125 replies to this topic

[Bondian]

How to get Daniel's body in a few months?

Freeze it.

[erniecureo]

I agree with everything Binyamin said, but will add this: STAYING in shape is a hell of a lot easier than GETTING in shape.

When I joined the Marines, I was just an average joe. Tall and thin, not very strong and not a great deal of endurance.

The Marines focused on pull-ups, situps (this was before crunches), and push-ups. Oh, and running. Lots and lots of running. We also did leg lifts (lie on the floor with arms at sides, keep legs straight and together, and slowly lift them 90 degrees to the perpendicular. Just as slowly, lower them BUT DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH THE GROUND. Stop them about six inches above the ground, then lift them to the vertical again. Your abs will try to hire a lawyer and sue you for abuse).

When I started, I could do five pull-ups, maybe forty push-ups, and sixty or so situps in two minutes. I could run a mile-and-a-half in about 12 minutes.

Ten weeks later, a routine day (yes, routine) saw us doing 1,000 situps (in blocks of 250), 1,000 pushups (blocks of 200), 60 pullups (blocks of 20), and a three-mile run in under 20 minutes. We'd do 250 situps, then five 100-yard wind sprints. Then 250 more situps, followed by 20 pullups. Etc., etc.

This isn't bragging--it's to point out two things. One, at the end of that time, I didn't look that much bigger. A little, but I was MUCH more toned than bulked, and my endurance was at a level I wouldn't have believed possible.

Second, we worked out at least three hours a day. There's no way to achieve the results being discussed without putting in the time. There simply aren't any shortcuts, period.

As far as staying in shape, now twenty-plus years later I do about fifty pushups a day, fifty crunches, and fifty or so curls (in sets, at different weights). I detest running, (and I smoke) so that's the thing I have really not kept up. If I had a gun to my head, I could probably run a mile in ten minutes. Then I'd throw up and pass out. My daily workout takes about 15-20 minutes.

Regardless, I still weigh 100 kgs, and my waist is the same size it was twenty years ago.

One last note, lest this start to sound too self-aggrandizing. About a week after I got out of boot camp (the time I was in the best shape of my life), a girlfriend invited me to her aerobics class. I went along, thinking it would be a breeze, and I'd impress a bunch of hot women in spandex. 20 minutes into the 45-minute session, I had to quit. I still remember lying at her feet gasping for breath as she continued on--and she was talking to me and wondering why I didn't answer.

I never went back.

[Santa]

One last note, lest this start to sound too self-aggrandizing. About a week after I got out of boot camp (the time I was in the best shape of my life), a girlfriend invited me to her aerobics class. I went along, thinking it would be a breeze, and I'd impress a bunch of hot women in spandex. 20 minutes into the 45-minute session, I had to quit. I still remember lying at her feet gasping for breath as she continued on--and she was talking to me and wondering why I didn't answer.

I never went back.

I like this story as when I teach yoga I find quite a lot of men coming in thinking this is for women and it'll be easy-peasy fairy stuff (particularly the more muscle-bound ones). Ha ha ha. I should be above it but it's always amusing seeing them collapse in a heap halfway through . Some serious yoga can really get you in shape.

[erniecureo]

...when I teach yoga...

I once dated a girl that did yoga. By that time I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut until I knew something about it, so I managed not to embarass myself. After watching this 100-lb. girl drip sweat into a pool beneath her for an hour, I thought better of attending her class with her!

[DavidSomerset]

What Ernie says is true. It is the first push up that is the hardest.

I read this book by Stallone, and I have read a lot of exercise and get fit books. But this book is the best motivator out there to get your body into shape. At least take a peak at the pages using the Search Inside function in Amazon.

Excerpt of review: "...But Stallone wants to make every reader a winner, and he's incessantly empowering. Photos of him doing pushups and bench presses are inspiring..."

http://www.amazon.co...h/dp/0060737875

[Kamikaze]

Don't know if you're still looking, but this is a workout I've been using:

http://www.together.net/~ronjav/sbtp/

All the links on the side go to various exercises for the sections to work on, and they have beginner tips too.

Hope this helps!

[Pam Bouvier]

God, everytime I read the title of this thread, I smile and wonder:
How does one "get" DC's body.....in a month?

[enigma662]

Does anyone know DC's current physical particulars such as height, weight, bodyfat percentage (that last one, I'd really like to know since it will help with long term goal setting). Is this information available anywhere?

By basis of comparison, I'm 5' 11.5", currently weigh 176 pounds, and my last bodyfat test pegged me at 19 percent.

I don't know. I forgot to weigh him and take his measurements the last time I saw him... a joke...

I don't know his weight, but I would guesstimate his bodyfat at 10-12%. I'm a beginning bodybuilder myself. People think that it's much easier than it actually is to get in shape like that... I've been doing intense weight lifting and cardio 5-6 days a week for the last 10 months with an extremely strict diet, and I still don't look as good as Daniel. I would estimate I'd look like that by spring. It takes hard work, motivation, and above all, just be consistent.

God, everytime I read the title of this thread, I smile and wonder:
How does one "get" DC's body.....in a month?

Hahaha I see what you did there

[Scamp]

Hi, read Evening Standard tonight and on the centre pages they talked about the premiere and also had the front page of an earlier edition, possibly yesterday's (?), which seemed to be an article on DCs fitness regime. Did anyone get it and if so, can they scan it for the rest of us. Thanks

[FullMetalJacket]

Most Women aren't impressed by muscles but they universally appreciate confidence.

Hmmmm.

Yes, confidence is key. If you don't respect yourself, don't expect respect from anyone else. But exercise definitely helps. With muscles come strength, with strength comes confidence, and with confidence comes competence.

By that same token, it's an absolutely razor-thin line between confidence and arrogance. It's hard to contrast the two, because they're almost the same thing. But trust me, women can tell the difference. Don't get cocky, kids.

[0024]

Outstanding. That is the most articulate, inspirational post of all time, on any board, ever. I don't know if you copied that, Binyamin, or if that all came from you, but I greatly appreciate this post. I will definitely be putting these techniques into practice.

[Agent Carter]

If it hasn't been mentioned already, we have to understand that every body is different. Some progress quickly others slowly. I would say I am somewhere in the middle.

DC didn't go from skinny to muscle in a few months. He has said that he has family that bodybuild and that it was natural for him to pick it up.

If you want to get big like him it's going to take a long time.

Just like it takes a long time to put on that big gut, it's gonna take some time to burn it off.

[Emma]

You won't get Craig's body in a few months, it's impossible. The models you see in fitness magazines have been at it for years and years.


One more thing, from what I've seen of DC he's always been in shape. What he wanted to do for CR was pack on more muscle. But he already had a nice body to begin with. He was not overweight or skinny.

In order to look like Craig you have to eat clean. That is eat plenty of lean meats (ie. Chicken, turkey) and vegatables--all the time. This means no sugars, starch (ie. white bread, rice, potatoes) and of course no junk food. You also have to go on a strict excerice regime. With a focus on intensity, say 3x5 sets of 15-20 repititions of each excercise. With no breaks in between excercises or very short breaks in order to get your strength back (say 30 seconds). If you are not in shape and trying to build up focus on one body part per session. Try to go for 4-5 days a week.

And of course it goes without saying. You need to be disciplined and consistant.

Yes it's hard and it takes time. But if you want a nice body like Craig had in CR. Then you'll have to pay the price to get a nice body like his.

[Agent Carter]

You won't get Craig's body in a few months, it's impossible. The models you see in fitness magazines have been at it for years and years.


One more thing, from what I've seen of DC he's always been in shape. What he wanted to do for CR was pack on more muscle. But he already had a nice body to begin with. He was not overweight or skinny.

In order to look like Craig you have to eat clean. That is eat plenty of lean meats (ie. Chicken, turkey) and vegatables--all the time. This means no sugars, starch (ie. white bread, rice, potatoes) and of course no junk food. You also have to go on a strict excerice regime. With a focus on intensity, say 3x5 sets of 15-20 repititions of each excercise. With no breaks in between excercises or very short breaks in order to get your strength back (say 30 seconds). If you are not in shape and trying to build up focus on one body part per session. Try to go for 4-5 days a week.

And of course it goes without saying. You need to be disciplined and consistant.

Yes it's hard and it takes time. But if you want a nice body like Craig had in CR. Then you'll have to pay the price to get a nice body like his.

Good post. You said it better than I could have.

I see a lot of men who love to lift weights but also like to eat a lot of junk. Which is amusing to see the big biceps and a big stomach.

Also there is more than just looking good. Having good cardiovascular health is essential. And having more energy without caffeine or other stimulates is also a plus.

[Zorin Industries]

If memory serves me right, DC trained for over four months with a personal trainer.

Not like he was out of shape to begin with though. Pretty good looking in Layer Cake which was 2004.

He's better looking in LAYER CAKE than CASINO ROYALE. I feel he bulked up too much for Bond. His physique in LAYER CAKE is more natural - that of a lucky sod when it comes to his bod. In ROYALE, he tends to look a tad apeish. But, hey - who looks at the mantelpiece when you stoke the fire...?!

[00Twelve]

I didn't mind the extra-muscular physique. I definitely wouldn't question his ability to kill a man, armed or not. And that's a quality that I value for his character.

[Santa]

If memory serves me right, DC trained for over four months with a personal trainer.

Not like he was out of shape to begin with though. Pretty good looking in Layer Cake which was 2004.

He's better looking in LAYER CAKE than CASINO ROYALE. I feel he bulked up too much for Bond. His physique in LAYER CAKE is more natural - that of a lucky sod when it comes to his bod. In ROYALE, he tends to look a tad apeish. But, hey - who looks at the mantelpiece when you stoke the fire...?!

I agree with you on that one, I prefer a more natural look.

[Zorin Industries]

I didn't mind the extra-muscular physique. I definitely wouldn't question his ability to kill a man, armed or not. And that's a quality that I value for his character.

Fair enough. Gone are the days of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN and Roger's moobs...!

Mx

[darkpath]

I must concur with the last two. I'm personally paying the price of the error of my ways, so to speak. It's hard work, and to be honest, I don't yet have the capability of sustaining the level of intensity in my workouts that I wish to. That being said, I'm getting there.

Consequently, my answer of how to get a body like Daniel Craig's (as he had in CR) in a few months is to already be at the level of fitness he had in Layer Cake. That is, don't be more than a few months hard work from your goal and then you can achieve it in a few months. Other than that, time is time and that's all there is to it.

[Agent Carter]

To add to this, it takes about a year, in general, depending on your current level of Body Mass Index. If you're fat, it will take longer than someone who is lean.

At about three months you can notice good changes and so will others, after about a year you can expect pretty big changes, that is if you follow what 'Emma' said earlier.

[LadySylvia]

Now, when you mean "how to get Daniel's body", do you mean how to achieve a body like his in CASINO ROYALE? Or do you mean to simply possess his body? Because I can go for the latter.

[LadySylvia]

Now, when you mean "how to get Daniel's body", do you mean how to achieve a body like his in CASINO ROYALE? Or do you mean to simply possess his body? Because I can go for the latter.

Please, don't lower the tone.

Why not?

[HildebrandRarity]

Okay, I'm assuming that some of you are at least somewhat serious about doing this.... so here's a serious answer.

First understand that Craig is in elite shape right now. By that I mean, he has put in the hard work and dedication for true functional fitness that allows him to keep up with free-running experts, martial artists, and complete all the spectacular stunts. The shape he is currently in is not incidental-- like the character of 007 that he is playing, it has a very serious purpose, it is functional, and it did not come easily.

If you are truly interested in looking like Craig, then understand that it will not be easy. Nothing worthwhile is-- but with the awesome body that will turn heads will also come confidence. If you dedicate yourself to the challenge of being in elite shape, and succeed, you will develope a swagger and a genuine confidence that cannot be faked.

Look at Daniel Craig. He's ripped. Now look again. He does not look like a bodybuilder. Nobody is going to confuse him for Arnold Schwarzenegger... and yet you wouldn't want to get in a fight with Craig would you? He is lean. He is sleek. His muscles have been trained to be functional.

To get into this elite shape, you are not going to be bodybuilding. You cannot spend hour after hour in the gym simply cranking out bicept curls and magically develope this functional fitness. You need something different.

Let's think for a second about James Bond, the character.

Lethal government agent.

Trained in the special forces.

On assignment all over the world, without access to workout machines and juice bars.

To look like Daniel Craig, to put yourself into elite functional shape, you need a military-style program that will work anywhere and everywhere around the world.

Sound intimidating? Guess what, the program I just described is actually going to make the challenge easier, because it can be done almost anywhere, without fancy equipment and days spent doing bicept curls with the other meatheads. And forget your notions of military drill instructors screaming obscenities in your ear. What we're talking about here is a functional and focused program that gets results.

We're talking about the same type of physical training that the world's most elite special forces units use.


-------------
The Elite Workout

A One-Month Plan

There are three equally important components of this plan:
1. Physical Training (PT)
2. Nutrition
3. Rest

Mastering these components, staying focused and dedicated, and working hard toward your goal will get you results. Neglect any of them, and lose focus or expect magic results, and you will be disappointed.

Your mindset determines your success.

Remember that. There will be obsticles and challenges. You might slip a little bit in following the plan. Get yourself back on track, don't beat yourself up. Friends might critisize you for being dedicated to changing your life instead of smoking pot with them. Ignore them. They're jealous. No matter what challenge comes up, your attitude and your mindset will determine whether you succeed or fail.

Part 1: Physical Training

Your muscles develop, and your body adapts, by being challenged. Spend all day sitting around and your body will adapt to your lethargic lifestyle. But push yourself every day, challenge your muscles, your heart, your lungs, and your body will adapt to what you demand from it.

The human body responds quickest to functional training.

Re-read that last sentance. It's important. The training that will get the best results is excercise that is most natural, most fuctional. Your legs are built for running and for jumping, for lifting and kicking. Arms pull the body up and over obstacles, carry objects. The core, your abs and your back, stabalize the body. Spend hours cranking weights around on a bicept machine, moving your arms maybe twelve inches each time and you accomplish nothing. In a few weeks you will be great at one thing: moving your arms twelve inches the same way over and over.

Your body responds to functional challenges. This means that the Elite Workout focuses on excercises that accomplish things, that move the body through physical space.

Not only will this get you results fast, but it also means that you can use bodyweight excercises anywhere and everywhere. The workout can be done in a hotel room, in a weight room, outside at a playground, in foreign countries or in your backyard. Anywhere.

Bodyweight and athletic excercises form the core of this workout. Here are the ones you'll be using the most:

Pullups
Grasp an overhead bar with palms facing away. From a fully extended position, pull your body up until the bar is at your neck. Drop to the extended hanging position for one rep.

Chinups
Exactly like the pullup, only with palms facing toward you.

Pullups and Chinups are some of the most effective ways to put on lean muscle mass, as they work not only your arms but also your back and your core. And they are functional.

Pushups
Start in the resting position with feet close together, palms on the ground shoulder width apart. Push up until your arms are fully extended, then return to the rest position. This is one rep.

Pushups are a military favorite for muscle endurance, because they work.

Crunches
Start lying on your back as you would for a standard situp. Now, raise your legs to about a 45-degree angle. To work your abs, curl your upper body toward your waist, concentrating on keeping your feet from moving and focusing on contracting your ab muslces. Return slowly to the resting position for one rep.

Do these slowly-- when done right each rep should be challenging and give your core a real workout.

Highknees Jumprope
Start standing comfortably balanced on both feet, with the jumprope ready to go behind your feet. Swing the rope over your head and jump high into the air to clear it, concentrating on bringing your knees high. Land and repeat.

Try to get your entire body into each jump and your heart will be racing in no time.

Jump-Ups
Find a table or platform at about waist height, or lower if needed. Stand a few feet back from it. Bend at the knees and leap onto the platform, landing on your feet and jumping back down. This is one rep.

Another amazing way to work your lower body and core while getting your heart racing.

Running
Notice that it says Running, not Jogging. Push yourself at a pace that is manageable, yet challenging. Don't worry if you have to stop every few minutes to walk-- push yourself as much as you can and you will see results. Don't cheat yourself. And don't worry about the right way to run. Your body will naturally find the most efficient movements as you grow stronger, so don't micro-manage your running style. Just run.

Sprinting
Run. Fast. As hard as you can. You'll get a rest after the sprint, so don't hold anything back.


The Superset

A Superset is a scarily effective way to combine excercises into one fast-paced workout. Here's how it works: you run through a series of excercises one after another, resting only when one set is complete and then going through the exact same set again. The Superset is a favorite of police and military units around the world, because it works. Fast.


Week One

Monday
Superset:
30x High-knees Jumprope
5x Chin-ups
25x Crunches
5x Pullups
Repeat the superset 3 times, as fast as possible.

Tuesday
Same as Monday's workout. Try to cut down your rest times. Keep your heart racing!

Wednesday
Run 1 mile, or for ten minutes. Stop and walk if you have to, but push yourself!
Right after the run:
Sprint 100 meters, three times.

Thursday
Repeat Monday's superset. Again, try to cut down the times you stop to rest.

Friday
Same as Thursday

Saturday
Repeat Wednesday's running workout.

Sunday
Rest!

Week Two

Monday
Superset:
30x High-knees jumprope
6x Chinups
25x Crunches
6x Pullups
10x Jump-Ups
Repeat superset 3 times.

Tuesday
Repeat Monday's superset.

Wednesday
Run 1 mile or ten minutes.
Sprint 100 meters, 4 times.

Thursday
Repeat this week's superset.

Friday
Repeat the superset

Saturday
Do Wednesday's run again

Sunday
Rest!

Week Three

Monday
Superset:
30x High-knees jumprope
6x Chinups
25x Crunches
6x Pullups
10x Jump-Ups
10x Pushups (try inclined pushups to make these more challenging)
Repeat superset 3 times.

Tuesday
Repeat this week's superset

Wednesday
Run 1 mile. Time yourself today.
Sprint 100 meters 5 times.

Thursday
This week's superset.

Friday
This week's superset.

Saturday
Same running as Wednesday. Try to beat your time from Wednesday!

Sunday
Rest!

Week Four

Monday
Superset:
40x High-knees jumprope
7x Chinups
25x Crunches
7x Pullups
10x Jump-Ups
10x Pushups (try inclined pushups to make these more challenging)
Repeat superset 3 times.

Tuesday
Do the superset again.

Wednesday
Run 1 mile or ten minutes.
Sprint 100 meters 5 times.

Thursday
Superset.

Friday
Superset.

Saturday
Run again

Sunday
Rest!


After this month of training, your body will be ready for a change. By now you'll understand the principle of the Superset and you can apply it with other variations. Try doing chinups with a weighted backpack. Mix in freestyle swimming sprints if you have access to a pool. Try trail running or beach running.


Part Two: Nutrition

All the physical training in the world is useless without the nutrition to back it up. Food is fuel.

There are three primary sources of energy: Carbohydrates, fats, and protein. The first two power your body through the day and through a tough workout, while the last, protein, is essential to rebuilding muscle.

Don't get caught up in fad diets or overly technical nutrition breakdowns. The key to nutrition is to eat right. Our bodies already know which foods are best, and here's a hint: it isn't Twinkies. Start viewing the food you eat as fuel. Choose food that is colorful and fresh, hold off on the giant desserts, and eat for balance. Eat whole breads, lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables.

Drink water. Drink a lot of water. Stop downing soft drinks, drink water in its place and after a week you will never want to go back.


Part Three: Rest

Here's a fact many people know but few seem to believe: working out does not build muscle. A hard workout actually breaks down muscle. Your gains in strength will come only when your body has a chance to rest and to re-build itself stronger than before, adapting to the challenge.

Proper rest is vital to any effective training program. In the workout plan above, lighter rest days are mixed in with more challenging training days. The running days give your upper body a break. Sunday is set aside completely to rest. And, the workout does not take much time to complete, which means that you'll never have to chose between training or sleeping.

And sleep is important. The amount of sleep that your body needs will vary, but do try to get eight hours of solid sleep every night. Train hard, eat right, and rest, and you will see results.


More Resources


Here are several resources that follow the principles outlined above. There are hundreds of bad workout routines, machines, and gurus out there. Stear clear of the ones that seem too good to be true. The principles of physical training, especially functional military-style training, are simple and effective. The resources below work and can be demonstrated with real results.


The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness

Want to train like the elite Navy SEALS? This is your guide. Written by Navy SEAL instructor Stew Smith, this guide will put you into the most elite shape of your life. Also check out Lt. Smith's website and other guides here.


Men's Journal Peak Performance

A guide that illustrates the only six fundimental excercises your body responds to. Functional training at its best. No hype, just results.


Nutrition for a Traceur

Want some ideas on how to eat right? Go here. This nutrition guide comes from UrbanFreeflow, experts in the sport of Parkour and Freerunning.

In order to look like DC, you have to starve yourself of (complex) carbos like pasta, potatoes and beer. ALL you can eat is proteins.

I don't know about you, but you can only go so long without eating carbs. In fact you may go two or three weeks without doing so before it leads to depression and you get aggitated and snap at the littlest of things at the people you love/live with.

I do both weights and cardio and, in my opinion, you CAN'T look like that UNLESS you eat only proteins and cut out complex carbohydrates.

I would like to get DC's opinion as to what he had to give up and for how long he had to do that in order to look that way.

I'm willing to bet that he couldnt drink beer/Guinness and eat some of the things he grew up loving to eat for a certain length of time. And i'd like to know if dis-allowing his body of some of those things got him irritated and edgy and unhappy from time to time.

[HildebrandRarity]

The follow posts by Emma and Agent Carter (which I read after my own post was written) say it well...

You won't get Craig's body in a few months, it's impossible. The models you see in fitness magazines have been at it for years and years.


One more thing, from what I've seen of DC he's always been in shape. What he wanted to do for CR was pack on more muscle. But he already had a nice body to begin with. He was not overweight or skinny.

In order to look like Craig you have to eat clean. That is eat plenty of lean meats (ie. Chicken, turkey) and vegatables--all the time. This means no sugars, starch (ie. white bread, rice, potatoes) and of course no junk food. You also have to go on a strict excerice regime. With a focus on intensity, say 3x5 sets of 15-20 repititions of each excercise. With no breaks in between excercises or very short breaks in order to get your strength back (say 30 seconds). If you are not in shape and trying to build up focus on one body part per session. Try to go for 4-5 days a week.

And of course it goes without saying. You need to be disciplined and consistant.

Yes it's hard and it takes time. But if you want a nice body like Craig had in CR. Then you'll have to pay the price to get a nice body like his.

Good post. You said it better than I could have.

I see a lot of men who love to lift weights but also like to eat a lot of junk. Which is amusing to see the big biceps and a big stomach.

Also there is more than just looking good. Having good cardiovascular health is essential. And having more energy without caffeine or other stimulates is also a plus.

[Loomis]

In order to look like DC, you have to starve yourself of (complex) carbos like pasta, potatoes and beer. ALL you can eat is proteins.

I don't know about you, but you can only go so long without eating carbs. In fact you may go two or three weeks without doing so before it leads to depression and you get aggitated and snap at the littlest of things at the people you love/live with.

I do both weights and cardio and, in my opinion, you CAN'T look like that UNLESS you eat only proteins and cut out complex carbohydrates.

Where do you get this information? Why would you need to cut out complex carbohydrates?

As long as you have decent food variation and a chiefly very healthy diet (with high quality protein and carbs), then you're laughing.

Do your workouts regularly, keeping sessions short but intense, mixing up your routine and exercises every so often, eat well and get plenty of rest, and perhaps you won't look like Daniel Craig, but you'll still look and feel pretty darn good. And you won't end up feeling like half-monk, half-hitman.

I gather that Stallone lived on nothing but egg whites, small pieces of burnt toast and water while making ROCKY III, but, be honest, are you really prepared to do that sort of thing?

Nah, my advice to you, chief, is eat, drink and be merry (well, you could cut out or cut down on the drink, if you do drink, 'coz alcohol is something of an enemy of physical training), but eat good food (go easy on the processed pap, etc.), train hard and get yer rest in.

I was given a bodybuilding diet a few months ago by someone who really knows his stuff. Didn't end up following it as, frankly, it recommended a daily intake of far more food than I could possibly manage to down, and it was difficult to schedule any actual exercise or rest between all the guzzling. I'll see if I can find it and put it up here. But I think it's aimed at the serious bodybuilder, y'know, the kind of guy who won't walk up a flight of stairs because he's worried that it'll count as too much cardio. I myself am content to be in as good a shape as possible while still having a life. My only regret is that I waited until my early 30s to start exercising (well, another regret is that I still haven't given up smoking).

BTW, some great advice from Binyamin on this thread.

[james st.john smythe]

eliminate all free radicals and drink lots of beer

[Mr.B]

You should probably take it slow. It can't be healthy to put on so much weight in only a couple of months.

[Loomis]

Yeah, take it slow, and beware overtraining. Unfortunately, the line between doing enough exercise and overdoing it is a very thin one, whereby once or twice a week may not be sufficient to have a real impact on your health and fitness but more than that could be storing up some serious problems for yourself.

As (I think) Binyamin pointed out, the body adapts to challenges, so change is possible only when you try to push yourself beyond current capacity. Also, it's natural to wish to progress as quickly as possible, and initial change encourages further effort. The obvious downside to that is that you're risking overtraining and injury, which will (if, that is, you're sensible enough to back off for a while instead of pushing on regardless) knock you out of the game for at least a lot longer than you'd like.

I don't care how fit you are or how smartly you think you're training - if you're doing it with any degree of seriousness, then you're at risk of overtraining, and indeed if you are doing it seriously then you're probably overtraining already, or at any rate just a whisker away. It's very, very difficult to get the balance right, since keeping at it and pushing yourself is clearly what you need to be doing, yet it's also clearly what you shouldn't be doing. It's a tough one.

[Bondian]

Anyone got any good stomach reducing techniques?.

It's getting to the stage where I'm struggling to find Mr Wiggly.

Cue...Mr. Blofeld.

[HildebrandRarity]

Bondian, you have to go for brisk walks or runs and reduce your intake of complex carbos in favour of proteins and vegetables.

OR

You can go get a penis enlargement proceedure.

I'd opt for the former.