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I’m relaxing this seasonal period both with diet and fitness.
I was at round 86-87kg, so around 13.5 stones at 26% body fat.
I can’t say I’m please I didn’t get less than that with body fat, but I’ll be changing up my routine in the new year to make it more achievable.
Diet was 16/8 rule (more like 21/3)
Woke up at 6am, no food until after 6pm, but then stopped eating after 9pm to ensure I wasn’t scoffing directly before bed. Trouble was I ate anything...... going to carry this through the new year but mainly eat high proteins and avoid sugar like the plague!
Strength was down, but to be expected, but started to make better shape with higher reps lighter weights, along with super setting, drop settings, and minimal rest periods.
In the New Year I’m going to to do more all body work outs x 3 day, and the other days more intense cardio as I’ve mixing both and fatiguing.... ie 10k run to then do weights straight after wasn’t helping or vice versa....
Rob, I've been reading this thread a lot, and with absolutely no offence meant to yourself, I think you over-complicate things far more than they need to be. What exactly is your end goal mate? Do you aim to achieve a specific physique? Finish a certain race / event? Etc etc? You never seem to be 100% happy and always seem to be chasing numbers and figures.
Rob, I've been reading this thread a lot, and with absolutely no offence meant to yourself, I think you over-complicate things far more than they need to be. What exactly is your end goal mate? Do you aim to achieve a specific physique? Finish a certain race / event? Etc etc? You never seem to be 100% happy and always seem to be chasing numbers and figures.
Your probably right, I’ve always been relatively active but stopped playing football due to injuries, and I’ve never been a fan of boring cardio but I do like a challenge such as tough mudder.
I was happy at 13 stone with sub 20% body fat just because I felt good in myself, I looked better that I ever have, and clothes fit me like they should. So this is my ultimate aim.... and I believe it is.
However I don’t train hard enough and I eat too much! - or at least I did.
I’ll find a pic of when I think I was in my prime...
So you have just answered my question really Rob, and probably cancelled out a lot of those numbers, percentages etc - "I don't train hard enough and I eat too much". So clearly you know where the issue is. You know how to get down to where you feel happy I.e 20% body fat because you've been there, and from reading your previous posts, ultimately you know exactly how to do it but more importantly, why your struggling to do it (I guess they come hand in hand really).
So you have just answered my question really Rob, and probably cancelled out a lot of those numbers, percentages etc - "I don't train hard enough and I eat too much". So clearly you know where the issue is. You know how to get down to where you feel happy I.e 20% body fat because you've been there, and from reading your previous posts, ultimately you know exactly how to do it but more importantly, why your struggling to do it (I guess they come hand in hand really).
Oh yeah I know all that pal, I’m just sharing my experiences as I know I won’t be on my own...
My eating habits over the last 3+ months have been lots better, and eating much better foods, but it still needs polishing up with a better macro which I will in Jan... thing is I like all foods, so it’s actually not that hard for me. As for Cardio, I’ll report back in 6 months as I’ve just got a Spaniel which will get me out much more in the dales!
So I just want to share my experiences with like minded folk who are either into their fitness or looking to get into it. I’ve always liked my Cardiovascular workouts, and genuinely used to absolutely detest going to the gym and hitting the weights. Back in April of last year, I decided to join a gym. I’m going to America for a few weeks this October, so I wanted to build some muscle, gain some definition but also wanted to increase my strength levels. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a ‘before’ picture, however, I used to have barely any definition, a good set of love handles and some small moobs . Now, I’m certainly no Arnie, but the main thing is that I’m seeing results and, more importantly, I’m enjoying it. For anyone who is struggling to get the motivation to get out for a run, go down the gym etc (and trust me, I know how hard it can be, especially with the grotty weather at the mo!), all I can say is ‘Music’. I personally cannot train without music, it gets me pumped and motivates me. I recommend buying a cheap IPod etc and getting your favourite tunes on it........NOT your phone.
I’m starting to work on my trunk and abs as I have neglected these from the off (stupidly). I’ve also recently started doing exercises using my own body weight, and callisthenics. I’ll be posting a photo every month, along with what exercises I’ve done, reps, diet etc.
I had some pictures on my previous phone, that I thought I had backed up on OneDrive - Obviously not
Keep up the good work, you look to be taking good shape
Robert
Cheers Rob . If somebody can take one piece of advice away that will help them, I'll be happy with that! I think the hardest part was the first couple of months. You train hard but you don't see any results, but that's where the mind games start to come into it. I found that not looking in a mirror helped a lot. After 2 months, I didn't look in a body mirror for weeks and weeks, that way my mind wouldn't trick me into thinking that nothing is happening and just giving up. It was only after another 3 months that I took the plunge and had a look.....and saw results, which then pushed me to train harder. I also didn't get onto any scales for a long time. I knew what to do and how to lose weight, so again, I didn't get onto the scales for about 3 months. Best thing I could have done!
In the pictures above, no none. However they were taken back in July of last year.
Since around October I changed my regime, I am now adding a reasonable amount of cardio, and lately I have changed to alternate day of all body workout with weights, then the following day cardio only... try and hit the gym 6 times a week.
Cardio currently consists of something like 40 minutes rowing and 40 minutes treadmill... When the weather picks up I'll get back on the road and maybe in the dales behind me.
All body work out isn't complicated and I'm quite random but stick to the main muscle groups, hit 3 set of 10 reps whilst trying to keep as little rest as possible in between.
I'll see how this goes for a few month and then mix it up again
So I just want to share my experiences with like minded folk who are either into their fitness or looking to get into it. I’ve always liked my Cardiovascular workouts, and genuinely used to absolutely detest going to the gym and hitting the weights. Back in April of last year, I decided to join a gym. I’m going to America for a few weeks this October, so I wanted to build some muscle, gain some definition but also wanted to increase my strength levels. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a ‘before’ picture, however, I used to have barely any definition, a good set of love handles and some small moobs . Now, I’m certainly no Arnie, but the main thing is that I’m seeing results and, more importantly, I’m enjoying it. For anyone who is struggling to get the motivation to get out for a run, go down the gym etc (and trust me, I know how hard it can be, especially with the grotty weather at the mo!), all I can say is ‘Music’. I personally cannot train without music, it gets me pumped and motivates me. I recommend buying a cheap IPod etc and getting your favourite tunes on it........NOT your phone.
I’m starting to work on my trunk and abs as I have neglected these from the off (stupidly). I’ve also recently started doing exercises using my own body weight, and callisthenics. I’ll be posting a photo every month, along with what exercises I’ve done, reps, diet etc.
Cheers mate! I'm 35 in a few weeks. I find as I get older, motivation gets ever harder lol!!!
Doing really well keep it up
I’m finding I was over eating just for the sake of it until my freind rob said why you eating when you not hungry.at TOTB this year
and my kids are my motivation I’ve just hit bang in 14stone and still ripping thinking of getting some peptides to tighten the skin up as I was 28stones fat 9years ago still debating it yet though
Only eat when you need to eat, not when you want to eat.... not that I practice what I preach
Hahaaa 6mths older than me rob you old gitt
That exact method of cleaning up of what U eat lost me 3.5 stone clean in 3months and still dropping
Now I have much more flexibility my power levels have not dropped feeling good should be even leaner and ripped come show and shine time
I have noticed the Christmas period has killed my fitness, I wear a Fitbit blaze for the gym and use my heart rate for fitness. I have had four weeks of doing nothing and drinking and eating more so my resting heart rate has risen
Say 15th December I had a resting heart rate of 47 bpm now I’m at 53 bpm and I expect that to rise to 55bpm soon. I think my active job makes a massive difference as I’m still doing at least 3 days a week at the gym.
Finally it seems I’ve got the diet under control, the weight is coming down but not as quickly as I’d like, slowly but surely though.
Peak was 90kgs during the Xmas period and I’m now down to roughly 86.5kgs.
Cycling all the time sticking to a structured programme, 7/8 weeks into it, test week every 5 weeks and iirc the power is up 6w. Plan is to keep plodding on, increase power & fitness whilst losing weight and hopefully get back to where I was before.
From: Api 500+bhp MD321T @91dB Probably SN's longest owner of an Impreza Turbo
My cycling has been pretty good this winter, with a 10week structured training block, then racing within Zwift, I also added multi hour endurance zwift rides to build stamina. I had a new FTP in December whilst training, but was never quite able to match it during racing, until last night where I smashed my racing FTP increasing it above my training FTP. Weight has come down with about 4-6lbs to target.
Thanks for inspiration on this thread; I ve just decided to go back to the gym to build up what I lost whilst fighting Lyme disease. I've kicked processed foods out, trying to stop habitual beers. Not a fan of gyms, bodyboard through out the year, and manual work, used to swim 3 miles a week, not done anything for 3 years except surf.
So it's back to the pool, but you guys have convinced me to do the gym as well. But not so easy at 52😥
I do mile once week , its fine just slightly tedious . Attempting different technique ( gliding etc) spice up a bit , oherwise iv got some sony waterproof headphone and maybe podcast . I think probably measuring in hours , then hour and half is way to go - should be 2.4m for me
I’ve jumped on the scales this week and for the second only time in 2 years I’ve managed a sub 25.9% bf. When I was in my prime in spring last year I was still 25.9% bf, however I wasn’t doing any then cardio unlike now, so I’m hopefully I’ll see sub 20% bf this year!
2 weeks of proper flu wasn’t ideal prep for my first race this year - standard distance duathlon (10k run, 44k bike, 5k run with 520m ascent over the course).
3rd last
Mind you, the guy that won ran his first 10k in 35 mins...
Quick update for all interested. I’ve been upping my gym visits for a while now and have started to concentrate on body-weight exercises and callisthenics a bit more....mainly because my upper body strength could do with some work, but also a bit of a personal thing - it’s my aim to be able to ‘flagpole’ by the summer.
I’m really struggling to shift the last bit of belly fat, mainly my own fault really. My diet is just no time geared towards it, plain and simple! So, to counter this, be started to up the cardio a bit. Weight is at 74kg. I’ll update in a few months but here’s the update picture....
Diet and gym kicked back into touch “again”, and I’ve found a use to that plastic no carb rice.... Almost a Spanish omelette. Fry lean smokey bacon, add this horrid rice fry for 2 min, add 3 eggs and if like me a slight sprinkle of mozzarella and fry until golden brown. The crisp and consistence masks the horrid rice.... quite tasty actually and certainly fills me up... result for small calories.
You do to want to be running XC, I did a few seasons of Chiltern League with my club and pulled something every year, to the point where the mrs banned me from that avenue of pleasure.
. Now, I’m certainly no Arnie, but the main thing is that I’m seeing results and, more importantly, I’m enjoying it. For anyone who is struggling to get the motivation to get out for a run, go down the gym etc (and trust me, I know how hard it can be, especially with the grotty weather at the mo!), all I can say is ‘Music’. I personally cannot train without music, it gets me pumped and motivates me. I recommend buying a cheap IPod etc and getting your favourite tunes on it........NOT your phone. 
Good man....
