The new improved fitness thread

[Kwacky]

Big chest and arms session yesterday with my PT. He's really good for mixing up the exercises and introducing new moves. He showed me this one small hook arm curl for the chest using a light dumbbell. It looked really silly but it hit hard. My arms tired really quickly.

He's showing me how quickly your body gets into a routine, so you need to break that routine and keep your body working hard.

Then he showed me how to hit all 3 of the triceps muscles and the heads of each muscle.

[Kwacky]

Legs and abs today.

Not sparring or doing boxercise is showing, I need to lose a stone.

[D41]

You & me both. It's getting the motivation to get out there that blows. Once I'm out either cycling or running/limping around the track I'm fine - addicted, even...other than that I'm just plain lazy ATM.

[Stonesie]

Gym PT session today and apparently I am doing way too much exercise to still be fat around the belly, she want's to know everything that I eat, even down to weighing it if possible... Then I was treated to one of the most vigorous workouts yet.

I need some motivation to do exercise at home too but I am naturally lazy until I get doing something.

[Kwacky]

Download the MyFitnessPal app. You can log everything on there. It's got a bar code scanner as well to make your life even easier. Provided you put everything in you'll get a very accurate look at what you're eating whether you're taking in too much fat or not enough protein.

Exercising at home is very tough. There's little motivation for it. A good app to try is You Are Your Own Gym. It's body weigh exercises so you need no equipment. It's got workouts or you can pick an area of the body and it'll give you exercises for that group of muscles.

[D6Nutz]

Oh, I'm going to check out that "you are your own gym" app. I really need to get my upper body back in shape.

[Stonesie]

Thanks Kwacky, I've downloaded the MyFitnessPal app, might try the other one when I have recovered a bit from today

[Kwacky]

Oh, I'm going to check out that "you are your own gym" app. I really need to get my upper body back in shape.

There's a video pack abs a book. Plus some YouTube videos.

[D6Nutz]

Oh, I'm going to check out that "you are your own gym" app. I really need to get my upper body back in shape.

There's a video pack abs a book. Plus some YouTube videos.

I've downloaded the video pack already, will have a look on the train tomorrow.

5 mile recovery run tonight, was just nice to be running again. Not too much grief from the ankle, resting again now before an epically tough trail run on Sunday.

[Kwacky]

Leg day before taekwondo isn't wise

[Itchy]

Leg day before taekwondo isn't wise

[Itchy]

First day back at work today.

So first day back at the gym as well, despite me telling myself I'd start even before the new year!

Alarm goes off at 0550, I very nearly shit myself at the alien sound of which I have not heard for a fortnight. I almost turn it off in disgust, but something propels me to get up, sit on the bed trying to wake up and rub my eyes for 5 minutes before waddling downstairs, trying to pretend my knee isn't hurting because I know I'm starting the day, the year in fact, with squats.

I'm doing the Starting Strength program again. I had fairly decent results last time I used it, just need to fine tune as I go along and commit more.

Also found that because I've started at the very beginning of the program, there are less sets to do, so i was finished a lot earlier than expected. With work not open yet, and with my annual fitness test due this month I made a crazy decision to get on the treadmill and run.

So on I get and proceed to run. My Knee was still niggling a bit but **** it, I have to do some cardio if I'm going to pass the fitness test. So on I run until I'm breathing harder, my pulse has gone up to 125 bpm and I'm sweating on the forehead.
I've had enough, I need to take a break. I step astride the treadmill and see how long I've been going for.















Three f**king minutes.









Ran for another minute or so and walked the rest up until 10 minutes. Slow and steady might win the race but that's taking the piss.





An added incentive to get up and go was a couple of Christmas presents.
I got a Fitbit so that's been telling me all festive period how slovenly I've been, with an average daily step count of around 4000 steps.
With today's walk to the gym/work, my little cardio session and a normal day of teaching, as I sit here now I've done over 17000.

I've walked over 8 miles. Add that to my squats and deadlifts today, and I've suddenly figured out why my legs are aching. I feel like Neo in the matrix, when his eyes hurt because he's never used them before!

I also got some Beast Grips. They're silicone moulds that fit around a regular gym bar, and make it very thick and hard to hold onto. Designed to improve grip strength, and I can see why.
Case in point; I can deadlift 150kg on a normal barbell for one rep. Two if I'm lucky.
I tried it with the Beast Grips today and struggled to pick up 60kg. Lifting the weight isn't the problem, it's holding onto it. Felt weird but good. I'll incorporate it into other exercises and see how I get on.

[Cav]

This had me chuckling to myself, Itchy!

I'm exactly the same on the treadmill, "I reckon I've ran 5km by now...". Nope, just 500m.

Those grips are supposed to be good but yes, certain exercises and going to be better than others - maybe start by using them on push exercises and progress to the beastly sh!t later?

[Kwacky]

Since I damaged my right hand I've not been able to spar or do any boxing/pad work, so my cardio has dropped right off.

After I finished legs I decided to do some HITT on the cycle machine. The plan was to do 6 sets. I managed 3.

[Cav]

That's when you know you're doing it right, Kwacky; when you can't attain your target! Good work!!

[Kwacky]

Chest and arms. My right arm almost failed on decline press. As I took the bar my arm went really weak. Once I had unracked the bar I was ok. Maybe I over extended the arm racking and unracking the bar?

I took it easy after that.

[Itchy]

This had me chuckling to myself, Itchy!

I'm exactly the same on the treadmill, "I reckon I've ran 5km by now...". Nope, just 500m.

Those grips are supposed to be good but yes, certain exercises and going to be better than others - maybe start by using them on push exercises and progress to the beastly sh!t later?

I'll try benching with them tomorrow.
Today was just a supplement day to bring up my weaker areas, traps and calves. Okay, just calves but big traps are cool so I might as well, right?

But as I'm easing my way back into exercise I was using lighter weights, which meant I could use the Beast Grips whilst shrugging.
Easing my traps and calves back into things, and smashing the crap out of my grip and forearms. Went okay, felt good.

Squats, bench and deadlift again tomorrow, looking forward to it.

[Stonesie]

Another pt session today and im fecked. Really need to start learning what all these exercises are called...

[Cav]

Welcome to Cav's beginner's guide to the Gym !!!

Anything that's pushing is usually called a press.

Anything that's pulling is usually called a pull or row.

The weights you hold in each hand are called dumbells

The bar with the weights on each end is called a barbell

A rep is one complete motion of an exercise

A set is made of X-number of reps

[Cav]

Put all of the above together and you get, for example, a barbell chest press with 5 sets of 5 reps