As I was doing this I thought I was just tired after a good week. Turns out I was starting to come down with a cold. Helped on a bit by my immune system getting repressed by my epilepsy meds that will mean a week with virtually no training now.
Bench
2 x 20 + 1 x 17 x 50kg
Standing shoulder press with plates
20, 15, 17 with 10kg a side
Bent over side raises
17, 15, 10 with 5kg a side.
30 September 2014
26 September 2014
Running 26-Sep-2014
A bit of improvement on a Friday, can't be bad.
5.37 miles in 41:36 average speed 7.8mph
5.37 miles in 41:36 average speed 7.8mph
Deadlift 25-Sep-2014
I would love to declare the deadlift sets were without regripping, but that would be nonsense, I have decided to put in the sets with numbers I regripped at for clarity. Fat grips really are great at making you struggle like heck to hold onto a bar. Need to decide now if I want to reduce regrip occurrences and stay on the same weight or go up a weight next week. The plan at the moment is to grip under over first set, over under second and both overhand third, this week I got confused and did under over, under over, then remembered and did over under.
Deadlift with fat gripz
3 x 20 x 60kg (12, 17, complete), (8, 13, 17, complete), (6, 10, 13, 15, 17, complete)
Wide grip chins
8, 6, 5 pleased with that due to width of chins, even though the last set had a dodgy 4th rep
Barbell curls with fat gripz
3 x 10 x 30kg every week I think about putting up the weight or reps on this but by keeping the rest really short I have been too worn out to do either. It's only biceps who cares!
Deadlift with fat gripz
3 x 20 x 60kg (12, 17, complete), (8, 13, 17, complete), (6, 10, 13, 15, 17, complete)
Wide grip chins
8, 6, 5 pleased with that due to width of chins, even though the last set had a dodgy 4th rep
Barbell curls with fat gripz
3 x 10 x 30kg every week I think about putting up the weight or reps on this but by keeping the rest really short I have been too worn out to do either. It's only biceps who cares!
25 September 2014
Did Life Begin (Or End) At 40?
Short answer, no! Longer answer below.
Well I'm still alive so it didn't end. I haven't died, though after training I can smell that way on occasion. I haven't grown up either, still managed to hurt myself training and play silly games with my son enjoying them as much as any other child would.
I have been 41 for a short while now and there is something to be said about not having a 0 at the end of my age. I am not getting people asking me how much I was dreading turning 40 or how old I must feel any more, I don't even get people looking at me in astonishment at the fact I will happily admit my age which was in some ways worse. I did have a couple of people saying that it will hit me harder when I reached 50 but I had that when I was 30 about turning 40 so I seriously doubt it.
There are a lot of reasons people feel age to be significant and not all of them are bad.
The passing of time brings us ever closer to the end of our lives, dark and sinister maybe for some but for me this is more about what I leave behind. I want to see my son grown up and happy, if he has children I will likely want to see the same for them too. Death means I don't get to see them again, so I won't be there for them if I am needed. That stings more than it should because in truth I seem to be very good at not dying even when all evidence says I should have many times. I am immortal until proven otherwise.
The young at heart. I never fully understand this term, maybe I have always been too old at heart to get it. To me it is always a pretence. I am physically capable of far more than most half my age, I can act the fool with the best of them, I am not young and have no illusions about this, which makes this even more confusing for me. I see people declaring they are young at heart who seem to be using it to describe the fact they are jovial and happy, as if being older makes you less happy. Others use it as an excuse to be selfish and drink like they could when they were younger. The young at heart seem to feel the passage of time is an insult to their eternal youth.
The waiters, not the people bringing you food and drink, these are the people who were waiting for life to bring them something worth having. These people get to 'milestone' birthdays and look back wondering why they didn't get the breaks. Truth is we all get them, the trick is spotting them and going for it, then of course being willing to pay the price for them. I took the road less travelled because I saw what started off as a small opportunity that became a way of life for a few years and set me into a totally different mind-set. The cost is that while the others who walked the more conventional trail have nicer houses that are mostly paid for I don't and with the property market being as it is I likely never will. I don't like it but that is the cost of me taking the opportunities I did.
There are more of course but I don't intend this to be a novel.
Milestone passed. 40 was a mixed year.
I hurt myself being stupid training as already stated. This means I will not be achieving this years targets, though in all honesty they were a bit ridiculous anyway.
For the first time in many years I decided I wanted to build up a bit and be more aesthetically biased than pure functional as I normally am. My wife has put up with me for 15 years and I felt that it would be nice for her to have me looking more appealing for her. The balding old man look isn't what she went for when we first met and there's not a lot I can do about the disappearing hairline but I can work to ensure that beneath the rapidly greying body hair is a physique she likes.
Fortunately she was pretty happy with me as I was because this is not looking realistic at all. In fairness we all have genetic limits on how much muscle we can build without intra-muscular hormone supplements and I am almost 1.5 times my original body weight even with having to slip into remedial work, which seems to be my limit.
When analysing the math it appears the additional weight I was able to gain was far from the 50/50 muscle/fat split and more like 20/80, so I was gaining weight but not much lean mass. I have dropped some weight again now and most of that has been the excess blubber so I do look prettier, if not bigger.
My son started at a school rather than being home educated, which wasn't an instant thing. We were told in no uncertain terms he wasn't suitable for state education, which in fairness to me means the state aren't providing a suitable education and support. Subsequently we took to educating him at home. When at a group of sessions designed to help parents with children on the Autistic spectrum my wife was directed to a school that specialised in secondary age children on the spectrum. After a great deal of sessions, forms etc. we got a SEN (Special Educational Needs) statement, which said this school would be best for him, we were a respectable second there was no third.
We then spent a great deal of time grilling the school on what they would be able to provide for him, concerned that they would be either a glorified nursery providing virtually no education, or be as bad as the school he had attended. They made all the right noises but we were still concerned.
The good news is the SEN was spot on, he loves it and we are starting to be able to just enjoy being his parents again. Something you don't always realise when home educating in a way that actually includes education is how much it can damage your parental relationship. Our son had started to see us as omnipresent and probably always on his back because the parts he was remembering were the critiques over the fun.
Because of the lack of stigma attached to being 41 it is just a bit of fun. It's going well with my son enjoying school, my training going better than I deserve and life is ticking along happily.
So life didn't begin or end, it just continued. If people are being generous they could declare me middle aged, presuming a lifespan of 82 years or they can be less diplomatic and say I'm just old.
Well I'm still alive so it didn't end. I haven't died, though after training I can smell that way on occasion. I haven't grown up either, still managed to hurt myself training and play silly games with my son enjoying them as much as any other child would.
I have been 41 for a short while now and there is something to be said about not having a 0 at the end of my age. I am not getting people asking me how much I was dreading turning 40 or how old I must feel any more, I don't even get people looking at me in astonishment at the fact I will happily admit my age which was in some ways worse. I did have a couple of people saying that it will hit me harder when I reached 50 but I had that when I was 30 about turning 40 so I seriously doubt it.
There are a lot of reasons people feel age to be significant and not all of them are bad.
The passing of time brings us ever closer to the end of our lives, dark and sinister maybe for some but for me this is more about what I leave behind. I want to see my son grown up and happy, if he has children I will likely want to see the same for them too. Death means I don't get to see them again, so I won't be there for them if I am needed. That stings more than it should because in truth I seem to be very good at not dying even when all evidence says I should have many times. I am immortal until proven otherwise.
The young at heart. I never fully understand this term, maybe I have always been too old at heart to get it. To me it is always a pretence. I am physically capable of far more than most half my age, I can act the fool with the best of them, I am not young and have no illusions about this, which makes this even more confusing for me. I see people declaring they are young at heart who seem to be using it to describe the fact they are jovial and happy, as if being older makes you less happy. Others use it as an excuse to be selfish and drink like they could when they were younger. The young at heart seem to feel the passage of time is an insult to their eternal youth.
The waiters, not the people bringing you food and drink, these are the people who were waiting for life to bring them something worth having. These people get to 'milestone' birthdays and look back wondering why they didn't get the breaks. Truth is we all get them, the trick is spotting them and going for it, then of course being willing to pay the price for them. I took the road less travelled because I saw what started off as a small opportunity that became a way of life for a few years and set me into a totally different mind-set. The cost is that while the others who walked the more conventional trail have nicer houses that are mostly paid for I don't and with the property market being as it is I likely never will. I don't like it but that is the cost of me taking the opportunities I did.
There are more of course but I don't intend this to be a novel.
Milestone passed. 40 was a mixed year.
I hurt myself being stupid training as already stated. This means I will not be achieving this years targets, though in all honesty they were a bit ridiculous anyway.
For the first time in many years I decided I wanted to build up a bit and be more aesthetically biased than pure functional as I normally am. My wife has put up with me for 15 years and I felt that it would be nice for her to have me looking more appealing for her. The balding old man look isn't what she went for when we first met and there's not a lot I can do about the disappearing hairline but I can work to ensure that beneath the rapidly greying body hair is a physique she likes.
Fortunately she was pretty happy with me as I was because this is not looking realistic at all. In fairness we all have genetic limits on how much muscle we can build without intra-muscular hormone supplements and I am almost 1.5 times my original body weight even with having to slip into remedial work, which seems to be my limit.
When analysing the math it appears the additional weight I was able to gain was far from the 50/50 muscle/fat split and more like 20/80, so I was gaining weight but not much lean mass. I have dropped some weight again now and most of that has been the excess blubber so I do look prettier, if not bigger.
My son started at a school rather than being home educated, which wasn't an instant thing. We were told in no uncertain terms he wasn't suitable for state education, which in fairness to me means the state aren't providing a suitable education and support. Subsequently we took to educating him at home. When at a group of sessions designed to help parents with children on the Autistic spectrum my wife was directed to a school that specialised in secondary age children on the spectrum. After a great deal of sessions, forms etc. we got a SEN (Special Educational Needs) statement, which said this school would be best for him, we were a respectable second there was no third.
We then spent a great deal of time grilling the school on what they would be able to provide for him, concerned that they would be either a glorified nursery providing virtually no education, or be as bad as the school he had attended. They made all the right noises but we were still concerned.
The good news is the SEN was spot on, he loves it and we are starting to be able to just enjoy being his parents again. Something you don't always realise when home educating in a way that actually includes education is how much it can damage your parental relationship. Our son had started to see us as omnipresent and probably always on his back because the parts he was remembering were the critiques over the fun.
Because of the lack of stigma attached to being 41 it is just a bit of fun. It's going well with my son enjoying school, my training going better than I deserve and life is ticking along happily.
So life didn't begin or end, it just continued. If people are being generous they could declare me middle aged, presuming a lifespan of 82 years or they can be less diplomatic and say I'm just old.
Running 25-Sep-2014
Getting some consistent speed going last few runs, which is good. Obviously would be happier if the consistent pace was 8 or more miles per hour but in fairness I am quite happy with this.
5.36 miles in 41:32 average speed 7.7mph
5.36 miles in 41:32 average speed 7.7mph
23 September 2014
Intervals 23-Sep-2014
They are getting better again. In fairness training in general is back on the mend at the moment, I am as happy as I could be at this stage of remedial work, which means I appreciate I am doing well but hat having to go relatively easy on the weights.
3.72 miles in 33:19 6.7mph
3.72 miles in 33:19 6.7mph
Squats 22-Sep-2014
Getting used to this high rep stuff now. Still looking forward to doing something heavier though.
Calf raises with high bar just using a short plank of wood loose on the floor is good for the core too. Calves were burning like hell by the end of each set.
High bar squats 3 x 20 x 60kg
Step forward lunges with plates in hand 3 x 20 x 10kg a side
Calf raises with bar 3 x 20 x 60kg
Calf raises with high bar just using a short plank of wood loose on the floor is good for the core too. Calves were burning like hell by the end of each set.
High bar squats 3 x 20 x 60kg
Step forward lunges with plates in hand 3 x 20 x 10kg a side
Calf raises with bar 3 x 20 x 60kg
22 September 2014
Running 22-Sep-2014
Today had temps a bit higher than ideal but humidity low enough to make it OK. I felt like I really could have kept going indefinitely today, pace was really consistent and felt good.
5.38 miles in 42:03 average speed 7.7mph
5.38 miles in 42:03 average speed 7.7mph
19 September 2014
Running 19-Sep-2014
Took app a few seconds to register but less annoying than it has been, and not nearly enough to make the speed massively different.
81% humidity and hot with it, joy! Still gave it hell and not a bad run.
5.4 miles in 42:06 average speed 7.7mph
81% humidity and hot with it, joy! Still gave it hell and not a bad run.
5.4 miles in 42:06 average speed 7.7mph
Deadlifts 18-Sep-2014
Seizure at the weekend was bound to impact training so the plan was to skip squats if I needed to and pick up on bench day. I didn't and knew that deadlifts needed to be done on the right day. I may try catching up on bench later in the week or at the weekend.
Deadlift with fat grips 3 x 20 x 50kg Getting better at these, regrips are becoming far less frequent, first were after 15, 14 & 10
Wide grip chins 7, 5, 5 with bodyweight I decided to check the width and found this was 105cm bar, which is 3' 5.5" or close to 2/3 my height. Would explain why they feel like hard work.
barbell curls with fat gripz 3 x 10 x 30kg Keep thinking I will add reps or weight to this but by the time I get to them my pathetic endurance has left the building.
Deadlift with fat grips 3 x 20 x 50kg Getting better at these, regrips are becoming far less frequent, first were after 15, 14 & 10
Wide grip chins 7, 5, 5 with bodyweight I decided to check the width and found this was 105cm bar, which is 3' 5.5" or close to 2/3 my height. Would explain why they feel like hard work.
barbell curls with fat gripz 3 x 10 x 30kg Keep thinking I will add reps or weight to this but by the time I get to them my pathetic endurance has left the building.
18 September 2014
Running 18-Sep-2014
This one felt like it should have been faster. I was definitely struggling with the humid air but felt like I was laying down a good pace throughout. Seems as though I was keeping up a consistent pace but not a great one.
5.37 miles in 42:26 average speed 7.6mph
5.37 miles in 42:26 average speed 7.6mph
16 September 2014
Intervals 16-Sep-2014
Gave it some serious grief today on the sprints and the overall feel was consistent. Now feel as if my lungs have been forced open beyond sensible level, which is a good sign.
3.63 mile in 33:22 average speed 6.5mph
3.63 mile in 33:22 average speed 6.5mph
15 September 2014
Running 15-Sep-2014
Humidity at levels where I needed gills rather than lungs, and an admittedly small seizure over the weekend. This wasn't going to be wonderful anyway. Add the fact that it took the app around 14 seconds to register me telling it to stop and I was a touch annoyed.
Time is with the additional seconds, speed is likely accurate, still at minimum so I should be happy. If I was the sort to be happy at the minimum though it would be a waste of time training.
5.39 miles in 42:57 average speed 7.5mph
Time is with the additional seconds, speed is likely accurate, still at minimum so I should be happy. If I was the sort to be happy at the minimum though it would be a waste of time training.
5.39 miles in 42:57 average speed 7.5mph
12 September 2014
Running 12-Sep-2014
The joy of doing my training on the right days. A respectable if not exceptional run at the end of the week.
5.38 miles in 41:44 average speed 7.7mph
5.38 miles in 41:44 average speed 7.7mph
Deadlift 11-Sep-2014
So far I have felt every session this week. Not bad for remedial rubbish.
Deadlift with fat gripz 3 x 20 x 50kg different grip each set.
Full width chins 3 x 5 that extra width is a killer
Curls with fat grips 3 x 10 x 30kg
Deadlift with fat gripz 3 x 20 x 50kg different grip each set.
Full width chins 3 x 5 that extra width is a killer
Curls with fat grips 3 x 10 x 30kg
11 September 2014
Running 11-Sep-2014
Hot humid and back to my lungs being my weakness. Still above minimum and I don't think I could have been much quicker today without going full anaerobic. Would have liked better but I didn't have it in me.
5.37 miles in 42:31 average speed 7.6mph
5.37 miles in 42:31 average speed 7.6mph
Bench 10-Sep-2014
I am making this remedial more interesting by making myself work harder in rep ranges I haven't done in years. So it starts off feeling easy and ends up feeling like what ever I am training is on fire for about 5 or more reps.
Bench 3 x 20 x 50kg
Shoulder press with plates 3 x 20 x 10kg a side
45 degree bent over shoulder raises 3 x 20 x 5kg holding so plates are past hands.
Bench 3 x 20 x 50kg
Shoulder press with plates 3 x 20 x 10kg a side
45 degree bent over shoulder raises 3 x 20 x 5kg holding so plates are past hands.
9 September 2014
Intervals 09-Sep-2014
I so deserved this to be an awful session after a good run yesterday and a reasonable squat workout considering I am still in remedial. It's good to be surprised on occasion. This was hard work but the consistency was good. The recovery sections did get a bit slower over the workout but I was able to keep the sprints lively to the last.
3.67 miles in 33:03 average speed 6.7mph
3.67 miles in 33:03 average speed 6.7mph
Squats 08-Sep-2014
Slight change of style on the squats. Calf raises were a killer, the balance of doing this with a bar high on shoulders and a loose plank of wood is proving fun.
High bar squats 6 x 10 x 60kg
Step forward lunges with discs 3 x 20 x 5kg a side
Standing calf raises with bar 3 x 20 x 60kg
High bar squats 6 x 10 x 60kg
Step forward lunges with discs 3 x 20 x 5kg a side
Standing calf raises with bar 3 x 20 x 60kg
8 September 2014
Running 08-Sep-2014
I think I could have been slightly faster today but I was very close to the limit, and sufficiently happy with the result.
Hot by my standards, a bit humid but the air felt clear and breathing felt relatively easy.
5.38 miles in 41:37 average speed 7.8mph
Hot by my standards, a bit humid but the air felt clear and breathing felt relatively easy.
5.38 miles in 41:37 average speed 7.8mph
6 September 2014
Deadlift 06-Sep-2014
In order to ensure I give full time to recovery I am doing deadlift with fat gripz from here. Will help improve my grip and keep weights down until I am safe with more.
Deadlift with gripz 20kg warm up. 3 x 15 x 40kg different grip position each set, for balance
Chins full width of rack 6, 5, 6
Barbel curls with gripz 3 x 10 x 30kg
Deadlift with gripz 20kg warm up. 3 x 15 x 40kg different grip position each set, for balance
Chins full width of rack 6, 5, 6
Barbel curls with gripz 3 x 10 x 30kg
5 September 2014
Running 05-Sep-2014
Not pleased. Legs are aching, it is hot etc. but regardless this pace should not have felt this hard to keep up.
5.36 miles in 43:21 average speed 7.4mph
5.36 miles in 43:21 average speed 7.4mph
4 September 2014
Bench 03-Sep-2014
Bench 3 x 20 1st set 40kg other 2 45kg
Standing shoulder press with plates 15, 10, 15 with 10kg plates. Not sure what happened on the 2nd set, just wasn't there.
Slight bent over shoulder raises 3 x 15 x 5kg a side
Legs were still killing me this morning so was dreading the run. A flambé truck causing me to arrive at work over an hour late removed that worry and my lunch hour.
Standing shoulder press with plates 15, 10, 15 with 10kg plates. Not sure what happened on the 2nd set, just wasn't there.
Slight bent over shoulder raises 3 x 15 x 5kg a side
Legs were still killing me this morning so was dreading the run. A flambé truck causing me to arrive at work over an hour late removed that worry and my lunch hour.
3 September 2014
Squats 02-Sep-2014
Recording this the following day and it was better than I could have expected at this stage of remedial. I actually ache properly.
High Bar Squats 3 x 20 weights 40kg, 50kg, 60kg first set was low bar but decided to try high for first time in well over a decade.
Step forward lunges 3 x 20 first set bodyweight, 2nd and 3rd with 2.5kg disc in each hand.
Calf raises 1 x 14, 1 x 10 with 60kg That was the end of me for this session.
High Bar Squats 3 x 20 weights 40kg, 50kg, 60kg first set was low bar but decided to try high for first time in well over a decade.
Step forward lunges 3 x 20 first set bodyweight, 2nd and 3rd with 2.5kg disc in each hand.
Calf raises 1 x 14, 1 x 10 with 60kg That was the end of me for this session.
2 September 2014
90% Intervals 02-Sep-2014
Fell foul of the fact my GPS tracker has a phone app on it. Got a call just before the last interval was about to start and had to walk.
The session was hard going and just felt harder the further through I got. Really need to get back into these.
Stats mean even less than normal as the last few minutes will have been walking
3.27 miles in 32:52 average speed 6mph
The session was hard going and just felt harder the further through I got. Really need to get back into these.
Stats mean even less than normal as the last few minutes will have been walking
3.27 miles in 32:52 average speed 6mph
1 September 2014
Running 01-Sep-2014
For reasons I don't fully understand the distance I ran today showed as quite a bit higher than normal, despite me doing the same route as normal. The joy of GPS.
Makes the pace a bit strange too. I thought this would be better but after a week off doing destroy it yourself at home and enjoying time with my family, this is not a bad return.
5.49 miles in 43:03 speed 7.6mph
Makes the pace a bit strange too. I thought this would be better but after a week off doing destroy it yourself at home and enjoying time with my family, this is not a bad return.
5.49 miles in 43:03 speed 7.6mph
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