Two posts within a month. That's solid going.

I'm managing to do something every single day. Keeping a vaguely regular schedule of......

Monday - Dips/Push ups/calisthenics ( jump rope, light kettlebell, stair jumps )
Tuesday - Punching bag/sledgehammer swings ( tuesday is a good day as this is noisy pursuit and it pisses the girl off to no end but she is in the office all day that day )
Wednesday - Heavy Kettlebells
Thursday - Chins ( either heavy weighted low reps or high reps with bodyweight ) a few curls too.
Friday - calisthenics/Legs ( weighted lunges usually depending on DOMS from Wednesday )
Saturday - catch up on whatever day I may have missed during the week or maybe a repeat
Sunday - Hill walk with the girl

At least three decent stretching sessions a week. Absolutely NO excuses with the working from home I'm doing at the moment.

My heavy "kettlebell" is actually a couple of 20kg plates with a metal handle through them. I'm Scottish, I don't like paying for expensive things. My light kettlebell is a 12kg kettlebell......which I got for free from a mate at a gym.

Less takeaways during the week which is good ( and even so I generally stuck to "good" takeaways like Sushi and Kebabs ) Loads of chicken and protein shakes.

Still a weakness for delicious home brew.

The quest continues but the some of the numbers are good.

Easy week it was

Monday (am) - recovery run but knees too sore so called it quits. 3.3k @ 5.45min/km
Tuesday (am) - pilates
Weds (am) - base 40mins round the CBD - 8.1km @ 4.58min/km
Friday (pm) - short trail blast 10km (250m elevation) @ 5.13min/km (grade adjusted 4.47min/km)
Sat (am) - walk w wife 4.7km
sun (pm) - 18holes of golf

Well, it's not been a great week.

I have a training plan that involves the bare minimum to get to the start line - c. 12hrs per week.

This week I managed about 3.5 hours. If I wanted to be generous and count the trainer as 2x being on the road (which I think is fair), we get to about 5 hours.

In short, I'm fcked

Monday - 30mins on the trainer Thursday - run club intervals, 12 x 75s @ 3:49/km pace Saturday - brick: 50 mins trainer into 4km run at 4:34/km Sunday - 40mins on the trainer

10 weeks to go

We must be due a menu-dump from a Rancid Cheat Day soon? Fucking well overdue.

Update. Hired a mate who is an online coach who I like his training philosophy. He's an ex international footy player and his wife's an ex international in another sport but has done the training under all the guys I like, knees over toes, Kelly starett etc.

Got dexa today i decided to reset the goal as it would be even more unhealthy than bodybuilding already is to try and get to single figure body fat % by the start of August. Would probably need to lose 1-1.2kg a week and hope that 70% is far loss. Otherwise I would be in average stage shape.

Reset the goal to under 100kg (115 ATM) this year, improve my movement patterns/touch my toes/improve aches and pains and body recomp. With the aim to benefit my basketball and life in general. Will allow for a slower cut and hopefully more muscle maintained.

I don't want to commit to a comp later in the year as have baby #2 in sept so consistently to train hard will go out the window with sleep deprivation.

Watch this space round 2.

@allblackfan2 said in Peleton:

Looking to buy a stationary bike and wondering if any recommendations re make, models, basic requirements etc from Ferners who know about these things?

do you have a bike at all?
do you want to do programmes / virtual riding i.e. hook up to a computer?
budget?
will more than one person be using it?

I'd recommend at least a 'smart trainer' - programme controls the trainer e..g if you're riding a road course when it goes up a hill it makes it harder or in erg mode when doing a programme it controls the power you have to put in.

riding on a 'dumb' stationary trainer will drive you insane very quickly.
most basic option if you have a bike is a 'wheel on' smart trainer
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/sports/cycling/bike-accessories/indoor-trainers/listing/5053097050
$250 plus bike plus monthly sub for whatever platform you use.

from there you step up to a 'wheel off' direct drive trainer - more expensive but very quiet and a much nicer feel.
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/sports/cycling/bike-accessories/indoor-trainers/listing/5047331987

if you don't have a bike and you want a stationery smart bike - they're up there in cost.

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I'd always struggle to buy one of those full bike setups as you can buy a bloody good 2nd hand bike plus trainer for less - then you've got a bike to use outside if you ever want to.

but if you're say a couple then they're got as easily adjustable
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/sports/cycling/bike-accessories/indoor-trainers/listing/5048966927

have a yarn to the dude who runs that site - they hire stuff as well - always a good option in case it doesn't 'take'!

Completed the Selwyn Marathon today, my 41st marathon, in 3 hours 39 mins. Nothing amazing about my time and the course is quite a dreary one doing 2 laps around farmland in Lincoln, but it's still a marathon, and beats the usual training session on a Sunday haha.

Next stop, Helsingborg, Sweden. Will be at the end of my 7 week European holiday, so my time there won't be pretty, but it's always exciting doing an overseas marathon so I'm not complaining.

@Duluth said in Hubris:

@MN5 said in Hubris:

Thank goodness I have a garage gym

Just being nosey.. what's your setup? A rack, bench and free weights?

Chin up bar, dip bench ( two wooden benches side by side ), punching bag, weights ( to add to chins/dips )…..barbell…..very basic but it does the job.

I had a bench to bench press but that broke years ago, never replaced it as dips are easier on my shoulders and in my opinion more effective

so just had the scan, confirmed that it is an 'indirect' or inguinal hernia, at moment is just fatty tissue coming through, so I think that is good...now wait for the Dr to send surgery recommendation through

Monday Weigh in.
Weight 88.4kg (400 gram gain)
Bodyfat 27%

Running
Got 4 runs in this week including one on the local hill. Weather was shit so happy that I still got out as its a total pain having to constantly dry the wet weather gear. Even managed another 25 minute 5k right on the nose. So that's progress

Weights
Picked up my missed session and did my normal 4 Current Lifts are Squat 90kg but this is right on my limit now so sets of 2, BP 60kg surprised I got through this, OHP 37.5kg dropped down to single lifts and 10 sets. Deadlift 100Kg the only one I am still going strong on. May add one more exercise to my routine. Want to get good at pull ups so will target that area.

Eating
Eating wasn't actually bad this week didn't get my 80% target but managed 4 out of 7 days. A lot of nervous snacking during the rugby and had one dinner out where I was probably not as strict as I could be. Some bad choices though around options too much bread which is a bit of a gateway drug for me. The truth is in the results though and to put on 400 grams needs to be a kick up the arse.

Mental
Been up and down this week, surprisingly not as gutted about the rugby result as I thought I would be. Over the years have come to expect that the game is taken out of the players hands with TMO and you can't blame them they are not in control of that. Its not like someone has lost their shit and punched someone. They just get it wrong sometimes.

A familiar pattern is starting to form though and I need to get on top of things again this week. May add a mid week update to try and keep me honest.

Just a quick update (after the last one I spent about 6 months off with calf strain, then cuts on my foot that needed to heal)-have done regular zone 2 most of this year, about 2-3 hours a week, although lately at 5-8 hours. Doing hill sprints 1-2 times a week now.
I just did a speed test yesterday of my old 150 steps circuit, 12 repeats in 21:26 which is faster than ever (used to be around 24 minutes)....I can really see the benefis of the slow zone 2 (try to be 105-115HB) combined with zone 4-5 (try to be above 155 to 173 near max). Sometimes I add in recovery to 120HB...like last week I did the 150 step place, max speed for 3 (about 5 minutes) with ~2 minutes rest to get HB to 120, 4-5 sets. Other times I do 1 max speed sprint, then rest, or just go all out for 20-25 minutes, and week by week trying to increase that up to 30 minutes. I also do some sprints at gym.

unfortunately I have had to stop upper body stuff for almost 2 years due to 5-10% tear in shoulder tendon from painting or swimming. I had hoped it would be better. I will need to find time to get an op on it I think, currently trying various online exercises, sporadically.

would love any ideas on healing a tendon by any means except op....!

this workout shows my 5 minutes full speed, 2 minutes rest
60792 - Copy.jpg

Seems like everyone refers to these exercises in different ways. First time I hear the name Hindu pushups and Hindu squats and I've been doing these for years.

@aucklandwarlord awesome mate

@Paekakboyz if you are looking for a big change, my company has some vacancies in Wellington 🙂

@JK said in Fatbusting: Kirwan's log:

Sorry to hear re the ongoing issues but great to hear you are back at it mate!

It does indeed suck to get old! Injuries and issues flare up so easily! And recovery takes ages!

Well some of it was self inflicted. Me and my other brother re-created an old photo we had with our sons on our shoulders. My son is now at least six foot and pretty solid build. I pretended to smile in the photo, got him off and had pins and needles down my arms, so did something to my neck. Sigh.

Our wives were super impressed. Good photo though.

@SBW1

@Crucial said in Online Fitness Tips:

Seems to be a few posts popping up (maybe a mod would combine) but here is a shameless plug for one that dishes out a lot of practical training advice in very short snippets and happens to be my offspring.

https://www.facebook.com/performancewithjack

Obviously these are done as promos for his programme work but give an idea on his overall approach.

Nice deadlift form there !

@SBW1 This guy is one of my favourites, I like the way there are a variety of movement patterns. It makes training interesting and you are improving your skill level, this really appeals to me, plus it is fun.

@MajorRage get in bro
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-an-event/push-up-challenge

@Crucial ...there may be some truth in that