[Chumbaniya]

Hi folks,

Some of you may be old enough to remember me from back in the day, when the internet was run on coal and women weren't allowed to vote yet.

I stopped using TSR for a while when I tried to become a real person and had a job, but now I'm going back to being a student again in the autumn and I feel it's time for another fitness blog full of poor excuses and arguments with Adonis (is he even still a thing?).

I return with substantially less muscle mass (which, if you know how little I had before, will leave you worried that I will become airborne in a stiff breeze) but a rather more mellow attitude and a beard.

About me:

Age: 23
Height: 5'7'' or 5'8'', not entirely sure
Weight: A little under 70kg, can't be sure as home scales are less than reliable
Lifts: In a few sessions before a recent ski trip (after which I buggered my knee) I worked back up to 90kg 5x5 squats. Not too sure other than that.

Aims:

General fitness and at the very least a return to the strength that I used to have (145/90/165 squat/bench/deadlift at somewhere around 72kg). I'd like to be involved in sport when I'm back at university - possibly athletics, as I've always felt my most natural talent is in sprinting but have never pursued it properly. In the short term, as a useless bum with very little social life at the moment, looking a little more like I used to would be a nice confidence boost too.

The schedule:

There isn't one right now. It will be a case of "I'll do what I can", with this thread serving initially as a commitment to getting things done rather than a strict plan of action. As far as the equipment at my disposal is concerned, I have a gym membership (includes swimming), running shoes and an old but very usable road bike.

[RyanT]

Hey Chumb, good luck

Don't forget the bike. Any ideas on how long you think it will take to reach your previous level?

[commandant]

you were always in our minds.

[Carpediemxx]

Yo, good luck bro, i know the feeling about balancing real life with the gym, so good luck!

[Chumbaniya]

Cheers guys. I'll be starting tomorrow (the whole day today was taken up with my Grandad's funeral).

(Original post by RyanT)
Any ideas on how long you think it will take to reach your previous level?

I tend to be able to take quite a bit of time off and recover my lifts pretty well - my squats were shooting up before the ski trip, and after 6+ months off last year I was able to work back up to a 150kg deadlift pretty quickly. My top lifts were never anything particularly big anyway.

As for general fitness, I really don't know.

[Smack]

I remember you. Nice to see you back bro. Adonis is long gone, though.

What you going back to university for?

[warwickorbristol]

I remember you used to do a fair amount of cycling?

Should be more easy to regain fitness as you can properly hammer a bike ride compared to a run.

[Slumpy]

Decide the working world was a bit much effort?

[Nichrome]

Hey Chumb, I remember you also, you used to be a college rower right? Should be able to get the fitness back fairly quickly if you pick up the old erg again. I was in the same position as you about 5 weeks ago, and in that time I've dropped about a minute off my 5k time and 2mins off my 10k time, erging just seems to get you so fit, fast.

Good luck

[Chumbaniya]

In a stunningly good start to proceedings - I'm now ill. I thought I felt exhausted yesterday because I hadn't slept well, but it turns out it was the onset of a cold, so my nose is streaming, my head feels all stuffed up and I've got swollen glands in my neck. But not to worry! I'll get plenty of rest, eat and drink lots of good things and go for a walk just to make sure I'm moving, even if it isn't real exercise.

(Original post by Smack)
What you going back to university for?

I'm applying for courses on the physical side of the environmental sciences - oceanography, atmospheric science, meteorology, that sort of thing.

(Original post by Slumpy)
Decide the working world was a bit much effort?

Far too much work and not enough reward. I've always been more interested in the academic than the commercial world, and it turned out I couldn't motivate myself properly when all I was doing it for was the salary (though it is a little depressing to think that I won't earn as much again for at least 10 years).

(Original post by Nichrome)
Hey Chumb, I remember you also, you used to be a college rower right? Should be able to get the fitness back fairly quickly if you pick up the old erg again. I was in the same position as you about 5 weeks ago, and in that time I've dropped about a minute off my 5k time and 2mins off my 10k time, erging just seems to get you so fit, fast.

Yeah, I'll hopefully get some erging done in the gym - something like a 6x500m is probably one of the best ways to build general fitness as far as I'm concerned. I'm not sure if I'll erg that often though, simply because the ergs are in the gym near the weights and I'll be more focused on the weights, with cardio coming from cycling and running which I can do straight from my house.

(Original post by warwickorbristol)
I remember you used to do a fair amount of cycling?

Should be more easy to regain fitness as you can properly hammer a bike ride compared to a run.

With the good weather at the moment I'd definitely prefer cycling. I think it must have been the summer of '09 that I was really hammering the cycling.

[Chumbaniya]

Bleuurgh. Still ill. And you know what helps when you're ill and need to rest? That's right - wisdom teeth causing you so much pain you keep waking up during the night!

Watch this space and by the end of 2012 I might have done some exercise.

[Tango189]

I remember you, I'm ill as well at the moment too

[The Troll Toll]

Hey man, nun here. Good to have you back.

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by nutrition2012)
you made me jizz myself just from looking at your photo...

Thanks! That's exactly what I was going for.

[Becca]

Fellow 2005-er. In to watch!

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by nutrition2012)
maybe you could provide one with more photos in private *cough cough*

Payment in advance please.

(Original post by Becca)
Fellow 2005-er. In to watch!

We've got the mens and womens weightlifting societies, now we just need the TSR Old Peoples Lifting Home Soc.

[doubledot]

Oh hey, I remember you too. The decrepit, old man, right?

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by doubledot)
Oh hey, I remember you too. The decrepit, old man, right?

Somebody's jealous.

[Chumbaniya]

So I'm definitely well enough to go to the gym today, but I don't have the time. I'm actually pretty angry about this.

As the blog is looking pretty empty so far, I'll treat you all to a little progress picture. Of my beard.



I hope you're all appreciative of the hard work I put into this.

[McHumpy92]

Good luck with the sprinting....you will need it. It is full of genetic freaks.