GoPro edit of Jake’s walk in the local park with his doggy friends. Filmed on a GoPro Hero 2 using a DIY harness mount plus handheld footage.
720p 60fps slowed to 30fps.

Related posts:

1. Jake Plays With His New Dog Friends At The Park
2. Jake the Dog’s First Time at the Beach
3. Introducing Jake, The Hyperactive Dog
4. Our Afternoon Theme Park Trip
5. Jake the Dog Feels a Little Spaced Out After his Operation
6. Jake the Lab’s First Swim

Here’s my updated progress snapshots featuring my starting physique back in June 2010, the transformation I managed to achieve in a year up to August 2011 and the latest snaps six months after that in February 2012.

Stats & Figures

Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 135lbs to 150lbs to 150lbs (Goal=160lbs)

So as you can see, in the last 6 months I’ve made zero progress numbers wise towards my 160lbs goal. I think the max I managed on the scales was 153lbs, but I soon dropped back to my usual 149-150lbs. The difference in lighting makes it difficult to see if there’s any aesthetic changes, but just comparing my proportions to the ‘before’ shot keeps my head high!

I don’t think I’ll be appearing on any Calvin Klein underwear boxes anytime soon haha.

Why the plateau?

I think the main issue affecting my progress in the last six months is simply down to not advancing myself as much as I should. I was doing pretty much the same weight and same reps for the majority of late 2011, with maybe a few little increases in weight here and there. I had already done my research and knew I should be increasing the weights to keep shocking my muscles, but it was my mental barrier that I actually needed to work on.

I was lifting what I thought was the max I could manage, seeing as I was hitting failure at the 8-10 rep mark. It wasn’t until I seriously stacked on a crazy amount of extra weight that I realised I could actually do more. My rep range dropped to 4-6 in most cases, but in some exercises I was still managing the 8 reps even with 20%+ more weight.

It has only been over the past couple of weeks that I’ve dramatically increased the weight on all my exercises and dropped the target reps to between 4-8, so hopefully along with some little routine and diet changes I’ll be back on track to that 160lbs goal.

Routine update

Here’s my amended weekly routine:

EDIT: A note about weights – A couple of people were interested in the amount of weight I was using for each exercise. I’m happy to share the info, but keep in mind that the weight I use might be waaayy less/more than someone else uses. It’s all about selecting your own weights that are challenging while allowing you to keep good form.
It’s also worth mentioning I do a few warm up sets of around 25% and 50% of these weights at the start of the session.

Monday: Chest
Bench press: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 70kg / 64kg
Dumbbell flys: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 24kg
Incline press: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 22kg (dumbbells)
Incline dumbbell flys: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 18kg

Tuesday: Back
Bent-over row: 3 sets, 6-10 reps. – 60kg
Wide grip pullups: 3 sets, 6-8 reps.
Dumbbell row: 3 sets, 6-8reps. – 40kg
Close grip pullups: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.

With the extra weight across the board and having slowed the pace right down on the wide grip pullups I was too knackered for the close grip pullups, so they’ve gone. Sometimes I’ll add in a set of slow negative rep wide grip pullups at the end instead.

Wednesday: Legs Arms
French press: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 34kg
Dumbbell triceps extension: 3 sets 6-10 reps.
Close grip dumbbell press: 3 reps, 6-8 reps. – 24kg (dumbbells)
Dumbbell kickbacks: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.
Barbell curls: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 34kg
Dumbbell hammer curls: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. 14kg

After doing the three major muscle groups in consecutive days I felt like I’d been hit by a bus by the time Thursday came, so legs are now on Friday.
I’ve switched my arms around so triceps are first, seeing as they’re more compound exercises. Tricep extensions was redundant seeing as I was already doing French press, and kickbacks seem more of an isolation/shaping exercise so these have been switched for another mass builder in the form of close grip press.

Thursday: Shoulders & Abs
Dumbbell press: 3 sets, 6-10 reps. – 22kg
Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets, 8-10 reps. – 14kg
Dumbbell front raise: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.
Weighted crunches: 3 sets, 20 reps. – 10kg weight plate
Decline Bench situps: 3 sets, 10 reps.

Front delts are already being hit with the heavy dumbbell press exercise so front raises weren’t really needed.
Added situps for more ab exercises to fill out this session.
I was thinking of adding some trap exercises on this day, but my traps actually look pretty decent on my back photo. Plus, I don’t really want to be resting the bar on sore traps during squats the next day.

Friday: Arms Legs
Sumo Squat: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 80kg
Sumo Deadlift: 3 sets, 6-8 reps. – 80kg
Single leg calf raise: 3 sets, 20 reps. – 32kg

I originally did sumo style squats to protect my lower back, but my back strength and form are good enough now to stick to normal squats, which helps target a different angle on the quads.
I still prefer the sumo stance for deadlifts though, I just can’t do it with arms outside of my knees!

Diet update

My diet is pretty much the same as before, except I’ve switched from semi-skimmed to skimmed milk. I have quite a low body fat percentage currently so I thought I’d try and avoid too much extra fat. It’s inevitable that fat will be gained while bulking but the change wasn’t a big calorie drop. (Update: I’ve now decided to switch back to semi-skimmed milk after learning that fat doesn’t make you fat – Too many excess calories makes you fat – My overall fat count ended up being pretty low at 55g, so semi skimmed milk helps bump that back up to 70g and pushes my overall calories to 3200 with the help of an extra afternoon snack.)

I now have Tuna most days for lunch, rather than just every so often. It’s packed with much more protein than ham and has those good oils/fats fish tend to provide. I can’t go without my packet of crisps but I’ve switched from fried to baked crisps as a slightly better choice.

I’ve also added a bowl of cereal to my evening snack. The carbs probably aren’t too good before bed but it fits into my overall macros to keep me around the 3000 cals mark.

Overall I’m still eating a normal three main meals a day, with the addition of eggs to my breakfast and those three banana and whey shake snacks in between. I keep thinking I need to eat more, but while the numbers are correct I’ll stick it out so I don’t end up too tubby! Average numbers are: 400g carbs, 200g protein, 70g fat.

Inspiration & Motivation Update

I still watch all the previously mentioned fitness YouTubers, but I also recently signed up to Greg Plitt’s member’s website. You sometimes don’t get a feel for the intensity you should be bringing to a workout when watching exercise demonstration videos, this is where Greg’s videos help show what you should be aiming for and give you that motivation to tear it up. His video blog section in the member’s section is also handy for everyday life inspiration. Just check out the intro on his site to see the kinds of accomplishments he’s made. I think I have a new man crush.
If you’re just starting out in this kind of thing and wanting to learn all about exercises and nutrition, much of the information is available for free from various articles around the web, but it’s well worth the membership to Greg’s site just to have it all available and explained in one place.

Related posts:

1. Scrawny to (moderately) Brawny: 2010-2011 Progress Pics (Warning: May contain traces of nudity)

Stats and figures

Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 135lbs to 150lbs (Goal=160lbs)

My routine

June last year was when I first signed up at the local gym. I’d been a member of another gym a little further from home for a year or so beforehand where I was using the usual resistance machines, so my goal at this gym closer to home was to move onto free weights. I had a three day routine of Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps, Legs/Shoulders for the majority of the year, but I cancelled my membership and invested the money into a home gym as of June this year (2011).
I’ve definitely seen more growth since working out at home as I’ve been able to split up my workout days to concentrate on one muscle group a day to really blitz them. I also feel much more comfortable about stacking on extra weight and struggling with it, which can be a bit embarrassing at a busy gym!

Home gym and spotter

Monday: Chest
Bench press: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Dumbbell flys: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Incline press: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Incline dumbbell flys: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.

Tuesday: Back
Bent-over row: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Wide grip pullups: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Dumbbell row: 3 sets, 6-8reps.
Close grip pullups: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.

Wednesday: Legs
Sumo Squat: 4 sets, 8-10 reps.
Sumo Deadlift: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.
Single leg calf raise: 3 sets, 20 reps.

Thursday: Shoulders & Abs
Dumbbell press: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.
Dumbbell front raise: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.
Crunches: 3 dropsets, 20 reps.

Friday: Arms
Barbell curls: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.
Dumbbell hammer curls: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
French press: 3 sets, 6-10 reps.
Dumbbell triceps extension: 3 sets 6-10 reps.
Dumbbell kickbacks: 3 sets, 8-10 reps.

Food wise I’m currently managing around 3000 calories a day, but I’m contemplating whether to switch up my lunchtime sandwich or my afternoon snack for a small cooked meal to help bulk me up to my goal of 160lbs (and beyond!).

Update: Diet

Thanks for the super kind responses everyone. It’s quite relieving as I do still feel a little awkward posting nude photos of myself online. A couple of people have shown interest in my diet, so here’s what I’m currently consuming. Like I mentioned above though, I’m thinking about switching up my lunch or afternoon snack but this current meal plan is serving up the right amounts of calories, carbs, protein and fats.

Breakfast:
Glass of orange juice – Easy 100cals and a nice bit of fructose to wake up!
Bowl of Cheerios – Nice mix of grains (Oats, rice, wheat) to slowly burn off.
2x Eggs, Scrambled – With a coating of honey, yes honey – Try it, seriously!

Snack:
25g Whey protein + Milk (Semi skimmed for now for the extra cals. May switch to skimmed if I need to cut the fat)
1x medium Banana

Lunch:
Wholemeal bread roll + “Can’t believe it’s not butter” low fat stuff
Ham slices or Tuna
4x slices of Cucumber
Pack of Crisp (aka Potato chips) – Added to the sammich!
Ski Yogurt
Cheeky bun or piece of cake
1x medium Apple

Snack:
25g Whey protein + Milk (Semi skimmed for now for the extra cals. May switch to skimmed if I need to cut the fat)
1x medium Banana

Dinner (typical):
Fried chicken breast (Using one of those 1 cal spray jobs, extra yummy with a chicken stockpot)
Rice (Pilau or wholegrain)
Selection of veggies (Carrots, peas, beans, broccoli)
(Pasta dishes are also quite common for us, using wholewheat pasta)

Snack:
25g Whey protein + Milk (Semi skimmed for now for the extra cals. May switch to skimmed if I need to cut the fat)

Totals: 3000ish calories, 350ish grams carbs, 160ish grams protein, 70ish grams fat

Inspiration and motivation

The majority of people’s responses is they struggle to find motivation to work out or go to the gym. Here’s what keeps me going:

- A childhood of 80′s action movies. Commando (1985) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger has a lot to answer for!
- Male movie stars diet plans to get in shape for their roles. Christian Bale from The Machinist to Batman for instance – http://is.gd/RjBuow
- Superhero movies. Spiderman and Captain America make it look so easy. All you need is a radioactive spider or an injection of serum.
- Scooby1961 on YouTube – Good form tips.
- Scott Herman on YouTube – Great how-to videos.
- RJRiches on YouTube – Good nutrition advice and inspirational workout vlogs.

I hope this helps out anyone else wanting to change their body shape and size!

Related posts:

1. What have I been up to in 2010 so far? Well, nothing much!

As you can see from the photos I’ve gone for a super minimal approach regarding contact details, with the cards being more as a fun giveaway rather than for business purposes. For me, Twitter is the best way to keep in touch with people I’ve met at design events, and should a project opportunity arise in the future a DM or @reply is all it takes to get the ball rolling.

Thanks to Moo’s awesome Printfinity technology I was also able to customise the cards, splitting the pack of 100 into 4 different designs each with a different ‘Hello’ message – All of which are things I’m likely to say as an ice-breaker in real life!

The quality of the Moo cards is top notch so I’d definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a fresh set of cards. Their MiniCards in particular are super cute and a conversation starter itself due to their unusual size.

For anyone interested in the step by step process of how this design was created, check out my tutorial on Blog.SpoonGraphics:

Hopefully I’ll see many of you at an event in 2011 to give one out in person.

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A few video clips from our trip to GoApe in Buxton, October 2010. This is the 2nd time at this venue – The large tarzan swing is what brought us back here. This must be our 5th visit to these kind of tree top assault courses. If you ever get the chance to go, do it! They’re great fun!

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1. An Action Packed Day at Alton Towers Theme Park

I’d definitely recommend getting your hands on a copy. It’s packed full of top quality artwork that inspires you to get creative with your own illustrations and design work. I’ve yet to give it a full cover to cover read through, but it has already given me that boost of creativity when I’m suffering from a case of designer’s block. Here’s a few snaps:

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They say Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but some of these examples simply take the piss!

My original Vivid Ways logo

Check out the making of post over at Blog.SpoonGraphics, and be sure to head over to VividWays.com to read Scott’s awesome blog about colorful living.

A few rips…

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1. ChrisSpooner.com Gets a Snazzy New Look

A few detail snapshots

Behind the scenes / The making of…

Readers of my Line25 web design blog may already be familiar with the design and coding walkthrough of this new design, if you’re not, be sure to check out the mini post series that starts with the Photoshop design concept tutorial, continues onto a walkthrough of the coding in HTML and CSS and finalises tomorrow with a post dedicated entirely to how the theme is put together in WordPress.

Stay tuned

My random video posts on this blog will stay pretty much the same, however I’d also like to start publishing more written articles and maybe a selection of design related topics, so if you’re interested in sticking around take a bite of the RSS feed.

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1. What?! Another blog?

We took Jake for a trip to the coast this week. He didn’t quite know what to make of this strange stuff called sand, and was a little wary of those things called waves. Still it looks like he had plenty of fun.

Subscribe on YouTube, or by RSS here on ChrisSpooner.com

Related posts:

1. Jake the Lab’s First Swim
2. Doggy Wrestle Mania – Jake the Lab vs Barney the Cocker Spaniel
3. We’re Making Great Progress with Jake’s Training
4. Adventure Time with Chris and Jake
5. Introducing Jake, The Hyperactive Dog
6. Jake the Dog Feels a Little Spaced Out After his Operation

We adopted Jake, the 6.5 month old Labrador Retriever in April 2010.

His previous owner hadn’t walked him for 3 months, which meant he was extremely hyperactive with lots of pent up energy.

Three months and a lot of patience later he’s completely transformed into a super mellow dog (most of the time!), so nobody believes us when we describe what he used to be like.

Here’s a few clips of his crazy antics from the first few days.

Background music courtesy of Sonorant

Related posts:

1. Jake Plays With His New Dog Friends At The Park
2. Introducing Jake, The Hyperactive Dog
3. We’re Making Great Progress with Jake’s Training
4. iPhone Battery Life: Is this normal?
5. Jake the Lab’s First Swim
6. 7 Days in the Snow – Our Skiing Trip to Auron, France