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[MonkeyWrench]

Just a quick question, is there a massive difference in weight between body fat and muscle? It's just I've been doing some regular self resistance training (most of which Charles mentions above) for the last month or so and managed to get my weight down to 12 stone 2lb at one point, but now its gone up to around 12 stone 6lb and whilst it doesn't look like I've put on any extra fat I have almost tripled the amount of press ups I can do so obviously I must be getting a bit of muscle build up. It's just a bit worrying when you say to yourself I'm going to lose weight and the exercise puts more on

[Ish]

It'll be muscle mate.

Same thing happened to me a year or two ago. I dropped to about 11 stone and then started to go back up. Pretty swiftly to begin with and very slower.

My lean weight is now about 13 and a half stone (though I'm a bit heavier at the moment due to unlean unpleasantness).

[MonkeyWrench]

Yeah I gained it pretty quickly, probably about a week and a half. It's actually levelled off a little now, been around the 12-6 mark for the last week or so I expect if I continue with the amount of training I have been doing I should continue to burn fat at the rate I have been but maintain the muscle at the level it is now. I'll see if I manage to lose a few pounds over the next few weeks and then I will step up the resistance training a little.

[recipher]

I'm going along to the track tomorrow for the start of my interval training, in prep for Lochaber. I didn't run intervals much during last summer (just a bit of fartlek and some unstructured hill work), so I'm hoping that they'll provide me a nice speed boost.

I'm definitely getting faster without doing them (I ran 11 miles yesterday at about 7:50 min/miles on rolling ground, whilst last year I was probably anything up to a minute slower) but I'm anything but speedy.

I'm interested to see how it goes. I'm only running 3 times a week at the moment, but my runs are going to be strictly pace controlled - one track interval session, one tempo run up to 10 miles and one long run up to 20 miles (3 hours). My aim is a sub 3:30 marathon but looking at the figures, there's a distinct possibility to go faster than that. I won't count my chickens though.

I'm only running 3 times a week (4 really, since I run off the bike once a week but only for about 30 minutes easy) because I have to fit in riding 3 times a week, swimming 4 times a week and lifting 2wice. The (marathon) training plan I'm following is specifically designed to help you run a faster marathon on 3 times a week running, though.

I'd like to get a more respectable 10K time too - somewhere in the low 40s but I'm not going to concentrate on that - it'll just have to be a bonus side effect.

[charlesr]

Went for a run this morning before work. 55 minutes. No idea how far though. Lovely sunrise - red/pink sheets on the sky.

[Swallow]

Aiming to get my squat up to 140kg before summer, stuck at 100kg at the mo...

re biceps size. Don't know if I'll get anywhere close, but want to add 1.1/2" to my arms this year (currently 15")

I've started a training diary, so I'll see how helpful it proves to be.

[Matt]

Best way I found to build up squats:

Get a weight you can do 6-8 times at a PUSH. Then do it 10 times. Really, you need to be crying blood.

Rest 3 to 5 minutes, drop the weight down 20kg or so and do that 20 reps. Yes 20. The first 10 will have you screaming. The last ten, you dig deep, don't give up, keep going. No excuse.

Weight's all relative, I'm imagining if you are squatting 100kg once, you'll do your first ten reps on 80, then 20 * 60kg.

[Matt]

BTW a 40% increase in 6 months on squats and 1.5" on arms in a year may be asking too much, depends if you're just starting, or doing the old jungle juice.

[Spagoli]

....ctable 10K time too - somewhere in the low 40s but I'm not going to concentrate on that - it'll just have to be a bonus side effect.

Good luck with the track, i do a bit but I find can be tough on calves. I did a 40.34 10k 10 days after last years FLM totally last minute found the side effect training was great. Ive got my tempo run tomorrow not too bad 30 mins at 6.30 min/miles. Most tempo runs i'm doing are 10k distance though 10m sounds like hard work. Although anything getting you in in under 3.30 is good. Had a nice gentle recovery run tonight 1hr08 for 8.5 miles nice and steady just what doc ordered.....

[recipher]

Good luck with the track, i do a bit but I find can be tough on calves. I did a 40.34 10k 10 days after last years FLM totally last minute found the side effect training was great. Ive got my tempo run tomorrow not too bad 30 mins at 6.30 min/miles. Most tempo runs i'm doing are 10k distance though 10m sounds like hard work. Although anything getting you in in under 3.30 is good. Had a nice gentle recovery run tonight 1hr08 for 8.5 miles nice and steady just what doc ordered.....

Cheers. I'm doing my tempo run today instead, since it's gusting up to 60 mph at the moment. I'll see how it goes on the track. Out of interest, was your track hard or "bouncy"? My longest tempo run is 10 miles at marathon pace (8 min/miles) which isn't exactly tempo but there we are I ran 11 miles on Sunday just gone at 15 seconds under MP. I might find I run some of my tempo stuff a bit faster than specified in my plan.

How do you do your speedwork? None of the roads around here are flat, so getting a consistent pace for up to a mile is difficult. Hillwork is no problem, though! My marathon is flat though, so I'm not bothered about doing specific hillwork for it, ironically. All my road running takes in hills though.

No recovery runs for me - swimming and cycling (not that I do much easy cycling) only - the benefits of targeting triathlon.

[Spagoli]

....Out of interest, was your track hard or "bouncy"? My longest tempo run is 10 miles at marathon pace (8 min/miles) which isn't exactly tempo but there we are I ran 11 miles on Sunday just gone at 15 seconds under MP. I might find I run some of my tempo stuff a bit faster than specified in my plan. How do you do your speedwork? None of the roads around here are flat, so getting a consistent pace for up to a mile is difficult. Hillwork is no ...

I've a friend who swims loads and she doesnt take days off to recover just swims reckons really relaxs the legs.

The track I use is very bouncy, its virtually brand new and top quality but while it felt great for the first few strides but I think I over bounced and sprung up too much rather than forwards hence the knackered calves.

Speed work at the moment i'm doing 500m in 1min50 (9reps this week) with a slow run back to start about 6min/mile. The run is on a gradual incline not too steep but enough to feel it. The tempo runs are at just under 6min45/mile, they are tougher to find anywhere too flat but as long as it averages out its not too bad (I have a Garmin which is pretty good for that). I've had to mature a bit on the way I take hills , I used to power upto the top keeping the same speed pass everyone and then collapse for a short time at which point I'd get overtaken by a lot of those I'd passed on the way up. Now I make a conscious effort to keep the same effort not the same pace and then capitalise on feeling fresh at the top, especially if there is a down hill the other side, psychologically it feels good to pass others which is a benefit. Just run out of protein recovery drink and feel tired, not sure if it's the drink, psychological or cumulation of a few weeks at 70 miles + a week but I feel knackered!

[recipher]

I went to the track at lunchtime anyway. Figured a bit of bad weather shouldn't stop me, otherwise I'd never get anything done.

Did 4 x 800 in 3:15 (6:30 min/mile) on 2 mins recovery. My 4 came out at 3:15, 3:17, 3:14 and 3:14, so I'm pleased with that. I have a Polar RS200SD, which gives you pace (which I just recalibrated at the track) but I found just looking at the stop watch worked fine on the track. Having a reasonably accurate pace monitor for the road is very handy though.

My ribcage is a bit sore/tired now. I don't normally run that fast. Next week's session is is a cutdown (1200 > 1000 > 800 > 600 > 400 > 200) on 200m rest, increasing the pace on each interval from 6:35 to 6:15 (I'll have to write the splits on my hand!). I'm just following a plan for the speedwork, since I don't have any experience. After this set, I'll pick and choose a bit more.

The track was dead, not a soul there. It was nicely worn and not too bouncy and not too hard. Maybe a bit exposed to the wind, since there's no grandstand or buildings around it. It'll do me. 30 minutes from my house.

My Reflex came today. Banana. Nice. I also just got some Nuun, which is pretty popular with long-distance triathletes. Pop em in your water bottle and it adds a bunch of sodium, vitamins, calcium and other bits and bobs to hydrate you properly. Nice flavour too.

Swim coaching tonight (first time I've been). I'm going to be tired tonight. Tomorrow is a slightly easier day though - swimming in the morning and turbo training in the evening. Neither tire me out particularly. Only the long stuff at the weekend does.

[Swallow]

BTW a 40% increase in 6 months on squats and 1.5" on arms in a year may be asking too much, depends if you're just starting, or doing the old jungle juice.

Been so-so weight training for the last 10 months, joined a gym though a couple of months ago. Hoping to be able to get a lot stronger, feel I should be able to. Just used to do the odd session after boxing, or at my brother's gym, gonna go balls to the wall now, just started a Met-Rx protein tub and amino acid tablets, so I reckon they should help some.

[gunrock]

What's the deal with all these supplements? I've never taken any and probably never will (very old school attitude I guess), but the fact that Boots, and even Argos sell this stuff means I guess, that they're without too much risk and "bonafide" in most people's minds.

As for my new program, I've just got the Missus a copy of Eyetoy:Kinetic and we've been doing the 12-week program (now on the second week) and for a couple of unfit porkers it's been a boon. Combined with my weightlossresources diet and some cycling and I have a good feeling about getting a few stone off.

Just missed my first interim target of 19st 7 lbs for Christmas (I got to 19st 8lbs) but have put a few on over Xmas. My next interim target is 18st by Easter.

Let's see.

[recipher]

The supplements most talked about here, are simply protein, nothing special about it, really. Lifters have always taken protein (just as endurance athletes have always taken carbs). Taking it in powder form just makes it much easier to monitor and control. Otherwise, you have to eat a lot of eggs and meat, or cook a lot of pasta, and so on.

It's just much easier and quicker (if more expensive) to drink this stuff, than cook it.