Day 3 & Day 4 - Food and exercise

Day 3 - rest day

Meals

Breakfast
Porridge
40 g porridge oats
180 ml 1% milk
30 g raspberries

Lunch

300 ml Tomato soup

Dinner

200 g of rump steak

100 g dauphinoise potatoes made with milk and hard cheese
50 g sweetcorn
50 g peas
30 g spinach
10 g mushrooms

                                                                                                                                                                   

Day 4 - Feeling okay actually, although still aching in places, especially my arms and shoulders.

Cereal for breakfast:

50 g Kelloggs Bran Flakes
150 ml 1% milk
Smidgen of sugar

Decided to go to the gym instead of my long ride as my bike was in need of repair (will do today)

Arrived at gym at 8.00 am.

Exercise

Today I wanted to concentrate on shoulders, chest, weight-loss, increasing my metabolism and abdominals

Always start any form of exercise with a stretching session. I tend to concentrate on the areas I am going to work, but I still add the general all-over stretches to help loosen me up, which of course will have a bearing on whether or not I get muscle injuries from over-use or lack of stretching.

Sustenance taken to the gym.

600 ml water

500 ml Lucozade Energy Revive

Food taken immediately (within 30 minutes is the key) after exercising.

200 g of rump steak [cooked yesterday evening - eaten cold]

150 g dauphinoise potatoes made with milk and hard cheese

1. Stretches

90 / 90 hamstring stretches - holding for 10 seconds on each leg x 2

Ankle circles - 10 clockwise; 10 anti-clockwise

All four quad stretch x 2 for each side

Arm curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse, 10 large rotations; same as previous

wrist curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse, 10 with 3 lb weight

Shoulder rolls - 10 in each direction.

Chest - dynamic chest stretch 3 x 15 second holds

Chest - elbows back - 2 x 15 second holds

Abs - Overhead stretch - 2 x 15 second holds

Calf stretch - toes of foot raised against a wall; both legs x 10 seconds
Cat stretch - 2 x 15 seconds
Dancers stretch - 2 each side for 15 seconds
Lower back curl - 2 x 10 seconds

Overhead stretch - 1 x 10 seconds
Shoulder stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm
Standing lateral stretch - 1 x 10 seconds
Tricep stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

2. Cycling 

30 mins - 4 minutes level 2, 1 minute level 17 (standing) and repeat until finish.

5 minute rest

3. Gym work - 30 second between reps, 2 minutes between sets

Squat (bar + 5 lbs) to get my lower back, thighs and gluts used to the movement

3 x 10 squats thighs below the 45 degree line (bar weighs 15 kilos)

Abdominals - sit-ups on floor

3/4 sit up x 10

Lower abs - 30

Oblique crunch x 20 (10 each side)

Abdominals - Bench

Decline crunch x 20

Decline oblique crunch x 20

Decline sit-up [hands behind head] x 10

4. Free weights

Dumbbell alternate bicep curl - 3 x 10 @ 10 lbs

Dumbbell drag curl 1 x 10 @ 10 lbs

Dumbbell Hammer body curl 1 x 10 @ 14 lbs

5. Running

14 minutes level 2, speed 6

1 minute level 2, speed 9

3 minutes level 1 warm down

Sustenance:

Lunch

200 g of Mixed nuts

Banana

Remainder of dauphinoise potatoes

1 Cadbury's cream egg . . . told you I was not a martyr!

1 raw, sliced carrot

3 strips of cucumber (both taken from my little boy's friend's party table . . . well, I was hungry)

Dinner

2 x Poached eggs on Burgen Soya and Linseed bread

1/4 orange pepper

3 slices wafer thin ham

Great idea for making 'Poached Eggs' see Blog on Poached eggs

                                                                                                                                                                 

Image after workout.

I realise that the image is not sharp and I have no idea what I am weighing and actually it does not look as though I am making much head way, although when I wake in the mornings, I feel stronger, more agile, my arms and shoulders although aching have got much more strength even after three days, yet not yet defined (this will take time).

My tummy though has definitely gone down a little, not by much; maybe an inch or so, which makes me feel great.

This is the key for me: If I get a thinner waste with a visibly noticeable set of abs, a defined chest and great shoulders with a set of defined arms, I will be much happier. I will be realising a dream for sure. 

I cannot wait to see the transformation. I will give myself six months or working out three times a week at least (this includes Road cycling, Body Pump and Pilates)

Day off tomorrow, but will eat healthily and stay focused for Monday morning.

Thank you for reading and I hope that I can inspire you to be positive and believe that you too can achieve the seemingly impossible.