A week into my bodybuilding regime and I've already injured myself, clearly a case of "learn to walk before you can run".
I've been pumping weights on my chest, biceps and triceps for over 10 months now and decided I should probably get down the gym to work the rest of my body before it all goes out of proportion. However, it seems I forgot that I've never really pushed my shoulders before, so when I attempted to do it, I ended up damaging my Deltoids or Rotary Cuff, can't work out which although I believe it's the latter.
Looks like it's going to be a case of rest up and stick to cardio for the next week and a half. Great!
23.10.06
12.10.06
Britain Is Fatter than Europe
According to a recent study, Britain is the fattest country* in Europe with one in four people being obese - the fattest being located in Boston, Lincolnshire (Where I used to live).
However, it's not the people of Britain that are at fault for this, it's the Government. We're taught in schools from a very young age how to read, write and add. Going through to secondary school we're given inadequate sex education which is possibly the reason why so many teens are having babies these days, but the one thing we're not taught is nutrition.
Sure, we're brought up being told not to eat junk food, but ask a young child what they think junk food is and they'll probably tell you vegetables, simply because of the dislike in taste. The government should now be making it compulsory for every school to have a nutrition lesson once a week, possibly coinciding with P.E (Physical Education) so that when youngsters leave school they know very well what is right and wrong in the ways of eating and they can then make up their own mind about which path they wish to choose.
As I was growing up my parents would always tell me Mcdonalds was bad, but I never listened to them because they weren't telling me why it was bad. Sure, it's "fattening" is a pretty bog-standard answer, but I was never told what types of fat there are and what they can do to your body. I became over-weight and it was simply down to lack of education.
I'm healthy and fit now, but only because I put in the time and effort to learn for myself what is good for my body and what isn't. There are still thousands, if not millions, of young children who are growing up and leaving school not knowing what "Polyunsaturated fats" are or what "Fibre" actually does for your bowels, and as such, they're eating rubbish foods with no more health benefits than drugs (well).
It's about time the Government stepped up and listened to the likes of Jamie Oliver and others and began introducing nutrition classes in school - making them as equally as important as Maths, Science and English.
On another note, BMI scales. Anyone heard of this? BMI stands for Body Mass Index and works out a persons height and weight and tells them if they're overweight or not.
According to this article by the BBC, a gentleman of 6ft 2 in height who weighs around 15 stone is classed as overweight - and when you hear the term "overweight", you instantly think of "fat".
However, I have a friend who is of the same height and weight but he is clearly not fat. If I could post up a picture of him I would but he has muscles galore and not an inch of fat on him. Every part of his body is sculpt to perfection with 'cut' definition and rock solid pecks. He is a fitness instructor and spends 4 to 5 days a week down the gym. According to the BMI index, my friend is over-weight and thus is expected to die younger.
My view? What a load of bollocks! The government are once again failing to educate people about what is fat and what isn't. They refuse to scrap an absolutely pathetic and disgraceful system called the BMI chart for something much cheaper and more reliable - a mirror.
Next time you want to lose weight, throw your scales in the bin and forget visiting the doctor to find out if you're over-weight. Simply take a look in a mirror (a decent one, I know some that make you look fat) and decide for yourself. If you see lumps in the wrong places or your stomach sagging over your belt, then you know it's time to lose weight. If you can see some definition in your body then you're most probably fine - and if you can see more bone than muscle, then it's time to start eating more.
*I'm fed up with the media calling Britain or Great Britain a country, it is not a country but a geographical location made up of three countries; England, Scotland and Wales.
However, it's not the people of Britain that are at fault for this, it's the Government. We're taught in schools from a very young age how to read, write and add. Going through to secondary school we're given inadequate sex education which is possibly the reason why so many teens are having babies these days, but the one thing we're not taught is nutrition.
Sure, we're brought up being told not to eat junk food, but ask a young child what they think junk food is and they'll probably tell you vegetables, simply because of the dislike in taste. The government should now be making it compulsory for every school to have a nutrition lesson once a week, possibly coinciding with P.E (Physical Education) so that when youngsters leave school they know very well what is right and wrong in the ways of eating and they can then make up their own mind about which path they wish to choose.
As I was growing up my parents would always tell me Mcdonalds was bad, but I never listened to them because they weren't telling me why it was bad. Sure, it's "fattening" is a pretty bog-standard answer, but I was never told what types of fat there are and what they can do to your body. I became over-weight and it was simply down to lack of education.
I'm healthy and fit now, but only because I put in the time and effort to learn for myself what is good for my body and what isn't. There are still thousands, if not millions, of young children who are growing up and leaving school not knowing what "Polyunsaturated fats" are or what "Fibre" actually does for your bowels, and as such, they're eating rubbish foods with no more health benefits than drugs (well).
It's about time the Government stepped up and listened to the likes of Jamie Oliver and others and began introducing nutrition classes in school - making them as equally as important as Maths, Science and English.
On another note, BMI scales. Anyone heard of this? BMI stands for Body Mass Index and works out a persons height and weight and tells them if they're overweight or not.
According to this article by the BBC, a gentleman of 6ft 2 in height who weighs around 15 stone is classed as overweight - and when you hear the term "overweight", you instantly think of "fat".
However, I have a friend who is of the same height and weight but he is clearly not fat. If I could post up a picture of him I would but he has muscles galore and not an inch of fat on him. Every part of his body is sculpt to perfection with 'cut' definition and rock solid pecks. He is a fitness instructor and spends 4 to 5 days a week down the gym. According to the BMI index, my friend is over-weight and thus is expected to die younger.
My view? What a load of bollocks! The government are once again failing to educate people about what is fat and what isn't. They refuse to scrap an absolutely pathetic and disgraceful system called the BMI chart for something much cheaper and more reliable - a mirror.
Next time you want to lose weight, throw your scales in the bin and forget visiting the doctor to find out if you're over-weight. Simply take a look in a mirror (a decent one, I know some that make you look fat) and decide for yourself. If you see lumps in the wrong places or your stomach sagging over your belt, then you know it's time to lose weight. If you can see some definition in your body then you're most probably fine - and if you can see more bone than muscle, then it's time to start eating more.
*I'm fed up with the media calling Britain or Great Britain a country, it is not a country but a geographical location made up of three countries; England, Scotland and Wales.
8.10.06
21st Over
I woke up on Saturday morning feeling a little sombre from the mood I was in the day before. I was a little hung-over but I felt unusually better by around lunch time, so I think it was more of an anti-climax that my 21st birthday had ended.
It was a great night though. I started off with 20+ mates in a bar near me. I hadn't planned to get drunk there but it so happens that most of my mates weren't coming to the club we had planned to take a visit after, so they all ended up buying me drinks. By about 10 o'clock I had three pints sitting in front of me waiting to be drunk topped off with a couple of shots of Sambuca and I had to catch a cab by about 10:30!
Before we left though the D.J cut the music in the bar and started singing happy birthday to me, which was incredibly cool - I'm not used to all the attention. Afterwards six of us managed to head outside to make our way over to a club closer to the city. All I can remember from that was flirting with the woman who let us all in and making a joke with the bouncer - incredibly nice fellas actually.
The rest of the evening was highlighted by a D.J freestyling a rap which informed everyone of my 21st, another touching moment, my mates buying me loads of drinks and getting me plastered plus two fine looking promotions girls who were there as part of the WKD rodeo machine. Unfortunately though the evening was cut short when my mates dog died but other than that I loved it.
After that we somehow headed home and all I can remember thereafter is a cold wooden floor that I spent the night on at my cousins.
Very appreciative to all my buddies and family who made it a great day for me. Now to get back to the real world...
It was a great night though. I started off with 20+ mates in a bar near me. I hadn't planned to get drunk there but it so happens that most of my mates weren't coming to the club we had planned to take a visit after, so they all ended up buying me drinks. By about 10 o'clock I had three pints sitting in front of me waiting to be drunk topped off with a couple of shots of Sambuca and I had to catch a cab by about 10:30!
Before we left though the D.J cut the music in the bar and started singing happy birthday to me, which was incredibly cool - I'm not used to all the attention. Afterwards six of us managed to head outside to make our way over to a club closer to the city. All I can remember from that was flirting with the woman who let us all in and making a joke with the bouncer - incredibly nice fellas actually.
The rest of the evening was highlighted by a D.J freestyling a rap which informed everyone of my 21st, another touching moment, my mates buying me loads of drinks and getting me plastered plus two fine looking promotions girls who were there as part of the WKD rodeo machine. Unfortunately though the evening was cut short when my mates dog died but other than that I loved it.
After that we somehow headed home and all I can remember thereafter is a cold wooden floor that I spent the night on at my cousins.
Very appreciative to all my buddies and family who made it a great day for me. Now to get back to the real world...
6.10.06
21 Years Young
I felt old the other day when my 15 year old niece had no idea what I was talking about regarding her last year in school, apparently things have changed that much in the 5 years I've been gone.
You also know you feel old when you get a letter through the letter box regarding your pension scheme - triffic.
What e-mails did I get today? A bill from O2 - cheers O2.
What texts did I get? Many and thankful - I do have friends.
Parents have made a homage of me on our living room wall and it seems to be a picture of me naked when I was three years old laying down on a mat or something, looks rather professional, quite sweet.
I've got a load of friends popping round this evening to open a couple of bottles of champagne with me and then we're gonna head out on the town and see what sort of mischief we can get up to - all in the name of fun of course.
Should be a blast.
Edit: It doesn't seem like such a unique day when all of these people are celebrating their birthdays too. They even bum you out with a list of folks who died on this day as well!
You also know you feel old when you get a letter through the letter box regarding your pension scheme - triffic.
What e-mails did I get today? A bill from O2 - cheers O2.
What texts did I get? Many and thankful - I do have friends.
Parents have made a homage of me on our living room wall and it seems to be a picture of me naked when I was three years old laying down on a mat or something, looks rather professional, quite sweet.
I've got a load of friends popping round this evening to open a couple of bottles of champagne with me and then we're gonna head out on the town and see what sort of mischief we can get up to - all in the name of fun of course.
Should be a blast.
Edit: It doesn't seem like such a unique day when all of these people are celebrating their birthdays too. They even bum you out with a list of folks who died on this day as well!
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