Bought a workbench and weights...
Discussion
We lived and worked in Italy for three years, and one thing I noticed when we came back to the UK was the amount of overweight people (young females especially), plus wheelchair and walking stick users who were no more than middle age! It seemed that very few were fat where we lived in Italy, even the very old used their pushbikes to get around!
Edited by chris watton on Wednesday 1st July 12:52
AllTorque said:
inspirational blog Chris - as a 42yr weed I'm tempted to buy some of this gear. One question though - have you quit booze? I might find that tricky.... 
I was never a big booze drinker to begin with, TBH. The last time I got drunk was Christmas, with half a bottle of Jack Daniels, and I had a couple of Buds last Saturday at my step-daughter's 21st, that's all I've had this year. I can drink if I want, and it seems to take a lot to get me drunk, but usually, when in the house, I am working, and if we're out, I am driving. I have never felt the 'need' for alcohol, which is good, I guess.I still have the odd cigar on the weekend, though, can't be completely vice free..
Halb said:
s
t, that's amazing!
shows what can be done with steady work and dedication!
Thanks Halb!t, that's amazing!shows what can be done with steady work and dedication!
Just had a look at some of the earlier posts in this thread...
On Monday 19th May 2014 FredClogs said:
To be honest if your nudging 50 you won't be able to build muscle at the same speed and in the same way you did when you were 17, and even if you could your heart may not like the extra loading, I'd get the doc to check you over and do cholesterol test etc... It may just happen that you can't put on any muscle at that age and you're running the risk of some pretty damaging injuries if you try. I'd stick to a cardio regime and aerobic excerices with light weights, kettle bell work out etc and have a look at your diet.
Nah, I think I'll try for a 75kg overhead press before the year's out.. 
Crush said:
Excellent 
Hope you're proud of yourself !
Thank you! Not sure if I feel proud of myself, as I felt it was something that had to be done. I certainly feel better, that's for sure. The change in eating habits/how much I consume is no big deal at all. (Am amazed at just how little I need to eat!). I think I took the diet a little too far on the run up to last Christmas, as everyone mentioned just how gaunt I looked (not what you want to hear after 7 months training)! But after Christmas, I upped the diet a little and concentrated more on heavy compounds and lower reps for those, while keeping the reps higher for the secondary exercises (I did a three day split twice weekly for the first 4 months of this year) - I have done very little to no direct abs work at all this year, I think the compounds help take care of them.Hope you're proud of yourself !
I can't believe how much I have enjoyed doing it, initially, the thought of being too old and too unfit played in my mind a lot, and I was comically unfit (even got breathless walking up the stairs at times) - but once you force yourself into a routine and allow yourself no other choice, it all becomes second nature very quickly, almost as if your body is actually relieved you're doing something about it!
Halb said:
chris watton said:
Nah, I think I'll try for a 75kg overhead press before the year's out..
Yeah, that's obviously nonsense. Hormones peak at late 20's early 30s, and they go into decline after that, but they don't just switch off. All it takes is time and dedication.BW Press....I also want that! Got within 5-10 kilos I think, last year...it's on the list!
I am 7.5kg away from a BW Press, but when I try, it may as well be another 50kg right now!
Hoofy said:
Join a squash club. As I said earlier, make use of your new-found fitness.
I will look into other activities when I get less busy, I have work up to and beyond my ears right now (which is no bad thing, I guess..) I have a bike, perhaps I'll have another go at riding that and get it off the rollers.Halb said:
I think that combo of compounds and ancillary is one of the best.
So you trained 6 days a week?
I did, from January to late April, then I thought I'd try something different, so did a Reg park 3 days per week Power routine for 5 weeks, which really helped with strength, and was a welcome relief from the 6 days routine.So you trained 6 days a week?
Am now back to a 4 times a week 2 day split, but at some point, I shall go to the 3 day split again, as I would like to have more exercises for legs, and having a back specific day.
As the weight increases, I now find I spend as much time, if not more on low weight warming up sets (Squats and Bench press especially), and increasing the weight at each set, so this current 2 day split takes around an hour and a half to two hours each day.
I have to admit, by the time I am finished, I really am too knackered to waste more time on abs, anyway!
AndStilliRise said:
Good work Chris!
Well done on your change. It changes all aspects of life, you feel better, work better. Success leads to more success.
Again well done.
Ps: there is not much point in hiding tour face when the post before that has them on.
Cheers Well done on your change. It changes all aspects of life, you feel better, work better. Success leads to more success.
Again well done.
Ps: there is not much point in hiding tour face when the post before that has them on.
It isn't so much I don't want to show my face, I have no problems with that, it's just that, when my wife too the pics, I was knackered and didn't realise I was pulling such gormless expressions!
Edited by chris watton on Saturday 4th July 15:23
Crush said:
Agree with this.
http://stronglifts.com/deadlift/
The above link is pretty good for perfecting your form
Thanks for that - I will work on my form for DL's again next week - I guess this is where a PT could come in handy!http://stronglifts.com/deadlift/
The above link is pretty good for perfecting your form
CrouchingWayne said:
Hi Chris, great work.
I think the deadlift form needs a bit of a tweak to be just right. I think your start position is a little off - try get your foot more under the bar. The bar should be directly above the mid foot. Take your grip once the stance is corrected and bend your knee so your shin comes into contact with the bar - this means the bar will travel straight up and down.
If you watch the video your start position is out, but once you begin the pull the weight automatically rolls to the correct point this is part of why it looks like a "2 part" movement as the initial position is not stable enough to lift it off the ground.
I personally prefer a narrower stance with toes a little more outwards than you as well.
Let me know if any of the above helps.
Thank you very much! I shall do as you suggest and work on form, starting light and progress from there. I shall post another vid when I 'think' I have it cracked.I think the deadlift form needs a bit of a tweak to be just right. I think your start position is a little off - try get your foot more under the bar. The bar should be directly above the mid foot. Take your grip once the stance is corrected and bend your knee so your shin comes into contact with the bar - this means the bar will travel straight up and down.
If you watch the video your start position is out, but once you begin the pull the weight automatically rolls to the correct point this is part of why it looks like a "2 part" movement as the initial position is not stable enough to lift it off the ground.
I personally prefer a narrower stance with toes a little more outwards than you as well.
Let me know if any of the above helps.
I have got up to 160kg, but I feel I should be doing better, perhaps the wrong stance and using my lower back too much is the reason.
CrouchingWayne said:
You probably won't need to deload much, but often better safe than sorry. It is very back dominant so that won't change. I recently had an issue where my back angle wasn't flat enough which I think is what you are thinking you want. I found correcting that has helped the weight go up again.
Cheers, I shall start from 80kg and go up 10kg each set, concentrating on correct posture and movements, as you state.Shinobi said:
Well done mate, excellent progress and if your enjoying all the better.
Would you mind posting a few pictures of the gym as a whole? Moving into a new house soon and I'm gonna convert the garage into a gym and need as many examples as possibly.
Thank you Would you mind posting a few pictures of the gym as a whole? Moving into a new house soon and I'm gonna convert the garage into a gym and need as many examples as possibly.
These are posted in previous pagesThis was taken last September; it hasn’t changed much apart from more weights and more flooring:
And this was taken late last year, when I bought the cable attachment for the cage. I don’t use the Preacher Curl bench so much (Now prefer standing BB/DB Curls and Chin Ups), but I guess it’s nice to have and still do a set once per week. I did also buy a pair of longer 18” dumbbells, so I could use more weight for the DB Rows – also more pulley attachments.
I am thinking of buying another large barbell and a pair of 25kg plates, so I can leave one bar on the cage and one on the floor – or is that just lazy?
lord trumpton said:
well done and good for you
at nearly 42 I've just rdered a heavy bag and a rope and looking for a bench and some free weight.
I think its my MLC but hey, its better than going out and trying to pull young birds and risking my marriage
Thank you!at nearly 42 I've just rdered a heavy bag and a rope and looking for a bench and some free weight.
I think its my MLC but hey, its better than going out and trying to pull young birds and risking my marriage
I would say go for it, as I have said before, it is one of the best decisions I have made. It had nothing to do with MLC, I just didn't want to be seen as fat anymore, I wanted to gain a little more self respect - I couldn't do that sitting on my fat arse all day and scoffing pork pies for dinner!
doosht said:
wow, great transformation. Im 43 and thinking of having a go. Did you change your diet much?
Thank you, and yes, diet changed completely, and for good. It cannot be a temporary change. I took advice from some good people on this very forum, downloaded My Fitness Pal and went from there. The four months in the run up before last Christmas was hard, as I was on 1200 calories per day, plus training. It worked, though, and I made every one of those 1200 calories count, all good nutritious food (and protein shakes...). First things I cut out after reading advice and doing a little research was bread and sugar.You can still 'cheat' now and again, I had a cheeseburger and chips the other night, and have an Indian sometimes at weekends, but it's all about moderation and keeping an eye on daily calorie intake.
LordGrover said:
FWIW Rip's dl vid here: click.
Another great instructional vid! I may do a de-load session later and at the end, do some more form practice on the DL's (Although I always feel like de-loading on Mondays, as I still ache slightly from the week before, but once I get warmed up, that goes out of the window.. )J4CKO said:
I have changed mine a lot, am working on 1500/1600 cals and like Chris says, you have to make them count, going from eating as much crap as you want (not saying you do) to eating 1500 cals of crap is a recipe for hunger and misery, it is actually fairly easy on 1500 if you eat the right stuff, Lean Meat, Baked spuds, Scrambled Eggs, porridge, salad, nuts, seeds, pulse etc, eating 1500 cals of Crips, cakes and pastries might make you lose weight but it wont be pleasant.
Still early days for me, am down by 15 pounds, body fat from 31.5 to 28.1, had started doing weights a couple of months back but have only really focussed on the diet the last month or so and that is when I started seeing results.
If you keep it up, after 6 months, you will be glad you did. I found that, after the first three months, the fat started to disappear at quite a rate during the next 3-4 months.Still early days for me, am down by 15 pounds, body fat from 31.5 to 28.1, had started doing weights a couple of months back but have only really focussed on the diet the last month or so and that is when I started seeing results.
I still do not eat so much (but I am quite short anyway, so don't need what perhaps a larger 6 foot+ guy needs), I have a stacked protein shake (added BCAA'a, L-Glutamine, taurine, HMB) for breakfast (Never used to have breakfast at all), another an hour before training (with Beta Alanine), with a banana and yoghurt (and sometimes a few nuts if I still feel a little hungry), and another (this time with a little dextrose, creatine, BCAA's) during or immediately after training, plus another banana. And for tea, meat, veg and small potatoes or meat/seafood and salad with hard boiled eggs. I do have around 5 or 6 mugs of coffee per day too, so that's about another half a pint of whole milk.
This seems to work well for me, but obviously bigger guys would need more, I would think...
declasm said:
Wow - just found this thread and read it from start to finish, I think you are truly inspirational and you've made fantastic progress
I started to weight training nearly two years ago and I have focused much more on building strength, rather than aesthetics but I'm coming round to the idea of cutting some fat and revealing muscle and you've done a fair amount to prove the case for it. Well done!
You might find that people would be interested in your story elsewhere like Reddit or Bodybuilding.com
Thank you!I started to weight training nearly two years ago and I have focused much more on building strength, rather than aesthetics but I'm coming round to the idea of cutting some fat and revealing muscle and you've done a fair amount to prove the case for it. Well done!
You might find that people would be interested in your story elsewhere like Reddit or Bodybuilding.com
It's funny looking back, I know I made a couple of 'noob' errors to begin with (I still consider myself a 'noob', just with a little more experience), like concentrating too much on crappy isolations and using too much weight, hurting my elbow by curling too much etc. I think that on the whole though, I used the first six months to lose the weight and then started proper weight training after this, as in eating properly and training hard.
At the moment, I do the following split routine - sometimes, it can be more or less, depending how I feel, but the main compounds are always the same, these are set in stone. I have found that this works pretty well for me:
Monday and Thursday:
Squats - 5x5 plus a drop set (sometimes add front Squats and Calf Raises)
Bench Press - 5x5 plus a drop set (Sometimes add Incline Bench Press and Fly's)
Bent over DB Row - 4x10
Pendlay Row - 5x5
Lat Pull Down - 4x10
Seated Pulley Row or Pull Ups - 4x10
Tuesday and Friday
Strict BB Overhead Press - 5x5 plus a drop set
Upright Row - 5x10
Shoulder Shrug - 5x10-20
Face Pulls or Reverse DB Fly's (or both) - 4x10
Triceps exercises x 2 - 4 sets of 10 reps each (These can be any two of Narrow Grip Bench Press, Extensions, Pushdowns, Skull crushers)
Biceps exercises x 2 - 4 sets of 10 reps each (These can be any two of Preacher Curl, Standing BB Curl, Alternate DB Curls, Chin Ups, and a few other variations)
Saturday - Deadlifts
I don't need to work on fat loss so much now, so I just concentrate of strength and muscle building, while keeping to a good diet - it has become a way of life, I think it has to in order to progress...
As I have said before, I honestly thought it would take at least a year, maybe two to get to grips with the fat and training properly, but it happened much quicker than I imagined.
When I started back last May, I remember my legs wobbling with 60kg on my shoulders for Squats, now, I have done 150kg for Squats, 80kg for Strict Overhead Press, and 122.5kg for Bench, (Although am still a little behind on Deadlifts at 170kg, but I only started those at the beginning of this year, am aiming for 185kg by the end of this year) - sometimes, I find it hard to believe I can shift these weights, and, even harder to believe I haven't incurred any serious injuries!
J4CKO said:
I think I need to split it down into separate workouts and get more focused, am seeing results but I feel like I am still farting about.
Weight wise I have ended up at about 16.10 and am not moving, diet isnt quite as good but not slipping totally off the wagon, I guess I must have put on some muscle weight as my arms feel bigger and more solid, as do my chest and shoulders.
When you say you can bench press 125 kilos, is that once or for a number of reps, I am up to 80 kilos for 6 - 8 reps, I reckon I could do 100 once but nobody around to spot me and I dont want to end up wearing a fat blokes worth of iron disks or rupture something.
Am concentrating on watching Youtube videos for some new exercises to do.
Do you find yourself incessantly checking out your progress in the mirror, it isnt "damn" I look great narcissism, more deciding what needs more work
The Bench and OH Press numbers are both one rep max. I wouldn't even try the Bench Press (and heavy Squats) without spotters - you must try and get a cage, or half cage at some point. I don't think you can progress to heavier weights and be safe/confident without one (with adjustable spotters for both Squat and Bench press). My main aim now is to get my Deadlift up to 185kg, then I'll be happy. (Before setting a new goal/target).Weight wise I have ended up at about 16.10 and am not moving, diet isnt quite as good but not slipping totally off the wagon, I guess I must have put on some muscle weight as my arms feel bigger and more solid, as do my chest and shoulders.
When you say you can bench press 125 kilos, is that once or for a number of reps, I am up to 80 kilos for 6 - 8 reps, I reckon I could do 100 once but nobody around to spot me and I dont want to end up wearing a fat blokes worth of iron disks or rupture something.
Am concentrating on watching Youtube videos for some new exercises to do.
Do you find yourself incessantly checking out your progress in the mirror, it isnt "damn" I look great narcissism, more deciding what needs more work
I wish I had taken more pics of my progress, but at the start, I was so out of shape that I was too embarrassed to, I just wanted to be thinner above all else, and I knew I'd be disappointed if I looked in the mirror too often (We only have one mirror anyway, a small one in the bathroom).
I do like wearing clothes that actually fit me, compliment my body, rather than buying XXL to try and hide it (all thrown away now apart from a few that I wear when training in the cold garage in Winter), and I love the fact that I not fit a lot better in my Tamora!
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