Road to 2014: Skinfolds, Sweats and London

I know what your thinking! long time no read, where have you been?  Are getting lazy in your blogging and training? Well the answer to that is of course no.

Sometimes you hit weeks where you are just mega busy that you just haven't got time to think or when you do stop your brain is fried and you don't want to think. Like I said on day one, I still have a job, I still have a family and I think i've still got some friends out there, not that I see them that often these days.

After my last post a couple of weeks ago, remember when I killed myself on the watt bike then couldn't complete a circuit. Well I took that a little bit to heart and absolutely beasted myself the following week I hit all my sessions running a couple of miles 4 circuits at increased repetitions and weight. It felt awesome! and I really feel like i'm getting stronger. It's a bit annoying that we aren't hitting any of the big weights on the chest or the guns but i'm going to sneak in some beach weights at the end of a session every now and again. I did have a terrible experience last week when I was training and it's something I am going to try never to do again. I forgot a spare pair of boxer shorts for after training. It's a horrible feeling getting back into soaked in sweat boxer shorts after a session. Properly minging!

I have this perception of myself as carrying a fair bit of timber and I think i'm a little bit self conscious at times. So, when I was asked to go do a skinfold test my immediate thoughts were S**T, I really don't want to do that. I think last time i did a skinfold test up at Heriot Watt before the Student Rugby League World Cup in 2008 I was sitting at something like 28% fat. which was pretty big.



Skinfold testing sites courtesy of getfit21.com

 This time I went through the whole shebang and had it done by Russell (Technician at Edinburgh Napier University Sports Science Dept.) he went through his protocol and we had some good chat, Mr Ross was there as well showing me how it all worked and making sure everything was correct. Russell noted that my back was massive and fairly muscular, so the results wouldn't do me justice.

Anyway they measure body fat at different parts of the body as represented in the diagram to the right (I have no idea why this guy doesn't have  a penis, unless its a butch bald woman).

Skinfold calipers - I haven't got a belly button piercing

So, let me assume for a minute that you have never had a skinfold test. It's basically for determining body percentage of body fat. It's a good baseline test to see how fat you are at the start of a programme and if you do it later in the programme you should in theory have decreased. They use calipers like those on the right. I probably don't need to but that is not me in that picture, despite me not having a belly button piercing, i'm not that thin and I I certainly have more hair! Anyway from those readings you get an overall percentage of which mine was a very respectable 14.3%, needless to say I was delighted with that. It's within good levels. For those who are more scientific the sum of 8 which is regarded as the more important measurement was 146 I think. still a bit high.

So with 92 weeks to go until the commonwealth games, we have met Clyde the official Glasgow 2014 Mascot. I don't particularly mind the mascot but love the fact that representing Scotland we have a weed. I find that quite amusing. I'm sure Clyde will be getting about a lot more in the future and we'll see more of him. The other celebrity I saw this week was at the British Institute for Facilities Management Awards (the university was short listed). I went to London with the mangers from my department at the university, Clive Anderson was hosting the evening, I drank my bodyweight in red wine and had a slap up meal at the Grosvenor Park Lane but I missed breakfast the next day. My wake up call never came and got me.

The best part was that Clive Anderson ripped the piss out of everything, could barely say facilities management and almost had to present an award for a new feminine hygiene disposal product. It was priceless.


Awards Venue BIFM 2012 - Grosvenor, Park Lane

 So where am I now, training is going well, we have progressed onto week 8 of 10 the maintenance phase. Back squat is at 75 for 12 reps which is good. and I'm push pressing 50kg at the moment. I can not weight for hypertrophy! its going to be so good. What has been disappointing is that once through lack of child care and once through work I missed 2 wrestling sessions at [EN]GAGE. I actually can't wait for Monday's session. We picked up the wrestling mat from the Palace of Arts in Glasgow last week and I can't wait to get on it! Really good of Scottish Wrestling to give us a loan of it and hopefully we will be able to increase our wrestling provision at the centre. I'm still talking a good talk about getting through to Glasgow to get training with the National Squad boys and will be doing that in the next month. Just waiting on a few of the coaches getting back from holiday and finding out when I can travel through to Glasgow, its a big time and financial commitment for me to do that but needs must!

In fact i'm going to go do a session now to get rid of the cobwebs from earlier in the week now the hangover has finally subsided. It's only fair that I absolutely beast myself. In other news, it was great to get a bit of a let your hair down session at Dave and Rea Simms wedding the other week, had a lovely time. had a few drinks with Hendy,Giler and Mikey before getting a little too drunk as usual. I cant hold my booze these days! Mikey even turned up to Wrestling the following Monday.

I'm still hunting sponsors, I've been a bit lazy over the last few weeks with that and do need to pick up the pace, there has actually been some interest and i'm trying to build on that to make sure I can deliver but all help is appreciated.

I'm going to be using my twitter account @shocksjr from now on I think with the exception of using the blog. I won't delete the other one because I've got some cool followers on there however I can't be arsed managing the two accounts. So if you aren't following me on that one - Now is your chance!

Finally, Thanks for taking time out to read the blog, hope you enjoyed it and a big thank you to the guys who are helping my out and sponsoring!

Cheers.

[EN]GAGE WRESTLING CLUB - facebook page (for those who want a wrestle)