"Good news everyone!" (numbers)

[denny]

Numbers this morning:

Weight: 70.5kg (Back to my lowest weight so far)
Body-fat: 19.9% (Back to my lowest body-fat reading so far, yay!)
Muscle: 32.6% (0.3% higher than the last time the two figures above were the same as today)


Current exercise routine:

Cross-trainer: 10 minutes on level 8-10
Pecs: 3 x 12 reps x 35kg (machine)
Biceps: 3 x 12 reps x 10kg (dumbbells)
Triceps: 3 x 12 reps x 25kg (machine)
Deltoids: 3 x 12 reps x 10kg (dumbbells)
Lats: 3 x 12 reps x 40kg (cable) / 50kg (machine)
Abs: 3 x 20 reps x 30kg (machine)
Cross-trainer: 30 minutes on level 8-10

I've been able to bring the level back up a bit on the cross-trainer as my knee has been twinging less, although I'm still wary of overdoing it there. Weight on the pecs machine has been creeping up slowly, which is nice - and I think I'm seeing (or possibly imagining) the beginnings of some visible results from that. I've switched to dumbbells for biceps which means the weight has come down (from a peak of 30kg on the machine to 20kg (combined) now) but actually it's a bit harder with the dumbbells (machines are always easier) so hopefully that's doing me some good. Everything else is pretty stable I think, all still quite challenging without trying to raise the weights any more.


The best bit of news is that Vodafone appear to have sorted out their network near my gym, and I've gone from having no signal inside the gym to having full HSDPA - which means I can read Twitter while I'm doing cardio :)

A friend who is very fit has been recommending kettlebells for home workouts, instead of dumbbells. I'm intrigued, but I think I'd rather do a class first to see what they're like (and to find out what weight kettlebell(s) I should be buying). Helen and I were going to do a class at her local gym on Tuesday evening, but it was cancelled due to the instructor being off sick... for the next month. Kettlebell injury maybe? ;)

Oh yeah... for the last couple of months I'd been waking up really early (for me) and feeling relatively okay about it. I initially thought this was due to emotional stress from Grace breaking up with me, but as it lasted I'd started to think maybe it was a side-effect of the exercise - which would have been great! Sadly, it seems to have worn off the last week or so, and I'm back to waking up late morning and yawning a lot. Ho hum.

Comments

[mr_magicfingers]

I've started using kettle bells, well one at least, and think they're great. However, like any form of free weights, you can hurt yourself much more easily if you don't know what you're doing than with weights machines. However, there's lots of youtube videos about them and plenty of information online.

I just do kettle bell swings, which I recommend for overall conditioning and they're absolutely the best exercise for shaping your arse :) Have you read 'the four hour body'? I can send you an ebook copy or lend you my hard copy if you'd like. Highly recommended for efficiency planning for exercise and diet.

Oh and ebay is best for buying kettle bells, mine were half the price of any shop or most other online places, I bought this 16kg one to start with http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-Kg-Cast-Iron-Kettlebell-Top-Quality-item-/300585228953?pt=UK_Strength_Training&hash=item45fc469a99#ht_947wt_922 and the company were great to deal with, and they ship for free.

I also have some adjustable dumbbells that I can use for other exercises http://www.powerblock.com/Classicseries.php which are expensive but very useful in that they take up very little room.

I need to start a proper resistance training program this year, particularly with my age advancing. I'm bad at motivating myself but I've found a local weight training gym that charges by the session and so at the end of this film I might try and start going once a week, I can't see me finding more time than that due to the hours I generally work, as working weekday's are just too long to add anything else.

Great to hear you're seeing results, look forward to seeing the difference next time I see you.

x

[denny]

I haven't read the book, no. I read some of the stuff on his website, quickly established that the diet was completely impractical for someone with my level of fussiness about food, and just stole a couple of ideas (mostly, "don't drink calories", and trying to only eat pasta just after a workout).

Re. work and exercise, I'm a little concerned about how well I'll keep up the exercise myself over the next two months, now that I've got this contract job. Time will tell, I guess.

[emma]

Seconding the book rec. I haven't done anything with the exercise info in there but in my rather ignorant opinion it seemed sound. The diet itself didn't work for me because I sort of ignored the "eat pulses and legumes" bit, and the lack of carbs seemed to lead to a lack of serotonin and quite bad depression. Rather be fat and happy etc.

[denny]

Kettlebell looks good, think I'll have one of those. Ta. :)