Dear dad,
I am so glad you were my dad; we had such great family adventures together.
We were all so lucky to have parents like the two of you. I wish I were able to give my children the colourful, varied, fantastic childhood that you gave to us.
We were different to the other expat families; we broke the rules.
You showed genuine kindness and compassion to many Gambian people.
You didn't send me away to boarding school, I stayed with you. Other families may have thought you had done the wrong thing, but I learned so much from that experience, I am so grateful
I know what it feels like to be a minority; I was the only white girl in my school; you can't learn that every day.
Thank you dad for showing me all walks of life, experiences, the landscapes, the culture, the smells!
What a fantastic childhood.
Who else spent weekends in the mountains, motor boat rides to islands, yacht races and sat around fires chatting to the night watchman with chickens to chase in the garden?
Those memories are so precious.
You taught us to think outside the box. Normal is boring.
We are different but not so different. We are, I hope, still acceptable.
We Cox's try to get on with all sorts.
I feel you have taught us to empathise. I learnt that because you were an honourable man with a great sense of justice and values.
Your continued support and care of Ebrima and his family, who were our extended Gambian family, was unprecedented.
If I can teach my three children such lessons, I would feel proud as both you and mum should.
Thank you for being my beautiful dad and thank you for marrying my wonderful little mum.
You are a hard act to follow and we will always miss you.
Love you dad.
Wednesday 31 October 2012
To my dad
I got back from Finland in time to see dad before we closed his eyes.
It was an overwhelming experience made special by all the family being there together.
We cried and hugged and found and gave comfort with dad right there with us.
Looking into his eyes before he went is a moment I will cherish for ever and I thank him for giving me that - he knew I was coming and he was decent enough right to the end to hang on for the wayward lad, the prodigal son.
Poor mum was with him throughout the horrible ordeal which only got worse the longer it went on.
I am really happy to have spent last summer at home with them both. He came home after his first stay at hospital when I arrived back at the beginning of July. He was weak but he got stronger and after a little while mum and I had him up and walking again.
'She's an angel your mum.'
She really is.
We believed there was hope - that is the only way you can go on - but dad was frustrated and mum and I would catch him sitting back in the conservatory looking up at the sky, contemplating.
It's a horrible thing to have gone through, to have suffered in that way and although it is little consolation we can thank all the carers for doing all that they could.
But no one deserves his praise more than mum who was there, who was always there and always has been there, tending to his needs and staying at his bedside with no sleep towards the end.
The last words he shared with anyone were the last words he shared with mum in that little room with two hospital beds crammed into it three days before I arrived: 'Let's go now, Let's go home.'
'We will David, we will. But it's dark now. We'll go in the morning. We'll put the beds next to the window and we'll look out at the little birds in the garden.'
You needn't blame yourself mum, you needn't beat yourself up about anything; you did bring him home, I see him everywhere. I see him in his favourite chair in the conservatory. I see him sitting at the small dining table where we would have lunch together. I see him in his pyjamas and dressing gown making the tea before taking it upstairs to drink with you.
In earlier times when we all lived together standing at the worktop carving the Sunday roast.
At the larger table where we as a family would eat, dad at the head of the table, a glass of red at hand.
Sitting in his chair with the Connolly leather from when he worked at the stock exchange.
In the garden doing his leaks.
In the green house.
And in the studio throwing a new pot.
There are millions of memories that all of us who had anything to do with him will hold in our hearts for ever.
It's easier for some of us who didn't see the last days of torture.
And, mum, it's easier for me.
I see him everywhere and it's good and I can only hope, mum, that soon you can replace the memories of those last few days in Clarke Ward with visions of happier times because...
you did bring him home.
Your beautiful boy is home.
It was an overwhelming experience made special by all the family being there together.
We cried and hugged and found and gave comfort with dad right there with us.
Looking into his eyes before he went is a moment I will cherish for ever and I thank him for giving me that - he knew I was coming and he was decent enough right to the end to hang on for the wayward lad, the prodigal son.
Poor mum was with him throughout the horrible ordeal which only got worse the longer it went on.
I am really happy to have spent last summer at home with them both. He came home after his first stay at hospital when I arrived back at the beginning of July. He was weak but he got stronger and after a little while mum and I had him up and walking again.
'She's an angel your mum.'
She really is.
We believed there was hope - that is the only way you can go on - but dad was frustrated and mum and I would catch him sitting back in the conservatory looking up at the sky, contemplating.
It's a horrible thing to have gone through, to have suffered in that way and although it is little consolation we can thank all the carers for doing all that they could.
But no one deserves his praise more than mum who was there, who was always there and always has been there, tending to his needs and staying at his bedside with no sleep towards the end.
The last words he shared with anyone were the last words he shared with mum in that little room with two hospital beds crammed into it three days before I arrived: 'Let's go now, Let's go home.'
'We will David, we will. But it's dark now. We'll go in the morning. We'll put the beds next to the window and we'll look out at the little birds in the garden.'
You needn't blame yourself mum, you needn't beat yourself up about anything; you did bring him home, I see him everywhere. I see him in his favourite chair in the conservatory. I see him sitting at the small dining table where we would have lunch together. I see him in his pyjamas and dressing gown making the tea before taking it upstairs to drink with you.
In earlier times when we all lived together standing at the worktop carving the Sunday roast.
At the larger table where we as a family would eat, dad at the head of the table, a glass of red at hand.
Sitting in his chair with the Connolly leather from when he worked at the stock exchange.
In the garden doing his leaks.
In the green house.
And in the studio throwing a new pot.
There are millions of memories that all of us who had anything to do with him will hold in our hearts for ever.
It's easier for some of us who didn't see the last days of torture.
And, mum, it's easier for me.
I see him everywhere and it's good and I can only hope, mum, that soon you can replace the memories of those last few days in Clarke Ward with visions of happier times because...
you did bring him home.
Your beautiful boy is home.
Friday 28 September 2012
M/42 Swedish military bike Restoration, Hermes by Nymans
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| M/42 Swedish Military Hermes bicycles by Nymans |
I made a trip to a scrap yard here in Finland last week to look at some old military bicycles that had been left out to survive the elements. I'm not sure how many Finnish winters they had been left there but they were not in a very pretty state.
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| Hermes Nymans Verstäder badge |
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| Hermes logo under the badge |
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| Three Crowns and date of 1956 on inner tube |
The inner tubes bore the Swedish Army Three Crowns mark and the name Varnamo. Värnamo is a municipality in Sweden and there is a Varnamo Rubber UK but I haven't been able to find anything about Varnamo and inner tubes from 1956.
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| Original 1956 inner tube with working valve |
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| Varnamo brand on innertube |
A later replacement inner tube was totally disintegrated.
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| Front wheel with drum brake |
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| Drum brake removed |
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| Cleaned drum brake in lock position |
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| Drum brake in free position |
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| 6 Volt 0.5 amp bottle dynamo |
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| Dynamo manufactured by ASEA (Swedish general electric) |
The finished bike had taken little over 7 hours to dismantle, clean and reconstruct. All that really needed doing was to replace the tyres, reconnect the wires for the dynamo, repair the rear light fitting, and free up the brake drum and lever mechanism.
A closer inspection of the rear hub reveled it was a one speed NOVO coaster brake hub manufactured by Husqvarna although Nymans usually installed a torpedo hub.
A closer inspection of the rear hub reveled it was a one speed NOVO coaster brake hub manufactured by Husqvarna although Nymans usually installed a torpedo hub.
With the Nymans badge putting the bike pre '47 and the rear hub post '45, the bike was probably manufactured between those years. However, my source in Sweden informs me that the frame number suggests a date of 1944, making it 68 years old when I found it. And all the parts it came with are still in perfect working order.
These were manufactured at a time before mass consumerism was the norm. Things were built to last, unlike in our modern throw-away society. I wonder what the average age is, in the west, for objects like refrigerators, TV's and washing machines? Five to ten years, perhaps? A refrigerator made in the old USSR from the 30's still works today, and yes, light bulbs can be made to last a lifetime.
These were manufactured at a time before mass consumerism was the norm. Things were built to last, unlike in our modern throw-away society. I wonder what the average age is, in the west, for objects like refrigerators, TV's and washing machines? Five to ten years, perhaps? A refrigerator made in the old USSR from the 30's still works today, and yes, light bulbs can be made to last a lifetime.
I think the bikes probably saw active service from around 1944 until 1956, when the inner tubes and tyres, which were also dated 1956, were changed. I imagine they were then taken out of active service, covered in green paint over the original grey and auctioned off whereupon they ended up in Finland.
I shall have to remake the saddle which had totally disintegrated but initial rides have proved this to be the most comfortable and solid-feeling bicycle I have ever ridden. Yes, at over 26 kg it is a heavy bike, but like an old Rolls Royce it wafts along with no rattles or squeaks. When you ride over a bump on one of these, you glide over it.
The Swedish bicycle company Kronan founded in 1997 has its roots in this very bicycle. In the '90s two Swedish university students supplemented their income by buying and restoring M/42 army bikes. When they ran out of stock, they applied for the rights of the original design and had them manufactured in Taiwan and assembled in Poland.
Perhaps I have stumbled upon the last of the remaining stock of original M/42s or could there be more out there in the many scrapyards dotted around Finland?
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| Finished and all in working order. |
Perhaps I have stumbled upon the last of the remaining stock of original M/42s or could there be more out there in the many scrapyards dotted around Finland?
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| Frame number stamped under the crank indicating a 1944 date of manufacture |
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| Swedish Army three crowns stamped on top of the handle bars |
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| Front lamp manufactured by Bosch in Sweden SP L1, probably from the 60's or even 70's |
Sunday 16 September 2012
Indigenous tree species in Finland
I shall be adding links and pictures to this list and notes concerning uses and fruits.
Softwoods:
Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Spruce (Picea abies)
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Common or european or english yew (Taxus baccata)
Hardwoods:
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
Downy birch (Betula pubescens)
Common or european alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Grey alder (Alnus incana)
Aspen (Populus tremula)
Rowan, european mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia)
Oaklef mountain ash (Sorbus hybrida)
Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia )
Teodori rowan (Sorbys teodori)
European bird cherry (Prunus padus)
Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata)
Norway maple(Acer platanoides)
Common or english or pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)
Common or european ash (Fraxinus excelsior)saarni
Wych elm (Ulmus glabra)
European white elm (Ulmus laevis)
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
Common buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus)
Alder or glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)
Hawnthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Goat willow (Salix caprea)
Bay or laurel willow (Salix pentandra)
Black maul. almond or almond-leaved willow (Salix triandra)
Dark-leaved willow (Salix myrsinifolia)
No known English name:
Crataegus rhipidophylla
Salix borealis
Softwoods:
Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Spruce (Picea abies)
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Common or european or english yew (Taxus baccata)
Hardwoods:
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
Downy birch (Betula pubescens)
Common or european alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Grey alder (Alnus incana)
Aspen (Populus tremula)
Rowan, european mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia)
Oaklef mountain ash (Sorbus hybrida)
Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia )
Teodori rowan (Sorbys teodori)
European bird cherry (Prunus padus)
Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata)
Norway maple(Acer platanoides)
Common or english or pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)
Common or european ash (Fraxinus excelsior)saarni
Wych elm (Ulmus glabra)
European white elm (Ulmus laevis)
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
Common buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus)
Alder or glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)
Hawnthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Goat willow (Salix caprea)
Bay or laurel willow (Salix pentandra)
Black maul. almond or almond-leaved willow (Salix triandra)
Dark-leaved willow (Salix myrsinifolia)
No known English name:
Crataegus rhipidophylla
Salix borealis
Saturday 15 September 2012
At the lake
15th September 2012
Twenty-two minutes to get to the lake over six kilometres away on a mono-speed bicycle.
I get that down to 17 minutes on the return journey. It was getting dark and cold. I was in a hurry and the thought of getting into my hot sauna seemed to provide the impetus necessary to add some extra rotational force to my pedalling legs.
...
Chris unchains the oars and little rowing boat, we load up our rods and paddle off around the lake skimming the banks with its reeds and marshy edges. We fish with rubber lures which are lead-weighted at the heads. They cast beautifully.
Halfway round Chris hooks and lands a pike. It's not big but would make a decent meal. Chris says the white flesh is difficult for him to distinguish from cod which I find difficult to believe - I imagined pike or most lake fish to be muddy tasting. The water is very brown here but translucent brown in the shallows. Chris says its from the peat.
The pike makes a disturbing croaking sound and before I know it, Chris has unhooked it and put it gently back into the water. It swims off.
My dinner swims off.
I am having more luck hooking the lilies than any fish and on the way back I volunteer to row. We've been on the water for one and a half hours so it's a good distance back.
...
I get that down to 17 minutes on the return journey. It was getting dark and cold. I was in a hurry and the thought of getting into my hot sauna seemed to provide the impetus necessary to add some extra rotational force to my pedalling legs.
...
Chris unchains the oars and little rowing boat, we load up our rods and paddle off around the lake skimming the banks with its reeds and marshy edges. We fish with rubber lures which are lead-weighted at the heads. They cast beautifully.
Halfway round Chris hooks and lands a pike. It's not big but would make a decent meal. Chris says the white flesh is difficult for him to distinguish from cod which I find difficult to believe - I imagined pike or most lake fish to be muddy tasting. The water is very brown here but translucent brown in the shallows. Chris says its from the peat.The pike makes a disturbing croaking sound and before I know it, Chris has unhooked it and put it gently back into the water. It swims off.
My dinner swims off.
I am having more luck hooking the lilies than any fish and on the way back I volunteer to row. We've been on the water for one and a half hours so it's a good distance back.
...
The dark lake, like a gypsy's crystal ball reflects another world. Autumn is just starting here but in the upside down world it is easy to imagine the arrival of spring in New Zealand, the land of my birth.
First signs of Autumn
15th September 2012
A solitary nettle protrudes above the wild raspberries in the chill autumnal air. The green leaves of the fruit bushes are interspersed with rusty weeds lacking the suppleness they once enjoyed, like stiff and wizened old folk. The trees in front of my window still harness the green naivety of summer but strangely it is the interior branches that host the older leaves. Now yellow and as if punctured by a dirty nail dappled with brown spots which will soon spread like the veins in a blue cheese.
Beyond, a sliver birch still stands tall and green. One neighbour is a patchwork of green and yellow while yet another is almost completely transformed and will soon wear its full autumn cloak.
Low clouds puff along to the north as a heart-shaped hole of turquoise opens up like a beacon of hope. Through the hole, cumulo clouds form with bright tops touched by the sun.
The wind rustles through the leaves.
Perhaps this afternoon it will be sunny.
A solitary nettle protrudes above the wild raspberries in the chill autumnal air. The green leaves of the fruit bushes are interspersed with rusty weeds lacking the suppleness they once enjoyed, like stiff and wizened old folk. The trees in front of my window still harness the green naivety of summer but strangely it is the interior branches that host the older leaves. Now yellow and as if punctured by a dirty nail dappled with brown spots which will soon spread like the veins in a blue cheese.
Beyond, a sliver birch still stands tall and green. One neighbour is a patchwork of green and yellow while yet another is almost completely transformed and will soon wear its full autumn cloak.
Low clouds puff along to the north as a heart-shaped hole of turquoise opens up like a beacon of hope. Through the hole, cumulo clouds form with bright tops touched by the sun.
The wind rustles through the leaves.
Perhaps this afternoon it will be sunny.
Back in Finland after my visit home
15th September 2012
It's been a while since I last posted anything.
I've been back in the UK visiting family.
The kids are great and I miss them deeply. My older boy Jun did brilliantly in his 'A' level exams and got into the university of his choice, Sheffield, to read economics.
I've got a great family and I am always thinking of them; Jun, Sean, Eli, Mum, Dad, Katie, Al, Soph. All of them.
...
My father was diagnosed with cancer and had been receiving treatment since March. He was hospitalised due to an infection following chaemotherapy. It really took it out of him and he was greatly weakened.
I managed to get back a couple of days before he returned home. As he was pushed up the path in a wheel chair, my heart stopped. He looked so thin and frail and there was concern about his faculties - we needn't have worried about that though.
Over the course of three weeks or so, we managed to get him back on his feet and exercising a little to get the strength back into his atrophied legs. After three weeks in hospital, the muscle had just slipped off his body. He graduated from a Zimmer frame to a walking stick and was venturing about without any aid when he tripped over and hurt himself.
His confidence took a big knock and he gave up for a while. It must be frustrating being mentally alert and having been previously so active in the garden and in his pottery studio but not being able to get about - the mind being strong but the body being unable.
He got back up but is more down than up.
It's a big shock for all of us but especially mum to see the big strong man who played such a leading role in our lives reduced to thin legs in baggy pyjamas.
I love you dad. We all do and our thoughts are with you always.
It's been a while since I last posted anything.
I've been back in the UK visiting family.
The kids are great and I miss them deeply. My older boy Jun did brilliantly in his 'A' level exams and got into the university of his choice, Sheffield, to read economics.
I've got a great family and I am always thinking of them; Jun, Sean, Eli, Mum, Dad, Katie, Al, Soph. All of them.
...
My father was diagnosed with cancer and had been receiving treatment since March. He was hospitalised due to an infection following chaemotherapy. It really took it out of him and he was greatly weakened.
I managed to get back a couple of days before he returned home. As he was pushed up the path in a wheel chair, my heart stopped. He looked so thin and frail and there was concern about his faculties - we needn't have worried about that though.
Over the course of three weeks or so, we managed to get him back on his feet and exercising a little to get the strength back into his atrophied legs. After three weeks in hospital, the muscle had just slipped off his body. He graduated from a Zimmer frame to a walking stick and was venturing about without any aid when he tripped over and hurt himself.
His confidence took a big knock and he gave up for a while. It must be frustrating being mentally alert and having been previously so active in the garden and in his pottery studio but not being able to get about - the mind being strong but the body being unable.
He got back up but is more down than up.
It's a big shock for all of us but especially mum to see the big strong man who played such a leading role in our lives reduced to thin legs in baggy pyjamas.
I love you dad. We all do and our thoughts are with you always.
Wednesday 13 June 2012
HST Blank Printable 15 rep 2 week cycle
15 rep cycle
(Insert 60% of 1 rep max for exercises on final day of cycle. Subtract 1kg each day working backwards for small muscles and 2-5kg for bigger muscles - lighter weights are at beginning of cycle.)Monday Day 1
General warm up
Body weight leg raise 3 X 20-25
Crunch machine 3 X 20-25
Hyper extensions body weight 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Leg curl 2 X 15 X
Leg extension 2 X 15 X (optional)
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide; Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Narrow; 2 X 15 X
Shoulders
Rear delts
Bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x
Traps
Shrugs; standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X
Calves
Standing press 2 X 15 X
Wednesday Day 2
General warm up
Body weight leg raise 3 X 20-25Crunch machine 3 X 20-25
Hyper extensions body weight 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat Warm up, 2 X 15 XLeg curl 2 X 15 X
Leg extension 2 X 15 X (optional)
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up, 2 X 15 XBack
Chins or Lat pull downWide; Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Narrow; 2 X 15 X
Shoulders
Rear deltsBent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x
Traps
Shrugs; standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 XTriceps
French Curl 2 X 15 XCalves
Standing press 2 X 15 XFriday Day 3
General warm up
Body weight leg raise 3 X 20-25
Crunch machine 3 X 20-25
Hyper extensions body weight 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Leg curl 2 X 15 X
Leg extension 2 X 15 X (optional)
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide; Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Narrow; 2 X 15 X
Shoulders
Rear delts
Bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x
Traps
Shrugs; standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X
Calves
Standing press 2 X 15 X
Monday Day 4
General warm up
Body weight leg raise 3 X 20-25
Crunch machine 3 X 20-25
Hyper extensions body weight 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Leg curl 2 X 15 X
Leg extension 2 X 15 X (optional)
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide; Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Narrow; 2 X 15 X
Shoulders
Rear delts
Bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x
Traps
Shrugs; standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X
Calves
Standing press 2 X 15 X
Wednesday Day 5
General warm up
Body weight leg raise 3 X 20-25Crunch machine 3 X 20-25
Hyper extensions body weight 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat Warm up, 2 X 15 XLeg curl 2 X 15 X
Leg extension 2 X 15 X (optional)
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up, 2 X 15 XBack
Chins or Lat pull downWide; Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Narrow; 2 X 15 X
Shoulders
Rear deltsBent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x
Traps
Shrugs; standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 XTriceps
French Curl 2 X 15 XCalves
Standing press 2 X 15 XFriday Day 6
(the weights below should be your 60% of 1 rep max.)General warm up
Body weight leg raise 3 X 20-25Crunch machine 3 X 20-25
Hyper extensions body weight 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat Warm up, 2 X 15 XLeg curl 2 X 15 X
Leg extension 2 X 15 X (optional)
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up, 2 X 15 XBack
Chins or Lat pull downWide; Warm up, 2 X 15 X
Narrow; 2 X 15 X
Shoulders
Rear deltsBent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x
Traps
Shrugs; standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 XTriceps
French Curl 2 X 15 XCalves
Standing press 2 X 15 XMonday 11 June 2012
Hypertrophy-specific Training. 15 rep 2 week cycle
11th June 2012
The problem I can foresee here is, because I am not lifting very heavy weights at the moment, some of the increments are very small. This will make it difficult to find weights small enough. I might have to double up some of the days whereby I do the same weight on consecutive days and maybe pushing one more rep.
Perform a simple short full body warm up prior to lifting any weights. It is sufficient just to raise the heart rate a bit for maybe up to five minutes.
Do not perform any stretches.
Some of the exercises require a warm up which entails lifting half the target weight 15 times and are indicated below.
2 X 15 means lifting the weight 15 times, resting and then doing it again 15 times. The maximums for each repetition group will be the target weights for the end of the two week cycle.
Back and chest have alternative exercises each time. Day 1, 3, 5 consist of wide and narrow lat pull down for the back and slight incline bench for the chest. Day 2, 4, 6 consist of T-bar row (should be wide and narrow grip) for back and dips or pec deck for chest.
Try to mix up the exercises for biceps frequently.
First cycle
15 rep max programme
Monday Day 1
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 75kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 75kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 75kg
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up 2 X 15 X 25kg
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide Warm up, 2 X 15 X 40kg
Narrow 2 X 15 X 40kg
Shoulders
Rear delts
Bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 4kg
Traps
Shrugs: standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 40kg
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 12kg (Note: Failed. Moved closer to the cable on second set and only managed 12 reps. Try same next time standing slightly further back.)
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 15kg
Calves
Standing press 2 X 15 X 40kg
Notes:
Monday 11th June 2012
This was more difficult than I had anticipated. It is a long time since I did a full body workout with 15 reps. In fact, the last time I did anything similar, my wife was pregnant with my 10 year old son.
Wednesday Day 2
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 78kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 78kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 78kg
Chest
Pec deck 2 x 15 X 25kg
Back
T-Bar Warm up, 2 X 15 X 32kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 4.5kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 43kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 13kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 13kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 43kg
Friday Day 3
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 79kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 79kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 79kg
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up 2 X 15 X 26kg
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide Warm up, 2 X 15 X 45kg
Narrow 2 X 15 X 45kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 5kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 44kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 14kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 14kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 44kg
Monday Day 4
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 80kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 80kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 80kg
Chest
Pec deck 2 x 15 X 27kg
Back
T-Bar Warm up, 2 X 15 X 34kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 5.5kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 45kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 15kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 15kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 46kg
Wednesday Day 5
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 82kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 82kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 82kg
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up 2 X 15 X 28kg
Back
Pull downs
Wide Warm up, 2 X 15 X 48kg
Narrow 2 X 15 X 48kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 6kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 46kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 16kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 16kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 46kg
Friday Day 6
(the weights below are 60% of my 1 rep max which I found using the calculator in exrx.)
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 84kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 84kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 84kg
Chest
Pec deck 2 x 15 X 30kg
Back
T-Bar Warm up, 2 X 15 X 36kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 6kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 48kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher 2 X 15 X 15kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 15kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 48kg
The problem I can foresee here is, because I am not lifting very heavy weights at the moment, some of the increments are very small. This will make it difficult to find weights small enough. I might have to double up some of the days whereby I do the same weight on consecutive days and maybe pushing one more rep.
Perform a simple short full body warm up prior to lifting any weights. It is sufficient just to raise the heart rate a bit for maybe up to five minutes.
Do not perform any stretches.
Some of the exercises require a warm up which entails lifting half the target weight 15 times and are indicated below.
2 X 15 means lifting the weight 15 times, resting and then doing it again 15 times. The maximums for each repetition group will be the target weights for the end of the two week cycle.
Back and chest have alternative exercises each time. Day 1, 3, 5 consist of wide and narrow lat pull down for the back and slight incline bench for the chest. Day 2, 4, 6 consist of T-bar row (should be wide and narrow grip) for back and dips or pec deck for chest.
Try to mix up the exercises for biceps frequently.
First cycle
15 rep max programme
Monday Day 1
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 75kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 75kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 75kg
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up 2 X 15 X 25kg
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide Warm up, 2 X 15 X 40kg
Narrow 2 X 15 X 40kg
Shoulders
Rear delts
Bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 4kg
Traps
Shrugs: standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 40kg
Biceps
Standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 12kg (Note: Failed. Moved closer to the cable on second set and only managed 12 reps. Try same next time standing slightly further back.)
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 15kg
Calves
Standing press 2 X 15 X 40kg
Notes:
Monday 11th June 2012
This was more difficult than I had anticipated. It is a long time since I did a full body workout with 15 reps. In fact, the last time I did anything similar, my wife was pregnant with my 10 year old son.
Wednesday Day 2
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 78kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 78kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 78kg
Chest
Pec deck 2 x 15 X 25kg
Back
T-Bar Warm up, 2 X 15 X 32kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 4.5kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 43kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 13kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 13kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 43kg
Friday Day 3
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 79kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 79kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 79kg
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up 2 X 15 X 26kg
Back
Chins or Lat pull down
Wide Warm up, 2 X 15 X 45kg
Narrow 2 X 15 X 45kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 5kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 44kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 14kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 14kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 44kg
Monday Day 4
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 80kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 80kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 80kg
Chest
Pec deck 2 x 15 X 27kg
Back
T-Bar Warm up, 2 X 15 X 34kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 5.5kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 45kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 15kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 15kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 46kg
Wednesday Day 5
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 82kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 82kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 82kg
Chest
Bench slight incline Warm up 2 X 15 X 28kg
Back
Pull downs
Wide Warm up, 2 X 15 X 48kg
Narrow 2 X 15 X 48kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 6kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 46kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher (change frequently) 2 X 15 X 16kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 16kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 46kg
Friday Day 6
(the weights below are 60% of my 1 rep max which I found using the calculator in exrx.)
Abs
Body weight leg raise for now 3 X 20-25
Legs
Leg press or squat; Warm up, 2 X 15 X 84kg
Leg curl 2 X 15 X 84kg
Leg extension 2 X 15 X 84kg
Chest
Pec deck 2 x 15 X 30kg
Back
T-Bar Warm up, 2 X 15 X 36kg
Shoulders
Delts rear bent over lateral raise 2 x 15 x 6kg
Shrugs Standing calf press machine 2 X 15 X 48kg
Biceps
standing cable preacher 2 X 15 X 15kg
Triceps
French Curl 2 X 15 X 15kg
Calves
standing press 2 X 15 X 48kg
Hypertrophy-Specific Training: Writing the programme
10th June 2012
I have slowly been adapting myself to the gym after an absence of a couple of years. It is important not to rush these things at the beginning. If you have been away from the gym for a while or if this is the first time for you to start on a real weightlifting programme, then you need to allow the body to slowly adjust to its new environment. The last thing you want is an injury at the outset of a new regime.
It is best to start out doing a full body workout three times a week to acclimatise yourself to the gym. If this is the first time you have done weight training, you could stick with this programme for the first 12 weeks. You will see a lot of progress during this time. A good full body workout can be found on exrx here.
Over the last few weeks I have been concentrating on increasing the weights I can lift so that I can find out my weight limits up to 10 repetitions.
I have been following a three day split so I have been in the gym five days a week exercising all body parts twice each apart from the legs which I did only once a week - they are bigger and require more strenuous exercise and longer recovery. I did the split by doing push exercises on Monday and Thursday and pull exercises on Tuesday and Friday and legs on Wednesday.
I am now able to lift slightly heavier weights which has made it possible to calculate all my one rep max's. This means that I can now write my hypertrophy-specific training schedule. This shall follow the principles of low volume and progressive intensity training, an interesting article on which can be seen here.
In my next post, you will be able to see my new training schedule showing all the exercises in the correct order with the weights and numbers of times I shall be lifting them for the next two weeks. The programme is now all planned out to the last detail for the next eight weeks. I shall be posting the schedule in two weekly blocks just in case I need to do any adjustments. I can foresee one problem; because I am not lifting heavy weights yet, some of the incremental increases are very small and these kind of weights are not readily available in the gym. I might have to do some adapting until I can lift heavier weights.
For people lifting heavier weights, and for most of the exercises myself as well, the beauty of this system is that there is no guess work, no "let's just see how many times I can lift this." The intensity increases over the entire course, first on a two week cycle with the number of reps staying the same but the weight increasing from one session to the next. The intensity also increases every fortnight as the weight is considerably increased as you move onto the next repetition max group. You perform your 15 repetition max group of exercises for two weeks, then two weeks of 10 and finally two weeks of 5.
A general warm up for the whole body should be performed prior to lifting any weights. This might involve a few minutes on the treadmill or some Ab crunches just to raise the pulse a bit. The warm up for some of the exercises should consist of lifting half the target weight about 12 to 15 times. This allows you to get used to performing the exercise. It is not necessary to stretch as this just puts the muscle under stress and will result in not being able to lift the weight to the best of your ability and strength.
I have slowly been adapting myself to the gym after an absence of a couple of years. It is important not to rush these things at the beginning. If you have been away from the gym for a while or if this is the first time for you to start on a real weightlifting programme, then you need to allow the body to slowly adjust to its new environment. The last thing you want is an injury at the outset of a new regime.
It is best to start out doing a full body workout three times a week to acclimatise yourself to the gym. If this is the first time you have done weight training, you could stick with this programme for the first 12 weeks. You will see a lot of progress during this time. A good full body workout can be found on exrx here.
Over the last few weeks I have been concentrating on increasing the weights I can lift so that I can find out my weight limits up to 10 repetitions.
I have been following a three day split so I have been in the gym five days a week exercising all body parts twice each apart from the legs which I did only once a week - they are bigger and require more strenuous exercise and longer recovery. I did the split by doing push exercises on Monday and Thursday and pull exercises on Tuesday and Friday and legs on Wednesday.
I am now able to lift slightly heavier weights which has made it possible to calculate all my one rep max's. This means that I can now write my hypertrophy-specific training schedule. This shall follow the principles of low volume and progressive intensity training, an interesting article on which can be seen here.
In my next post, you will be able to see my new training schedule showing all the exercises in the correct order with the weights and numbers of times I shall be lifting them for the next two weeks. The programme is now all planned out to the last detail for the next eight weeks. I shall be posting the schedule in two weekly blocks just in case I need to do any adjustments. I can foresee one problem; because I am not lifting heavy weights yet, some of the incremental increases are very small and these kind of weights are not readily available in the gym. I might have to do some adapting until I can lift heavier weights.
For people lifting heavier weights, and for most of the exercises myself as well, the beauty of this system is that there is no guess work, no "let's just see how many times I can lift this." The intensity increases over the entire course, first on a two week cycle with the number of reps staying the same but the weight increasing from one session to the next. The intensity also increases every fortnight as the weight is considerably increased as you move onto the next repetition max group. You perform your 15 repetition max group of exercises for two weeks, then two weeks of 10 and finally two weeks of 5.
A general warm up for the whole body should be performed prior to lifting any weights. This might involve a few minutes on the treadmill or some Ab crunches just to raise the pulse a bit. The warm up for some of the exercises should consist of lifting half the target weight about 12 to 15 times. This allows you to get used to performing the exercise. It is not necessary to stretch as this just puts the muscle under stress and will result in not being able to lift the weight to the best of your ability and strength.
Sunday 10 June 2012
Putting it into practice; Hypertrophy-Specific Training
10th June 2012
To plan your hypertrophy-specific training schedule you need to calculate your 1 rep max. This is the heaviest weight you can lift just one time and no more.
You do not have to find out what this is by actually lifting it in the gym as doing it this way would take too long to work out. Each time you lift a weight your muscles are weakened so to find out your 1 rep max could take weeks as you would need to allow your muscles sufficient time to recover between experimental lifts. You may find that you can lift a certain weight six times and at this point your muscle experiences complete muscle failure; you are unable to lift it one more time while maintaining correct posture. Never force a lift and never cheat by swinging your torso to help a lift. There are times when you might do negatives, but these should only be incorporated into the end of a workout programme lasting up to 12 twelve weeks; the final week might use negative lifts. I shall write about this in a later posting.
After finding out how many times you can lift a certain weight, as long as it is less than 10 times, you can use a 1 rep max calculator to find your 1 rep max. You also need to find out what your 15 rep, 10 rep and 5 rep max's are so I use the exrx calculator for this which can be found here.
Having input the weight you managed to lift and the number of reps you did into the boxes at the top, the table on the right is populated giving you estimated weights for various percentages of your one rep max.
I use dos Remedios for my estimated reps at percentage of 1 repetition maximum, so for my 15 rep max I need to find the 60% of max, for my 10 rep max, I need to find the 75% of max and for the 5 rep max, I need the 85% of max.
You will need to do this for all the exercises to be used in the workout programme.
Over the course of the last few weeks, I have been slowly increasing the intensity of my weight lifting. I started on weights that I could comfortably lift more than 12 times and over time, I have increased the weight from one week to the next until last week I was lifting weights that I could not manage to lift more than 10 times. I was able to use these weights and the number of reps to predict all my one repetition maximums.
The exercises you need to do the predictions for are as follows;
(Clickable for video)
Squats (due to a lower back weakness and operation to my left knee, I used the leg press machine instead), seated leg curl, slight incline bench press (the incline helps to work the pec minor and front deltoids as well as the pec major. I do the power lifting version) Dips (for chest, I used the pec dec instead as I am not yet strong enough to do proper chest dips), lateral raises for rear deltoids, preacher curls for biceps, standing calf press, chins (again I am not strong enough yet so I used wide and narrow lat pull downs), bent over row (I used T-bar), shrugs for traps (I used the standing calf press machine) and French curl for triceps (like a skull crusher but behind the head and using an ezee bar).
In my next post, I shall show you what the weight training programme looks like for me using the two week cycles for 15, 10 and 5 rep maximums.
To plan your hypertrophy-specific training schedule you need to calculate your 1 rep max. This is the heaviest weight you can lift just one time and no more.
You do not have to find out what this is by actually lifting it in the gym as doing it this way would take too long to work out. Each time you lift a weight your muscles are weakened so to find out your 1 rep max could take weeks as you would need to allow your muscles sufficient time to recover between experimental lifts. You may find that you can lift a certain weight six times and at this point your muscle experiences complete muscle failure; you are unable to lift it one more time while maintaining correct posture. Never force a lift and never cheat by swinging your torso to help a lift. There are times when you might do negatives, but these should only be incorporated into the end of a workout programme lasting up to 12 twelve weeks; the final week might use negative lifts. I shall write about this in a later posting.
After finding out how many times you can lift a certain weight, as long as it is less than 10 times, you can use a 1 rep max calculator to find your 1 rep max. You also need to find out what your 15 rep, 10 rep and 5 rep max's are so I use the exrx calculator for this which can be found here.
Having input the weight you managed to lift and the number of reps you did into the boxes at the top, the table on the right is populated giving you estimated weights for various percentages of your one rep max.
I use dos Remedios for my estimated reps at percentage of 1 repetition maximum, so for my 15 rep max I need to find the 60% of max, for my 10 rep max, I need to find the 75% of max and for the 5 rep max, I need the 85% of max.
You will need to do this for all the exercises to be used in the workout programme.
Over the course of the last few weeks, I have been slowly increasing the intensity of my weight lifting. I started on weights that I could comfortably lift more than 12 times and over time, I have increased the weight from one week to the next until last week I was lifting weights that I could not manage to lift more than 10 times. I was able to use these weights and the number of reps to predict all my one repetition maximums.
The exercises you need to do the predictions for are as follows;
(Clickable for video)
Squats (due to a lower back weakness and operation to my left knee, I used the leg press machine instead), seated leg curl, slight incline bench press (the incline helps to work the pec minor and front deltoids as well as the pec major. I do the power lifting version) Dips (for chest, I used the pec dec instead as I am not yet strong enough to do proper chest dips), lateral raises for rear deltoids, preacher curls for biceps, standing calf press, chins (again I am not strong enough yet so I used wide and narrow lat pull downs), bent over row (I used T-bar), shrugs for traps (I used the standing calf press machine) and French curl for triceps (like a skull crusher but behind the head and using an ezee bar).
In my next post, I shall show you what the weight training programme looks like for me using the two week cycles for 15, 10 and 5 rep maximums.
Sunday 3 June 2012
Hypertrophy-Specific Training
Taken from the HST website:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_notes.htm
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_notes.htm
Hypertrophy-Specific Training™ arose out of the research looking at both the stimuli and mechanisms for muscle cell hypertrophy. Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST) is based on physiological principles of hypertrophy first discovered in the laboratory. These principles were then organized into a "method" of mechanically loading the muscle to induce hypertrophy. Of course, translating these principles into applicable methods (sets & reps & schedules) brings in some possibility of error. As the science continues to explore the exact mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy, this error will be whittled away. I didn't start out knowing how muscles grew. After all, it is a process that cannot be observed with the naked eye. In the beginning I simply did what others were doing. Then, I began reading muscle magazines and buying books. Still, I wasn't able to achieve the level of muscularity I saw so prominently displayed in the magazines. For about 10 years I trained with all the popular training styles. I made decent progress in the beginning but as time went by, I seldom saw changes in the mirror, at least not any I could get anyone else to notice. But I continued to pursue the art. As I entered college and graduate school, I finally had access to real research that was only just then beginning to take form. The interest in muscle growth is fairly new in academic circles. As I began to explore the research, it became clear to me that the routines and traditions I was exposed to as a bodybuilder, were NOT based on physiological principles on a cellular level. It was a "fantastic voyage" compared to the European inspired global view of training. At the microscopic level scientists were talking about things like "myogenic stem cells", "growth-factors", "mechanical loading", "synergistic ablation", "smeared Z-lines", "MAPk/ERK" and many other things hidden to the naked eye. All of these things were left out of the equation of traditional training routines. As hypertrophy-specific research progressed in specificity it was clear that traditional training routines had stumbled across many important principles of load induced muscle hypertrophy, but because of their limited perspective (volume and intensity) they failed to capitalize on some critical truths exposed by research at the cellular level. The principles of hypertrophy that HST is based on are as follows (not an exhaustive list): HST Principles 1) Mechanical Load Mechanical Load is necessary to induce muscle hypertrophy. This mechanism involves but isn't limited to, MAPk/ERK, satellite cells, growth factors, calcium, and number of other fairly understood factors. It is incorrect to say "we don't know how muscle grows in response to training". The whole point of the HST book is not to discuss HST, but to present the body of research explaining how hypertrophy occurs. Then HST becomes a relatively obvious conclusion if your goal is hypertrophy. 2) Acute vs. Chronic Stimuli In order for the loading to result in significant hypertrophy, the stimulus must be applied with sufficient frequency to create a new "environment", as opposed to seemingly random and acute assaults on the mechanical integrity of the tissue. The downside of taking a week of rest every time you load a muscle is that many of the acute responses to training like increased protein synthesis, prostaglandins, IGF-1 levels, and mRNA levels all return to normal in about 36 hours. So, you spend 2 days growing and half a week in a semi-anticatabolic state returning to normal (some people call this recovery), when research shows us that recovery can take place unabated even if a the muscle is loaded again in 48 hours. So true anabolism from loading only lasts 2 days at best once the load is removed. The rest of the time you are simply balancing nitrogen retention without adding to it. 3) Progressive Load Over time, the tissue adapts and becomes resistant to the damaging effects of mechanical load. This adaptation (resistance to the stimulus) can happen in as little as 48 hours (Repeated Bout Effect or Rapid Training Effect). As this happens, hypertrophy will stop, though neural and metabolic adaptations can and may continue. As opposed to hypertrophy, the foundation for the development of strength is neuromuscular in nature. Increases in strength from resistance exercise have been attributed to several neural adaptations including altered recruitment patterns, rate coding, motor unit synchronization, reflex potentiation, prime mover antagonist activity, and prime mover agonist activity. So, aside from incremental changes in the number of contractile filaments (hypertrophy), voluntary force production (i.e. strength) is largely a matter of "activating" motor units. 4) Strategic Deconditioning At this point, it is necessary to either increase the load (Progressive load), or decrease the degree of conditioning to the load (Strategic Deconditioning). The muscle is sensitive not only to the absolute load, but also to the change in load (up or down). Therefore, you can get a hypertrophic effect from increasing the load from a previous load, even if the absolute load is not maximum, assuming conditioning (resistance to exercise induced micro-damage) is not to extensive. There is a limit to the number of increments you can add to increase the load. You simply reach your maximum voluntary strength eventually. This is why Strategic Deconditioning is required for continued growth once growth has stopped (all things remaining equal). HST Methods
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NOTE: Workouts should be done in similar fashion for each rep scheme using the appropriate poundages
determined by your ( )RM.
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