As a qualified personal trainer, I fully understand the progression of physical fitness. The concept of gradual, progressive overload is so engrained into my psyche that I do it just about everywhere in my life. Every week, I get to work 10 seconds faster than the week before. Every time I go dri...
Continue reading ...On Monday, I wanted to do legs. I know, I know - it sounds ridiculous. Nobody wants to do legs, it's just something you have to do. Well, not this time. I actually really did want to do some legs work at the gym, because of my up-coming half-marathon and insane bike-ride from Helheimr. Altho...
Continue reading ...Life has become about as busy as it could possibly be. Or at least it feels that way. I have, therefore, sadly not had time to blog the last couple of days of Ed vs. Sport. I hope the following summary will suffice: Chest Routine of 10.05.2011: Bench presses: 50, 90, 95 and 98kg Incline dumbbell ...
Continue reading ...Yesterday was legs day at the gym. Having read an interesting article on leg development (and because I require endurance for my half marathon), I decided to take down the weight and go for a higher number of reps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQqJp5OAYdU The result - I could barely even walk th...
Continue reading ...Excited by my recent technique development, I went back to the gym to experiment with dumbbell presses. Frustratingly, I cannot remember exactly what I did and in what order. I recall the following: Dumbbell presses at 40kg Incline barbell presses at 70kg Chin-ups Triceps push-downs at 35kg The...
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This evening, I turned up at wrestling, only to discover a competition in full swing! Paris vs South England! Although I agree to fight (I don't know who was more surprised, me or the coach!), it turned out there was nobody of my weight available.) Interestingly, my first ever competition was ...
Continue reading ...Finally, after weeks of frustrating and injury, I got back to the gym and managed to give it some juice. Not only didI make it through unscathed, I shattered my bench press 1-rep max by slightly altering my technique! I was still wearing my elbow support (because I was doing chest and back work...
Continue reading ...Although I didn’t train today, I was hardly resting on my laurels. Whatever that means. No no, my friends. Today I was in the studio with my band, Gay Bum, for a live recording! Here is a sample song: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYLddhwibMU&hl=en&fs=1] Read on, McRock! A...
Continue reading ...Great joy and supreme wonderment! I have, this evening, finally managed to conduct some training using my previously hopeless elbow! I did the most part of a triceps workout without any real discomfort, even managing what may have been a personal best on one exercise! My training consisted of: ...
Continue reading ...I have been having problems with my right ankle. It has been weak for a week which, despite being a lovely rhyme, has been disrupting the small amount of training I have managed with my dodgy elbow and wheezing lungs. On Monday, I noticed the sole of my foot hurting quite a lot whilst skipping at ...
Continue reading ...Having not done much training for the last 10 days, I absolutely had to go to the gym today. Unfortunately, it was also boxing-day (as in the sport, not the crap version of Christmas). Not wanting to give up either, I decided to do both. It hurt... (The person in the picture is not me - it's pu...
Continue reading ...I've noticed my blog is slowing down a bit, probably because my general bad health has meant my training volume has declined. Although I fully intend tomorrow to herald another full week of training, I will need to develop some new tactics if I am to maintain intensity without damaging myself furth...
Continue reading ...I'm pleased to report that, thanks to my trusty elbow support, I completed a full workout for the first time since Friday! I was fairly concerned that, by wearing my elbow support and hitting the gym, I'd just look a little more pathetic and fail anyway. However, after a quick warm-up of press-ups...
Continue reading ...Today I visited Longridge Outdoor Activity Centre in Marlow, who have very kindly agreed to sponsor both my kayaking and rowing challenges! This is well beyond my wildest expectations and I am incredibly grateful to everybody who has volunteered their help! Longridge is an activity centre, d...
Continue reading ...Having been suffering from a horrible cold/chest-problem-type-thing, I was surprised to find it cured, by an extended period of running, jumping, rolling and wrestling! Here you see some evidence, in the form of training footage from Slough Freestyle Wrestling Club, where I am training for 1/30th...
Continue reading ...[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NPgPNku2fo?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]Today, I did my first ever...run. Well, one of my first ever runs... My first ever training run, where I'm training myself to run again, but farther. Get it? No? Good, nor do I - RUNNING MAKES NO SENSE T...
Continue reading ...After a few days off (for drinking and barbecuing), I returned once again to High Wycombe Amateur Boxing Club for yet another gruelling session. Beforehand, however, I managed to catch a word with John, who said he should be fully healed by next week, so we can start our intense training. I'm ...
Continue reading ...Tonight, after six years away, I returned to my old wrestling club. Having fond memories of my time at Slough Freestyle Wrestling Club, I was amazed and overjoyed to find the same coach there, who was just as welcoming as he had always been. His son, who was hip-high last time I saw him, is now ra...
Continue reading ...On today, the 17th anniversary of the death of Kurt Cobain, I felt somewhat guilty about going to the gym, instead of playing my guitar and feeling sad. For this reason my training consisted of a single hour after work, followed by a lovely dinner to distract myself from musing about how much bet...
Continue reading ...Tonight, I returned to High Wycombe Boxing Club for my second two-hour boxing session. Similar to last time, there was a good mix of fitness and technique, though this week included more pad-work (known to you and me as "hitting something held by somebody else, lest it hits you first"). Befo...
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