PH Transformation Winter Thread 2012 - Chat

[Smitters]

Greetings folks,

Apologies for the lack of reply/involvement - work and life rather getting in the way.

Anyway, whilst I've not done much in the way of my close to bodyweight workouts, I have kept up with the climbing (now at 6a+ sport lead, going to attempt a few 6bs next week, failed at a 6c toprope, for those that care) and deffo kept up with the endurance. I'm doing a 50 mile footrace this weekend, with a cut-off time of 24 hours. I'm just aiming to get round, with a view to earning qualification points for one of the junior Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc races in '13 or '14. I fully expect to be broken on Monday.

I have, however, expended some energy setting up a very basic home gym. Got a bike on a turbo, with screen and fan, a 20kg barbell and some mats to lie on. I will be using my imagination to get a really good workout, but am well chuffed. No I just need some motivational posters, though it will look like a right Top Gun stylee comedy homo-erotic love-in to any casual observers... I shall photo once the walls have something other than mirrors...

Right. I'm off to cancel my gym membership. £30 a month back in the pocket! Sweet.

[Asterix]

Sushi said:

Asterix said:

Things I'd like to improve - back workouts. Having trouble really hitting the lats and getting that 'connection' with them when doing pulldowns or chins. I seem to put far too much effort in with my arms and they get shagged before my back does. Any help or ideas for this would be good.

I try and focus on bringing my elbows down to my sides rather than initiating the pull with my forearms. If that makes any sense.

theshrew said:

Im far from a expert on weights but i had the same problem. Just change your grip on the bar put your hands further apart ( if i remeber correctly ) seemed to work a lot better for me and didnt hit the bi's as much.

Cheers chaps - I'm also going to lighten the weight and really concentrate on 'feeling' the lats work.

[Hoofy]

Smitters said:

No I just need some motivational posters, though it will look like a right Top Gun stylee comedy homo-erotic love-in to any casual observers... I shall photo once the walls have something other than mirrors...

I find Pinterest useful for motivation but they might not be big enough to be posters:
http://pinterest.com/all/?category=health_fitness

On the plus side, it's mostly pics of hot women.

[Smitters]

Hoofy said:

I find Pinterest useful for motivation but they might not be big enough to be posters:
http://pinterest.com/all/?category=health_fitness

On the plus side, it's mostly pics of hot women.

I shall look into that when not on a work laptop... but it sounds excellent.

[theshrew]

Nice swim this morning got up a bit late but still managed 45min late for work tho lol

Also today is Day 1 being a non smoker. Not looking forward to this at all
However i did a little deal with myself i get a new car if i gave up - I got the car now just for the giving up part.

[Asterix]

Good luck with the smoking.

[fatpasty]

First gym session tonight.

Chest workout.

Plan is -

Flat bench press
incline bench press
flys
decline bench press
push ups

Looking to rips the chest apart tonight!

Weight will be 80% of 1RM , 4 sets of 6 reps


Well thats the plan at the moment.

[fatpasty]

I'm just going to see how it goes. I don't think I will do al of that but thats the set routine I want to work towards. Yes I thought about Triceps. Might throw in a couple of exercises in instead of the chest work. Depends how I'm feeling. I want the burn but I'm not going to over do it on the first night back. But I'm only working towards two gym sessions a week (weights). So in a few weeks times I will be pushing myself to the max to get the best out of the workouts.

[fatpasty]

Ordinary_Chap said:

If you're doing 2 gym sessions a week I'd consider two full body sessions per week.

Thats my 2p worth!
Lee

Thanks Chap. I haven't planned it all yet. Going to break my self in for a couple of weeks before getting something set in stone. Cheers again will keep you posted on how it goes.

[Hoofy]

fatpasty said:

Ordinary_Chap said:

If you're doing 2 gym sessions a week I'd consider two full body sessions per week.

Thats my 2p worth!
Lee

Thanks Chap. I haven't planned it all yet. Going to break my self in for a couple of weeks before getting something set in stone. Cheers again will keep you posted on how it goes.

You might find this thread useful if you're just starting out:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Halb]

Ordinary_Chap said:

If you're doing 2 gym sessions a week I'd consider two full body sessions per week.
Thats my 2p worth!
Lee

Good advice!
At two a week, do two full body. Personally I'd also increase the reps and drop the sets. And definitely drop the exercises.

[fatpasty]

Hoofy said:

You might find this thread useful if you're just starting out:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Cheers. Nah not just starting out. Done plenty of gym work before, just now starting out on my winter of change!

[Hoofy]

fatpasty said:

Hoofy said:

You might find this thread useful if you're just starting out:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Cheers. Nah not just starting out. Done plenty of gym work before, just now starting out on my winter of change!

I guess the issue was whether it was doing the right gym work or not. Prior to that thread, I was lifting weights alright but not doing anything useful. I guess it's much like someone claiming to be good at fighting after watching The Karate Kid series.

[fatpasty]

Hoofy said:

I guess the issue was whether it was doing the right gym work or not. Prior to that thread, I was lifting weights alright but not doing anything useful. I guess it's much like someone claiming to be good at fighting after watching The Karate Kid series.

Haha yeah I agree with you. I've done enough good gym work to know what I am doing but I will definitely check the thread out. More knowledge the better.

[Hoofy]

fatpasty said:

Haha yeah I agree with you. I've done enough good gym work to know what I am doing but I will definitely check the thread out. More knowledge the better.

I certainly learnt a lot from the advice given. Can't believe I used to do core work first.

[fatpasty]

Yeah read that thread before. Just bookmarked it for further reference though. Yeah some very good info in it. Will consider what has been said when I design my routine.

[Smitters]

fatpasty said:

Yeah read that thread before. Just bookmarked it for further reference though. Yeah some very good info in it. Will consider what has been said when I design my routine.

Likewise I got a lot out of the advice given. I found more than three sessions a week cut into time for other sports or my recovery wasn't quick enough to allow me to enjoy other activities. I also found the key to two sessioning was to keep it interesting and try not to pack too much in. Sometimes I'd do a front day and a back day (all body), or I'd do a push and a pull day, or upper and lower. I'd chuck the odd core only day in too to spice it up. The other tool I found useful for staving off boredom is to target bodyparts, but not necessarily use the same exercise, so I might do overhead press one week, dumbell raises the next, lat pull down and then chins and so on.

Good luck and enjoy.

[theshrew]

Training this week kinda going ok. 3 x swim done, however 2 of those were supposed to be gym sessions but i woke up to late. I even set my alarm this morning only to find out it doesnt go off when the phone is on silent ugh.
Better to have a swim than do nothing so thats what i did.

Need some advice for a healthy snack something other than fruit or sliced up veg. This stopping smoking has turned me into a hunger monster

[Hoofy]

theshrew said:

Training this week kinda going ok. 3 x swim done, however 2 of those were supposed to be gym sessions but i woke up to late. I even set my alarm this morning only to find out it doesnt go off when the phone is on silent ugh.
Better to have a swim than do nothing so thats what i did.

Need some advice for a healthy snack something other than fruit or sliced up veg. This stopping smoking has turned me into a hunger monster

I hear it does that! What about nuts? (Go easy on them as they are high in calories - 25g (a small handful) can contain 150 calories!) Or breakfast bars (they're not really healthy as they're loaded with sugar ).

From my initial investigations, swimming appears to be a good way of burning fat and building muscle (unless you want to look like Arnie).

[LordGrover]

theshrew said:

Need some advice for a healthy snack something other than fruit or sliced up veg. This stopping smoking has turned me into a hunger monster

Bacon and egg sarnie from the van in a few mins...

For a more regular snack, I quite like to keep a few hard boiled eggs about and maybe a pitta bread. Tins of tuna/mackerel/sardines/salmon are also useful to keep in the office desk drawer - all I need then is a pitta, rice, whatever. Cottage cheese (with chives?) and rice cakes.