I can't believe it's not Belgian

Maximuscle Cyclone Bar (Chocolate): 1st impressions; tastes like a cheap chocolate bar that's had it's plastic wrapper melted into it.
Lingering taste of burning plastic.
4 more boxes to get through due to website Mess-up.

Each month I'm having my gym trainer mix up my training, but this month it's stayed the same, except that I got him to check my form with it all and it's thrown up a lot of useful feedback.

I suppose the core of the current regime is Olympic weights every second day, never something I look forward to but through habit I'm just getting on with it & getting it over with. Through discussion of my workout/nutrition habits it's shown me I'm taking to much rest between sets so now I'm limiting all rest to no longer than 20 seconds. Phew-ee! I felt the difference in intensity instantly and have had to significantly cut what I was previously lifting. It's a bit galling to see weights come _off_ the bar rather than more on, but I'm working my way back up - this time with a bit more understanding of why my progress has been slow.

The best thing about cutting back on my rest is that I'm now spending less time in the gym doing something I don't like. Huzzah! I know a lot of people _love_ lifting and get really psyched about it, for me it's just something to endure to get results. I'll have to take some time pondering what they get out of it that enthuses them so much.

Games update

New games I've recently rented;

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel - Would have been groundbreaking 5 years ago. Just lots of quest grinding. Missable.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope - Looks like an enjoyable JRPG, Nice visuals, easily immersive, might come back to it at some point but you know how much of a linear timesink JRPGS are.

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai - Arcade style samurai slash-fest with girls wearing bikinis and sporting very.... elastic physics. Missable

X-Blades - Hackfest with a protagonist with v. little clothes. Missable

[PROTOTYPE] - Occasionally you come across a game and realise that what you're playing is not just a game, it's an experience. Only 45 minutes in and I realise it'll be tough sending this game away before I'm finished with it.

New trainer session, new moves

Russian Twists are out (thank goodness) CV sessions are in. After having a cold for a couple of weeks I've become a bit porkyer so will have some CV sessions mixed in with the normal ones for a while (yay!). I've been worried I've been losing some CV capacity as I've noticed myself sweating a bit more, but trainer indicated it might instead be I'm finally using my muscles correctly. I could sign up to that idea! ;)

Just played Xmen Origins Wolverine for the first time.

Damn is it fun!

I normally get a bit bored with 'walk along path - mash X button till everything that jumps out at you dies - rinse - repeat' gameplay, but this movie tie-in has enough charms to cover over the base story progressing mechanic, this is unlike Afro Samurai, which I played a couple of days ago for an hour and a half and will never again play. 

Afro's unique art-style is certainly nice to look at, and by the very nature of being cell-shaded doesn't have to agaonise over how far into the uncanny valley it goes, it just isn't engaging. I suspect i I'd watched the anime I'd have given it a longer try, as character familiarity is certainly a big bonus for my opinion of the Wolverine game. I shall enthuse later.

Working Lunch

Last 3 workouts have actually all gone well. The biggest difference to the situation is that I've been going in the middle of the day.  I've also shaken of the cold and been getting more sleep, each of which would have helped with recovery. I'm not entirely convinced the big difference in these 3 to earlier morning workouts is that I've got enough food in my system....or maybe I'm just reluctant to accept it. I've always been pretty woozy in mornings. I'm under the impression that over night, 'recovery time', I should be building back up my glycogen stores, and 'normal' testosterone levels are highest in the morning. Suppose I could just be trying to do to many things in the morning workouts, but daytime forrays into the gym just seem more successful during the day. 

Longterm it would mean having to go into work earlier, take a biiiig lunchbreak and then work later, but as long as the work gets done both at work and in the gym It'd probably be worth it.

Man, that was one bad workout I had this morning. Bad as in rubbish. My energy levels were so low and even doing the Olympic stuff with lighter than normal weights was too much. Not sure if it's that Ive not recovered properly from a recent cold, amn't getting enough rest or am going to the gym to early in the morning for my post-sleep meal to get into my system.
It's frustrating & disheartning.
Think if I should address one thing it's getting to sleep before 12. I'm hoping if I can get into the habit of getting enough early starts I'll default into the habit of early ends to the day.
6 hours sleep just doesn't seem to work for me working out.

I generally say I'm not competative, but at a party weekend past for some reason the topic of being able to get reach one's foot with one's mouth cane up, and as nearly everyone there demonstrted it was an easily accomplished feat. Except for me!
Tried my hand at some pilates the next day and I couldn't follow along as well as I'd like as I couldn't straighten my legs straight up in the air while my back was on the ground. Grrr.
This is a definite 'general fitness' flaw that I must rectify, but how to motivate myself?

Huzzah! My muscles are so tight that they've dragged my pelvis out of alignment! Yay!

Why Yay? Cos it explains a host of physical things that have been bugging me for ages.

Just back from my gym trainer and after my normally sore back (for threeish years)had been bugging me more than usual so I got him to take a look at what's up.

I've know for years that my muscles were overly tight, but I've never connected it properly with the lower back pain I get on one side, or why my weightlifting usually only gets so high before my form completely falls apart, or several other physical niggles.

He popped it back in place, though I couldn't hear it, and apparently It'll hurt like a hurty thing tomorrow. The forced 2-person stretch however _did_ hurt, muscle-twisting-off-bone hurty. I was shown a load of stretches that I _blatantly_ couldn't do but can think of as a challenge so will have to practice by myself frequently to get some proper mobility around the hips. (thankfully one of them can be done while playing video games!)

My lifting will have to drop down to about 60% until I can get aligned enough to get proper form, but that's fine, I'd rather do things right than 

I'm quite glad it's been identified. I was starting to plateaux again and it was robbing me of motivation. I could see things were going wrong but couldn't place where the problem was originating from so was starting to think I just wasn't pushing myself enough.

Start month update

Still plugging away at new workout schedule, though it changes every 3-4 weeks.

I’m definitely getting stronger, and gaining more knowledge about how my body (does/doesn’t) work.

As indicated in my last post the hardest part is fatigue. It’s not physical fatigue, or pain, it’s mental tiredness. My body/mind seems to be saying ‘No, _you_ don’t work this way. Stop lifting weights & instead run around the place like a good boy, you know you’ll enjoy it!’. Working out properly seems to be manifesting itself more as mental rather than physical stress, the same kind of mental tiredness that I’ve got while working/studying hella hard; I can feel the energy to do things but can’t get the mind to kick into the proper gear so go through the day in a half-doze.

I’ve been trying different things, sleep schedules, change of diet as well as exercise that’s against my physical grain, so I expect it’s just lots of wee shocks from different directions overloading my system and in an effort to reach an equilibrium it’s just trying to get me to stop.

Well sod my system, I’ll just have to fight through it and catch some perspective. There’s people that have to walk miles each day through war-torn countryside dodging bullets and rapists just to get some clean water so I’ve got nowt to complain about!

The hardest part of training

Is going to bed.

Trying to update via phone

Hope this works, having to use an app rather than doing this straight on the blogger site, doesn't seem to be gelling with my phone.
New workouts seem to take ages but seem to be working. Jogging, stretching, core work each sesh and on alternate days the rest of the sesh is either in the Olympic gym or doing ten to ones with a barbell. Still not getting enough rest (e.g - I'm in bed and am writing a blog post) but am cutting down on other activities in the hope I'll get to some sort of equilibrium involving more sleep. My self defense training is definetly going to suffer if I'm only doing one class a week but that's a compromise of my own choosing, gotta cut down on the running around the place.

Phew! Has it been that long since I updated this?
The rib healed fast enough for me not to remember how long it took to heal, If memory serves I was training a couple of weeks later and after 1.5 months there was no twinges at all.

I've been using my local gym for, cripes , must be at least 5 years now, and still a skinnymalink! I've never been a good judge of my own moods, character and it turns out body should be added to the list.
For the past 3 months I've been using a personal trainer who works in my gym and am feeling the benefits of regular bookings (knowing there's someone going to be properly checking up on what I'm doing seems to tap into a part of my personality that I can use to motivate myself...or perhaps I'm just at a place in life where I can stick to things better, but I'll never know!).
I started with explaining what I wanted, what's gone right in the past, what I've succeeded in doing and what flaws I've identified. Just by chatting then busting out some of the moves that I felt I had a problem with let the trainer see what's going wrong. Another pair of eyes critically examining what's going on is what I've needed for quite a while (and, again, maybe I'm just in the right place to query, explain and accept advice that may have passed me by in the past).

While I'm fit in regards to health I'm not strong, which has been a point of consternation for me for quite a while. In my self defence classes, when I compare myself to some of my other classmates I can see how they can do some things better. I can often run around, hit things, swing things, duck and dive around the place without breaking a sweat or geting short of breath while other people are left panting in a pile on the floor, but as soon as we do something like 30 pushups they've finished busting them out like pistons while I'm struggling to get to 10.

Through work and observations from my trainer I'm finally able to acknowledge and accept that I'm long-limbed and long-backed. In my head I suppose I've always just been 'people-shaped' and without realising how I'm actually shaped I've been trying to train like a 'normally' proportioned person. I've seen people shorter than me effortlessly curl weights that I'd be lucky to manage one rep with and I can now appreciate that as the 'levers' of my body are longer the simple mechanics of movement mean it's always going to be harder or me to do so (unless someone develops some ultra-dense movable armbands [you heard the idea here first!]).

The 'length' of my back is probably the main issue rather than my limbs. It's not that I can't use my core muscles properly, it's that my body has found different routes to get things done. The 'proper' core muscles aren't being used properly and the 'improper' core muscles are wound too tight. I can win on core flexibility (another trainer has compared me to a snake in that regard), but the flip-side is that I lose out on the core strength. I realise now that's where I've ben going wrong with things like press-ups. To do them properly you ned the body to act like a plank while the upper body does the pushing, but as my core is messed up the 'wrong' muscles I'm using to keep solid fatigue quickly as they're not meant to be used that way. The dry spaghetti that's needed for press-ups cooks too quickly and leaves my upper body trying to press a core that's al-dente at best, completely unresponsive overcooked pasta at worst.

So for the past 2ish moths I've been on a gym programme that's serving a few different purposes, the core (nyuk-nyuk) purpose being to start re-wiring the way I use my muscles, strengthening the core muscles that I've unintentionally been neglecting and improving my lactic resistance in unaccustomed muscles

As of yesterday (oh, wait, it's past 12, so that'd be 2 days ago) the workout has changed an will now be different each day and will be hella-harder. Both the effort involved and for the where I'll be doing the work. My most recent workout could be one in a few different places in the gym, so I've been able to work around the other users, but now some of it will have to be in the 'Olympic' area so I'll now have to compete for the benches and barbells. While not a workaholic I don't like to waste time, and generally do more than one thing at a time. Having to wait for people to vacate equipment just winds me up and rather than just standing queuing to use things I'm inclined to just hop on a CV machine or take off entirely.

So new work starts soon, lets hope the shock of it comes more as a novelty than something to retreat from. Technically I should start it today, but as it's 2Am I won't be exactly sparkling tomorrow and I did something to my knee in self-defense class tonight that's making me walk with a limp (either kneeing someone in the head or being pranged with a wooden knife!) so I'm guessing barbell squat jumps might not be the best thing at the mo.

Waiting for COD4 maps to download so thought I'd while away the time by scribbling an update.

I've bruised a rib. It could be cracked, but there was no point in getting it x-rayed as it gets the same treatment either way: Plenty of rest. The Doc said 3 weeks, which was nearly a week after the event so I'm not actually sure if that means 3 weeks from the proper diagnosis or from when it actually happened. I can't actually recall getting an injury like this before, my charmed life has kept me from any broken bones or torn anything so far.

It was a sparring accident, though 'sparring' kinda glorifies the rudimentary activity I was doing and 'accident' makes it sound less avoidable than it actually was. While I was training with quite a few people that night I think it was a kick I received I think my mistake was a mixture of not yet being skilled enough to nip an arm in and control the leg in time and miss-judgement on how much of a hit I could take without injury.

I don't remember it being sore at the time, though on the walk home something didn't fell right and that continued for the next couple of days. Till I went to another couple of classes. The first hour it hurt to do pretty much anything, and i should have stopped but was too bull headed so continued for another hour. I nearly didn't do the second hour as I thought I was doing my training partners a disservice by not being able to put as much into it as normal, but the next day, with the muscle 3-fold more painful and it taking me nearly 10 minutes to get out of bed in the least painful way I decided it was me that had done the disservice to myself!

Well it's slowly getting better, but still sneaks up on me unawares. Can't wait till I can sneeze without it feeling like someone's jabbed me in the chest.

RKC - Week 1

I did the first week of the 'Enter the Kettlebell' workbook. I certainly learned a few things, though maybe not what I was meant to.

Normally I do all my exercises after work or mid-day during the weekend, but this time I made a point of getting up to go to the gym just after it opens before going to work. I was surprised how a self-avowed 'night' person such as myself could easily change the getting up portion of my waking pattern when needs be. I see now how working flexi-time and not having regular morning meetings has meant that my sleeping pattern has been determined more by when I go to sleep rather than when I have to get up.

The actual physical effort involved to go through the motions of the exercises as set out in the plan was easily sourced, indeed I was mildly annoyed that the early stages of the plan involved exercising in only 4 out of a whole 7 day week. This is however a reminded that I've always held back my physical training by not getting enough rest; it's great and all that I can workout 7 days a week but without sufficient R&R all I'll be doing is burning time & calories.

Actually, on that subject, while I was getting myself up at an early hour I was still going to bed just as late as normal, meaning I was getting even less sleep than normal that week, It actually felt quite good as over the short term the more fatigued I get the more wired and energised I get, but know from experience that going too many days like that means crashing at a later date.

The actual KB parts of the workouts left me with questions about the correct way to do them as my form always felt a bit wrong and I wasn't 100% sure I was doing the moves the way I was as shown,'gettups' in particular. The trainers at the gym weren't any help as KBs are still quite new to them but iPhone to the rescue I looked up the moves on youtube and saw I'd remembered the essentials right, I just needed more confidence and practice. Perhaps more pies as well! Like most weight training because I'm naturally slim I've got to fight to stay in form rather than just fight the weight, as the KB goes went up one way physics tries to make my legs see-saw up the other way. Harrumph.

I'm always wary of injury so rather than just carrying on and banging the moves out in the hope that my form will magically improve I've taken the KB home and will be going over the finer points with the 'Enter the Kettlebell' film in front of me before starting the programme again. Rather than continuing with week 2 I'll probably do week 1 again as I don't want to progress without first being confident of my form.

Journey with a Kettlebell

Started today a supposedly 12 week Kettlebell programme.

I wanted to start it sooner in my flat but 24 minutes of jumping around and and swinging a kettlebell around makes my floorboards creak like a whale in a whalebone corset two sizes two small. Doesn't annoy me but I'm cursed with being to considerate to put the neighbours below me through that nearly every day for 3 months.

I've solved the problem by rehousing the KB by renting a locker at my gym so can go swing it around there with impunity in the mornings. This is a blessing in a way as I'd be pretty annoyed if I was swinging it at home, it escapes my grasp and accidently turns my flatscreen TV into a concavescreen TV.

Being a night owl has advantages; not feeling tired after work, being able to go all night, etc. Trying to get to sleep at a sensible hour, however, is not one of them. So rather than spending _another_ half hour just lying down thinking "well, isn't this productive" I'll stop this blog from fading.

You'll sometimes hear societal luddites bemoan our 24hr society, well it's not 24hr enough for me! When I was at university I was never able to go to the library in the late evening when I was in the mood for studying, and now I can't have a 'normal' job that's start and finishing times are tailored to my needs.

I suppose very few jobs actually are, our circadian rhythm goes round twice a day so we are wired to sleep twice a day, at night when it's dark and during the day when the sun is at it's hottest. No siestas in island (though one of the Iron lady's dirty little secrets was that she had a nap each day while letting it be known she only needed 4 hours sleep each night).

Well, you've got to play with the cards you're dealt, and mine are better than most. My working hours are far more flexible than my contemporaries, but still, I feel I could be working at a more optimum level if I go to move them around a bit more.

I suppose there are benefits to most people getting up at the same time, working and interacting at the same time, going to bed at the same time; it lets most people be 'on the same page'. But what a world we could have if this was not the case!

What would it be like? Two societies working in parallel, yet 12 hours apart, The Larks and The Owls. Would different cultures evolve? Would it double humanity's collective experience or half it? Would there be hundreds of thousands of Owl Romeos and Juliets never a mile away from each other yet struggling to keep together a relationship that will always be 12 hours apart?

Just two separations? Why not three, or four or do away with the whole structure and just have people continually living and working when it best suits them? We already have people living in each time zone, and society is already becoming increasingly globalized, it may already be happening to an increasing extent.

Well... in seven hours my alarm will go off, and I'll be 7 times more tired than I am right now. But lets try to get some sleep, everyone will be waiting.

I hate dead webpages and blogs that fade!

My studies are still clamped down on my mental topography, taking up a disproportionate amount of mental space compared to the actual time spent studying.
Getting the right work-life balance is always a challenge but adding university-level study to the mix is making it much harder. It's easy enough to get good enough grades to pass everything, but in the long term sufficient grades don't count for jack if you want to get more than just an ordinary degree.
I'm confident I have the ability to get a first class honours, but would the amount of time that would take from all the other sections of my life be worth it for what pretty much amounts to just intellectual bragging rights?

Everything is a compromise, and there are many different balances to be struck - yesterday someone made the observation that I liked a challenge... I certainly do have a sense of momentum at the moment.

Here's a picture of the time I've spent so far studying the current course I'm on.
I'm not quite certain why I've chosen to represent the number of hours I've studied via the medium of pencils. It appeals to me to see a tangible representation of the effort I've put into something as amorphous as refining my mental toolkit. It's kinda pleasing to be able to 'see' it build up rather than just know it - think it's harder to become disheartened from doing something when you've got a way of seeing progress. Plus it gives me something to do with all the pencils I've got! £2 for 100 pencils? Bargain! :D

This is the sort of thing that happens when you don't watch what you're doing when putting on shoes.