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UPDATE - 30 July 2007

Wow, I cannot believe it is 15 months since I last updated my dairy. Well, it has been a busy year or two and as my 65th birthday looms into focus, there is no letting up in new thingI want and have to do and learn. Sailing has become an important part of my life now, both privately and with my work, and come the Autumn, I will be training to gain my Compentence Sailing Certificate. Later, I will hopefully go to become qualified as a Day Skipper. As you would have seen on my page, we are currently taking out Service Users at our centre on Sailing Taster Days, to see who can be chosen to go forward to be trained to sail a boat. We have been taking groups of 6 out since April. My groups are made of different enthnic group, most who are seeking Asylum in the UK. A few months ago, I underwent a course so I can help teach many of these people English. The come in the main from Sudan, Eritrean and the various territores of Kurdistan.

In preparation for me moving to the Philippines to live in 2010, I have started to learn Tagalog (the Filipino language) and I am lucky to have my friend Rigo staying in my home, as he is not only a good friend, but can help me the language. He is already getting me used to eating Filipino food, he he he.

A little while ago, my female Beared Dragon (Draco) gave me 3 babies and with the money I got from selling them, I was able to purchase another adult female, now giving me two breeding pairs. I will be putting the females with the males again around mid August so that I hope to have some more baby beardies for Christmas.

 

On 1st Febuary 2006, I took up my new post as Community Liasion Officer for the new Community Resource Centre, due to open on 1st April. During the day the centre will be used for homeless people and those living on the margins of society, where they can get a hot meal, help, shower, use of laundrette and training etc. To learn more of the centre, click on my works webpage link (see banner lower down the page) then click on banner for St Matthews Church - Resource centre. This is not a Christian centre, we have just converted an old church. For me, I will continue my work giving talks on the work of the Cyrenians, the Charity I work for and creating the newsletter and updating the web page, but will try and get the larger community to use the centre during the evenings and weekends, as well as ensure the smooth running of the centre after hours. I am sure there will be other things to do in my work, as I settle into the new and expanded role I have had thus far. Exciting day. Yesterday I bought a new digital camera, a big improvement on my old one, which was not good at taking picture inside and often the pics were sub standard.

Now to my weeks Workout Routine in the Gym

Well my workouts and time in the gym have continued to be good. Having cut out all carbs during evening means, I have at last seen my weight dropping a little but seem to be staying around 87kgs. This week I will have new measurements to see how well I have done. My Cardio workout continues to be based on "Resitance Exercies" and have increased the weights pretty well around my workout routine.

Mondays 30th Jan was Chest day. I increased my weights slightly from last week for Incline, Flat and Decline bench presses and took my peck deck weight up to plate 13 (38kgs) My highest ever getting 10 reps out then I did the Jerk & Cleans which continue to be my favourite cardio workout. I did 1 set of 20 reps with a 20 kgs bar, followed by 1 set of 15 reps with 25 kgs than 6 more reps of 12 reps. For the last 2 set of 10 reps I increase the weights to 30 kgs which gave me an total of 160 reps in all.

Tuesday 31st Jan was Back day. I did Rowing machine, doing 500 metres in 2min 5 sec. A bit slower that I have done before. Then I did cable rows both wide and narrow grip, laterual pull downs both wide and narrow grip followed by the Cable Woodman Chop, my other favourite resistant cardio exercise. In all I did 4 sets of 15 reps each arm with a weight of 54 kgs. A total of 120 reps..

Wednesay 1st Feb was Shoulder day. For the first time in a long time, I did a One Rep Blast. With a spotter with me, as this weight will be well above anything I have tried before. He help me lift the weights on the machine and I lowered only half way but took the weight back up unaided. Take a few quick breaths, I again lowered the weight down to just above my shoulder and calling on all my strength, lifted the weight fully until my arm were fully extended above me head and then brought the weight back to and finished. I have shoulder press 73.5 kgs and my spotter informed he that he had NOT helped at all. I was chuffed that I had managed it as my goal is to lift my own body weight. At the moment, I weight 86.5kgs, so either I have to lose a bit of weight of continue to increase my strength, ha ha ha..... after a 2 minute rest, I then proceeded to 63.5 kgs doing 2 sets of 5 reps. I then continue to do other shoulder workouts including raising a ez bar (15kgs added) with straight arms extended out in front of me till the bar was over my head and lowering back slowly, doing 4 sets of 10. I also did bent over fliers with 15 kgs dumbbells and shoulder rolls with 7.5 kgs, 3 sets of 10. I did some other cardio workout, such as mountain climber and tread mill.

Thursday 2nd Feb was arms. I worked my biceps and triceps, did some more jerk & cleasn 60 in all, rowing machine, light (high reps) bench presses on a Exercise Ball (Routine Page - Monday Exercise 1)and worked my abs doing Reverse Crunches with the excercies ball, (see Routine Page - Wednesday Exercise 6).

Friday 3rd Feb was Leg day. I started off with Sumo Squat, using 55 kgs, doing 4 sets of 15 reps. Then Squat using bar. 4 sets of 10 reps 70 kgs (not to heavy so I could go lower) Leg Extensions on plate 10 (did not record the weight) but did 4 sets of 10 followed by a drop set of 12 with plate 5. Leg curls plate 9 doing 3 sets of 10. Calf Rises using full stack of 155kgs, doing 3 sets, one of each of 20 - 15 - 12 reps. I then went on the pec deck and did 3 sets of 10 with plate 14 (41kgs) my hightest ever and then seeing if I could get one out on plate 15 (full stack) I amazing myself by getting 6 reps (44kgs) No wonder my l legs and chest are stiff today, ha ha ha. But all in all, I feel I have had a good week and my weight has dropped from 89kgs on Monday to 86.5 by Friday.

8th January 2006 . Well, I was at it again on Friday. After warm up and stretching, I started with 7 sets of Jerk & Cleans, doing 100 reps in total. This really got my heart pumping as I stuggled for breath. This was followed by 4 sets of shoulder presses, then 3 sets each arm of the Cable Woodman's Chop. Then it was 3 set of 20 reps of cable rows, 4 sets of Leg extentions, 3 sets of Calf Rises, 3 sets of cable tricps finishing with 3 set of PecDeck and 10 minutes on the treadmill on random hill, level 10 walking at 8 kms an hour. I was glad when ran out of time to do anymore, as I was dripping wet with sweat and all done in, ha ha ha. Tomorrow I will do chest that will be Incline, flat and decline and rowing machine treadmill and some other cardio workout, depending on time.

To see my stats and progress and routine, click here.

Draco is a baby Bearded Dragon which joined my household in January 2006. At the moment. He is not so friendly, as he bite me the other day, not thay he hurt me., I will keep you up-dated on how it is doing on a monthly bases.

This is Draco, one month on. Picture taken on 4th Febuary 2006. It is not hand trained yet, and still somewhat shy of me, but slowly, I let him get used to my hand in the tank. He is shredding his skin well and growing fast,

Some pics of me taken over the past few years since I took up training, though before all this I was FAT

August 2005

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