[EpicPenguin]

Since I've entered this I might as well do it properly and blog... Entry post is here.

Though frankly I want to retake my start pictures now! Starting a desk job has meant coming home from work every night and not moving from the sofa except to eat Will be moving house in a few weeks and can get back to the gym then and get back on track - I lost a stone this year pretty much just from lifting weights. I miss the gym.

Aims are to gain muscle and get stronger. And avoid putting any of that fat back on.

Today, ran 4.2 miles in 45 minutes. I say 'ran', but it was more a run/walk combo to account for very big hills that I'm not used to. Spent 8 hours sat at a desk, and ate at least 1800kcal. At least my aim to get slightly bigger is gonna be easy to achieve at this rate

[Classical Liberal]

Good luck. I work an inactive day job as well that takes up most of my time.

Make sure you make use of the longer days we have now..

[Ronda]

Good luck! You've got similar aims to me, I want to get stronger and gain a bit of muscle too!


(I love your user name, and penguins! )

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

Good luck with it!

[EpicPenguin]

Thanks guys

Made the most of the sunshine and went for a run after work. 3 3/4 miles, two massive hills, 40 minutes. Still miss lifting and can't wait to get to the gym in a fortnight, but definitely catching the running bug again after several years off

[EpicPenguin]

Finally moved house and got my gym membership sorted Can't lift til after my induction on Wednesday, but had a play on the machines today. Feels good to be back exercising! Seems I might have lost a bit of strength but I did have six weeks off... Will be able to tell properly on Wednesday.

5 min warm up on the bike (2.5km),
hip abduction 3x10 (70kg, 75kg, 80kg)
leg curls 3x10 (35kg, 40kg, 45kg)
lat pulldowns 3x8 (30kg, 35kg, 37.5kg)
db shoulder press 3x8 (8kg)
1km row

And picking up my new bike tomorrow so gonna be far more active then

[EpicPenguin]

Finally lifting again! New gym is awesome - proper platforms and Eleiko bars/plates Induction was simply demonstrating 3 exercises - 2 barbell, 1 dumbbell. Definitely surprised the PT when I put 15kg plates on the bar to deadlift instead of the 5kg's she was offering me

Cycle warm-up: 15mins from house to gym
1km row
Bench press: 20kg 1x10, 30kg 1x5, 34kg 3x5, 20kg 1x10. Used to be able to bench 35 for 10 easily, was really struggling with the last set of 5 today! Did not realise how much strength I was gonna lose with just a few weeks off
Front squats: 20kg 1x5, 30kg 3x5
Deadlift: 50kg 1x5, 60kg 3x3, 65kg 2x2. Left my chalk at home, forgot how much difference it makes.
Overhead press: 20kg 3x5
Leg curls: 45kg 3x10
Hip abduction: 70, 75, 80kg x10
DB rows: 9kg 3x10 per arm.

Was just messing around a bit today finding out how weak I've gotten, will have a think about what to do in terms of an actual strength program.

[EpicPenguin]

Still sore from Wednesday

Cycled 1.5miles to the gym.
1km row - time is down to 4:12 from 4:25 earlier this week
Front squats: 20kg 2x5, 30kg 5x3.
Hip abduction: 70kg, 75kg, 80kg x10
Leg press: 45kg 2x5, 50kg 2x5 Haven't done this in ages, gonna keep trying it whilst squats are still pathetic
Lat pulldowns: 40kg 3x8
DB rows: 10kg 3x10 per arm
DB OHP: 9kg 3x8

[EpicPenguin]

On such a post-gym high tonight Going to be hobbling tomorrow with epic DOMS but worth it! Lot more free weight work today, got one of the guys at the gym to give me some pointers on technique so I'm feeling much more comfortable with C&J and have fixed the issue of my elbows dropping on front squats, going to switch to crossed arms whilst I build up strength again.

Cycled 2.5 miles to the gym.
Front squats: 20kg 3x3, 25kg 3x3
Cleans: 20kg, 25kg & 30kg for multiple singles to sort technique - need to work on getting under the bar instead of moving forward to meet it, keep ending up with all my weight through my toes. 35kg 3x3. 37kg 3x3
Jerks: 20kg 3x5, 25kg 2x5.
C&J: 30kg 5x1. 35kg 5x1 Couple of fails at 35 - too far behind the bar and not getting elbows round fast enough.
Deadlift: 60kg 3x3. 65kg 3x2. 70kg 3x1.
Hip abduction: 80kg 3x10
Leg curls 50kg 3x8
1km row - slow.
Cycled 2 miles home.

Had a bit of think about my diet this week as well since the carbs seem to have crept back in again. BBQ ribs for tea tonight with lots of veg and not a potato in sight

[EpicPenguin]

I was half right with the DOMS prediction. Still sore today but legs have been fine, just struggling to lift my arms! Went for a bike ride instead of the gym tonight, covered 8 1/2 miles in about 45 minutes including a few hills. Back to the gym on Saturday

[EpicPenguin]

Loving gym days right now.

Cycle 2 miles - should really stop pretending this counts as part of my workout, its 90% downhill
Hip abduction 85kg 3x10
Lat pulldown 45kg 3x8
Leg curls 50kg 1x8, 55kg 2x8
Rear delt rows 20kg 1x8, 25kg 2x8
Front squats 20kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5, 40kg 1x5 Tis kinda nice having to stop because of pain from the bar sitting on my neck than because I can't lift any heavier,
Cleans 20kg 1x5, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5, 40kg 1x5 Only counting the ones I completed, failed a few at 35 and 40 cos I wasn't getting under the bar quick enough.
Jerks 20kg 2x5, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x3 Some in combo with cleans, some just from rack position.

[EpicPenguin]

Need to come up with a plan instead of just turning up to the gym and doing whatever takes my fancy. Will hopefully get to the gym twice more this week and then going for a swim at the weekend. Blood pressure is pretty high at the moment and my GP has suggested I swap lifting for something like pilates Swimming is my compromise on 'relaxing' forms of exercise.

Front squats 20kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5, 40kg 1x5, 42kg 1x5
C&J: practised with just the bar working on getting under it a bit quicker, then 30kg 2x5, 35kg 1x5.
Cleans: 37kg 1x5, 40kg 1,1,f,f,f Tired, not concentrating? Not really sure what happened. I fail one and get pissed off and everything falls apart. Put it back to 35kg and did multiple singles getting it right again.
Jerks: Few singles at 35kg but too tired by this point, did 3x5 with the bar instead.
Deadlifts: 60kg 1x5, 70kg 3x1. Don't think it was a good idea doing these after cleans, just really wanted to lift something heavy today but nearly tried to clean it instead
Hip abduction: 87.5kg 3x10

[EpicPenguin]

Hip abduction: 90kg 3x10
Leg curls: 55kg 3x10
Rear delt rows: 25kg 1x8, 30kg 2x8
Bench: 20kg 1x10, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 2x5
Front squats: 20kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5, 40kg 3x3.
Cleans: Up to 40kg, pointless trying to count reps so just assume it was lots over about half an hour, mostly at 30/35kg. Still failing 40kg most of the time, not helped by the guy next to me giving me what was probably perfectly valid advice on technique, but brain far too fuzzy to comprehend how to translate that into movement.

Finally got round to weighing myself at the gym and have put on 2lbs in the last month. If the amount of chocolate I've eaten in that time is any indication, I don't think any of it is muscle Not really fussed, it's not like I've visibly put on any weight. Really do need to sort out my diet though - left my lunch at home so just had a diet coke and a kitkat today before heading to the gym.

[EpicPenguin]

Went into the gym with a plan today and (mostly) stuck to it.

Front squats: 20kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 5x5
Deadlifts: 50kg 1x5, 60kg 1x3, 70kg 1x3, 75kg 3x1
Bench: 20kg 1x10, 30kg 5x5. Getting some pain in my wrist but moved my hands further apart and that seems to help.
Cleans: 30kg x10.
Jerk: 20kg 2x5. Want to keep including C&J in my workouts but not at the expense of other stuff, just keeping it as a fun exercise if I have time.
Row 2km (10:05).

[EpicPenguin]

Today's plan was completely scuppered by the gym being busier than I've ever seen it Not going to queue half the night just to squat, so only used the machines.

Leg curls 57.5kg 3x8
Lat pulldowns 45kg 3x8
Hip abduction 92.5kg 3x10
Rear delt rows 35kg 3x8
Row 2km (9:36)
Sit ups 2x12
Plank 30secs

[EpicPenguin]

Seems I took a week off :/ Was away for work for a few days and then it's been too hot! Did go for a swim last Tuesday, just for 45mins - no idea of distance cos the pool's a stupid length like 17m or something that I can't multiply whilst swimming

Front squats: 20kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 40kg 5x5
C&J: 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5
Deadlift: 60kg 1x5, 70kg 2x3, 75kg 1x3
Hip abduction: 95kg 3x10
Leg curls: 60kg 3x10

More upper body stuff next time I think, there wasn't any chance of me getting near a bench tonight, far too many blokes stood around it gossiping!

[EpicPenguin]

Another 45min swim yesterday to try and get rid of DOMS from Monday

Today... free weights area was packed, pretty much noone anywhere else in the gym

1km row: 4:06
Hip abduction: 97.5kg 3x10
Lat pulldowns: 45kg 3x8 Forgot to check what weight it was on last time hence no increase today
Leg curls: 62.5kg 3x10
Leg press: 55kg 1x8, 60kg 1x8, 65kg 1x8, 70kg 1x8
DB seated OHP: 10kg 3x8
DB row: 10kg 2x10

Pretty pleased that all the leg exercises are above bodyweight (61.5kg/ 9st 9.5lbs) now, and have put on another 2lbs in the past 10 days (almost certain that these two events are unconnected and that it's 2lbs of pizza, chocolate and wine, but whilst it's still not visible as fat and my thighs are feeling less wobbly I don't care )

[EpicPenguin]

Front squats: 20kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 40kg 1x5, 45kg 5x5. That's more than I've ever managed consistently before Form wasn't brilliant, only just getting to parallel but I skipped any stretching beforehand in a rush to get a free lifting platform before someone else nabbed it
C&J: 30kg 1x5, 35kg 2x5, 30kg 2x5
Cleans: 39kg 1x5, f,f,f. ****ing elbows, if I could get them to move fast enough everything else would (hopefully) fall into place
Jerks: 20kg 2x5, 30kg 1x5
Hip abduction: 100kg 3x10 First ever 3-figure anything.
Leg curls: 65kg 3x10
Lat pulldowns: 47.5kg 1x5, 45kg 3x8.
Pathetic attempt at chest press (35kg x4?) before remembering I hate that machine. Proper bench press next time.

[EpicPenguin]

Skipped my usual gym session yesterday cos of the rain, utterly wussy excuse I know, but pointless turning up to the gym soaked.

Today... bit tired, bit distracted.
Bench: 20kg 1x10, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5, 37kg 2x5
Front squats: 20kg 2x5, 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5, 40kg 1x5, 45kg 4x3. Shoulders were pretty sore, the bar kept rolling into my neck.
C&J: 30kg 2x5, 35kg 1x5.
Cleans: 40kg 2x5
Jerks: 30kg 2x5
Barbell row: 40kg 3x4
Hip abduction: 102.5kg 3x10
Leg curl: 67.5kg 3x10
DB OHP: 10kg 1x8, 1x7, 1x6.

[EpicPenguin]

I haven't actually had two weeks off, honest

Went to the gym a week last Saturday, can't remember what I did except for 50kg FS for 5, totally calling that a new PB as I've only ever got to 50kg for 1 before

Fairly sure I went for a cycle ride for an hour last week sometime, half of it up a very long hill. Did a couple of pilates videos off youtube. And went swimming this last weekend. So I've not been completely inactive... Just been too busy to get to the gym recently, worked a 6 day week last week, and then lost the keys to my bike lock so walking the 2miles to the gym isn't that appealing.

Finally got back there today to discover I've put on a kilo in the last two weeks.
Row 1km - 4:03. Not sure that's gonna count as a new PB since I had a little break in the middle for pins and needles in my foot! Broke 2 minutes for the first 500m tho.
Hip abduction: 105kg 3x10
Front squats: 20kg x5, 30kg x5, 40kg x5, 50kg 3x3.
C&J: 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5.
Cleans: 40kg 1x5. Tried 45kg and they just became clean pulls - it's coming off the floor fine and getting to nearly chest height, just can't get under it. Need to find the smaller plates and try something between 40 and 45 for a bit.
Jerks: 30kg 1x5, 35kg 1x5.
Lat pulldowns: 45kg 3x8.
Some abs stuff - sit ups, plank, etc.