Category: Fitness

Starting weight training

December 7, 2024

I have been weight training consistently since 1985. I have not missed a week since then. Because I am often asked for advice about beginning weights training.

These days I mostly do a full body workout three times a week and have three days a week for cycling or riding an exercise bike. I aim for 30 minutes of either weights or cycling per session. This is enough to keep me fit and maintain muscle in my late 50s.

Please note: Please be aware that this is only advice, I am not a qualified fitness trainer. Weight training is my hobby and I explain this to people who ask my advice.

When starting out I give people one exercise per major body part and do one set of ten repetitions. Then wait a minute or two and move on to the next exercise on the list.

An example might look like this below.

On the exercises above I have added links to the exercise demonstrations on bodybuilding.com. This website has lots of beginner workouts too.

The key to remember when you start out is to not over do it. Start with lighter weights than you think you need and slowly progress over 6-12 months.

One final piece of advice is to rest for 48-72 hours after your gym session. This is to allow your muscles time to recover and grow after your workout.

Favourite place in Perth

November 17, 2024

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

I live in a smallish country town about 300 kilometres from Perth. Perth is the capital city of Western Australia and my favourite place to go in Perth is Kings Park.

The great thing about it is that I worked opposite Kings Park for 11 years and every lunch time I would go on a prayer walk. It became a real place of relaxing and spending time with God for me.

Kings Park is a great place for families too. There are so many walking trails, picnic spots and playgrounds for kids. When we lived in Perth we would often go as a family and have a great time.

These days I might only go once a year to Kings Park when I visit Perth. I usually spend some time there when I have some sort of conference or training in Perth. I grab an iced coffee at the kiosk and sit and just enjoy the view.

If you ever visit Perth I would encourage you to check it out. The views of the city and river are amazing. Here is a link to the Kings Park website.

Most proud of in my life?

October 20, 2024

What are you most proud of in your life?

What am most proud of? It would have to be the way I bounced back from being bedridden with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) at 18.

I was diagnosed at 12 years of age. It was life changing. Over the next six years it got to the point of being bed ridden. It mainly effected my feet, ankles and knees, but also effected my elbows, neck and jaw.

I can remember after a very bad period I went to see my Rheumatologist. I asked, “If I am like this at 18, what will I be like when I am older?” He told me it was better to accept this is how is it going to be forever.

Looking back I am both surprised and thankful to my 18 year old self. I looked at the specialist and said to myself you are no help to me going forward. I never went back to see him again.

From there I started researching diet and exercise for RA. I found a lot of people had success in European health clinics with fruit and vegetable juicing diets. People went in to clinics in wheelchairs and walked out off all medication two months later.

This gave me more hope than my Rheumatologist. So I dived in wholeheartedly and before long I noticed a big change. The pain reduced. The stiffness reduced. The swelling reduced.

From there I decided to strengthen my legs with cycling. I built up to 50 kilometres per day. Then I added weight training. Something I continue to this day.

Looking back I am so proud of that 18 year old young man. He could have accepted what the Rheumatologist said and stayed on a pension, but he chose to fight for a better life.

What am I most proud of? That I chose to attack Rheumatoid Arthritis and not let it win.

Weights is my favourite hobby

October 6, 2024
This is me when I was 25 after seven years of training.

What is your favorite hobby or pastime?

My favourite hobby has always been weight training. I started weights when I was 18 and I am still training in my late fifties.

When I started I was very skinny at 183cm tall and weighed 60 kilograms (kg). That is 6 feet tall and 132 pounds. These days I weigh 91 kg (200 pounds). It was a long slow process of gaining muscle for me. Some years I was only able to put on 1 kg of muscle. Some years none!

Weight training has given me so much. When I started I was crippled with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I would often use crutches to walk to my gym. Slowly over time that changed. Now it is not an issue.

One thing with my weight training was I was never tempted to take steroids. I always had to balance gaining bodyweight with how much my arthritic legs could handle. Slow gaining was better for me. I would put on some weight and then see if my body could handle it.

In the image above I am 25 years old. I had been training for about seven years. I have this image up in my gym to keep me motivated as I get older. I am planning to take the same picture when I turn 60.

So what do I love about weight training? There are a few things…

1. I love the pump from the blood in your muscles.

2. It helps me to be strong as I get older.

3. It helps me to control my weight as I age.

4. It has helped me overcome Rheumatoid Arthritis.

5. It has motivated my kids to be fit.