon was milk and handful of almonds, dinner was prawn stir fry. Not too bad really.
Today should be beef stew again, almonds, milk, banana, fish cakes with mash and veg.
I'm thinking I should take a full range of measurements on Monday morning so I can start tracking it again properly, only avoided doing it so far just so this weeks work could get rid of any water weight held on.
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Legs of lead
My legs are absolutely killing, and from really quite tragically low weight. Got up again yesterday early to hit the gym. Rowed (10 mins), squats (5xbar,5x40kg, 3sets x 5 reps x 60k), military press (warm up, increasing to 3 x 8 x 35k), leg curls (warm up, increasing to 3 x 8 x 35k), ab work, stretches, 5 mins more rowing while waiting for my wife to come out of the shower.
So yes, as I said, pretty damned low numbers to be this painful for. Returning to squats is always a reminder you've been out of the gym too long, they really punish you. Additionally, this was still on an empty stomach so not sure if the low energy meant I had to work harder. Could be interesting to test that out. On the flip side, no protein ready immediately for repair :( Got home, protein shake (EAS at the moment, will be changing shortly), greak yoghurt and honey. Had a beef stew for lunch (with bone stock, thanks Bova for introducing me to this). All was going well untill I spotted the leftover sweets from Halloween. Oh dear. Munched my way through a bunch of them.
Dinner was a pumpkin and steak risotto (more beef!).
Resting today while the legs get a chance to recover.
So yes, as I said, pretty damned low numbers to be this painful for. Returning to squats is always a reminder you've been out of the gym too long, they really punish you. Additionally, this was still on an empty stomach so not sure if the low energy meant I had to work harder. Could be interesting to test that out. On the flip side, no protein ready immediately for repair :( Got home, protein shake (EAS at the moment, will be changing shortly), greak yoghurt and honey. Had a beef stew for lunch (with bone stock, thanks Bova for introducing me to this). All was going well untill I spotted the leftover sweets from Halloween. Oh dear. Munched my way through a bunch of them.
Dinner was a pumpkin and steak risotto (more beef!).
Resting today while the legs get a chance to recover.
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