Rest and recovery!

Haven't trained since Christmas Eve.

Why. Recovery & recuperation. Anyone who's training regularly and hard needs to take a break from the gym from time to time.

Personally I take a week off every two months. In my younger days, it was a week every 3 months. A time for a full revamp of the training routine.

Because it fits in with the holiday season (late Dec) and the end of the Spring competition season (late Oct), I generally take the last week of even months or the first of odd months off.

So if your feeling tired, a bit stale or over trained, take a week off, plan and start a new growth cycle.

All the best for the Bigger New Year.

Cheers,

Gnoll110

2009 INBA Natural Olympia

Got to the INBA Natural Olympia. Was a great day. This post is really a place holder to post some of the pics I took, Stay tune.

Competition Season Rule!

Truly is Spring now. The last few weeks have seen state titles for most federation. Personally got to the NABBA/WFF Qld titles, a mate for the gym was competing, congrats Millsy.

Got to the INBA Queensland titles too. Had a great day. On the same day as the ACT title. Phoned a mate in Canberra. He didn't answer his phone, a competitor did, "Sorry he can't make it at the moment, he's putting comp colour on (other people) at the moment". On you Jamie!

Next Saturday, 3rd October is the Australia titles down in Melbourne at the The Camberwell Centre (the pre local govt merger Camberwell Civic Centre) . Won't be there for the first time in years. Good luck everyone.

Two weeks later see the Natural Olympia titles hosted for the 3rd to in Australia. This year Queensland is host at the Southport RSL Club on Saturday, 17th October. This one I will be at!

Best of luck everyone.

Note to self: Pull finger out and post some picks!

Gnoll110

Spring is in the air!

Well winter is almost over.

Got a cold, so missed the gym for the last week. Normally I'ld train through all but the first 3 days of a cold. But given N1H1, I'll take the extra time. Don't want to be a 'plague master'.

September is the start of the Spring (in the south) competition season. So looking forward to going along, even if I'm not competing this year.

I urge anyone who is even remotely interested in competing to go along to some comps, just to get a feel and maybe to help your motivation too.

I remember I decided to do my first comp while watching a comp. I was at the '96 ANBF (now INBA) Sydney titles, decided then and there I was going to do two things in '97. Firstly I would do the '97 ANBF Sydney titles and secondly go see Hong Kong before Handover. Flow out of Sydney for 10 days in Hong Kong (side trip to Macua) on the Tuesday after the comp.

Lessons

Do it!

Reward yourself

Cheers

Find a Hardcore Gym in Toowoomba

Update on the gym front.

I looked a 5 gyms.

One had shut down (on Ruthven St in the city)

One was aimed at the city worker crowd. Was there twice on a weekend & 3pm Monday arvo, closed all three times (Ruthven St near Russell St in the city).

Looked at Beach House (off James St), They had a squat stand but saw no sign of serous hardcore peeps training there. Really got the hard sell. Talked to others later, they confirmed these guys are on a credit card hunt. Once you join, you need an appointment to see the manage, even if he's just sitting in his office. The BH franchise went bust a year or two ago, now people just buy a name, so no come back by complaining to the 'system'.

Had a look a the Uni Gym out at Darling Heights. Was the on a Saturday arvo, so I did a casual session. They got a squat stand too and some signs of hardcore activity. Chronicle' article about three members competing in late '09. These guys are also on a credit card hunt, it cost way more if you want to pay cash. Both they and Beach House want large joining fees (and I'm after month to month while I job hunt).

Last gym I looked at was World Fitness (also off James St). Did a casual session there on the Monday after the casual at Uni Gym. They got both a squat stand and ...drum roll... a power rack! While I was there I got talking to two guys getting ready to compete (May 09). Since learnt there is another two guy also doing May comps, so four all up plus other going to do comps later in the year. Only problem is their short weekend hours, only 8 to 12 Saturdays and 2 to 6 on Sundays. Their joining fee was a half to a third of the others. Will take cash (but no discount to credit card payment amount) on a month to month basic. So I joined.

Only gym I missed looking at was the PCYC.

Dieting: Nutritional Values of Foods

Back in the '90s, Food Standards Australia published 'Nutritional Values of Australian Foods'. It's now out of print, but years ago I brought a copy from the ANU (co-op) bookshop.

Been playing with rails. So as a project I'm going to build a diet planner/evaluator site, based on data derived from 'Nutritional Values of Australian Foods'.

Will add a link here once I get a bare bones up.

Gnoll110

INBA Dubbo 2009

This years event saw a good number of competitors. 38, up on last year, the first year that the show was run as a natural show.

Stub ...

Gnoll110

In a New Gym

In Toowoomba at the moment. Been back a training for a bit over a month. Found a new gym to train at, World Fitness off James street. Only gym in town I found with a *drum roll* Power Rack! A sign of a real gym.

There are a couple of guys (Dave & Jake) getting ready to compete too. That's great for motivation. :) Will be Jake's first competition, so real try to encourage and help him get ready. Go Jake!

Gnoll110

January, back down south!

Well January finds me back down south again. Will I every escape?

Started work & at the gym on the 12. So I've been back at the gym for three weeks now.

The first two weeks were hell. Dropped poundages a lot, but still sore all over at different times. Did Delts and Triceps on the Monday (12th). That was a mistake! Triceps were too sore to allow a Pecs workout until the following Saturday. Dumb, just Dumb!


Gnoll110