Back to the Gym

“Hitting the gym,
was quite a laugh,
but people still gasp,
as I don’t do things by halves”

Yesterday I went to the gym. It was fun because all my friends were there, and it turns out that they go during lunch which is when I would quite like to go, sooo I am going to start going (well at least for the next 3 weeks)

I went for the express workouts:

Warm up
Leg raises
Back extension
Press-Ups
Squats

Bench 6 reps 60 kg, 6 reps 70 kg (assisted) –> 2 sets 60 kg
Good morning 8 reps 10 kg –> 2 sets 10 kg
Bicep curl 8 reps 25 kg –> 2 sets 27.5 kg
Clean and Press 8 reps 30 kg –> 2 sets 32.5 kg
Pull Ups 2 sets 6 reps –> 2 sets 8 reps

Wednesday Plan

Bench 2 sets 60 kg
Good morning 2 sets 10 kg
Bicep Curl 2 sets 27.5 kg
Squat 2 sets 45/50 kg plus warm up
Pull Ups 2 sets 8 reps

Think I need to add some ab work, though probably from the pull up bar rather than the ground.
Saw Bill Bailey tonight, was brilliant. Will also finish off the garden this weekend, so piccies to follow and will get Kat to help me bake a cake on Saturday.

House Husband

I've been away for a while. I am getting on well in the Shipman group, have applied for a PhD, am still playing polo and started prepping my garden for some vegetable growing next year.

Further to this I've been baking cakes, and flapjack quite a bit.

I've got a few photos below of how the garden has changed over the last 7 weeks.

Initially this is what it looked like... (click any photo to see a larger view)

Then I emptied the back and pulled out a shit load of metal and other random crap, I was just waiting for the spade to hit a foot and find a body! Luckly this didn't happen and I've dragged all that away now.

 

I then last weekend dig over 70 sq' of the soon to be vegetable bed. I had to double dig the ground as it drains so badly and is full of clay, and has probably never even seen a spade since the houses were built.
It took just over 4 hours and I had a pretty quite afternoon after that!

  

As for cakes… another post perhaps.

Confused

The sports fair was today, I chatted to the rowing guys who seemed pretty sound there is a taster on Thursday and then an intro to the club which I will go too as well.
The reason why I am a bit confused at the moment is that I still want to play water polo I think but I just started really enjoying climbing again so I am not sure what to do. (Flashed my project last night and feel pretty good about another that I tried for the first time as well, only problem is having no regular climbing partner…)

I think I’ll wait till next week after all the tasters and the dust has cleared both with water polo and rowing, to be honest my main gripe is that I don’t have any contact lenses at the moment, which is purely my fault!

I am resting up at the moment for the big day on Saturday and hopefully will beat Chris though I doubt it! If nothing else though doing a months training has got me back into doing exercise which I had kind of lost over the long summer/term 3 abroad.

I’ll leave you with one of the most impressive and cool routes I’ve ever seen. Witness the fitness

Powerless Scream

heel hook the corner
crimp the hold
crank for the sloper
if your feeling bold

----- Samuel Coe
Anyone who has been around a climbing will notice that people like to scream. I am no exception here, I’ll admit now. For some reason grunting/moaning/yelling/screaming etc the moment you reach for a hard hold seems to help. It must be linked to the same thing that marital artist do to improve there focus and power as they hit something, despite the fact that everyone does it, it also seems to be the biggest thing that people whinge about! I went to a lecture by Chris Sharma one of the best climbers of our generation and of all the questions to ask someone just goes ‘do you really need to yell like that or are you just showing off?’ I mean come on if that guy could even pull onto one of Sharma’s routes I would be amazed! So why ask such a cockish question? (video is of the route in question)

I normally end up yelling only the first time I try and make the move but after that I don’t tend to need to, although it is kind of embarrassing to be shouting on routes labelled “easy” by Alex’s sarcastic problem list! At least now when people read them they will know that its supposed to be terracotta not dull orange! Via la revolution! :oP
Anyway I’ve started bouldering quite a bit the last two weeks, and have now done 5 of the new roof problems, which isn’t bad for me I don’t think. I am hoping to get two more as well by the end of next week.
Today I spent most of the day helping to strip part of the back wall in readiness for the new routes. (One of the other jobs I get to do working at the climbing centre) Also kept up my running, completing my 7 km and a 22 min run yesterday. Go me :oD

I Fussed Why?

round the track
I am on a run,
for the first time in my life
its almost fun…

----- Samuel Coe
Well on Friday I finally grew a pair and did my speed set round the track. And to be honest it wasn’t actually as bad as I thought it was going to be.
My splits were well within the time the guide suggested and although I was pretty tired by the end it was really worthwhile. I almost was enjoying myself, almost.
I also have submitted my 3rd year report, which is a weight off the mind. I am not doing abs at the moment because I hurt my back on Thursday moving climbing holds. Been climbing quite a bit in the last two weeks and have enjoyed it. Aiming for a 6c+ by the time term starts.