Brains, Brawn and Bamboo

End of the 11th week on Pavel’s ‘Power to the People’ program. Let’s see where we are:

Weight: 12.6 Stone / 174 Lbs (+6 Pounds)

Bodyfat: 9.5% (no change)

Deadlift x 5: 102.5KG / 225.5 Lbs (+27.5 Pounds)

Squat x 5: 85KG / 187 Lbs (+22 Pounds)

Bench Press x 5: 65KG / 143 Lbs (+22 Pounds)

Success all round, then! I’m happy with my bodyweight increase, although it has been slowing as of late, so I may need to rejiggle the calories to maintain momentum. Bodyfat is staying the same (as far as I can tell), which is good. Lifts are all steadily advancing, which is great.

One more week to go on PTP to make it 12 active weeks of training (I’m not counting the week I spent in hospital…). At the end of next week, I’ll put it all on the line at the gym and go for some serious max effforts, in either weights or reps - it’s gonna be intense!

After that, I’ll have a recovery week. Plenty of good food, rest, and perhaps a sports massage to let my body heal and grow, ready for the next phase of attack.

And what will that next phase be? I’m not sure yet. Still want to make strength gains, and keep my 13 Stone / 182 Lbs bodyweight goal in mind. I’m tempted to do another cycle of Power to the People - it has worked so far. Of course, maybe I’d see better strength/weight gains on a different strength based program?

Any thoughts are, of course, welcome.

I do have pictures for this month, but Bodyspace seems to be playing up and I can’t upload them yet. I’m still nothing nice to look at, but I’ll try again later.

Train hard, friends. Your results will be in direct proportion to the amount of work you put in.

Things are advancing well. Weight is up and my bodyfat, according to my Accu-Calipers (quite how accu they are is open for debate…) is down. My lifts are getting better, I’m getting stronger, diet is dialled in, and my conditioning is returning to pre-hospital levels.

This is training, old school style. Nothing fancy, just basic free weight exercises and heavy loads; hard work and good eating; determination, consistency and iron will.

I know what I need to do, and I’m doing it. Momentum is on my side. Results are happening.

No machismo here. Not saying I’m the best or special or any of that junk.

Just grinding it out.

Been out of hospital and re-started on Pavel’s Power to the People for three weeks now. Let’s see what 5 weekly deadlift sessions have done to me.

Weight: 12 Stone / 168 Lbs (+8 Pounds!)

Bodyfat: 11.6% (no change)

Deadlift: 5 x 90KG / 198 Lbs (+16.5 Lbs)

Squat: 5 x 75KG / 165 Lbs

Bench Press: 5 x 55KG / 121 Lbs

Solid progress once again. Weight is up and bodyfat, as far as I can measure it with my calipers, has remained unchanged, so hopefully that indicates some good muscle growth. I’m feeling a lot better at 12 stone (english term for 168 lbs) - I haven’t been this heavy in a year!

Making fine strides in my deadlift - easily going to hit 5 x 200lbs next week, let alone by my target of May 22nd. Squat is storming up nicely as well; trying to get the numbers high so I can do some high-rep breathing-squat program later on in the year and really pile on the mass! Bench is…awful, but its early days. Patience and wave cycling the weight will yield results. I just have to be patient and dedicated.

So, a bloody good showing in the last three weeks. And I’m also a Boxing Tutor - I’m pretty stoked about that, so I keep mentioning it to people!

Short term aims:

1. Deadlift 200lbs x 5, then set new target. Keep advancing Squat and Bench weight.

2. Shoot to reach 13 Stone / 182 Lbs by August 2nd 09 - three months to gain 14 lbs. I’ve got my colitis under control and momentum on my side - let’s do it!

I recently received a dvd set on Kettlebell Juggling…eager to try out this insane, amazing looking conditioning. Watch this space.

Train hard, friends. Power belongs to those who claim it!

Firstly, I am now a qualified ABA Boxing Tutor - hurray! Boxing course was great fun today, and my current level of fitness was more than enough to carry me through. Lot of useful information to think about, especially how I can intergrate certain boxing aspects into my Kung Fu.

Still hoping to do official progress post/weight/pics on Sunday, but I’ve been told by my girlfriend that we’ve guests coming to stay on the Sunday, so it might be a bit tricky. I shall do my best - I’m interested even if no-one else is!

Finally, a guy was doing seated dumbbell curls in the squat rack the other day. Words cannot describe my mixture of rage and confusion. Where are all these fools coming from?

Strength and Honour!