JOE’s resident videographer and Photoshop genius Peter Cooney wants to get ripped in eight weeks. With a lot of help from Raw Condition Gym, here’s how his second week is going.
“Ryan, Ryan, over here Ryan!” is what was shouted at me as I walked down Camden Street, Dublin on my way home from Raw Gym this week. It was very strange really. It was only when she came right up close that the lovely lady realised that I wasn’t Ryan Reynolds. But, I guess, that’s what you get for walking around topless.
It’s Week 2 now (you can find out how I got on in Week 1 here) and I must admit, I’m very happy with the progress. It has been a challenge to stick to the diet and I can gladly say that I haven’t deviated from the meal plan. As delicious as a Curly Wurly would be with a cup of tea, I just know it will lead me down a caramelly path filled with potholes towards Fatsville.
I’ve been there, I ain’t going back.
It’s all about routine really. I train (that’s what gym-goers say these days) on my high and moderate carb days and do cardio on my low carb days. Once I stick to that routine and know the cycle, it’s relatively easy to manage my time and to keep pushing ahead.
To mix things up this week, I used one of my cardio days to go on a hillwalk up the Dublin Mountains. It was bloody lovely… bar the storm.
Myself and my good pal the Butcher Byrne (it’s what he wants to be called) did wonder why everybody else was walking the opposite way to us. It was only when we reached the top and admired the view over the city, that we noticed the massive clouds coming directly towards us from the Tallaght direction.
So we got soaked and, as a result, my phone is now cuddled up to a billion grains of rice. But doing the walk on a low carb day really pushed me. About halfway, I started to feel sick and had to get stuck into one of my delicious meals: Turkey and Broccoli. When I got home, I was absolutely shattered and spent a wild Saturday night sprawled on my couch watching ‘Legit’.
My high and low carb days are spent in the gym beasting it. Below is a quick video of me really feeling the burn. Everything was captured on camera.
The workout consists of the following:
Superset dumbbell bench press (4×10) with incline fly (4×20)
1 minute on the rowing machine
Superset lat pulldown (4×10) with seated row (4×20)
1 minute on the rowing machine
Superset shoulder press (4×10) with lateral raise (4×20)
1 minute on the rowing machine
Superset kettlebell squats (4×10) with kettlebell lunges (4×20)
1 minute on the rowing machine
Superset bicep curl (4×10) with tricep pushdown (4×10)
I do this about four times a week, unless things are mixed up with a PT session with Ant or Andy (@andyhickey9). This morning’s workout with Andy was particularly tough… and I didn’t even get through it all. My cute little body is going to be in some pain tomorrow I’m sure.
I can see results already, something which is encouraging me to push on and achieve the goal that I’ve set myself. I have shifted about 3-4 kilos since I started and I’ve noticed a slight change in how my body looks. The lack of drinking, eating a clean diet and increased exercising has helped me mentally as well which, for people that know me, is absolutely fantastic. (It’s true. Peter’s a sexy little bundle of joy now – Ed.)
Hopefully, by Week 3, I’ll be allowed a cheat meal. Deciding what to eat, however, may be the toughest challenge of all. What to get!? My mind says Eddie Rockets, but my heart says Bombay Pantry… what do I do?
So ’til next time, I bid you adieu.
I am also on Twitter and have been described as “very funny”.
Peter.
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