3 weeks off!

Well that was a crappy 3 weeks! LOL.
Had the dreaded Man-Flu for a week and a half. It started with the hot and cold sweats, then the body aches. I couldn't do anything. I had at least 2 days in bed, but there isn't much you can do if you have to look after 2 kids under the age of 4, plus run a small business. But there was no way I could train as I would just get worse.

And once that was clearing up I got the worst pain in the world! Friggin tooth ache! I don't know of any pain that is worse than this. I thought it would go away, so I OD'd on pain killers for 3 days wishing that it would disappear, and nights were the worst, I couldn't lye down as it would just get worse, so I spent 2 nights with no sleep pacing the floors. Finally giving in and spending $300 at the dentist to remove the tooth of DOOM!

So back into it this week, YAY, and feeling good too. I have got more supplements this week to keep things ticking over.

PVL Whey Maxx
I take 2 x protein shakes throughout the day, 1 mid morning and 1 after I train. I find this brand is great value for money as it comes in a HUGE sack of 5kg. And the flavours are great. You really need this as a meal replacement for weight loss, and also to feed your muscles as they will be demanding a higher intake of protein to synthesise the muscles to grow.


Muscletech Hydroxycut 160 caps
I also brought a fat burner which I have used before - . These I am taking 6 a day, 2 in the morning before breakfast (and hopefully a cardio), 2 midday before lunch, and 2 in the evening before my workout.


I shop online at www.shotgunsupplements.co.nz as they are the cheapest and have the fastest delivery and best service. With the protein alone, I save $70 than if I buy it over the counter in town. Worth a look people!!

April 2010 Photo

As you can see, the weights are really having an effect on my shape now. I think i need to increase the intensity on my cardio so I burn more calories, and also the most important is the diet. I must admit that I had just on a week off with man-flu which just so happened to coincide with Easter! 3 Easter eggs later.... NAUGHTY!

Cardio Day

Every 2nd Day is cardio day

7:30am 20min Cardio (Interval training)

12am - 4min workout
- Holding 2 DB in hand (light) do a lateral raise
- Squat down and back up x 20 reps
- 10 second rest
- Repeat 8 times

This really gets the heart going, and it doesnt take long to build up a sweat from this. Great for a quick workout.

Doing the hard yards

Training routine February 2010

Cardio 7:30am 20min bike (interval training)

Mon - Upper Body 12am
Chest
- Dumbbell (DB) Flys 1min rest between sets
- 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
- Superset (SS) Flys x 12 reps with push-ups max

2min rest

Back
- Seated Row
- 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
- (SS) seated rows x 12 reps with bent over x 12 reps

2min rest

Shoulders
- Lateral Raises
- 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
- (SS) Lateral raises x 12 reps with DB Shrugs x 12 reps

2min rest

Biceps
- Barbell (BB) curls
- 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
- (SS) BB Curls x 12 reps with DB Concentration curls x 12 reps

2min rest

Triceps
- Tricep Kick backs
- 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
- (SS) Kick backs x 12 reps with Close grip push-ups x Max

2010 Feb Started back into training

Here is a photo I took in hope to see the progress throughout the months to come, this was half-way through 2009. This was my starting point, the lowest of the low. Again when I saw this photo I freaked. For some reason the self image I hold in my minds eye of me is allot slimmer than this, so doing this was a real eye opener, and a blow to the ego (what there was left of it).

Started to train

September 2009 I started to get things together to make these changes. As I live and work 20min drive from the city, and having commitments at home, the best thing was to buy some equipment for home and train when I had free time. As it worked out I train at 12am at night, after we put the kids down and after a couple of hours work.

I did allot of research online with weight loss programmes, and the best I found for me at this stage was the BODY FOR LIFE program. I studied up on what was needed, the training, the diet, and also the motivational side of things. I needed to awaken the muscles which had lay dormant for 4 years, and get my fitness up and drop body fat all at once. Quite a bullshit order for someone who runs out of breath looking at stairs.

I went to the Dr. in December 2009 and she compared my weight to my last visit. Now, in order for the Dr. to take my weight she has to use 2 sets of scales (one for each foot FFS!) she said I had lost 5kg and 4cm around the waist. Now that didn't seem like allot, but I know that the scales are pretty shit when it comes to this sort of training as I am gaining muscle at the same time. The best thing was the visual difference I could see in the mirror. My shoulders and chest were really making progress, but there was still this gross mid-section hanging over. grroooottttt.

The plan was to train till Christmas, have a break (still human here) then start back in the new year - FULL FORCE!

Christmas came, and I ate... but this time there was a new voice in my head which kept me in check most of the time. Whereas I used to just eat, eat till I felt uncomfortable, you know, that Christmas dinner type of eating, where you stuff your face till you feel uncomfortable sitting, let alone standing! that "I gotta lye down now" type of eating. I was actually looking forward to starting back into the program. ROLL ON 2010!

Here is the picture that freaked me out

I was looking through some of our photos of our kids, and came across one of me that my partner had taken. My huge frame got in the way of a shot of our kids on some push bikes at the party.

When I saw this my heart just sank. How could I let myself go like this???? What sort of example am I setting for our children! I had lost my way.

Over the next few months things got worse, my company was really feeling the pinch of the recession so I was working longer hours to make ends meet, eating fast food and doing no physical activity trying to keep from sinking. And this was spilling over into my family life. I couldn't think straight, I was having anxiety attacks and having trouble breathing. I was not at all in touch with me and who I was, it was all about working and being a dad. Don't get me wrong... there is nothing wrong with learning to be a dad, but I had forgotten about me.