First Week Nearly Down

This week saw the first full 7 days of my eating and exercising programme. After last weeks lumbering run, I have recovered and was able to make three solid workouts. I realised that my goals were too ambitious and need to scale back expectations, ramp up cardio exercise and further reduce calories.

FOOD

Getting in between 2200 and 3000kcal* perday of all blood type diet compliant foods. I've probably averaged an intake of about 2800 daily. With my exercise included, I need about 3400kcals per day to maintain my body weight. So, I'm on a deficit of about 600kcal per day. A kilo of Fat is 9,000kcal of energy. So at 600kcal a day, 30 days will get me to 18,000kcal, or only 2 kilos of fat off by month's end.

That's not enough to hit my target lightness for snowboard flight school in September. I need to double up the fatloss. I'll add one hour more of serious cardio per week (about 800kcal at my present weight) and reduce food by another 300 kcal a day by replacing my snacking on dried fruit with fresh fruit. I'll also put less rice in my plate, avoid skin on meat and not take that evening "top up" bowl of oats (why I do this I don't know!). That is other 410 kcal per day. 30 days will see an additional 12,300kcal. This brings my foecasted fatloss to just shy of 4kg. Any more than that, I run the risk of losing lots of muscle and water in the process. So that seems about right.

MONDAY (evening)

My finishing time was 43 minutes, so I had been rowing an average split of 2:09/500m! Not great by any means, but considering my current unfitness, not bad at all. "Back in the day" I would have comfortably coasted somewhere between 1:55 and 2:00/500 for the duration of the 10k and come in sub-40 minutes...

When I was done, I managed a few abdominal exercises, then headed home.

The good news is that I was pulling as hard as I could, in intervals, for at least 50% of the session. The joint pain and muscle discomfort from last week was gone. With my blood type diet and sleeping habits now firmly in place for a week, my heart and lungs are working more efficiently and my joint/tendon inflammation has all but gone away.

TUESDAY

Rest (with minimal physical training done in sessions with my clients)

WEDNESDAY (afternoon)

Powerclean and jerk (95lbs or 44kg bar) 3 set x 10 reps

Upright Row (single leg for core instability, 2 x 15kg dbells) 3 sets x 10 reps

Curls (Bosu ball, standing on platform part, 2 x 17.5kg dbells) 3 sets x 5 reps together/10 reps alternating

Tricep extension (Bosu ball, standing on platform part, 2 x 7.5kg dbells) 3 sets x 5 reps together/10 reps alternating

Swiss Ball Presses (Upper back only on Swiss ball, feet together on floor, pelvis high, 2 x 30kg dbells) 3 sets 10 reps

Medicine Ball Abs (lying on back, pressing small of back into the cushion, starting with knees bent towards chest, holding 4kg med ball against knees. Then extending to full length: feet kicks out parallel to floor w/ feet about 3 inches above floor and arms parallel to floor in opposite direction ball 3 inches above floor) 3 x 20 reps

Back Raisers (lying on belly, concentrating on my bum and hamstring muscles to lift back) 2 x 20

Rowing Leisurely 4 mins (2:00 split for 500) about 1,000m

THURSDAY

Completely Sedentary

FRIDAY (morning)

Just about to do this one now. I'm still sore from Wednesday's work out. Doing a 45 minute run in the tiny hills around the creek in Milton Keynes.

* a kcal is a calorie ...
Parker Lake - Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant | M: +44 7984427854 | www.parker-lake.com

This winter I'm doing the SNOW-CAMP Everest Challenge. Please sponsor me on http://www.justgiving.com/parkerlake.