Big Show shifts some timber

[Big_Show]

So apparently I'm a sucker for an anniversary.  You think you're out, then you get dragged back in...

 

As some of you may know, in August this year I am getting married to my Welshman.  Wedding preparations are going well, but unfortunately after Christmas I hit the highest weight I have in a quite a few years (120.9kg) and resolved to lose it.  I then proceeded to put on a little bit more, but as of a fortnight ago I got back down to that same weight.

 

My contract with work ran out and I got a new one up in Newcastle upon Tyne (about 6hrs drive away from where we live) so I am currently driving up there on a Sunday afternoon, staying with friends during the week (I used to live there), working longer days to get my hours done, then driving back home for the weekend on a Friday lunchtime.

 

Over the last two weeks I have got my act in order and started actually losing weight (as of yesterday I currently sit at 118.8kg) and over the course of this challenge I aim to dip below 115kg.  The first target is to get back down to 110kg and then see what shape my body is, as hopefully I'm carrying a bit more muscle these days than last time I was at that weight.

 

The ways I intend to do this are:

 

1) Three weights workouts per week - I'm currently working on a three-day split just aiming to get stronger and remain uninjured for more than a week at a time.  Nice & simple, no rush to get things too heavy, just aiming for consistency.

 

2) Run twice a week - I'm currently able to run again, albeit a lot slower than I used to, so I'm going to make sure I get out twice a week.  If I really can't, then I will make damn sure I do equivalent cardio at the gym to make up for it.

 

3)  Limit the alcohol intake - when at home over the weekend it's very easy to want to gravitate to excessive eating & drinking, but we're making the effort to start later on a Saturday and I'm committing to not drinking with my friends during the week while in Newcastle.  I'll be having a drink one schoolnight a week at most, and also trying to avoid that too.

 

LQ) Look for a job back home.  I don't like being away all week.

 

I reckon that covers everything.  I also need to keep up to date with this thread, while not stressing myself about trying to read every single other thing on the forums too.  Can get tricky with some threads!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along. Focus on your thread and if you want to follow some pick ones with fewer responses. I was gonna say something about have a Newcastle Brown Ale in my honor, but after reading your third goal, I'll ask you to think of me when you see someone else drinking one.

 

I hope you get a job at home.

 

 

Oh, and welcome back.

Spoiler

DAMMIT BIG SHOW!

 

[shaar]

Oh my actual mother fulkerson your FORUM TITLE THOUGH

 

Gosh when can we go back to camp?!?!

 

GLAD TO SEE YOU, FRIEND ❤️ 

[Defining]

On 2/15/2020 at 9:19 AM, Big_Show said:

Newcastle upon Tyne

In addition to less alcohol, make sure that you don't replace it with runs to Greggs. How have you been coping with the accent?

 

Also, we've just met, and I hope this isn't too forward, but I am desperately holding back wood jokes about your challenge title.  

[darkfoxx]

😍 Glad to see you challenging; poooooooo about the distance, but looks like you’re using this time to good advantage! 

[Mr_Willes]

Hey big man, good to see you here again!

[Big_Show]

On 2/15/2020 at 5:41 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along. Focus on your thread and if you want to follow some pick ones with fewer responses. I was gonna say something about have a Newcastle Brown Ale in my honor, but after reading your third goal, I'll ask you to think of me when you see someone else drinking one.

 

I hope you get a job at home.

 

 

Oh, and welcome back.

  Reveal hidden contents

DAMMIT BIG SHOW!

 

 

 

On 2/16/2020 at 3:04 PM, loire said:

Oh my actual mother fulkerson your FORUM TITLE THOUGH

 

Gosh when can we go back to camp?!?!

 

GLAD TO SEE YOU, FRIEND ❤️ 

 

On 2/16/2020 at 5:42 PM, Defining said:

In addition to less alcohol, make sure that you don't replace it with runs to Greggs. How have you been coping with the accent?

 

Also, we've just met, and I hope this isn't too forward, but I am desperately holding back wood jokes about your challenge title.  

 

On 2/16/2020 at 5:56 PM, darkfoxx said:

😍 Glad to see you challenging; poooooooo about the distance, but looks like you’re using this time to good advantage! 

 

12 hours ago, Mr_Willes said:

Hey big man, good to see you here again!

 

Thanks for the love guys, it's good to be back!

 

It's also been good to be back up in Newcastle as well, after living here for 10 years and then leaving 6 years ago it has been good to catch up with people.

 

I started the week off on Monday with a cardio session at the gym (my friends are having their bathroom redone this week and possible into next week too, so I have to use the gym if I want to shower at all).  I did 30mins on the cross-trainer, during which I thought I had worked hard, and then I did 15mins on the stair climber machine for the first time ever.

 

Mother.  Fulkerson.  That thing is hard work.  I hated it.  And shall definitely be using it again, as I felt like I did more work in that 15mins than I had in the previous 30mins.

 

Today (Tuesday) was back to the gym for my Chest, Shoulders & Triceps session - after starting off a couple of weeks with slightly lower weights and then increasing them as I hit 5x5, I think I've hit the biting point on most of the exercises now.  N00b gains are over for that workout, but it's good to know I should hopefully be getting stronger again from here on in.

 

I finished it off with another 15mins on the stair bastard.  Because it is annoyingly effective.

 

Spent the rest of the evening (not that there's much of it left after the long days at work and then the gym) sorting out my finance stuff on YNAB; it kinda got away from me a bit but now I think I'm getting back on the right track.  Tomorrow I should hopefully get back on to the job hunt!

 

One last thing - is anyone else having problems signing in to the forum on Tapatalk?  It doesn't seem to like me any more!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

13 minutes ago, Big_Show said:

One last thing - is anyone else having problems signing in to the forum on Tapatalk?  It doesn't seem to like me any more!

The forums were getting DDoS attacks a month or two ago and whatever fixed that problem caused a hissyfit with Tapatalk.

[Rurik Harrgath]

On 2/15/2020 at 10:19 AM, Big_Show said:

Big Show shifts some timber

 

 

 

[Big_Show]

Update for Week 1:

 

Wednesday was another night of gym cardio, which was as fun as it sounds.  But it got done.

 

Thursday night was my Back & Biceps session at the gym.  Pleased with how it went, and the weights I was using are definitely also starting to get harder again too.

 

Friday was no training - had a nice long drive back down south through rubbish half-term traffic but I finally got there, and then we went out for dinner with my parents.

 

Saturday morning we went to my nice little gym back home and I did Leg Day, followed my a nice breakfast out at a country pub and then a day doing general admin and some wedding stuff.  Also finally got round to watching episodes 2 & 3 of the Witcher - still not really sure what's going on, but I'm intrigued enough to want to carry on and see if it eventually starts making sense.

 

Today I did the 6hr drive back up north and have got everything sorted for the week ahead.  Still got to go to the gym to have a shower each night this week as my friends' bathroom is still being renovated, but I just sat and planned out a route I can run from there instead of getting bored on the cardio machines.

 

Need to reign in my diet more again this week - despite all that exercise the scales have stayed annoyingly static, so I'm clearly consuming too much.  Something to focus on!

[Mr_Willes]

17 hours ago, Big_Show said:

Also finally got round to watching episodes 2 & 3 of the Witcher - still not really sure what's going on, but I'm intrigued enough to want to carry on and see if it eventually starts making sense

1. I had the same
2. Eventually it will
3. I hated the season was  pretty much over when i finally got it 

[miss_marissa]

On 2/15/2020 at 10:19 AM, Big_Show said:

So apparently I'm a sucker for an anniversary.  You think you're out, then you get dragged back in...

 

you're welcome  

[Big_Show]

Ok, the week so far:

 

Monday: Went for a run.  Planned out a route of around 3.5 miles, then around 2.75 miles in my calf went again and I had to walk the rest of the day.  I was kind of expecting this at some point, and even felt surprised it hadn't happened already - I'm still just too damn heavy to run outside, and I knew this.  Time to ease off on that and do some different cardio instead for a little while longer.

 

Tuesday: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps session after work.  Quite frustrating workout - this gym is really busy earlier on in the week and it felt like I spent more time waiting around for equipment than actully lifting things.  But I got it done in the end.

 

Wednesday: Back to the gym for cardio tonight - originally planned to do half an hour on the stair b*stard but they were both in use at first, so I did 15mins on the cross-trainer and then one became free so I jumped on it for the second 15mins.

 

My right shoulder's been a bit sore today from the weights on Tuesday, so I'm going to take two different plans along to the gym tomorrow - ideally I would be doing my Back & Biceps session, but if it's still sore then rather than risk injury I'll be doing more cardio again instead.  Always got to have another plan!

[Big_Show]

Definitely having trouble keeping this thing up to date with Tapatalk being involved - don't know if there are any other apps that work, but the website on my phone is just a bit too slow and unwiedly to navigate.

 

Anyway, it's been a busy couple of weeks.  My shoulder's still a bit sore, so I avoided any upper body weights for the rest of last week and did a partial Back & Biceps session this week - leg day on each Saturday went just fine.  The weights are gradually creeping up now and hitting the point where I'm not able to put them up every single week so now the real work starts.

 

This last week was a bit of a different one, as I left Newcastle on Wednesday to drive down south for an interview on Thursday morning.  I think it went well, but won't here anything until next week.  THe main thing is that it would involve working from home, which is much better thatn being 300 miles away during the week and doing a 6hr journey each way.

 

Exercise-wise, I'm avoiding my chest/shoulder/triceps workout again for another week and probably doing two leg days instead.  I need to have a look into workouts for injury-proofing my shoulders as I've had issues with them before - I currently have vague plans to attempt my first deliberate bulking phase after the wedding and subsequent holiday is out of the way, and it seems to make sense to have my various joints/recurring injuries made as bombproof as possible by then...

[darkfoxx]

Whoo hoo - rooting for you!

And fwiw, Tapatalk works *sometimes* - I’m on it today, and have been for most of the last week. I’m cautiously optimistic that it may be getting a touch better.