Gym

This post is about training, more specifically the training I now do. Why would you be interested in this? The short answer is you would probably not be!! But this is my blog so I can write what I want and I like “talking” about training. I don’t spend my life in the gym; I just go so I can enjoy life more!! Previously I trained for sports (Rugby and Boxing, even running when I was a young kid) but now it’s just for good health and to keep myself fit and maintain some muscle (plus I enjoy my food especially ice cream but never want to diet so prefer to work off these extra calories) plus of course I enjoy it!!! I done all the hard work when I was younger, power lifts (squats, deadlifts, benching and power cleans) which built strong foundation and a base. The routine I follow now would not build up the average joe, its customised to my needs. If you are a skinny runt and want to get big then concentrate of the power exercises and get stronger cause a strong muscle is a big muscle and vice versa.  Don’t resort to performance drugs such as steroids or HGH, these will just screw you up in later life…take my work for that cause I know plenty of guys who took “gear” and it’s a scare story to hear about their health now!!! Set yourself goals and obtain them under your own steam, work hard, eat well and do everything strictly with a full range of motion, an injury will set you back. I would not recommend Bodybuilding, these guys are big and look impressive but have not cardio and at competition level it’s a “chemistry show” I have a lot of mates into this, I do admire their dedication but its not healthy, sorry..I don’t want to offend anyone but this is my view, I also knew a few guys who do it naturally and this is fine but please please please work the heart too if you go down this line and include cardio. I am not impressed with martial arts but Judo is the best of the bunch, but hey…what do I know? These are just my opinions. Boxing, Rugby, Rowing, Running and athletics are all good choices (just avoid the chemicals, all sports has its users)…I am getting on my soap box a bit too much here but I feel strongly about such things….well anyway…here is what I do, I am a normal guy and will never be on the cover of “Men’s Health” but I enjoy what I do and my fitness is away above average and I am happy with myself.

I go to Bannatynes gym in Falkirk (at the retail park) my routine concentrates mostly on intensive cardio as now I am older at 41 and want to keep my heart and lungs healthy and build and maintain my overall fitness. I nearly always start with running on the treadmill, in my opinion running is the best exercise there is (apart from Nordic Skiing which I once had a Nordic Track machine at home long since broken and dumped but you don’t seem to find these machines anymore on ebay for love or money) I prefer the treadmill cause its padded track, electronic feedback, adjustable incline and built in TV..lol I usually do about 40mins running doing wind sprints and various inclines to keep things interesting (some days I only manage 20mins if my heart is not into it) after the running my body is well and truly heated up so now to the weights…as I have said, it’s not my aim to build big muscles, I have built my body up as big as I want it so now I just want to maintain as every pound of muscle the body has burns 50 calories a day so this keeps the metabolism up. I never lift weights with my legs any more, my legs have been built up enough from years of rugby training running up hills with ankle weights and stuff strapped to my back, also during boxing training doing step ups on a block, again wearing ankle weights.  I also have done lots of squats when I was younger (done 280kg for 5 reps ankles to arse) and the running on the treadmill at incline maintains them just fine. I break my body parts in half over two different days…one day I do Chest (pecs) Shoulders (delts) and back of the arms (Triceps) which is mostly pushing and on the other day I do Back (lats) and front of the arms (biceps) which is mostly pulling. I don’t really train the abs much as I feel they get enough work from acting as a stabilizing muscle of the other exercises. I am also not into training my arms much; I always found they were strong enough and over developing the biceps and triceps slows down punches in the boxing game and also tightens up too quick. For chest I usually do some incline benching, again nothing heavy but strict technique and explosive upwards thrust and slow down right to my neck using full range of motion. Usually I do 5 or 6 sets never less than 12 reps and take just of a minutes rest between sets, this is my formula or most exercises. The I do some wide grip dips, really concentrating stretching the chest out. Shoulders are next and I am happy enough with my deltoid development so go straight to cable side laterals which pre-exhaust the delts for the dumbbell presses which I preform next. The triceps are last and already quite tired from all the pressing I have done to just simply do some cable pushdowns alternating wide grip with narrow the next time, sometimes using the ropes. On the days I do back I usually either do pull downs to the front or wide grip chins. I have plenty of thickness, I just want to maintain so I don’t spend too much time here. Again Bicep training like my triceps is not something I have done much of previously. I start with preacher curls then go reverse cable curls to strengthen my wrists. After my weights I finish off with some more cardio either 20 minutes on the cross trainer at maximum resistance or the concept 2 rower which I believe is a great piece of kit, I actually have one here at home I got about 15 years ago, still works fine but currently dismantled and in the shed.

Once my gym session is over if I am not rushed for time I will go and have a swim, perhaps 10 or 12  lengths of breast stroke if it’s quiet, even finish up in the sauna if I have not got my work to attend later. As you can see, the routine I follow is nothing complicated, its rather basic and simple and works just fine for me. Sometimes I do mix things up a bit, it I have been running too much my face tends to get gaunt so I lower the mileage and up the weights, If I feel I am getting too blocky when the weights come down and the cardio increases, it’s a bit of a balancing act and after training for over 25 years I know my body well so a lot is intuitive. I know I should really do more stretching these days and perhaps cool down more so I am not perfect.

I do take some supplements. I am a big believe in taking zinc (15mg which increases natural testosterone production up to 10%) and Vitamin C (up to 3 grams a day as its water soluble) I also use peptide and branch chain aminos before and after a workout. Protein drinks twice a day and a small amount of liquid aminos in my bottle of water I constantly sip of whilst I train so I am “drip feeding” the muscles when working out. All this protein adds recovery. The protein shakes I only use when I am working as it’s more convenient than having chicken or beef at my desk. I have also tried an energy drink before training (Rage 2, read about it on my previous blog) but think when I finish this tub I will just revert back to a couple mugs of strong black coffee before I train as I use to do before.  I eat like a normal person, I try to limit my microwave instant meals, I only take a drink at the weekend and I am not very much of a drinker. I love my ice cream and McDonalds is right beside the gym so I give into temptation far too much…lol People can get too obsessive, removing the skin off their chicken, not eating the skin of their baked potatoes!! Life is for living, training improves your quality of life, food is there to be enjoyed, everything in moderation and never smoke, take drugs and drink too much.