matoatoa’s BodyBlog

had a big expensive dinner last night, worked the chest today and only managed a 10 minute run. Ate too much. dips were good though…two sets of 12 and one of 11. I managed 3 sets of 15kgs on incline flyes… but more on saturday cos friday is pizza night.

This weeks chinups didn’t fully happen. I struggled and didn’t complete my sets despite performing okay last week. This should improve by next week. I have hit the gym earlier this past week and its crowded, so my usual routine is disrupted and I have to choose other exercises. I did upright rows tonight but need to research what they specifically do. I know its the back. I managed a 40 minute run…i was wasted afterward.

I ran for 15 mins on the treadmill then hit the road for 20 mins . I ran half way to Parliament and back through the inner city streets in the light rain. i would have stayed at the gym longer except they turned the lights out with three minutes to go. I did a complete chest workout though….now waiting for tomorrows pain.

July was a write off. My wife was overseas for the whole month so I had the boys within centimetres of me almost all the time…plus it was school holidays for two weeks. I couldn’t bring myself to walk up the stairs at home every night for exercise.  But it is a new month now and after a comment from America I hit the gym tonight managing three sets of 5 chinups and a full back routine. I ran the treadmill for 30 minutes but it was obvious I have lost some ground. Tomorrow is what they call another day.

June was basically a write off. I was overseas most of the time doing a bit of city and country hopping for my job. I did manage to do some gym sessions and ran…around the Eiffel tower every morning for a week. It was good to get off the treadmill. The first six months of the year I went from 221lbs to 213lbs and gained strength and improved my pullups. I could definitiely have lost more weight, but I am happy for now. I hope I gained muscle. I feel stronger. The main thing is that I have been consistently fitter and maintained a useful resting HR.

July is a new month and time for a fresh mid-year start. That said I haven’t done much the past week, just recovered from my trip. Bought some low cut NIKE basketball boots in japan…for the gym though. My hulk kid is jeaaaalouus….

I want to lose body fat but also develop an endurance base useful for tramping, running around after the kids and walking up stairs and hills where I live and work. May was my 5th month of running. I ran or cardio’d only 11 days out of the 31 days in May. My longest run was 90 mins. My resting HR is regularly below 60 bpm. 

In the gym, I am handling the dips okay and will need to add weight soon. I now do my chinups in three sets of 6-7 reps. My short term goal is still 12 chin ups in a row with full arm extension. I can now handle 15kg dumbbells for three sets of 12 on the side lateral raise. Small steps… 

I have had a bodyweight decrease. I am currently at my lowest weight in 2008 even with less cardio. My stats are on my profile. I regularly get in my five small meals and watch the calories except Fridays and Saturdays. My trip to Vanuatu in early may must have done something to my metabolism. It must be less calories in and greater cardio intensity. Must be… 

I have been out of town a few days in the last week for work. I made it to a gym once and went for a late night run through another city. When I returned home my wife and kids commitments to things they like to do, meant training and the gym has been low on the priority list. On the weekend, my hulk kid had a karate tournment and got beat in the first round, but he fought hard and had a few chest and shoulder bruises. The guy who beat him won his division taking out a black belt who had been undefeated for three years. Still…., Hulk kid must train HARDER! I did manage to keep my weight down. Hopefully, I can sustain this weight losing streak through June. I will post a training assessment for May by weeks end.

Last night I ran for 50 minutes and did a full chest workout. Tonight I just settled for a fast paced 30 minute run. The scale tells me I am still losing weight. It’s not long till months end when the tape and pictures will reveal the truth.

If you have been reading here long enough you will know that I have a goal of doing 12 palm down fully extending arm pull-up/chin-ups in a row. Well I can do ten in a row right now with good form…but I have decided to attack the goal by doing three sets of six twice a week (starting last week). One day in the next four weeks, without any major pre-meditation or planning, I will just try and and eek out that 12 in a row. Anyway…tonight I hit the gym working out the back and I then hobbled out a 45 minute run on the dreaded rubber road…aka treadmill. Its better than that ugly betty show though.

yesterdays workout was a good 50 minute run and then biceps and triceps to top it off. The weight is still dropping so hopefully this week it won’t come up on me. I need to keep the daytime diet clean somehow. Today I ran on the treadmill for 90 minutes which was a killer, especially as my favourite rugby league team lost badly. I came home and had fish for dinner, then my kids made me watch Ugly Betty with them. I sprinted from the couch to my room as soon as it was over. It is an evil show in some ways….disturbing even .