A Long Way To The Top - 4 Weeks In

Weeks 3 & 4 have been my hardest weeks in the gym...

Towards the middle of week 3 I was starting to feel the strain on my body from my exploits in the gym. It may have been a direct result to going to the gym 7 times over weeks 1 & 2. At the end of week 3 and finally enjoyed my first 2 day stretch away from the gym.

So here is my progress:

Week 3

Monday 11/06/12
Squat	65kg
Overhead Press	30kg*
Deadlift	45kg

Wednesday 13/06/12
Squat	67.5kg
Bench Press	52.5kg
Barbell Rows	42.5kg

Friday 15/06/12
Squat	70kg
Overhead Press	30kg
Deadlift	52.5kg

Week 4

Monday 18/06/12
Squat	72.5kg
Bench Press	55kg
Barbell Rows	45kg

Wednesday 20/06/12
Squat	75kg
Overhead Press	32.5kg*
Deadlift	55kg

Friday 22/06/12
Squat	77.5kg
Bench Press	57.5kg
Barbell Rows	47.5kg

*4sets x 5reps & 1set x4reps

Was able to break through the plateau on overhead press, only to hit another once I upped the weight again. I also upped the weight on the deadlift by an extra 10kg on the recommendation of a few people and I was well able for it. On the gym front I was very happy with these 2 weeks, but on the diet front that's another story...

The 2 weeks were very up and down, with a number of good days with some bad, but I know I just need to get myself into a better rhythm and be better organised. Going to try and get into a proper sleeping routine, will be adding core work and some road biking over the next 2 weeks.


So as of Monday(25/06/12) here are my measurables:

	Starting Stats	After 4 Weeks
Weight	177lbs	172lbs
Body Fat%	18%	14.92

So over the last 2 weeks I've managed to drop another lb and bring my Body Fat% down as well...

Onwards to greatest

A Long Way To The Top - 2 Weeks In

Firstly I'll apologise for the delay in getting this post up, I've very much been just getting over that Irish game on Sunday...

So I've been doing the Stronglift 5x5 program for two weeks now and I've been progressing quiet well with the program. Certainly seems to be more effective than my previous program's. So as I've already said, the program focuses on doing 5 different exercises. Each exercise is performed in 5 sets of 5 reps, except deadlifts which is only one set.

• Squats
• Bench Press
• Barbell Rows
• Overhead Press
• Deadlift

So for the first two weeks I took the approach of one day on, next day off. So over the first two weeks I've done 7 sessions in gym. Here is the breakdown of my progress so far;

Week 1 

Monday 28/05/12
Squat	47.5kg
Bench Press	42.5kg
Barbell Rows	32.5kg

Wednesday 30/05/12
Squat	50kg
Overhead Press	25kg
Deadlift	37.5kg

Friday 01/06/12
Squat	52.5kg
Bench Press	45kg
Barbell Rows	35kg

Sunday 03/06/12
Squat	55kg
Overhead Press	27.5kg
Deadlift	40kg

Week 2

Tuesday 05/06/12
Squat	57.5kg
Bench Press	47.5kg
Barbell Rows	37.5kg

Thursday 07/06/12
Squat	60kg
Overhead Press	30kg*
Deadlift	42.5kg

Saturday 09/06/12
Squat	62.5kg
Bench Press	50kg
Barbell Rows	40kg

* 3sets x 5reps & 2sets x 4reps

So after two weeks at the program, I've been very happy with how its going for me. Although I did encounter an issue an the Overhead Press. I hit a mini plateau when I struggled to get full reps on my final two sets. 

But I've had issues with shoulder exercises in the past, so I will be staying on the same weight until I'm able to complete the my five full sets...

As you can see from my progress, the program is certainly showing signs of being quiet effective so I'm going to remain optimistic with regards to this program getting me to where I want to go.

So as of Monday(11/06) here are my measurable:

	Starting Stats	After 2 weeks
Weight	177lbs	173lbs
Body Fat%	18%	15.2%

So in 2 weeks I've managed to lose 4 lbs, now I will admit that my scales aren't the best so these readings may be a little out. The Body Fat % is just a rough estimation too(Tool here). 

So my plan over the next 2 weeks will be to hit the gym 3 times a week, this will give me the weekend off from the gym. I'll hopefully get myself back out on the bike a little bit and also get a little bit of core worked into my week...

Onwards to greatest

A Long Way To The Top

October 2011:

I weighted myself, and to my shock I was coming in at 15st 2lbs(212lbs). According to the BMI calculate I was now obese.

With that shocking piece of news my world was a little rocked to say the least, I took it upon myself to get myself back into shape or at least start the process. So I did all the usual things, joined the gym, bought a bike and started to clean my diet. Things started off well, then Xmas came around and I drank and ate too much over the festive season. Despite a calorie packed  December, I had still lost weight since October. So as the new year approached I took the initiative to stop drinking.

So as January & February went by I hadn't touched a drop of drink, and I was going to the gym on a very regular basis. I was also cycling 150km-200km a week so life was great...Then March came around, and my birthday. I went out twice on the week of my birthday, now I had planned to head out at least once so heading out twice wasn't all that bad. But I came to the realisation that drinking is one of the most over rated things in Ireland.

But during April and May, there were a number of family events, one of which was a funeral. At the funeral I had a few drinks(pretty much against my will). But over these months, my diet started to get muddied but the crap foods that got me into the initial mess. I was still doing the gym, but the biking had kind of tailed off. The biking tail off was more of a combination of things, such as the bike needed some things replaced(which I can't afford at the moment) and laziness.

May 2012

So I have decided to get myself back on track as of today...

I'm going to start with my gym work. Over the months I had used different weight programs that focus on isolating different muscles and involved a lot of different exercises. At the beginning I found these programs effective and I was starting to lift heavier weights. But then I hit a plateau, this plateau affected my confidence. So with my confidence rocked my gym sessions weren't enjoyable any more.

So I have decided, to take a different approach, I am going to start doing the "Stronglifts 5x5" program. The idea of the program is to lift heavy weights and use compound exercises in order to work as many muscles as possible. The program is also designed for the increase of weight from day to day, which will be good for the motivation and confidence. If you've any interest in reading about the program, the site I got the program off can be found here. 

I am also planning to start getting back on the bike, but due to my financial standing this may be a week or two a way. I intend to start back on the bike with a few easier routes mainly flats just to help myself to get back into it and prevent any injuries.

So as of today I am weighing in at 12st 9lbs(177lbs). So since October I have managed to drop 2st 7lbs, which is a very good drop. But its even a better drop, when you consider my approach and progress has been very inconsistent.

So I decided to get myself into the blogging world, to track my progress and also as a motivational tool. I plan to keep the blog updated on a weekly basis, as I work through my weight program and as I get back onto the bike.

First Blog

Hello people,

Looking forward to getting blogging. I'll be blogging on a number of different topics, such as Football, Gaming, Training, Cycling and many more things...