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January 2010

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Peak Physique

Brad Sheppard

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0412-999-656

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Bootcamp Update

Well, I survived it.  6 weeks of hard work, lots of self-talk and boy oh boy my body was unhappy.  it just goes to show you that you can think you are reasonably fit and healthy, and find out that this is just not the case.

1.  When I started I weighed 70 kgs, and had a BMI (Body Mass Index) that was just under the overweight range for my age and height.  Don't believe me do you, that I was almost in the unhealthy weight range?  I have been for a couple of years and wasn't doing enough aerobic activity to shift the fat.

2.  I had been doing 30 minutes of yoga and 15 minutes of hip and back stretches to heal a hip injury (actually the muscles around the hip joint) for the past 9 months for 5 or 6 days a week, and the occasional walk or bike ride, and felt flexible, hip was pain-free, and energetic.

3.  I had developed (grew) absorbed, eaten enough fat that my waistline looked like a well-raised muffin top factory!  And I actually believe the stats that say that fat accumulated around your waist is a contributor to heart disease so this was a real incentive to get rid of this and get right into the healthy weight range of the BMI.

The Bootcamp programme by Peak-Physique was tough, intensive, informative, fun, hard-work, gruelling, mentally tough, and taught me so much about the limitations of the body and mind.  I have the greatest admiration for anyone who is heavier than me, and starts on an intensive exercise programme.  Did I mention that it was tough, mentally challenging and physically enormous?

Here's the programme:  Monday 5.50am - jog along Kangaroo Point cliffs down to the Rotunda, down the stairs, along the road back to the steep horrible steps, some light stretches, then up and down the steps about 3 times (beginners).  I won't tell you what the fit ones do, it's demoralising.  Oh, no I did not jog all that way.  I walked, jogged, walked, jogged.... every step of it, as I couldn't jog for more than 30 seconds at a time.  Told you, no aerobic activity, so I suffered.  I am getting better though.

By this time, calves are aching, quads are bursting, lungs are heaving, sweat is pouring - I looked like a rain shower, and then the muscle spasms kicked in and I had leg tremors for the rest of the day - even just sitting down, or standing still.  GREAT WORK! says everyone, and some stretches to finish off and then go back up the steps (you have to get to your car!!! help, someone carry me pleeeeeeease....) and see you tonight.

Monday night:  1 hour weigh, measure, dietary suggestions, how to make things easier food wise and so on.  Unimpressed with food - no caffeine 5 days a week and no alcohol 5 days a week.  Not that I am a big coffee drinker or big on alcohol, but geez.  (Footnote:  I did not keep this bit up for either coffee or a glass of wine.  Did it make a difference?  Maybe.)

Tuesday - difficult sleeping last night as every bone and joint and muscle in body was hurting.  Calf muscles felt like they had granny smiths inside and getting up and down from chairs, or stairs was horrific.  Really, I'm not exaggerating.  Did my yoga and felt virtuous!

Wednesday 5.50 am - New Farm Park for boxing training.  Calf muscles feel like there are Jonathon apples inside, slept poorly, still sore.  First task, run around the park!!  OMG, is there no end to this madness of jogging, well at least for me it's jog, walk, jog, walk?  

Boxing training and I have never done it before, so I partner up with someone male who shall remain nameless, and of course, get very lightly swiped across the face!!  It was a light touch, he didn't know he had done it, but it frightened the heck out of me, so I did a dummy spit.  

Yep, I took off the pads and walked off and said that's it, I'm out of here.  You could have heard a pin drop.  The trainer stood there gob-smacked, and then one of the ladies came over and offered to work with me, and the man who I'd worked with could train with her team member.  So, I said thank you, and she explained things and helped me which was great.  Interestingly enough, I continued and finished the whole 6 weeks, but we never saw him again after the first week. 

What was wonderful was that the rest of the team were really encouraging and embracing and supported me.  I was stunned by their understanding and  acceptance and their desire to help me, calling out to me, "Come on Narelle, you can do it!"  Magnificent people!

Thursday - still sore, calf muscles like golf balls.  Tired from poor sleep.  When will my energy kick in?  Did my yoga, 'cos I needed the stretch.

Friday - Eco Hill.......  OMG OMG OMG what will they think of next?  As one of the guys said at the end of this session, as he was bent over, desperately trying to breathe and keep his stomach contents inside, sweat pouring off him, "What day is Kangaroo Point Cliffs?"  that's Monday someone else said, "uh huh, then Monday is now my favourite day."

You've got to get to Eco Hill, so firstly you run from Healthworks on the River to Eco Hill (jog, walk, jog, walk, jog, walk in my case) to the park and the base of the hill. Which is grassed, shale stones towards the top and very steep, so we do some stretches, then up the hill, then run (that's run Narelle, not walk!!  RUN!) across the top, then down, round, up, and down and around and back to the base.  My mantra became, "I can do it, I can do It, NO TEARS, NO CRYING, you're doing good, NO TEARS NO CRYING."  Then we did going up backwards, then down, then all of these incredible stomach crunchers and planks and oh so much!

Friday, I could actually go up and down the stairs at home and work without having to hold the railing and feeling like my hips would give way.  My calf muscles were still upset, but about the size of walnuts now.

Week 2.  I got a dreadful sinus infection, and missed training because I slept in.  But there was a makeup session on Saturday morning and I could jog a bit further, so that was a great sign of improvement to me.

Weeks 3 and 4 were a blur - my left calf muscle really was unhappy, so had to back right off, and did strength work instead but still with the team.

Week 5, feeling like I am getting a bit fitter!  Hooray!!  Missed Monday because I was in Melbourne, and felt ever so virtuous because I worked out in the gym at the hotel.  Realised that my mantra was too focussed on tears, so changed it to, "I can do it, I can do this, HAPPY FACE!  HAPPY FACE ON!"  I think it worked better.

Week 6.  I look back and can't believe how fast the weeks have flown by.  I'm more organised with work, I have more time because I am up earlier each day and this surely can't be the last week, can it.  Most of us have requested that we keep going after the 6 week programme so that we don't lose what we have achieved.  Or find that fat again!  So, last day is Eco Hill and it's also the Christmas Party!  Who can eat after going around that one?  I managed it twice but the humidity was so bad, it was hard to breathe.  But I did it twice in the half hour.  Later that day, my right knee swelled up with fluid, I couldn't believe it, it is as though my body keeps saying, "I don't want to do this" so it has been a battle.  My mind is willing and yet my body is complaining.

Such a psychological insight into how your body can sabotage your best intentions.

So, RICE, and compression bandages have become my best friends.  I did, after a couple more weeks, get the knees checked out, and it would appear that this has been all too much of a shock for my body and I need to taper it back in intensity, and do things more supportive of the knees, like cycling and swimming.

Throughout all of this I have also made sure to have a massage, have Japanese acupuncture and Shiatsu, kinesiology, and chiropractic with the wonderful Paulette Walker from Ashgrove Chiropractic Clinic ph: 07 3366 6373, and feet up, and had a good diet too. 

I have enrolled for the next programme and we started that mid-December, and are currently on a break.  I was so slack over Christmas that I did nothing!  Nope, no exercise, no yoga, no nothing!  So, this week I decided - better get into it again.  

So, went walking Monday, bike ride Tuesday, and dancing Tuesday night - Le Step - and my knee was hurting and my hip ached nearly all night.  I'm frustrated by my body not coming to the party, and determined to keep going.

THE GOOD NEWS!  The good news is that in 6 weeks I took 4 cms off my waist, one off my hips, and two cms off my thighs and I have lost 2/3 of the muffin tops from my waist.  I've also lost 1 kilo in weight, not much, but steady.  

6 weeks has made a huge difference to my life and I am determined to keep going and build up my core strength and move past these body issues so that my body accepts that I want to be fit, healthy and energetic, as well as slim, trim and toned with good muscle definition!

No matter what age you are, I'm 53, you are catered for at Peak Physique.  No-one cracked a whip or yelled or abused me, so it is not an army type bootcamp in that respect.  It is going to push you, and move you from complacency to responsibility, which you know I am big on and the team of fellow participants and trainers has been magic.

I found that the Peak Physique trainers were great: supportive, helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and encouraging.  And firm too, when you needed it.  Oh, and if you are pregnant, that's covered as well, because HP (Brad's wife) is due late January with their second child, and her body is absolutely amazing.  She was still training us in December and has a fabulous eye for detail.

I'm a Bartercard member, as are most of the businesses that I promote on these pages:  Peak-Physique, Access Natural Health, Ashgrove Chiropractic Clinic (07) 3366 6373, and Home Visits for Sick Computers.  If you are in business and not a Bartercard member, check it out, and let Bartercard know that I referred you.

I'll fill you in more from time to time, on what's happening on my physical journey, and feel free to contact me.