LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal

[LilacHarryQuinn]

Background

I started this on March 17th 2008 with the aims of eating healthier, being healthier and getting back into some exercise after having about 12 months with little exercise (apart from a half-marathon in the October - for a good few years i've been a fat runner type).

Wednesday 23/07/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)

06:45
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)

12:15
Bagel (no butter) , 1/2 tin tuna (drained/rinsed) mixed with olive oil
Handful of cherry tomatoes

18:10
Vegetable pasta bake (homemade including sauce, 50g wholewheat pasta, sprinkle of cheese)
2 grilled chicken breasts
Small piece of cake

21:40 (post workout)
300g light cottage cheese
1 1/2 tins tuna (drained/rinsed) mixed with olive oil

Snacks
2 apples, 2 small bananas, tangerine, pear

Notes
More calories than normal today although not too many, kids had been baking so had to try their cake.

Workout

Dumbell bent over one-armed row
32kg dumbell
5 , 5 , 5 , 5 , 4 (failed on the last, could have done with bad form but no point to that)

Dumbell upright row
22kg dumbells
5 , 5 , 5 , 5 , 5

Alternating dumbell curl
18kg dumbells
5 , 5 , 5 , 5 , 5
(1st set done with 19.5 due to some bad adding up on my part)
(3rd set done as hammer curls for variety)

Chair Dips
50 , 50 , 50 , 50, 50

8 minute abs workout (as video I posted in another thread)

Notes
I've been doing a 5x5 type of routine for a few weeks now, although over the past 2 weeks i've been mixing this up by altering the reps and sets just as an experiment after reading about "undulating periodicity". Tonight I upped the weight on the rows and dropped the weight on the curls as I haven't been over happy with form using 19.5kg. All 5 sets of each exercise are performed consecutively with a 1 - 1 1/2 minute gap between sets. Could feel the weight increase on the 1st 2 exercises and with a failure on one will keep same weights for next time.

One of the problems of not going to the gym and having to use your own kit is the steps you have to take and also the limits you hit. Tonight I had to go up from 28kg to 32kg on the bent over rows which is a bigger step than I would normally take (i'm trying to do this gradually and am not interested in rushing to get results). Also 32kg is the maximum I have at home so I will need to get more weight or longer bars (I have one I had from years ago that is longer than my York ones so they must exist).