Pete Mitcham

Well, we’re into this thing for real, now.

I’m guessing that Week 4 is that turning point for many blokes doing workouts at gyms or home exercise sessions and other various diet programs. For some it’s the time that hard work and sacrifice becomes a bit too much. When results aren’t immediately apparent and morale dips to the point where heading straight back into a bag of chips and few coldies seems like a more favourable option. It’s the time when the 10 Week finishing line seems a million miles away.

For others, and I’m glad to say I’m one, the realisation dawns that the body is reacting rather positively to the regular stresses imposed by the ten minute workouts each day and that the changes to diet are beginning to manifest as rather pleasant lifestyle improvements. Feeling generally better, sleeping more soundly and waking more fresh are, among other things, being noticed by family members.

Here are this week’s thoughts.

Week 4 Diary Entry.
“Having cut a fair chunk into the 10 Week program I’m starting to see that a dedicated system of weight control and fat-burning – specifically The Man Challenge – is starting to reap benefits I didn’t anticipate.

The exercise section of the program is beginning to pay off with a noticeable improvement in my core strength. As I detailed in earlier Diary Entries, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays my body is subjected to a fairly rigorous (but not too daunting) High Intensity Interval Training regime and the other days focus on Mobility, Flexibility and Core Strength. Here’s where I’m feeling the positive results.

Mentally I’m feeling as though the ‘rest days’ are a bit of a reward for the hard yakka put in on the HiiT days but now I’ve come to see that the ‘slack days’ are making the tough ones more rewarding and beneficial. Better core stability and increased muscle flexibility is making the exercise more efficient and a noticeable improvement in general fitness is making keeping up with the kids much easier.”

What I learned this week.
Each Friday the Workout consists of a Celebrity Challenge. A current or ex AFL, NRL, Rugby Union or Basketball star completes three or four reps of three or four different drills and you measure your performance against them. When a player who represents a club you disliked beats you in the number of burpees he can do it makes you say colourful words. When you come close to the number of Mountain Climbers they can do, it’s actually a pretty good feeling. I hate Burpees.

What else I learned this week.
I am still shit at push ups.

Starting Weight – 89 kgs
Week 4 Weigh up – 81.5kgs “Wooh-Hoo!!”

Starting Waist – 38 inches
Week 4 Waist measure – 38 inches. Yeah. Still work to do here.

Weight loss so far 7.5kgs
Inches lost so far 0 inches

Next episode. Week 5. Halfway there and the body prepares for The Ekka.

Read more:
Prof Pilsner takes ‘The Man Challenge’: Week 3