Ok then, my new found friends. I think its time for me to begin a journal.

All constructive criticism is welcomed and will be taken in the spirit it was given!

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I am not completely new to Body Building, having worked out with the weights for years, on and off! I am 50 years old now. This time round, I got sick of being a fat lazy barsteward so approx 8 months ago, I decided to do something about it again!

I was 16st 8lbs (232lbs) and I'm now 14st (196lbs). A loss obviously of 36lbs. Now I know that my diet thus far has not been very good, as the immediate plan was to shed the pudding! I feel I have achieved something by losing 36lbs, but I also know that quite a bit of muscle has been lost too.

The emphasis has been on CV stuff, spending upwards of 60 mins treadmill, 30 mins cycle, and 15 mins cross-trainer. Not always that much as energy levels have sometimes been very low.

So, bringing it more up to date, I am now splitting the routine. I go to the gym practically every day. I alternate CV and Weight, so day one would be:

back, shoulders.

Day two:

CV

Day three:

chest, arms.

Day four:

CV

Day five:

Legs

Etc, etc..............

I am using free weight and machines, the latter because I like to work to depletion, and I train alone, so.......

I'll get back on to this later, and list an idea of the diet I am now on.

** One question to mods please? think I have read on this forum somewhere that one has to make so many posts before being allowed to upload pics? Is this still the case please? I've been brave enough to take some of myself - not very good, but thought it would give you an idea of how far I have come - or not as the case may be? LOLl

Hi Old Git! Sounds ilke you've made a good start. If you want to post images, the best thing is to host them on http://imageshack.us/ and then you can link to them in your posts using image tags. I don't think you need 50 posts to do that.

So what are your goals? Do you want to be big? lean? massive? what?!

My Journal

Thanks for the reply Big Tom.

I'll sort the pics out later then thanks, (off to gym shortly).

I ain't gonna kid myself mate, I am not gonna be no Mr Universe, nor do I want to be massive, just after a reasonable physique - plenty of muscle packed on without looking silly. Now I say that for one reason alone - I am a shortarse! I am 5'6", so if I tried for too much bulk I'd be wider than I am tall. LOL

You'll hopefully look in on this again later and you'll see that I still have a lot of body fat to lose, so thats why I have been concentrating on that.

It will be highly embarassing posting the pics, but I would like your honest opinion please?

Many thanks.

Hi Old Git,

Congratulations on your achievements so far - 36lbs is an awesome achievement, well done. And don't worry about the phots, I was really nervous about posting my pics, but look at it this way: if you think they look crap now, it's great posting a later pic which shows clear progress, so get them up!!

All the best with your training, and keep us posted!

perry's commando adventure

Targets:

There is only one: green lid '06

Thanks Perry.

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/356/p10100077ek.jpg

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/7783/p10100104ui.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/1159/p10100051gy.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/1617/p10100042ci.jpg

Age: 50
Weight: 196lbs
Height: 5' 6"

Chest: 48 1/2"
Waist: 39"

Left Thigh: 23 1/2"
Right Thigh: 23 3/4"

Left Calf: 16 1/4"
Right Calf: 16 3/4"

Left Bicep: 14 3/4"
Right Bicep: 14 3/4"

Left Forearm: 12 1/4"
Right Forearm: 12 1/4"

Neck: 16"

Typical day's diet (yesterday's anyhow!)

07:00 200ml Protein Shake (Whey and water).
08:00 Mug of tea, milk, no sugar.
09:00 50grms Chicken (cooked weight).
10:00 2x Peperami snacks.
11:00 200ml Protein Shake (as above).
11:30 to 13:00 GYM
13:00 200ml Protein Shake (as above).
14:00 Mug of tea, milk no sugar.
16:00 2x Cod Portions.
18:00 2x Cod Portions.
20:00 1x pint (set) Hartley's Sugar Free Jelly.
21:00 50grms Chicken (cooked weight).
22:00 200ml Protein Shake (made with milk).

Approx. 3x litres of water sipped throughout the day.

** Any comments are more than welcome.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

I'm by no way any expert mate but it does seem a bit too much whey rather than real foods, also where are the carbs, EFA's also lacks fibrous veg.

If I was you i'd stick you diet on the diet forum and let the guys who know their stuff tweek it for you, could do with a bit more variety.

GRIFF'S JOURNAL

Thanks Griff, I've been really just been eating protein for a while to lose the weight initially, I promise you I will introduce more fibre, carbs, veg, and fruit, etc.

I'm in a kind of transition stage at the moment, if you see what I mean? Going from just CV and dieting to lose the weight, and into the weights.

I do vary it and I was wrong saying the above is typical, because it now isn't. Hopefully, it will become clear as I progress this journal that the diet will be more balanced.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

Food intake for 18th May 06:

06:30 Protein shake.
07:30 Mug of tea.
09:00 Porridge (25g oats + 1 cup milk)
10:00 130g tuna.
12:00 Protein shake.
12:30 - 14:00 = GYM
14:00 Protein shake
14:30 Mug of tea
15:30 1 slice wholemeal bread (thin spread flora)
18:00 60g chicken + 25g (pre-cooked weight) carrots + 25g cabbage.
20:00 1x pint (set) Hartley's Sugar Free Jelly.
21:30 60g chicken.
22:00 Protein Shake (made with milk).

A slight change, with a gradual introduction of other food types.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

hey old git,,not in bad shape for 50,,,keep up the good work,

Thanks tyrob - thats encouraging.

Still a big lump of lard really, but getting there slowly.

As an aside, I was approached by an instructor today after doing a session on my legs! I was just warming down on the treadmill (trying to walk fast) I had spoken with him a few weeks previously about a recurring lower back problem. He said "I know why you have your back problem now", You are doing your squats wrong!"

As I was on my own, I just used the Smith's, and because of my problem the weight I was using was only up to 80kgs. However, I think it may be that I was losing form because of the smiths machine? I'm not sure?

This particular machine is not set so that any lift is is done at 90% from the floor, say, but at a slight angle. I'd not thought about it before; it felt awkward sometimes but I put that down to my back probs!

Could my form be corrected by simply facing the other way? The thing is, no bugger has ever said anything to me before?

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

Good progress so far with the weight loss OG.

With squats any chance you could use the squat rack and do barbell squats?

Start very light, build up slowly over a couple of months...

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBFullSquat.html

 

I would prefer to mate, but its only because of the slight back problem that I've not done so. If I had a training partner like I had years ago, there would'nt be a problem I'm sure.

To feel confident, I think I would have to reduce the weight by a lot, and I want to push a bit more now. But then, best to go light with good form, than heavy with bad eh?

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

110%, technique is everything, especially if you are having concerns...

I just grab random people to spot me when I'm squatting, most of them are chuffed to be asked to help...

What kind of back problem? I was told by my Osteopath 7 years ago I would never be able to put strain on my back, I started small and now I'm going great guns...

 

ORIGINAL: Fat Fighter

What kind of back problem?

I've never gone to find out properly to be perfectly honest. Ok, I've been to the docs on a few occasions, but of course, he just got me to show how much/little I could move and signed me off work etc.

A couple of occasions I had physio. But nothing more than that!

The point of pain is, well actually there appear to be two at varying times - is quite low down where the two sort of dimples form in the lower back, to the left on the dimple and also between a couple of vertebrae.

Its really not that bad (reads worse), but enough to make me a bit edgey!

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

I'm not too fussy on using the smith machines for squatting, find it very hard to keep good form, just aint the same a BB squats.

I too have suffered from back problems, (sciatica), only recently got back into it from a 6mth lay off due to injury.

I use the leg press at the moment and will gradually build back up to squatting, for some reason it doesn't aggrevate my back so much.

Like Fat Fighter says, technique is everything. I'd go light if you have to squat and build up ensuring good form. Will be much better in the long run, should you get an injury you could be off for months and that would be determental to your training.

GRIFF'S JOURNAL

Thanks Griff.

Thats me sorted then!

I have been doing Leg Press after the Smiths squats, and backs been fine on that.

I've gone down to 8x 80kgs (max) already on the squats and then up to 8x 110kgs on the Press.

I'll go down again then on the BB squats, and get the technique right (never used to be a prob). And increase the Press a bit more readily to compensate for lack of weight on the squat.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

ORIGINAL: GRIFF 1980

I'm not too fussy on using the smith machines for squatting, find it very hard to keep good form, just aint the same a BB squats.

I too have suffered from back problems, (sciatica), only recently got back into it from a 6mth lay off due to injury.

I use the leg press at the moment and will gradually build back up to squatting, for some reason it doesn't aggrevate my back so much.

Like Fat Fighter says, technique is everything. I'd go light if you have to squat and build up ensuring good form. Will be much better in the long run, should you get an injury you could be off for months and that would be determental to your training.

^^^ Agreed...

 

Food intake 19th May 06.

07:00 Protein shake.
07:30 Mug of tea.
08:00 More Tea!
09:00 Porridge (25g oats + 1 cup milk)
11:00 130g tuna.
13:00 Protein shake.
13:30 - 16:00 = GYM
16:00 Protein shake
17:30 60g chicken + 25g carrots + 25g cabbage + 25g broad beans +
100g brown rice (cooked weight).
19:00 2x slices wholemeal bread +scrape of Bertolli spread
20:00 1x can of Stella.
21:15 3x eggs.
21:30 1x can of Stella.
22:00 Protein Shake (made with milk).

Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

http://www.englishpowerlifting.co.uk/index.html

Mate - you need to shave your chest hair

I'd stick with leg press over smith squats, when you get any decent weight they seem to f**k your knees. I was on 250kg for 3x6, seemed very good, but knees started to hurt.

Try putting the seat as close as possible, so your knees hit your chest/face and try heavy ... IMO a 2nd best to squatting. Also, this way, you can save your knees having a lower weight, get a full ROM, and lift so hard you wanna puke

Perfect

160kg bench, 310kg dead, 6x200kg squats - Now cutting starts - Journal