First Powerlifting Competition - Debrief

    It’s amazing how nervous a grown woman can get when faced with the prospect of lifting weights in a public arena. For this, my first powerlifting competition I’d managed to work myself into quite a state about various disastrous possibilities including the risk of my underwear being deemed “illegal” due...

    Transformative Power of Lifting Heavy

    I start a new job next week which means I have plenty of days off while I consume my remaining leave allowance. That’s time off when I’d like to be training, lifting weights, possibly running (only kidding), but as I’m only days away from my first powerlifting competition I’m supposed...

    Thriva Home blood testing and Hashimotos

    Back in 2014 I posted about my newly discovered autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I’d acquired the diagnosis rather opportunistically while I was taking up an offer of a performance blood scan and I responded with suitable outrage and a desire to make lifestyle changes that might put my body back...

    A Renaissance Diet and IIFYM Calculator

    ***UPDATES I’ve updated the spreadsheet so that it is now accessible as a Google Sheets document and I’ve created a new V2 to match the updated recommendations within the latest 2018 version of the RP book (Amazon link). Choose the version that matches whichever issue of the book you are...

    The Mind Numbing Thrill of the Cold

    I’ve spent much of the last year becoming acquainted with cold water, in some cases extremely cold water, and my life has become noticeably enriched as a result. It started back in May. I was feeling a bit aimless, in need of a new challenge. Not wanting to sign up...

    Squat, Bench and Deadlift for 2017

    I normally start the year with some form of endurance challenge to get my teeth into. Previously we’ve had half marathons and 100k hiking events but as running has slowly slipped out of favour to be replaced by strength work, it didn’t seem like the right focus for 2017. So...

    How to Set up the Perfect Garden Gym

    The Home or Garden Gym is a perfect solution for people who are self-motivated and happy to workout alone. The at-home convenience means you can prep a family dinner between sets and you never need to worry whether the squat rack will be occupied by a big fella. UPDATE and...

    Entering the Box

    I’ve been a wannabe crossfitter since 2012 when I read Inside the Box by TJ Murphy. I’m embarrassed to say that nerves and convenience have delayed my initiation until this week, almost 4 years later. This week though, I entered the Box. I’ve been to crossfit 3 times now and...

    Building a Canoe from Scratch

    Last week we built our own Canadian canoe. How cool is that? We went on a 4 day course in the lake district run by Orca Adventures and came away with an astoundingly good-looking vessel that we were able to drop onto the water the very next day. It was...