Tekforums

Right then folks, Ive no doubt loads of you have made new years promises saying Ill get fitter and what not.

This is it.. im determined to follow at least a sort of daily training ritual.

Im purely using dumbells for mine, but just completed a session and woo! feel good!

The last few reps of the last set were murderous, my sister wondered what the hell I was doing in my room with all the huffing puffing and grunting.. I think the last rep on my left arm was something like "AAAHHHHHHHH TWEEEELLLLVVVEEEEEE... DONT DROP DONT DROP..AAAHHHHHHHHHHH DOWN.. WOO!" lol (yes yes.. I talk myself through it).

So this is my thread that Ill keep spamming in because I want to keep doing this. If I miss a day then Ill feel guilty from you denying you lot the pleasure of my stuffs.

PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW WHAT I PUT HERE AS IM DOING THIS OFF MY OWN BACK, I DONT WANT YOU GETTING INJURED FROM WHAT I SAY SO SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFOREHAND.

Current regime takes about 25 minutes and involves:

Quote---Stretches---
Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat over and over for 5ish minutes until happy.

Place one arm in the air, reach far over as possible keeping your arm straight and without bending your back.

Place both arms behind back, clasp hands, use one arm to "stretch" gently the other arm pulling it out and elbows inwards.

Place one arm across your chest, use the other arm bent to pull the arm inward until you feel it stretch

Place one arm bent reaching down your back (over your head), use the other arm to gently push on the elbow until you feel the stretch.

Training
---3 sets of each unless specified---

Right Arm: 10 arm curls bar parallel to body
Left Arm: 12 arm curls bar parallel to body

Right Arm: 10 lean over one arm row
Left Arm: 12 lean over one arm row

Right Arm: 10 overhead lifts
Left Arm: 12 overhead lifts

---1 set as cool down---
Right Arm: 10 arm curls bar perpendicular to body
Left Arm: 12 arm curls bar perpendicular to body

Ive no idea what the real name for these things are but the overhead lifts I could feel working on me as I did them, my triceps? are burning now from doing 30 of those babies.

Why the offset number of reps? Because my right arm when tensed is quite a muscley thing :) my left arm however is all jiggly and not good, so its a sort of effort to bring it into line. Seems to work as 10 is a killer, doing 12 and it burns.

Im not going to say the weight im using as im ashamed of it :D lol.. its so ickle, its rediculous but im following my instincts, sure I can do 1 set of 10 with full weights, but I reckon 3 sets of 10 with a 3rd of the weights is better imo.

So yes.. stay tuned for more M3ta7h3ad fitness calamity.

Also feel free to use this thread for your own benefit, dont let me be the only one doing this. Itll help me no end if someone joins in in this malarky. At least then come new years with the "how did your resolution go" threads we can then stand up with pride and say "yeah... we tried it".

Cyclists... if your training.. shove your training things in ere! :) post about it, rant about it.. its all good, heck even use it as a record for your personal bests.

U doing some CV work as well? like cycling & running etc...

also as far as the light weights are concerned then you may as well use lighter weights - better for building up a bit of endurance and stamina IIRC

Not just yet. Need to get on my bike.

Just thought Id say..

my left elbow has been in agony all day today so far.

Want to train again same as yesterday but not sure if its safe to do so. Any thoughts?

From my experience that happens when you over do it.  And tbh, all your going to be doing is increasing the size of your arms, you wont be losing any weight from what you are doing.  Dave was right to ask about CV exercise.

I also find it interesting that you are doing this off your own back, and you stress for others not to follow you in case they get injured and they should seek professional help.  Are you insinuating we are all insane??? ;)  Seriously, have you yourself sought professional advice before starting this regime?

Its close to the regime I was following when training for kenya on a pretty much daily basis at least.. with the CV work removed, that workout got checked out by our team leader (ex-army gym instructor dude) and my doctor (was a requirement). Assuming nothing completely wierd has gone on I should be alright at least in my opinion. But the warning is there in case some nutcase comes along tries it.. slips a disk and then comes along wanting to sue me or the forums for bad advice. Its your own body, take responsibility for its actions basically :)

I think Ill throw in a few of the old chest exercises I remember from then as well with regards to the arm thing... Id quite like to bulk up, to be honest ive never been a super thin bloke, but would like to turn what are at the moment wobbley arms into muscly arms :) lol. Ill work on CV training when I start commuting to work and back in the coming weeks, and hopefully by the end of the year Ill have an all round workout, but at the moment all I have to work with is a set of dumbells.

As for the elbow pain, its reduced to an ache in my bicep muscles when I move the left arm now. Elbow pain gone.. I may see how it feels tonight and try another session, otherwise im going to have to give it a rest today at least.

Doing arm work without a core strengthening regimen is insanity.

my 2c.

Im forced to agree with maxi, just doing the arms isnt the best idea in the world, you need to do the full body including legs

Quote from: SeriousIm forced to agree with maxi, just doing the arms isnt the best idea in the world, you need to do the full body including legs

yup, most of us get an arm workout thats plenty just from ****ing. :mrgreen:

Quote from: maximusotter

Quote from: SeriousIm forced to agree with maxi, just doing the arms isnt the best idea in the world, you need to do the full body including legs

yup, most of us get an arm workout thats plenty just from ****ing. :mrgreen:

Erm... unless you know of exercises I can do with my legs that involve dumbells. Arms/chest/stomach/back it will be. Legs can be taken care of at a later date.

Hold the weights, crouch down a bit then stand back up, use the horse stance as in the martial arts.

Quote from: maximusotter

Quote from: SeriousIm forced to agree with maxi, just doing the arms isnt the best idea in the world, you need to do the full body including legs

yup, most of us get an arm workout thats plenty just from ****ing. :mrgreen:

Unless you just do one arm...



 :mrgreen:

lol squats? I could do lunges I guess as well. but it wont do much I wouldnt have thought my legs are plenty strong enough, need to get to the gym to work on those.

CV work needs to be done soon and will be.

Quote from: SeriousUnless you just do one arm...
 :mrgreen:

LOL serious, funny that you should choose the one with the Swedish caption :)

M3, think it would definitely make life much easier to push up your general fitness along with your strength. All I know about fitness is from school and the gym induction so Im not authority at all, it just makes common sense.

Quote from: Sara

Quote from: SeriousUnless you just do one arm...
 :mrgreen:

LOL serious, funny that you should choose the one with the Swedish caption :)

I *still* have no idea what it says  :whoops:

[edit] unless its are you single? [/edit]

I could give you a core strength workout that lasts <10 mins, has nothing to do with dumbells, and will almost certainly tear your deepest innards to mush the first few times you try it, if you enjoy such things :)

lol im interested :D

Aye there are workouts that do not need any kind of weight sets and can be done at home.  I can remember one particular stretch/exercise that is quite effective.   Though I forget what areas it is having an effect on.

Simply get down on your front, and form a bridge with your toes on the floor and hold your self up with your forearms in front of your chest.  

You can also do the opposite on your back with your heels.

/Edit, did a quick google, The Bridge exercises would seem to be a core exercise. :)

I made a resolution to get myself fit this year as well. Except it was a little after new year and nothing to do with resolutions (more to do with a certain girl, but that is enough of that).

Ive been doing a combination of weights and CV since mid january and I have to say that the CV have done a lot more for me than the weights. For quite a lot of weights I havent seen a massive improvment in either muscle size or strength, Im definitely lifting more weight now, but its hard to say whether thats because I am stronger or because Im just pushing myself/straining myself a bit more.

For the record my CV workout (in the local gym) looks something like

5km run
20 mins on a exercise bike (about 13.5km, though I don;t trust the readings on these bikes they vary so much from machine to machine)
4km row

Which Im fairly pleased with as when I started back in january I was struggling at a 2km run 15 min cycle and 2 km row.

The cv seems to be paying off weightwise as in 2.5 months Ive gone from 16 st 12lb  to  14st 13lb, 27lbs down and another 20 ish to go ;)

As for weights I was/am doing something along the lines of:

10 Hammer curls each arm on 15kg
Then a rest.
7 Hammer curls each arm on 15kg
Then a rest.
10 Hammer curls each arm on 12.5kg

That sort of idea for whatever exercise Im doing.
Other exercises include:

preacher curls with dumbells(no board so I have to use my leg)
shoulder press with dumbells
Chest press (bench press) with dumbells
upright row
lateral raises (much lower weight than any of the other excercises)

Ive also got a curl bar (which I would reccomend for home weights) which is useful for 21s and various curls etc. OH yeah and the skullcrusher, never trust an exercise with a name like "skullcrusher" :P

I know some of the bigger guys on here like Bx would laugh at the amounts mentioned above (wasnt Bx benching some incredible amount of weight well in excess of 100 kg?) but hey its a good start for me.

Seriously though dont overdo it you can do a damn site more damage than good if youre not careful.


Edit: Forgot to say try this site to find all sorts of exercises to do with limited equipment, just click on weight training, then male exercise map, choose a muscle and it will show you all sorts of exercises to do to with that muscle, with animated gifs so you can be sure you are doing them correctly.

http://www.exrx.net/

Oh and get a hold of Pumping Iron for a laugh ;)

QuoteAye there are workouts that do not need any kind of weight sets and can be done at home. I can remember one particular stretch/exercise that is quite effective. Though I forget what areas it is having an effect on.

Simply get down on your front, and form a bridge with your toes on the floor and hold your self up with your forearms in front of your chest.

You can also do the opposite on your back with your heels.

/Edit, did a quick google, The Bridge exercises would seem to be a core exercise.  

I tried out things like that but I found while they were great for about a day I infact was more likely to do myself an injury from it. Body Resistance Training kinda malarky is great for a bit but its a complete hash up. For me anyway.

Quote from: ThrawnI made a resolution to get myself fit this year as well. Except it was a little after new year and nothing to do with resolutions (more to do with a certain girl, but that is enough of that).

Ive been doing a combination of weights and CV since mid january and I have to say that the CV have done a lot more for me than the weights. For quite a lot of weights I havent seen a massive improvment in either muscle size or strength, Im definitely lifting more weight now, but its hard to say whether thats because I am stronger or because Im just pushing myself/straining myself a bit more.

For the record my CV workout (in the local gym) looks something like

5km run
20 mins on a exercise bike (about 13.5km, though I don;t trust the readings on these bikes they vary so much from machine to machine)
4km row

Which Im fairly pleased with as when I started back in january I was struggling at a 2km run 15 min cycle and 2 km row.

The cv seems to be paying off weightwise as in 2.5 months Ive gone from 16 st 12lb  to  14st 13lb, 27lbs down and another 20 ish to go ;)

As for weights I was/am doing something along the lines of:

10 Hammer curls each arm on 15kg
Then a rest.
7 Hammer curls each arm on 15kg
Then a rest.
10 Hammer curls each arm on 12.5kg

That sort of idea for whatever exercise Im doing.
Other exercises include:

preacher curls with dumbells(no board so I have to use my leg)
shoulder press with dumbells
Chest press (bench press) with dumbells
upright row
lateral raises (much lower weight than any of the other excercises)

Ive also got a curl bar (which I would reccomend for home weights) which is useful for 21s and various curls etc. OH yeah and the skullcrusher, never trust an exercise with a name like "skullcrusher" :P

I know some of the bigger guys on here like Bx would laugh at the amounts mentioned above (wasnt Bx benching some incredible amount of weight well in excess of 100 kg?) but hey its a good start for me.

Seriously though dont overdo it you can do a damn site more damage than good if youre not careful.


Edit: Forgot to say try this site to find all sorts of exercises to do with limited equipment, just click on weight training, then male exercise map, choose a muscle and it will show you all sorts of exercises to do to with that muscle, with animated gifs so you can be sure you are doing them correctly.

http://www.exrx.net/

Oh and get a hold of Pumping Iron for a laugh ;)

Wicked site there mate shall add that to me favourites :)

See I prefer weight training ahead of cardio, but need a little of both. Well impressed at your weight loss there mate.

Combining that with a good diet? or is it a case of "heh! im exercising.. ill eat what I want anyhows" :D

Quote from: M3ta7h3adCombining that with a good diet? or is it a case of "heh! im exercising.. ill eat what I want anyhows" :D

Yeah pretty serious diet at the same time.

Awww.. and there was me thinking Woot!!! start cardio similar to yours and Voomph! weight falls off! :D lol doh! Stupid diets :(

Ill post up a proper training programme when i get a minute tomorrow - none of the gimmicky get 20 times stronger in 3 weeks bullsh*t.

It will take years of dedicated training and a LOT of hard work and effort but it is worth it.

When I passed the 200 kilo mark in both the deadlift and squat it was well worth it. Next target is a 190 bench. Thats months away yet.

I started to go to the gym regularly (3 times a week)  towards the end of last summer, I started off doing about 35 mins CV and 25 mins weights, the main reason I went was to loose weight (about 2 1/2st) but found I was making very slow progress, 1-2Ibs a week over the first few months  :(  

So I stopped the weights and just did CV for just over an hour, 3 times a week and my weight dropped at a much better rate of 3-4 Ibs  a week and currently about 2Ibs a week :D
Thats without dieting as such, sensible eating during the week lots of pasta, salads and fruit instead of crap, beer and whatever I want to eat at weekends takeaways etc.

Im currently doing 10 mins warm-up on exercise bike.
40 mins on a cross-trainer with my hart rate at around 145-150 (around 80% of the max for my age) last 5 mins around 160.
15 mins brisk walking on treadmill (cant run got a bad ankle)

Im getting a bit skinny now and nearly at my target weight of 14st  :D
So Im going to increase the number of times I go to 4 times a week, cut back on the CV to twice and start doing weights twice and maybe eat more so not to loose any more weight if needed :)

Im still carrying on with that workout, allbeit slightly different now after viewing thrawns site. I focus on a different area each day. :)

Still no CV but need to get that sorted and will do.

Quote from: M3ta7h3adIm still carrying on with that workout, allbeit slightly different now after viewing thrawns site. I focus on a different area each day. :)

Still no CV but need to get that sorted and will do.

So any updates metal? Ive hit 14st 9lbs now and still going strong. Also managed to start doing a few pressups now - which is something Ive never really been able to do (by the time I was strong enough I was too heavy if you see what I mean).

Moved up to 6km on the treadmill and went for my first real road run on sunday - also at 6km - and man is it a lot harder than running on a treadmill for so many reasons.

I just did some cold pizza curls. :lol:

Well I think to be honest im a fool.

Do it 3 to 4 times a week (Tried daily but I found myself exercising muscle groups that actually hurt at the time, at that point I backed off and stopped the daily crap it was overdoing it) Id write up my thing but its basically the partial full body workout thing on that exrx website.

im now heavier than the bathroom scales will weigh. Im not that much "bigger" just what was jelly like before, is a little stiffer :) I need to get on my bike and start doing some cardio. May start doing some walking with my "mountain" just outside my house may take the dog for walks up there. Every little helps right??

BTW.. did some resting heart rate whatsits too...

Varies from 72bpm to 76bpm Considering I was expecting really really really high pulse rate (presuming that my heart would be straining or something) im quite pleasantly surprised that its not too far astray of the "average" 70bpm. Tekforums is a bit borked, had no idea that people had posted in here since my post as the marking of "read and unread" is flaky.

Shall try and keep ye up to date.

P.S. Also trying a 2 days not eating, 5 days eating thing at the mo. Bit of an experiment on my part, not read it anywhere if it works, but im trying to basically lose weight (granted my metabolism will slow if I do it for any length of time, so just trying a 2 week thing).

Was starving yesterday, the current way im getting around hunger pangs is just by drinking a crap load of water. Whenever I get urges, I guzzle water down feel bloated, then I dont want to eat anymore. Back to eating normally tomorrow for 5 days.

Combined with my weight training I should hopefully maintain muscle mass and lose the fat.

I couldnt go without eating :o

evar!

I find I want to eat ALL DAY during work, if I had rode the evening before (even small rides like 15 or so miles)

I think any money you save by not having a car and riding to work is offset by the heeeouuge amount of food you get through :lol: :lol:

M3ta7h3ad, my mums method is to eat sandwiches made of brown bread, cottage cheese with pineapple, chopped up cellery and apple. Has some carbs, a litte protein and virtually no fat.

Replace 2 meals a day with that and chances are you will loose weight.

Unfortunately I cant stand the smell or taste of uncooked celery  :gag:

Quote from: snellgroveI couldnt go without eating :o

evar!

I find I want to eat ALL DAY during work, if I had rode the evening before (even small rides like 15 or so miles)

I think any money you save by not having a car and riding to work is offset by the heeeouuge amount of food you get through :lol: :lol:

lol I dont get weight urges. Well the 2days non eating thing didnt work as planned. Actually weigh heavier now, but that could be down to the weights. :| lol bloody hope it is!

Whats the diet like, matey? Got any issues or obsessions with food? Do ya drink sugary soda? Time to find that calorie culprit and kick its arse. :lol: Dont deny yourself either, just change. If for example, you had a thing for apple pie, eat apples instead--and really fancy ones, become an apple freak, pontificate about the stirations of braeburns, bore us. :lol:

Ive lost about five pounds myself this spring, simply by doing an hour per day of cardio on the singlespeed, instead of 3X weekly.

Quote from: M3ta7h3adWell the 2days non eating thing didnt work as planned. Actually weigh heavier now, but that could be down to the weights. :| lol bloody hope it is!

2 days wont do anything positive, weight control is a long haul issue. If anything not eating for 2 days will prompt your body to think you are going to have a period without food and it will reduce calorie useage. It takes the system at least a week to recover so you end up heavier. Not eating anything wont cause your body to use up its fat reserves either, it will canablise your muscle instead so really you shouldnt be doing that.

Weight exercise can reduce fat but builds muscle to replace it, it also requires more protein. If you just want to loose weight you would be better off elsewhere.

Quote from: maximusotterWhats the diet like, matey? Got any issues or obsessions with food? Do ya drink sugary soda? Time to find that calorie culprit and kick its arse. :lol: Dont deny yourself either, just change. If for example, you had a thing for apple pie, eat apples instead--and really fancy ones, become an apple freak, pontificate about the stirations of braeburns, bore us. :lol:

Ive lost about five pounds myself this spring, simply by doing an hour per day of cardio on the singlespeed, instead of 3X weekly.

lol... my closest friend had some rather disturbing assumptions about me, upsetting to be honest... and made me angry.

She believed I had a sweet tooth, that I didnt like salads, and that I refused to eat anything healthy. In her words it was "the only way you could get like that". She also assumed that I was incapable of coping with physical exercise... when we went on a bike ride together and I naturally kept behind her but running two a-breast where possible as thats the way I tend to walk... she kept making snide comments about how "we could rest if your tired"... made me so angry I ended up pulling out, and flew past her at around 30mph according to me speedo, and I couldnt even bloody change up gears as my gears are still naffed up so I just pedalled as fast as I could until the rachet took the power away. Sure... I took a while to recover but I didnt need to stop, and I kept up that performance for a good 5 minutes, took her about 3 minutes cycling along after me to get back into viewing distance.

When I showed her my chicken salad with boiled new potatoes (no not a metaphor for anything ;)) she was shocked that I knew how to cook in a healthy manner, and that I enjoyed eating like it.

Then a week or so later we went out and grabbed a bite to eat and I picked an egg salad, when she actually came out with "the big sarnies are over here" thinking that Id go for them ahead of a lush salad.

Then she looked surprised a few days later when I said to her "No thank you im full" when she cooked an indian curry for me. Tasted lush... but just couldnt eat it all.

Her next assumption was that I drank unhealthly, I then told her that I tended to only ever drink on a wednesday night, and then its rare that I get completely hammered, its a case of a beer or cider with a meal (my one treat a week normally), and that I guzzle water like nobodies business, only reason I dont buy it that much is because I aint paying Ã,£1.50 for a bottle of something that comes out of a tap at home for free.

We finally came to an agreement after all of that, I eat anything, I quite happily munch salad, I hate jelly and sinewed meat, though I am partial to a beefburger once in a while (my typical wednesday night food, beer and a burger), but most of all.... if something is infront of me, I will eat/drink it.

I have been known to drink 3 litres of water in under 10 minutes... why?... because I had 3 litre sized bottles of water on my desk in work, intending to drink them throughout the day...I dont... I tend to feel as if I have to have something in my hand, so I hold the bottle of water... naturally I raise it to my mouth, and I take a gulp every 20 seconds or so.

There are no weaknesses in general, and thats what pisses me off... I can change diets and so on, I can keep a diary, but at the end of the day I tend to eat 2 or 3 meals a day (dependent on if I get breakfast in), I drink about 1.5 litres a day, and thats it.

Friends in uni have admitted to having usually... 2 teas, and anything up to 7 meals a day. how much do they weigh?.... no idea, but they have damn thin bodies.

Ive come to the conclusion that its a lack of physical exercise that put me in this way, and now I currently try and do things to combat it, stuff I havent mentioned here... stuff like trying to take the stairs instead of the lift, walking from the train station furthest away (so 30mins brisk walk... instead of a 10min meander), walking from work to the next nearest train station (15mins brisk walk as opposed to a 3 minute meander).

I do this all, the only thing I havent done since its hit warmer weather is ride my bike again, and thats because I keep making damn excuses for sorting it out.

I also hate the warmer weather, as well you may consider this a bit vain, but Ive noticed that my stomach jiggles a bit, there was once a time that I could breathe in and pull my stomach muscles in and itd be fine, but now its a distinct jiggle... you may think "pah ffs... stop being a wuss" but when Ive experienced years and years and years of bullying that put me in about the worst place possible and turned me into a bloody wreck of a human being, my weight is a curse to me, and I try and hide my shape a little by wearing a jacket. I can pull it around me and yeah I may look bigger, but at least you dont see my manboobs jiggling away as im walking, open-mouthed and struggling for breath, because I cant breathe due to the paranoia that grips me when walking in public, having to feign yawns to cover the fact that due to me holding my breath I managed to exacerbate matters further and made myself breathless. Now the weather is warmer there will come a point where I will have to lose the security blanket of my jacket... When that point comes, I dont want to jiggle.

I quite honestly would welcome an eating disorder. If it involves me puking up then so be it... Id rather have a problem with gaining weight, than getting rid of it.

When I met those girls on wednesday, I started panicing instantly... why? Its because I was the fatman, self-esteem is bollocks, I can put of an air of confidence whenever I want I can flirt and I can bullsh*t like the best of them, but deep down im a paranoid freak obcessed about the fact that hes overweight and too f**king paranoid to join a Gym as the last time he did he had to bare with the laughs and jeers behind his back as he made a bit too much noise on the running machine, or sweated excessively when working out... apparantly sweating isnt something thats done in the gyms ive been to, last time I had no choice, and it was kids doing it to me. Kids that I later relished in beating the sh*t out of when I was in school when they kicked off then, so I got even in a way. Nowerdays... I dont think I could cope.

Well, if its not a soft spot for cola or the like, you might think about keeping a food diary for a few days and seeing a doctor. Show him/her the diary so they dont make the same assumptions.

I was just asking as I was chatting up a guy who works at the local market about getting fit. Hes something like 300 pounds, so had quite a bit to lose. I always see him drinking coke and I asked him how much he drank, and we figured out it was over 1000 calories a day! It sort of freaked him out. :lol: He just didnt think about it.

So if youre not doing something like that or having 8 toasts for breakfast, then ask a doctor what the feck is up. Have them do some bloodwork, it could be a sign of something like an easily treatable thyroid disorder. Who knows?

Or you could move to my neighborhood, where youd look downright svelte next to most of the people whove tried to commit suicide with vast amounts of ham laced soul food. :P

Seeing a doc is a good option and drinking that much water (3 litres in under 10 minutes) usually isnt a good idea. What should happen is your body is supposed to cut in and stop you drinking water to excess and if you continue your kidneys should come to the rescue by putting you in the loo. If it doesnt you end up overhydrated and your electrolyte levels go to pot.

Water retention can make you as overweight as fat and can be dangerous.

And so my cardio workout begins.

Chart of progress shall be made here in this thread :D

Be careful and dont overdo it. Id rather your reports of progress be made in person than symbolized by silence.

I had better start mine easy too....





/lifts pint.... :mrgreen:

Quote from: M3ta7h3adI can keep a diary, but at the end of the day I tend to eat 2 or 3 meals a day (dependent on if I get breakfast in), I drink about 1.5 litres a day, and thats it.

though it is mostly probably down to inactivity if you eat healthily & still weigh 20 stone (just do some CV & try to walk/cycle to as many places as possible as opposed to bus/car) missing Bfast is not a great idea.

with everything else being equal, having lunch and dinner will cause you to put on mroe weight than having bfast in the morning + also having the same lunch and dinner - reason being that eating Bfast kick starts your metabolism  for the day. youre better off having a large bfast and a smaller meal in the evening whereas a lot of people have large meals at night just before they go to bed etc.. which doesnt do much good. Even if you only have time to grab a bannana & glass of milk in the morning it is still better than nothing

22.4 miles today :) but oh god... the journey home hurt. Just a sore bum :)

Quote from: M3ta7h3adJust a sore bum :)

Did you go and bend down in front of knighty?  :twisted:

lol I feel like I was assraped by a giant tentacle much like the poor anime schoolgirls.

Only doing the trip one way today, but gonna ride from the train station furthest from me, and furthest to me to fit about 3 extra miles in.

So... will be around the 14mile mark today.

33.6 miles this week so far.

Had some wee problems with my gripshift on the way there, it suddenly decided to just spin around and around the handlebar, and not shift.

Found the installation manual at sram.com and just tightened the 3mm allen bolt I couldnt see for the life of me before. Sorted.

Noted that my rear tire is actually wearing away more than the front... May need to do some tire buying at the end of the month if I have dosh, if not then Ill just make do as long as possible.

Going to do the same one way trip today, but its looking cloudy and crap. Hopefully the weather will stay dry :)

Any noticeable change in weight/size or muscle strength yet?

Ive had a few dodgy weeks over my exam period but Im hitting  the gym with avengeance once more, managed to get my run up to 7km a couple of times now and Im down to 14st 1 from original weight 16st 12.

lol not really mate. my legs feel stronger though from the 2 days of exercise. just feel... tighter.

Weight wise. Ive stopped doing the dumbells as it was pointless without doing cardio, and to be honest the dumbell set was only 15kg. I can happily curl that until the cows come home so need to get down a gym to sort that side out. Concentrating on weight loss now.

About to do another 11.2 miles today :) Hopefully should notice a difference next week I hope :D

okay!!! im up to the "just under by a smidgin.." 46mile marker this week so far.

My thighs are currently aching, they started aching this morning, then I rode... and they ache more now :D lol not sure if its a good "ahh your muscles are getting stronger" ache or a "you stupid idiot!!! STOP RIDING YOUR KILLING ME!" thing.

Bum pains reduced to 5 mins of discomfort when first getting on the bike. :) Thank god!!! :D lol.

Will be doing another 22.4 miles tomorrow most likely as I have coursework and stuff to hand in at uni and I ordinarily wouldnt go into cardiff on a wednesday.

Finding the mile or so winding stretch of road that leads out of the back of my estate to be a killer. Brought me to a stop yesterday about half way. Today I worked through it.. but it really took it out of me. its just a moderate incline that snakes back on itself, but really burns your thighs.

Also had a near miss. Shall use my bell more in future. Came around a blind corner a bit too fast. Nailed the brakes and banked over as much as possible, and narrowly avoided someone in full racing doohicky who also was flying around that corner way too fast.

Average time now for getting to work is 38 minutes. 11.2 miles in that time. Also found a nice medium yesterday that allowed me to pedal pretty much all the way, just kept those legs going around.

Which means average speed now is at 17.5mph... wonder if I can get that faster :)

So yeah in short.

Miles done: 46
Average Speed: 17.5 mph
Days done: 3

Rest is just as important as training. If I hammer really hard one day, I take a day off, or just a quick 15 mile spin with no sprinting. So if your legs hurt, give em a break and do something really fun like ab work. :lol:

lol dont have a choice im afraid. Need to go to uni, and well if I get the train in.. Ill get guilty about leaving the bike at home. :D

No riding today. Legs are screaming at me "WHY!!! WHY YOU BASTARD!! WHY!!!!!! WHY DO YOU HURT US SO!!", and I have too many important deadlines to meet today so cant risk being late after a puncture or whatever.

Rode today.

Ended up vomiting my guts up (Eating noodles 2 hours before vomiting does not make for fun vomit) about 5 miles in as Ive been feeling ill as hell the last few days.

Still made it to cardiff, just abouts. Really want to be at home cuddling a hot water bottle wishing the pains in my stomach would go away.

Another 11.2 Miles to the total plus the 2 miles Ill do home tonight. So.. 13.2 miles.


59.2 Miles covered this week so far.

Id take that as a sign that youre pushing too hard tbh.  Going from no excersize to heavy cycling wont do you any good at all.

Possibly pushing it too hard, a longer route but a bit slower and work your way up mate. Also try eating a banana an hour before you start.

Ahhh, vomiting. fun... done that while pushing really really hard on a ride

Definately take a day off in between really hard rides, it will make you faster overall :)

Also ...remember to enjoy it, thats the main thing :P

The only time I have done it is pushing really hard while running behind a car ... on my own  :shock:

Now I think about it it was a bit stupid :/

well end of the week. Didnt manage to ride today as I overslept and just didnt have the time to waste cycling into work.

Did some riding yesterday though which takes my total for the week upto...

72.4 Miles Not bad for a 1st week total, and gives me something to aim for. That magic 100 miles in a week :)

If all goes to plan next week, Ill hit that 100miles easy :)

End of week feelings:

Definately have improved my fitness, not so much in every day life, Ive not turned into linford christie, but im no longer out of breath when faced with a hill I have to walk up. Ive noticed that most of the hills with the exception of one on my route to work yesterday I managed without changing down from my "cruising" gear (the one I use just to go along when im on the flat), and I wasnt so out of breath when going up them either.

Not sure if its psychological but im sure this t shirt im wearing is fitting me better. Not convinced Ive lost weight but I think I just feel better about myself.

Aches and Pains: Knees hurt a bit from being worked I think, and my arse hurts from the damn seams rubbing me on my trousers and underwear. Also a few cuts and grazes, managed to get pushed into a stone wall yesterday whilst moving along. Scraped my arm a bit but managed to get myself off of it and carry on pedalling, Hurt my shin on a cycle gate (bastard things) by missing the lower rung thing, and just smacking my shin into it, and thats about it really.

Bloody gutted so far this week.

Rain and poor trail conditions mean that Ive not ridden at all this week so far :( and I feel fat for it. Like... all the work I did last week has been undone :(

Will try and get on me bike for the weekend if the weather holds but 1 day of rain = 3 days of sh*te trail conditions as it turns into a bloody quagmire of tree crap.

Weighed myself this morning for the first time since I started cycling.

Im now 19st 3lbs

This is down from OVER 20 st... to the extent I was over what my scale reads to (it hit 0 and span around a bit more before clunking against a stop).

2 Weeks, 1 week cycling, and to be honest Ive eaten sh*te... and ive lost almost a stone, if not a stone completely.

Stupid me... not cycled since in 13 days. Got back in the saddle today, really didnt want to do it, was a case of "no.. have to make myself do it" novelty has clearly worn off and now im going "Grrr... bloody bike".

Added another 11.2 miles to the big total in ere :)

Need to make an effort this week.

Noticed some wear and tear on my bike, poor thing dont think its liking carrying my weight. Wheels are soooo not true, they need work badly I think, Brakes could do with tweaking the back brake needs adjusting properly as I think its slipping through the nut that holds the cable when under constant braking (its the brake I use to control my speed when going downhill) and my tires are almost bald! :o had no idea the rubber on them was so soft, Ive only done maybe 350 miles on them in total and the tread pattern is a mere whisper of an impression on them in places.

Sidenote: I found an old cable lock, wouldnt protect it against a slightly heavy bashing with a rock, but it suffices for a saddle lock, bloody bike comes with a QR Saddle, finally I can just lock the saddle to the bike now when in town or popping into a shop. :)

Fitness: Well 2 weeks of nothing hasnt done me any favours however I have lost another 2 lbs purely from eating fairly normally but doing my normal paid work during the week as overtime (9 hour days as opposed to sitting at home for 6 and working for 4 :D)

Started at over 20st or rather 280+ lbs now down to 19st 2lbs or 268lbs Also realised that Ive now started subconciously changing up to the highest gear I have when cruising or going downhill, and I dont change down to as low a gear when climbing a hill either :D For example, I started using..

8th for climbs and 12th for cruising and I may knock it up to 14 for downhills.

Now its...

14th for climbs, and 21st for cruising and downhills :)

Either Ive picked up a more efficient pedalling technique, or I have developed stronger muscles in my legs and more stamina :) prefer to think its the latter 2 but knowing my luck itll be the first one.

To anyone who reads this: Hows your fitness thing going? :)

Totals:
Week: 11.2miles
Alltime: 83.6 miles

another 11.2 miles to the total capitan! :)

Gonna try and make up my bike lights some time soon and try a night commute.

Quote from: M3ta7h3adBloody gutted so far this week.

Rain and poor trail conditions mean that Ive not ridden at all this week so far :( and I feel fat for it. Like... all the work I did last week has been undone :(

Will try and get on me bike for the weekend if the weather holds but 1 day of rain = 3 days of sh*te trail conditions as it turns into a bloody quagmire of tree crap.

u might want to think about doing a bit of running too - then if its crap weather you can do that instead - otherwise come winter you could find yourself making excuses not to go out

yup thats what im worried but to be honest I get leg pains and aches from walking when I was 280lbs. I dont think running would be the wisest exercise to do 200lb+ :D

Gonna fit my damn mudguards and after reading on another bike forum about people who ride in -20F temps and through ice and snow, Ive realised I have the gear to ride, and can always change in work if I really need to, so I just need to go "oi! no!!! you lazy arse! get your arse out there!!!".

fair point - though you might find that if you carry on as you have been then you may well be a lot slimmer when winter comes round

tis a good effort mate good to hear youve lost a stone already

Quote from: M3ta7h3adyup thats what im worried but to be honest I get leg pains and aches from walking when I was 280lbs. I dont think running would be the wisest exercise to do 200lb+ :D

Even walking at 280 can be nasty to your joints. Stay on the bike. Im just shy of 180# and over 6 foot myself, verging on lanky, but I wouldnt even think of running unless I got down to around 165. Its really just suited for flyweights.

165 is what Id love to be. :)

Think after another stone loss I should probably aim for a target weight or something. :)

Another 11.2 miles to the total.

However due to me being lazy the last few weeks a weigh-in this morning came out at 19stone 10lbs :( so Ive put on 8lbs.

Dammit.

Wont be lazy again at least for the summer, that bike WILL be used every day.

Had a sh*tty commute today though, broke my rack mounting on one side, got a chain jammed in both ends, got wheeled at by a twat on a BMX and my card got swallowed by a cash machine, and my damn boss didnt invite me to the company shindig.

Grr... crap day.

Throw away the damn scale and judge your progress by the way your pants fit. Theyre evil those things. Easy enough to weight 5# less one day due to a big crap and slight dehydration--but you rationalize it and either take the day off or have a Cadburys or something.

Been there, done that. I was at my thinnest when I went to the gym 5X per week as I loved the exercise, and wasnt obsessed with mass. I ended up weighing myself when a workmate commented on how lean I was--Id managed to get down to 162#. :shock: :lol: Id love to be that svelte again...but I wubs me bbq pork as well. :lol: :D

Done a full mapping of my route thanks to gmap-pedometer.com :)

(http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/drawGraph.php?elevDist=0,360.89;0.34,321.52;0.65,406.82;1.45,380.57;1.87,0;2.4,219.81;2.86,190.28;3.48,354.33;4.02,104.98;4.22,0;4.49,91.86;5.02,0;5.31,75.45;5.59,108.26;5.85,75.45;6.21,65.61;6.47,68.89;6.81,59.05;7.26,42.65;7.87,59.05;8.32,42.65;8.66,45.93;9.07,39.37;9.5,19.68;9.86,26.24;10.07,29.52;10.41,29.52;10.76,29.52;10.88,29.52;11.24,36.08;11.61,29.52;11.73,29.52;12.08,29.52;12.41,29.52;12.63,26.24;12.98,19.68;13.41,39.36;13.82,45.93;14.16,42.65;14.62,59.05;15.22,42.65;15.67,59.05;16.01,68.89;16.27,65.61;16.63,75.45;16.89,108.26;17.18,75.45;17.46,0;18,91.86;18.26,0&graphHeight=200&pixelsPerUnit=100&min=0&max=406.82&start=360.89&totalDistance=22.48)

The white line is the incline (think of it as a side profile) the blue... the sky.

Its for the complete there and back route (so weekends)

To see the map of my route here: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269307

Ah damn... the forums cut the image short. Basically the numbers are mile markers, from mile 0 - mile 11 is the route one way, reverse for the return journey.

Quote from: maximusotterThrow away the damn scale and judge your progress by the way your pants fit. Theyre evil those things. Easy enough to weight 5# less one day due to a big crap and slight dehydration--but you rationalize it and either take the day off or have a Cadburys or something.

Been there, done that. I was at my thinnest when I went to the gym 5X per week as I loved the exercise, and wasnt obsessed with mass. I ended up weighing myself when a workmate commented on how lean I was--Id managed to get down to 162#. :shock: :lol: Id love to be that svelte again...but I wubs me bbq pork as well. :lol: :D

lol :) my pants fit tighter :( Think its because my legs have gotten bigger though, I can pull my trousers down still without undoing them now :D lol... but not past my legs :D

Quote from: M3ta7h3adlol :) my pants fit tighter :( Think its because my legs have gotten bigger though, I can pull my trousers down still without undoing them now :D lol... but not past my legs :D

And you wonder why theyre not asking you out in public to watch a cricket game. :lol:

[M3ta7h3ad at the office] "Hey guys, check this out"

:D :P :lol:

The road route if I wanted to take it over that bastard of a mountain in my way :D lol.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269349

(http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/drawGraph.php?elevDist=0,351.04;0.2,324.8;0.55,357.61;0.85,495.4;1.01,593.83;1.31,748.03;1.48,777.55;1.77,0;2.07,757.87;2.3,692.25;2.56,518.37;2.86,410.1;3.63,232.93;5.42,111.54;5.76,104.98;7.32,49.21;7.51,0;7.63,49.21;8.17,29.52;8.38,36.08;8.98,0;9.08,0;9.18,0;9.78,36.08;9.99,29.52;10.53,49.21;10.65,0;10.84,49.21;12.4,104.98;12.74,111.54;14.52,232.93;15.3,410.1;15.6,518.37;15.86,692.25;16.08,757.87;16.39,0;16.68,777.55;16.85,748.03;17.15,593.83;17.31,495.4;17.61,357.61;17.96,324.8;18.16,351.04&graphHeight=200&pixelsPerUnit=100&min=0&max=777.55&start=351.04&totalDistance=18.16)

The blue at the start above the 0 mark is the incline!!! :D

No doubt its worse than what I consider one of my hard training rides, the route through Radnor Lake:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269366.

:P

Bloody hell... would not like your ride at all!!! :D lol.

And you do that on a single speed?! bloody hell!!! :D

two pints of testies a day keeps the fatness away

Quote from: maximusotterNo doubt its worse than what I consider one of my hard training rides, the route through Radnor Lake:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269366.

:P

all the nut balls on the net can come visit your gaff now  :roll:

Quote from: M3ta7h3adBloody hell... would not like your ride at all!!! :D lol.

And you do that on a single speed?! bloody hell!!! :D

:lol: I got it backwards--indeed, theres no way I could make that climb into the Radnor lake natural area--I usually come from the opposite direction, up Granny White Pike, which is also an insane climb, but only about 85% as ball busting. Read the graph from right to left and its accurate. Bout the same elevation gain as you, 400ft, and much more gradual.

yeah, i do alot of cycling around that area

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269423.
this is on my my lighter runs, takes me about 20 mins

Quote from: Chaostimeyeah, i do alot of cycling around that area

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269423.
this is on my my lighter runs, takes me about 20 mins

They dont let cyclists on the interstate you liar. :P

My run takes around a couple hours because of the climbs, sometimes more in traffic. Im not claiming to be the fastest fellow out there, but Im stubborn. :P

Quote from: maximusotter

Quote from: Chaostimeyeah, i do alot of cycling around that area

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269423.
this is on my my lighter runs, takes me about 20 mins

They dont let cyclists on the interstate you liar. :P

My run takes around a couple hours because of the climbs, sometimes more in traffic. Im not claiming to be the fastest fellow out there, but Im stubborn. :P

naa, on the IS i pick up my bike and i run, strickly its "dangerous" but hell, im so damned respected they just let me do it.

Quote from: maximusotter

Quote from: Chaostimeyeah, i do alot of cycling around that area

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269423.
this is on my my lighter runs, takes me about 20 mins

They dont let cyclists on the interstate you liar. :P

My run takes around a couple hours because of the climbs, sometimes more in traffic. Im not claiming to be the fastest fellow out there, but Im stubborn. :P

Same here the ride home takes about 2 hours or so :) the ride there takes like 50 minutes on a good day :D

That graph of mine makes my normal commute look worse than it really is im sure! :D

I vow to someday to it all on a singlespeed!! :D

Just did a nice long commute back, went into cardiff and sauntered around in the city for a while (needed to run a few errands).

Then popped into tescos on the way home and grabbed a waterbottle holder as I never had one and getting off of the bike to sip some water sucked ass.

Sauntered back and had a nice time :) I was tired, but I made it up the hills easier I think... it knackered me just as much, but I was faster.

On the way into work this morning I nailed it... fast as possible... really fast. I did it in 36 or something minutes. 11 miles... means I averaged a really nice speed at least :) I arrived huffing and puffing and sweaty but was only me and a mate in work today so no biggie, also overtook some club racers (they were on road bikes, wearing the exact same coloured gear and there were like 10 of them :D) on the way along the trail. got a "MORNING!" and a "Ohhhh so thats how you play it!" Then swiftly got over taken tour de france style by the entire pack (peloton??) I was giving it my all but ended up being unable to support my weight (was standing up leaning over the front tire on my barends really really pedalling hard... really hard), I kept them in sight but they just pulled away from me when they all got in the drops and I let em go :D

Was a really fun day! :) to be honest.

Just thought Id update this post.

As you can see ive joined one of the many "health tracking" sites that are out there. Only downside with this one is that I have graphs and logs of sleeping hours and waistsize in inches, that I cant make public because the site doesnt support it.

Page: Http://m3ta7h3ad.traineo.com

In short a quick update, Ive joined a Gym to add some proper cardio work and decent weight training. Ive had to make 2 new holes in my belt.

When I first moved to Cardiff, my belt hole was 46.2inches, now im down to 42.5! :) thats the biggest change at least. I need new trousers!

good going - keep it up!

If you need weights advice be sure to ask.

Thanks for the offer of advice there mark :)

Think its about time for an update.

so yeah... have now progressed thus far...

September 3rd: 46inch waist.
December 9th: 37inch waist.

Weight wise... my arms are crud I hate working them but I do them as part of my circuit. Ive put on 1KG of weight over the last 2 weeks, blamed it on poor diet, but could equally be leg muscle as...

Used to legpress 119kg 3 sets of 10. Last gym session... did 175kg 3 sets of 10 + 3 more reps for a mate to prove I could do it :D lol.

Personally I think I could have done 3 sets of 200kg but for 8 reps, but I thought 175 was a high enough jump from 119 last time.

Think Im instead going to stop doing legs now though, as I dont want to become huge in the legs and unable to wear blimmin smaller trousers. Thats embarrassing... having to buy trousers from big and tall shops. Prefer to just buy cheap jeans from tescos :) and actually fit them! :D

So I have exciting 1hr+ stretches on the cross trainer ahead of me :| in order to replace the weight training. Will continue doing back, arms, and stomach weights though. :)

You shouldnt stop training your legs, but do start using free weights - and do proper squats. They will kill you and you will hate doing them but they are an essential part of training!

You will gain more muscle mass, BUT this also increases your ability to burn calories!

Quote from: M3ta7h3adJust thought Id update this post.

As you can see ive joined one of the many "health tracking" sites that are out there. Only downside with this one is that I have graphs and logs of sleeping hours and waistsize in inches, that I cant make public because the site doesnt support it.

Do you think it helps to make your progress public?

Quote from: Penguin

Quote from: M3ta7h3adJust thought Id update this post.

As you can see ive joined one of the many "health tracking" sites that are out there. Only downside with this one is that I have graphs and logs of sleeping hours and waistsize in inches, that I cant make public because the site doesnt support it.

Do you think it helps to make your progress public?



(Image removed from quote.)

Depends what sort of person you are. If like me you hate losing/failing then having people able to see your progress helps.

Quote from: Penguin

Quote from: M3ta7h3adJust thought Id update this post.

As you can see ive joined one of the many "health tracking" sites that are out there. Only downside with this one is that I have graphs and logs of sleeping hours and waistsize in inches, that I cant make public because the site doesnt support it.

Do you think it helps to make your progress public?



(Image removed from quote.)

lol the progress no... I dont tend to update it now except when I can be arsed. but the aim of it is for me to hit 200lbs from 280 within a year. I think im on my way to it. When I hit that 200lbs you can expect me to be pasting full blown graphs and whatnot on ere.

I dislike failing, but I dont half like praise :D lol. So hence me posting up the linkage :D

Quote from: MarkYou shouldnt stop training your legs, but do start using free weights - and do proper squats. They will kill you and you will hate doing them but they are an essential part of training!

You will gain more muscle mass, BUT this also increases your ability to burn calories!

Dislike squats. Few reasons really.

1.) They just feel stupid :D
2.) Even though I could probably lift the weight one handed, the machine wants to pull the grips out of my hands due to me sweating.
3.) I slipped a disk when I was 18, Ive moved a piano yesterday and instantly got twinges of siatica back, squats... just seem to put my lower back under more stress than leg press stuff alone.

Its the same reason I tend to avoid doing back extensions.

But doing those exercises would increase the strength of your back muscles making you less prone to injury when doing silly things like moving pianos.... :D

You need to do the cobra (http://images.google.com/images?q=yoga%20cobra&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off)! :nana:

Quote from: CeathreamhnanBut doing those exercises would increase the strength of your back muscles making you less prone to injury when doing silly things like moving pianos.... :D

yeah?? pah im a bit of a newbie when it comes to weight training :) I just do stuff that im told to do at the end of the day. As the machines said they worked out the back I just assumed it meant that the back would be put under stress and so I could actually exacerbate an injury.

Go somewhere where there are experienced powerlifters - we are usually quite willing to give advice.

Youll pick up good form in deadlifts and squats after a few reps.

I slipped a disc at 17, and have never looked back since!

Quote from: M3ta7h3ad

Quote from: CeathreamhnanBut doing those exercises would increase the strength of your back muscles making you less prone to injury when doing silly things like moving pianos.... :D

yeah?? pah im a bit of a newbie when it comes to weight training :) I just do stuff that im told to do at the end of the day. As the machines said they worked out the back I just assumed it meant that the back would be put under stress and so I could actually exacerbate an injury.

Depends on the type of injury, if its tendons then it isnt likely to be a long term problem, while a damaged disk is going to be a real bummer, its probably going to always be a weakness unless there is an operation to repair the damage. Its rather like a hernia. If you are at all unsure - ask your doctor ;)

Also always check with a gym instructor if you can before trying something new. They should get full details of your past, if relevant, and give advice on the best training available for you.

I just participated in a nice easy 3 Mile fun run today :)

(http://www.cardiffstudents.com/system/systempages/file/6226/image/fun_run.jpeg)

Jogged the majority of it, completed it inside of 25 minutes :) (23 or 24 minutes... as well we set off at midday, and I looked at my watch after getting my breath back and getting my completed race goodies).

Had to walk for a tiny bit just to get my breath back a little, then drank water, and instantly had stomach cramps, but they were hurting me even when walking so I ended up just jogging through it. :D

Great fun!! :D  Im not the fastest in the world but I had fun doing it :D

RIGHT!!!!

ATTEMPT NUMBER TWO in this thread.

Traineo: http://m3ta7h3ad.traineo.com/ - for graphs and shiznit

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhicks/sets/72157605355747953/

Will upload photos as I go I guess. :) Yes im a fat bastard, but this is shaming me into action.

Will take tips and advice on how to eat and train. My basic structure for this will be the C25K program online. Shouldnt be too hard if it proves to be easy Ill just up it to 10k.

I have no idea what to do when it comes to weight training however so input is welcomed.

Here we go again, lets hope this sticks. :)

Have you tried anything like http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/main/index.do ?  Its actually quite motivating to see if you can increase distances etc each week.  It just needs a suitable phone and I recommend a bluetooth gps unit £20 and youre away.  I have been using it for going on walks.