Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

GTG BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps
GTG Chins with Jungle Gym - 50+ reps

Food Intake:
6 x Lemon and raisin pancakes
3 x Bacon slices
1 tsp honey

Prawn cocktail
Turkey and ham dinner with ALL the trimmings
Vanilla Cheesecake

5 x Snickers Flapjacks
2 x Snickers Ice Cream

2 x Lemon and raisin pancakes with jam
2 Fingered KitKat
4 x Digestive biscuit
1/2 pint of milk

.....feel a bit sick now. A few of the posters on the Tim Ferris thread pointed out that they got very good results hammering the cheat day, so that's what I've done. Let's see what happens then.

Weighed in at 207.5lbs @ 33.5% this morning - just over 10lbs in a fortnight isn't bad.

Rigged up the jungle gym and have been able to get closer to the volume that I'd like.

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

GTG BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front
GTG Chins with 2 x #1, #2 & #3 powerbands

Food Intake:
4 Eggs (2 yokes)
1.5 cup frozen stirfry veg

Southern Chicken
1/2 tin refried beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

Southern Chicken
2 slices ham & a little cheese
Green Tea

Wasn't especially hungry from lunch time onwards. I have been eating more beans/lentils this week than the first week, along with a bit more carbs from my work days. Think I can kill two birds with one stone this coming week by changing up my standard meals to a chicken and lentil curry recipe I found. I can cut back on the lentils that go into it and take some curry with me on the lorry when I'm working.

Tomorrow is my go wild day and I fully intend doing just that. I've had a full packet of snickers flap jacks in my bedroom since last sunday - I'm happy to report that I didn't come close to eating any of them this week.

I'm finding it more difficult to do as many chin ups per day as I would like - this is because my chin up bar is down 2 flights and out the back of the house. I'm going to rig up my jungle gym somewhere handy and use both of them to up the daily numbers closer to 100.

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

GTG BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front

Food Intake:
2 rounds bread
Bacon & Cheese

2 rounds bread
Bacon & Cheese

5 Eggs (2 yokes)
1 cup frozen stirfry veg

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

GTG BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front

Food Intake:
3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen stirfry veg
1 tsp salsa

Southern Chicken
1/2 tin refried beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

Southern Chicken
1/2 tin refried beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

GTG BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps
GTG assisted pull ups using 2 x #2 & #3 powerbands - 50+ reps

Food Intake:
3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen stirfry veg
1 tsp salsa

Chargrill Chicken (Reggae Reggae)
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

Chargrill Chicken (Reggae Reggae)
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

Very chuffed with the progress I'm making with my squats - getting deeper and deeper all the time. Easy to do these anywhere so I tend to be doing more of them than pull ups; really need to make more of an effort in that respect.

With the pull ups I have been doing a little experimenting with head and eye position. I always titled my head back to look up to the bar in the past, but I have found a real difference in keeping it neutral and my eyes looking straight forward. I've been cuing myself to focus on driving my elbows into my sides and they are already feeling easier.

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - around 30 reps today

Food Intake:
Half a roast beef and salad roll as I forgot to take my lunch

Other half of roast beef and salad roll

Chicken and salad baguette I forgot to take with me

At work today all day so gtg pull ups were out. If anyone is interested work at the minute is pulling on a hose as thick as a coke can for 3-4 hours on a 30 secs on 45 secs off fashion. I do this while wearing overalls and waterproofs, so on a day like today were the sun was out it gets a touch warm in there.

Its physical stuff for sure, but good for aiding a lot of the stuff I want to do with a KB (or should that be the other way around?). mc showed me how I could alter my position slightly to take most of the work off my back and onto my hamstrings which has helped immensely.

I'm only out a couple of days a week and I'm treating it as a day when it's ok to put a few extra carbs in my body - they easily get burned off.

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps
GTG assisted pull ups using 2 x #2 & #3 powerbands

Food Intake:
3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/2 tin black beans
1 cup frozen stirfry veg
1 tsp salsa

2 Turkey Burgers
1/2 tin black beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

2 Turkey Burgers
1/2 tin black beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp guacamole

I'm going to give it a shot for the HKC in June. I only intend going for it if I can pass it and offset the cost of the RKC which intially means being capable of doing 5 pull ups. Currently I can't do one.

mc has formed a plan for me though. The early registration ends on May 15 - the plan is to hammer gtg pull ups and squats until then. I test and see how I'm doing. I have another session in the bank with her so we can take a look at my swing and TGU then.

I'm skeptical but I'll give it my best. If it doesn't work out, I lose nothing but I'm still better off than I am now...win/win.

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Rag Dolls / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

Little niggles in the lower back at times today - probably reintroduced the rag dolls too soon, they seem to be no good for me at present.

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps

Weigh in: 210lbs @ 34.9% lost 8 lbs

Food Intake:
French Toast and Bacon x 3

Chicken "sunday" dinner
Apple Tart and ice cream

A packet of mini chocolate caramel brownies
A packet of snickers flapjacks

I felt like I could have eaten more! Though having a quick read through the Tim Ferris blog comments I may have undereaten today compared to some of the ones on there......still 20 minutes of today left though ;)

Today:

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

Pain free today. I'll add in the rag dolls again tomorrow to see how they go. Shoulder felt really good too.

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps

Food Intake:
3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen stirfry veg
1 tsp salsa

2 Burgers
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa

Sirlion Steak
1/3 tin lentils
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa

Today:

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

Had an issue with my lower back on the right hand side. Was advised by mc to ditch the Rag Dolls and add in more thoracic and hip work until pain subsides. On a positive note the nerve glide used before doing my shoulder work on the right side is working to eradicate the pain I had there.

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps per day
Already beginning to see improvement here - although I'm not doing them near a mirror I'd say that I am at least at parallel before the curve in my spine starts to go.

Food Intake:
3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/2 tin black beans
1 cup frozen stirfry veg

2 Burgers
1/2 tin refried beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa

2 Burgers
1/2 tin black beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa

Getting a little bored with beans now but I have lost a shed load of weight this week. Water, fat whatever, it has been motivating to say the least and people have commented already!

I'm better mentaly prepared for it this time though - I expect it to be tough. The discomfort is only temporary and I can stand it. Not long to the big feeding frenzy.

Thursday

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

3 PERFECT movements each side (use a mirror to check alignment)

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps per day
Did a few sets using a "post" to aid with depth. These are now in instead of wall squats with KB.


Food Intake:
2 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/2 Chick & Bacon Baguette with salad

1/2 Chick & Bacon Baguette with salad

3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1 cup frozen stirfry veg

Back Again!!

OK - lets give this another shot. No longer at the Olympic Weight lifting due to all sorts of factors. I have fallen in love with KBs again...but I'm not allowed to touch them just yet.

About 5 weeks ago I woke up and tried to get out of bed. It was staggering how shot my body felt. I had pains in my knees, back and shoulder and felt stiff all over. It's like I was closer to 96 than 36. I have a choice wether or not to go through life like this or not....I chose not.

I contacted MC who is an FMS/Z Health/KB guru and she has been steering me on the right path. Currently I am working on correcting movement with z health drills which has worked to remove most if not all the pain I was feeling. I also wanted her to help me out with my Goblet Squat, TGU and Swing with the goal of doing a HKC later in the year.

The last session we had I mentioned how I was looking forward to getting started into some "real" exercise. You know - heart thumping, sweat inducing, man sized exercise to carve the fat off me. She had one word for me - diet!! 20 mins HIIT or drop a couple peices of toast out of what you eat. So at present here is the plan, session details to follow.

Tim Ferris' Diet Plan
MCs Advice

Today:

Z-Health
Ankle Tilts / Ankle Pulls / Hip-Leg Circles / Rag Dolls(Lumbar Circles) / Thoracic Glides / Neck - Turns, tilts, glides / Shoulder Circles - top, bottom, front across, side back (Nerve Glide for shoulder pain throughout day)/ Elbow Circles / Wrist Circles

3 PERFECT movements each side (use a mirror to check alignment)

BW squats to above parallel Arms out in front - 50+ reps per day

Every other day: Wall work with KB - Squat down and lever (curl), put it down and stand up

Food Intake:
3 Eggs (2 yokes)
1/3 tin black beans
1 cup frozen stirfry veg
1 tsp salsa

1 Burger
1/3 tin black beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa

1 Chicken Kiev
1/3 tin black beans
1 cup frozen veg
1 tsp salsa

Shutting Down the blog.......

This is my last post. I'll no longer be posting my training on here.

Thank you to everyone who has followed it, I've enjoyed writing it and I have greatly appreciated your support.

Of course I would greatly appreciate your continued support on my new blog found here :)

"Baby needs new shoes....."

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists

Warm Up - Shoulder Dislocates / Achilles Stretches / Quad Stretches / Squat Stretches / Shoulder & Wrist Stretch 2 x 10

Snatch High Pulls / Snatches / OH Squats / Power Cleans / Split Jerks 3 x 3

Session A
Power Snatches - 5 sets 3 reps - 40kgs 1 x 45kgs, 1 x 45kgs (PR)
Overhead Squat - 5 sets 3 reps - 22.5kgs
Pull for Clean - 5 sets 3 reps - 55kgs
Power Cleans - 5 sets 5 reps - 45kgs
Jerk from Racks - 5 sets 3 reps - 45kgs
Back Squat - 3 sets 5 reps - 55kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - 2 sets of 12

Stretches

Comments: Pretty much over the cold I had now and I'm feeling stronger and healthier. I felt stronger in a lot of these lifts today, but my form and flexibility still has a lot of catching up to do. Rome wasn't built in a day though.

We were using 10kg bumper plates for the first today - sorry I should really have put Hang in front of most of the exercise descriptions in previous sessions. I not sure if it made it easier or not pulling from the deck, but it sure does feel good to let the weight bounce from droppin' it.

Got to save up now for some shoes. Weights were going under my heels for the squats, and under my toes for the cleans.....it seems I don't know where to be putting my weight!!

Shuffle

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists

Warm Up - Shoulder Dislocates / Achilles Stretches / Quad Stretches / Squat Stretches / Shoulder & Wrist Stretch 2 x 10

Snatch High Pulls / Snatches / OH Squats / Power Cleans / Split Jerks 3 x 3

Session C
Split Jerks from rack - 5 sets 3 reps - 45kgs
Power Snatch - 5 sets 3 reps - 30kgs
Overhead Squat - 5 sets 5 reps - 20kgs
Back Squats - 5 sets 5 reps - 45kgs
Standing Press - 5 sets 3 reps - 45kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - 2 sets of 12

Stretches

Comments: Had to do a bit of shuffling around this week.....Maurice wanted to go shopping yesterday!! He didn't even buy me anything nice :(

Cold seems to have cleared up and I felt better able for this session today. That said I struggled for speed and consistancy. My key learning point of the day was thinking not about lifting the weight in the Jerks but on getting me under it with a wider split. It felt so much lighter and faster when I approached it this way.

Over Head and Back Squats are still more about the stretch and it was killing me as I tried to get as low as I could for each rep. I've been doing my warm up a couple of times daily to aid my flexibility, but it is going to take a Herculean effort to keep doing it. I absolutely hate it, which usually means it is the thing I need most.

In the middle of the session today Maurice left to take a call. He told me it was the World Over 65 y/o record holder from N Ireland. He can C&J 132.5kgs and Snatch 97.5kgs at around 95kgs - not bad for a pensioner.

Flat Eric

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists

Warm Up - Shoulder Dislocates / Achilles Stretches / Quad Stretches / Squat Stretches / Shoulder & Wrist Stretch 2 x 10

Snatch High Pulls / Snatches / OH Squats / Power Cleans 3 x 5

Session B
Power Clean - 5 sets 3 reps - 40kgs
Power Snatch - 5 sets 3 reps - 30kgs
Push Press - 5 sets 5 reps - 40kgs
Clean Deadlift (Fast) - 5 sets 5 reps - 80kgs
Smith Machine Press - 54321 reps - 47.5kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - set of 12

Stretches

Comments: Thanks for the comments guys. I am fortunate to have a coach so near to hand, and believe me I intend to soak up all I can from him. It is very like the DL experiment, only not so frequent. I've read that the Bulgarian W/L team do the same thing - finding a max for that day and then doing the work sets 5-20kgs lighter depending on their schedule.

Todays session was a bit flat and I needed lighter weights. Can't seem to shake this head cold and general lack of energy. The food intake has suffered a lot, but apparently I have put on 3lbs of muscle and no fat. I'm off food shopping in a bit and I'm going to clean it up and fill myself full of steak and eggs this week.

In complete contrast to the last session I felt that I started poorly and finshed stronger. There was no speed in any of the first 3 lifts - the last 2 felt easier for me.

I really need to get my arse in gear and do some flexibility stuff on my own. I've read some good stuff on the work I need to be doing and it just boils down to doing it a couple of times a day now.

Its a funny old game...

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists

Warm Up - High Pulls/Snatches/OHS/Cleans/Jerks with the bar

Session A
Power Snatches - 6 sets 5 reps - 35kgs
Overhead Squat - 5 sets 5 reps - 20kgs
Pull for Clean - 5 sets 5 reps - 40kgs
Power Cleans - 5 sets 5 reps - 45kgs
Jerk from Racks - 5 sets 3 reps - 40kgs
Back Squat - 3 sets 5 reps - 50kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - 1 set close to failure

Stretches

Comments: Felt really good warming up, thought that I was all but over my cold and was feeling plenty strong. I was whipping the empty bar about and making that really satisfying SLAM with my feet on the snatches. It turned out to be a game of two halves, I felt like I could have gone heavier on the first 4 exercises but by the time I got to the Jerks I was going downhill. Endurance wasn't there today.

Saying that, overall it was a good session. Egged on by Maurice I was getting deeper and deeper on the OHSquats. He had me hold bottom position for a bit on the last rep of each set. It was agony for me but at the same time the bar felt lighter, like I had better control of it and better balance. Also on my Power Cleans I was focusing on trying to whip the elbows round. I found that the more aggressive I was in doing this the easier it felt.

Maurice's philosophy - with beginners anyway - is to lift with good form with a weight that you can handle on that day. This is why some of my weight selections may not be making sense. When my conditioning, technique and strength all start to catch up then the weight selections will fit. That's why I have the odd stand out weight like Pressing from my last session and then doing less this session on Jerks.

Third session

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists

Warm Up - Snatches/Cleans/Jerks/Squats with the bar

Session C
Split Jerks from rack - 5 sets 3 reps - 42.5kgs
Power Snatch - 5 sets 3 reps - 30kgs
Overhead Squat - 5 sets 3 reps - 20kgs
Back Squats - 5 sets 5 reps - 50kgs
Standing Press - 5 sets 3 reps - 45kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - 2 sets of 12

Stretches

Comments: Still carrying a stinking cold. Every evening before training so far I haven't thought I'd make it, but I've felt better the next morning. We are still taking it easy on the intensity and zipping through the sessions so it hasn't been too tough.

Technique is still a work in progress obviously and it varies from OK to Bollocks. I haven't been of mind or body to practice on my own with a stick so far, but I expect it to get better along with my flexibility when I do start. I guess the best example of this today was the OH Squats. In the first few sets I was all over the place and not very deep. In the last few though I was getting down pretty deep with good balance and solid overhead. It was the first time I ever felt that I could handle more than just the bar.

Going back into a gym is funny as well. There is so much posing, gossiping and ridiculing of people's weight totals going on it's hilarious. I've promised Maurice though that'll I'll stop all that and concentrate on the training from now on ;)

Sickboy

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists

Warm Up - Snatches/Cleans/Jerks/Squats with the bar

Session B
Power Clean - 5 sets 3 reps - 40kgs
Power Snatch - 5 sets 3 reps - 32.5kgs
Push Press - 5 sets 5 reps - 42.5kgs
Clean Deadlift (Fast) - 5 sets 5 reps - 60kgs
Smith Machine Press - 54321 reps - 45kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - 2 sets of 12

Stretches

Comments: Over the weekend I thought I'd be doubtful for this session. Firstly I had my shoulder on ice for 2 days - it was the worst it has felt in months. Then I went downhill and felt really run down - think I have a bit of a virus. Fortunately I was feeling better on both accounts this morning and while it was an easy session I went through it better than I thought I would.

We alternated sets and exercises straight through again and I found that I wasn't huffing and puffing as much as the last session. All the weights are still within my limits but I have noticed that I can't move the bar that fast. Hopefully that will come as I go along, after all speed strength or power is one of the aspects Oly lifting trains.

I've got myself the ultimate training aid - a broomstick - and hopefully now I can get a bit of practice in between sessions.

So it begins.....

Mobility
Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders and Wrists
(All the places you need for Oly Lifting; all the places I need work on!!)

Warm Up - Snatches/Cleans/Jerks/Squats with the bar

Session A
Power Snatches - 6 sets 5 reps - 35kgs
Overhead Squat - 5 sets 5 reps - 20kgs
Pull for Clean - 5 sets 5 reps - 40kgs
Power Cleans - 5 sets 5 reps - 45kgs
Jerk from Racks - 5 sets 3 reps - 40kgs
Back Squat - 3 sets 5 reps - 45kgs
Hanging Leg Raises - 1 set close to failure

Stretches

Comments: Started training proper with Maurice today. He gave me a print out with 3 sessions to do per week. This is to get me fit for lifting and I'll be on it for about a month. He wants me to be motoring through it and get some conditioning out of it too.

As far as the weights above go sometimes I worked up to that weight, others straight in and just left on because they were handy. It isn't about going as heavy as possible at this stage. Looking for some conditioning, finding my level and correcting gross technical errors I suppose. It was great to have Maurice there telling me rep for rep what was going well and what wasn't.

For now I'll only be doing some mobility/stretching and practicing lifts at home with a wooden dowel. At some point I'd like to throw in a little grip work, a few TGUs and some swings, snatches or sprints. That'll be down the road though and only if I feel it is necessary.

I have also cut back on the milk and decided to see how I get on with a sensible diet and 3 sessions per week. I honestly don't mind if I lose or put on a little - just as long as overall I lose fat and gain muscle. I still have the measurements I took when I was starting my hypertrophy stage, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I'd also liked to have done the Max Jones Quadrathlon to see what improvements I'd make. I might test my vertical and broad jump - but I'd be keeping those (small) figures to myself! ;)

I got some cracking resources yesterday off my good mate Paul - some dvds and a FANTASTIC book by Tommy Kono. Highly instructional and incredibly inspirational. I could get really into this weightlifting lark.