Dag 1235: Please shower before using the showers

Towards the end of my contract in Scotland I started going to the gym less and less and eating more and more Chinese takeaways - it was great!

Since then, although I haven't been eating takeaways I have been slowly putting on weight and getting a but more podgy than I would like to be. Trying to eat less has completely failed to make any difference so last Monday I joined the gym. It is a small gym inside a hotel, but it is directly over the road from were I work and it is also pretty cheap.

I joined on Monday and after being shown around did 3000 metres on the rowing machine in 15 minutes. I then arranged for someone to give me a programme on Tuesday so I could actually get myself a set routine to do rather than just make something up each time I go (which is an easy way of slacking). So the program was set and I have been every day since and although I won't have lost any weight yet I certainly feel better for going.

My programme consists of:
- Stretching (which I haven't done since the first day as I've already forgotten how to do them).
- 5 minutes warm up on the bike
- 15 minutes on the treadmill (5 mins fast walking with incline set to 7, 5 minutes jogging on flat and 5 minutes fast walking on incline).
- 2000 meters on the rower (set to 7)
- 10 minutes on orbital machine (2.5 mins forward, 2.5 back, 2.5 forward, 2.6 back) on setting 7.
- The a couple more minutes on orbital to cool down.
- Stretching (still can't remember how to do it so haven't bothered).

The target time I set on the rower on Tuesday (which involved me going flat out for the last 300 metres) was 9 minutes 38 seconds.
Since then I have done 9:49, 9:36 and today I did 9:32.

Music to workout to was supplied courtesy of my new iPod and has included Shirley Clamp - Favoriter PÂ Svenska, This Mortal Coil - Blood, The Cure - A forest, Kent - Du och jag dˆden and The Killers - Hot fuss.

I don't have a picture of a gym so here is the next best thing.

ex members of Cloud 9 and Fragile

It was taken a few months ago when Critical Mass and Cloudhands senior editorial staff, and assorted hangers on, met up for a meal in Windsor. Needless to say a slap up nosh was had by all.