Results for Week 8

Only 5 more weeks to go and I've hit a plateau. I told my trainers and they have decided to change my routines and make to more difficult/harder/ more cardio so I can break through the barrier. It's normal to plateau when either losing or gaining weight as your body becomes used to what you are doing, and the only way to get past it is to change.

So for week 8, I have only taken a couple of measurements as I was really busy on the weekend and forgot to do some (sorry!!!!)

Weight: 87.3kg (-0.7 kg)
which is a total of 10.7kg since starting

 

Waist: 93.0cm (-4.5cm) a total of -33.0cm since starting - that more than the average sized school ruler

Hips: 117.0 (-1.0cm) a total of -10.2cm

Upper Thigh: 59. (-0.0cm) a total of -2.7cm - not measured

Lower Thigh: 45 (-0.0cm) a total of  -0.3cm - not measured

Flexed Bicep: 33 (+0.0cm) a total of +0.7cm - not measured

Fat Percentage: 35.0% (-0.2%)

which equals 30.555 kg (-1.2306kg fat)
which is a total of - 9 % or 12.57kg of fat since starting, about 10% of my initial body weight.

Meet the trainers

One of the questions I seem to get is what are the trainers like? Who you get is dependant on whose available when you turn up and the day of the week.

So, without pics, here is a breakdown of the main trainers I have (apologies to my trainers if I spell their names wrong):

Lindsay: Is the manager of Calwell Flames. I would normally have him train me either Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Always makes sure that you are doing the exercise correctly, and has pulled me up several times for holding onto the treadmill when it's at 15% incline because you are supposed to just run.

Evan: is the second in charge. I would normally have him train me on Wednesday or Thursday (if I go on Thursday). Evan is a hard task master, always on your back, checking you have the right weight, the right speed or the right time. Always pushing you to try harder and always keeps an eye on you -no slacking off ever.

Dylan: is my Monday and Tuesday trainer. Puts up with all my sarcastic remarks and gives it back as well. If you are going to slack off even a tiny little bit, Dylan is the one you are more likely to get away with it :)

Matt: my wednesday trainer. very much focussed on getting you through your routine and making sureyou do all your reps.

Adrian: My Friday trainer, he is great fun, loves to joke but comes up with the most creative ways to train, especially when it comes to free lancing (he was the one that had me going side ways on the treadmill). If you slack off, he'll get you in the next exercise.

Josh:  Weekend trainer - puts up with people turning up without booking in, reminds you of your personal bests all the time and encourages you to break them. Always rolls his eyes when the phone rings because he is by himself and it distracts him for keeping an eye on us.

Results from week 7 - measurement and weight adjustments required

Bit of a dilemma this week - I had my week 6 weigh and measure at the gym and the weights figure was all out. I discovered that there is a difference of around 1.2kg between the scales at the gym and the scales I use at home - due to the age of the scales at the gym, and it located on carpet (instead of tiles). The initial weight I got was using the gym scales and every other measurement since has been at home with new scales on the tiles. Which means that there is 1.2kg missing from my weight loss. I checked this by weighing myself before going to the gym and then weighing myself again as soon as I got there.

If I used my scales at home for my initial weight, I would have been 99.2kg. Not sure what to do. I think I will continue using my home scales and recording that weight and then use the gym scales at the end to get the end result - that way the initial and end weight is using the same scales. So you will almost have to take my weight loss and add 1.2kg to it, until I finish. That way it's more consistent.

I also had Evan show me exactly which bits to measure - it turns out where I thought I was measuring was slightly out so I have given you the new measurements at the correct area and the total from the beginning.

So after 7 weeks (with 6 weeks to go):

Weight: 88.0kg (-0.5 kg)
which is a total of 10.0kg since starting

YES I HAVE REACHED MY INITIAL GOAL.

Waist: 99.5 (measured incorrectly previously) a total of -28.5cm since starting

Hips: 118.0 (-0.5cm) a total of -9.2cm

Upper Thigh: 59. (-0.0cm) a total of -2.7cm

Lower Thigh: 45 (-0.0cm) a total of  -0.3cm

Flexed Bicep: 33 (+0.0cm) a total of +0.7cm

All up I have lost 40cm all over!!!!

Improvements

Other than the obvious improvement in weight and centimetres lost, I have improved greatly with my general fitness level and my ability to get through each session. when I first started, it would take me about 1hr and 15 mins to get through each session, now days it is closer to 50 minutes. This is due to my times getting better and my ability to recover between sets.

My improvements are as follows:
Session 1:
Flies - up from 4 kg dumbbells to 6 kgs
Treadmill: up from 5.5km/h to 7.8km/h
Rower: 400mtre now only takes 1m 42s, down from 2m 15s
Bike: 700mtre now only takes 1m 10s, down from 1m  50s
Tricep extension - up from 2 kgs dumbells to 4kg

Session 2:
5 x 200m on rower: can now do each interval in about 40 secs, down from 1m each
Treadmill: can now run 1km up from 0.8 in 9 minutes
2.5K on Cross trainer: now takes 4m 50s, down from 7m 30s

Session 3:
Lat pull down: up from 22.5kg to 31.5 kgs
Bike and Cross trainer: now takes 1m 10s and 1m 40s, down from 2m and 2m 50s respectively
Straight curls: up from 18kg to 22kg
Hammer curls; up from 4kg dumbbells to 5kg
Treadmill 15% incline 500 metres: now takes 4m 20, down from 6m

Session 4
Treadmill 0% incline, 500m: started at 5.5km/h, now doing 9km/h
Cross-trainer: now doing 800 m instead of 700m in 1m 40s
Rower 500m: now only take 2m 03s down from 2m 40s
Spin bike: up from 2.01km to 2.7km

Session 5:
Leg curls: up from 10.5kgs to 15kg
Leg press: up from 60kg to 75kg
300m treadmill 15% incline: 2mins, down from 3min

Results after week 6 - almost half way

Definitely seeing improvements this week, my times are much better and I can run at a faster rate on the treadmill - more in the next post.

On to what you really want to know - how's the weight loss going. Well after 6 weeks I am almost at my original goal of 10kg - I only have 500grams left to go to reach it. My new goal will be to see if I can get under 80 kgs in the next 7 weeks. It's a big ask but I'm still keen :)

My results for week 6: 

Weight: 88.5kg (-1.8 kg)
which is a total of 9.5kg since starting
.

Waist: 119 (-2.0cm) a total of -9.8cm since starting

Hips: 118.5 (-2.0cm) a total of -8.7cm

Upper Thigh: 59. (-0.5cm) a total of -2.7cm

Lower Thigh: 45 (-0.0cm) a total of  -0.3cm

Flexed Bicep: 33 (+0.5cm) a total of +0.7cm

All up I have lost 20.8cm all over!!!!

 

Headaches - and results from week 5

I woke up with the worst headache this morning, probably from a virus or something, I have a continous blocked nose for weeks now, I have never really got over it. I took two nurafen and dragged my poor sorry ass to the gym for my session at 9am. It was a mistake. After doing my initial arm workout I got started into my cardio with a 300m run on the treadmill, 400m on the rower and 700m on the bike. After the first set (I am supposed to do it three times) I started to feel a little dizzy and slightly nauesous. My headache was starting to really pound. I got through the second set and told my trainer (Josh) that I felt off. He took one look and said that I didn't have to do anymore cardio work and if I was up to it I could finish off a cut down arm work out before finishing. I managed it but it meant that my normal 50 minute work out was short by about 15 minutes, but there was no way that I could have finished it without  - well - feeling much worse than I did.

My results for week 5: Not much actual weight loss this week but I have probably hit a plateau.

Weight: 90.3kg (-0.3 kg)
which is a total of 7.7kg since starting,
averaging 1.5kg loss a week.

Waist: 121 (-2.5cm) a total of -7.8cm since starting

Hips: 120.5 (-1.5cm) a total of -6.7cm

Upper Thigh: 59.5 (-1.0cm) a total of -2.2cm

Lower Thigh: 45 (-0.0cm) a total of  -0.3cm

Flexed Bicep: 32.5 (-1.0cm) a total of +0.2cm

All up I have lost 16.8cm all over

Fat Percentage: 35.2% (-0.8%)

which equals 31.7856 (-0.83kg fat)
which is a total of -8.8% or 11.3344kgof fat since starting!

Not bad at all :)

Dear Rower, how I hate thee

I think everyone that goes to the gym has one (or maybe two) exercises/equipment that they just don't like. People I have spoken to have expressed their dislike for the treadmill, the cross trainer, free weights, boxing - really just about everything. For me, I have started to really dislike the rowing machine.

Why is this? I think it's because every single session I have to use it, and there is so many different methods of torture!!! I normally would have 1 session where I have to do 5 x 200meters, the next session 500m three times, and then the next would be a straight 600 metres and then the next is 300 metres three times.
They have me trying to beat my previous time, testing me against the 'pace boat', even challenging me against another person working out. Even with the free lancing I am stuck on the rower, one day having to do a total of 2.5km on the rower and another day doing 12 x 100 metres dashes on it.

I know they tell me that the rowing machine is a 'whole' body exercise, working your back, arms, legs and abs muscles -  but every time they say 'it's on the rower next' and little part of me goes s**t.

Graphing my weight loss

You may not have noticed (especially if you are using a mobile device to view this blog) but to the side I have included a graph showing the average weight loss to meet my goal of 10kgs v's my actual weight loss. I update this graph once a week on a Monday to show where I am up to. I am pleased with my current loss as I am at where i should be in week 10 - thats 5 weeks ahead. I am thinking I should maybe update my goal to 15 kgs over the 13 week period.

For those that can't see it, here is my current graph:

I am expecting to plateau soon, so hopefully this weeks free-lancing will force me to not to plateau too long.