You were looking much slimmer in Cornwall Ben - although I didn't see you with no clothes on!

You've proved that a little effort can make a difference - now imagine what a lot of effort can do

    ^top

So, are you saying I was a fattie before?! lol

Probably I am in better shape than I think I am, in terms of where I started from, so here is to better eating, and more gymming! :)

    ^top

I'm not v good at noticing changes like that, unless it's something seriously drastic like Jimmie's change! I hate it when female friends ask if they look like they have lost/put on weight - bad enough question as it is, but then I often have no idea anyway!

You certainly looked slim in cornwall but whether that was thinner or not than before Ican't remember - not sure when I last saw you anyway.

    ^top

Reet-o, I did say that from tomorrow I am going to aim to eat cleaner, so today I have had the final items of fat food for a while: a large hot choc and shortbread biscuits in Cafe Nero this afternoon, and then an M&S Choc melting middle pud with vanilla ice cream after my tea

That is it now, I am going to ditch the crisps and choc (cake went a couple of weeks ago) and aim to be a clean eater - however, I am probs going to need to be asking plenty of questions abotu what to sub with to keep me from going hungry! lol

I am going to re-start the gym habit this week too, but I am going to plan in a weeks off in five weeks time, so that I do not get too bored of going. I also know that the first weekend in August I am going to a wedding and then a coupl e of days in London, which will be ripe for diet woes - h'actually, that week might end up being enforced rest week.

I intend to carry on with the DC plan, but might shout Anthony to see if there is anything I could do to maybe liven it up a bit, to just change things, and make it seem a bit more interesting (or if anyone has any suggestions, then please shout up!)

And, I will probs just carry on with this log, to keep things simple :)

    ^top

Are you fining the workouts easier Ben? DC is a tough plan. Which is your favourite workout of the 3?

    ^top

I've started buying hummous, cottage cheese, and mixed bags of nuts and dried fruit to keep me full as snacks for work.

Good idea with the forward planning - figure out where the bad weeks are going to be with holiday, or nights out. Work damn hard until then , then use that as your ONE cheat day. You can go a bit wild on that night, but you have to make up for it by being seriously strict every other night - so no comfort eating just because you were bored at work ;)

    ^top

I do like doing it, as they are quick and simple - my fave is probably the 3rd one, with the dips and chins in it, as I can really feel myself working, and a sense of achievement with the difficult exercises of dips and chins.

I have also felt an amazing sense of achievement and a building of my confidence whilst doing DC - as before, I was shit scared of going in the free weights area, and really conscious of what weight I was lifting, in case people were looking at me, and thinking 'what a weed.'

However, I have realised that noone really gives two hoots what others are lifting, and that I can do the big moves like squats and deadlifts. It is a really good feeling for both the body and the mind.

    ^top

Right-o, am back to it, and me and Phoe have become virtual gym buddies following a programme devised by our very own lean, mean, hypochondriac worry machine that is Richy

The programme can be found here

But to make it easier, it looks like this:

MON
Leg Press
Stiff legged Deadlift
Bench Press
Lat Pulldown
Lateral Raises
Cable Curl
Tricep Pushdown

WED
Deadlift
Dips
Bent Over Row
Shoulder Press
Shrugs
Weighted Crunches

FRI
Squats
Pullovers
Chinups
Incline Bench Press
Cable High Row
Calf Raises


Today was the first day that I have attempted it, and I arrived at the gym earlier to find a semi building site :-O They are undergoing redevelopment (probs cos JJB gym is opening about 5 miles away, and is cheaper, tho I suspect probs not as well equipped), and half the floor is up, but they are getting a whole new set of free weights, which will be good!

I didn't go too easy on myself, and I did use the proper bench press, rather than the Smith machine, and didn't drop the bar and crush myself under it! Go me! lol

Anyway, enough jabbering on, here is a summary of my workout (based on the Johnny B B workout summary model)

WED 9 JULY	WEIGHT	SET 1	SET 2	SET 3	PROGRESS	COMMENTARY
LEG PRESS	100	8	8	8
STIFF LEG DEADLIFT	50	7	7	7		form improved each set
BENCH PRESS	50	8	6	5		sets 2/3 struggled a bit, but didn’t get crushed and die
LAT PULLDOWN	40	8	7	6		is wide grip correct grip to use?
LATERAL RAISES	7	8	8	8		can feel the shoulder burn already!
CABLE CRUNCH	20	8	8	8		dodgy machine calibration, me thinks
TRICEP PUSHDOWN	10	8	8	6		good form, elbows fixed at sides

    ^top

I thought you were going to send me a text ;) Nice one ben.

I just put an inquiry about lat pulldown grip to anthony yesterday clicky
I think it was meant to be bicep cable curl rather than abs cable crunch?!

    ^top

use wide grip to emphasize the load on your lats, or hold have hands close together, and palms facing to work the biceps more. I like to alternate between them

    ^top