Day 13 to 16 - Exercise and meals

Firstly, I have been exercising; I visited the gym on Tuesday, Wednesday and today.

I have been so busy writing bits for the website www.flatter.org.uk that I have not been able to write my blog . . . I have been so busy that I missed my important weekly weigh-in. . . What am I doing?

Therefore, I will weigh myself, but not until tomorrow morning as it is good to keep things regular, meaning, in the morning, before breakfast and the shower, but after my morning visit to the little boys room . . . every bit counts, right!

I have listed the following days for exercise, but excuse the lack of nutritional information as I never kept a record. I would say one thing though. I was told about Buckwheat as a cereal. I purchased a box. Wow, so, so good. Really loved it.

Also I have uploaded a few images.

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Tuesday - Day 13

I wanted to concentrate my workouts on the following:

• cycling
• running
• Legs

1. Stretching - This is similar every day and I cannot express enough how important this is to aid movement and diminish the probability of injury.

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

Ankle circles - 10 clockwise, 10 anti-clockwise

All four quad stretches, 10 seconds on each side

Arm curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse, 10 large rotations as left

Wrist curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse

Shoulder rolls - 10 backwards, 10 forwards

Dynamic chest stretch 3 x 15 second holds

Elbows stretch; 1 x 10 second hold

Abs - overhead stretch 2 x 10 second hold

Cat stretch - 2 x 10 seconds

Lower back curl - 2 x 10 seconds

Calf stretch hands against a wall - 10 seconds each foot

Seated floor hamstring stretch 2 x 10 second holds

Standing hip flexors - 2 x 10 each leg

Overhead stretch - 1 x 10 seconds

Shoulder stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

Tricep Stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

Lunges - 2 x 10 each leg

Air Bike – 2 x 30 seconds each leg

Pelvic lift into bridge – 2 x 20 lifts

Plank - 1 x 20 seconds 

2. Cycling

30 mins - 4 minutes level 3 (one level up), 1 minute level 17 (standing) and repeat until time elapsed

Cool down level 1 for 5 minutes

Rest 5 minutes

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

*ALL weights are lifted with quick spurts and lowered very slowly; taking five times longer than the lift.

Various weights today – no list available; worked on:

• Barbell lunge - quadriceps
• Bent over barbell row - Middle back
• Assisted dips - 3 x 20 - Triceps (very, very slow with all weights minus 2 kg [easier]
• Assisted chin-ups - wide grip - 3 x 20 - Laterals (very, very slow with all weights minus 2 kg [easier]
• Seated crunch - 1 x 20 @ 90 kg [full], 1 x 25 [top of rectus abdominals - minor crunches] 1 x 25 [bottom of rectus abdominals - minor crunches] 
• Decline oblique crunch - 1 x 20 full, 1 x 20 cross body crunch
• Barbell squats - 3 x 10 @ 15 kg + bar
• Bent over barbell curl - 3 x 10 @ 20 kg
• Standing cable lift - 3 x 10 @ 15 kg
• Deltoid raise - 1 x 10 @ 4 kg
• Alternate incline dumbbell curl - 3 x 8 @ 12 kg
• Bent arm barbell pullover - 3 x 12.5 kg
• Concentration curls - 3 x 10 kg
• Dumbbell alternate bicep curl - 3 x 12 kg
• Dumbbell incline bench press - 3 x 10 kg

4. Running - 15 minutes (to warm down)

5 minutes - level 6

3 minutes - level 7

3 minutes - level 8

2 minute - level 9

2 minute - level 10
2 minute cool down level 4.5

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Wednesday - day 14

Again gym workout

1. Stretching - This is similar every day and I cannot express enough how important this is to aid movement and diminish the probability of injury.

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

Ankle circles - 10 clockwise, 10 anti-clockwise

All four quad stretches, 10 seconds on each side

Arm curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse, 10 large rotations as left

Wrist curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse

Shoulder rolls - 10 backwards, 10 forwards

Dynamic chest stretch 3 x 15 second holds

Elbows stretch; 1 x 10 second hold

Abs - overhead stretch 2 x 10 second hold

Cat stretch - 2 x 10 seconds

Lower back curl - 2 x 10 seconds

Calf stretch hands against a wall - 10 seconds each foot

Seated floor hamstring stretch 2 x 10 second holds

Standing hip flexors - 2 x 10 each leg

Overhead stretch - 1 x 10 seconds

Shoulder stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

Tricep Stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

Lunges - 2 x 10 each leg

Air Bike – 2 x 30 seconds each leg

Pelvic lift into bridge – 2 x 20 lifts

Plank - 1 x 20 seconds 

2. Cycling

30 mins - 4 minutes level 3 (one level up), 1 minute level 17 (standing) and repeat until time elapsed

Cool down level 1 for 5 minutes

Rest 5 minutes

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

*ALL weights are lifted with quick spurts and lowered very slowly; taking five times longer than the lift.

Various weights today – no list available; worked on:

• Various weight exercises for toning - light weights lots of reps.

4. Running - 15 minutes (to warm down)

5 minutes - level 6

3 minutes - level 7

3 minutes - level 8

2 minute - level 9

2 minute - level 10
2 minute cool down level 4.5

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Friday - day 16

     Today . .  what do you think?

My 'moobs' are going and the fat belly is definitely diminishing. . . thank God.

The funny thing, and it might just be the same for other people when they take a 'selfie'. I hate this word; it is so cheap sounding; like a word that has been born on national television, only to find its way into our mainstream vocabulary by accident yet has been allowed to become the norm. Anyhow, when you find yourself in front of the mirror and you are in 'transition' such as I am, do you find yourself standing taller and looking for the best angle that flatters you . . . hmmm, it's almost cheating.

Again gym workout

1. Stretching - This is similar every day and I cannot express enough how important this is to aid movement and diminish the probability of injury.

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

Ankle circles - 10 clockwise, 10 anti-clockwise

All four quad stretches, 10 seconds on each side

Arm curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse, 10 large rotations as left

Wrist curls - 10 small rotations, clockwise and reverse

Shoulder rolls - 10 backwards, 10 forwards

Dynamic chest stretch 3 x 15 second holds

Elbows stretch; 1 x 10 second hold

Abs - overhead stretch 2 x 10 second hold

Cat stretch - 2 x 10 seconds

Lower back curl - 2 x 10 seconds

Calf stretch hands against a wall - 10 seconds each foot

Seated floor hamstring stretch 2 x 10 second holds

Standing hip flexors - 2 x 10 each leg

Overhead stretch - 1 x 10 seconds

Shoulder stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

Tricep Stretch - 1 x 10 seconds each arm

Lunges - 2 x 10 each leg

Air Bike – 2 x 30 seconds each leg

Pelvic lift into bridge – 2 x 20 lifts

Plank - 1 x 20 seconds 

2. Cycling

30 mins - 4 minutes level 4 (one more level up), 1 minute level 17 (standing) and repeat until time elapsed

Cool down level 1 for 5 minutes

Rest 5 minutes

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

*ALL weights are lifted with quick spurts and lowered very slowly; taking five times longer than the lift.

Various weights today – no list available; worked on:

• Various weight exercises for toning - light weights lots of reps.

4. Running - 15 minutes (to warm down)

5 minutes - level 6

5 minutes - level 7
5 minutes - level 8

2 minute cool down level 4.5