My Start To Jogging/Running Week 2

Welcome to 5.14 fitness,

As you can see from my previous posts, I had decided to go running four times a week whilst I am on my six week holiday. The reason for this was to have an exercise which I could maintain and fit into my schedule as it gets jumbled around and becomes hectic due to the holiday. I wanted to do something that makes you feel good and helps as I will be eating more and being active less. Running was what I decided on doing, and I have done exactly that.

So, after my first week of running I went on holiday for a week. During this week, I decided to do no running or training at all. I know this is bad, but the reason behind it was that I wanted to enjoy my holiday. I knew doing training would only make my time for relaxing not relaxing and would make me unhappy. I didn't want to have the weight of having to workout on my mind, so that I could fully enjoy every precious minute of holiday. Also, I had not stopped training for more than 3 days for a year prior to this holiday, so thought I had earned 7 days off.

Anyway, when I came back from holiday I felt very bad physically  as I had eaten a ton of unhealthy food on holiday. I was eating double my usual intake and so afterwards I was quite worried as I had been so unhealthy. Therefore, I decided to amp up the running for a week to make up for the excess food and little exercise. I ran immediately the day after and surprisingly, felt very good whilst doing it. I ran 5k and actually rarely had to stop. I managed to pace myself more and could keep on going for big distances. At some points it felt as though I could carry on running forever, however I stopped for my body's sake. 

The rest of the week was very good, and I did see improvements in a short distance of time. I varied the routes so that it was not as boring, however I still did not enjoy it.
I will be honest, I hoped to enjoy the runs more. Beforehand, I hoped running would be something I enjoyed, as I have still yet to find a individual form of exercise that I like doing. With running, It is ok once I am doing it ;however, the morning and night before a jog I don't like the feeling of knowing I have to get up and run ( if that makes sense ). Hopefully, that will surpass and I will carry on. The weeks following have all been good, and I have never faltered on a run. I have got lost sometimes however!!

Overall, Running has been a very good from of exercise and it has felt very good to complete runs and feel professional. It has improved my fitness levels and I hope I will carry on doing it. I recommend trying it out as all you need is the great outdoors( or a treadmill). Get strava on your phone and you will be good to go and track your results.

Thank for reading, please subscribe and like (we will like and subscribe back) . Thanks again and peace! 

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My Goals - May Update

Welcome to 5.14 fitness,

Hi guys, I apologise for the long absence but both Jack and I have had two weeks of exams so have not had the time to post. 
However, these exams are now over and we are reading to get back to business, and I am starting by updating on my goals and routines. 

It has been a while since I last updated on this, and I have changed my schedule quite a bit. As you might tell, I am not a hard-core fitness fanatic that will push to extremes to get results. Instead, I workout 6 days a week and eat healthily. My workouts are all usually an hour long but may be less or more depending on the time I have. 

I mix together weight training, high intensity interval training and circuit training to formulate my workouts, and I base them around my day to day life,  I often have limited time, and so my free time is taken up by these workouts which makes them a lot less enjoyable! I only have a small amount of space ( my bedroom ) and so all my workouts can be done anywhere - trust me when I say that, my room is tiny.  
Last time I updated, I told you about my new weights plan and my full schedule. I have now changed that slightly, as I now have access to a gym once a week. This means that on a Wednesday I now do weight lifting and can work on areas I could not before. I have also introduced an extra abdominal workout so that I do it four times a week now. 

Here is my full schedule:
Monday- 40 mins Insanity followed by 20 mins Weightlifting
Tuesday- 25 mins cardio followed by 20 mins Abdominal workout followed by 10 mins chest workout
Wednesday 45 mins weight lifting followed by 20 mins Abdominal workout
Thursday- 40 mins Insanity followed by 20 mins Weightlifting  
Friday- 25 mins Abdominal workout 
Saturday- 45 mins weight lifting, 20 mins Abdominal workout
Sunday- Rest

As you can see, I still do Insanity twice a week which is incredibly effective and is very intense. It burns a lot more than regular cardio and trains all aspects of your body also. I hope this update tells you a little more about what I do- next time I will talk about the results of it. 

Thank for reading, please subscribe and like (we will like and subscribe back) . Thanks again and peace! 

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Cardio - What To Do? Part 4

Welcome to 5.14 fitness,

Today I will be carrying on a series of posts about Cardio and the different ways to do it.

Almost every sport has cardio implemented, whether it is running in football or swimming in water polo. This cardio is key in order to become a healthier, fitter and thinner person. It is important that Cardio is done ,as without it, a good measure of health can not be achieved. Sport is the perfect way to do Cardio, but there is other ways that can sometimes be more effective ( Jogging for example). The important rule here is: Cardio is key. Aerobically exercising : Getting your heart rate up, sweating and breathing like hell is important for us! Today I will be writing about  team sports. 

There are countless sports that involve you working as part of a team. Whether it is football, rugby or netball, these sports almost always require you to run and  get fitter. This is a great way to do cardio and the choice of sport to do is endless.
First of all, Team sport gives you other people that will cheer you on and make you strive to work and get better. Unlike in individual sports, team sports mean that you have people to rely on. This means there may not be as much pressure, and if you are not particular skilled it is not the end of the world. However, it also means others rely on you, so you have to be ready to step up and not be scared of letting others down. 
Having other people helping you can make you feel so much better, and it also makes the cardio a lot more fun. Running around with friends, striving towards one goal ( to win ) is a great way to make Cardio enjoyable and also more rewarding. There is nothing better than the feeling of success, especially after you have fought hard to earn it with other people. 

Team sports require skill more than other cardio like Running. When jogging, it does not matter whether you are good or bad, just as long as you are getting your heart pumping. Sport however, requires you to be good if you want to succeed. Therefore, you need to think carefully at what your goals are. If you are just aiming to lose weight and want nothing else, then other cardio methods are probably more worth your time. If you are looking to improve and get better at a sport, that is also a major bonus. 

It does not take much to start doing  team sports. The amount of variety to choose from is amazing ; there will certainly be one for you. Just get online and search up what sport you want near where you live, and there will be a whole host of options. You will find places to go to play these sports, and if you are good you can be picked to play in a real team. It is a common misconception that you have to be world-class to play in any team at sports. In fact, it is the opposite. There are hundreds of leagues for hundreds of types of people. Just get up, go to a session, and there will normally be teams that you can be placed in where you will be surrounded by people of a similar ability. Don't be scared to go out there and investigate what you can do. 
If you are interested in hockey, look up hockey near your area and go to a session. If you don't like it, try something else!

Sport makes you run, which is Cardio. There is little point in me going on about how it can help the body, I am sure you already know the benefits! Join a team, have fun, and strive to get better.

Thank for reading, please follow and like (we will like and follow back) . Thanks again and peace!   

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Cardio - What to do? Part 2

Welcome to 5.14 fitness,

Today I will be carrying on a series of posts about Cardio and the different ways to do it.

Almost every sport has cardio implemented, whether it is running in football or swimming in water polo. This cardio is key in order to become a healthier, fitter and thinner person. It is important that Cardio is done ,as without it, a good measure of health can not be achieved. Sport is the perfect way to do Cardio, but there is other ways that can sometimes be more effective ( Jogging for example). The important rule here is: Cardio is key. Aerobically exercising : Getting your heart rate up, sweating and breathing like hell is important for us! Today I will be writing about  2 ways- Walking and Running 

Walking

Walking is the easiest of the three and also the most relaxing for most people. Walking is something that does not produce the best results as it does not have nearly as much intensity as running or cycling. Walking does little to raise your heart beat and wont make you lose weight as fast as other methods. However, Walking is easy and anybody can do it. Walking is integrated into our lives; we walk to get places and do work. Walking burns calories as it is engaging you muscles and is a form of exercise. Albeit not the most effective form, but nevertheless a form. 


Walking can be done easily- just get out the house and go for a stroll. If you can, walk the fastest speed possible as this will burn the most calories. Walk to the gym, or the park, or your friends house. Whatever the reason, walking at a speed is a good thing and is the perfect choice of exercise if you are incapable of strenuous activity. For example, if you are elderly, a walk can not only make you fitter but make you a lot healthier too! 

Running

Running is the most well known and an extremely good form of cardio. Running gets your heart rate up quickly and there is not many better ways to lose weight and get fit. Running only requires yourself and space, and I am sure there is plenty of space right outside your door. Whether, like most people , you get up early to run around your neighbourhood or you go for a late night jog, running is always going to be considered the go-to for cardio. 

Because of its popularity, Running has never been more amazing. There is a whole host of apps that can map your run, give you results and data, and pretty much make running as fun and effective as possible. For more information, look over some previous posts about apps like Strava and Google fit. 
There is a wide range of electronic gear to track your run and heart rate, as well as stylish clothing that makes running more comfortable. Wristbands like Fitbit track your sleep patterns also to extend the benefits of your run.  This form of cardio is perfect for those who do not have space and want results. It can be hard, yet is worth all the sweat and pain. Motivation is just a click away, there is a host of websites with helpful motivating features to encourage your run. With running, there is no excuses:  you can find the most unfit people running down your street sometimes. Whoever you are, Running , Jogging , sprinting or whatever you want to call it is just a few steps away...

Thank for reading, please follow and like (we will like and follow back) . Thanks again and peace!   

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Cardio - What To Do? Part 1

Welcome to 5.14 fitness, 


Today I will be posting about Cardio and the different ways in which you could do it.

Almost every sport has cardio implemented, whether it is running in football or swimming in water polo. This cardio is key in order to become a healthier, fitter and thinner person. It is important that Cardio is done ,as without it, a good measure of health can not be achieved. Sport is the perfect way to do Cardio, but there is other ways that can sometimes be more effective ( Jogging for example). The important rule here is: Cardio is key. Aerobically exercising : Getting your heart rate up, sweating and breathing like hell is important for us! 

The NHS states that a 19-64 year old adult should do at least 150 minutes ( 2 hours 30 minutes ) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, or, 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity such as running or a game of singles tennis every week. You should really aim for this to be deemed healthy and fit. However, I understand it can be difficult. 

All of us live different lives, and therefore we only have space or time for certain things. Because of this, it can be hard to find what exercise we are able to do or what interests us. It can be hard sometimes to find the right sport that keeps us motivated and eager. Whether it is badminton to hockey, there is a sport out there for all of us: you just have to find it. 

Unfortunately, even if we find the right exercise we may still not be able to do it; work or other past times might restrict us from getting to places or doing the things we want to do. I myself would love to do some kind of karate or martial arts, however I do not have the time, the money or the means of transport to get to somewhere which offers that. 

So, compromises have to be made and we have to find some sort of Cardio that we have time to do regularly, have the money to afford, the space to do it, and the motivation to carry on going. Finding this can be hard, and so the main options have to be clear and helpful.  To help myself and also you, I will be researching different sports and cardio methods and posting about them regularly- In order for us to have to have a wider knowledge of exercise and what the most effective methods are. 

In part 2, I will be going over the three most well known forms of exercising, Walking, Running and Cycling, and also talking about some well-known sports. 

Thank for reading, please follow and like (we will like and follow back) . Thanks again and peace! 

 

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Daily Diaries: Mid Season Wobble

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,






This is another post tracking my progress throughout the weeks and months of the year to monitor the changes that happen to my body. Quick update: I have now found the gym and with any luck my membership will begin Saturday; we are aiming for at least two posts a week one from me on Tuesday and will on Wednesday. Moving on to today then...


 My goals for the month


 So what I decided to take the form (technique ) of my exercises and really work on improving this so that even if it means dropping reps I can get the best results for what I do and that I work everything in the correct way which also decreases the risk of injury. Legs went up in the pecking order so aiming to work them every day - every other day. As for eating I intended to eat more fruit and dairy rather than binge out on all the wrong stuff.


What actually happened


Well I know we are only half way through the month, but I am already starting to feel a lack of motivation and desire as a result I have cut workouts shorts and not performed them with maximum intensity. However I believe every cloud has a silver lining, so with that in mind: my technique for the exercises was a lot better and as a result I tried quicker leading do a drop in reps. As for legs, I kept to pretty much what I had in mind performing squats daily other than the odd rest day, which is how I foresaw this area of the routine to shape. The diet has not been too bad being brutally honest, other than a lack of dairy on a regular basis perhaps

Results

Well as you might expect I am currently a little out of shape and I cant actually see it yet but I reckon I have gained a bit of weight around the stomache area. For once I am actually seeing noticeable improvements as I am able to jump much further and higher so it is clear to me that the technique of lower slowly and rising upwards fast is the way to get the most out of the squats. For my diet I cant say I have noticed too much of an impact but I know I am short of energy a lot of the time so perhaps more carbohydrates are in order.


Next Time


I am going to be more active and proactive in order to get in to a shredded shape for the summer, I'm going to try to get myself motivated and rearing to go, to make sure I can get back to my peak and then push further. Hopefully the gym will be the kicks tart I am looking for.


Morals


You have to keep working as you loose your shape a lot easier than what you gain it. Stay committed and learn from my mistakes.


Hope this helps, I know that this is a popular series so please tell me what else I could include of change to make it even better. Please read again, check out other posts, some comments plus ones etc., would be nice and any following is returned (you can also follow the blog that would be awesome)- work hard and peace!


Jason

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DAILY DIARIES: CHRISTMAS CHAOS

This will be the final post for the 2014 version of the Daily Diaries series on this blog.

If you do want to know more about the other Daily Diaries be sure to check out the older posts, as this will help generate a feel and opinion towards the series over a far longer period of time.

Goals For The Week

It has been Christmas and my birthday back to back, so to be frank I already knew and had allocated myself some time away from my routines and exercises as I thought for once a year I could allow myself some time to relax and be goal-free- I would not have to worry about my shape and I could simply enjoy myself!

Therefore, with this in mind, I had decided to go for a pretty workout free break, I was aware that I would be unable to go to the gym at all due to the fact it has shut temporarily and I would be busy all the time (doing nothing, just lounging about with friends and family) to exercise. However I did say to myself that I would try to fit in a couple of mini-workouts here and there to ensure that I maintain some fitness over the break and so that I do not loose all that I had worked for, it is always harder to come back and perform at the same levels as your body will have changed a bit.

As for diet, I knew I would gain a few extra kilos from all the edible gifts and goods I receive at this time of year and they have to be eaten of course. On top of that, the Christmas diet is not exactly a healthy one: lots of snacking in-between meals; lots of fatty or sweet indulgences; a complete lack of healthy or nutritious foods;staying in the warm doing little to zero activity! This is obviously not the ideal healthy active lifestyle of which we should all be living but it is once a year where people come together give and receive and treat themselves to a merry end of the year- and this was my plan for the break!


What Actually Happened

Forgive me for being blunt: things went pretty much to plan! When I am trying to work on biceps or loose a bit of fat 101 problems and scenarios present themselves, but when I want to live a fair inactive life things go exactly to schedule- what's that about!
Being serious I shall elaborate, the first week of my holiday has literally flown by and I have been suffering from the worst cold and chest infection that I have ever had. Trapping in front of the television all day and night with a box of chocolates, honey filled drinks, and a few mince pies to keep me company. I think you are capable of imagining what happened next.

The second week has already been more successful today I played football pretty much all day ( I am exhausted as you would imagine and my decreased fitness levels were clearly brought to light), but this will start to do me good- exercising again. In addition I have found myself some time to do a some press-ups, low reps (30) admittedly but a reasonable amount of sets to balance this out, so things are gradually falling back into place.

Despite my poor lifestyle and diet I am yet to see too much difference in my physical appearance, yes I feel weaker and my body is drained from the cold, but the aesthetical appearance of my body is reasonably untarnished. I admit to a little extra cushioning around the gut and towards the love handles but other than that...


Next Week

I hope to continue to get back into my routines and be able to exercise again, in particular I am looking to work abs to ensure I am able to chisel a 6 pack from under all the new fat in that area. I also intend to be able to go to the gym again, I understand that I will have to take things easy there so that I do not try to do too much whilst out of practise to ensure I do not get injuries or such like.

Diet-wise I would like to start to eat fruit such as oranges that contain the vitamin C just so I can shake the back lash of this cold and be hassle free to work out and improve myself once more. Another area of which I have been deficient of late is in the calcium department so I also intend to really hit the milk to make up for this.


Morals of The Week

The only thing would be to recommend taking some time out occasionally, I know I posted on this a few days ago so I will not ramble too much. But a break allows your body time to grow and develop so it is not always a bad thing if kept in moderation, so just remember that thought


Alas this concludes Daily Diaries 2014, but it is likely to return in 2015 so if you would like to see more of this be sure to comment, contact me, plus one, following is returned as well as subscriptions, thanks for reading please check out other posts as well, more coming soon- work hard and peace!

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Daily Diary: Gym Buddies and getting back what you lost

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,




Sorry about the lack of posts recently and again for this one just being another catch up session, which I am aware is not as attractive as some of the workout or review posts. However I still do view it to be important to post this type of content to show my progress- what works, what does not and all that jazz.


Goals for the week


I normally set myself the challenge of trying to get bigger, stronger: arms, chest, legs etc; however, this last week as well as my normal gym routine to get all that stuff I mentioned about a line ago, I was also worried about my abs. See if you had asked me what my best feature was 5 months ago, I would had been straight in there with abs and core. They were my only really desirable or well formed part of my body and they are also probably one of the most popular and wanted areas to tone and define. Although I was dead proud of my core a few months ago, I was not the same about my arms- I had tried various workouts and pushed my self very hard towards a goal, but I did not seem to be getting anywhere- then I spoke to a few of my friends, did a bit of research before totally reconstructing my routine and diet in order to get bigger arms. The problem then occurred, that I was eating and doing what was needed for my arms, but this did not suit my core, resulting in an increase of fat and loss of definition in that area. Then all of a sudden my piece de la resistance had become an area that required much improvement. So my fresh goal for this week was to work back my abs (on top of all the usual stuff)!


What actually happened and results


Well as I intended I did not make any alterations to my diet as I was reaping the results in my arms, but I wanted to be able to get the abs I once had on the same body as these bigger arms. Surprisingly I think I might have achieved this! I worked abs everyday or more with a basic core work out and they belly buster workout, and I cannot fault the results. I mean progress if always slow in this business, so remember to keep what I say in moderation, but I am beginning to see some great results. I can physically feel less body fat, a V line has some how reappeared and I am starting to see them bottom to abs once more. I am more than satisfied with how my revamped ab routine is fitting together- a few more weeks and I cannot wait to see how they are going to look.


I am going to move back on to my arms now and I have to say, I have been really impressed with the speed of my progress. The new gym workout I have devised has been working a treat and I am absolutely loving it. I have been told many a time over the course of last week that people are impressed with my arms. I managed to hit the gym 3 times each to be a heavy session devoted entirely to arms and legs. Another technique that works well for me if having a gym buddy. I know it sounds a little primary school, but having someone hold your weights whilst you get in position, count your reps and gets you motivated to work really makes a difference, it also adds an element of competition which does nothing but helps your work harder. As a result my arms are feeling bigger and stronger than ever and I plan to continue this new plan over the weeks that follow.


Next week


As I may have mentioned earlier, I plan to continue from where I left off last week, I will keep working hard at the gym and developing my biceps, triceps and legs, as well as my ab workouts at home to keep my core toned and as fat free as possible. On top of this I will still participate in as much sport as I can, to test out my performance and to stay healthy (in all aspects of the word). MY diet will hopefully stay balanced and nutritious.


Lessons Learnt


There have been a couple this week, the first being not to give any muscle group too much time of as progress deteriorates much faster than you make it. You are then stuck with the tedious task of trying to get back to where you were, mean while other muscle groups are loosing out. Not fun believe me!
The second being: GET YOURSELF A GYM BUDDY! It makes going to the gym that much easier, more productive and far more enjoyable as you have some one to share your journey with. A potential post topic maybe?


So guys thanks for a fantastic week, please share this with your friends, following is returned, if you have not already add it to your blogger reading list, any plus ones or comments are also welcomed, thanks for reading more posts coming soon, so please come again-work hard and peace!


Jason

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Daily Diary: Remembrance Sunday

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


This post is just another weekly diary post to inform you on my progress towards goals. Today is remembrance Sunday, which is not only an inspirational day for us all to reflect upon but also a day that means a lot to me in particular as I have friends/family who have served/are currently serving in the armed forces and it is an important day for us to remember what they do and have achieved.


My goals for the month

Moving on, so this week I have been trying out some new workouts but I have also been aiming to get back in to the swing of things and back into routine.  As per usual my big aim is to increase size and performance as it will help me in all the sports I compete in and raise the level of my performances dramatically. In particular strength, speed, endurance and flexibility are things that can really help you stand out in any sport so I see at as an important area to push towards.


What actually happened


So this week actually went pretty much how I intended, big shock I know! But I started the week off well, the new bicep workout was going well, I was stretching reasonably often and I was already feeling the benefits, I also brought back the stomach fat burning workout which I did on Thursday and Friday, surprisingly I also managed a brief general ab workout and had time for squats. I will be perfectly honest, my legs have been aching a bit recently so I have been cutting back on the squats as the legs are not used to having to work and carry out normal duties, so hard I think they require the most rest time at the moment. Despite my good progress, I did drop most exercises on Saturday, after football I spent the rest of the day out with the lads which was good, but should be kept as treat- mostly due to the unhealthy food I consume.


Bringing me on to diet, I have said a balanced one is the one for me but that gradually became more fatty as the days went on and this was not necessarily too bad of a thing as it did remain reasonably healthy, just the fatty food section sneaked up a tad higher than intended, and fatty foods do provide energy which gets you bigger quicker, but anymore than what I had would have been too much I think.


Results


I feel as if I had a reasonably successful week, and that I am hoping to see improvements in performance soon, I have started to see the buds of a couple such as legs starting to grow but we still have a fair way to go before I have made noteworthy progress. Inside I feel fine and confident, outside I look to be healthy and generally not too bad maybe a bit more size and a bit less belly fat than at the moment but I will soon work that off!


Next Week


I am super busy with sporting fixtures starting Monday, so I do not know if I will have too much time to post but it will good for burning that belly fat so it is well worth it. I will workout when I can, but listen to my body and rest when I need one as well.


Lessons Learnt


Listen to your body- if you need a rest, take one. |There is no point in over working when the muscles need time to grow and develop, it is necessary to take a rest so that you can get the best results. You also increase chances of injury; that helps no one!


Hope this helps, had a really useful week full of lessons and information. Please read again, check out other posts, some comments plus ones etc., would be nice and any following is returned (you can also add the blog to your reading list and follow that way so please do so it is much appreciated)- work hard and peace!


Jason

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Daily Diary: End of Month Analysis

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,

So I know that it is November today, but it is also the end of the week and it feels like a good time to reflect not only on the week but on the entire month of October.


My goals for the month


Okay, so my target was to try and bulk up and increase my performance as much as possible, this initially includes working-out a lot and eating loads of food in order to get the calories I need to grow. I had planned to go to the gym in order to do some light weight training (as it is the fastest way to gain size), as well as completing weight free exercises at home in order to tone muscles and push for that little something extra. Diet wise I have already said that I wanted to eat as much as possible in order to get the nutrition that I require, this included foods full of fats such as crisps, donuts etc. , as they contain some of the highest amounts of calories. How did I get on?


What actually happened


Well I started off eating loads of absolutely anything and everything, however after about a week or so I decided it was not working for me. I felt bloated and unhealthy, it was like I could feel the fatty foods inside my body. Therefore I decided I would revert back to eating a balanced diet, which lasted me about a week before Halloween, where I reverted back to the original diet plan in order to fit in with my social life- parties and nights, its that time of year! So on to my exercising; I have managed to keep to reasonably regular routines, despite being forced to drop stretching in a hope to accommodate time to sleep and recover, in other words I was too tired. My other routines actually built up towards the end of the month, as I found a new routine to increase size and power, this being exercising in smaller reps but more sets. This is due to the fact you are working your muscles on strength not endurance and your power- the ability to explode. I was also able to visit the gym a fair few times as well, which I believe did help me build muscle but I should be careful not to stunt my growth, I intend to keep this up for next month.


Results


How did it go? Well I think I should start off with the positives: I do feel bigger and stronger. I believe that the change in workout approach has proven to be a success and has resulted in me looking physically bigger and sturdier. Negatives being once again I feel bloated and unhealthy, furthermore I have actually lost definition in my abs which is never a good sign. I have to blame the poor diet, causing excess fat to store around my mid section covering my abdominal muscles. Performance wise I am yet to see a difference, although I have been working hard I have not found exercises any easier to complete or any real results in sports other than an improved shot power at football- but these things are said to take time so I shall stay committed and hopefully progress shall develop.


Next month


Well the first thing to change will be diet, back to the good old fashioned balanced one, although it takes longer to reach goals I feel better for it and the gain in body fat is not something I am proud of.
Stretching will also return to the routine, due to the fact I shall be doing some weight training and I do not wish to stunt growth, moreover in will help increase flexibility which is never a bad thing,


Work out routine:

• Stretching twice a day
• General ab workout will return as well
• Fat burning ab routine
• Defining ab workout- I started off with this but changed half way through
• Squats numerous reps
• Press ups numerous reps
• Gym work (undecided)

Lessons learnt


Eating cleanly is the form of diet most preferred by my body, power and size require lots of sets smaller reps and that I need to stick to my commitments and not tailor my workouts around my life style.


Hope this helps, had a really useful month full of lessons and information. Please read again, check out other posts, some comments plus ones etc., would be nice and any following is returned (you can also follow the blog that would be awesome)- work hard and peace!


Jason

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Daily Diary: Diet Change

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness


As I mentioned in a previous post about a week ago now, I am trying a new routine and diet in order to achieve my new goals. These goals being: more size (in arms and legs especially) and increased strength/performance.


To be honest, I am not enjoying the new diet; of eating pretty much anything. I am feeling bloated and unhealthy constantly. Therefore I have decided to change the diet around a bit, I still want lots of calories however I will get this from healthy sources of protein. Now I will target foods like nuts and beans for my fats and proteins rather than KFC and chocolate, this is because these unhealthy foods do cause a lot of damage: raising cholesterol, blood pressure, increasing risks of cancer, diabetes and heart problems- all things you do not want to deal with as the can result in shortening your life and preventing you from doing the things you want to do.


The New Diet 

• Carbohydrates- 25%, the fuel for workouts and what makes you last the whole day full of energy, in my opinion a food group that people often skimp on and as a result are very lack-luster and tired, which is affecting their ability to exercise. Good sources: Cereal, bread, pasta. Some at every meal.
• Fruit and vegetables-25%, the fibre used to dispose of waste is found in this group, along side many vitamins that we need to keep our body healthy. Fruit have the vitamins, but vegetables help us increase our absorbtion levels so we absorb as much goodness as possible from the foods we eat. Without them we would piss/shit half the stuff we need down the toilet. Good sources: carrots, oranges, apples, peaches, broccoli; I will try to push more for vegetables.
• Protein-20%, our body's natural steroid, what we use to help our muscles grow and repair. The more of this we get to our muscles the bigger and stronger they get. Simple as that! Good sources; protein shakes (if over 16), chicken, nuts and beans. Avoid red meats of foods too high in fat.
• Dairy-15%, it helps our bones and muscles grow by providing us with protein and calcium, this will help our bodies fill out and get thicker and denser. Which is exactly what I need for my sports, and to increase my strength and performance. Good sources: milk, cheese, yogurt. But beware of the high fat content!
• Fatty foods-5% Gives us short release energy and will help us get bigger the quickest but will also provide too much energy and lead to extortionate fat storage and obesity. If not kept in moderation leads to all signs of problems, check the USA and UK out as living proof.

So this is how I am planning on changing my diet to, as I want to get the results but also feel healthy and have a clear conscious that I am only doing good towards my body, after all you only get one.


Please do all the usual stuff, more posts coming soon, including how my workouts are going. Please come again, thanks for reading, all following returned- work hard and peace!


Jason 

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Daily Dairy: Gym Reboot and Routine

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


Just another diary post this time, so as I have said in recent posts I have been trying to gain size ( in particular in legs, arms and chest). Todays post will be a review of progress.


So I have been doing normal arm workouts everyday as well as going gym every day as well- I have to admit, I have cut back on abs and only been doing the occasional workout. At the gym I am only lifting medium/light weights due to the fact I am paranoid of stunting growth, but weights are still the fastest get bigger. Another thing about lighting to heavy is that the muscle force exerted will shared out around the body in order to make it easier to light, so perhaps only 5kg of a 10kg weight will reach your bicep. It is because of this that I am very selective over the weights I use, for bicep I think 7kg is about enough without causing any real damage. For more information on lighting weights check out my previous posts.
So my weight routine consists of:

• 3 sets 25 reps 7kg bicep
• 3 sets 12 reps 10kg chest (dumbbell)
• 2 sets 25 reps 30kg bench (warm up)
• 3 sets 10 reps 40kg bench
• 1 set 25 reps 50kg pull down bar
• 5 sets 12 reps 25kg legs

As for my results I am yet to say I am seeing any physically, but have not yet been doing this new routine for a week yet so I think it will take a bit longer than a couple of days to see anything. On the other hand I am already feeling more energetic during the day, I am sleeping better and I am feeling stronger- so that is all positive.


Moving on to my diet; to say I have kept it clean would be a lie. It has been high calorie, but I am disappointed to say that it has not been all the fatty foods that are good for you (like nuts). Although I have had a lot of fruit, vegetables and protein; I have been snacking and eating a lot of sugary foods (these do help build muscle though so it might not be as bad as I thought)!
Ideally lots of protein and carbohydrates are what I am after and are what I am trying to target next week as my area of improvement.


That is it for this post, more to come soon I promise. Thanks for reading, please do all the normal stuff- work hard and peace!


Jason

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Daily Dairy: Dairy Increase

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,




Well today is the third day of my new programme and I am yet to see any real physical improvements, however as I said this is only the third day! I will post a big progress review by day 25 to see if I am noticing any real changes and make any adjustments to the new routine.




As you may already know I have been trying to increase my calorie intake in order to provide plenty of fuel for my muscles. Foods I have found particularly useful are proteins such as nuts and beans (which I have lots of everyday) as well as more milk based products.




Here is the thing with dairy, I have consciously been trying to consume more dairy for about a year. As it contains fat and calcium which is good for both muscle and bone (in moderation). I started this due to the fact I read it as a weird tip to put on size was to drink more milk?




Well as someone who didn't even put milk on his cereal for breakfast in the morning, I was thinking that I could do with some more of this, as I wanted to reach the optimum weight for my activities, where bones need to be big and strong. So I started putting it on my cereal as well as having a big glass full of the stuff at least once a day.




Well over the next few months I dipped in and out with milk, some days I would have up to 3 glasses others half a glass, but the important thing was I had it every day. Now about a year onwards I can honestly tell you that I feel more filled out and developed (but this could be due to natural processes), like my bones are fuller and heavier .




Other benefits of milk consumption include:

• Reduced risk of cardiovascular (heart) problems and blood pressure
• Less chance of developing colorectal and breast cancer
• Stronger and healthier teeth
• Reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• Weight loss

I feel like milk is really helping me with my developments so please give it a try, more posts coming soon.


Thanks for reading, hope this helps you guys please do all the normal stuff- peace!

• Jason

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1000 Page Views & New Routine

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,




I want to start this post with a big thank you to all those who have been reading and viewing my blog, with your help I have now reached 1000 page views in well under 3 months. In addition to this I currently have: 20 followers (although many more would be warmly welcomed), almost 400 views in the US and 350 in the UK, as well as over 22,000 views on my Google plus profile. WOW!
I know a lot of people may think: Its just 1000 views what's the big deal ? Well I am fully aware this may not seem like a lot, but for someone who has never done anything like this before, and lets be honest has been fairly in consistent with posts and content, I see this a great achievement and I would like to thank you all.


Moving on to my new plan and routine. I hold my hands up in the air, I have not worked abs in ages and I plan to start exercising my core every night. I am going to have to if I want to see any abs at all, as I am planning to eat LOADS. If I eat loads I provide more energy for my body and more fuel for my muscles to use to grow. The down side is; I am going to have to exercise much more regularly in order to use the excess calories to make sure they do not turn into fat. Moreover, I am now prioritising size and performance over everything, as I need to be stronger for all the sports that I am doing. Therefore legs will become a much more featured routine as well a s greater focus on arms.


Expect more workout posts over the next few days, thanks for reading please continue to follow- over to start- comment, share, eat clean and work hard- thank you all and peace!


Jason

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Diary of my achievemets (catch up session)

Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


Diary day post:


Okay, I have not posted in a few days, because I have had internet problems over the last few days- not that I could not be bothered! I have kept exercising, I have been doing the 5 minute fat burner which has been working, however I have not been getting the definition that I want so I will try out other workouts to see what works best. Arms, I have to admit 50 push-ups, 25 centred push-ups and 50 triceps dips is not a lot (especially if you are trying to improve size). I will start to push my self harder in this area in a hope to start getting results faster. As for eating I have been letting myself down a little with, a diet too high in sugars this will has now ended and I will think more carefully on what I shall eat and when I shall eat (you should aim for every 3-4 hours). I am hoping to go gym tomorrow and I shall inform you on how I got on. Legs will be a big priority with me not having the time to jog anymore I would like to enhance that area of my fitness.


So that is my plans, another post to come soon, all the normal stuff- peace!


Jason

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Welcome to 5.14 Fitness,


Diary


So as you know, I have not been working out this week as I am still shattered from the weekend. However I have been eating fairly cleanly as well as exercising everyday, today I did karate and football. I am especially keen to focus my energy on my karate a bit more in the next few weeks/months as I have been fairly inconsistent over this past year and my status in the group has slipped a little. I shall be pushing for my next belt soon, so I would like to practise everyday if I can.


Karate is great if you want to stay flexible and increase agility and balance, which will not only help you remain mobile whilst your muscles are growing, but it will also improve your performance in almost every sport you do.


So, I am trying to ease my way back into exercising, I managed 50 push-ups this morning and I intend to end the day with my general abdominal workout. Tomorrow Things should get back to normal, but to be honest it depends on how well I am recovering.


Topic


Just some basic terminology in preparation to my new pages.


What is health?
Health is the complete state of physical, mental and social well-being; not just the absence of disease or infirmity. Okay, so what this means is that health is not just being well or lowering your resting heart rate (these are physical benefits), it is also about your mental (relieving stress, building confidence and self-esteem) and social (making new friends and being part of a team) state.


I will go on to explain these terms more in the posts to follow; please comment, follow, plus one, read again, eat clean and work hard- thanks for reading, peace!


Jason

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