I want the body of a Greek God

Mick

I reckon that the routine given above should move weight pretty quick - assuming you do not tell yourself that you can have an extra pud because you have worked hard today. Drinking more water also helps reduce hunger by bulking up the food you are digesting. Avoid "Rules" at all costs.

I had the body of a Greek Temple; now its a Greek Restaurant.

Keep at it.

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy

Just to keep you encouraged Mick, make the personal trainer a female. It will make a difference to your attendance & performance . No... really..!
And when you are about to go for a business lunch and feel the risk of over-eating, have an apple or banana before going so that when you look at the menu, the edge has gone from your appetite.
Good luck buddy.

She is a female.

Regards

Mick

Will we get before and after pictures?

I do hanker for another glimpse of that wallpaper.

Herman

Mick, I do wish you every success, and on behalf of the rest of us congratulate you for putting mere theory into physical practice [exercise stomping on poncey diets any day of the week]. For me, even just thinking about going to the gym gives enough of a mental frisson to justify a bag of Sensations [festive Honey Roast Ham now available to the seriously committed, as a Limited Edition].

What I want to know is Mrs Mick's position. From the ' ... dinner tonight?' thread, we all know that she undeniably qualifies for Domestic Goddess status, serving up those traditional delicacies which poor male mortals cannot resist - we haven't heard about her steak & kidney puddings [but I have my fantasies].....

Whilst I would not dream of enquiring after Mrs Mick's measurements, I do hope that she is not one of those partners who presents a feast and then picks at it herself, e'en as a sparrow, acompanied by worrying comments such as, 'It'll only go to waste' or 'It won't keep', leading to Things One Later Regrets. [I speak from bitter experience]. Getting her on side would seem to be a major plank in your programme.


throb

I am a member of my local gym and do try (but quite often fail, particularly of late) to go about 3 times a week.

The trouble is it is so immensely boring. The treadmill is the worst; such punishment, so uninteresting!

Perhaps even worse than all the above is the infernal crap MTV music channel that they always (inevitably) play in all gyms.

I think being subjected to a couple of hours of modern Pop music is probably worse punishment than the exercise.

I used to be super-fit a couple of years ago, since I went to the gym regularly, did Wu Shu Kwan (a Chinese martial art) twice a week, did Zhan Zhuang & Tai Chi, went mountain walking at weekends, and played Badminton with my girlfriend every so often.

These days although by any normal standards I am still very "slim" and reasonably fit, compared to my own standards I am rather overweight and unfit, with a bit of an annoying "tyre" round my waist and too much excess flab elsewhere.

I used to be able to comfortably run 8-9 kilometres solid on the treadmill at around 8 mph, together with 5k on the rowing machine, together with various other cardio machines and a load of weights, every time I went to the gym.

At the moment I struggle to run a couple of miles and can't do the 5k on the rowing machine anywhere near as fast! Though weirdly, I am in fact stronger than ever, in terms of weights, so I suppose it isn't entirely bad...


I've got a few weights at home, so maybe I'll just ditch the gym (and use the money freed up to buy more CDs ) and buy a skipping rope instead, since I could do that for 30 minutes each day right in front of the Hi-fi where I can listen to whatever I please, which is infinitely better than having to suffer the punishment of 2 hours of MTV. I could try the Vuk strategy of 150 push-ups & sit-ups, though 150 push-ups does seem like rather a lot (5 sets of 30 maybe?)...

That'd no doubt do the trick, and there is nothing better than a good blast of Power Metal to exercise to, honest!

John.

[This message was edited by J. A. Toon on MONDAY 01 December 2003 at 22:12.]

Mick, don't laugh, but I cannot highly enough recommend this book, The Way Of Energy.

Zhan Zhuang is basically a form of "static Tai Chi" or "Chi Kung" exercise.

What you do is adopt a very specific posture and hold it, completely relaxed and still, for about 20 minutes (or whatever your level is).

I know that sounds completely and utterly ludricous, and the last thing you'd expect of "exercise". But it does work, and it works extremely effectively! It is also a rather incredible, special feeling, provided you use the correct technique and breathe properly. The feeling of "Chi energy" is completely unique, and totally different to Western exercise. You literally feel like energy is drawing up from the ground and spreading throughout your whole body. As you progress and get more advanced, the feeling becomes ever stronger and more pronounced. It is really weird, it is literally like you are feeling this fantastic life-forcing flowing through and into your body. You have to try it to see what I'm talking about.

The net result is that after you finish, you feel completely energised rather than tired. You feel like you could suddenly start crawling up walls or sprint a marathon! At the same time, you feel incredibly relaxed and at ease.

It is a great form of non-stressful exercise, and I can honestly say that when I did it everyday, that I have never felt so fit, healthy, active and full of energy ever since.

It does require discipline, and I keep trying to get back into the routine which I had with it at one point. You can of course do it whilst listening to music or watching the TV, provided that you're not watching/listening to anything that is too irritating/hectic.

The other problem is you don't want to do it with anyone else around otherwise they will probably look at you like you're a complete plonker. Most people, somewhat understandably, cannot comprehend anything stranger than someone standing absolutely perfectly still for literally 20 minutes

John.

Mrs Mick was up until 2 years ago a size 12 and now it is 14. She has joined a different gym near her place of work and swims 50 lengths 4 times a week.

We have both decided to live a simpler existance and mid week dinners are now only one course. Tonight was a small piece of gammon with potatoes, swede, cabbage and peas. The bulk of the meal is vegatables.

I have porridge every morning.

We limit ourselves to two bottles of wine per week. The whisky portions are also reduced.

My social life is also relatively frugal, only one night out per week.

Our only vice is a decent restaurant meal on saturdays or possibly a take away curry.

Although the gym is boring....I use it as time to think.

I just hope 3 sessions per week is adequate.

Regards

Mick

Mick

You could relieve the tedium of the gym (I know this tedium well) with the purchase of an iPod or something similar.

I have seen another forum member at my local gym wearing his iPod learning Spanish whilst enduring the monotony of the cycling machine.

Personally, I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, and I have the figure of Bibendum. A zen like existence on the treadmill helps me through (I can't afford an iPod, and I make do with the ITV news channel because it's one step up from MTV).

ag

quote:

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Originally posted by Mick Parry:

I just hope 3 sessions per week is adequate.

Regards

Mick

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Based on the differing recommendations that exist, and given we hope to motivate people via the mood effects of exercise, as well as its health protective functions, we recommend at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise on at least 3 days per week.

I ran my first sub 21 minute 5k on a treadmill last week. I didn't have time to get bored, I was too busy trying to keep my lungs on the inside.

I've spent years going to gyms and pursuing that healthy Greek God body. A couple of things I noticed. Firstly excersise for excersise' sake is BORING. As the boredom increases the excuses to avoid it (rain, late from work, injury etc) become ever more tempting. Eventually the discipline gors and I stop going.

Secondly participating in sport and living a physical life (i.e doing things you enjoy and come naturally) have a greater effect. This is probably because you aren't thinking of it as a chore.

When I was working I walked four miles everyday, a mile to the station and a mile to work and then back again, I always carry the shopping home in a rucksack rather than go by car, I walk everywhere if less than 3 miles as a matter of course. For sport there is climbing & hillwalking (just for the pleasure of being outside). That way I don't worry about "doing" excersise because it is just a natural by product of those things of how I live rather than a job to be done.

Tom

Actively enjoying it all

Mick - Nothing wrong with a take-away curry occasionally - but if you have bolied rice instead of pilau, you will save 500 calories intake. Amazing but true.
Don't forget to keep to a glass of water (small whiskey tumbler size) every hour always every day.

The other thing to do if you are so inclined is to take up cooking. Food interest can be satisfied as much by cooking as by eating. When I cook for friends, and I am the main cook in our house, I find that I make small portions of rich food, and barely eat much myself. It helps to not just be a consumer. (If I had a Mrs Mick I suppose it may be different - you may not yet have the body of a greek god, but you probably have the lifestyle).

The most important thing is that whatever you do is sustainable, not for a month or even a year, but until you drop. Anything else is a complete waste of time.

For example, say you decide to do some press-ups every night. First attempt you can do 10 and it hurts. Within a few weeks you are up to 20 or 30. Your motivation is being fuelled by rapid gains in fitness. Problem is :

1) When you get to say, 100, you start to dread the session because its HARD.

2) There has to a limit to how many press-ups you are prepared to do in a session so your perceived progress diminishes and with it your motivation.

Net result : the activity has become harder and less rewarding. Conclusion : you will give up.

Solution. Choose an activity that you enjoy. Make it hard enough to feel that you have done some work but easy enough for it to be sustainable. Don't ramp it up to the point where you are putting unreasonable expectations on yourself. Better to do 20 press-ups a night for 20 years than 100 for 2 months.

Same applies to running, cycling or whatever.

By the way, if anyone has the body of a Greek Goddess may I borrow it for a while?

Tom

Actively enjoying it all

I have the body of a Greek god. It looks as if its been dead for centuries!

Regards,

Roger Poll.

Mick,

Hope you every success on your pursuit of that greek god body. You really need to decide which Greek God you want to aspire to, give this a go.

Greek Gods...

Good luck!

I am currently training for a big climb in the Andes so am putting myself through my paces. Annoyingly the treadmill only goes up to 16kmph but the step machines can be fun, how big a pool of sweat can you leave around the machine after 20 minutes of agony? Still not really great training for the endurance I will need and altitude issues.

cheers

Matthew

The interventions that we design to promote exercise use prospective memory aids that are believed to automatise behaviour. Essentially they give you a shortcut to habit. We've found that in other areas the change in behaviour that occurs is not mediated by motivation. Put simply, by making a very simple plan that links how, when and where you will exercise, you will end up doing more exercise than someone who intends do to just as much as you. For example, all my exercise for the week ahead is in my diary as appointments. Running in to work on a monday relies no more on motivation that getting the bus does, it's just what I do.

That's not to say motivation isn't important, just that it's prone to vary over time, and it appears that by linking a behaviour to environmental cues, you may help yourself do something that may have dropped several places in your 'to do' list. Think of all the behaviours that you perform during any week for which your motivation is not an issue. Do you consider whether or not you can be bothered to pay the bills or go to work? If you can turn regular exercise into a habitual behaviour, you are set.

On the motivation side of things, I recall a study that found by warming down properly at the end of a gym session, motivation to engage in subsequent sessions was increased. IIRC, it was posited that gentle exercise at the end fooled your body into thinking it hadn't been tortuous.

I'd bet Mrs Mick would be pleased to have you look like this, Mick.

I wonder what the recommended training routine is to get that level of "development"

John.

Well, Mekon will tell us it's all a matter of motivation, and of getting appropriate training worked into one's daily régime ...

but what do you consider "appropriate"? No manner of stretching's going to help

Tom

Actively enjoying it all

quote:

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Originally posted by Tom Alves:
No manner of stretching's going to help

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So you have tried them all?

quote:

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Originally posted by Markus Sauer:
Well, Mekon will tell us it's all a matter of motivation, and of getting appropriate training worked into one's daily régime ...

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Far from it, health psychologists are only mopping up the variance not explained by (what can be loosely termed) biological, environmental and social factors.

As that picture demonstrates, no amount of planning or motivation will get the job done if you haven't got the right tool to start with.

quote:

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no amount of planning or motivation will get the job done if you haven't got the right tool to start with

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Can't make a mountain out of a molehill. Or, in this case, a cumberland out of a chipolata.

ag

I'm curious: Do scaled in the UK measure in stones? Do you do the conversion in your heads. (let's see: 14 stones = 6.35 kilo. carry the one. . .)

Judd