The truth!

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Fecking Rotator Cuff too, has really been hampering my training the last few weeks, every time it starts to get better I feck it up again.
Hopefully if I keep up with the rehab it'll heal up, and I won't injure it again in the next few weeks...

joker77

What kind of rehab are you doing on it? The ones the physio gave me are with elastic band type yokes, basically just working the rotator cuff with resistance either going away or toward the body if you know what I mean. You hold a towel in your armpit, and keep the angle at the elbow the same so the tricep / biceps aren't involved at all.

joker77

Morning

Cycle into work 20 mins


Evening

Cycle home from work 20 mins

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Yup I'm doing the same, when I go to the gym I usually do some Cuban pressing, and some bent over flys. Very light weights and high reps. Or if I'm doing the flys I try to do the reps slower.

joker77

Morning

Cycle into work 20 mins



Lunchtime - Gym - Cardio

Skipping, punch-bags, circuit, 1 hour total



Evening

Cycle home from work 20 mins

joker77

Morning

Cycle into work 20 mins



Lunchtime - Gym - Cardio

Swimming, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, 1 hour total



Evening

Cycle home from work 20 mins

joker77

Have been very very lax with the fitness over the last couple of months. I was away in Thailand for 3 weeks from mid January, have been back on the smokes since then, so it's time to get back into the training.

Had a bad cold last week, which put it back a week, am only getting over it now.

This week my aim is to cycle at least 4 days, hopefully 5. I want to hit the gym 3 times. I'm cutting down the fags to 2 a day for a couple of days, then 1 a day, then try knocking it on the head again.


Morning

Cycle into work 20 mins


Evening

Cycle home from work 20 mins

joker77

Cycled Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Today this week. Good start to build from. Will be trying to lengthen the cycle next week, and also get back in the gym, at least a couple of times.

joker77

Have gotten back into the training - last week I cycled 4 days in and out to work, 2 of them being long cycles. It was 3 days / 1 long cycle the previous 2 weeks.

Was in the gym 5 lunchtimes last week - 2 weights days, 2 boxing / skipping / circuits, the other a light day. Was 3 -4 days the previous 2 weeks.

Feeling good now about getting back into it. I'm focusing less on taking notes on what I'm doing when I'm in the gym, I'm not recording sessions but more keeping a mental note of what I'm doing / to do. I'm finding this good at the moment, I'm just pushing myself slowly but surely more and more each time I'm there.

The weights days are either Monday or Tuesday, and then Friday. Squats, Press, Deadlift, then some arms. I wanted to focus less on the weights for a little while and get the cardio back up. I think another couple of weeks and then I'll probably go back to Mon / Wed / Fri weights days, and back to the Starting Strength routine.

joker77

Haven't posted in a while again, worth giving a little update.

Training is going ok-ish, cycling most days in and out of work. Gym maybe 3 lunchtimes a week.

Finding it hard to get motivated at the moment, I've nothing to train towards / aim for.

Going on a 3 day stag this weekend, so next week's training will be affected by that. I'm hoping that's the end of the 2-3 day sessions then for a couple of months till the next wedding, so will be trying to put my head down and focus on the training again.

joker77

In work today, reading back over this and I can't believe it's been a year really since I regularly kept this training log. Over the past few months the fitness on a lot of levels has gone down. The only thing that's gone up has been the cycling - which is good, I did 150kms in a week there a couple of weeks ago - that was a 65km long spin, 2 x 25kms and a 35km. I haven't been doing any weights really to speak of the last while. I've had a busted hand the last few weeks, it's been very slow to heal but hopefully isn't too far away from being fully healed. I found that when I was taking the training log seriously it was good to have there to track progress and also motivate me to keep sticking at the training, so I've decided to start working on it again. I was contemplating whether to abandon this log thread completely and start afresh, but no I think I'll keep it all in the one place. It would be nice to see this time next year that I've put in a solid year of training - that's the aim going into the New Year.

Along with my long list of New Year's resolutions, right up the top is to start taking the training seriously again. For this I need to first of all sort out what I'm eating - that has really gone to sh*t the past few months. When I was training seriously I was bringing my own lunches into work, so my day consisted of a shake before getting on the bike to work - protein, oats, linseeds, honey, wheatgerm and water, then a tuperware container - half around 11 before gym, protein shake after gym and the 2nd half of lunch around 3, dinner around 6.30, then something small later. Now it's usually a bowl of cereal, into work, lunch, home, dinner, then sh*te snacks later on. So, this is the first area that needs work. Preparation is key - I actually enjoy cooking so I'll have to start making my curries / chillies / broths again. For this I've to buy a large pot (or 2) over the weekend, make sure I have containers to store it in, and a large meat shop in the butchers and veg shop in the supermarket. I've just put several reminders in my phone for the various bits and bobs to be done over the weekend to get prepared for next week. The only really annoying thing here is that we've a fairly small fridge - we're in a rented house so don't have the option of having our own one. It only has an ice box for a freezer, which as I say is a little annoying not being able to do a load of cooking at once and freeze it, but it should be nothing more than an annoyance.

Next on the list is to take some measurements on New Year's day (again reminder in phone), so that I can see where I'm at. I'm expecting an extra inch or 2 around the middle section, I've kept the weight ticking over with the cycling - I've probably lost a small bit of muscle from not doing the weights and gained a little fat from eating and drinking, but not too much of either so I should be happy enough that I'm not starting from a worse off point.

Ok, now the training. I'm going to think about how I'm going to schedule this over the next few days. First off I need to come up with a series of goals, and work on how to go about achieving them. I already have 1 big one that's been in my mind since I start getting more into the cycling - that's the Wicklow 200 in June. I've only been on a dozen rides longer than 30kms so far - the longest being 65, but from talking to people and reading I think it's definitely achievable with 6 months preparation to be able to finish the Wicklow 200 in June. So that's goal number 1. The 2nd will have to be around the weights, I'll go back over the log, see where my various lifts were at, and plan out where I want to be in 6 months time as well. I can review it then.

So for this, the week will look something like - long spin at the weekend (Saturday), rest Sunday, commute into work Monday, gym Monday lunchtime, training spin Monday evening, commute Tuesday, gym Tues lunch, off site Wednesday and Thursday and need to drive, training spin Wed, rest Thurs, commute Friday, gym Friday.

Looking at that now it's not really splitting up the way I'd like it to, so I'll have a think about what I can do to change it. The drives on the Wednesday and Thursday are because the offsite place is about 20kms away, so another reminder in my phone to have a chat with them and see if I can use shower facilities in the morning. Might be awkward as I would have to carry clothes, towel, bike gear for way home and laptop - but I can look into getting a pannier for the bike if they have a shower I can use. This would help with the bike training.

With the increase in distance I'll be looking at for the bike, and the fact that I've been doing very little weights for a while - I'll have to start off slowing on the weights I think. I don't want DOMS to be holding back my training too much - obviously I'm going to get some DOMS when I start back on the squats, just need to try manage it with the rest of the training.

So, that's where I'm at now. I'll be updating the log again over the next couple of days, once I start planning out the training a little bit more and seeing where I can best use the time I have.

joker77

Goals

Cycling

To compete and finish the Wicklow 200 in June. (Have just submitted my online entry!)


Weights

These are work rep targets for end of April:
Squat - 100 x 4
Deadlift - 120 x 4
Chins - x10
Press - 30x10
Power Clean - 60x5

joker77

Measurement Day 1 - 2010-01-03

Waist: 96cms

Body weight: 85.7Kgs

Nothing too drastic here - my weight doesn't fluctuate a whole lot, but I've got a bit of a belly which I want to get rid of over the next few months.


Cycle

35Kms
1.20 hrs

Didn't want to go too hard at it seeing as I've done feck all over the Christmas, and don't want to be wrecked for the week ahead. Plan is to cycle in and out of work tomorrow and go to the gym at lunchtime.

joker77

Training

Went to the gym and did a light session to ease back into it - low weights on Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Curls.

Didn't cycle in this morning, roads were still too bad.

Yesterday I made my lunches for the week though so happy with that - tucking into some beef + veg chilli with brown rice now. Have enough in the fridge to last a few days, and some frozen too.

4th Day off the smokes as well today, has been very very easy so far. The test will come during the week in work, just have to break a couple of habits. I'm off the drink for Jan/Feb, so the temptation of having one with a pint is not going to come until March hopefully, by which stage I should have 2 months of no smoking behind me.

Edit:
Hand was fine on a 60Kg Deadlift, so that's good. Right knee is giving me a bit of trouble though, feels kind of stiff - really felt it on the Squat. Will see how it goes the next short while and prob book in with the physio then

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 14.5kms, 40mins

Gym - light cardio 40mins - skipping / punchbag

Cycle home - 15kms, 40mins

A little bit stiff after the gym yesterday, slight DOMS in the quads and lower back from the Squats / Deadlifts. Cycle in this morning was extended because I got nearly half way in and realised I'd forgotten my lunchbox - D'Oh! Could have kept going and just ate out of the supermarket, but seeing I went to the trouble to cook it I turned around and went home to get it. Not too happy though when, after going back to get it and starting out again, I got the first puncture of the year.

joker77

Rest day - DOMS!

Even though I took it easy on Monday in the gym, the combination of even light Squats + Deadlifts and the cycling have left DOMS in the quads. Will probably rest again tomorrow then do some gym work on Friday, commute in and out to work (weather permitting) and go for a long spin at the weekend.

joker77

Measurement Day 2 - 2010-01-09

Waist: 96cms

Body weight: 84.7Kgs

Have not been able to get out on the bike after Tuesday this week - weather is just too bad. The waist hasn't moved, haven't been able to train really so wouldn't expect much movement there. I've lost a kilo in weight, I'd kind of believe that because there's been no drink, no junk food and have been trying to eat clean all week.

Looking out the window this morning - it's snowing again and the estate is covered. Does gym which is 4 miles away count as an essential journey in this weather? I don't think it does!

Edit:

Gym

Squat - work sets of 60Kgs
Press - work sets of 25Kgs
Power Clean - 40Kgs
Close Grip Bench - 40Kgs

Was getting cabin fever from being in the last 3 days, needed to head to the butchers to stock up on meat so decided feck it and went to the gym. Legs going to be sore tomorrow - will be a couple of weeks of DOMS after squats before I build them back up again.

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 21mins

Gym
Squat - 60Kg work set
Bench - 40Kg work set
Deadlift - 80Kg work set

Cycle home - 24kms, 62mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym - light cardio 40mins - skipping / punchbag

Cycle home - 7.5kms, 20mins

joker77

Training

Gym
Squat - 65Kgs
Press - 25Kgs
Power Clean - 40Kgs
Close Grip Bench - 40Kgs

Cycle- 37km, 92 minutes

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym
Squat - 70Kg work set
Bench - 45Kg work set
Deadlift - 90Kg work set
Curls

Cycle home - 10kms, 30mins [/B]

joker77

Measurement Day 3 - 2010-01-16

Waist: 95cms

Body weight: 85.4Kgs

Weight has gone back up, slightly surprised but I suppose doing weight training I tend to eat more. Waist is still coming down so that's good though


Cycle

64Kms
2.48 hrs

joker77

Training

Gym
Squat - 70Kgs
Press - 30Kgs
Power Clean - 45Kgs
DB Curls

Have the bikes in the boot of the car to bring for a service after work, so not cycling today. I'm definitely feeling the benefits of so far this year not drinking, not smoking, not eating any junk food / takeaways, getting more sleep and getting back training! Starting to feel a little stronger as well, am 2 weeks into my initial 8 week plan at this stage.
The 8 week plan was to start on New Years day and not drink for the 8 weeks, and to get back training. The big other thing was to knock the smokes on the head - all going well here so far, 18 days off them now. Knew it wouldn't be too hard, the pinch will only come when I have a pint in my hand, but by that stage I'll be off them 8 weeks so here's hoping it's not too bad.

The drink and the smokes have been fairly easy I have to admit, the hard thing for me is the food. I'm finding it hard not to pig out and get a take-away...

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym - cardio 50mins - skipping / punchbag

Cycle home - 10kms, 30mins

joker77

Cycle

40Kms
1.37 hrs

Bray via Ballychorus road

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym
Squat - 75Kg
Bench - 45Kg
Deadlift - 100Kg
Dips - x3
CG Bench - 40Kg

Cycle home - 10kms, 30mins [/b]

joker77

Measurement Day 4 - 2010-01-23

Waist: 93.5cms

Body weight: 84.5Kgs


Cycle

71Kms
2.57 hrs

Blessington via Firhouse

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym
Squat - 80Kgs
Press - 30Kgs
Power Clean - 50Kgs
Chins - x4
Curls - 7.5kg / 10kg
Ab crunches

Cycle home - 10kms, 30mins [/B]

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym - cardio 50mins - skipping / punchbag

Cycle home - 10kms, 30mins

joker77

Training

Cycle in - 7.5kms, 20mins

Gym
Squat - 80Kg
Bench - 50Kg
Deadlift - 100Kg
Dips - x3
Lateral Raises
Ab crunches

Cycle home - 10kms, 30mins