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…!

29 Take aim…

Towards the end of 2015 the Ladybird Books for Adults became a "must have" purchase for people of a certain age in the UK. The Hipster, The Shed, The Mid-Life Crisis and Mindfulness were parodies of subjects covered with wit and humor. 

One particular page in the How It Works: The Wife book literally made me laugh out loud. Juxtaposed to an illustration of a ballet class, with a ballerina performing a pirouette in the foreground, the text reads: "Rosie is a member of a fitness club. There she has tried crossfit, spin and ultra-ballet. Her £600 annual membership meant that each visit last year cost £200." 

The reason why I found this so funny is because I know people - of both sexes I hasten to add - who've spent huge amounts of cash on gym membership fees but within weeks of joining have lost interest in their own well-being. The one phrase that really irks me, when chatting to anyone about fitness and nutrition, is when they say, "Yes, I really need to hit the gym hard!"

Over the past couple of years of working with Luke and his team at Luke Bremner Fitness, I've come to realise this is a misconception. Unless you're in good shape to start with, immediate results from the gym are often unobtainable. We're so used to living in an "on-demand" age, that when desired body transformations don't happen as quickly as we'd hoped, we simply give-up and lose interest.

My advice to anyone embarking on a programme to change their body and diet, would be to stop thinking "short haul" and start thinking "long haul." Something that spurred me into action, was the sudden realisation that I wasn't getting any younger. The prospect of spending my senior years taking prescribed medication every morning is an unattractive concept. Hence the reason why I've been working on getting myself match-fit again. I know what I'm doing is forever. It's a complete lifestyle change. I don't perceive it as being a quick fix.

To help me with my progress, when I first started, Luke asked me to write down a few aims and incentives. These were to help the both of us understand where I want to get to. My aims, or goals if you like, were practical things. For example, "Swap the moobs for pecs." The incentives were the things I wanted to happen, or treat myself to, as a result of what I was doing in the gym and kitchen. Again an example being "Find Mr Right." 

At the beginning of 2015 Luke asked me to review my aims and incentives, and now as we start another new year it's time for me to evaluate these again and refresh them as required. 

So here are my goals for 2016:

1. Looking at the data collected over the past twelve months I see that I've managed to reduce my body fat by 1.5% between March and the end of last year. So in 2016 I'd like to try and shave another 1.5% of body fat off - if I can - and bring my total down to 15.5%
2. I'd like to maintain my current body weight of 81kg, unless it increases due to muscle gain.
3. Add a little more cardio into the workouts I do at home. I have a self-powered treadmill that's been idle for almost two years. It would be good to incorporate that, or alternatively is it time to buy a bicycle for weekend rideouts?
4. Continue to develop and tone all muscle groups as we're currently doing.
5. Nutrition. I'd like to expand my repertoire of meals so I have more variety, but at the same time I'd like to pay attention to what food types I should be eating when, e.g. post-workout meals, non-work days etc.

My incentives for the this year are almost unchanged, but there's one major difference. 

The quest to find Mr Right has been pushed down into second place. Top spot goes to "My health, well-being and happiness." This is because I've found such a good place to be in, both physically and mentally, that I have no intention of leaving it. 

My other perennial incentive is to buy some new motorbike leathers. Last year I fell out of love with biking for some reason, which was odd considering it's been part of my life for 25 plus years. In 2016 I'd like to reconnect with that pastime, so perhaps something new to fit the trimmer me would be the incentive to kickstart that interest again.

So if you see me out on a bike - petrol or pedal-powered - in the springtime, don't forget to give me a wave. And if you live in the Edinburgh area and you're really serious about transforming your body through exercise and nutrition, then why not get in touch with Luke Bremner Fitness. There really is no time like the present. So what are waiting for now? January 1st next year…?