Well, I am now two weeks into my new training plan and so far so good as they say! Following a two week break from the Belly Off programme I booked a session with a PT at my gym in Cambridge to pull together a new plan. I also did some research on various sites and got some great advice from fellow gym goers!
My new routine is based around a Full Body routine using compound based exercises. Compound based exercises utilise more muscle groups and the more muscle groups you work the better the workout. I was referred to an article by a guy called Chad Waterbury on T-Nation on how to construct a decent FB routine:
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=508031
So my new routine looks like the following:
Monday
Squat - 3 sets - 12 Reps
Bench Press - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Bent Over Row - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Military Press - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Deadlift - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Dips - 3 Sets - 10 Reps
Wednesday
Tuesday is a mix of Cardio and a Weight circuit so it looks like this:
5 mins HIIT session on cardio machine such as Treadmill, Rower, Bike Cross Trainer
Squat - 1 Set - 10 Reps
DB Bench Press - 1 Set - 10 Reps
Deadlift - 1 Set - 10 Reps
DB Swings - 1 Set - 10 Reps
Then I repeat the above but alternate the cardio machine between the Treadmill, Rower, Bike & Cross Trainer for a total of 4 circuits. My PT referred to this as my Fat Burning day!
Friday
Leg Press - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Bench Press - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Deadlift - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Prone Row - 3 Sets - 12 Reps
Dips - 3 Sets - 10 Reps
Pull Ups - 3 Sets - 10 Reps
In addition to the above I play Football on Tuesday's and on Sunday I do a 5k run, which takes me around 25mins. On Thursday and Saturday I rest. Also, before I start my FB I tend to do a 5 min warm up on a cardio machine such as treadmill, rower, bike or cross trainer.
I'm now 2 weeks into my new training programme and about to start my 3rd week. I have dropped another 4lbs since starting the programme and am now hovering around the 12stone 2lb or if you prefer the 170lb mark. So I am pretty much down to where I want to be weight wise so now the above routine should help me to pack on the muscle and reduce the body fat.
I took some key measurements at the start and plan to review these every 6 weeks or so. So will keep you updated on my progress over the next few weeks.
Monday, 21 July 2008
Friday, 4 July 2008
Hierachy of Needs
I came across a great article on T-Nation which really helped to clarify a few things for me. I don't know about you but I certainly get pretty confused and frustrated by the wealth of information out there regarding fat loss, dieting, fitness etc.
This article looks at the basic 'Hierachy of Needs' for anybody looking to loose fat, build muscle etc. It basically looks at the core fundamentals which are essential to the success of any fitness routine/programme. If one of these things are missing or are not being utilised in the right way then you will never fully achieve your goals. For example, there is no point spending an hour on the treadmill everyday if your diet is still a load of crap! Simple right... so why do so many people get it wrong?!
Anyway, the Hierachy of Needs are based upon the following:
• Supplements — This being the top of the pyramid.
• Lifestyle
• Training
• Diet — This being the foundation of the pyramid.
This article looks at the basic 'Hierachy of Needs' for anybody looking to loose fat, build muscle etc. It basically looks at the core fundamentals which are essential to the success of any fitness routine/programme. If one of these things are missing or are not being utilised in the right way then you will never fully achieve your goals. For example, there is no point spending an hour on the treadmill everyday if your diet is still a load of crap! Simple right... so why do so many people get it wrong?!
Anyway, the Hierachy of Needs are based upon the following:
• Supplements — This being the top of the pyramid.
• Lifestyle
• Training
• Diet — This being the foundation of the pyramid.
I think this is a great article and provides an excellent understanding and starting point for anybody starting out. Use this as the basis for building your programme and it will provide you with a very strong foundation.
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=201dawg2
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Review of Week 8 - Belly Off
So here it is... my final review of the Belly Off programme. I completed the final Bodyweight challenge on Saturday... the 350/200 challenge, which now brings me to the end of the 8 week programme.
It’s been a truly fantastic and dare I say it... ‘life changing’ 8 weeks and although I am delighted to have successfully completed the programme I also feel a bit sad that it’s finally come to an end! However, I’m also really excited about starting my new programme but more on that later.
To wrap up I thought I would provide a review of all the core elements of the belly off programme and to summarise the key things I have learnt along the way. Apologies in advance as this could be the longest thread ever posted! However, hopefully this will provide a useful insight to anyone just starting or looking to start the programme.
The Eating Plan
The eating plan is definitely one of the easiest to follow and provides a pretty good balance of key nutrients and especially carbs, fibre and proteins. It’s what I would call ‘an everyday diet’, in other words everything is easy to get hold of and it’s the type of food that most people would buy and eat anyway. I hate those diets where you literally need your own chef working for you full time or that require ingredients that can only be purchased from specialist stores etc. The Belly Off Eating plan is very basic and easy to follow. Let’s face it, if you can’t cook chicken, Turkey or Beef and some basic veg then you are in a bit of trouble!
The key principle behind the diet is to increase protein intake from lean meats such as turkey, chicken, beef and Tuna. This is to obviously aid muscle development whilst you are also loosing body fat. The other key aspect is the reduction in carbohydrates and particularly refined carbohydrates such as Pasta, White Bread, Rice etc. Instead, more wholegrains and carbs with a low GI such as wholemeal pasta, brown rice etc. Very rarely did I find myself feeling peckish and for the most part the food was pretty filling and satisfying!
I did start mixing things up quite early on to prevent myself from getting bored and fed up. So I added Salmon, Prawns, Pork, Wholemeal pasta, chicken dishes, protein shakes, cottage cheese, wholegrain snacks etc. So now my diet is pretty varied and I must admit that the last 8 weeks has probably been the most healthiest and balanced that I have ever had!
I have been keeping a fairly strict diet plan throughout the last 8 weeks and have been recording all the nutritional values of the food I have been eating whilst sticking to the plan pretty closely. On average, if you were to follow the plan closely you should be getting around 2000 calories a day and around 100g of protein. For the average person this should be fine, but for people who are bigger then they will probably need to top this up a bit to ensure they are getting sufficient calories and protein. One thing I would suggest is to calculate your resting metabolic rate, i.e. how many calories your body will expend if you were just laying in bed all day. Then you can calculate how many calories your body will need based upon your activity levels, i.e. Light, moderate or high. Then, to loose fat you simply create a calorie deficit of around 500 calories. If you were to take me as an example, it would work out as follows:
Resting Metabolic Rate = 1800
Low Activity = 2300
Moderate Activity = 2800
High Activity = 3100
So assuming I have a moderate activity lifestyle and would like to loose fat then I would basically need to consume around 2300 calories per day (2800 – 500 = 2300). If you work this out for yourself then you can closely monitor your intake to ensure that you are getting the right amount your body needs. This is important because if you do not get sufficient calories then your body will run out of energy to burn and when that happens your body will then turn to your muscles for energy instead.
There are plenty of website resources out there which will help you to calculate your daily calorie intake and such as http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcalc.htm. This will give you a quick calculation based upon your age, height and weight.
The other thing to work out is how much protein your body needs. There are different calculations but the most commonly used one is 1.5g per kilo of bodyweight. So for me this works out at around 130g per day. So in order to ensure I was getting sufficient protein I have been supplementing the Eating plan with a Whey based protein drink. Again, it’s important to calculate how much protein you are getting so you top up as and when required.
One other thing I have learned over the last 8 weeks. You will actually loose more weight by eating more! Most people eat 3 square meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Anybody who works out and has an active lifestyle will have on average 6 meals a day as follows:
Breakfast
Mid-Morning Snack
Lunch
Afternoon Snack
Dinner
Post Workout (PWO)
The theory being you eat smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day which will help stop the hunger pangs and will make you less likely to binge out! What you eat at each of these points is also crucial. So for instance your post workout should include a high protein content to help build and repair muscle following your workout and also some carbs to replenish your energy stores. So what you eat when can have a big impact on the performance of your body. Again there are plenty of resources on the web that will provide you will more detail on this.
So to summarise the key points on the Eating Plan:
· Work out how many calories and protein etc you should be getting on a daily basis
· Try to monitor your intake to work out how much you are actually getting
· Supplement your diet where necessary to ensure you get the right balance
· Plan ahead and be prepared, i.e. Try to plan your meals in advance
· Eat less more frequently throughout the day
· Pick foods with a low GI as they keep you feeling fuller longer
· Timing is key – Eat the right foods at the right times of the day
· Mix it up or else you will get bored! i.e. add Salmon, cottage cheese, pork, etc
· Be true to yourself, commit to it and it will work!
· Treat yourself now and again... You deserve it!
The Workouts
Well what can I say about the workouts. At the end of the day the proof is in the pudding and if you take a look at my before and after pics in my profile you will see a huge change in my body from week 1 to week 8. So it does exactly what it says on the tin! The workouts are very challenging to begin with, especially the first few weeks and as the bodyweight challenges increase on a weekly basis it becomes even more challenging! I have gained a significant amount of muscle and strength over the last 8 weeks, which has given me a great platform to build upon.
Most of the exercises in Workout A and B are pretty easy to get the hang of. However, there are a couple which are pretty challenging. In particular, I struggled with the 1 Leg RDL’s and the rotating stability ball jacknifes. But, as you get stronger and you build the muscles around your core these do become easier. Overall, the thing I love about the programme is that you can pretty much do the workouts anywhere. So you don’t really need to be a member of gym. Even if you don’t have access to a chin/pull up bar or stability ball you can tailor the programme and substitute some of the exercises. If you find yourself in this position just upload a post to the forum and I’m sure Craig, David or some of the other members will leave you a response with some recommended alternatives.
The workouts do get easier as you go along so from week 4 onwards add more weight and repetitions to the exercises such as the lunges, step ups, squats etc. Increasing the intensity of your workouts will also help you when it comes to the weekly bodyweight challenges. So one of the things I introduced in the last few weeks was to try and complete the Workouts as quickly as possible. This helped when it came to the bodyweight challenges and had a big impact on the times I achieved for the last few challenges.
By far, the toughest challenge for me was the Bodyweight 500. This was tough and I was very pleased to get it done in 36mins. By comparison, the final Bodyweight challenge the 350/200 I found easier and actually finished this in 31mins. The main thing I struggled with in any of the challenges was the pull ups and chin ups. Looking through the forums I think most people are in the same boat. So a lot of people have added some additional pull ups and chin up sets as part of their workout. I think this is a good idea and will help you increase the strength in your arms and back to help you complete more reps.
I also added some additional exercises to the Workouts in the final few weeks. So I added some prisoner squat jumps and abdominal crunches to each of the workouts. I also added more cardio sessions on off days. So generally I played football on Tuesday and went for a run on Thursday or used the spin bike.
The interval training sessions were great and I think this really helps to blast the fat! Interval training is far more effective for you than standard cardio and has been proven to increase fat loss by more than 30% on standard cardio. I mixed up the IT sessions regularly between the bike, cross trainer, rowing machine and the running machine. So that helps to keep it fresh and challenging.
The workout plans and videos are great and are really easy to follow and the online community (forums) are really helpful and beneficial. If you have any questions or need help and advice I will virtually guarantee that you will find the information you need in the forums. If not, just add a post and you will get a reply.
So overall, key things I learned on the workouts were as follows:
· Start off slow and build up
· Concentrate on form and don’t worry if you have to break up the reps into sets
· Chin Ups and Pull ups are challenging for anybody, don’t be hard on yourself if you can only manage a couple to begin with
· Add more weight and repetitions from week 4/5 onwards to increase intensity
· Don’t overdo it!
Summary
When I started the programme I was 190lbs and had around 26% body fat. I set myself a target of loosing 15lbs over the 8 weeks. Up until last week I had lost 14lbs, so I had 1lb more to loose in the final week! The great news is I did loose that 1lb so in total over the 8 weeks I lost bang on 15lbs. I also had a body fat test done and I lost over 8% body fat in 8 weeks and am now hovering at the 18% mark. In fact, this is something I would recommend everyone do. Some people on the programme have been surprised that in some cases they have actually put on weight as opposed to loose weight. But don’t forget that muscle weighs more than fat so the best indicator if this programme is working for you would be body fat percentage. So get you body fat tested when you start and monitor this throughout the programme as well as your weight.
Overall, the last 8 weeks have really helped change my entire outlook on life. I have gained a new found self confidence, which comes across in everyday life at work and at home! I now have pure belief in myself and I know that if I put my mind to something and apply myself I can achieve anything. I feel healthier than I ever have in my entire life and I have not weighed 175lbs since I was 21. I have gone from a waist 36 to 33... the bad news is I have had to buy a new wardrobe of clothes!
I could not finish without saying a few words about the many hundreds and thousands of other members who form part of this community. I have really appreciated all the help, advice and support that other members have provided along the way. We are all in this together and we share a common goal... we all want to be fitter and healthier individuals and we’ve all taken a huge step to try and achieve those goals. I have been truly inspired by a lot of the other members in this community and I thank you all for your support along the way.
Also, a big thank you to Craig Ballantyne who pulled this programme together and has helped people like myself to make a truly positive and significant change in life. Thanks for all your support along the way Craig, it’s greatly appreciated so thank you!
Finally, I have uploaded my final Week 8 pics so now you can compare my week 1, week 3, week 6 and week 8 pics and you will see a remarkable difference and progression throughout the programme. When I started this programme I was a bit dubious and did not really believe a lot of the stories I had read. However, now I am living proof of exactly what you can achieve in 8 weeks if you apply yourself to this programme... Believe me it works!
So what’s next! Well, I am starting a new training programme in a couple of weeks. First, I have a 2 week vacation in sunny Spain to look forward to with my wife and little boy Dominic. But when I get back I will be starting a new programme which will take me to the next level! In fact, I have decided that I am going to take this as far as I can possibly go. One of the goals I have set myself is to complete a Triathlon next year which will involve a 1.5km swim, 45km bike ride and 10km run. So a huge challenge as triathletes tend to be some of the fittest individuals on the planet. However, I have full confidence in myself!
So as they say... this isn’t the end... it’s just the beginning!
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Review of Week 7 - Belly Off
So the penultimate week and the Bodyweight 500 challenge! This is what it all comes down to! All those hard training session building up to an awesome finale!
I remember looking at the Bodyweight 500 just 7 weeks ago thinking… “there is no way I could do that”. But here I am 7 weeks later having completed the 7th Week and the Bodyweight 500… and I’m still standing… Just!
I started off the week with a real vigour! When I started the programme I set a goal of loosing 15lbs and with 2 weeks left I had only had 3 lbs to go to hit my target! So I made a commitment to myself to really give these last two weeks one last big push.
So I changed my approach slightly to the workouts. I decided to do the same with the workouts as I do with the Bodyweight challenges, which is to get the workouts finished in as quick a time as possible. So for instance for Workout A I can now comfortably finish the entire workout (except the Interval training) in just over 15mins.
I also added some additional weight and reps to each of the workouts so I am doing slightly more than the programme states. Why? Well, to be honest whilst I find the Bodyweight challenges extremely tough I feel that the workouts have now become more manageable. So adding weights and reps to the excercises helps increase the intensity and give me a better workout.
I have also added a couple of additional excercises. I have added an additional set of Hanging leg raises to target my abs and also some Prisoner Squat Jumps, which target my Glutes, Quadriceps and Calfs as well as giving a good aerobic workout.
I have also increased the intensity on my Interval training and instead of doing one 13 min and one 20 min I now do 2 x 20mins and an additional 30min session on Tuesday and Thursday. I have also increased the speed and intensity of the interval sessions.
At the same time I have added a lot more variation to my diet with fish, pork and vegetables and have stepped up my protein intake so I am now getting between 130g-150g of protein per day. I now have at least 1 protein shake a day to supplement my protein intake from lean meats etc. I did give myself a bit of a treat last week and went for Pizza with my wife and little boy! However, instead of going for my normal meat feast I went for Chicken & Spinach which was great and very satisfying.
Anyway, it all came down to Saturday and the Bodyweight 500 challenge! Let’s make this clear from the start… This was one of the toughest physical challenges I have ever done! It was tough… very tough! There is a huge step up from the 350 to the 500. Looking at the week 8 challenge (the 350/200) I actually think the 500 is the toughest of the lot. It’s down to the number of reps of each of the excercises. In particular the pull ups and chin ups represent a major increase in reps from the previous week.
The target time that Craig states is 45 mins and he mentioned that when he first did it he did it in 28mins and the unofficial world record is 22mins. Last week I did the 350/100 in just over 28 mins. So I was hoping for a pretty decent time of around 33-35mins.
The good news was I finished everything bar the final 25 chin ups in just over 31mins. However, it took me 5 mins to finish the last 25 chin ups as I literally had nothing left. By the end I was absolutely shattered! Of course, I had to break up a lot of the reps into sets in order to have a bit of a breather and give my body time to recover. So most of the press ups, rows, pull ups, chin ups etc I did in sets.
So in total it took me 36 mins, which is still a lot quicker than the recommended time but a little longer than I was hoping but I was just pleased to get through it! Would love to see the guy who did this in 22 mins! Man that is awesome!
So how much did I loose in week 7? The great news is I lost another 2lbs! So now after loosing a total of 14lbs in 7 weeks I am only 1lb away from hitting my target!
I went shopping on the weekend and for the first time in 10 years I had to by a pair of jeans with a waist 34 and a medium size top as opposed to a large. What a great feeling! I have now got to the stage where people can’t help but notice how much weight I have lost! I not only have I lost weight but the overall shape of my body has completely changed!
I’m looking forward to the final week but not because I can’t wait to finish, but more because I can’t wait to go onto the next training programme. So bring on week 8 and the final bodyweight challenge!
I remember looking at the Bodyweight 500 just 7 weeks ago thinking… “there is no way I could do that”. But here I am 7 weeks later having completed the 7th Week and the Bodyweight 500… and I’m still standing… Just!
I started off the week with a real vigour! When I started the programme I set a goal of loosing 15lbs and with 2 weeks left I had only had 3 lbs to go to hit my target! So I made a commitment to myself to really give these last two weeks one last big push.
So I changed my approach slightly to the workouts. I decided to do the same with the workouts as I do with the Bodyweight challenges, which is to get the workouts finished in as quick a time as possible. So for instance for Workout A I can now comfortably finish the entire workout (except the Interval training) in just over 15mins.
I also added some additional weight and reps to each of the workouts so I am doing slightly more than the programme states. Why? Well, to be honest whilst I find the Bodyweight challenges extremely tough I feel that the workouts have now become more manageable. So adding weights and reps to the excercises helps increase the intensity and give me a better workout.
I have also added a couple of additional excercises. I have added an additional set of Hanging leg raises to target my abs and also some Prisoner Squat Jumps, which target my Glutes, Quadriceps and Calfs as well as giving a good aerobic workout.
I have also increased the intensity on my Interval training and instead of doing one 13 min and one 20 min I now do 2 x 20mins and an additional 30min session on Tuesday and Thursday. I have also increased the speed and intensity of the interval sessions.
At the same time I have added a lot more variation to my diet with fish, pork and vegetables and have stepped up my protein intake so I am now getting between 130g-150g of protein per day. I now have at least 1 protein shake a day to supplement my protein intake from lean meats etc. I did give myself a bit of a treat last week and went for Pizza with my wife and little boy! However, instead of going for my normal meat feast I went for Chicken & Spinach which was great and very satisfying.
Anyway, it all came down to Saturday and the Bodyweight 500 challenge! Let’s make this clear from the start… This was one of the toughest physical challenges I have ever done! It was tough… very tough! There is a huge step up from the 350 to the 500. Looking at the week 8 challenge (the 350/200) I actually think the 500 is the toughest of the lot. It’s down to the number of reps of each of the excercises. In particular the pull ups and chin ups represent a major increase in reps from the previous week.
The target time that Craig states is 45 mins and he mentioned that when he first did it he did it in 28mins and the unofficial world record is 22mins. Last week I did the 350/100 in just over 28 mins. So I was hoping for a pretty decent time of around 33-35mins.
The good news was I finished everything bar the final 25 chin ups in just over 31mins. However, it took me 5 mins to finish the last 25 chin ups as I literally had nothing left. By the end I was absolutely shattered! Of course, I had to break up a lot of the reps into sets in order to have a bit of a breather and give my body time to recover. So most of the press ups, rows, pull ups, chin ups etc I did in sets.
So in total it took me 36 mins, which is still a lot quicker than the recommended time but a little longer than I was hoping but I was just pleased to get through it! Would love to see the guy who did this in 22 mins! Man that is awesome!
So how much did I loose in week 7? The great news is I lost another 2lbs! So now after loosing a total of 14lbs in 7 weeks I am only 1lb away from hitting my target!
I went shopping on the weekend and for the first time in 10 years I had to by a pair of jeans with a waist 34 and a medium size top as opposed to a large. What a great feeling! I have now got to the stage where people can’t help but notice how much weight I have lost! I not only have I lost weight but the overall shape of my body has completely changed!
I’m looking forward to the final week but not because I can’t wait to finish, but more because I can’t wait to go onto the next training programme. So bring on week 8 and the final bodyweight challenge!
Sunday, 1 June 2008
Review of Week 6 - Belly Off
This should have been my 7th week on the Belly Off programme but I was on vacation last week in Vienna, Austria. I still managed to complete the workouts and the 350/100 bodyweight challenge on the Saturday but I had to substitute some of the exercises as I did not have access to a chin/pull up bar, inverted row bar etc. So I wanted to repeat week 6 again.
I was really worried about going away to Vienna. The Austrians are famous for their food and in particular their deserts. I was very strict whilst I was over there and every time we ate out I only ate salad with chicken. I ate virtually no bread and just stuck to lean meats and wholegrains. I also managed to work out quite a bit. I did two 5k runs along the river Danube (beautiful) and also did two workouts including the 350/100 challenge. So the net affect was that I still managed to loose 1lb that week, which is pretty good when normally I would have expected to put on around 4/5lbs when I was on holiday!
Anyway, onto this week and the repeat of Week 6 of the Belly Off programme. I changed the timing of my workouts this week to Tuesday and Thursday and then did the Bodyweight Challenge on Saturday. I have actually started to add more reps and weight to a lot of the exercises in the Workouts to give me an even harder workout. And it worked because this was the first week for a while where I suffered a bit of stiffness after doing Workout A on Tuesday. But I was fine again by Thursday.
One other thing I did this week worthy of note. At the gym where I am a member every month the set a new gym challenge and for May it was how fast you could complete a 1000 meters on the rower. So on Tuesday before Workout A I gave it a go and I managed to do it in 3.33secs which was a pretty good time and put me at around 15th place on the board. So on Thursday I wanted to give it another go and I managed to do it 5 secs faster and finished with a time on 3.28, which was good enough for top 10. So I was really pleased and most of the people above me were either personal trainers or extremely fit athletes! So not bad!
Came to Saturday and the Bodyweight 350/100. I normally do my Bodyweight challenge on the Saturday morning but this weekend we went into London to take my little boy to watch Playhouse Disney. So I did the workout in the evening instead. One thing I have noticed is that I seem to workout better in the evening than in the morning. I think it’s something to do with the fact that I have more energy in the evenings having taken on board more fuel during the day.
I watched the Week 6 pep talk and bodyweight challenge video by Craig and he mentioned that the unofficial record for the bodyweight 350/100 is 22mins and that when he first did it he managed to complete it in 27mins. I was aiming to do it in around 30-33mins. On week 5 I finished the 350 in 28 mins and the bodyweight 100 in around 6 mins. So combined I was sure I could do it quicker than 33mins. I did the challenge and I managed to get it done in 28.36 which I was delighted with! I actually finished the 350 in 22mins, which smashed the time I did the week before. So I was really pleased .
Important to note that I am still completing most of the exercise reps in sets. The only ones I don’t have a problem with completing in one go are the squats, lunges , step ups , stability ball curls and jacknives and jumps etc. For the press ups, pull ups and chin ups I still break these down into more manageable chunks. So for instance on the press ups I did 30/10, for the close grip push us I did 20/10/10 and for the chin ups I did 5/5/5. So if any of you guys out there are still worried that you can’t complete all the reps in one go then don’t worry, I think most people are in the same boat.
So what’s the bottom line this week? To be honest I don’t know as I have not weighed yet but will be weighing tomorrow. So far I have lost 11lbs in 6 weeks since I started the programme, so I am on track to do my target weight loss of 15lbs for the full 8 weeks. I am going to step it up even more in the final 2 weeks to give it one final push.
I have also taken pics this week and updated my Belly Off profile page. So now you can compare the difference between Week 1, 3 and 6. And boy is there a difference. Please take a look at my profile page below and let me know your comments/feedback.
http://bellyoff.menshealth.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=f11af873-2ef5-4d59-802c-892406ffe605&itemguid=c09509c9-eb40-44f0-9ff3-07bbb0cabad5
I was really worried about going away to Vienna. The Austrians are famous for their food and in particular their deserts. I was very strict whilst I was over there and every time we ate out I only ate salad with chicken. I ate virtually no bread and just stuck to lean meats and wholegrains. I also managed to work out quite a bit. I did two 5k runs along the river Danube (beautiful) and also did two workouts including the 350/100 challenge. So the net affect was that I still managed to loose 1lb that week, which is pretty good when normally I would have expected to put on around 4/5lbs when I was on holiday!
Anyway, onto this week and the repeat of Week 6 of the Belly Off programme. I changed the timing of my workouts this week to Tuesday and Thursday and then did the Bodyweight Challenge on Saturday. I have actually started to add more reps and weight to a lot of the exercises in the Workouts to give me an even harder workout. And it worked because this was the first week for a while where I suffered a bit of stiffness after doing Workout A on Tuesday. But I was fine again by Thursday.
One other thing I did this week worthy of note. At the gym where I am a member every month the set a new gym challenge and for May it was how fast you could complete a 1000 meters on the rower. So on Tuesday before Workout A I gave it a go and I managed to do it in 3.33secs which was a pretty good time and put me at around 15th place on the board. So on Thursday I wanted to give it another go and I managed to do it 5 secs faster and finished with a time on 3.28, which was good enough for top 10. So I was really pleased and most of the people above me were either personal trainers or extremely fit athletes! So not bad!
Came to Saturday and the Bodyweight 350/100. I normally do my Bodyweight challenge on the Saturday morning but this weekend we went into London to take my little boy to watch Playhouse Disney. So I did the workout in the evening instead. One thing I have noticed is that I seem to workout better in the evening than in the morning. I think it’s something to do with the fact that I have more energy in the evenings having taken on board more fuel during the day.
I watched the Week 6 pep talk and bodyweight challenge video by Craig and he mentioned that the unofficial record for the bodyweight 350/100 is 22mins and that when he first did it he managed to complete it in 27mins. I was aiming to do it in around 30-33mins. On week 5 I finished the 350 in 28 mins and the bodyweight 100 in around 6 mins. So combined I was sure I could do it quicker than 33mins. I did the challenge and I managed to get it done in 28.36 which I was delighted with! I actually finished the 350 in 22mins, which smashed the time I did the week before. So I was really pleased .
Important to note that I am still completing most of the exercise reps in sets. The only ones I don’t have a problem with completing in one go are the squats, lunges , step ups , stability ball curls and jacknives and jumps etc. For the press ups, pull ups and chin ups I still break these down into more manageable chunks. So for instance on the press ups I did 30/10, for the close grip push us I did 20/10/10 and for the chin ups I did 5/5/5. So if any of you guys out there are still worried that you can’t complete all the reps in one go then don’t worry, I think most people are in the same boat.
So what’s the bottom line this week? To be honest I don’t know as I have not weighed yet but will be weighing tomorrow. So far I have lost 11lbs in 6 weeks since I started the programme, so I am on track to do my target weight loss of 15lbs for the full 8 weeks. I am going to step it up even more in the final 2 weeks to give it one final push.
I have also taken pics this week and updated my Belly Off profile page. So now you can compare the difference between Week 1, 3 and 6. And boy is there a difference. Please take a look at my profile page below and let me know your comments/feedback.
http://bellyoff.menshealth.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=f11af873-2ef5-4d59-802c-892406ffe605&itemguid=c09509c9-eb40-44f0-9ff3-07bbb0cabad5
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Review of Week 5 Belly Off
Hi Everyone,
Slight delay in posting the review of Week 5 because I am currently on vacation in Vienna, Austria. Anyway, heres a fairly quick review!
Like most people I guess I had a big shock when I logged into the website on Saturday morning to watch the Week 5 videos only to see that everything had changed to this new Summer Special workout! Luckily the boys from Men’s Health didn’t forget about us lot still doing the old Belly Off programme and added the links to all the previous workout materials and videos! Phew!
So on Saturday 17th May I did the Bodyweight 350 and I did find it easier than the previous weeks challenge which was the Bodyweight 200 x 2. I was happy with the time as I managed to complete it in just under 27 mins. But must admit by the time I got to the last 15 chin ups I was struggling so had to do these in 3 sets or so. After week 4 I was a little bit disappointed that I only managed to loose a 1lb, but then on reflection I thought that was probably about right as I am definitely beginning to replace fat with Muscle, and seeing as muscle weighs more than fat you will naturally see a gradual decline in weight loss week by week. So I decided to take Craig’s advice and get a body fat test done. So I booked myself in with a personal trainer on Saturday after the Bodyweight challenge.
It’s the first time I have had a body fat test done and I wanted to get a feel for how much body fat I think I might have lost since starting the programme just over 5 weeks ago. I took some old pics with me that I took for my profile page and the trainer estimated that I had between 25%-27% bodyfat in week 1 (which sounded about right to me). I then did the body fat test and the result was I now have 19% body fat. So to go from 25%/27% to 19% in 5 weeks is very impressive. So I was pretty pleased and it shows how effective the programme can be if you stick to it.The best thing about week 5 was that I actually lost 3lbs, which is the most I have lost in a Week since starting the programme. (That's 10lbs in total in 5 Weeks which is pretty good!) Why? Well I did add a lot more additional training sessions in where I played football one day, went for a run and added some additional time on the interval training sessions. So that probably helped. I was also very careful about what I ate and since I started to keep a daily diary of all my food intake and nutritional values you can keep control far more easily.
The bad thing about Week 5 was that I did pick up a slight injury. On Thursday morning I went to work and literally as I was walking down a flight of stairs I felt a twinge in my right hamstring and since then its been pretty sore. The key lesson I learnt was not to overdo it! I did the week 4 bodyweight challenge on the Saturday, a 4km run on the Sunday, workout A on Monday, football on Tuesday, Workout B on Wednesday… So it’s no wonder I picked up a bit of an injury. Far too much in a short period of time and it was my body telling me to take it a bit easier!
Anyway, I have just finished Week 6 (sort of!). Because I am away in Vienna I don’t have access to my usual Gym facilities so in the Bodyweight challenge I had to substitute some of the excercises for others. So not being one for cheating or cutting corners I am going to do the Week 6 challenge again next week. So I will post my review of Week 6 next week.
Anyway, I hope all you guys are getting on well with your Belly Off challenges! Keep up the great work!
http://bellyoff.menshealth.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=...93-b76e-19d9c94defc3
Slight delay in posting the review of Week 5 because I am currently on vacation in Vienna, Austria. Anyway, heres a fairly quick review!
Like most people I guess I had a big shock when I logged into the website on Saturday morning to watch the Week 5 videos only to see that everything had changed to this new Summer Special workout! Luckily the boys from Men’s Health didn’t forget about us lot still doing the old Belly Off programme and added the links to all the previous workout materials and videos! Phew!
So on Saturday 17th May I did the Bodyweight 350 and I did find it easier than the previous weeks challenge which was the Bodyweight 200 x 2. I was happy with the time as I managed to complete it in just under 27 mins. But must admit by the time I got to the last 15 chin ups I was struggling so had to do these in 3 sets or so. After week 4 I was a little bit disappointed that I only managed to loose a 1lb, but then on reflection I thought that was probably about right as I am definitely beginning to replace fat with Muscle, and seeing as muscle weighs more than fat you will naturally see a gradual decline in weight loss week by week. So I decided to take Craig’s advice and get a body fat test done. So I booked myself in with a personal trainer on Saturday after the Bodyweight challenge.
It’s the first time I have had a body fat test done and I wanted to get a feel for how much body fat I think I might have lost since starting the programme just over 5 weeks ago. I took some old pics with me that I took for my profile page and the trainer estimated that I had between 25%-27% bodyfat in week 1 (which sounded about right to me). I then did the body fat test and the result was I now have 19% body fat. So to go from 25%/27% to 19% in 5 weeks is very impressive. So I was pretty pleased and it shows how effective the programme can be if you stick to it.The best thing about week 5 was that I actually lost 3lbs, which is the most I have lost in a Week since starting the programme. (That's 10lbs in total in 5 Weeks which is pretty good!) Why? Well I did add a lot more additional training sessions in where I played football one day, went for a run and added some additional time on the interval training sessions. So that probably helped. I was also very careful about what I ate and since I started to keep a daily diary of all my food intake and nutritional values you can keep control far more easily.
The bad thing about Week 5 was that I did pick up a slight injury. On Thursday morning I went to work and literally as I was walking down a flight of stairs I felt a twinge in my right hamstring and since then its been pretty sore. The key lesson I learnt was not to overdo it! I did the week 4 bodyweight challenge on the Saturday, a 4km run on the Sunday, workout A on Monday, football on Tuesday, Workout B on Wednesday… So it’s no wonder I picked up a bit of an injury. Far too much in a short period of time and it was my body telling me to take it a bit easier!
Anyway, I have just finished Week 6 (sort of!). Because I am away in Vienna I don’t have access to my usual Gym facilities so in the Bodyweight challenge I had to substitute some of the excercises for others. So not being one for cheating or cutting corners I am going to do the Week 6 challenge again next week. So I will post my review of Week 6 next week.
Anyway, I hope all you guys are getting on well with your Belly Off challenges! Keep up the great work!
http://bellyoff.menshealth.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=...93-b76e-19d9c94defc3
Monday, 19 May 2008
Review of Week 4 Belly Off
Hi Everyone! Well, the sun has finally arrived over here in the UK and we have had a week of great weather! Everything seems so much better when the weather is nice and I found it gave me even more motivation than normal. (I think it may have something to do with all those lovely ladies walking around in short skirts and skimpy tops! ;-)
Well, I have just completed Week 4, which means I am now half way through the programme! Wow, 4 weeks have absolutely flown by! It’s been a very good but hard week and there is no doubt the Bodyweight 200x2 challenge is the toughest so far and will give anybody a run for their money! I have also been reading a lot more on various forums and magazines and have picked up a few good tips that I can share with you. So here goes:
Eating Plan
I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that my energy levels were not that high which means workouts become harder and it’s more difficult to maintain motivation. This might be something to do with the weather as no doubt the sun can sap energy out of you, but I was also worried that I was not getting enough energy fuel in my diet. Since I started the programme I have dramatically reduced my carb intake and have not had any white bread, pasta, rice or potatoes for over 4 weeks! So I was worried that this was beginning to have a negative impact on my energy levels and performance.
As such, this week I started to have porridge in the mornings for breakfast with a slice of wholegrain toast and peanut butter. I also read that a bowl of porridge 30mins before a workout is one of the best workout fuels and also helps you to burn more calories. So I tried that a couple of times this week and it did work. It gave me more energy to complete the workouts and I did not feel as tired afterwards. So if you are starting to feel a bit low on energy then maybe this will work for you. Remember, carbs are essential and as long as you eat the right ones at the right time of the day then they will provide a great source of fuel for your body and will not negatively impact your weight loss goals. Stick to wholegrain carbs and eat them for breakfast or lunch but avoid having them later in the day unless it’s before a workout.
Another thing I did this week was to buy my first Protein Supplement from Maximuscle. They say you need at least 1.5g of protein per kilo of your bodyweight so ideally I should be getting around 120g – 130g of protein. I have calculated that I have been getting on average around 80g - 100g of Protein per day from food. The protein supplement is a Whey protein drink that provides around 25g of protein in every serving along with a load of amino acids that aids weight loss and the development of lean muscle. So it should be taken in conjunction with your daily Protein intake. So the trick is to calculate how much protein you get from normal food and then top this up with a supplement so that you the right amount of Protein. Remember, if you get too much protein the excess will be stored as fat. So it’s important to calculate how much you need to get the right amount on a daily basis.
So I have started to record all my meals in a spreadsheet where I record all the nutritional values of all the foods and drinks I consume. This way I can easily see how many calories, fat, saturated fat, protein, carbs and salt I have every day. Its sounds like a lot of work, and to be honest at the beginning it is but after a week or two you have done all the hard work and then it’s simply putting together a daily and weekly eating plan based around what you need to achieve. This will help you to ensure your body gets the right amount nutrients it needs. It also helps you to vary your eating plan so you don’t get bored, let’s face it sooner or later you are going to get sick of eating Turkey! Once I have finished I am more than happy to share this with others so if you want a copy let me know.
Workouts
I’ve had a pretty good week this week and have mixed up my workouts a lot more than usual so on Monday I did Workout A, Tuesday I played Football (Soccer), Wednesday was Workout B and I took Thursday and Friday off before doing the Bodyweight 200x2 on Saturday followed by a 4km run on Sunday. I also varied my interval training between the running machine, cross trainer and bike. I think this is a great way to ensure you don’t get bored.
One of the reasons I took Thursday and Friday off was because I felt my body needed a rest. I was pretty tired after the workout on Wednesday. I think this might have had something to do with the fact that I did not train until late on Wednesday (I only finished the workout at around 10:30pm) and also because I played football on the Tuesday and running around for 90mins was pretty tough going. So I listened to my body and took a couple of days off in order for my body to recover in time for the Bodyweight challenge on Saturday. Remember, a day or two rest is as good as a workout and is essential to help your body and muscles to recover and prime for growth.
So, Saturday came along and the toughest challenge yet. The Bodyweight 200x2! As Craig says, this is by far the biggest challenge yet and a significant step up on previous weeks. So I will not lie, it was tough. I finished the first 200 in just under 13mins and then took a 5 min break. The second 200 was a lot tougher and by the end I was really struggling to do the number of reps required. By the time I got to the final 5 chin ups I had nothing left in the tank so those last 5 chin ups were almost impossible. However, I did manage to get it done inside 30mins, which I was really pleased with. I then finished off with a 20 min interval training on the cross trainer.
Have you ever wondered just how effective the Bodyweight workouts and challenges are in terms of burning fat and calories? Well, I have so this week I wore a heart rate monitor throughout the workout and the results were pretty impressive. Including the Warm Up, the bodyweight challenge and the 20 mins interval training on the cross trainer it took me 1hr 5mins. In that time I burned off 947 calories. The Warm up alone took up nearly 100 calories and the bodyweight challenge took up around 600 calories. So this proves that the bodyweight workouts and challenges are not just good for building muscle but also for burning fat and calories!
As mentioned above, I did a 4km run on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and the thought of working out indoors was not very appealing so I thought why not go for a run. I have not done any road running for a very long time as I have week ankles and suffer quite a bit from shin splints. So I was not sure how I would get on. I did a 2.5 mile circuit (4km) and I managed to do it in 21mins, which meant I was doing a km every 5mins 25secs which is a pretty good pace. There is no doubt I would not have been able to do this 4 weeks ago and the best bit was my body felt great afterwards with no pain or stiffness in my legs or ankles. I also used the interval training technique so I was jogging at a light pace for a minute and then sprinting at a high intensity for a minute and this definitely helped.
So what’s the bottom line?
In the previous three weeks I have consistently lost 2lbs per week so I was a little bit disappointed when I stepped on the scales this morning and saw that I had only lost 1lb. However, now having had time to reflect, this is exactly what I would expect. We all know that muscle weighs more than fat so if you are building muscle at the same rate you are burning fat then you will not be loosing a lot of weight. So it can be very deceiving! As Craig suggests, I think the best thing to do would be to measure body fat percentage. So this week I am going to get someone to measure my body fat percentage and then I will monitor this over the next 4 weeks as I think it’s a far better measure than just stepping on the scales. Saying that, I am still planning to loose another 6-8lbs over the next 4 weeks! Another way to look at it is like this… 1lb is the equivalent of a tub of butter! So not bad really! One thing is for sure, I am going to need to buy a new wardrobe soon as all my clothes are far too big for me. I have lost at least a couple of inches from my waist over the last 4 weeks and all my trousers are now too big for me. On top of that I have had to add another hole in my belt! So I definitely feel the difference and as the pictures I took at the end of week 3 show, you can definitely see the difference.
At the start of this programme I remember looking at the Bodyweight challenges for each of the weeks thinking, man there is no way I will be able to do that! So to achieve what I have achieved in the last 4 weeks feels absolutely great! It’s great to see the progress and the results coming through in such a short period and it really spurs you on and helps keep you motivated. So looking forward to week 5 and another great week on the Belly Off programme!
http://bellyoff.menshealth.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=...93-b76e-19d9c94defc3
Well, I have just completed Week 4, which means I am now half way through the programme! Wow, 4 weeks have absolutely flown by! It’s been a very good but hard week and there is no doubt the Bodyweight 200x2 challenge is the toughest so far and will give anybody a run for their money! I have also been reading a lot more on various forums and magazines and have picked up a few good tips that I can share with you. So here goes:
Eating Plan
I have noticed over the last couple of weeks that my energy levels were not that high which means workouts become harder and it’s more difficult to maintain motivation. This might be something to do with the weather as no doubt the sun can sap energy out of you, but I was also worried that I was not getting enough energy fuel in my diet. Since I started the programme I have dramatically reduced my carb intake and have not had any white bread, pasta, rice or potatoes for over 4 weeks! So I was worried that this was beginning to have a negative impact on my energy levels and performance.
As such, this week I started to have porridge in the mornings for breakfast with a slice of wholegrain toast and peanut butter. I also read that a bowl of porridge 30mins before a workout is one of the best workout fuels and also helps you to burn more calories. So I tried that a couple of times this week and it did work. It gave me more energy to complete the workouts and I did not feel as tired afterwards. So if you are starting to feel a bit low on energy then maybe this will work for you. Remember, carbs are essential and as long as you eat the right ones at the right time of the day then they will provide a great source of fuel for your body and will not negatively impact your weight loss goals. Stick to wholegrain carbs and eat them for breakfast or lunch but avoid having them later in the day unless it’s before a workout.
Another thing I did this week was to buy my first Protein Supplement from Maximuscle. They say you need at least 1.5g of protein per kilo of your bodyweight so ideally I should be getting around 120g – 130g of protein. I have calculated that I have been getting on average around 80g - 100g of Protein per day from food. The protein supplement is a Whey protein drink that provides around 25g of protein in every serving along with a load of amino acids that aids weight loss and the development of lean muscle. So it should be taken in conjunction with your daily Protein intake. So the trick is to calculate how much protein you get from normal food and then top this up with a supplement so that you the right amount of Protein. Remember, if you get too much protein the excess will be stored as fat. So it’s important to calculate how much you need to get the right amount on a daily basis.
So I have started to record all my meals in a spreadsheet where I record all the nutritional values of all the foods and drinks I consume. This way I can easily see how many calories, fat, saturated fat, protein, carbs and salt I have every day. Its sounds like a lot of work, and to be honest at the beginning it is but after a week or two you have done all the hard work and then it’s simply putting together a daily and weekly eating plan based around what you need to achieve. This will help you to ensure your body gets the right amount nutrients it needs. It also helps you to vary your eating plan so you don’t get bored, let’s face it sooner or later you are going to get sick of eating Turkey! Once I have finished I am more than happy to share this with others so if you want a copy let me know.
Workouts
I’ve had a pretty good week this week and have mixed up my workouts a lot more than usual so on Monday I did Workout A, Tuesday I played Football (Soccer), Wednesday was Workout B and I took Thursday and Friday off before doing the Bodyweight 200x2 on Saturday followed by a 4km run on Sunday. I also varied my interval training between the running machine, cross trainer and bike. I think this is a great way to ensure you don’t get bored.
One of the reasons I took Thursday and Friday off was because I felt my body needed a rest. I was pretty tired after the workout on Wednesday. I think this might have had something to do with the fact that I did not train until late on Wednesday (I only finished the workout at around 10:30pm) and also because I played football on the Tuesday and running around for 90mins was pretty tough going. So I listened to my body and took a couple of days off in order for my body to recover in time for the Bodyweight challenge on Saturday. Remember, a day or two rest is as good as a workout and is essential to help your body and muscles to recover and prime for growth.
So, Saturday came along and the toughest challenge yet. The Bodyweight 200x2! As Craig says, this is by far the biggest challenge yet and a significant step up on previous weeks. So I will not lie, it was tough. I finished the first 200 in just under 13mins and then took a 5 min break. The second 200 was a lot tougher and by the end I was really struggling to do the number of reps required. By the time I got to the final 5 chin ups I had nothing left in the tank so those last 5 chin ups were almost impossible. However, I did manage to get it done inside 30mins, which I was really pleased with. I then finished off with a 20 min interval training on the cross trainer.
Have you ever wondered just how effective the Bodyweight workouts and challenges are in terms of burning fat and calories? Well, I have so this week I wore a heart rate monitor throughout the workout and the results were pretty impressive. Including the Warm Up, the bodyweight challenge and the 20 mins interval training on the cross trainer it took me 1hr 5mins. In that time I burned off 947 calories. The Warm up alone took up nearly 100 calories and the bodyweight challenge took up around 600 calories. So this proves that the bodyweight workouts and challenges are not just good for building muscle but also for burning fat and calories!
As mentioned above, I did a 4km run on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and the thought of working out indoors was not very appealing so I thought why not go for a run. I have not done any road running for a very long time as I have week ankles and suffer quite a bit from shin splints. So I was not sure how I would get on. I did a 2.5 mile circuit (4km) and I managed to do it in 21mins, which meant I was doing a km every 5mins 25secs which is a pretty good pace. There is no doubt I would not have been able to do this 4 weeks ago and the best bit was my body felt great afterwards with no pain or stiffness in my legs or ankles. I also used the interval training technique so I was jogging at a light pace for a minute and then sprinting at a high intensity for a minute and this definitely helped.
So what’s the bottom line?
In the previous three weeks I have consistently lost 2lbs per week so I was a little bit disappointed when I stepped on the scales this morning and saw that I had only lost 1lb. However, now having had time to reflect, this is exactly what I would expect. We all know that muscle weighs more than fat so if you are building muscle at the same rate you are burning fat then you will not be loosing a lot of weight. So it can be very deceiving! As Craig suggests, I think the best thing to do would be to measure body fat percentage. So this week I am going to get someone to measure my body fat percentage and then I will monitor this over the next 4 weeks as I think it’s a far better measure than just stepping on the scales. Saying that, I am still planning to loose another 6-8lbs over the next 4 weeks! Another way to look at it is like this… 1lb is the equivalent of a tub of butter! So not bad really! One thing is for sure, I am going to need to buy a new wardrobe soon as all my clothes are far too big for me. I have lost at least a couple of inches from my waist over the last 4 weeks and all my trousers are now too big for me. On top of that I have had to add another hole in my belt! So I definitely feel the difference and as the pictures I took at the end of week 3 show, you can definitely see the difference.
At the start of this programme I remember looking at the Bodyweight challenges for each of the weeks thinking, man there is no way I will be able to do that! So to achieve what I have achieved in the last 4 weeks feels absolutely great! It’s great to see the progress and the results coming through in such a short period and it really spurs you on and helps keep you motivated. So looking forward to week 5 and another great week on the Belly Off programme!
http://bellyoff.menshealth.com/SNC/ViewItem.aspx?pguid=...93-b76e-19d9c94defc3
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