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Ameliorating... training journal.


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Hi,

 

Lucky girl, i'd love to live in Berlin, i go there once or twice a year to meet up with a good friend by the name of Hendrick Burre, hes a strength and conditioning coach with vast amount of knowledge, he also owns and runs the only shooting range in Berlin. He trains bodyguards in gun handling and krav maga. Even a few sessions with him would be very very educational, his prices are very reasonable. If you'd like anymore info, just like me know:)

 

He trains his clients in the McVit gym, its a 24/7 gym, well equipped and best of all....its dirt cheap, i think its like 18 euro a month:)

 

Hi! Just looked the gym up and it's very close to where I'm staying and about the price I was hoping for. I've been interested in Krav Maga for a while too more information would be great, if I'm only paying E18 I can definitely afford a few sessions.

 

Really looking forwards to Berlin... renting my flat out here has given me enough money not to work, so I can pretty much just write, read, train and wander round the vegan places. Can't wait

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I'm soooo jealous lol, i usually stay near Alexander Platz myself, i love it there, great night life, and dont get me started on the restaurants lol.

 

The Krav Maga is at the McVit gym, it may be in with your membership, not sure.

 

http://www.shooting-events-berlin.de/home-english/contact-us-booking/

 

This is were you can find him, he takes training clients here as well, he speaks flaunt English, and hes a really helpful friendly guy. (Just say you were talking with Rob from Bangor, Northern Ireland)

 

Best

Rob

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Brilliant, I'll send him an email. I've found a vegan couchsurfer to stay with for the first week or two who's just round the corner from Alexander Platz, then I'll try and rent a cheap room in the same area.

 

This might be a gross assumption on my part, but I'm assuming that as he owns a shooting range he's not vegan?

 

Amelia

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Hi Amelia,

 

No, hes not vegan, though he doesn't shoot animals, just targets. Hes a former military man (as am i), German tank artillery, hes a very disciplined and positive individual. I met him several years ago, we worked together in Belfast, though, we didn't do too much work...we were always too busy about talking training and diet lol.

 

Hendrick's very much into Powerbuilding, a cross between powerlifting and bodybuilding, he goes real heavy on the big 3, and then throws in some assistant exercises, and zone training. Hes big on technique / form, it was here i learn't most from him.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Haven't been active on here for a while... massive stresses in my last week of Glasgow and first week of Berlin meant that I didn't have time or mental space for exercise... but I was under so much stress I also stopped eating, so at least I haven't gained any weight. Silver linings and all that. Back to exercise.

 

Lots of walking every day. Haven't got a gym yet (I don't have a stable location myself) so I've been doing makeshift exercise.

 

Monday the 1st - fit test from the beachbody insanity program. Brought it on my harddrive as I had a feeling a gym might be slow to settle into and find. Stats from that are:

71,31,66,21,10,12,20,51

 

Also had 5kg dumb bells, did chest press, bicep curl, hammer curl, concentration curls, and shoulder presses. x12x10x8 for each.

 

Tuesday - Walked from one side of the city to the other, about 8 miles. Moved flat and now longer have dumbbells... but I have a stable location for a month so can gym hunt.

 

Wednesday - got stuck waiting for my bike to be fixed. Biked a little bit but not sure it counts.

 

Thursday - Insanity plyometric cardio circuit. Ow.

 

I have a roommate... but the light in this flat is great and there's a lot of space, so I should actually get progress pictures when he's out at some point.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Before and current pictures at last. I've been clawing my way back to my before University weight - but with muscle as well, which I've never had. From what I can remember, I think I started University (2010) at about 135/140lbs, although with no muscle so I didn't look that great. I gained weight very, very fast and by June 2011 was avoiding the scales - I think I had hit about 165, maybe even more. Thanks to a stomach bug in South America I lost it pretty fast and at the end of three months was back to 150... although of course as soon as I started eating again, 155. I stuck around 155/160 for the next year and a half till I started going to the gym at the beginning of this year - started 155, now down to 143. I'm 173cm/5'8''.

 

Cringing slightly (a lot) at the pictures that I took 2 days ago, but then I really regret not having taken any in January so I'm now forcing myself to do progress shots.

 

So...

Bogota.jpg.1a705750feabffa416e8f1161804cd04.jpg

Near the end of my South America trip 3 months later, 15lbs lighter.

861864329_ecuadorpodge.jpg.64919843bddcb4514c2cad16af1e5566.jpg

2011, end of 1st year of Uni.

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And... taken 2 days ago. Somehow the whole body one has disappeared. I cringe when I see these, they're definitely not flattering. Especially as I'm very pale, which of course always makes the flabby bits show up even more. Sad thing is I know I've already come a long way from where I started, and have no equivalent of these as proof. I'm really looking forwards to being able to look back on these a year later and see a difference. Of all the pictures, it probably shows most in the legs at this stage.

484410127_Legsside.JPG.a2722123de7cecb55700ab6a4e037b9a.JPG

2004708768_Side(lackof)abs.JPG.1a0014cf7e5d5a918a9a0adb4ce55f9e.JPG

346416078_Upperbody2.JPG.d6e02b592a6eedbbf94c20576bbc0257.JPG

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Thanks

 

I love that picture, even though it was taken two years ago it's still one of my favourites. It's in Bogota, Colombia

 

That was my first time taking progress pictures... at least that weren't instantly deleted. The camera really isn't flattering! Especially to pale skin. I'm looking forwards to having them to compare pictures with this time next year though.

 

Still continuing with Insanity, struggling quite a bit as I have a cold at the moment and feel drained and exhausted from it. I might give up late nights and drinking for a while. Not usually a problem for me, but life never seems to stop in Berlin.

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Nice pale skin! Good pics, looking forward to see your evolution =)

 

Thanks

 

I just don't tan! Even though I'm out in the sun every day at the moment. My legs are slowly changing colour though as the bruises and bug bites join up...

 

Week 2 of Insanity nearly done. Came down with a cold which set me back a tiny bit. Very tired still but getting back on form. Also I'm now cycling every day to my language course and back, and usually more as well so about 6-10km a day. First time ever I've used a bike regularly.

 

Off to the Turkish market to stock up on ripe mangoes

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Certainly my cardio's much, much better since starting regular cycling and insanity - I no longer feel like my lungs are only working on part capacity. I thought my legs were doing ok, then I did 20km one day and since then my legs have been feeling it.

 

I have a new camera charger for my dslr in the post, when that arrives I'm definitely getting back to photography lots of food/market photos will start appearing...

 

Finished week 2 of Insanity - pure cardio and cardio abs. Arg. Looking forwards to the rest day tomorrow. Might have a cheat day too and go for a burger... hmm... or pizza... so much choice here.

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Thanks Pictures! I need to start posting more pictures so might as well start today. Especially as I've got a pale skin update... cycled about 16km today, in the blazing sun. Now I have this curious pattern of tan, pale and burn happening. My arms tan quite well (that is they go a normal colour) and I keep operating under this blissful illusion that the rest of me will start tanning like that too if I get enough sun. This is the result of being a silly Brit: sunburn.jpg.100d927431f13f6bc026552a06020f9d.jpg

 

In other silly Brit news, I did my fit test today for Insanity and have subsequently managed to delete them from my laptop before I had time to actually get them up. mostly my scores went up, but anything that needed any power from my legs went down. Cardio wise I found it much easier and didn't get out of breath at all. Between Insanity and cycling so much for the first time ever I think I'm slowly killing my legs for any sort of serious exercise. I'm hoping it's something I'll pass through and emerge out the other side gloriously strong. If I could get over this cold that would help too... it's hitting 30 degrees most days, I see no reason why I should be ill.

 

I'm planning on spending the rest of my evening like this getting some work done:

Hammock.jpg.9d1dd3d53b6a9d95b2852d7b9aba7457.jpg

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Jealous! That looks like a nice office!

 

It really is... I wish I could take it with me when I leave, I only took this room for July. The downside (that makes it affordable) is I have a roommate and the rest of the flat is a little scummy... Then August I'm back to sleeping on a couch in a hallway. Joys

 

..........

 

Must get diet back in order. Read through some of the journals and threads and realised how off I am at the moment and why I'm feeling bloated and ick. I'm transitioning more towards raw because of the heat. Of course the combination of not having a proper home till mid-september and relationship troubles (could really do with chocolate/crisps right now) aren't helping. I miss my kitchen and kitchen cupboards in Glasgow. AND I discovered that the rogue first sub-tenant/ex-friend who left after 3 weeks has cleared out my fridge in a vengeful attack of spite - liquid smoke, tahini, miso etc. so I've got some restocking to do. Grrr. I'm hoping that writing my intentions on here will give me the accountability I need to actually get my diet back in order. Especially now I have progress pictures up. Yikes. Insanity felt good today though. Getting easier... slowly... my flatmates think I'm mad though.

 

Back to work. Another area of life I really need to get in order.

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Once of the reasons why it's much easier to be a fit vegan in Glasgow - Berlin has incredible vegan convenience food, including an all vegan pizzeria that I visited with my Italian friend last night. It got her seal of approval as cultural expert. I've made my own before, but it didn't have a patch on this:pizza.jpg.e93b27a227a4651103ebc33632685de8.jpg

 

Rustica - artichokes, mushrooms, salami, cheese. Massive. Very filling.

 

So, yesterday did insanity and tagged on a fitness blender abs workout, I'm finding great motivation at the moment is that it's so hot I'm having to work out in very little clothing (praying my roommate doesn't come in) which means I can see everything jiggling merrily in the mirror, and the muscles lurking far beneath. In a bit of a body self-loathing phase at the moment, this could be why. Two more days of week three to go. My shin splints are beginning to really play up, so back to icing.

 

My relationship is officially crumbling round my ears and I'm throwing in the towel, soon to be back in the singles club, woo! Trying hard to resist just curling up under the duvet with a tub of ice cream and some re-runs of crap tv. Having a roommate is useful at this point, I think he'd look at me like "what the hell?" although I've seen him chugging bottles of coke through his own crises. My last significant break up, I became vegan the same day (nearly a year ago) on a snap decision. I need something to channel this one into. Probably just fitness and my writing as I'm ticking away at my second novel, but it's going nowhere near as quickly as it should be. Get the feeling this break up's going to be long, drawn out, messy and emotional though, so really trying to get into good fitness habits now. Ho hum.

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Hey? Are you living in Berlin now? [scatch that, I just read through your entire journal. I know the answer now ]

 

Are you in a relationship with a carnivore? That's the one crumbling?

 

If you say yes to both then we have so much in common.

 

Yes and... yes, well, crumbled. Officially single again. Lasted 5 months, was crumbling for over half that time. Sigh. I'm sure there are conscious carnivores out there, but I do think his carnivorism was symptomatic of the main problem which was the he had very little emotional consciousness or any desire to look at problems to make positive changes to his life. The same communication problems have now caused 3 of his relationships to end, but he still refuses to address them. Frustrating. You have a similar thing going on? Sorry to hear that, crumbling relationships are unbelievably physically and emotionally draining.

 

And yep, in Berlin till September, and then possibly moving back next year after my final year of uni except the BVG terrify me and possibly have me on their watch list through a silly mistake I made. Oops... now I'm biking everywhere, except everyone really hates people on bikes so that's starting to get me down.

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Forgive me Shaun T for I have sinned... I missed 2 days of the Insanity. All the stress brought on a massive headache that lasted 4 days, so only finished week 3 today (2 days late). And I struggled with it too, for some reason my big toe was hurting... weird and wussy thing to grumble about but it hurt like hell every time I landed. And yesterday my head was still bad. But I did them, and I still felt some sort of a burn so it wasn't totally wasted time.

 

Went to Acroyoga last night, which is amazing ab and flexibility work. I'm a little sore today. Hopefully pictures will appear at some point that I can put up. We played like children in with the massive padded blocks afterwards, throwing each other off (6ft drops, thank goodness for padded floors). There were massages going too, so I feel happy and relatively stress free today, it was exactly what I needed. And slightly ludicrous amounts of human contact to boot. Woke up smiling and bounced out of bed for the first time in a week Gearing up to more progress shots, I even have a bikini now, but my dodgy and irregular eating hours (I've not been eating enough either...) has brought on a bloat. Urg. Still, life is good

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Hon? I've been there..........DONE THAT!!! I was madly in love with a Bavarian bodybuilder. We meet in 2010 and got engaged during the month of May 2011. I left Berlin and moved in with him in Munich a month later. That's when the rose colored glasses came off. Long story short, his bad eating habits wore me down and I started to eat fish and chicken again. I also ate a lot of ice cream, pastries and bread. I gain over 75lbs in five months. I also developed a few health issues. I was miserable and disgusted with my appearance. I realized that I had to get out of that relationship like a burning house. I picked an unhealthy partner and therefore, I too became unhealthy. I called off the wedding, left Germany and stayed in the states for 5 months. During that time I went back to vegetarianism, did one hour of cardio everyday (no weights just cardio), lost the 50lbs and became vegan. When I came back to him in April 2012 I was a different person. I still loved him but I loved myself more. I just couldn't live with him anymore and had zero tolerance for having meat in the refrigerator. We fought constantly about my new eating lifestyle and so I moved out two weeks later in addition to ending the relationship for good.

 

Ever since then I refuse to date anyone who eats animal flesh (this includes fish). Now, it's very very very very very important for me to be with a partner that's either a vegetarian or vegan. I have a thing for German men but they have very bad lifestyle habits. They either smoke, drink beer, eat tons of meat or gorge on Weisswurst. So I gave up on them.

 

THE BVG IS A JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG! Listen? I'm gonna send you a PM with my skype name. I'm gonna share a big secret with you that was told to me about the BVG by a few Americans who live in Berlin. I'm gonna school you on everything I know about them and that transit system. Once you know what I know you won't fear them anymore and you will be on the next ubahn heading to the destination of your choice.

 

Yikes, that all sounds tough and good for getting out. Curiously I find Berlin ok for men who are veg, the lifestyle in Glasgow is much worse. I wouldn't expect that from Bavaria though. One of my previous relationships I gained about 10lbs in 2 months from eating the wrong things when I was with him, that was a couple of years ago now, I haven't made that mistake again. My (recent) ex never ate meat around me, but his general attitude towards life - simply not wanting to face his problems, or the problems in the relationship - was what ultimately made me get out. I feel so much better since ending things. Another few requirements added onto the list of what I want in a relationship (including vegetarian/vegan)... but I'm happy by myself in the mean time, so I can wait for the seemingly impossible. More time for the gym

 

Sent you a message about the BVG, I'm very curious. I like the idea of not fearing them even when I have a ticket now I panic every time a likely looking controller gets on.

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I'M BACK IN THE GYM!!! Oh happiness. I've moved flat and the friend I've moved in with has given me her card to use for the month, because she never goes. So I bounced out of bed at 8am and was there by 9, the earliest I've been up in a while. The one where I was living (but didn't get to) for July was space age, this one is large but very functional. No fancy gadgets like in my Glasgow Gym, the machines are very stripped down, no individual tvs... I like it though. Except for having to swap between levels 1 and 2 all the time. Insanity I've stopped for now because of acroyoga 3x a week and cycling roughly 70km a week... (haven't done a week this intense yet, it's a consequence of where I now live)... and I have no space for Insanity now, so the gym it is! Back to weight lifting. Felt so good.

 

And...

 

Sunday - Acroyoga for 4 hours, including acrobatics - practising on the rings, handstands, etc. Moved flat, cycled 12kms.

 

Monday - carried shopping back from the supermarket and made cookies... not too sure I can count that but at least my diet's back on track.

 

Tuesday - Chest and Triceps (so much happiness)

 

Thought that I'd lost strength, but actually I seem if anything to have gained strength presumably through Insanity and Acroyoga. Only realised this when I just looked back over the last time I worked chest and triceps, nearly 2 months ago :o didn't do so well on the fly but other than that...

 

Dumbbell chest press: 9kg x10x10x10

Dumbbell chest press incline: 7kg x10x8x6

Chest press machine: 20kg x10x10x8

Fly machine: 15kg x12x10x10 - weakness in left arm

Rear deltoid machine: 15kg x10x10x10

Tricep pushdowns: 15kg x12x12 17.5kgx12 20kgx9 - not sure why I can do so much heavier than I could, I kept incredulously upping the weight.

Dumbbell kickbacks - 6kg x10 x10 7kg x10 (also could probably have been 7 throughout)

 

Couldn't find anywhere to do tricep dips.

 

All in all, quite happy and here are some photos... because my arms have suddenly become much better.

 

 

1550617273_rightarm.jpg.8f01a1c3862397e18f2c7d4a36f2595c.jpg

 

382281781_leftarm.jpg.47a3302d789a2f05e87e0b7320b4bfa1.jpg

 

cookies.jpg.7b0a33bb156c1031e5454c1351a0b8d5.jpg

 

and for anyone who wants... normally I can't make good cookies at all, which is why I haven't made any for over two years, actually they're the only baking thing I've never been happy with, but these are excellent:

 

Ingredients

1 c brown sugar

¼ c maple syrup

½ c oil

¼ c applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

dash nutmeg

1½ c chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, syrup, and oil. It will become smooth and even in consistency after a little while; don’t skimp on this step!

Beat in vanilla and applesauce.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, salt, and nutmeg.

Add dry mixture to wet; mix well.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Form into 1″ balls (or whatever size you prefer) and bake on greased sheets at 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes.

 

Long post. Phew.

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