LearnToRun.com

So I’ve started the New Year with a resolution or two…

Number 1: Learn to run (again).

I have learned about diet and fitness and muscle growth over the last year or so - and it has been fantastic. However, I have slipped with my routine since moving to Australia. Lots of partying and lack of routine has payed havoc with things. But now it is time to settle back into things.

Now - as a bloke - there is nothing more likely to make you try harder than a bit of competition. So I jumped at the chance when a mate from Uni suggested on Facebook that he is going to run 100KM a month. We both have a Nike+ and decided to challenge each other. The system is great - allowing you to set a challenge and then see who gets there first. Ours is “greatest number of kilometres in 30 days”. I tried out the system tonight with just a 2.6K run and it works great.

Now I just need to step up to the plate and show him what I’ve got. Bring it on Martin Arndt!!!

Last week was really bad timing to relaunch myself into a fitness regime again. Having just moved from the UK to Sydney, our container arrived on Wednesday and I had to do 6 hours of removals on Tuesday in preperation. I spent 16 hours unpacking on Wednesday, with 12 hour days on Thursday and Friday. I was totally knackered and unable to get into training. I guess the lifting of 253 boxes up and down stairs did me some good though

So I had to postpone the starting of a proper routine. I kick started again today with a chest workout this morning. I upped the weight by 5 lbs from last week. It felt amazing though. A real rush of endorphins and I’ve felt it all day… This should be a really good week, just getting my mind focused before Christmas (which should help me avoid too much over eating).

Cheers, M

My first proper set of chest exercises since arriving in Australia consisted of:

5 minute warm up run
4 sets of flat dumbell bench press (35lb each), 10 reps
4 sets of flat dumbell flys (30lb each), 10 reps
4 sets of flat dumbell bench press and twist (35lb each), 10 reps
4 sets of decline dumbell bench press (35lb each), 10 reps
Stretch

All felt great and ready to up the weights next week.

Plan for this week is early morning weights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, along with 2 decent runs (7K+). I need the cardio to burn some excess body fat, but need to up the weights to maintain muscle mass and definition. I’m not aiming for the ‘classic’ runners body. Hopefully this is the right balance.

Sydney, Australia. I have arrived in the land of beautiful, happy people. Sydney is everything I’d hoped for and a hell of a lot more besides. It took 18 months of organisation but I finally made it.

A big part of my fitness motivation over the last year or so has been thinking about getting a body suitable for public inspection at Bondi Beach. I think I have come a long way on that path (losing around 8KG and shedding 8% body fat), but I am not happy with where I’m at. I’m not embarrased to take my top off, which is a huge start, but I can’t quite say I’m really proud of my body yet.

So I am now drawing a line under the last 18 months. I am a lot fitter, significantly healthier and much better educated about exercise. I now want top set me goals for the next year and see where I can get to with another step up in my approach. I will reinvigorate this blog with lots of new ideas, my ups and downs along the way and my path to being able to run well and look good.

My new program started this morning and I am feeling the love for training again (after a long holiday and lots of stress/hassle associated with moving 12000 miles with a wife and four kids). My wife has been incredibly supportive of my fitness program over the last 12 months and I am so grateful. This is a huge part of the liklihood of success or failure.

I hope you enjoy following the journey and pick up some tips along the way. Please feel free to add comments or email me directly with any questions.

Cheers for now. Mark

My learning to run blog has slipped a lot in the last few months - mainly because of my focus on moving to Australia and all the chaos that is involved with that. I have also decided on some business ventures for Australia (some of which involve commercial blogging). In researching this, I now realise how much I don’t know about blogging and how much of an amateur I currently am.

I am going to put this site on hold for a few weeks while we make the move and I am also going to do a complete redesign, with a focus on what I really want from learningtorun.com.

Please check back in soon for the new look and the new focus.

By the way - my body goals are totally on track. I have upper body muscles now - which is magic! I am still getting compliments which really helps the motivation. I now feel in control of my body and fell I have found a life long method for sustainable fitness and health… with some fun thrown in.

Bye for now. Mark

Today I repeated the leg session from last week: 10 sets of weighted lunges and 10 sets of weighted squats with 30 seconds rest in between each set. The weight was 2 KG heavier per dumbell (16KGS each now). It felt heavy on the first set but then didn’t get much worse throughout the sets. I also did lunges first this time, not sure if that made a difference.

Anyway - I was capable of walking up the stairs afterwards which is more than I could do last week. We’ll wait and see if I get the same level of DOMS again.

This week was similar to last week: chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, shoulders on Wednesday, rest on Thursday, legs on Friday. I will try to manage a core session over the weekend too - but this may not happen as we are in the process of packing up the house for moving to Australia so I may be pretty busy (total understatement).

M

It is now Monday morning and my arse is killing me - more specifically my glutes are killing me. I did a good leg training session on Friday morning:

• 10 sets of medium weighted squats
• 10 sets of medium weighted lunges

Sounds easy eh? I managed to get through them without too much pain - just felt the last two sets of lunges. However, I could hardly walk up the stairs after it. I would have expected some DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - that achey pain you feel 1 or 2 days after weight training). But I can’t believe they are still going strong today - 3 days later. I didn’t feel like the session had been that tough. Obviously it must have been. This month I am aiming for muscle growth and size so this is part of the package - I must be doing something right.

Today I did just chest again:

• 4 sets of 10 swiss ball chest press
• 4 sets of 10 swiss ball flys
• 4 sets of 10 swiss ball press and twist
• 4 sets of 10 military press ups (bringing a knee up to your shoulder during a press up)

Feels like it is really hitting the spot and I am getting much stronger in my chest now. Certainly a moob buster (moobs: aka man-boobs).

Cheers

M

Had a great session this morning. Very simple but very effective.

Started off with 30s:
30 squats with light weights, 30 press ups, 30 box jumps, 30 second plank

1 minute rest

Then drop the number by 5, ie, 25 squats, 25 press ups etc

Kept going down (inlcuding 2 lots of 20s as I was feeling strong).

Did 5 sets in total and it took around 30 minutes. Really felt like a great blast to get you started in the morning - this is a nice little session to have in your toolbox.

I’m back onto body toning this month. After being ill last month I have definitely put on some body fat - lots of comfort eating (carbs and chocolate) - my body was just telling me I needed to do it. I now feel fully fit and healthy again and ready to have a great month.

So this week I’m training Monday (Chest only), Tuesday (Shoulders only), Wednesday (Back only), Thursday (cardio - 1 hour bike ride), Friday (full leg weights session), Saturday (core exercises). I will probably repeat this over the next month to see where I get to. I have also been off the protein shakes (as I ran out and didn’t buy a new lot). I’ll make sure I start on them again - drinking a protein shake within 20 minutes of weight training really seems to make a difference for me.

Also - FYI - I got my visa for Australia last week and we are now setting a date for around the start of November - looks like only 6 weeks of intensity to ensure I have that beach body - “fit enough for Bondi this summer”.

Cheers

Mark

I am just back from a long weekend in Arran and I took my running shoes with me - thinking I would do a good session whilst there. I didn’t….

… not because I got lazy or got pissed (I did get a little pissed on amazing mojitos) - but because they had a great pool. I decided to put into practice some of the swimming coaching I got 2 months ago. It was great - real power and strength being used. I now find swimming a really good alternative to running - but only because I have now been taught how to breathe properly and how to form my stroke better. It feels great and I would wholly recommend anyone to add this to their list of training options. Great for when you have niggles from running too.