Great cardio session this morning, even though my body was hurting a bit from the workout yesterday. Struggled to get out of bed at 5, so only made it to gym just before 6, but once I got going, I had so much energy ... great feeling.
I'm definitely getting a heck of a lot fitter ... can push harder and for much longer than when I first started. There's this ski-step thingymajiggy machine that I used to really struggle with ... 20 minutes on that thing used to be torture. Now it's dead easy. Even at level 10, my heartbeat doesn't go higher than 135bpm anymore ...
Have started to do a bit more cycling as well now, want to get ready for the 94.7. A quick calculation based on my speed on the stationary bike tells me that the 94.7 will take me between 4 and 5 hours to complete. What was I thinking? And I still don't even have a bicycle!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday 28 October - nailbiting finish!
Not liking the scale at the Virgin Active much today. After sending me very encouraging messages for the last few weeks, today it decides that my weight's gone up by over 2kgs in a week. I know that that's not the case, but now I'm starting to wonder how accurate the darn thing actually is ...
Oh well, arranged with Des (my trainer) that he'll do a full assessment next week Tuesday, to end the challenge.
He says I've been doing reasonably well so far, all things considered. He's trained other USN Challengers before, and some have even made it in the top 10, but he told me that usually those people have been working out for a while before they started the Challenge, or were already quite muscular but just a bit overweight (or have been 'pigging out' as he puts it) and that's why their results are at times so spectacular.
Me, on the other hand, I haven't been fit in over 20 years. Used to play a bit of soccer as a kid, but that's about it. So I think my progress is fairly representative for someone who's been a couch potato for many, many years, and then decides to do something about it.
I'm most definitely a lot more happy with the way I look now. It's not yet at the stage that I'd like to be, but I know I'll get there. We're leaving on holiday on the 12th of December so I've already told Des that he's stuck with me until at least then ... I'm afraid that if I just stop after the challenge is over, I'll go back to my old bad habits, as there won't be anything to spur me on and keep me motivated. I read once that for something to become a habit, you have to do it daily for at least 3 months. So the plan is to just go on after the challenge has ended, and make sure that I've got some sessions scheduled after the hols to make sure I get back into the saddle in Jan. Obviously I won't be posting daily updates then, but perhaps I'll post an update and a pic once a month or so, just to keep me focused and motivated ... We'll see how it pans out ...
Oh well, arranged with Des (my trainer) that he'll do a full assessment next week Tuesday, to end the challenge.
He says I've been doing reasonably well so far, all things considered. He's trained other USN Challengers before, and some have even made it in the top 10, but he told me that usually those people have been working out for a while before they started the Challenge, or were already quite muscular but just a bit overweight (or have been 'pigging out' as he puts it) and that's why their results are at times so spectacular.
Me, on the other hand, I haven't been fit in over 20 years. Used to play a bit of soccer as a kid, but that's about it. So I think my progress is fairly representative for someone who's been a couch potato for many, many years, and then decides to do something about it.
I'm most definitely a lot more happy with the way I look now. It's not yet at the stage that I'd like to be, but I know I'll get there. We're leaving on holiday on the 12th of December so I've already told Des that he's stuck with me until at least then ... I'm afraid that if I just stop after the challenge is over, I'll go back to my old bad habits, as there won't be anything to spur me on and keep me motivated. I read once that for something to become a habit, you have to do it daily for at least 3 months. So the plan is to just go on after the challenge has ended, and make sure that I've got some sessions scheduled after the hols to make sure I get back into the saddle in Jan. Obviously I won't be posting daily updates then, but perhaps I'll post an update and a pic once a month or so, just to keep me focused and motivated ... We'll see how it pans out ...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday 27 October
Thought I was going to be sore from all the walking yesterday, but felt fine. Got up early, went to gym at 5 and did my hour of cardio and 20 mins of abs exercises. I'm definitely getting fitter, my heart rate doesn't go up all that high anymore and comes down a lot quicker than it used to when I first started - 11 weeks ago.
Sunday 26 October
It's official. My wife and I are idiots.
We thought it might be a good idea to go for a walk, so we walked up to the nearest Mugg & Bean for breakfast. Got there, had a nice light breakfast, then decided to walk to the nursery. Now that's a few kays away. And we're on slops. Got there, did our rounds, then walked back home, by which time it was almost 12. Time for lunch, so we decide to walk to Bell Air Mall, another few kays away.
Got back home at 6. Long story short, all we did was walk and eat out all day ... Not a bad way to spend a Sunday :-)
We thought it might be a good idea to go for a walk, so we walked up to the nearest Mugg & Bean for breakfast. Got there, had a nice light breakfast, then decided to walk to the nursery. Now that's a few kays away. And we're on slops. Got there, did our rounds, then walked back home, by which time it was almost 12. Time for lunch, so we decide to walk to Bell Air Mall, another few kays away.
Got back home at 6. Long story short, all we did was walk and eat out all day ... Not a bad way to spend a Sunday :-)
Saturday 25 October
Last work out of the week and not a day too soon. Gym's incredibly busy. Apparently the Virgin Active at Cresta is out for a few days so all their members are here at the VA Randburg. Chaos!
Really pushed myself today - seeing as the challenge is nearing its end, but I think I really need to get some sleep. I'm buggered.
Really pushed myself today - seeing as the challenge is nearing its end, but I think I really need to get some sleep. I'm buggered.
Friday 24 October
Dunno why but felt a bit slap today. Haven't been sleeping very well this week and can definitely feel it when I work out. Oh well, just another weight session tomorrow and then it's Sunday and I'll get some rest.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday 23 October
Woke up in the middle of the night ... turns out we forgot to switch off the stove so our chicken soup evaporated and the carcass had started to burn. Quite a nasty smell ... I reckon if I hadn't woken up, we might have accidentally set the house alight ...
Thought I'd do something useful whilst I was up so I got some work done. Then off to gym at 9AM for a workout session ... According to Des, it showed in my workout that I was a bit sleep deprived ... so not the best session ever then. Got 20 mins of cardio in afterwards nonetheless, so didn't feel too bad about myself.
Thought I'd do something useful whilst I was up so I got some work done. Then off to gym at 9AM for a workout session ... According to Des, it showed in my workout that I was a bit sleep deprived ... so not the best session ever then. Got 20 mins of cardio in afterwards nonetheless, so didn't feel too bad about myself.
Wednesday 22 October
Another good day today. Got to gym at 5, did cardio and abs exercises for about 1.5 hours. It's nice to be up so early, makes for very long days ...
Had a beer chicken braai at night, which probably didn't help with the weight loss :-(
Had a beer chicken braai at night, which probably didn't help with the weight loss :-(
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday 21 October - just 2 weeks to go
Muuuuuuuuch better today. Slept well, gym was nice and fresh, and the whole workout just went a whole lot better. Even did 30 mins of cardio after the weights session.
Also weighed myself and I don't want to let the cat out of the bag now - and I'd rather wait for Des' final assessment as that will be very comprehensive - but it does look like I'm well on track to achieving my goal of a target weight of 80kgs. Just 2 weeks to go now though, so I'm going to have to be disciplined cos I've still got some flab to shed.
Also weighed myself and I don't want to let the cat out of the bag now - and I'd rather wait for Des' final assessment as that will be very comprehensive - but it does look like I'm well on track to achieving my goal of a target weight of 80kgs. Just 2 weeks to go now though, so I'm going to have to be disciplined cos I've still got some flab to shed.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday 20 October
Feeling very rough today. Had a bit too much to eat and drink last night, so had to visit the porcelain telephone during the night. Got up at 5 to go to gym but just didn't have any vooma ... Just went through the motions and did about 55 mins of cardio but with no conviction. Felt flat the rest of the day. Aircon seemed to work though ... or maybe it's just because I was there so early ...
Saturday 18 October
Joh, it was another scorcher at gym - can't wait for the aircon systems to be fixed.
It really has an effect on how well I do. First of all, I struggled with weights that I normally don't struggle with. This may also be explained by the fact that this week, I'm off the Testo X and the Creatine ... seems like those things really do work.
Worse though, is that after the weights session, I'm so buggered that I don't have anything left to do any cardio. This I blame on the heat ...
Hopefully come Monday, this will all be sorted though ...
It really has an effect on how well I do. First of all, I struggled with weights that I normally don't struggle with. This may also be explained by the fact that this week, I'm off the Testo X and the Creatine ... seems like those things really do work.
Worse though, is that after the weights session, I'm so buggered that I don't have anything left to do any cardio. This I blame on the heat ...
Hopefully come Monday, this will all be sorted though ...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Friday 17 October
Joh, can't believe it's the weekend again (OK, well, it will be in a few hours). Got up early this morning - woke up at 3am and couldn't sleep anymore, so finally got up at 4:30 and was at gym at 5. It's actually quite nice to be up that early. By the time other people get out of bed, I've already done over an hours exercise.
What a difference in lifestyle this challenge has made so far ... I hardly recognise myself :-)
What a difference in lifestyle this challenge has made so far ... I hardly recognise myself :-)
Thursday 16 October
Struggled a bit during the weights session. At first I thought Des had put some extra weights on without telling me, but he said they were actually lighter than usual. So it's one of two things:
1) the extreme heat (aircon's still down at the gym)
2) the fact that I'm off some of the supplements (TestoX and Creatine) this week
Aircon should be fixed on Saturday so we'll see how it goes then ... If it's the supplements, then that'd be proof that they really do make a difference ...
Went for a pizza and some wine with the missus ... finding it hard to stay on the straight and narrow at night, especially when it's this hot at night and all you want to do is sit outside on a terrace/balcony overlooking Joburg, with a glass of the good red stuff in hand.
1) the extreme heat (aircon's still down at the gym)
2) the fact that I'm off some of the supplements (TestoX and Creatine) this week
Aircon should be fixed on Saturday so we'll see how it goes then ... If it's the supplements, then that'd be proof that they really do make a difference ...
Went for a pizza and some wine with the missus ... finding it hard to stay on the straight and narrow at night, especially when it's this hot at night and all you want to do is sit outside on a terrace/balcony overlooking Joburg, with a glass of the good red stuff in hand.
Wednesday 15 October
And another cardio session ... went well today, had some vooma left at the end to do my abs exercises as well.
And went for an hour-long walk with the missus in the evening, so I've definitely burnt some calories today. It was such a wonderful evening ... it's really strange to see that out here in the 'burbs of Randburg, no one's outside after 9pm, even on a balmy evening like today. Must be the crime that keeps people indoors ...
And went for an hour-long walk with the missus in the evening, so I've definitely burnt some calories today. It was such a wonderful evening ... it's really strange to see that out here in the 'burbs of Randburg, no one's outside after 9pm, even on a balmy evening like today. Must be the crime that keeps people indoors ...
Tuesday 14 October
Had a good workout today, but just couldn't get myself to complete 20 mins of cardio after the weights session. It was a scorcher today, and the gym's aircon is down, so after the weight training, I was just buggered. I did try but after 2 mins on the stepper, my heart rate went over 160bpm ... whereas normally, it would hover around 130-140 for the full 20 mins. I guess it was just a lack of oxygen, or the heat ... I'm sure I wasn't the only one suffering there ...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday 13 October
Stressing a bit (workwise) so my heart wasn't in it this morning. And my head sure was some other place too ...
But I went through the motions, 60 mins of cardio, 20 mins abs. Total 996 calories. And a heartbeat that stayed under 155bpm even at the end of 60 mins of cardio. Am definitely getting fitter.
But I went through the motions, 60 mins of cardio, 20 mins abs. Total 996 calories. And a heartbeat that stayed under 155bpm even at the end of 60 mins of cardio. Am definitely getting fitter.
Saturday 11 October
I started on 12 August, so tomorrow it will be officially 2 months. Sunday being my day off, I think I'll celebrate a bit :-)
Des is introducing more and more new exercises, which is a nice way of keeping it interesting. I think the me of 2 months ago would be quite amazed by what the me of today can do already ...
I was supposed to go and pick up the camera today, but that didn't happen. Ang and I just didn't fel like it. So no pic this weekend either. Which got me thinking ... if I only get the camera next week, I'm going to be deep into my last 3 weeks, and then the difference between the second picture and the one that ends the challenge is probably going to be quite small. So I'm not going to post another pic until the end of the challenge. Hoping to make a big impact between now and then.
And I think I'm well on track. This week, my 6 workouts together totalled just under 6000 calories, and 7 hours 40 minutes. That's 2 days' worth of calorie intake. Not bad ...
Des is introducing more and more new exercises, which is a nice way of keeping it interesting. I think the me of 2 months ago would be quite amazed by what the me of today can do already ...
I was supposed to go and pick up the camera today, but that didn't happen. Ang and I just didn't fel like it. So no pic this weekend either. Which got me thinking ... if I only get the camera next week, I'm going to be deep into my last 3 weeks, and then the difference between the second picture and the one that ends the challenge is probably going to be quite small. So I'm not going to post another pic until the end of the challenge. Hoping to make a big impact between now and then.
And I think I'm well on track. This week, my 6 workouts together totalled just under 6000 calories, and 7 hours 40 minutes. That's 2 days' worth of calorie intake. Not bad ...
Friday 10 October
Another cardio session. Nothing special to report really ... Sticking to a 60 minute cardio routine followed by about 20 mins of abs 3 times a week - the other 3 times I'm doing weights with Des.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday 9 October
Aaaah, slept so well last night. Definitely makes a difference at the gym as well. And this time, I decided to have a protein shake at 7 AM - usually when I go to gym at 9, I haven't eaten yet. Which usually leaves me ravenous when I come out at 10. And pretty much buggers up my diet for the rest of the day (as all the meals now move backward).
This felt better. I didn't get hungry at all. Came home at 10:30AM, made my oats with a scoop of protein, and then just had lunch at 12:00. So swapping the protein shake and breakfast in the morning definitely makes sense ... think I'll be sticking to that from now on.
Des says my strength is finally picking up ... He says that on some machines, I'm now doing double the weight that I started at 2 months ago. That was nice to hear ...
Can definitely see it as well ... my body's starting to shape up. A bit more muscle now, and lose another 3-4 kgs (especially around the waist) and I should be ready for the beach.
This felt better. I didn't get hungry at all. Came home at 10:30AM, made my oats with a scoop of protein, and then just had lunch at 12:00. So swapping the protein shake and breakfast in the morning definitely makes sense ... think I'll be sticking to that from now on.
Des says my strength is finally picking up ... He says that on some machines, I'm now doing double the weight that I started at 2 months ago. That was nice to hear ...
Can definitely see it as well ... my body's starting to shape up. A bit more muscle now, and lose another 3-4 kgs (especially around the waist) and I should be ready for the beach.
Wednesday 8 October
Sorry, was going to put up a picture of the new, improved Steven last night, only to find that our camera's gone missing.
We found the culprit though - stepson staid during the school holidays last week and took the camera to Vodacom last week when the Blue Bulls where there to sign autographs. He forgot to take the camera out of his bag and then took it home with him. We're going to go fetch it on Saturday so instead of a '8 week' pic, it'll be an '8 1/2 week' photo. Not that I mind, gives me the chance to work on the tan a bit :-)
Oh, and lose some more weight, and gain some muscle ...
I think I'm well on track to my target weight of 80kgs. I've definitely stepped up my exercise this week, and am expending about 1000 calories per session. Over 6 days, that's probably 2 days' worth of calories ... So I should be able to accelerate the weight loss again to 1 kg a week ...
Cardio went well today, though I was starting to feel a bit woozy towards the end. Didn't sleep all that well for the last 2 nights, so that might have something to do with it.
Met my dad at the airport - he'd come up from the Cape for the afternoon as he had a business meeting at the airport, so I thought I'd go say hi. He hadn't seen me since before I started the challenge, and although he didn't say anything at first, when I asked if he saw something different about me, he said he hardly recognised me at first. Nice to hear that people do see the difference :-)
We found the culprit though - stepson staid during the school holidays last week and took the camera to Vodacom last week when the Blue Bulls where there to sign autographs. He forgot to take the camera out of his bag and then took it home with him. We're going to go fetch it on Saturday so instead of a '8 week' pic, it'll be an '8 1/2 week' photo. Not that I mind, gives me the chance to work on the tan a bit :-)
Oh, and lose some more weight, and gain some muscle ...
I think I'm well on track to my target weight of 80kgs. I've definitely stepped up my exercise this week, and am expending about 1000 calories per session. Over 6 days, that's probably 2 days' worth of calories ... So I should be able to accelerate the weight loss again to 1 kg a week ...
Cardio went well today, though I was starting to feel a bit woozy towards the end. Didn't sleep all that well for the last 2 nights, so that might have something to do with it.
Met my dad at the airport - he'd come up from the Cape for the afternoon as he had a business meeting at the airport, so I thought I'd go say hi. He hadn't seen me since before I started the challenge, and although he didn't say anything at first, when I asked if he saw something different about me, he said he hardly recognised me at first. Nice to hear that people do see the difference :-)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Tuesday 7 October - 8 weeks into the challenge!
I started the challenge exactly 8 weeks ago. And what a ride it's been ...
The first 4 to 5 weeks went really well, with quite rapid weight loss. Then I got sick and really didn't have any energy for a week or two. I kept doing the 3 weight training sessions during that 2 week period, but just needed more time to recuperate so had to skip the cardio sessions in those 2 weeks. Once the stomach bug and flu were gone, I could really push again, which is what I've been doing for the last week.
I'm now back on a 6 workouts a week, and with the finishing line in sight now, I'll plan to push harder than before.
Today's session went well. It looks like I'm getting more comfortable with the heavier weights. That's relatively speaking though, if you see what some of the other guys are pushing, I'm still pushing fairly unimpressive weights. But I can feel that I've progressed a lot in those 8 weeks, and I suppose that's what matters.
I also weighed myself: 84 kgs now. Down from 92.7 kgs 8 weeks ago, and 87.2 kgs 4 weeks ago. So on average, I've lost over 1 kg a week, but the rate at which my weight is dropping is declining. That's probably fairly normal, but I also feel that in this 4 week period, I didn't push as hard as in the first 4 weeks.
Being sick didn't help, and forced me to cut back on my cardio sessions, and there were a lot of birthday parties, and restaurant visits, all of which can't have helped.
I've still got quite a bit of fat around my waist, and I'm determined to get rid of that. I think if I lose another 4 kgs and gain some more muscle, I should be pretty close to my target. So there we have it; that'll be the goal for the last 4 weeks - lose 4 kgs and end up at a target weight of 80kgs.
Can't wait to see how yummie I'll look then :-)
The first 4 to 5 weeks went really well, with quite rapid weight loss. Then I got sick and really didn't have any energy for a week or two. I kept doing the 3 weight training sessions during that 2 week period, but just needed more time to recuperate so had to skip the cardio sessions in those 2 weeks. Once the stomach bug and flu were gone, I could really push again, which is what I've been doing for the last week.
I'm now back on a 6 workouts a week, and with the finishing line in sight now, I'll plan to push harder than before.
Today's session went well. It looks like I'm getting more comfortable with the heavier weights. That's relatively speaking though, if you see what some of the other guys are pushing, I'm still pushing fairly unimpressive weights. But I can feel that I've progressed a lot in those 8 weeks, and I suppose that's what matters.
I also weighed myself: 84 kgs now. Down from 92.7 kgs 8 weeks ago, and 87.2 kgs 4 weeks ago. So on average, I've lost over 1 kg a week, but the rate at which my weight is dropping is declining. That's probably fairly normal, but I also feel that in this 4 week period, I didn't push as hard as in the first 4 weeks.
Being sick didn't help, and forced me to cut back on my cardio sessions, and there were a lot of birthday parties, and restaurant visits, all of which can't have helped.
I've still got quite a bit of fat around my waist, and I'm determined to get rid of that. I think if I lose another 4 kgs and gain some more muscle, I should be pretty close to my target. So there we have it; that'll be the goal for the last 4 weeks - lose 4 kgs and end up at a target weight of 80kgs.
Can't wait to see how yummie I'll look then :-)
Monday 6 October
Mondays are definitely good days. Not sure if it's purely psychological, or whether it's the day off on Sunday that ensures that I've got plenty of energy on Mondays.
Slept a bit later than normal, and since my new business requires my attention at 7AM, I thought I'd go to gym after 10AM - at that time, I've got plenty of time.
Was a good decision; as I didn't have to rush to get back to the office, I could do a full 20 minutes on the treadmill, stepper and bicycle, and push hard on all 3. On top of that, I did 3 sets of 15 reps of 3 different abs exercises. In total, spent about 80 minutes at the gym, and burnt over 1200 calories. That's a record in one day, as far as I can recall.
Went for a sunbed session afterwards as I hadn't been in a while and tomorrow is a big day - it marks the end of week 8 of the challenge so I'll have to have a new pic taken and I want to look my best.
Slept a bit later than normal, and since my new business requires my attention at 7AM, I thought I'd go to gym after 10AM - at that time, I've got plenty of time.
Was a good decision; as I didn't have to rush to get back to the office, I could do a full 20 minutes on the treadmill, stepper and bicycle, and push hard on all 3. On top of that, I did 3 sets of 15 reps of 3 different abs exercises. In total, spent about 80 minutes at the gym, and burnt over 1200 calories. That's a record in one day, as far as I can recall.
Went for a sunbed session afterwards as I hadn't been in a while and tomorrow is a big day - it marks the end of week 8 of the challenge so I'll have to have a new pic taken and I want to look my best.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday 4 October
Great session today ... definitely getting stronger. Des says we still have quite a bit of work to do on the biceps, he says the fact that they're not stronger yet is holding me back at the moment.
But hey, I'm in it for a nice, lean, muscular body - don't have the slightest intention of ending up looking like bionic-man.
He's also told me to pay special attention to my diet and push the cardio - we need to get rid of that tyre that's still sitting around my waist. I reckon that that's still a good few kgs that I'll need to lose. Hopefully we'll get there over the next 4 weeks. More chicken and broccoli it is then ...
I'm not as strict with my diet as I was in the beginning, we have been eating out at restaurants more often again and they don't always cater for people on a diet. Even menu options that look 'healthy' usually come smothered in some or other sauce or basting ... Shame really, and weird that restaurant owners don't cater more for people on a diet.
But hey, I'm in it for a nice, lean, muscular body - don't have the slightest intention of ending up looking like bionic-man.
He's also told me to pay special attention to my diet and push the cardio - we need to get rid of that tyre that's still sitting around my waist. I reckon that that's still a good few kgs that I'll need to lose. Hopefully we'll get there over the next 4 weeks. More chicken and broccoli it is then ...
I'm not as strict with my diet as I was in the beginning, we have been eating out at restaurants more often again and they don't always cater for people on a diet. Even menu options that look 'healthy' usually come smothered in some or other sauce or basting ... Shame really, and weird that restaurant owners don't cater more for people on a diet.
Friday 3 October
Weights session went very well today. I did notice that on Tuesday, I had trouble recuperating afterwards, and I reckon that was because I didn't allow myself enough of a break between sets - my heart rate was just high all the time.
Bearing that in mind, I tried to give myself a bit more of a break between exercises today, and it worked wonders ... I can do the exercises better, use more weight, and I don't feel lethargic afterwards ...
Bearing that in mind, I tried to give myself a bit more of a break between exercises today, and it worked wonders ... I can do the exercises better, use more weight, and I don't feel lethargic afterwards ...
Thursday 2 October
Weights session went very well today. I did notice that on Tuesday, I had trouble recuperating afterwards, and I reckon that was because I didn't allow myself enough of a break between sets - my heart rate was just high all the time.
Bearing that in mind, I tried to give myself a bit more of a break between exercises today, and it worked wonders ... I can do the exercises better, use more weight, and I don't feel lethargic afterwards ...
Bearing that in mind, I tried to give myself a bit more of a break between exercises today, and it worked wonders ... I can do the exercises better, use more weight, and I don't feel lethargic afterwards ...
Wednesday 1 October
Cardio went well today, but not as well as on Monday. I hit my 160bpm heart rate target a lot quicker. Maybe it's just that on Monday, I was well rested and therefore could take more punishment, whereas after a few consecutive days of exercising, the heart rate just shoots up quicker?
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