My time to get fit - stage 1 - The beginning.

So,

4 weeks are up although I had 5 days sick (3 training days, 2 weights and 1 cardio).

Thought I would put up some stats so people can see how it is progressing and have something to measure against when they just start out.

Where these is no entry then I didn't do that exercise that day. The purple line is when I tried out a new gym which had very different machines and so didn't do so much. Where the weights have dropped and worked up again I decided to cut back and work on form and have been building up again. Base weight is machine base or weight of an unloaded bar before any plates are added. The weight is only weight added to the bar and not the bar weight as well. I do not do the exercises in the same order each week which can account for some variences in results. All weights are in Kg.

















Sheet I take to the gym to help me remember what weights I need to use for any exercise I might do that day (I don't do them all in a session). Weight is excluding bar or machine weight so squat is 50+bar = 70Kg and bench is 30+bar = 50Kg.



Example days diet.



Cardio stats (yes I am aware the last entry does not add up.



Overall in approx cal intake



As you can see, the weight has not significantly come down but as mentioned so many times here, I am not counting on it so much. Size has also not come down or gone up very much either but my trousers seem to fit me better and my pecs, shoulders and arms seem to be better defined. I can tense my stomach now and almost get a straight side profile. It has been a while since I could do that.

The main problem I have is remembering how many Hiit sets I have done in one session as I tend to be full in concentration and loose my count and as I am on the cross trainer it is hard to note down without affecting flow. Any techniques people use to remember the number of Hiit cycles they have done ?.

Cheers
RB

Monday was geat. Got some PB's as se

Worst session in the gym yesterday.

The 3*8 at 50KG (inc bar) bench was a lot more stable and the lat pulldowns were also stronger with the 60Kg but the rest of it just failed at a lot lower reps than Monday so i stopped half way throught the full routine. The leg sets I didn't do which is no real problem as my inner thighs are still paining me from Monday regardless of all the shakes and high protein food I have been trying to eat.

Today I managed my first full 15 minute Hiit session with 2 minute warm up, Hiit at cross trainer level 20 for 30 seconds then level 10 for 1 minute repeating for 15 minutes and then 3 minutes cooldown on level 10. Heart rate peaked at 170 but was between 155 and 170 for most of the time and was generally reducing from 168 to 159 in the 1 minute rest periods during the second half. Quite happy with that so now I will keep going at it and when it starts getting too easy, up the levels.

I also weighed myself yesterday just out of interest and it came up as 102.4Kg which is 4Kg lost in a month or so. I know about daily fluctuations and it was before lunch etc but it was nice to see anyway .

RB

Friday was a good session and I finally failed with the Lat pulldowns on 65Kg so now it is something to work at.

After a long weekend (Monday being Singapores National Day) it has given an extended time to recover which is good as something went in my back (upper left side just under shoulder blade closer to the spine than the arm) but it seems to have recovered now. My thumb is also hurting between the wrist and where the thumb comes out of the main body of the hand. A strain I am guessing prob caused by the heavy lat pulldowns.

Today is cardio and tomorrow will be weights again. Time to also up the squats as the 70Kg is hard but doable and I am more confident about form.

I thought that I would also post up on only my Fridays weights results so people can compare without having to go through every single sessions results.

I am looking for a replacement for cable flys as the type shown on the inital visit when I had the weight and BMI etc done by the PT had me in the half lunge (more line a stability pose from martial arts), cable flow at shoulder level and more or less doing a press movement (although obviously standing at the time). The problem is that the weight I am now using and angle of pull I am finding is pulling me back to the machine quite strongly.

I am saving the big bodyweight exercises for now (pullups, dips etc) as there is only one machine for that at the gym which is almost constantly in use and is on another floor from the rest of the freeweights.

Any suggestions for a replacement.

Oh and my trousers are fitting better around the waist. Some 38" Dockers trousers seem to have an inch or so to spare which is great but now my thighs are seeming to be bigger as the thigh section of the trousers now seem to be skin tight.

I also had a bit of an 'experience' with my wife deciding that we were going swimming whilst I was at the pool with my older son waiting for his swimming lesson to finish. She found an old pair of shorts for me to wear and brought them to the pool when she came with our toddler. They were black dryfit Nike running shorts. As there was not alternative I went to go and get changed. They were sized as medium and everything was great until mid thigh, it then got a bit tricky . With a bit of wriggling and squerming I finally got in to them (yes I was in a cubicle). The waist had around 1/2 " spare but the rest looked like someone had wrapped black cling file around me including the full length of the shorts legs. Goldmember came to mind but as my wife didn't faint when I came out I guess they were acceptible. Now I just have to get rid of the stomach above the waist line and I will be a lot happier. Upper body is getting results on chest and arms but with a reduced calorie diet obviously not as much as I would like. Ho hum, can't wait to loose the fat and bulk a bit.

Cheers
RB

For people in need of a booster to help keep the tempo of training and weight loss / gain, take a look here here.

It is examples of how things changed after people lost weight / bulked.

I do not believe bodybuilding.com is a competitor. Let me know if I am incorrect please Mods.

RB

Last nights training was good. My arms and shoulders are aching along with my legs. Failures are doing more reps before failure and a couple of ups for weight on some exercises.

Had a couple of guys come in who look like they were in their 40's and they were doing great big lifts for their arms (dumbell curls, cable rows, ezy curls on the preacher, chest press) The weight was pretty height (well compared to myself) but...... the thing that made me smile was that for all their upper body size in arms and chest (well built rather than body builder size) they had chicken legs . Maybe it was their upper body day asit is the first time I have seen them there but their legs were both very small, possibly smaller than mine.

Also saw a guy, again well muscled, pushing close to 200 Kg on the leg press but the movements were tiny. Possibly they were doing half raises but that was it, no other leg pressing after.

Lots of speed pumpers too. 8 reps as fast as possible rather than controlled.

I like my gym as I feel I am doing well and have a reasonible understaning on what I am doing and how best to do it thanks to the advice kindly offered on here.

There are also a few girls now working the weights section with PT's and it doesn't hurt motivation to get that last rep out with a coupleof ladies around .

I have asked a couple more questions in seperate threads which I will like to from here for those who are following this thread so they don't just dissapear. Seperate threads seem to get more response as I would guess some of the more knowledgeable people may not find this thread so interesting.

Details about fish oils dosage here.

Details about a pre-workout warmup routine here.

Details about a hitting the wall (no more gains) here.

Details about HIIT training here.

Enjoy
RB

Ok, so I finally got some old pics.

Please bare in mind that I do not have any current pics at the moment, it is not easy putting pics like this up but if it helps others then I will do so. Small childern should probabily leave the room as I will not be held accountable for any emotional scaring that occurs .

I had thought about hiding my face from the shame of the worst pics but as the link in my sig goes to a thread with my wedding photos in it really makes little sense .

I had mainly been tall and slim throughout my life with only one previous big weight gain from office work and fast food prior to 2005. Working on a house rennovation with my father saw me shedding the weight very quickly but then I found another office job.

Sep 2005


May 2006



(the lady in the last one is my wife).

I knew I had been gaining a bit of weight over the years in my early 30's but it was not until these photos that I was truely shocked and disgusted with how bad it got. In my mind I was still fairly skinny, a little extra weight sure but on the whole skinny.
Nov 2008



(note the trunks area has been 'amended' in photoshop as I felt they were a little too revealing for a family forum )

At that point I decided to do something so joined a gym but after a determined start I became quite unwell for a week and then became very busy with home and my planned trip back to the UK to see my family (first time in 2.5 years).

What kicked me in the butt again was all my family and friends telling me how much weight I had put on. That and the holiday photos.

Jun 2009




I will try and get some current photos up over the weekend as I don't want to leave you with the worst images in your heads. I wouldn't want to do that to anyone .

Oh well they are all out on the internetz now. I hope this will searve as a warning to the younger people here that the burger diet will have bad effects if kept up when you are older and hopefully with the next set of pics encourage others to take the plunge.

Cheers
RB

Just noticed, I am wearing the same shirt today as the one in the last two pics and I need to have another button at the top open due to my chest size and that is the only part of me now pushing against the shirt. The shirt size is medium and it is from Ben Sherman so Uk sizes (not Asia sizes), just to give an idea.

Ok, a couple of quick photos.

Sorry for the quality.





They were so taken Sat morning before the gym so non pumped up. Still far to go but I am pretty happy with the progress in the first 6 weeks compared to the previous photos.

All the results are due to hard work, diet and dedication all of which was made easier by the great advice from the people here. Thanks guys.

Regards
RB

Looks like a good improvement keep it up, getting into a healthier lifestyle was the best thing I ever done since Jan 1st I'm about 38lbs down and loving feeling and looking so much better.

Thanks Tom,

It is difficult especially with the diet (healthy eating) as my wife can eat more or less anything and still stay slim and trim. She can happily have fast food once or twice a week and not gain. Her yearly company medical also reported desirable / optimum levels for just abount everything (weight was a little underweight). So frustrating . Mind you I get my own back if we go to a fast food place and I tell her to go ahead and I will cook for myself when I get home .

Cheers
RB

RimBlock said:

Thanks Tom,

It is difficult especially with the diet (healthy eating) as my wife can eat more or less anything and still stay slim and trim. She can happily have fast food once or twice a week and not gain. Her yearly company medical also reported desirable / optimum levels for just abount everything (weight was a little underweight). So frustrating . Mind you I get my own back if we go to a fast food place and I tell her to go ahead and I will cook for myself when I get home .

Cheers
RB

Click to expand...

My housemate is exactly the same he will have a few bags of crisps for breakfast then a sausage and fried egg sarnie, then spend the day snacking on crap and have a whole frozen pizza for dinner and hes still pretty slim along with the fact he can absolutly spank me when it comes to a run, the only thing I have on him is I double most of his lifted weights and then some

Great journal RimBlock (what are the origins of that name by the way, or don't I want to know?!). Your logs are very detailed and it's an impressive change so far. Keep going whatever happens!

I'm getting back on it today having not trained since I got married a year ago. I've put on 5 Kg since then and the beer gut has returned with a vengeance. My goal is to look good on the beach next summer!

Robbie G said:

Great journal RimBlock (what are the origins of that name by the way, or don't I want to know?!). Your logs are very detailed and it's an impressive change so far. Keep going whatever happens!

I'm getting back on it today having not trained since I got married a year ago. I've put on 5 Kg since then and the beer gut has returned with a vengeance. My goal is to look good on the beach next summer!

Click to expand...

Haha, the name..... I came on to the WWW soon after it hit mainstream and Hotmail first came online. The problem I found like most overs was that if I wanted to have a single identity I had to choose a name that others are unlikely to choose. Whilst we English guys tend to be able to laugh at ourselves a lot of other nations don't so something unlike 'superstud' would more likely be available. Something not too bad so 'idiot; is out. I just stuck two words together and came up with RimBlock which being unknown to most of the world and not particularly flattering to the rest is likely to be available at just about any site I want without having to add numbers . So any RimBlocks will usually be me. Downside, a bit easier to track .

Thanks for the comments, I am trying to document for me and to help others from the point of someone with no experience just starting out. I am glad others can find it as motivating and helpful. I did the same for photography with the link in my sig although I have not updated that one in a while.

unfortunately (in some ways) today is my birthday and I have ended up eating two bits of cheesecake (my fav) and now I am just counting the amount of work to get rid of it . Back on the diet tomorrow and back to the gym after a good nights sleep (my other issue).

Now if I could also sort out my Achilles tendon then all would be good . Found this which seems to be what is going on.

If life was not so full of change it would be so boring....I sometimes feel like I am living in a soap opera.

Cheers
RB

RimBlock said:

unfortunately (in some ways) today is my birthday and I have ended up eating two bits of cheesecake (my fav) and now I am just counting the amount of work to get rid of it . Back on the diet tomorrow and back to the gym after a good nights sleep (my other issue).

Click to expand...

Don't be too hard on yourself its your birthday I had mine at the start of the month so went home for the weekend, had about 4 days out of the gym due to that but I hadn't been near the gym in a week before that due to illness, I then went on to drink too much beer and eat fish and chips chocolate cake and all other manner of birthday type things it felt dam good and its nice to have a break.
It wont do anywhere near the sort of damage you think it might, I was the same when I first started on the fat loss.

That is a very impressive change

The gut was very impressive too You already look miles better, keep it up!

Without sounding gay...........

I think you've aged very well (you look better in the face now than you did in 2006 imo)

Happy Birthday too! Mines tomorrow

Gustov said:

Without sounding gay...........

I think you've aged very well (you look better in the face now than you did in 2006 imo)

Click to expand...

GAY!!!

RimBlock said:

unfortunately (in some ways) today is my birthday and I have ended up eating two bits of cheesecake (my fav) and now I am just counting the amount of work to get rid of it . Back on the diet tomorrow and back to the gym after a good nights sleep (my other issue).

Click to expand...

Doesn't sound too bad for a birthday , for my birthday I ate a whole bag of maltesers at breakfast, about 4000 + calories worth of alcohol, cake and lots of other assorted tastiness . Should feel proud of yourself there

Thanks everyone.

Guess it is the fact that I still have some way to go with the stomach that makes me wary of any thing obviously not good for me. Had a Pizza at the weekend too .

The thing that I am finding a bit confusing is that I am obviously loosing body fat but my measurements seem to be about the same. The stomach (largest point) is still around 40" (hips have gone down though as my trousers can attest too). Chest and arms are around the same as the starting size. I would like to think the fat layer has shrunk and the muscle has grown so cancelling themselves out but I really am not sure.

Would love to see the 'love handles' go too.

Now I am at the good old age of 36 I don't even get prezzies from relatives . They buy for the kids instead .

Oh I did get a Samsung Jet mobile as my youngest threw my SE W902 on the floor and broke the screen. I also got a pair of caterpillar shoes (steel toe capped) as my wife hated me wearing my Vans (the shoe company not the motor vehicle ) as she said they are kids shoes. I had to get the caterpillar shoes as 'a big guy needs big shoes' . I didn't enquie any further TBH . Well the steel toe caps make them heavy so a bit more exercise when walking now . On the downside, my ATI HD3870 card has just died on me. Not got available funds to replace at the moment but also not got any games I want to play so no big loss and can use an old card to keep the PC running.

.....like a soap opera

Gustov,

Happy Birthday.... am I the first to say it .

Really didn't look at my face (apart from fatboy face to now) and I think I prefer it this way too. Thanks for the complements. We know you arn't gay, just very in touch with your manly feelings and not too repressed to express them .

RB

An update to add a quick link to the thread I started on post workout refuelling here.

Now to go and try and find out what I can get to improve my diet.

Various meals I am having now include (number are KCal / Carb / Fat / Protein);
Pasta with chicken soup (cambells condensed) - makes two meals so 1/2 values - 380 / 65 / 4.2 / 10.6
Pasta with chicken bolognase - 380.00 / 78.00 / 4.00 / 12.00
Smoked salmon and salad sandwich on linseed wholemeal bread (2) - 406 / 34 / 14.1 / 40.4
4 half boiled eggs with 2 slices of toast, butter and 1 tsp sugar - 343 / 7 /26 / 19
12" Subway egg mayo with bacon on wheat bread - 556 / 49.6 / 23.4 / 39.8
6" Subway Wheat bread chicken Teriaki - 320 / 49.78 / 2.4 / 27
Two tuna sandwiches on wholemeal bread with 1tblspn salad cream. - 579.6 / 55.14 / 21.36 / 43.98
Porrige & milk (SS) & rasins spoons 4 289 / 45 / 7 / 13
Beancurd & syrup (2 spoons sugar in syrup) cups 2 244 / 19.4 / 11.2 / 20.2
Susi - Salmon (8 pieces) & Sashimi (4 slices) - 656 / 65.6 / 25.2 / 48.8
Herbal soup with chicken thigh - 270 / 6 / 15 / 30

There is only a small selection of pasta available at most supermarkets and wholemeal is in small bags and very costly. I have not yet seen wild or brown rice but I will look more closely.

Cold Storage are now doing internet shopping with a reasonible delivery time (i.e. outside working hours) so I may give them a try. Having the shopping delivered make life so much easier. I used to do it with Tescos all the time in the UK.

NTUC (Fairprice), Carrefour and Shop&Save still have to catch up.

Cheers
RB

Ok, probabily a better lunch today....

Salad (lettuce / carrot / bean shoots / beatroot / egg / chicken / bell pepper / cucumber) plus 100g smoked beef (only had turkey, smoked beef or 20 different types of ham ). Hoping to do the same sort of think for working lunch maybe 2-3 times a week. Beef was bought from the supermarket and yes, the egg was a bit smelly .

Have a couple more questions in new threads;
International delivery of suppliments, which suppliers take international orders (either direct or via VPost) here.

What to look for when choosing a whey protein (Amino acid profiles etc) here

Cheers
RB