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…!

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…?

28 In transition

Photo: Copyright © Elena Duvernay

Over the past couple of weeks I've been feeling like a triathlete in a transition zone. Let me explain why.

My 8 week programme of workouts came to an end. So it was time for Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness and me to check numbers, take photos and review my progress. I was fearful that things may have drifted a little, especially as five months had past since my last progress check-up. However I shouldn't have worried. Body measurements showed improvements in most areas, and importantly I'd managed to reduce my body fat by another 1%. 

So I'm now the leanest that I've been since starting my fitness programme back in April 2014. Certainly if you compare the pictures that Luke took of me when I started, with the one taken two weeks ago - see image below - the transformation is clear to see. 

I also took the opportunity of a 'rest week' to pop in and see Jonny Wilson at Bodyworks Edinburgh. It had been sometime since he'd worked his magic on me, and my body felt in need of a deep tissue massage before commencing with my exercise routines. 

The following week Mr Bremner presented me with my two new home workouts. As I do these solo, we spent an hour running through the exercises, to ensure that I was familiar with what I had to do. Two days later and I was giving my Thursday workout a whirl for the first time. As often happens, my technique for some exercises wasn't brilliant. However I've developed a system of marking this information down on my workout spreadsheets, so that Luke and I can analyse my progress at a later date. A pre-arranged trip to London meant that unfortunately I've yet to try my new Sunday workout, but it will certainly get an airing this weekend.

I was back in Jamaica Street this week for my regular Tuesday morning session. Luke revealed what exercises he had in store for me for the next 8 weeks. Challenging is the word that springs to mind. Despite my best efforts, I was considerably below-par and not firing on all cylinders as usual. As Luke explained, it was probably due to "…a combination of sub-optimal nutrition and low energy after a busy weekend…". 

It had never occurred to me before, that leaving my diet in the hands of others, would have such a significant impact on my performance in the gym. At least I'm now aware of this and know for the future. Certainly within a couple of days of being in control of my nutrition again, I was almost back to form.

So this current transition period is almost at an end for me and I only have one more session at Luke Bremner Fitness left this year. 2015 has certainly been an interesting twelve months. Turning 50 and hitting many of the physical targets, that I originally set myself, have been real achievements. 

However I'm not about to sit on my laurels. Despite the interruption of the impending festive period, I'll be doing my home workout routines as usual. I also intend to give some thought to new objectives and incentives for me to aim at during 2016.

As I've written in several seasonal cards this year… "Exciting times a-hoy!"

27 T-Shirt Day

Today was BBC Radio 6Music's "Wear your old band t-shirt to work day". This included a neat interactive element. If you tweeted a photo to 6Music of you, wearing your favourite band t-shirt, then they would try and play a track by the artist or group on your shirt. 

As a result of tweeting the photo of me wearing an a-ha singlet, that I got at their 2002 Lifelines tour in Glasgow, I received a reply from the Radcliffe & Maconie production team. They asked whether I'd like to appear on the show to chat about the garment, which I was happy to do.

The presenters, Mark Radcliffe and Elizabeth Alker, were very complimentary about they way I looked, and how well the shirt fitted me. Many people on Twitter also sent nice comments to me, when the photo was retweeted. 

So this afternoon I suddenly became aware that the world can finally see the results of what I've been working towards with Luke, and his team, at Luke Bremner Fitness.

This realisation felt very satisfying. It also confirmed to me that my original aim of getting match-fit for the second half of my life was one of the most important decisions that I've made, and will probably every make, in my lifetime.

If you're in the UK and have access to iPlayer Radio you can listen to my chat with the hosts by scrolling along to 00.43 on this link for the next 29 days:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06phwbg#play

26 Ton-up

Image: Copyright © Geoff Leighly via 123RF.com

"Let's just stop there and take a moment Derek." Luke said to me yesterday morning.

I was a little confused about this, as I'd only just started the first super-set of my workout.

Mr Bremner continued "What do you think you've just lifted there?" 

My response was immediate, "Ninety-five kilos." I paused, and then asked "Ninety seven and a half?"

Luke remained silent, and then the penny dropped. 

"Not one hundred!?" I said.

"Look at what's on the bar.", was Luke's response.

Sure enough, on 03 November 2015, I deadlifted 100 kilograms for first time.

I don't usually subscribe to this action, but I felt reaching this milestone merited a "high-five" with Luke.

That particular moment epitomised everything I've been doing with Mr Bremner, and his team, over the past nineteen months. 

Week after week I've been challenging myself in what I'm capable of achieving. The guideance and motivation I receive at Luke Bremner Fitness, every Tuesday morning, inspires me to stretch myself further during my other two solo weekly workouts. 

"You're a quite a different person to one who first came into the training studio last year." Luke said to me later.

And he's right. I am!

I'm now not only fitter, healthier and happier, but based on yesterday's performance I'm also so much stronger. Who'd have thought that? Certainly not me!

Note: Weights mentioned are equivilant to 210lbs, 215lbs and 220lbs in Imperial

25: Putting my shoulder to the wheel

Photo - Copyright: Kzenon @123RF

It's been a number of weeks since my last blogpost, so while I take some much needed time out from work and the gym, I decided to quickly jot down a few thoughts about was has been happening.

At the start of July I drove from Edinburgh to London in order to visit my parents. It was a quick trip, with the return leg being made a couple of days later. Although the journey in both directions was pleasant, by the time I got home my right shoulder and arm felt very fatigued.

I began to think logically about why driving should have caused this. It then occurred to me that my posture has changed significantly since starting at Luke Bremner Fitness. So I decided to alter my car seat to a more upright position. Bingo! Later that month I drove to Manchester and back, and on that journey I encountered no physical discomfort at all. As a result I've now adjusted my office chair so that it's in a more upright position too.

For sometime now, both Luke and I have been aware of the restricted mobility I have with my right arm and shoulder. We know there are certain exercises, like the bench press and kneeling military press with barbell, that are still challenging for me to do. 

About twelve months ago Luke suggested that I visit Bodyworks Edinburgh for an assessment on my problematic side and to see if a deep tissue massage would help loosen things up. Jonathan Wilson, a remidial and sports massage therapist at the practice, has been looking after me ever since. 

Usually I opt for an hour-long session. This provides Jonny with sufficient time to work his magic on my right side, without it becoming too painful. In addition, there's often time remaining for him to demonstrate some daily exercises for me to do that will assist me. Currently I'm doing various chest and shoulder stretches - with the aid of a door frame - and some Y, T and W exercises.

The combination of adjusted seating positions, massage and stretching excercises are definitely starting to pay off. My Tuesday morning workouts with Luke, plus my Thursday and Sunday solo workouts at home, have been going along nicely. As long as I'm making progress - whether it's the number of reps, an increase in weights, or simply better technique - then I remain a very happy chap. 

24 Extra time

I'm finding it difficult to comprehend that I've reached the end of my second six months working with Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness. I can confidently say, that with the excellent guidance and motivation from Mr Bremer, I've certainly built on the progress I made throughout 2014.

Early this week I found it amazing to review the goals and incentives I set myself back in January, and to realise how many of them I've actually achieved.

From a physical perspective, my core muscles continue to improve and strengthen, as do the muscles in my arms, legs and chest. In general I feel much stronger than I've ever done. More recently new stretching exercises have started to pay dividends in my workout routines and with my posture.

With regards to nutrition, I've spent the first half of this year focussing on my daytime meals and trying to getting these right. Apart from consuming too much cake and champagne around my birthday, I've continued to maintained my body weight during this period. When it became apparent that I was over-cooking the calories, a quick modification to MyFitnessPal settings helped me bring everything back under control again.

So in summary, I'm thrilled!

When I embarked on my body transformation programme, I was aware that no one keeps a personal trainer forever. All the time that I've been going to Jamaica Street I've been super-happy. So the prospect of "What happens next…?" was beginning to make me anxious. My biggest fear was that I would lapse into my bad old ways as soon as I stopped working with Luke. He, on the other hand, kept confidently telling me that "That's not going to happen Derek."

So I set of one of my January goals to be the purchase of some new exercise equipment. I'd identified an area in my abode that I could reconfigure into a compact home gym. I felt this option would be more beneficial to me, than signing up for a gym membership. Over the past month I've been demolishing, painting and preparing the area in readiness. Last weekend was spent constructing and building the kit I'd ordered for myself. I have to say it looks very smart and it suits my needs perfectly.

However I don't feel ready to say cheerio completely to Luke just yet and go it alone. With his agreement, we've decided that some extra time at LBF would be most useful for me. But the status quo is changing. From this week onwards I'll now be doing two workouts at home and only one supervised in person by Luke.

Certainly interesting times ahead. Exciting. Challenging. Slightly scary.

I'll continue to report back and let you know how the game is progressing.

23 Get a grip!

I remember laughing nervously last year when I was told at Luke Bremner Fitness that I'd soon be lifting "serious weights". Back then Luke had more faith in my abilities than I had in myself.

It turns out that Mr Bremner was perfectly correct of course. As each week passes, I'm able to lift slightly more weight. In fact today I was reminded that in April 2014 I was dead-lifting 40kg and then progressed to the dizzy heights of 45kg. Fast-forward twelve months and I've increased that load by 100%.

My current Thursday routine starts with a wide-grip deadlift. This is similar to a standard deadlift, except my hands are positioned much further apart on the barbell. Initially Luke significantly dropped the weight I was lifting, in order for me to get used to the exercise. Then over the past six weeks we've been gradually upping the amount again to the current level of 90kg. 

During this process an area that has caused problems for me is my grip, or more importantly my lack of it! To assist me with my lifting technique I've become used to being strapped to the barbell. The downside of this is that it's not as beneficial as lifting the barbell unaided.

Whilst browsing through my copy of the excellent Becoming a Supple Leopard by Dr Kelly Starrett - also recommended to me by Mr Bremner - I discovered an item about using the 'hook grip'. Put simply, this involves wrapping my thumb around the barbell and then wrapping my fingers over my thumb.

After reading the article I decided to give it a whirl, and if I'm totally honest I've had mixed results. With some barbell exercises my grip has certainly improved, but I'm still having to use straps for the wide-grip deadlift. 

So to help me improve my grip Luke introduced a new exercise to my Thursday routine. As a result I'm now hanging around a lot - quite literally! - from the pulley-machine in the personal training studio. Each week my target is to increase the length of time I can hold a dead-hang for. Last week it was 35 seconds, this week it was 40.

This will apparently strengthen my grip and reduce the need for me to be strapped to the barbell. And if today's workout is anything to go by it's already starting to pay dividends!

22. …and the dish ran away with the spoon.

It's rare for me to eat out these days. Instead I prefer to prepare and cook meals at home. This allows me to monitor what ingredients I use. It also enables me to record the calorie implications of dishes I make, as well as note the protein, carbohydrate and fat content per serving using the MyFitnessPal app. In addition I enjoy being a 'have-a-go home cook', so going into the kitchen is a pleasure not a chore. When I do dine out, often I'm away from home travelling for work or leisure, so have no other option.

A couple of Sundays ago my food and nutrition content started well at home - porridge with a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder topped with blueberries for breakfast. A Sunday morning workout was followed by a protein shake and a couple of bananas. Lunch consisted of a breast of roast chicken - marinated in lemon juice, honey, olive oil and cayenne pepper - with wholemeal basmati rice and mixed vegetables. The app on my phone told me I was on target for achieving my daily 40% protein, 40% carbohydrate and 20% fat intake.

Then the naughtiness crept in. In the afternoon I jumped into the car to drive down to Manchester. En-route I had to call into motorway services for petrol, so decided to make a quick pit-stop and grab a coffee. "Would you like anything else with that?" asked the barista. Without hesitation I ordered a piece of chocolate tiffin to accompany my beverage. But as I sat enjoying the late afternoon sunshine and Cumbrian landscape, I plugged my refreshment into MyFitnesPal. YIKES! This was calorific. 

On arrival in Manchester I checked into my hotel, but as there was no restaurant, I had to head out to find an evening meal. Fortunately there was a JD Weatherspoon next door. I wandered in, found a table and then looked at the menu. As it was Sunday, the pub was offering a traditional turkey roast. That'll do me! I thought. When I placed the order for my food I was asked "Is that the larger option?" Being a little tired from the drive down, I wasn't thinking clearly. "Yes!", I replied.

I returned to my table and then started to examine the menu again. I look at the calorie information of the meal that I'd ordered. As I couldn't believe the figures, I quickly totted them up again on my mobile phone calculator. I wasn't wrong. This meal contained over half the calories of my daily intake allowance.

It suddenly made me realise that "unconsciously" eating out is one reason why our population is becoming increasingly over-weight. I didn't need to order the large meal, but it was only an extra £1.50, so it would seem like a good deal to most people. In fact, the regular size meal was perfectly acceptable and would've kept me within my daily calorie allowance.

However, I must applaud JD Weatherspoon for actually providing calorie information on their menus. I'm sure that this will assist all their clients, me included, to make more informed decisions about the meals and the portion sizes they decide to order and eat. Let's hope that more pubs, cafés and restaurants follow this lead and include calorie information on their menus and labels too. I'm sure we'll all find that very useful indeed.

21. Project Triple-F

Last autumn I needed to establish new aims and goals for what I wanted to achieve in the second half of my time at Luke Bremner Fitness. So I created Project Triple-F – the three Fs being: Fit; Fabulous; and Fifty.

I know that it's hard to believe from my boyish good looks, but in early March I celebrated that significant birthday. On the actual day itself I was enjoying some winter sunshine in Las Islas Canarias with a friend, so we decided to mark my Hawaii Five-O with a swim in the Atlantic. Bracing is the word that I think best describes our jolly-jape.

On my return home, I was greeted with more birthday cards and a bowl cancer screening kit. My initial reaction was, 'How thoughtful!' But in all seriousness, I'm delighted that NHS Scotland are so proactive in this matter. As we get older, our health and well-being becomes more important. It's another reason why I took the decision last year to change my lifestyle to become fitter and healthier.

I find it interesting that 50 seems to be such a defining age. It hasn't gone unnoticed that I've recently become of interest to companies selling life insurance and pensions. In fact I'm a little perplexed myself as to whether I continue taking the multi-vitamins I've always done, or switch to the manufacturer's 50+ brand.

When Luke last did my body measurements I was 49 and rules regarding body fat percentages for that age group applied. However pass one specific day and suddenly the game changes. New mathematic formulas need to be applied and everything appears to get tougher for an 'oldie' like me.

Given the recent news that many parents rarely spot child obesity, it makes me appreciate that I'm probably in much better shape now - regardless of my age - than the majority of our nation's population is.

"So no problems about whipping your top off in public then?" asked Luke, when I told him about my celebratory dip in the sea.
"Absolutely not!", was my reply.

I hadn't really thought about this until I was asked, but Project Triple-F has certainly worked in helping to restore my confidence about how I look and feel. Long may that continue.

Postscript: I recently put together the video testimonial above for Luke. It explains a little more about why I chose to shape-up, why I selected Luke Bremner Fitness as my personal trainer, and what the benefits to me have been.

20: Feeling comfy…?

How's your new year fitness regime going? 

It's hard to believe, but I'm now in my tenth month of working with Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness. I love what I do there on a Tuesday and a Thursday morning… and those who know me are very complimentary about the results I've achieved through regular exercise, better nutrition and more sleep.

Over the past three or four months I've fallen into a very comfortable groove - a bit like wearing a pair of favourite slippers - hence the reason why I haven't written a blogpost in months! 

Luke creates and adapts workouts for me which focus on different parts of the body and muscle groups. Some of the more recent exercises have been challenging - hyper-extensions being one of them - but I've been delighted with my progress and how well I've met these new challenges. In addition we continue to monitor and analyse my food and fluid consumption as well as evaluate things like posture etc. So everything is tickerty-boo!

Well, it was. That was prior to this morning's workout!

Today Luke decided to mix things up a little for me, in a way that only Mr Bremner knows how. More sets, more reps, less rest time. It was intense and I coped as well as I could. In fact, I even managed to surpass a couple of personal goals, which in itself thrilled me. But by the end, I was completely spent.

As I hurtle towards a rather significant birthday, I know that I'm probably in the best shape that I've ever been in. More importantly I'm ensuring that I'm match-fit for the second half of my life - which was one of my main aims when I first approached Luke last year and asked for his help.

There's an inspirational phrase that I saw recently that keeps popping into my head. It read "Losers quit when their tired, but winners quit when they've won!" I apply this saying to those with shiny new January gym memberships, but who've already created excuses in February as to why they can't go any more.

If, like me, you decide to invest the time and money in order to transform your body and be a happier person, then Luke and Keith at Luke Bremner Fitness really are the boys to help you. Why not give them a call and see if they'll do an evaluation session for you? Just remember to tell them that I sent you!  

19: DISASTER!!!

AAAGGGHHH!

It was inevitable that this was going to happen. Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness has been forewarning me and preparing me for this day over the past 6 months.

So it's with a heavy-heart that I have to announce that my stats for this month aren't as good as they've been in the past. Not only have I put a little bit of weight on, both my chest and waist measurements have slightly gone in the wrong direction too. As a result, I doubt that I'll ever go out in public again, in case anyone notices.

I jest, of course… :)

In fact Luke and I had a quite a long philosophical chat about why this has happened during my monthly evaluation: Less intense workouts due to my injured right IT Band; A week's vacation in the sun; A couple of back-to-back weekend's away from home - when I missed doing a workout and had less control over my diet; Anxiety over a hospital appointment and; Introducing poultry back into my diet. One, or all, of these things could be a contributing factor.

Luke always talks sense. He's advised me not to radically change anything, as doing so wouldn't help us to identity what the possible root cause is. To assist us with this new challenge I've said goodbye to Argus, and hello to another new app - MyFitnessPal.

I've only been using MyFitnessPal for three or four days, but already it's pushed every geek and OCD button within me. Thanks to a handy feature that scans the barcodes of products I buy, I can easily scrutinise the nutritional statistics of the food I'm eating. Thus I can pin-point what is good and what is not so good. Based on this new information, it looks like I'll be in the kitchen even more now making meals from fresh raw ingredients.

I'm confident that what's happened to me over the past month is a temporary blip. With some fine-tuning to my diet and exercise programme, plus encouragement from Luke, my stats will head in the right direction once again.

16: Ouch!

A couple of weeks ago, whilst preparing to go to Luke Bremner Fitness, I became aware of a slight pain in my right hip. I didn't think too much about it and, as usual, walked briskly uphill from Edinburgh's Stockbridge to Luke's private training studio in Jamaica Street.

After changing and doing a general warm-up, Mr Bremner started to show me some new exercises that he'd incorporated into my home workout routines. As we went through these together, I became aware that the pain in my right hip was increasing.

"It could be something to do with your IT band." Luke said.

Not knowing what he meant, I assumed he was referring to the resistance bands I used at home for exercises like rowing practice. Thankfully he went on to explain what the Iliotibial tract, or 'IT band', is and its function. His final thought of that session was "Let's keep an eye on it!"

I returned the following Thursday and started my hourly session with some squats. However there was little improvement with my right leg. Instead of making things worse, Luke took swift action and decided that we should spend the remaining time looking at foam-rolling and muscle stretching techniques.

Up until then I'd only used a foam roller for thoracic spin exercises. So to start with Luke demonstrated some foam roller exercises that would help to alleviate the pain in my IT band.

Often when I'm the process of doing the final rep of a final set in the gym I let loose a lion's roar that's inside me. However these new exercises had me yelping more like a wounded pup!

We progressed to using a tennis ball to massage other muscle groups in the feet, chest and shoulders. Each exercise seemed to hurt more than the last, so much so, that by the end of the hour I'd almost forgotten about my original IT band problem.

Luke's advice was not to do any more home workout routines. Instead I was to focus on the foam rolling and stretching exercises, which I've been doing diligently. As each day passes, not only does the IT band in my right let become less painful, but the exercises themselves seem to hurt less too.

In order to allow my leg time extra time to recover, we spent last week's workout sessions looking at mobility and posture. As always I've been given excellent advice and techniques by Mr Bremner on how to improve these too.

Yesterday I finally started to lift serious weights again and my right leg, although not 100%, held-up to the challenge pretty well. There's no doubt that all the stretching and rolling I've been subjecting my body to over the past fortnight has really worked. More importantly I'm now doing many of these exercises daily in order to prevent something like this happening to me again.

15: Time for bed

As anyone who has visited Scotland's capital city during August will know, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are rather jolly and social affairs.

Not only is it the perfect opportunity to see live comedy, theatre, concerts and art exhibitions - but it's also a great excuse to catch-up with friends. Certainly for me it's one of the main times of the year when visiting out-of-town acquaintances contact me and suggest meeting-up for a drink.

In the past I've never really thought about the effect that all this merriment has on my body. However this year is different. 

Last Thursday I sat down with Luke at Luke Bremner Fitness to go through my diet sheets, home workouts, and for him to take my monthly measurements. The results were very revealing. 

I'd already highlighted to Luke - through the colour-coding of my diet sheets - that I'd dined-out a lot more over the past month and consumed more alcohol than usual. This translated into less body fat loss than we had scheduled for, only 0.4% - from 18.4% to 18%. I know it's a loss, which I'm happy about, but it wasn't the full 1% target I'd originally set myself. 

In fact all my body stats over the past month have only had minor improvements. Although my chest and waist measurements have significantly decreased since I started my fitness regime in April - it is now my waistline that is decreasing less rapidly. 

As Luke explained to me there were two reasons - in addition to my recent excessive drinking and eating out - that were the cause of this.

The first was lack of sleep. On average I was sleeping for six to six and a half hours per night. No where near the eight hours sleep that we require. As Luke said to me "Sleep is the body's reset button." There was no real reason why my alarm was set for 06.30, so Luke suggested I push it back a bit. In addition he suggested no 'blue light' for at least half an hour before bed. So for me that means no iPad, iPhone, laptop or TV. Time for me to reconnect with books and magazines again.

The second reason why my waistline measurement isn't shrinking as fast as others is because, as Luke explained, I was failing to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up. In fact, some mornings it was almost two hours between waking and eating*. As we all require nourishment after sleep, which trigger certain fat-burning chemicals, Mr Bremner's recommendation was that I make a concerted effort to keep to the 30 minute rule.

So far, so good. Apart from last Saturday evening - which included more Festival activities - I've managed to sleep for eight hours each night, and am already feeling the benefit. In addition I've altered my morning routine and now shower after breakfast instead of before it. This enables me to breakfast sooner, although I'm still finding it challenging to actually eat within 30 minutes from waking. Often it's more like 40 minutes.

However I'm interested to see how my monthly stats look the next time, especially when combined with the tougher exercises Luke has introduced me to recently. As always I'll report back on my progress. In the meantime, happy slumbers!

*A consequence of keeping very detailed diet sheets