Tag: fitness

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Just to be fit again – continue

Fitness journey

This supposed to separate post but I think that would be just continuation of one – Just be fit again.

So, now I’m 5 months after starting my journey into getting fit again. I think it is going good. I have shaved some not needed fat from my body 😉 That is very good. At this stage I’m just 1 kg short of losing 20 kg altogether. But weight is not everything, I actually got some muscle. What I was trying to do on my own for probably last 2-3 years eventually was done with help of PT – Mark O’Regan – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-o-regan-419b1986/?originalSubdomain=ie. He created for me weight training according to my goals. I was looking for loosing weight and getting leaner to be able to run. So, Mark created plan, added me to application where he could monitor my progress. I was asked to send pictures of my meals. Ye, that was hard to change what you eat. First, portion size reduction, remove as much carbs as possible. Eat mostly proteins to help with muscle grow. And that what is happening for last 5 months. Training program is changing all the time to accommodate my results. I’m not best with food but still trying to get only protein and avoid pure carbs (bread, potatoes). So, this is my journey to get fit again. Read more

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Trying, trying…

ABC Gym

After all the running this year my body was broken (maybe still is). Too much running? Or maybe not proper training program? Needed more rest that’s for sure. Anyway, since late Summer my fitness was slowly decreased till complete meltdown. I had to do something. I could feel that my body is needing nutritions but I wasn’t fuelling it with proper food. I was using shortcuts. Sweets to give me energy and junk food to fill my hunger. So, instead of helping I was making the case worse. My weight went up, body fat as well and strength down. I have decided that 8 weeks fitness program could be a good way to start recovery…

Thanks to Facebook I have found gym close by which had (still have) such a programs, 8 weeks of classes and you should get fitter. Sounds ok, but it is always like that. Most important are results and for these I had to wait. Problem with such a programs is that you need to follow the instructions. No problem doing that when comes to exercising but struggle with food. Ok, will reveal now the name of the gym. ABC Gym – Athletic Body Coaching. Andy, Noel and Rory, three lads who know what to do to put you back in the shape.

When I started I was overweight and sluggish. My body fat huge 15% and fitness level poor. Cause I wanted still continue my running I have opted for 3 times a week option. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays were fat burning sessions – fitness, Tuesdays and Thursdays – strength session. Additionally one extra fitness and strength on Saturday. Usually I was participated in classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and depending on weekend (if I had marathon run or not) Thursday or Friday. We always started with 20 minutes stretching and warm up exercises. Sometimes warm up was already exhausting and that wasn’t yet the main set of the class. When we were coming little bit earlier we should do stretching on our own. We had set of exercises which we suppose to do before class. Lads were waiting for us to finish ‘our’ warm up set and then proper stretching was starting. Fitness sessions and strength ones were always challenging and were pushing at least me almost each and every time to the edge. I know plenty of you, who attended any fitness classes would say that their gym is best and trainers doing their job really well. But trust me, they are good. My fitness level went up, body fat down by 3%, gain weight but that just means that I have more muscle now…

My 8 weeks program finished but I’m sure that I will come back on some stage and sign for next ‘back in shape’ session. This time will try to stick to diet. Thanks lads for your help… And you readers, if you looking for  help in fitness look up them – ABC Gym.

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Where is my fitness?

Went somewhere? Don’t know, but looks like it unfortunately. Not long ago I haven’t got a problem to run daily 30 km for 4 days and additional two half-marathons over the weekend. Actually, it was not even two months ago. And now? Now I’m struggling to run 23-25 km a day, morning exercise making my heart to run faster and demands from me more oxygen (that was never the case before) and last but not least getting big cramps at the end of marathon (last two)…

What has changed? Plenty. Since being ill, back in mid July, I wasn’t able to get back to my running regime. And even that I was still trying to keep my fitness level same by doing more core muscle exercise it wasn’t working. Whole week after being sick and just one run, just 8 km. Still not recovered from illness I have participated in the Roundwood marathon (wrote about that in post ‘Horror course…‘). That was not best idea. Anyway, one obstacle. But the next one made my belly ‘not flat’ again…

Holidays in France. I love that place, I really do. Views, weather, mountains… but food as well. You could think that hiking could be enough to keep you fitness ok but it’s not. Not when you are surrounded by such a tasty food. Just name it – bread, pastry, pizza, brushetta, goat cheese, regular cheese. I was trying to get up every day and run down to next village and back up again to do about 12-14 km a day. My idea was that total incline on that route would be about 400 meters, same decline (so nice exercise for running uphill and downhill) combine with other activities like hiking, via ferrata or swimming will be as good as running at home. Ohhh boy, how wrong I was. Now I can see that. My weight after holidays went up by at least 3 kg but worst is that I have lost abs muscle (core muscle). Where before illness were muscle now I have big ‘flubber’. And whoever know something about muscle knows that fat is much lighter than muscle. What does it mean? Simple, gaining 3 kg probably means I have lost about 1.5-2 kg of muscle and add to my weight about 5 kg of fat. And all of that explain why I have problem with fitness. Additional weight, less running…

Time for change again. Back to slow runs 8 km + 15 km a day and core muscle exercise and hopefully I will be ‘up and running’ for Dublin Marathon and Nice Marathon.