15 Sep
Health and Fitness Update
The Before Times
During the COVID lockdowns of 2020 I started writing on this blog again. After a couple of months that fizzled out and it’s been dormant ever since. One of the things I was writing about during those strange times was my health and fitness journey. In January 2020, just before the COVID outbreak, I had started to do something about my health. I was at my heaviest, out of shape, unfit and unhealthy, my diet wasn’t good and I was doing no exercise. Until I reread some of those old blog posts I’d forgotten about the couch to 10k and the pushups I was doing. In one of the lasts posts I said I was going to stick to 5k runs and try and get quicker. I don’t know how long that lasted for, but I haven’t been for a run in years. The thing is, I hate running, I much prefer working out with weights and walking.
Garage Gym
In January 2021, I cleared out my garage as much as I could and bought some gym equipment. I got a power rack, a bench and some weights. Since then I’ve worked out pretty consistently in my garage gym ever since. In all of that time my weight has fluctuated up and down, I’ve never gone back to being overweight like I was pre 2020. I’ve gained some muscle and lost a lot of fat. I’m around 4 stone lighter than I was, much fitter and healthier. I turned 50 this year and I’m in probably the best shape of my life, but I still have work to do. I’m hoping to get in even better shape by Christmas (2026). I currently do 3 days per week of weight training and 3 days per week of calisthenics skill work. I started the calisthenics in January 2026. When I started I couldn’t do a headstand or a handstand, I couldn’t get my legs even a few inches off the ground. I can now do handstands and a headstand pushup into a handstand against a wall. I’m working up to be able to do that without the wall support. I’m also working towards front lever and planche.
