Week 8 - End of the NROL Break In!

• Weight - 14st 8.25lbs (down 1.75lb from last week)
• Body Fat % - 8.2% (apparently down 0.4% from last week)
• Waist - just over 34 inches (down over 0.5 inches from last week)

I also have readings from a handheld body composition monitor. These are as follows;

• Body Fat% - 27.9% - (a decrease of 0.2% from last week)
• Body Water - 52.4% - (again slight rise of 0.1% in water content this week)
• Muscle - 68.3% - (slight rise of 0.2% in muscle from last week)
• BMI - 28.6 - (slight fall of 0.1 from last week)
• calories - 2, 823 - (a maintenance decrease of 14 cals)

I've found this week quite hard and am very pleased with myself with the effort that has been put into the sessions and the fact that I struggled to fit the three sessions in at all. A number of things have worked against me but some rearrangement and adjustment has meant that I was able to achieve my goal of three workouts this week and complete the NROL break in sessions. I can now move on to the Fat Loss I sessions. I'll be starting these tomorrow.

In terms of results, this week has been very pleasing. Ok the figures differ considerably on the handheld device etc but all of the results show improvement from the previous week with the major ones showing good movement. This is encouraging, especially after a couple of weeks of extremely painstakingly slow progress. However, it was progress none the less but it's always nice to feel that the return you get for the effort is worthwhile.

I can't believe that we are already at the end of February and will be in March as of tomorrow. This year is flying along at a fair old pace. The vacation will be hear before we know it. Before that though I have a lot of work to do and it continues from tomorrow with the first of the Fat Loss I sessions. I also want to keep the cycling up but I'll be on one of my other bikes as my main one is being checked over as it makes some strange tension like clicking noises as I cycle up the big hill. I'm having this checked out to make sure everything is ok. Talking of cycling I've signed up to the charity bike ride again that I did last year. I was good stuff last time and I want to do a lot better this time round. I've made arrangements to do a couple of bigger rides before the event with one ride in April and one in May before the vacation. The Charity ride is in the first weekend or maybe the second one once I get back from vacation. Anyway there's plenty of work to be done before all of that especially as I don't want to be found wanting for fitness etc.

Well that about wraps things up for now. I'll let you know how things go on the Fat Loss I sessions and try to report any thing that I find unusual throughout the week.

Cheers, BustaGut!

Week 7 - A Mixed Bag!

• Weight - 14st 10lbs (down o.25lb from last week)
• Body Fat % - 8.6% (apparently down 0.6% from last week)
• Waist - just under 35 inches (same as last week)

I also have readings from a handheld body composition monitor. These are as follows;

• Body Fat% - 27.9% - (no change from last week)
• Body Water - 52.3% - (again slight rise in water content this week)
• Muscle - 68.1% - (slight rise in muscle from last week)
• BMI - 28.7 - (slight fall from last week)
• calories - 2, 837 - (a maintenance decrease of 8 cals)

The results above are a bit perplexing really. Some areas look like there's been positive movement whilst others show little if any change even though I've hit the sessions and cycling hard this week. Initially the drop in weight of only 0.25lbs each week for the last two weeks doesn't seem like much return for the effort that is being expended. However, the body fat result from the callipers is out of this world if it can be trusted as I think I might have mis-measured as I doubt there has been that much of a drop if any. This is sort of backed up when the handheld device reported no change from last week. The plus points are that there appears to be a slight increase in the amount of muscle with a corresponding fall in BMI. I do trust what I'm doing so I suppose it's just a case of stick with it and the results will come.

This week I did manage to get the full three gym sessions as I had hoped. And although tiring I really did extremely well in keeping the intensity high. Cycling was also done for the full five days to and from work which gives a working week total of 70miles (nearly half of that up hill as well). So from an effort perspective I am very pleased with the way that I've approached the week and intend to carry this across to next week. If I can complete three sessions as I have done this week it means I can then move off the Break In sessions and onto the proper Fat Loss workouts. I'll try to keep you updated as much as possible.

Cheers, BustaGut!

A Little Motivation!

Yesterday I was advising a colleague about their training and another remarked at how much my body had altered in such a short space of time last year. It was in connection with when I began TNT and NROL the initial change was quite quick (but hard work as well). It picked me up quite a bit and knowing that I'm back on that same approach and gave me encouragement to really attack the coming training sessions. I realise that this time round I'm starting from a different position and that my fat loss goal has progressed through a number of cycles to get where it is, namely through experimentation with the other TNT eating plans and NROL programmes of Hypertrophy and Strength. Some stuff has worked other stuff hasn't but it's all been useful to note how my body has reacted to things. Anyway I think to how much I achieved during my first run of TNT and NROL and the pictures I have are quite remarkable. I'm a long way off achieving those levels at the moment but I'm determined to reach them and even surpass them this time round. It all starts with the commitment to train and being consistent putting in the sessions and the required effort into every session. Striving to be better at every workout - being hungry for success rather than going through the motions. Right, I'm off to the Gym - bring on workout B - Your mine!

Cheers, BustaGut!

Manic Monday

Managed to get the first gym session of the week in this morning and cycled to work as well. The session itself went very well. I didn't move any of the weights up but did crank up the intensity by completing the session quicker than last time (just under 16mins) so pleased with that. Legs were tired on the way home up the big hill but I suppose it is to be expected. I'm going to get to bed earlier tonight and try to get some more rest as my legs are even more tired now. I do have a tendency to ache more a day later rather than immediately following a session. Don't get me wrong after the session my legs knew they had been worked it's just they tend to ache more the following day so I'm expecting them to be a bit stiff tomorrow. I will be trying to get three sessions in this week which I'm sure I'll find quite hard especially coupled with the bike riding. I'll give my best shot and let you know how things go.

Cheers, BustaGut!

Week 6 - Edging forward

• Weight - 14st 10.25lbs (down o.25lb from last week)
• Body Fat % - 9.2% (no change from last week)
• Waist - just under 35 inches (down a fraction from last week)

I also have readings from a handheld body composition monitor. These are as follows;

• Body Fat% - 27.9% - (down 0.1% from last week)
• Body Water - 52.2% - (slight rise in water content this week)
• Muscle - 68.0% - (muscle back to previous level - slight increase)
• BMI - 28.8 - (no change from last week)
• calories - 2, 837 - (a maintenance increase of 3 cals)

I've found this week quite difficult as I've been away for a few days on business and found it hard to make it to the gym. I managed to get the minimum 2 sessions in and cycled just 2 days instead of the usual 5. Eating and drinking whilst I was away was hard as carbs are everywhere. Business working lunches are usually sandwiches and everyone sort of looks at you strange when you only eat the middle of the sandwich and leave the bread (you also look really greedy with a stack of bread on your plate and your still adding food on it). Evening meal was better and I had steak one night but this was accompanied with hips which I added to the extra chips that my party had ordered between them. I was left with a small steak 2 large mushrooms and a fried egg. Dessert was ok as I managed to get the cook to bring me some cheeses with celery sticks (which was quite nice actually). The hotel breakfast the following morning was terrible in terms of eating to plan. It was a continental style but didn't have any meat it was all pastry, bread (toast), jams, fruit and yogurts. Basically I had a few trial sized cheeses and a few cups of coffee. Not the best but there was nothing else that was to plan and after being good the previous night I wasn't going to be forced to eat of plan because of limited choice (or lack of). When I go off plan I want it to be my decision not forced upon me.

Well enough of the moaning. As luck would have it the results have shown no backward step so I'm pleased about that. In fact the small movement that there has been this week has been positive so makes the commitment to plan worth while. This coming week I hope to get three gym sessions in and cycle more (to and from work). I think I also need to get some more sleep as well as I did miss out this week through working away, travelling etc so more sleep will be a definite aim. Well I think that's about it for now. I'll keep you updated and let you know how things go.

Cheers, BustaGut!

Week 5 - Burn baby burn!!

As the title suggests and the previous post complaining of muscle soreness the shock to the system of changing the exercises and dramatically the pace of the workout has made my muscles burn. Strangely the soreness and aches are more pronounced a day or two afterwards which is why this week I've only managed to hit the gym for the NROL workouts (A & B) just twice. Yesterday was the workout B, which following the session I felt pretty good but late last night I could start to feel the effects and this morning I'm stiff in the back and upper legs. Not half as bad as following workout A. My poor legs. Anyway on with the update report:

• Weight - 14st 10.5lbs (down 1lb from last week)
• Body Fat % - 9.2% (down 0.6% from last week)
• Waist - 35 inches (down 0.5 inches from last week)

I also have readings from a handheld body composition monitor. These are as follows;

• Body Fat% - 28.0% - (down 0.8% from last week)
• Body Water - 52.1% - (slight rise in water content this week)
• Muscle - 67.9% - (corresponding drop in muscle due to rise in water above)
• BMI - 28.8 - (down 0.2 from last week)
• calories - 2, 834 - (a maintenance drop of 6 cals)

The figures show exactly the same increment of progress as last time which is very pleasing. Even the hand held monitor has picked up a slight reduction in BF% and BMI (the other results are pretty much the same). I don't think that these reductions actually come across in the pictures though which is a little disappointing but I'm making progress and that's the main thing. Next week's training will be somewhat disrupted again as I will be away on business for a few days so will have to fit gym sessions in where I can. I should at least be able to get the minimum of two in as I did this week but the cycling will be significantly reduced since I wont be commuting for much of the week. We'll see what effect that has. I'll have to see if I can compensate in some way. Anyway, that's all for now. I'll keep you updated the best that I can.

Cheers, BustaGut!

Muscle Sorness!

I was intending to have done the workout B today of the Break In sessions but my legs are so sore and suffering from overdoing it in the first workout. The change in program and intensity has really hit me. More so the days after rather than immediately following the session, it's strange. Anyhow I intend to do the session tomorrow no matter what. I'll let you know how it all goes. I suppose the plus point is that if my legs are hurting then I wont notice the shoulder so much - good old diversion tactic.

Cheers, BustaGut!

A Change of Pace!

Just wanted to give a quick update of the session I've just had at the Gym. My NROL book has gone missing so I've ordered an electronic version on CD to replace it. Whilst I'm waiting for it I needed to change the current program as I'd been doing it for a few weeks and the plan was to try and regain some of the cv that has been lost due to a slower paced strength initiative that I was pursuing and then I got injured had a forced layoff and the recent recovery sessions that I've been active with. So basically I'm saying that the tempo and intensity of the training has been low for some time and it is this aspect that needed to be addressed.

So I looked through some of my old training sessions and was lucky enough to find the NROL Break In Sessions that I did. So I thought that since this is very similar to the Fat Loss I sessions then this would be a good starting point especially with no book to reference. If I remember rightly I think the book even suggests by passing Fat Loss I after the Break In sessions as they are so similar. So I wont be going far wrong. So how did I find the change of pace and intensity? Very Hard actually. I did complete the session in just under 18mins so compared to the 1hr 30mins I'd been doing with the recovery sessions there is a massive difference. Some of the weights will need to be adjusted (slightly lower) since my form of the exercises are now much better the range of motion the weights travel through is much greater so in effect I'm doing more work. When I first started the Break In sessions the exercises range was smaller so weight travelling much less. So in order to ensure I don't cheat I'd rather get the weight right although I need to make sure that I'm still only just getting the reps out.

I must admit it feels strange getting out of the gym so quickly again it's like when I first started TNT. You have this feeling like you haven't done enough. But you have. As far as the shoulder goes it was fine a few little twinges here and there but nothing to really worry about. Besides I really didn't have the time to let it bother me. I'll be having a go at the workout B later on in the week so I'll hopefully let you know how that session goes as well.

Cheers, BustaGut!