Follow my progress.... * Updated 30th June *

[Spennyboy]

Hey guys,

Seeing as tam/jd/gunner etc all have their own threads, heres mine!

Started out @ Virgin Gym properly on Tuesday.

20th May 2008: Weighed in at 97kg, Height 5"9.

Fitness levels came back as "dont bother" but determination and will power is at its best, which hopefully will see me through these dark days.

I've had loads of advice from Roach already and read through loads of threads, mags, sites etc.

Heres what my 'personal trainer' had to say with regards to a workout plan, would like anyone comments on the below advice.

Interval training;

Bike/Treadmill/Cross Trainer - 10 minutes on each with the intensity going up every 2 mins.

He said it was one of the better ways to train to loose weight as it keeps the body going rather than keep it at a constant pace.

So 30 mins per day, as often as possible but min 3 a week. (im going to try for 5 a week if work permits as well as additional runs when ever possible out of the gym).

He also put me on some light weights as he wants to abuse the cardio for a month first - i've got to do 3 sets of 12 reps or leg press/chest press etc .

He said after a month a will be put on a '5 day split' which sounds alot more intense and muscle focused.

Tbh - the above sounds like a butlins kids holiday camp, im going to have to work a hell of alot harder to see the sort of improvments im after.

Comments ?

[Roach-Rampino]

There are a lot of different opinions over interval training (high bursts of intensity) to burn fat. A good point to consider is that sprinters train in this manner and you’ve never seen a fat sprinter!

Setting yourself goals and having a timeline on a regime helps no end as otherwise you can become very de-motivated and lose interest. Variation in training is great too for not only does it keep your interest mentally but keeps the body from getting too used to the same exercises and not making the same gains for your efforts.

With regards set/reps, again it's best to mix it up and not get too used to a uniform amount. Remember quality of reps is much more important than speed or quantity. When you are repping, make sure every rep counts, don't rush them and a technique I've had drummed into me is to make your last few reps the best reps. It may sound odd but it makes you focus that much more a the end of the set when you could be losing concentration.

Good luck pal, keep us posted.

[ant3b]

I think it may sound like a butlins holiday camp.. but it will do the trick.. make you work hard and at high intesnity to burn the calories not needed. should work

[Spennyboy]

Another thing,

If im loosing weight... but putting on muscle - effectly i shall only visually be loosing weight wont i - so hopping on the scales wont do me that much good so the number may not change although i am working really hard?

[tam9]

I've just reported this post by accident. I tried to give RR karma and wrote a message knowing that it looked different but carried on anyway, and then I noticed after hittin report post. Sorry about that. Please put it down to karma.

Spenny: It sounds as if you are definately motivated to get where you want to be. Good on you mate. Give it a good bash and see where you end up, probably a lot more healthy than you are right now.

I'm going to take on everything that people suggest (only the good ones as diablos knows I swallow).

Tam

[Roach-Rampino]

Another thing,

If im loosing weight... but putting on muscle - effectly i shall only visually be loosing weight wont i - so hopping on the scales wont do me that much good so the number may not change although i am working really hard?

Well ideally you want to maintain muscle mass (so that's why you need to keep up the weights) but if you are losing weight you will lose some muscle.

The way to counter this as much as possible is to keep a high protein diet (egg whites, tuna, skinless chicken, skinless turkey, soya milk/soy, beans and lentils). Or combine those items into your diet and for some meals have whey powder shakes(unflavoured mixed with water) every 3-4 hours.

[gunner]

Good on you mate. Welcome to the club.

I was under the impression that intensity should remain pretty consistant for fat burning, not increasing?

[Zippeyrude]

Good on you mate. Welcome to the club.

I was under the impression that intensity should remain pretty consistant for fat burning, not increasing?

There are differeing views on this tbh.

One train of thought propose a constant low intensity cardio for fat loss, others recomment HIIT, high intensity.

The golden rule is that everyone is different. The sprinting in bursts until you are on the verge of being sick (HIIT exaggerated) isnt one that i would recomment as i do a 4 day split on weights and 15 minutes of cardio thereafter. Everyone is different.

The main thing to be mindful of is that all this fitness, strength, fat loss takes time. Results are not instant and the most difficult part isnt doing it.. its the will power to carry on on the bad days or bad weeks. We all have weeks where the body acts differently - perhaps a weaker day on the weights or a day where you are gasping on the cardio.. this doesnt really matter as it is the 'average' level of progress that counts.

I used to coach a chap who was very overweight. The first three months saw dramatic weight loss. A couple of weekends of abuse saw over a stone in weight get put back on. Thereafter panic set it. All the routines started going out of the window in the hpe to snatch back lost progress. This simply isnt possible. Its all about discipline, will power and patience.

In any event good luck fella...

[Spennyboy]

Couple more days along... feeling great atm

Having Porridge for breaky (45g with full milk)

Lunch is varying, today was beef/veg soup.

Snacking on various fruits/nuts all day and getting as much water down me neck as possible.

Never ate fish before, but went to sainsburys and bought a fillet of something, tapia or the likes - was only £2 and actually tasted very nice, so now one is over his hate of fish - any recommendations for some tasty meals?

The thing im finding the hardest at the moment is being creative with food - tonight i figured i will have a chicken salad, i really didnt know what to have with the fish tho, ended up having couple of small potoatoes.

Gym is going great, feeling 'fitter' as it is already - i actually look forward to running and seeing if i can beat my previous times - when i first started, it was a blessing to get of the treadmill alive.

All comments welcome

[jackdaniels]

Well done mate, i found the hardest thing was to get going and i went crazy in my first few weeks and pretty much went every day. I'm now in my 3rd month and am only going 3 times a week. I have booked my first personal training session next week to see how i can carry on with my plans as i have hit a bit of a plateau. I lost 1.5 stones in my first 2 months and now its not coming off on the scales but visually i can see im toning up. Good luck with your regime.

[Spennyboy]

Just had grilled chicken fillet, sweetcorn, lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrots all in a bowl.

Didnt look the most filling but fook me, am completely stuffed.

Me likes

[Roach-Rampino]

Nice one Spenny. Keep it up pal.

[Spennyboy]

guys, whats the best thing to eat to curb a raging need for food after a good workout?

atm im getting home and having a bowl of cereal or fruit cocktail etc - i suppose i could be eating alot worse - bare in mind that im getting out of the gym weekedays 9.30pm+

[jackdaniels]

Think you are supposed to have protein to feed the muscles. I have just placed an order for the whey protein stuff recommended in the other thread and a shake of whey is supposed to be good for after your workouts.

[Zippeyrude]

30-50 gms of protein in a post workout protein shake mate, perhaps with some glutamine and creatine if ur hitting the weights regularly

[Roach-Rampino]

How's the training going Spence?

[Spennyboy]

Its going well atm.

Love the gym and the 'burning' feeling during weights. The last week i've noticed im able to lift more at a comfortable pace and really starting to feel tight after a good workout.

Feel i could be doing more cardio than i am, some days im better than others - try to get 10 min of bike/running/x trainier in per session, and more so if i have the desire, finished off with swimming.

Not noticing any change really apart from my arms, bicep/tricep are deffiantely developing - i assume thats down to them being worked out on just about anything you do tho. Im content with this tho and not letting it bother me as im feeling much more healthier and confident in myself atm.

The scales vary from day to day within a 4lb leeway, not sure whats going on there - if its fat being loss, muscle being put on or just complete randomness.

My main gripe and let down is what im eating tho - i still dont feel like im eating 'properly'. I've got many a meal plan and try to stick to it best as poss, but its quite hard sometimes and i find myself opening the cupboards 1000 times trying to find something 'good' to eat.

Breakfast varies in the morning from Porridge/Peanut butter on toast/Cereal.

Lunch is usually a chicken (fresh) sandwhich, some raisens, fruit and usually crips sneak in, but i try to get the walkers 'baked' less fat variety. Alt to this i'll have some Heinze soup. (depends if im at work/home)

Dinner varies alot, me mum does the weight watchers program so im usually tucking into a meal of theirs of some kind, which are advertised as only a few points so shouldnt be to bad.

I break what i eat up, so i'll have breaky at 7ish, little something about 10-11, some lunch around 1.30-2 and then dinner about 5.30-6.

So i think im doing ok, just think could tidy it up a bit with more benfitial bits.

The odd bits of white bread/roll sneak in from time to time - no where near the scale i used to have them tho.

I drink as much water as i can .. other than that.. still going along with it all.

I got some whey protein in, maximuscle promax - its a 450g tub, however have since decided against using it because im not fully sure on the contents of what im eating, i dont want to over load myself with loads of extra protein and what ever else. Advise welcome.

I want to take up some kind of martial art - so im working out when im not working out, if that makes sense. An activity away from the gym that will earn my extra cardio points - looking into that now.

[B B Leo]

well done m8 glad ur still at it. the likes of u are keeping me going also, and by posting the progress help to keep u motavated

[Spennyboy]

1 month into the gym now.

Fitness levels are starting to improve massively and i find myself running for the endurance now, opposed to running to outlast the clock.

I've finished my first program and the guy at the gym is doing me a new one on monday, he mentioned something about a 5 day split, am i right in thinking that means your doing certain parts on certain days - opposed to working out your whole body ?

The best feeling i find in the gym at the moment, is when you lift a higher weight and it actually feels light.

You think to yourself, hold on, i couldnt even move this a couple of weeks ago and now i can push 3 sets of 12 nicely.

Unfortunately i dont feel like im loosing any weight, the scales are still uselss as they go up and down so much.

Roll on month 2.

[jackdaniels]

Mate keep it going! My plan is kinda hitting a rut as i lost loads in the first few months but now its plateaued and i'm staying the same weight. Added playing footy with my mates once a week and i think that really helps as i'm getting a bit bored in the gym.