Soldato
So, I've been going to the gym since the start of March. I had a stab last year but stopped after a few month. I've pretty much always been skinny and after the losing my partner and having 3 and 14 year old girls to look after plus being self employed I just didn't really look after myself. I'm 5'8 and 38 and last February 2015 I was 64kg having been weighed by the doctor following being dragged in by a nurse friend who was worried about me.
Things are better now and I have someone new in my life and having put things back together I've managed to develop a bit of a paunch and now weigh closer to 80kg.
I don't really follow a diet as such but I try not be daft with it.
Breakfast - a bit of porridge or 2 weetabix with half fat milk.
Mid morning - banana and nut protein bar type thing.
Lunch - I tend to look for a salad bowl but not too much pasta/rice. Apple
Evening meal - this is probably where I fail. With the kids I need to make things quick and easy which I know they'll eat - they aren't fussy - my 4 year old will eat chicken jalfrezi with a glass of milk to cool things down. However, we do tend to eat pasta or rice two to three times a week. I'll do steak, salad and jacket potato once a week.
I did get creatin and whey powder but didn't think it made that much difference so stop using it.
I've been given a couple of routines from mates and sort of cobbled together one from bits of the starter routine in one of the above stickies.
Before I go further I don't really know the correct names of exercises so apologies in advance.
So today :-
Rowing machine interval of 1.40 and 20s rest X9. Managed 3625m which is quite good for me - I'm sure they tighten them up every now and again because it seems to get easier then goes really hard!
Lie flat on the bench and push dumbells straight up. Is it bench press?
14x16kg
12x16kg
12x16kg - this has got a fair bit easier recently so might try one set of 18 next time.
Change bench to almost vertical and lift dumbells above your head.
12x12kg
10x12kg
8x12kg - this I really struggle with towards the end.
Change bench back to flat and kneel on one knee and lift dumbell off the floor to close to your chest. (I'm very left handed and can swing away with 16 with my left but struggle towards the end with the right. I do 14 reps with the right and 10 with the left - thought it might even them out eventually)
14x16kg
14x16kg
14x16kg
One thing, when writing down what you lifted is it combined dumbell weight or each one? So I use 16kg dumbells is it 16kg or 32kg?
On the machine that has weights either side and a cable attached you can move the pivot point and and down:-
I do rope pull down - extend my arms downwards and straight to above my knees
within the same routine I think it's bicep curl on the other cable so pivot is on the floor and I curl the weight from a straight bar.
I have been told there's a term for doing two different things at once but forgotten.
12x17.5kg
12x17.5kg - struggled a bit here so dropped the weight
10x15kg - This was too light I guess so probably should have stuck it out with 17.5kg
On the same machine I move both pivots to about shoulder height and put the grip handles on the cables and, while stood up, push the cables out dead ahead.
12x10kg
12x10kg
10x10kg - struggled a bit on the last 2.
Pretty sure it's lateral pull down - sit down, hold bar on each end and pull down to chest.
10x35kg
10x35kg
10x35kg - think 40kg next time
Then on same machine hold the bar close to the cable - think this is bicep again?
10x45kg
10x45kg
10x45kg
Then finally just straight forward bicep curl with dumbells - I do one curl set and one hammer curl (I think)
10x12kg
10x12kg hammer
10x12kg
10x12kg hammer
I tend to do this pretty much every time although arms are ruined by the end of it. I'll be writing up the other routines I've been given and giving them a test run probably next week. I typically go to the gym every other day although I will do Friday I may not get in over the weekend because of the bank holiday.
TL: DR - been going to gym for 3 months and still none the wiser.
Things are better now and I have someone new in my life and having put things back together I've managed to develop a bit of a paunch and now weigh closer to 80kg.
I don't really follow a diet as such but I try not be daft with it.
Breakfast - a bit of porridge or 2 weetabix with half fat milk.
Mid morning - banana and nut protein bar type thing.
Lunch - I tend to look for a salad bowl but not too much pasta/rice. Apple
Evening meal - this is probably where I fail. With the kids I need to make things quick and easy which I know they'll eat - they aren't fussy - my 4 year old will eat chicken jalfrezi with a glass of milk to cool things down. However, we do tend to eat pasta or rice two to three times a week. I'll do steak, salad and jacket potato once a week.
I did get creatin and whey powder but didn't think it made that much difference so stop using it.
I've been given a couple of routines from mates and sort of cobbled together one from bits of the starter routine in one of the above stickies.
Before I go further I don't really know the correct names of exercises so apologies in advance.
So today :-
Rowing machine interval of 1.40 and 20s rest X9. Managed 3625m which is quite good for me - I'm sure they tighten them up every now and again because it seems to get easier then goes really hard!
Lie flat on the bench and push dumbells straight up. Is it bench press?
14x16kg
12x16kg
12x16kg - this has got a fair bit easier recently so might try one set of 18 next time.
Change bench to almost vertical and lift dumbells above your head.
12x12kg
10x12kg
8x12kg - this I really struggle with towards the end.
Change bench back to flat and kneel on one knee and lift dumbell off the floor to close to your chest. (I'm very left handed and can swing away with 16 with my left but struggle towards the end with the right. I do 14 reps with the right and 10 with the left - thought it might even them out eventually)
14x16kg
14x16kg
14x16kg
One thing, when writing down what you lifted is it combined dumbell weight or each one? So I use 16kg dumbells is it 16kg or 32kg?
On the machine that has weights either side and a cable attached you can move the pivot point and and down:-
I do rope pull down - extend my arms downwards and straight to above my knees
within the same routine I think it's bicep curl on the other cable so pivot is on the floor and I curl the weight from a straight bar.
I have been told there's a term for doing two different things at once but forgotten.
12x17.5kg
12x17.5kg - struggled a bit here so dropped the weight
10x15kg - This was too light I guess so probably should have stuck it out with 17.5kg
On the same machine I move both pivots to about shoulder height and put the grip handles on the cables and, while stood up, push the cables out dead ahead.
12x10kg
12x10kg
10x10kg - struggled a bit on the last 2.
Pretty sure it's lateral pull down - sit down, hold bar on each end and pull down to chest.
10x35kg
10x35kg
10x35kg - think 40kg next time
Then on same machine hold the bar close to the cable - think this is bicep again?
10x45kg
10x45kg
10x45kg
Then finally just straight forward bicep curl with dumbells - I do one curl set and one hammer curl (I think)
10x12kg
10x12kg hammer
10x12kg
10x12kg hammer
I tend to do this pretty much every time although arms are ruined by the end of it. I'll be writing up the other routines I've been given and giving them a test run probably next week. I typically go to the gym every other day although I will do Friday I may not get in over the weekend because of the bank holiday.
TL: DR - been going to gym for 3 months and still none the wiser.
Last edited:
Would have gone to gym at 6 when it opened but can't quite trust my eldest to get herself to school on time without being badgered. 
