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[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Well, I've just properly given up smoking for good. Went down the put yesterday afternoon and for the first time ever, I didn't get a craving for a smoke while I was drinking. Also stopped drinking in excess. Before it would be 12 pints in an afternoon session, but yesterday I kept it down to two.

Also just got a new bike, so will be biking to work from now on. Need to seriously lose some weight.

When I went into prison, I was just over 12st. After release, I was just under 13st due to using the gym and eating properly. I was happy with that.

Now I'm over 15st, which is mainly due to being lazy, drinking too much and ordering kebab or pizza every night at work.

All will change now though, as I need to get healthy.

One thing I can say though, is that not smoking is making me feel so good. I can breathe again and I don't wake up with a gunky nose every day. I just guess the real challenge will be work, as all the lads there smoke.

[Rossco]

Nice work there Fami! Keep it up.

[Rossco]

Oh my god!

Now I consider myself pretty fit compared to the next guy, considering I go to the gym 5 days a week to lift weights, play squash once and go through periods of cycling every day too.

Tonight I played 5 a sides for the first time in about 4 years and oh my god am I absolutely shattered after it! First of all, it was cold, playing at half 7 at night in the Scottish winter outside, haven't ever done anything like that in the cold before, usually always do cardio in the summer or if its winter, I do it inside. So my breathing was ****ed throughout, really struggled to keep my breath! I was constantly stopping to catch it again even though apparently I was chasing every ball all the time. My mates said I was running about like a headless chicken and like a tazmanian devil one said! So I need to sort that out next week, only run when I have to.

I also think I went for it too much at the start, first 10 minutes I was loving it, felt great, scored the first goal of the match and then I just lost it afterwards. Still got another goal at the end, second half of the game was much better for me, started to get a decent touch but my legs were so heavy by that time.

All in all, absolutely amazing! Great to be playing football again after all those years and can't wait to get into it again next week!

[Rossco]

Playing 5's last night, we were on the attack, mate crossed the ball in and it was just a bit too far in front of me so had to stretch to try n toe poke it in. Just caught it but out of nowhere I was tackled by someone and we both kinda fell over each other as it was quite wet n slippy, my ankle got caught underneath me and twisted backwards and then his full weight went on my leg and crushed it down. It was absolute agony, there was a loud crack and I thought it was broken. Everyone on the pitch heard it crack and thought it was broke so really lucky it's just a sprain. All swollen and bruised now though and hurts like hell, can't put any weight on it at all!

But I went to hospital today to get it checked and got the day off work for it too.

Just gutted I can't play squash or football for a few weeks now!

[ascender]

Glad its not broken, but playing 5's is a risky business! I've lost track of the number of pretty bad injuries I've seen guys get over the last few years. I knackered ankle ligaments once and a couple of years ago messed up my knee pretty bad, so I've had to retire gracefully. I think you should take up something more sedate like rock climbing or sky diving....

[charlesr]

Roscco er.... the EXACT same thing happened to me playing 5-side (last time I played footie!) back in 1997.

Tried to do a quick turn and my ankle rolled. A huge CRACK and everyone stopped and turned around to look at me. I limped off and got it X-rayed. No problems all clear said the doc and that it's just twisted and I should just take it easy, but was fine to walk on. Didn't feel fine to me. Couldn't put any weight on it at all....

They phoned me a week later after a specialist was checking the xrays and said "DON'T WALK ON IT".... bit late for that. I'd been trying to use it all week and constantly retwisting it cos there was nothing holding the damn tendon on.

The tendon had pulled a chunk of bone away from the ankle which had then gone back into where it came from and so wasn't easy to spot.

For a couple of years I had problems with my ankle sometimes just giving way and to this day, even now and then (once every few months), I step weirdly and have to collapse to my knee to stop it hurting and doing any more damage.

[Rossco]

God that sounds nasty mate!

I haven't been putting any weight on it since it happened and I think I can feel it healing a bit already as Saturday morning it was excruciating when trying to walk and it's not as sore as it was now though.

I always injure myself in stupid ways like this and always rush back into action but gonna really take it easy this time to be careful so I'll keep ya posted.

I'm dying to play 5's again though, really enjoying it! And I was getting some serious strength in my legs too for weightlifting the last few months so kinda gutted that I'll take a huge step back in that regard now.

[ascender]

Just remember RICE for this sort of injury if you want the best chance of recovering quickly without having to pay a physio to remind you.

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

[Rossco]

Yeh definitely. Been sitting with my feet up all day every day since it happened. Wearing those tight bandage things around it too during the day. Gonna take it off for tomorrow though and start trying to walk on it properly and doing some proper stretching of it. While hobbling about the house today I've felt it to be a bit better so hopefully it'll all be okay.

[ascender]

With my training in the last while I've been speaking to quite a few physios and they all say that if you follow RICE for soft tissue injuries, they'd halve their workload.

I did my second ultra of the year at the weekend and due to a sore foot had planned to only do one lap. Got to the end of the first lap and found a couple of guys who wanted to do the whole thing but didn't feel they could keep up as they had niggles and were struggling to keep up. Agreed to walk the rest of the distance with them at their pace and we ended up finishing the 48 miles in 15 and a half hours. I've not done that much walking, so I've got some mega blisters today and am vowing never to let blisters develop again if I can help it! I think I'm just a big girl's blouse actually.

[Rossco]

Was walking about a bit the last day or so. Feeling really sore still when I put full pressure on it, and going down stairs is the worst. Really hope it heals up fairly quickly.

[ascender]

How old are you Rossco? Its just that I've been finding since turning 30 or so, injuries take much longer to heal and the only way to get them to heal properly is rest unfortunately. If you've not been doing it, I can't recommend the RICE thing highly enough.

[dataDave]

11st 4lb. I'm no longer a skinny runt. Topless pics to follow this weekend after I try shaving my chest hair (maybe).

I can't possibly eat and lift any more and feel like I've hit a brick wall. I've broken into the 'unused' sector of the weights (the numbers are still coloured in) so maybe it's time to move onto the free weights. I might try a week off or something to maybe bulk up. I hate these brick walls... they appear with every discipline.

I'm still vegetarian and taking no supplements.

By the end of 2009 I'd like to be 15st of pure sex. That's my target.

Feb 12st
May 13st
Sept 14st
Jan 15st

[Rossco]

How old are you Rossco? Its just that I've been finding since turning 30 or so, injuries take much longer to heal and the only way to get them to heal properly is rest unfortunately. If you've not been doing it, I can't recommend the RICE thing highly enough.

Only 22 mate. I have been doing the RICE thing as always with injuries like this. Been sitting in doing uni work constantly this week anyway so it's perfect for sitting at the PC with my feet elevated and hardly moving all day!

But you gotta start walking and stretching it a bit.



Fallows, expecting to put that amount of weight on in such a short time is only gonna end in disappointment! When I started the gym about 2 and a half years ago I was 10 stone, I'm now sitting at 12st 2lb which is quite lean for me at the moment, I've been out of action for a week fully and not been in full on proper training for about 3 weeks so I'm normally 12st 7lbs. So thats 2 and a half stone in almost 3 years. You want to put on 3 and a half stone in a year? And I'm assuming you've already put some weight on already so you're past the easy stage when you put on alot starting out. You'd have to be commiting a hell of a lot of time effort and money to put on a pound every week for the next year. I pretty much managed to put on 1st 2lbs in the space of about 8 weeks after my summer trimming session but thats because I was so lean and lost so much weight over the summer. It's hard work to keep it up.

I'm not saying it's not possible but it's highly unlikely unless you quit your job and basically lived in the gym for the next year. Maybe set your goals a bit lower to something more achieveable and you won't be so dishearted when you hit the brick walls. It all takes time, it's never a quick fix, but over time it will happen if you keep at it.

I hope I don't come across as a git in this post, just trying to help, as I'm always learning too and realising things that could have made it so much easier for me since I started bulking up.


I have the same wish as you though, to be 15st of pure sex! The bigger you get, the bigger you want to get. You always want more. So as long as you are getting gains of some sort, it keeps you hungry anyway.

Man I can't wait to finish uni on Friday for Christmas holidays and anhilate the gym again for about 6 weeks!

[ascender]

22?!?!?!

Git!