Fitness Challenge - Week 2

COMING into the second week of my training, I'd already found myself being more disciplined mentally and physically.

I'd kept off the booze all week, turned out 5k in the gym in my own time, then went to Lovebox festival and drank 193 cans of Tuborg at the weekend.

I felt bad about the last one, and slightly guilty. But it's about realism. So one day a week, I do what I want. I'll have the odd glass of wine or beer; but the buzz of training hard for just one week left me feeling disinterested in drinking to be honest.

I even ducked out of the launch of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival after 20 minutes, which would normally have ended up as a 3am finish with Andrew Nutter.

I was focussed.

More work on technique was mixed up with some heavier stuff - kettlebells, press ups on raised metal bars (making it even more difficult) and the dreaded plank, testing out my core strength.

There was plenty of focus on upper body work now my lunge technique was improving - the basis for a lot of the work I'll be doing.

Feeling brighter, I had another date with the prowler. This time, it had weights on. Sean and Zoran thought adding sets of bashing a tractor tyre with a sledgehammer would be a good idea.

It was pretty punishing, and halfway through my third set on the prowler, I ran out of steam. There was nothing left in the tank. I was crestfallen.

I was stranded in the middle of the car park, with no push left in my legs or shoulders. The bloody prowler will be the death of me.

The second session of the week saw a new activity - two big ropes laid on the floor that I had to pick up and whip 50 times, set with bear crawls, kettlebell swings and the plank.

Hot rope action

I was pushed harder on chin ups too. I'm feeling stronger though, little by little, and I'm already starting to get comments about looking trimmer and having lost some weight.

Not bad after two weeks. Diet has been key - I've been sticking to chicken or turkey with green veg or salad for lunch and dinner, or beans and brown rice.

And what I have found is that while the training has been hard, a lot of the focus is on rest in between. 

The bear crawls towards the end of the session were struggle though, and I felt a twang in one of my shoulders.

Nothing too serious though - a bit of rest and I got through the last of them.

The workload is increasing and I already feel like I'm getting a lot out of it - Sean and Zoran's focus and encouragement has been a massive factor in that.

But I can see the twinkle in their eyes for next week already. And that's what really worries me...

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