36. Back to Basics

Despite the tabata routines, that I had enjoyed getting to grips with during the autumn, things still weren’t quite right. Some additional fine tuning was required.

Winter 2016/2017

For the first chat of the new year with Luke, at Luke Bremner Fitness, I shared my thoughts on the aims and goals I was setting myself for 2017. Briefly, these are:

• Continue to focus on the mid-section of my torso.
• Adjust my technique for arm-based exercises so they become less challenging.
• Retain at least one Tabata-based workout a week.
• Ensure we do “numbers” at the end of each workout programme so we can assess what progress, if any, that I'm making.
• Introduce a little Himalayan salt into my diet and monitor what effect it has on my well-being.

Taking everything into account, one week later Mr Bremner had produced a workout programme that focussed on my posture and position when executing exercises.

In addition Luke recommended that I booked an appointment with Matt at the Bodyworks Edinburgh to see if he could sort out my shoulder and back problem.

Within a few days Matt was assessing the capabilities of my arm motion, before he set to work. I’m not going to lie here, what Matt did was painful. Very painful! He concentrated on loosening my trapezius and rhomboid muscles, as well as working on my rotator cuffs. But by the end of the session he already saw visible improvements with my reach. 

Before leaving, Matt gave me a few exercises to do to aid my shoulder mobility. As these involved resistance bands and trigger point massage balls, I got into the habit of doing them daily at work. Two more visits and Matt felt that I was on track again.

Certainly I felt a new connection with my back and shoulders. At last I could “squeeze the pencil” that Luke had been encouraging me to do when I first started going to Luke Bremner Fitness. Lifting heavy objects in and out of high cupboards at home – something I’d complained about for ages – didn’t seem to be such a challenge. Most importantly, overhead pressing type exercises felt more natural to do, than they had before.

In summary, the prospects of me improving my workout techniques and increasing weights in the gym, suddenly looked very realistic indeed.

35. HIIT me baby, one more time!

I see from the date of my last blogpost that it's been over seven months since I last wrote anything about my health and fitness regime. 

*Note to self* BAD! 

So in order to make amends, I've decided to write a series of quick pieces that explain what’s been going on between then and now.

Autumn 2016

After my short late summer vacation to Greece – see previous post –  I returned to Edinburgh a couple of kilograms heavier than I left it. I also came back with negative thoughts about work and confused in what I was trying to achieve in the gym.

One Tuesday morning I went to Luke Bremner Fitness as usual in order to workout. However I spent that whole hour discussing my mental well-being with Luke. Together we decided that it was time to refresh my programme, so that I could reconnect with my original aims and objectives. 

Luke's solution was inspired. He introduced me to Tabata training, which is a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. 

Out went the heavy-weights, and in came a series of exercises performed for 40 seconds each with a 20 second rest between. After completing five or six exercises I was allowed a longer break, before starting the cycle over again. 

In addition, Mr Bremner decided to crank-up the intensity even more. He produced three different Tabatas for me to do each week. Although at first I found these routines relentless, over several weeks I came to enjoy them. 

More importantly, by the time winter arrived, the bad funk I felt at the start of the autumn had evaporated. Work life had improved again, – more about that in my next post – plus I was back on track and committed to the lifestyle change I proactively decided to make in 2014.

I felt that my rest, over the Yuletide period, was well earned.

34. Luke says "Relax"

I'm currently taking a week out. A rare treat for me, as it's the first true break I've had from both work and working out this year.

Sometimes I do or see things that suddenly remind me just how far I've come with the lifestyle changes I've made. For example after checking in for my outbound flight, I headed to an airport eatery for breakfast. In the past I would've chosen an unhealthy fried meal. Today I opted for scrambled egg on gluten free toast with smoked salmon. Similarly I ensured I had sufficient water to keep me hydrated for the journey. The "old me", who I saw many of on the same flight, chose to consume alcohol instead.

These might not sound spectacularly huge differences, but I do feel that the choices I make these days are based on being better informed about what I am doing, and more importantly what impact they have on my health and well-being.

This short vacation straddles the tail-end of my most recent workout programme with Luke Bremner Fitness. An aim this time around has been to focus on the restricted overhead movement I've had in my shoulders. As always Luke has done a seriously good job of assisting me. The strength in my arms and the flexibility in my shoulders are both greatly improved.

A couple of Tuesday mornings ago, whilst trying to complete a dumbbell Cuban Press routine at LBF, Luke could see that I was starting to struggle. He then said something to me, that would prove to be very effective, "Relax Derek." I immediately stopping panicking about what I was asking my body to do, and completed the set with ease.

Since then Luke has used the word "Relax" several times during my Tuesday morning routine to aid and guide me. I've also adopted a new technique with my home workout routines, where I take a few extra seconds at the beginning of each exercise to ensure that both my mind and my body are as relaxed as they possibly can be. The results I've achieved doing this, have been amazing.

If you're like me and have been struggling with a specific type of exercise or can't push through a particular weight barrier, then I strongly urge you to do what Luke says, and relax. I'm confident you'll also be astonished at what you can achieve.

33. Olympic effort

Photo: 2012 Olympic Rings on The Mound, Edinburgh; Derek Green

Like millions of people around the world, I’m currently tuning into television and online broadcasts to see athletes produce amazing performances in their chosen sports at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

For the United Kingdom, I enjoyed watching history being made twice in one evening. Jack Laugher and Chris Mears won Britain’s first ever Olympic gold medal for diving, in the 3 metre synchronised springboard event. Then Max Whitlock* won a bronze in the Men’s Individual All Round Gymnastics final, something that hasn't been achieved in 108 years.

It was clear to see that all these gentlemen were in peak physical condition as they participated in their competitions. Four years of dedicated hard work and training, since the last Olympics, has paid off and now they are all medal-holders.

This made me reflect on where I was, when London 2012 was on. In all honesty, I was in a completely different place to where I am now. Inactive, over-weight, stressed, unhappy and jealous of guys, like Jack, Chris and Max, because of the great physiques they had.

One of the legacy aims of the London Olympics was to encourage the UK population to become more active in sport. In fact the BBC's Sport Department adopted “Get inspired” as its strapline, that four years later, is still used across all their channels.

Although it took me another two years before I kickstarted my personal body transformation programme with Luke Bremner Fitness, just flipping through my previous blogposts it is amazing to see how far I’ve come in such a relatively short space of time.

Often television commentators and pundits will talk about the “sacrifices” athletes make in order to achieve their goal. The same can be said about any of us who have decided that it’s time to get into shape. Favourite, and often extremely unhealthy, foods are consigned to the dustbin. The consumption of alcohol is a rare treat rather than a regular occurrence. Suddenly an awareness of protein, carbohydrates and fat intake percentages become important factors of daily life. As does sleep. And exercise.

But that’s the perculiar thing. Back in 2014 it did feel as though I was making sacrifices in order to change my body. However after two years, what was once strange and unfamiliar, has now become the norm. I love returning home, after trips away, so I can take control of my diet and eat clean again.

As for my body, it’s gradually transforming. There’s no questioning that I’m fitter at the age of 51, then I've ever been. Sometimes I’m amazed at just how flexible I’ve become, and astonished at the amount of weight I’m capable of lifting. Catching the attention of the guys from “Briefs” last week – the handsome Australian male boylesque troupe – who were wandering around town promoting their Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, was certainly a boost for the old ego. Especially as I’ve been an admirer of theirs for several years.

Now the body jealousy I had during London 2012 has vanished. As the Games of the XXXI Olympiad take place in Rio, I’m thrilled with how my fitness levels and physique are progressing. But what excites me most is not knowing what I’ll be capable of achieving in the gym, by the time the Olympics are held in Tokyo in 2020.

I'm confident that I'll report back and let you know how I get on.

*Since writing this post Max Whitlock has won individual gold medals for both Men's Floor and Pommel Horse disciplines.

32. Losing the muffin top

Photo: Copyright winstonlink / 123RF Stock Photo

Like many men in their middle youth, years of inactivity and a neglected diet had resulted in my waistline being more substantial than it should have been. The terms “muffin top” and “love handles” are often used to refer to this area of a man’s body. In my opinion these are just polite ways of others saying “Lose some weight big boy!”

When I decided to reboot my physical activity with Luke Bremner Fitness back in 2014, the mid-section of my body, was one of the areas that I highlighted as wanting to change. Mr Bremner was very frank with me, “Think about how many years of neglect you’ve subjected you body too Derek.” he said. “Excess fat around your waistline is not going to disappear overnight.”

Over the past two years, through the combination of correct nutrition, exercise, and expert mentoring from Luke and his team, I had managed to significantly reduce my waistline. I would go a stage further and say that I was thrilled with the how I looked. However, in May 2016, as I embarked on a the next phase of my body transformation, Mr Bremner suggested that we try and reduce my waistline even further.

Before we even started on the exercise aspect of the programme, Luke and I got together to talk diet and nutrition. He made me pick 5 proteins, 5 carbohydrates, 5 fats and a handful of snacks – some of which are protein and carbs, and others are proteins and fats. We agreed that I would stick primarily to eating only these items over the course of the next 8 to 10 weeks. Each week we closely monitored my weight, energy levels, quality of sleep, concentration etc., in case we needed to make modifications to my diet.

Initially I thought having a restricted number of ingredients to eat would be challenging. The reality is that shopping has become quicker and easier, plus I'm being more creative in the kitchen. Certainly dinner guests who have sampled recent meals that I've prepared for them, have been very complimentary about dishes that I've made.

As for workouts, the word “Ouch!” best summarises much of what has been going on both at Jamaica Street and at home. More milestones have been past and I’ve managed to deadlift 110kg. Who would have thought I was capable of doing that two years ago? Certainly not me!

Last week was a numbers week. Time for Luke and I to check whether my body had responded to this new diet and exercise regime. More specifically, had I managed reduce my waistline further?

The answer to both these question was most definitely “Yes!” An added bonus was learning that my body fat percentage was at a two year low too.

As the photographs below illustrate, since the beginning of May I've managed to reduce my waistline and develop my upper body futher. The difference between the images of where I was, when I first approached Luke and asked for his help, with where I am now is almost incomprehensible.

Thank goodness that the muffin top, that I once had, is rapidly disappearing! Still more work to do in that area of my body, but in general I'm super-pleased with the progress that I've made over the past 10 weeks.

Left: 03 May 2016; Right: 12 July 2016

Left: 01 April 2014; Right: 12 July 2016

31. Ctrl Alt Delete

Photo: Terrance Emerson / RF123 Stock Photo

I'm currently taking a much needed rest week and allowing my body a little time to recover from a rather intense period of exercise. It feels a little odd. As though something important is missing. It's a similar sensation to the one you get when you leave home without your phone or credit cards. You know you've forgotten something, but can't identify precisely what it is. 

I'd actually take this a little further and say that this morning a wave of guilt hit me. This was probably due to my meet with Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness yesterday, when he took my body measurements. Unfortunately I've let things drift in the wrong direction slightly. But as Luke said, "We've focussed so much on my strength and lifting abilities this year, that we've perhaps neglected my nutrition and body composition a little."

There were some definite positives about my numbers though. Luke having to remeasure my biceps, to double-check their increase in size, gave the old ego a much needed boast. That certainly made all the tough workouts I've done this year feel worth it. And as I told Luke at the beginning of our meet yesterday, "I'm having the best time doing what I do each week, with his team's excellent guideance."

For me, this week also feels like it’s the end of “extra time” - see my blogpost of 01 July 2015 entitled Extra Time to get a full match report! Which, in essence, means the first game is now well and truly over. I'm certainly not upset at the final result. Far from it. I'm highly delighted with my performance and how well my body has coped with everything.

With Mr Bremner’s help, now feels an appropriate time to reboot what I’ve been trying to achieve over the past two years. The prospect of starting something new feels exciting, but I’m also realistic. I know this next phase, when we focus more on my body composition, isn't going to be easy. Firstly, I’m starting at a much higher level this time around. Secondly, for most men of my age, our midriffs have become problematic areas. Often years of neglect and inactivity need to be put right, but I'm up for that challenge. 

I have another meet with Luke schedule for later in the week, when we’re going to discuss my nutrition. This is to help me concentrate on both diet and calorie in-take. It's now May, and I’m determined to be beach-body ready by September. So enough from me. I'm off to select a prospective holiday destination right now…!

30 It's time to kill Batman!

No, I'm not leaving beautiful Edinburgh and moving to edgy Gotham City. Well, not just yet anyway. And I haven't suddenly become some dangerous psychopath either. "So what's with the dramatic headline Derek?" I hear you ask. Let me explain.

Last week I reached the end of a particularly challenging workout programme with Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness. The Tuesday sessions at Jamaica Street were tough. But with excellent motivation from Mr Bremner, I managed to improve either the number of reps or increase the weights I was lifting almost week-on-week.

My Thursday and Sunday workouts, also prepared for me by Luke and his team, haven't been a walk in the park either. The biggest concern I have with these solo routines, that I do in my home gym, is that I may accidentally hurt myself through bad technique or incorrect posture.

So recently I've been videoing these sessions at a midpoint, for Luke to review. He then provides me with some feedback and I can make adjustments as required.

From the footage of my last Thursday routine, Luke identified that my grip for the declined bench press wasn't correct. He gave me with some guidance on what I should be doing and emailed a link to a blogpost, written by another personal trainer, that was most helpful. I made, what I thought, were the necessary changes, and continued on my merry way.

Fast forward several weeks to this week's Tuesday workout. Luke and I had agreed to revisit a series of routines that I hadn't touched since the summer of 2015. The first exercise of the morning was the flat bench press.

"Woo, Derek!" Luke said, as I lifted the barbell off the rack to start a warm-up set. "Your shoulders and arms aren't in the right position."

"But I thought this was what I was supposed to be doing based on the feedback." I replied.

"Good job we're revisiting this particular exercise together." continued Mr Bremner, as I put the barbell back into the rack.

"Let's get you into the right position first, so you'll find the exercise easier."

And he was right. With a few positional adjustments I managed to do four sets of 8 reps unaided. This was particularly pleasing as it was with a weight that I'd had great difficulty in lifting only six months ago. So I was happy chap.

Chatting between reps, Luke tried to find a simile for me on what I was doing wrong.

"It's like your Batman or something, just about to jump off a tall building. Your shoulders are all hunched-up. When really they need to be down and back."

"Okay. I need to try and remember that." I said.

"It's easy to remember," Luke continued, "it's time for you to kill Batman!"

So with that particular superhero being dealt with, I now need to focus my attention on 'showing the wall my elbows'. But that will be another story for another day…!