Week 3 - Belief

Week Three – I’m starting to believe….

1 Year Ago....

After 19 workouts, I’m starting to see how this program of training really works...on me.  It’s been an interesting period, learning and working through this program, especially because I have been trying to generate a workout routine that fits with my work and watch keeping routine. I generally workout during lunch time, and eat a green alkalizing berry smoothie after my recovery protein shake. I’ve started saving my breakfast’s boiled eggs for snacking on between meals, plus for the extra protein I’ve been chucking down a small tin of tuna and some nuts whenever I feel hungry too.

2014 Health Challenges

40 Days Clean

It has actually been 41 days clean – no coke, no soft fizzy carbonated drinks, no alcohol. I feel great. I’m way more hydrated, and I’ve even cut down my coffee intake… Wifey will be pleased will this! My energy levels are way more regulated since I have cut this drastic sugar intake out of my diet, and reduced my stimulant intake. So, for those trying to give up their ‘vice’, it is possible – but trust me willpower only works when you believe in the end objective… 100% or not at all.

Local Coconut Water Rehydration - Yummy

Local Coconut

Power & Strength

By breaking up my workouts into a heavy day for each muscle group I’m getting sufficient physical respite before the next heavy day (usually heavier), for the same muscle group.  This means I’m starting to be able to push harder and get more from each progressive session.

Today, on Back day, I just smashed two personal bests – Landmine Inverted Row: 100kg, Deadlifts: 110kg and I managed all 5 reps each set on both! On Inclined Dumbbell Rows I worked up to 32.5kg on each dumbbell, which is also a new maximum! This is development is happening across the board, so it should be interesting when I reduced the weight a little and return to 8-10 repetitions on heavy days!

Endurance & Stamina

I believe that by increasing the number of repetitions and dropping the weight right off, I’m working my muscles differently and the ‘pump’ of doing multiple repetitions is developing a new level of endurance. This is really improving my muscle stamina. It’s getting harder, and in this rotation will push me to knock out up to 30 repetitions. I think this is a huge element in how the ‘shred’ of fat tissue will also occur. I’m not looking forward to this final phase of the third rotation. 

Speed & Fitness

So the High Intensity Interval Training, between each set is really making me feel fit. It’s turbo-boosting my heart rate and my workouts are really pumped up as a result of it. This, coupled with the awesome power of Oxyshred has really made me heat up during my workouts. My speed during spinning, rowing and cross-training has been dramatically improving, although between day 4 and day 6 I struggle a little, but I think this may be mild fatigue! I’ve spinning at around 0.7km per minute, which is like 42kph! So, in 1-minute bursts, for around 15 repetitions, I’m busting out 10km, which is pretty intensive! From a fitness point of view, I’m really starting to see additional fitness gained from doing cardio sets of leg press, and seated calf raise with comfortable weight. I’m feeling stronger in my lower body, especially with all the stairs and long, tiresome rounds I conduct as a watch keeper.