For myself I stopped using weights around 2018 after we knocked out garage down and sold all our gym stuff. From 2019 to this day I've only done bodyweight exercises to be honest. Am now 47 and I started training around the age of 12. Not weights though which I didn't touch till 18. I was skinny in them younger years and always had visible abs from a young age. During the 90s there was a six pack craze, everybody wanted one. From the age of 12 to 18, for me having chunky abs was like the holy grail of training. I did other sports like football, playing for college and Sunday League, but for them six years I worked my abs like a maniac.
When I turned 18 I looked at myself properly, had what looked like 10 abs popping out of my stomach and obliques chiselled to hell. For something else else stood out lol, I had skinny arms, bony shoulders and a pigeon chest, calling it a pigeon chest was being kind it was awful.
At 18 I started doing weights, being honest I got lean and cut but never in my life could I lift heavy, or heavier than I wanted. I'll give you some numbers for a laugh, bench press - 35kg, military press never been able to do for **** - 18kg, bent over row - 25kg, deadlift and squats were both around 65kg. People thought I was ripped but this has always been down to good discipline in my diet and low bodyfat. I guess I've always been more than an athlete, always excelled in stuff like interval training, HIT and shuttle style running.
When I was in high school I found a book in the library which I can't remember the name off. Was going through it and it was by a guy in Switzerland, like a dumb school kid and stole the book lol and was fascinated by it. It had also sorts of running drills, considering this was the early 90s, looking back this book was ahead of its time. I'd go on the park with flat cones as a 13 year old and do these crazy running drills. They were tough, good for explosiveness, direction change etc.
Back to the point times. Since 2019 I started with the Insanity workouts, anyone done them? The original and Max 30 are ******* tough. No easing into it, you just go at full throttle from the start. I started other programmes from Beachbody and Less Mills but it became stale. I started doing MMA and boxing workouts and many core workouts.
In 2024 I started Insanity again. This time I wanted to push myself, having been doing them for a few years now I wanted to go hell for leather from start to finish. In 2024 I just kept repeating them and pushing like a maniac. I got to a point where I was neck and neck with the fittest cast members on in the workout videos and sometimes outdid them, job done. Anyway, January 2025 I continue to push, my abs were in full show and I was flying. During January 2025 while really pushing during the multiple press-up moves I felt a click in the left shoulder, no pain for but it just clicked all of the workout.
Anyway, I thought I am 47 and I get these things and they usually go around 2 to 4 weeks time. Going into March I still had it and not just the shoulder but it went into my neck behind the ear, some days it was agony. I carried on training but didn't do all the workouts, but still at a decent pace. Come May 2025 I thought it has been 5 months and I'll see my GP. The **** just fobbed me off so I thought I'd go for a private MRI scan. It came back with arthritis in the left shoulder, slight damage in Cartlidge and one of the bones out of place, I was gutted but it is what it is. Maybe I'd pushed too much and this can result in form going out of the window.
Anyway, in October last year I purchased adjustable dumbbells, I thought I'll try strengthen the muscles around the shoulder. Being honest this has worked a treat and the pain has reduced quite a lot. Also home physio and a TENS machine has helped.
One thing is I was always hovering around the 10 and a half stone mark. I lowered my carbs last year for about 2 months and only lost a couple of pounds. I stopped doing that and tried intermitting fasting but no the hardcore style. I start training at 5.20am Monday to Friday, I do 5 days. I have breakfast at 7 and am finished around 7.30am. Then I wouldn't have my main meal till around 4.45pm. I lost a few pounds but nothing major, anyway I combined the intermitting fasting and stuck to 50 to 60 grams of carbs per day. With this combination I dropped half a stone in a month and have consistently stayed at 10 stone. People call me a pepperoni lol, but I love it too be honest. I might look skinny but have you seen the shape many people in their 40s are in?
I know have loads of bodyweight programmes. I make my own hybrid programmes as all the workouts are on my laptop. Hybrid programme means that I can control the workouts, do the harder ones on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday an intermediate impact workout and a core only workout on Thursday. This allows me to control the intensity due to my shoulder, rather than an all out Insanity programme for 2 months.
