The dreaded belly

Holiday?! The man has just become self-employed, which means no holidays for the first three years......at least! .

I'd be very suprised if you can't pick up a bike from your local paper for £50 or less, I know I could round here. Arguably you have a better chance of a bargain this way than via ebay, and you don't need it posting.

 

I've just tried doing press-ups and sit-ups for the first time in years!

I managed 2 lots of 10 press-ups, but it WAS a STRUGGLE!!!

I couldnt even manage to complete 2 lots of 10 sit ups though which is more surprising. My belly was in the way!

 

Just do crunches.

Someone will maybe now inform me, but I'm not sure of the point of doing a full situp. I think crunches are probably better for your back too.

 

The bicycle move?

Some say that this is the way to go.

 

Ta for the tip.

I'm mulling over whether to buy some dumbells? Do you think they are worth it, or can i build myself up properly without using weights?

PS. Aching like buggery today :lol:

 

You can use dumbells for a huge range of exercises and they are in many cases the most effective resistance tool because they work you independently and adapt to your natural grip/position/posture, etc.

If there's a Decathalon outlet near you they offer weights at £1 per kilo.

I would bear in mind space though - some modular sets are very good as they slot together to provide a wide range of weights but they store really small. More traditional systems with collars etc can be a pain.

 

Hi Paul

If the main goal is fat reduction, I'd stick with walking, slow jogging, cycling etc , keeping the pace slightly difficult but not enough to make you breathless.

If there's someone you can do it with, you're more likely to stick with it IMO.

 

Greg, any recommendations?

Decathalon outlet? Wouldnt have a clue TBH?

What type of weights, i've only looked in argos so far. Similar price (20kg dumbell sets = just over £20).

Chris, i'm gonna continue walking too, but i also want to up my strength and tone up a bit. I'm not aiming to look like arnie, i'd just be happy to be stronger and to quote lester burnham in american beauty, "look good naked"

 

No you don't need weights.
When you can do handstand push ups against a wall you'll know you're fit.
I think it was Bruce Lee who didn't use any weights in his training?

Somewhere I've got a Matt Furey DVD, the exercises looks easy and there are no weights but they are a complete bitch when you try to do them.

 

I disagree. Weights are useful, but I do agree that body weight resistance is better. I would add that the notion that to lose fat is all about doing lots of low end cardio is simplistic. i firmly believe in the newer cardio ideas and I maintain resistance training (weights or bbody weight) should feature in any program.

There's little point in referring to Bruce Lee. How's his approach relevant?

He trained to fight. When I did Wing Chun for quite a while (Bruce's base martial art) they positively recommended against weights - the reason being flexibility, nimbleness and fluidity were affected negatively by weight training. The training was largely compound and involved endless punching - I mean endless! The objective was seven punches in 1 second.

 

increasing lean muscle mass will increase your metabolism - you will burn more calories doinf nothing if you have more muscle.

Dont look at the scale look at your belt tightness + 'notch movement'

the most important thing - have fun and stay focussed.

 

My point was that to train you do not 'need' weights.
I referred to Brucey boy because he's famous and for precisely the reasons you mentioned.

 

isn't he also dead?

 

Weight training at home not simple

Weight training at home is less effective until you have trained at a proper gym for a while and learned the ins and outs. Also you get to see what is a good and average standard [everyone has different capabilities].

My suggestions:

avoid health clubs, anything with a bar, social scene, video, music or totty. Get those in the Bigg market.
The North East has excellent gyms, use 1 or 2 for a year before you try at home.

Let me give you a example:
The best gym I am aware of is 'Bobs gym' in Avonmouth, Bristol. It's an ex bus depot filled with torture equip. Much of it handmade. IIRC Bob assisted with the field gun crew training at Portsmouth:-

http://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local/gun-run.htm

It is a very large space, plenty room, high ceilings [eg cool in summer, cold in winter]. Generally, if it says 'you train at your own risk' and doesn't offer health checks, trainers etc you are on the right lines.

Ask your GP for a checkup first if necessary, and ask advice from regular gymgoers when they are resting. Be wary of people who try to give you unsolicited advice [like me..].

No more than 20 mins, twice a week for weeks 1 and 2. Try to get up to about 45mins, 3 times a week after 4 - 6 weeks or thereabouts. The owner might give the best advice for beginners. Maybe join with an unfit mate to encourage regular attending, but work at your own pace.

If you want to train at home you need a clear space with a strong floor. I would order the following eqpt:

http://www.worldofhealthandleisure.co.uk/weightsbarbellsdumbells.htm

http://www.worldofhealthandleisure.co.uk/benches.htm

http://www.worldofhealthandleisure.co.uk/fitnessandweightrainingaccessories.htm


These people are the cheapest I know with exceptionally low delivery costs for the weight.

4 - 6 dumbell handles + collars, 'enough' weight discs, a flat bench [cheaper, stable, robust] eg

http://www.worldofhealthandleisure.co.uk/popups/sportline8101.htm

one of these is great:

http://www.worldofhealthandleisure.co.uk/popups/sportline8120.htm


..and finally 2 of these:

http://www.samuelhandley.com/catalog_05.php

so you dont smash your dumbells, and floor to pieces!

About £200 - 300 tops and will all last longer than your heart.

And by the way..it probably wont get rid of the belly anyway

 

I refer you back to my post regards the press-up program. I've seen the results and the progress is as good as anything I've achieved in three months with three resistance sessions and three cardio each week.

The complete lack of science my mate applies and impressive results have really amazed me.

 

I started to have weight problems nearly 30 years ago. Before that I could eat 300 gr of chocolate and a lot of other sweets and I was still skinny. Ok at that time I did football, basketball and volleyball all competitvely.
When I started to stop these sports one after the other and started the university, my weight increased slowly but constantly.
At the age of 30 I was about 80 Kgs (I'm 1m 82cm). When I started to do dance competitions (up to international level) they always pointed out that I was too fat. I tried different diets but it always ended up with a yo-yo effect. So when I retired from dance competitions and started up with a family, that was about 8 years ago, I was about 86 Kgs. Since then I kept on putting on weight till about 4 weeks ago when I was about 98 kgs. Actually I was feeling great, I was walking to the railway station to my house and the same to the office. Every day I was walking about half an hour to three quarters of an hour. But since I was eating too much stuff, the walking didn't help me loosing weight. The thing which made me change my way of life wasn't that I was feeling bad but when I saw photos of me where you couldn't recognize the shoulders from the neck and the head I got scared and thought I was a big fat beast.
I decided to do more activity and eat less. I'm lucky enough to have a great mountain) just 10 minutes walk from my house. So I decided to regularly walk up there. I had two options:
- from the third railway station up to the top (about 1150 meters level difference)
- from my home up to the top (about 1400 meters difference).

I started with the first option but I soon changed to the second. Up to this week I went on saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays (very early in the morning to be able to be at work before noon). Now my weight is down to 92 Kgs and next week I want to go up every day. Since now it takes me about two and an half hours to be up, I'm going to try from Monday on to walk up then half ways down and walk up from the other side again (about 2000 meters upwards in total). The weather forecast is great: 28-32 degrees.
One important thing is to give your body also enough stuff to be able to regenerate and to burn the fat instead of muscles.
L-Carnitin is certainly one of the most important elements our body needs. Then there are others like magnesium, calcium and leucin.
Next weekend Ian and Lee will be here so I don't really know what to do then. I know Lee will love to have a walk up, since he already done it once but I really cannot immagine what Ian will decide.

I would like to show you some pictures of the walk.


Just out of my door..



After a few meters the view of the final destination..


after a few hundred meters the town where the train leaves.


..under the chery trees..


five minutes later entering the town...


at the main crossing (beware of the trafic!). Above is the train station


the train is already waiting...


View from the third station.

follow in the next posting..

 

the path which leads into the woods


This path leads across the mountain before it reaches the other path which goes straigh up to the top.


Across the river (waterfall)


The view after a few hundred meters later...


After 50 minutes out of the woods...


and now starts a steep part.


the steep part is not yet terminated..


just looking behind


about twenty minutes later the view of the top


the steepest part..

continues next posting..

 

the view behind (1)


the view behind (2)

At the end at the top (after about 2 hours)!!











So now if someone wants to loose weight and has 1 - 2 weeks free can come here and walk up the mountain with me. Everything free of charge (except for the train going down).

And there will still be time left to hear music... :MILD:

 

If I lived where you do I would walk a lot more titian! Still I don't think I could do a mountain climb BEFORE work! :O How do you find the energy?

Those lovely pictures make me wish I could come and see you and your family again!

 

Sorry Chris, just picked this up. My diet's not that bad and if I have a weakness, it's evening sugar so I'm trying to cut that down. Well, I made 19 miles on Thursday and 22 miles today so I have broken through the shorter rides now. I also liked the idea of the press-ups and started that mid-week. I'm literally only doing 5 a night and will shortly make this 2 x 5, then 3 x 5, then wide-narrow and normal as I did years ago.

On this whole diet thing though, there is a distinction to be made between different age groups. Years ago, my martial arts master told me of an experiment when he was doing his time in the paras. In response to some health fads of the 70's his unit was put on a special diet. They could eat anything they wanted 24 x 7, absolutely anything. Of course, they began with Mars bars for breakfast, steaks for breakfast etc. However, they were on an intensive physical schedule as part of the programme and the Army wanted to prove a point which they did. They argued that the body looks after itself in such circumstances and, sure enough, the food-abuse was quickly replaced by chicken, loads and loads of nuts, rice, potatoes and fruit and veg. None of this was forced.

So, in my twenties and particularly in the year or two leading up to my black belt, this is exactly what I found. I ate loads of chicken, rice, peanuts and fresh food. I could not physically eat a portion of chips, my body (or brain in charge of cravings) just said no.

So, Chris. Wind the clock on the best part of twenty years and this is much harder but is what I'm trying to do to an extent in a more mature, less intensive kind of way.

Diet alone for some of us takes incredible discipline, a mix of diet and exercise I can manage if I put my mind to it. The other thing though is that I'm not interested in the half-stone in a week kind of thing. Two years ago on pure diet, I lost one stone in a month but it was not sustainable. So, the other part of my goal is simply to lose 1lb per month every month for the next year.

We'll all be weighing in weekly soon at this rate!