When I started this challenge, just over three months ago, I don’t think I realised just how hard it would be to put weight on, but in the right way. Of course I could have piled two stone on very easily by eating three or four ‘junk’ meals each day, and doing little to no exercise, but that wasn’t my challenge. My challenge was to put on two stone and for people to not necessarily notice.
So, 187 pots of chicken and rice later, I have reached the half way point of 11 stone and in good time as well considering I have another ten weeks until my first cricket match of the 2015 season.
When I joined the gym at the start of October, I was 10 stone and 6ft 2 inches tall – a lanky lad with a very frail frame. By the time April comes around, the start of the 2015 cricket season, I will be 12 stone and hopefully still 6ft 2 inches tall! But I want to grow into my frame so to speak; I think ‘fill out’ is the term people use.
Progress – Weight gain
Since my last blog update, I have seen massive improvements on my weight gain. The main reason I attribute for this is raising my protein portion levels. As you can imagine, the Christmas period helped immensely. Although I hate turkey, the only way I could think of getting rid of all the leftover dry turkey A.S.A.P was to up the portion sizes on each leftover turkey and stuffing sandwich!
I have continued this idea with other items of protein. So every morning my standard one scoop protein shake had been upped to two scoops, my usual one fillet of chicken with lunch or dinner has been doubled to two fillets. And even my Chinese takeaway at the weekend has been double. I won’t get started on what was on that pile of food, as it was my cheat day, but what I will say is that I cheated colossally.
Moving Forward
I have decided, having taken advice from a personal trainer at my gym, to lessen my cardiovascular activity slightly over the next 4 to 5 weeks, and raise my weight lifting activity. He believes this is the perfect way for me to put the weight on. But then work furiously on my cardiovascular activity in the remaining 4 to 5 weeks to get me firstly to my 12 stone target, but also in peak fitness ready to make 2015 my season.
As always, any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated!
Until next time.
If you would like to read the previous entries to ‘Matt’s 12 stone challenge’ click the below links:
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