I met Darth Vader on May 4th....

[OneEyedWolfie]

Hi everyone,

It's my first post here and I am looking for a little advice. I thought the base camp was a good place to start.

I did meet Darth outside the Lego shop in our shopping centre (mall). I had a pic with my 2 yr old son. He thought it was Batman from a distance, when I told him it was Darth Vader, he paused and repeated silently 'Darth Vader!' as if he already knows his destiny is to witness the power of the dark side! I cannot wait to show him the films, let alone everything else. My son distrusted Vader until he said ' May the force be with you'.....major geek out on my part.

My name is Andy and I am from the UK. I am 30 years old and a father. Life time nerd. Lover of sci-fi films, video games, martial arts and MMA. ( Terminator, anything first person shooter / zombies / batman, judo, aikido were my favourite and John Jones if you were wondering).

I have been reading the nerd fitness newsletters for a little while now. I decided on Dec 31st last year, enough was enough and started going to the gym whenever I could. It started off once a week, before work (6.30 am start at gym)

I work three 12 hour shifts as an MRI radiographer, every Mon, Thurs then alternating Fri and Sat every week, not always where my gym is and the gym doesn't open up early enough on a Saturday. What's that about?

I try and fit in as much exercise as I can and I am trying to stay paleo. I have found the evening meal with my wife can be tricky. I have lost about 7 lbs in 5 months but hopefully put on some muscle too but I feel I have plateaued. I need some training advice, I feel like my training plan isn't focused. I am 14 1/2 stone, 5'10 and quite broad shouldered. I read up on the nerd fitness guilds and I can't decide what I would be....it left me questioning what my goals are.

If I can put two gym sessions in a week I am happy. I then fit in a 'home' session. The next couple of weeks I'm not working at the hospital where my gym is, so tomorrow I am going to the gym before a 9 am conference. We are moving (hopefully soon) so I am clearing out the weights into the garden shed for access to some weights on none gym days.

A gym day -

Some yoga to stretch.

Step up machine for warm up and hamstring & glutes. 60 floors in 5 mins on random. (Thinking of changing random to interval training). More cardio?

There are 3 sets of 6 at the moment with a minute rest in between each set. If I struggle, I rest then complete the set. Pull ups are kicking my ass. Any advice on getting to 6 without stopping? I don't feel like I am targeting my lays but I don't want to do lat pull downs.

Dips (push) , pull ups / chin ups (pull), front squat (quads) (only introduced in last two weeks) and dead lift (back).

Planks - 45 secs x 3 in between other exercises (core)

Bench press (chest). I just love bench pressing.

Then I might do something a bit random for fun. With weights, not something like a stupid dance in the mirrors!

A non gym day -

Planks (as above)

Push ups 20 x 3

Kettle bells 20 x 3 sets (7.5 kg) - arnies (pull and push), bent over row.

No weight squats 20 x 3

Jackknife sit ups ( introduced last week)

Basic yoga

And now I have a small bench and weights in shed I can throw in some dumbbell and barbell work on a none gym day.

On my days off with my son if we go to the park, I might get a few cheeky chin ups in.

So what am I? I used to have a really bad back (known discs from bad weight lifting form as a teenager, judo and pro wrestling...yes pro wrestling....ask me another time... then my acne went mental thanks to roacutane....look it up, it nearly ruined my life) and losing the 7 lbs has helped loads. The yoga....I don't have any pain anymore. It's been amazing, but it am still worried about an injury. When my son was born, I out my back out for what felt like 6 weeks. I don't do any martial arts at the moment but have thought about tai chi or Kung fu. I love the outdoors more now than ever. I love a long walk when I can.

With the pre mentioned move, unsocial work hours and a family, unless a Mr Miyagi is my new neighbour, I don't know where I could fit Martial arts in.

So if anyone has any advice on tidying up my work outs I would appreciate it. I am thinking of doing my current gym day stuff then repeating the body areas with a different exercise. My none gym days I look after my son, so I normally do it before he wakes up (very bloody quietly) or he can go nuts with his breakfast while I blast it with short rest periods.

If anyone can suggest what 'class' I am, I think it would help set my sights on what I should focus on.

Incidentally, I can't shift any date off my obliques or laterally to my pec major. Any exercises for those stubborn sods?

Any help is appreciated

Thanks

Andy

[Oramac]

First, welcome to the NerdFitness family!! 

 

 

I'm no expert by any stretch, but it sounds to me like you'd fit the Monks or Assassin's fairly well.  

 

 

I feel like my training plan isn't focused.

 

Also, I would very highly recommend taking some time to get this sorted out.  Take a few minutes of pure quiet and decide "what are my goals for lifting"?  What do you want to get out of it?  Short term and long term.  Then set down a few (maybe 2-5) very specific goals that coincide with your answers to those questions.  Also maybe find a weight program you like to use.  Personally, I use a modified version of the Strong Lifts 5 by 5 (it's modified because I have a knee issue I'm sorting out). 

 

For example: I identify with the Monks/Assassin's (ok I'm probably a little biased); and my goals in a general sense are to get stronger, healthier, faster, and feeling better.  Also, I want to meet people of a like mind who take care of themselves.  So my specifics are to eventually Bench/Squat/Deadlift 200+ pounds.  

 

EDIT: you could also give the unofficial NerdFitness character generator a try.  Still in the Beta stages so there's a couple bugs, but it should at least give you a place to start.  

[OneEyedWolfie]

Thanks Revolter,

The generator was a help. It says I am a warrior / Druid. And go figure....I am Welsh.

I would agree with this that I am in the gym lifting and incorporate yoga. I would like to incorporate Martial arts and parkour, which would pull on the monk / assassin. So I might be on the look out for a tai chi app. I did have one but it was difficult to follow.

This generator has helped with gaining some focus, so thanks again. I am going to focus on pull ups, dips and reverse crunches. I am going to aim towards being able to do a muscle up.

I am also going to chuck in some beginners parkour, which I found in the nerd fitness blog.

I am going to sit down tonight and figure out a programme that can incorporate the gym when I can go and when I can't. I don't think I can give up the gym yet...there is no other feeling a good bench press. I recently benched 60 kg x 6. I might try and find my one rep max and then aim for 80 % of that.

Cheers

Andy

[Oramac]

Thanks Revolter,

The generator was a help. It says I am a warrior / Druid. And go figure....I am Welsh.

I would agree with this that I am in the gym lifting and incorporate yoga. I would like to incorporate Martial arts and parkour, which would pull on the monk / assassin. So I might be on the look out for a tai chi app. I did have one but it was difficult to follow.

This generator has helped with gaining some focus, so thanks again. I am going to focus on pull ups, dips and reverse crunches. I am going to aim towards being able to do a muscle up.

I am also going to chuck in some beginners parkour, which I found in the nerd fitness blog.

I am going to sit down tonight and figure out a programme that can incorporate the gym when I can go and when I can't. I don't think I can give up the gym yet...there is no other feeling a good bench press. I recently benched 60 kg x 6. I might try and find my one rep max and then aim for 80 % of that.

Cheers

Andy

 

Sounds like you've got a plan in the works!  That's great.  And also congrats on the bench!  You're right, there's nothing else that quite has the same feeling as freeweights.  

 

Glad to hear it.  You might check in with the various Guild forums here on NF and just see what other people are doing for their challenges as well.  Should at least give you some ideas for things you can do.