Training like a Dream

I realised its been over two months since I last posted in my journal so thought it time to give an update of where I am.

I went to the consultant at the end of March, he did want me to have injections in my back for my ruptured disc but I said everything is going well at the moment, in the end we decided that I wont have them now and will only have them if I have issues in the future. The final consultation has meant I am able to train to full effect but not allowed to deadlift or squat.

Since this consultation I have been in Bulgaria for two weeks where I carried out some great training and I have been training hard back in the UK.

My training is actually going very well, I am training like a dream. In fact I have only one issue with my training and that is that the gym weights only go up to 40kg (88lbs) so I am unable to move past this weight on some of my exercises and have had to look at other freeweight exercises to progress.

I went to the gym today and managed a huge back session that is making me feel great, I feel I am moving in the right direction. Currently I am weighing in at between 96kg (211 lbs) and 98kg (215 lbs) and given my next target is 100kg (220 lbs) Im not far off!

A Moment of Motivation

In the UK there is a hive of activity at the moment as people who dont normally carry out any training are donning their sports clothes to carry out many sports activities. The reason for this is because it is time for Sports Relief, a part of the Comic Relief charity event.

Sports Relief helps raise money to transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people in the United Kingdom and across the world.

Now although this site is mainly about weight lifting I thought it important to talk about one person raising money for Sports Relief in a way that many would not believe.

In the United Kingdom there is a legendary comedian called Eddie Izzard, some may know him from his time in the United States as an actor. Eddie Izzard decided to supports Sports Relief by carrying out a special act to raise money for this great charity.

Eddie decided to really push himself to the limit with this special act and from doing so has become inspirational and motivational for others, so what has he done?

With little training (5 weeks in total) Eddie embarked on running forty three marathons in fifty one days (yes you read right!), this meant Eddie was running a minimum of twenty seven miles a day for six days a week for seven weeks in a row.

Now one marathon is enough even for the most well trained athalete so how did a middle aged comedian with little to no training manage this great feat?

Easy motivation and mind over matter, the supporting documentary about this great feat is an amazing watch and really does show the pain and elation he went through achieving all forty three marathons.

The marathons Eddie ran literally took him around the whole of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland starting in London and finishing in London for a total of 1160 miles ran.

Now if this is not motivation I dont know what is, to me this proves that anyone can achieve their training goals no matter what they are as long as they can put their mind to it with the right motivation and drive.

To find out more about Eddie Izzards run or make a donation to the Sports Relief charity Click Here!

If your interested in watching the documentary of Eddies marathons why not watch them on BBC iPlayer (only available until the end of March 2010)

Episode one
Episode two

Back on Track

Okay so I wrote a post back at the start of January about being back in training, the issue is that it was a bit hit and miss because of my back injury.

I am proud and happy to say that as of three weeks ago I am really back in training and am training five days a week as per the training schedule on my previous journal post

Its been 8 months of not being able to train properly and it has really got to me many times. In the eight months of no/little training I have seen my weight go down yet my stomach get bigger as well as my strength and fitness decrease.

The past three weeks of full training is already correcting the strength, fitness and stomach issue well and I am hoping within weeks Ill be right back where I was.

I have been having physio every week and have also found running really helps my back as it stops my back from tightening up.

I am having what I hope is my final physio appointment in two weeks and am also seeing my consultant, given my huge advances it should mean no injections or surgery which is what I am after!

So overall my back is better, im back in action in the gym and running oh and I am a very happy bunny.

P.S Im back in Bulgaria in three weeks, this time for a two week stint!

Back in Training

I mentioned on my last journal post that I was seeing my consultant to see if I could start training again after rupturing a disc in my back. Well I saw my consultant at the end of November and he gave me the okay to train with a few clauses...

1) No deadlift
2) No shoulder press
3) No leg training sessions

Now I start back after what ended up being four months off training and I trained for 18 days of the month. Not bad going for my first month back eh! Well training started hard as I had lost some strength and alot of stamina, to combat this and the lack of leg training session I did some running (as well as my weight training) to increase my fitness.

I have been training weekly as follows

Monday - 3 to 4 kilometre run
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Shoulders
Thursday - 3 to 4 kilometre run
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Chest and Triceps
Sunday - Back and Biceps

This is not ideal as I want to be back training fully but it is working well as my strength is increasing, my muscles are responding and I am getting fitter as well as losing that extra pounds gained from not training and still eating like a horse.

Im weighing in at 95 kgs still so missed out on my target of 100kg by the end of 2009 because of the injury.

Im looking forward to 2010 as one thing is certain, the injury has made me want to train even harder and I am going to put even more effort in. Training is about strength of mind as well as strength of body and my strength of mind is at the best it has ever been....roll on 2010!!!

Slow Training

Well its been three months since I ruptured a disc in my back and I have only managed 4 trips to the gym in just over two weeks. On top of this I have tried running on three occassions, the first was a wash out as I couldnt run, the second I managed around 800 metres before suffering with my back...the last time (today) I managed around one mile (1.5 kilometres) before I was knackered!

Thats right, in three months its amazing how unfit you can become and how quick your gains can be lost. I have found after three months that I have lost my fitness, lost some strength and loads of endurance in my muscles and of course lost some muscle mass (around 5 kg I think).

I am seeing the consultant on Tuesday and am hoping that I can get the all clear to start back in the gym properly and get running properly again. I need to get my strength and fitness up as it is depressing me.

I have a plan in mind on how to get my strength and fitness back, the strength part is easy as Ill just hit the gym on a large scale carrying out pyramid training, its the fitness part that bothers me. I think that Ill start by running three times a week until I can run around 3 to 4 kilometres with ease and will then start Fartlek training.

Fartlek training is a way of building speed and stamina and is carried out by mixing your running session up into different speeds and gradients, an example of my version is below.

• Warm up: gentle jog for 5 minutes or so
• Steady to hard run at speed for 1.5 km
• Fast walking or light jog for about 5 minutes
• Sprinting up hill then running down around five time (See pic of my hill)
  
• Running at a quick pace for 5 minutes
• Fast walking or light jog for about 5 minutes to warm down
  

So now I have my plan of attack I just need to see my consultant on Tuesday to get the okay to really build my strength and endurance back up.

I currently weigh in at 95kg, although I have gained a little on the stomach over the past three months from not training and hardly doing any walking because of the ruptured disc in my back.

Fingers crossed for Tuesday!

Training Update

So as mentioned yesterday I went to the gym today after around six weeks off and still with my back injury in tow, so whats the verdict.

Mixed emotions really, it was great to get in and see the lads....quite a few came up to see how I am. It was also great to lift some weights BUT...as always there is a but...I couldnt complete a normal workout so there were no huge weights and hardly any free weights used.

I started off with the seated bench press resistance machine and did ten sets before moving on to the shoulders carrying out three isolation exercises. Not much of a workout really but its a start, as long as my back holds up and doesnt hurt tomorrow Ill go back in Tuesday night to lift more sets and a little heavier weight.

On a side note my mother in law thinks Im crazy to train with the injury I have, Id rather call it dedication.

Injury Update

Well its been around six weeks since I last trained because of the prolapsed disc in my back and this has been dragging me down a little. I thought that without training I would pile on the pounds but I have actually found that I dont eat as much, well my stomach wont let me so I cant!

What I am seeing is that my shoulders, chest and triceps seem to be getting smaller from the lack of training, I know it wont take much to get it back but its a nightmare....every night I look in the mirror at my withering Mr. Burns body and cry (its not that bad but you get the picture).

Tomorrow I am going to the gym for the first time, Im not going to do any heavy freeweight stuff because although the pain in my back has subsided I can still feel the problem and dont want to make it worse. My idea tomorrow is to just carry out seated resistance machine weights on my chest, triceps and shoulders to make myself feel better mentally and to try and get a little size back.

Ill post tomorrow about what I did and how I feel, hopefully this might be a way of doing some light weight training until I see the consultant and find out the next steps to recovery.

The Injury of Injuries

My last journal post told about an old sciatic nerve problem rearing its ugly head but unfortunately its alot worse than I thought.

I have been for an MRI scan and found out that I do not have a simple sciatica problem, I actually have a large prolapse of my L1 spinal disc (first disc in the Lumbar region of the lower back).

This is of great concern for me, not because of the injury as I know it will get resolved by the spinal consultant I will be seeing, but more because I will not be able to train for a long period of time and I am worried about what impact this will have on my training moving forward.

Im hoping that the issue will be resolved sooner rather than later as I can already start to see a loss of muscle since it started three or four weeks ago.

As I know more Ill let you all know!

Resting Up

I have had a great quarter for training, this last twelve week cycle as seen some great gains with 20 kg added to my bench press and 15 kg added to my shoulder press. While this is great it has come at a price though.

This past week has been an uncomfortable and unfortunate one as my Sciatica is playing up. For those that dont know there is a nerve called the Sciatic nerve located in the lumber region of the back (lower back), when this nerve is trapped or pressed on it gives pain in the back, bottom and down the leg of the side affected.

I am affected on my right side and this problem has been an issue on and off for a long time but give it a week Ill be back in action.

One of the problems I see with this is a psychologvial one. I always take a one week break after every twelve week cycle which is great for recovery but this injury has caused me to have only trained once last week doing shoulders and I havent trained this week yet. Ill probably leave it to the weekend then go and do some light training to keep myself going and to put my mind at rest.

Diet and Nutrition

I thought it time to talk about my own training in my journal as its been a short while.

Today I wish to talk about my training and my nutrition, firstly though its the nutrition. I had a long chat with a friend who is a bodybuilder a few days ago and he was talking about his nutrition and that he cant understand why I eat the way I do...so whats the difference between us?

We both eat 5 to 6 times a day, we both try to get as much protein in our diet as possible every day to ensure we hit our daily amounts, the difference is the foods we eat.

My friend is a puritan, a real bodybuilder who will not intoxicate his body with fatty foods where I am a powerlifter and do have a little "Dirty food" in my diet as I feel I need some enjoyment from my food and also it helps give me the energy to push harder. I would like to mention that everyones body is different and my body does require me to eat alot because my metabolism is quite good.

So what do I eat.....well to be honest what ever I feel like. Today for example I had two slices of wholemeal bread with lutenizta and chicken for breakfast then I trained at the gym and had a chocolate tea cake when I got back. Since then I have had a lucozade sport and Ackee and saltfish with rice and kidney beans.

I plan on chicken in the afternoon with rice then beef in the evening...probably with potatoes or again rice (I like rice!)

Now to training, how is my training coming along....below is my current workouts utilising the heaviest weight possible for each exercise:

Chest and Triceps

Flat Barbell Bench Press - 4 x 6-8
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 x 6-8
Incline Dumbbell Flies - 3 x 6-8
Close grip Bench press - 3 x 6-8
Skull Crushers - 3 x 6-8
Tricep dips - 3 x 6-8
Tricep extensions - 3 x 6-8
Dumbbell Wristies - 2 x 6-8
7.5 minute run

Shoulders

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 4 x 6-8
Barbell Military Press - 3 x 6-8
Rear Delt Flies - 3 x 8-10
Lateral Flies - 3 x 8-10
Shoulder Shrugs - 3 x 6-8
Wide Grip Pull Ups - 3 x 6-8
Dumbbell Wristies - 2 x 6-8
7.5 minute run

Back

Wide Grip Seated Row - 4 x 6-8
Dumbbell Row - 3 x 6-8
Barbell Row - 3 x 6-8
Close Grip Pull Ups - 3 x 6-8
Dumbbell Biceps Curls - 3 x 6-8
Barbell Biceps Curls - 3 x 6-8
Dumbbell Wristies - 1 x 6-8
Crucifix - 1 x for time (min one minute)
Rowing Machine - 1km

Legs

Squats - 4 x 10
Bulgarian Split Squats - 3 x 6-8
Calf Raises - 3 x 6-8
Deadlift - 4 x 4-5

Training Has Never Been Better

My training has never been going so well, this past couple of months with my new training partner has seen both me and my training partner make some amazing gains in all areas.

We have achieved this with a gruelling training schedule and mixing in loads of new assistance exercises to build our supporting muscles for some added assistance in our lifts.

We are currently carrying out crucifix exercises, wrist and forearm exercises to build our muscles for supporting the bigger lifts. Further to this we have given ourselves some huge stretching targets to achieve in a small period of time that we are definately on course to achieve.

One of the big factors in our improvements is also the constant changes in exercises used to keep our body from hitting a plateau. Rather than just changing every 6 weeks we are actually setting targets to achieve and once we have hit them, then moving on to new exercises or variations of the exercise.

As well as the change in weights and lifting we are also carrying out CV work at the end of every weight lifting workout, this is running after all workouts except our back workout where we finish with rowing.

Currently I am weighing in at 94 kilograms,. I jumped on the scales this morning and was very pleased to see the needle waver around the 94 to 95 kilogram mark before settling on 94 kilograms, this shows that I am making the right progress towards my 100 kilo target.

May 2009 Journal

My weight has gone up to 92kg which is great, well it fluctuates between 92kg and 93kg so Ill stick with the lower amount.

My training has been going really well, some days I have been able to train twice a day by completing a cardio session in the morning and weights session in the evening which has been really helpful.

I have found that my strength has increased quite alot on my chest area in the past four weeks and I feel my cardio has supported these gains.

In the past four weeks my running has improved immensely, in fact the distance I am running has nearly doubled and my heart rate is recovering extremely quickly. This is really supporting me as I can feel my lung capacity has increased and my recovery between sets is much quicker than previously.

The biggest difficulty Im currently having is eating enough! I currently eat 6 times a day with the aim of eating roughly 3,500 calories a day. My meal times are as follows:

Meal 1 - 0730
Meal 2 - 1100
Meal 3 - 1400
Meal 4 - 1700
Meal 5 - 1845
Meal 6 - 2030

These times are not exact but are roughly when I am eating, by doing this I can get the calories I need while also sustaining a high metabolic rate.

Current Training

I have realised that I have not really been using my journal to its full potential so you do not get the full idea of what I am achieving and what my current training is all about.

Today I pledge that I will post once a month to advise on what I am doing, what my weight is and how things are going generally.

After completing a few seasons of the 5x5 workout I have moved on to pyramid training for a season. The idea is to give my body a chance to recover from the gruelling regime of the 5x5 workouts and also to ensure I dont hit a plateau and I can carry on my gains.

Currently my training regime is as follows

Monday - 3 to 5 kilometre jog (2 to 3 miles)
Tuesday - Biceps and Triceps assistance workout
Wednesday - Shoulders and Legs workout
Thursday - 3 to 5 kilometre jog (2 to 3 miles)
Friday - Back and Biceps workout
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Chest and Triceps

Core training is incoorporated within these sessions.

I am currently weighing in at 91 kilograms but I have now set myself a stretching target of reaching 100 kilograms in weight by the end of 2009.

Sorry About the Delay

Firstly I apologise for the delay in posting, its been three weeks I know but I have been back in Bulgaria for two of these three weeks with mixed results.

Firstly I was really looking forward to the training and really did some great workouts but unfortunately for a few days here and there through the two weeks an old back injury in my lower back caused me a few niggles so I couldnt train as often as I liked.

I am hoping that it should be fully clear tomorrow to go back to the gym in the UK to really get back on track with my training so I can build myself up for the summer, Im currently weighing in at 90kgs still and need to build on this.

Spring Into Action

Well the new year has been upon us for nearly three weeks now and I am really buzzing about my training this year.

Already I have not only been pushing hard with the weights but I have also supplemented this with a cardio routine, something I have neglected for a long time...for my sins.

Yesterday saw me do a split training routine with jogging in the morning and weights in the evening. Today saw me jogging this evening and tomorrow will see me lifting weights. I have put together a plan for how I am training, this will see me training in some capacity nearly every day of the week with cardio one day and lifting the next near enough.

Its time to really push the boundaries of my body to achieve more than I ever thought I could, this year is going to be THE year for me!

New Gym Visit

Today saw me visiting a new gym. I have been thinking for a while to move from the gym I am at as it is quite a distance from my home and doesnt fully cater to my needs. I have a good friend who trains at another gym that is only a thirteen minute walk from my home so I went to visit today.

To be honest I was pleseantly surprised as this gym has everything I need to push my boundaries further and lift alot heavier. I will also have the added bonus of being able to train with a partner, my friend who trains at the gym.

My friend is really interested in training to build his bench press, but working together we think that we can both benefit from being able to push each other and spot each other when needed.

I think it will be another 4 weeks before I sign over to the new gym but it is something I am certainly looking forward to!

Bulgarian Training

So I have been in Bulgaria for just over a week....what have I found that I can give as a pointer from the training I have received?

Well firstly the Bulgarians train brutally, I mean this in a totally positive way, these guys know how to train HARD by pounding out compound exercises with huge free weights and little recovery time between sets.

While Im a person that trains early in the morning around 8am to 8:30am the Bulgarian boys tend to train around 4 to 5 pm. Training with little recovery time inbetween sets compared to what I am used to really has been a struggle but has also been rewarding as I can feel the impact on my muscles.

The thing about the training is that although they train very hard, they also know how to relax and recuperate after training.

After training its time to rest and enjoy the evening with food. The food doesnt comprise of one meal that you eat within 30 minutes to an hour, this meal is a full evening affair with a starter and main meal supported by lots of plates full of cold meats, eggs, cheeses and nuts.

The starter and main course are eaten slowly and everyone is taking little bits of meats etc from the other plates (these are called meze). Even when the starter and main course are finished the meze plates stay on the table for all to enjoy along with a glass of Rakia (Bulgarian spirit made form grapes).

So as you can see the Bulgarian guys train hard with compound exercises, heavy weights and low recovery times between sets. Most of all they have a great relaxing recovery time that they spend eating slowly over long hours. By eating over long hours their keeps metabolism at a high level and their body enjoys a steady good protein intake to support muscle recovery and gains.

Training with the Bulgarian Big Boys

A week today I travel back to Bulgaria to train with the big boys in Eastern Europe. To me this is going to be a bigger and more exciting opportunity than the last time I was training in Eastern Europe back in April.

I am going to use this time to learn new techniques and improve my deadlift and squat. My benchpress is coming along strong and even though the deadlift is the strongest of all my three lifts I feel it has not been improving as I want.

My weight has been waivering around 200lbs (90kg) and I think its time to push my body further to build on my strength/weight ratio.

When I am in Bulgaria I should have alot of time to post more often on here. I will use this time to talk about any interesting pointers I pick up.

For those who dont know Bulgaria is THE country for Olympic weight lifting champions. Bulgaria may only be a small country of around 7.5 million people but it has dominated the Olympic weight lifting circuit over all weight ranges for the past 30 years!

Although I am a powerlifter, not an Olympic lifter, I do see myself learning alot of training techniques that will cross over to the powerlifting world and will improve my training significantly.

Knowledge is Power

I have been asked many times why I do such a low amount of repetitions when training, it seems not many people understand the impact training has on the body. Many people think that more reps equals stronger muscles, they do not know that training is a lot more technical than this.

From early on in my training I found that understanding the body and how it works is such an important tool in building muscle. Knowing how the body performs means you can choose the specific training you want to achieve results without causing injury.

Those of you who have visited my blog since it was created will know I have spoke about this previously but this is something I feel passionate about.

I wont lie, I am still learning every day and this makes me happy as knowledge is power. I know that the more knowledge I have the better my training will become!

Workout Changes

I have been asked a few times why people carry out so many different exercises to train individual muscle groups, the reason for this is to stop themselves hitting a plateau.

When training it is important to change the exercises in a workout every six to twelve weeks. By changing the exercises used for workouts it will stop the body from becoming too used to specific movements. Imagine using the same exercises month in and month out, over time your body and mind will become accustomed to the movements and muscle gain from the exercise will become harder to attain.

What is noticed is that many people in the gym only complete the exercises that they are strongest on, this is proof alone that they need to concentrate on the exercises they find more difficult as this is where they will make the best gains.

I always keep a core set of exercises such as flat bench for chest, deadlift for legs and dumbbell or barbell row for back but regularly change the rest of the exercises in my workout to increase my potential muscle and strength gains.