Wk 6, D4. T25-Beta: Dynamic Core + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2 + Tennis.

Wk 6, D4. T25-Beta: Dynamic Core + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2 + Tennis.

This was a total BURN! I wasn't able to do a Straight 25 because I had to stop and rewind to get some of the new moves. But also because I had to stop because of the burn in a lot of the core moves. The V-hold at the end again got me. It was CRRRR-AAZZZYY! I gotta get my core strengthened up.
Did a little better with the hip tuck because I was trying to focus on it. But there were still times when was a little too involved in thinking about that move that I would let my hips fade back. I need to get to the point where I can just flow and not think so much about the move. That point is still far away, but I'm getting there... Slowly.

I had a tennis match in the early afternoon. It was really rough in the beginning. I couldn't get my rhythm going. I also had a problem with my forehand. I was trying to be more regular with a more compact swing so I could generate more power, but I just kept brushing the ball a little too much and was dumping the ball into the net. I had the problem all through out the match, but once I got warmed up, my other shots were supporting the whole game. I was getting a little winded at the end and a lapse in concentration had me drop three straight games in the final set.  Final score, 6-2, 6--2, 6-4.

Good day, but was a bit run down for some reason. I suspect that my body is fighting off a virus. My son has been sick since Friday night and I think I may have caught it but am still fighting it. Gotta Keep FIGHTING!!!

Wk 6, D3. T25-Beta: Rip'd Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2.

Wk 6, D3. T25-Beta: Rip'd Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2.

Another, "WOW" for this workout routine. It has been a long time since I worked with weights and it showed. I thought I could just pick up where I left off, but I obviously lost some strength because I was getting so winded with the resistance moves. For the curls and weighted lower body stuff, I just had two 10kg dumbbells, and that was too much, I will have to drop to perhaps 7.5kgs next time and work back to 10kgs. It was nice to do a focused total body workout with resistance. Not even close to a Straight 25 today, I added 5 minutes with all the breaks I was taking and what not. Weighted lateral squats, lunges, regular squats winded me so much, but the time went by so fast. I was also a bit confused by the name of this workout. I thought circuit implied doing different sets of 4-5 moves 2-3 times. But this routine was just new move after new move. Maybe I misunderstood. Either way, this is probably my favorite routine so far of T25. Loved the ab moves as well. I really wanted to hold the final V-Hold till the end, but it was not to be. Had to come out of it, then went back up for the last 7 seconds. Again, I was sweating like a pig! Burned just over 400kcals with the cool down.

This is probably the best I've done sequence 2 to date. Very happy, and I'm starting to get the progression of the moves. Not yet quite flowing, but slowly understanding the idea behind the moves. I didn't use the resistance band today. May that is why it was better. I'll have to try it out with the band tomorrow and see if those little hiccups come back. About half the time I remember/forgot to tuck my hips. Got to get that in my head. TUCK YOUR HIPS!!!

Great way to start my day. Oh yeah, this was a morning workout. I totally spaced on it, then I woke up and thought about my day and when I would do my workout. Then I remembered that this was a late class day then I realized that I had to do my workout in the morning. I got up and got to it. It's sort of nice when I have no time to think about it, but just have to do it.
In the end, I burned just under 700kcals!

Wk 6, D2. T25-Beta: Speed 2.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2.

Wk 6, D2. T25-Beta: Speed 2.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2.

Wow, Well that was different. Played with the time this time. I was blown away be how fast the crew was moving their feet. I finally got up to speed, but I had to reduce my range of motion a bit and then I was able to nail it. Level 1, rounds 1-3 were tough, but I bumbled my way through. My arches were crying out for a break. I wanted that first time Straight 25, but it was not to be. By the second or third move of Level 2, I couldn't take the pain in my arches any longer and had to take a quick 10 second break to shake out my feet. I got all the way through the rest of L2R1, but by the time that same move came back, I had to take a break again. My last break was just before the final level doing all the moves for a double 8-count then a single 8-count. I must have gotten my second wind because I nailed Level 3. I was sweating LIKE CRAZY! Another Sprinkler day and I had to wipe my walls and monitor, etc. off after the workout. Burned 338kcals on this routine alone.

Sequence 2 was much better today. I was able to orient myself to the moves and was able to anticipate my positioning at the beginning so I would end up clear of bumping into anything at the end of the sequence. Better balance, better flow. Much better than yesterday! But everytime Dr. Cheng said, "Tuck your hips in." I'd check and yep, my hips were back. Still not part of me yet. Patience baby bird. Oh, I also forgot to mention this yesterday, but I was using the yellow resistance band during the sequence. It helped remind me to keep my knees pried out.

In all, I ended up burning 580kcals in today's workout.

Wk 6, D1. T25-Beta: Core Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2.

Wk 6, D1. T25-Beta: Core Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Sequence 2.

I was a bit nervous about starting Beta today. I was a little unsure as to whether or not I was ready to move on. But I think I did pretty good. I did a Straight 25 and only slowed down a few times. I made it through both the burn outs fine, but some of those new progressions totally fried my quads. WOW! I mean they were ON FIRE!!! The progression with the Air Planks. OUCH!!! I forget the names at the moment, but WOW! just WOW!! That was a big leap up from Alpha. In Alpha mainly my calves and arches were in pain, but this is nailing my whole lower body right off the bat. Can't wait to see what else is in store for me this week. I saw in the intro sequence that Shaun T was using weights. Looking forward to more than the "NADA" in BETA.

I was also a bit nervous about doing the sequence. And as suspected, I was messy the first time around. I might get out sequence one and review just to stay current and refreshed. Much more involved footwork in sequence TWO so I will need to do this more than just what the DVD has on it. I also don't have a lot of space, so I really need to find a good position when I do the sequence so I can keep my flow up.  But one thing I have noticed is that my flexibility is getting better. Not hugely, but noticeable larger range of motion! Happy Happy!

Great way to start off the week!

Wk 5, D6. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Bear Come Out of Cave/White Crane Spreads Wings Combo.

Wk 5, D6. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Bear Come Out of Cave/White Crane Spreads Wings Combo.

 

I really wanted to KILL IT today, but I only Killed It today. I KILLED IT to the Burn Out then I had to slow down when I was doing the final set of Oblique push-ups, then the burn out's Shoulder Tap Push ups. I slowed down, but I didn't stop. This is also the first time that I went right into the floor sprints right after the burn out's oblique push-ups. Usually I have to take a breath or two, but today, right into them. However, I was taking them at a slower pace for the first 10-15 seconds until Shaun T said "I want you to go fast." So I obeyed. I was dying going into the body run and got up a little slower, but went right into the final move. Hopefully that will do upon entering Beta next week. I feel ready for the next challenge, but I will come back to these routines sometime, I'm sure!

 

Final Combo today of Phase II. My knee and quad really staticed it out today on the stances, but my quads were up to the task. Felt good, and I love flowing into the White Crane Spreads Wings move. SO COOL!!! Can't wait for the full sequence next week. I hope, also, that we combine sequence one and two.

 

To finish off, I will do 250 reps of Chair dips.

 

Way to blast into the weekend!

 

Welcome to the weekend!

Wk 5, D5. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Raise Hand/Pulling Knee Combo.

Wk 5, D5. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Raise Hand/Pulling Knee Combo.

 

NAILED IT!!! Along with a Straight 25! I don't want to jinx anything, but near the end, I was actually thinking, "This is easy, I could do more!" But at the end, my legs were feeling it! Great workout and a sweaty workout.

 

This combo is my favorite of the Phase 2 Combos. The direction change, the sweeping movements of the arms and hands, the balanced leg raise. So characteristic of Chinese Martial Arts. LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to do the whole sequence next week. At the same time, a little nervous.

 

In addition to this, I did three sets of Chair dips: 100-100-50. Still working towards conquering a muscle up!

Wk 5, D4. T25-Alpha: Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Push/Single Whip Combo.

Wk 5, D4. T25-Alpha: Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Push/Single Whip Combo.

Got a lot of sleep, drank a lot of water, felt awesome. NAILED CARDIO!  Straight 25! No Doubt! Still had pain near the end of the run progression, but not like the first time. I think my foundation is strong. Feeling better about moving on to Beta next week. The real test comes tomorrow with the third installment of TBC.

Second time around for this combo. Felt good, but when my weight was on my right leg, my knee felt a bit gimpy. Cartilage doesn't regenerate so I better be careful.

Good overall workout today. Burned just over 600kcals.

Wk 5, D3. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Bear Comes out of Cave/White Crane Spreads Wings Combo + Tennis.

Wk 5, D3. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Bear Comes out of Cave/White Crane Spreads Wings Combo + Tennis.

I didn't look at the schedule until this morning and I was like WHAT? I just did Total Body Circuit on Sunday. Then I looked later and I have it one more time. That's THREE TIMES in one week! WOW!

I haven't fully recovered from my busy and active last few days, but I did get a lot of sleep so I felt good in the morning. I didn't get a Straight 25, but the number of breaks was down to only two and they were much shorter than in the past. It was a good sweaty workout!

This was a good combo, last of the phase before we go through the combos again. I really felt good and was able to do it a few additional times. It was so good! I'll have a good time going through the combos one more time this week. I am starting to keep my hips tucked naturally, but I have to keep low when I shift from foot to foot. I still raise up a bit instead of keeping the low flow. Still not even close to perfect, but am having a great time with Tai Cheng!

Tennis right after, I was feeling tired, but I really wanted to play so I got to it! For some reason, the tennis venue was extremely busy today, a lot of distractions and people. Took a little longer to get warmed up, but got into it. Ground strokes were solid. Timing was on and off. But took the match. Final score, 6-2, 6-0, 6-3.

In the end, I burned just over 1800kcals today. Good up-hump day!

Wk 5, D2. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Raise Hand/Pulling Knee Combo.

Wk 5, D2. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Raise Hand/Pulling Knee Combo.

Really needed this less intense workout today. Sort of a working out cool off time. The past two days were strenuous but awesome. I was interrupted a couple times, but not too much extra time was needed. Abs seem to be getting stronger, but still far from my goal.

Tai Cheng was good today, too. Love the combo. I sort of miss the application part. The reason for not doing it was that they showed the application in the static moves. Bummer. I really liked the application.

Good workout today!

Wk 5, D1. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Push/Single Whip Combo, + AM Tennis.

Wk 5, D1. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Push/Single Whip Combo, + AM Tennis.

In the morning, I woke up with my son in my face asking to play tennis. Two hours later I was on the court. Thankfully, I wasn't feeling too sore from the mountain climbing the previous day, except for my ankles. Plus, I wasn't moving as well as I expected at first. It took longer than usual to get my footing as well. We only had time to play one set after warming up but it was the closest he's ever been to beating me. I went down 0-3, then 2-5. I came back to win in a tie-breaker. I underestimated his game at first, but I'll have to play hard from the beginning next time, and there will be a next time, soon. Now that he has almost tasted victory over me, he wants to play again... soon.

Very tired, I took a rest and started my regular workout a few hours later.

Fortunately, today was Total Body Circuit. I say "fortunately" because I don't think I could have handled any of the lower body stuff today. When I started, my ankles were really sore and feeling a bit weak. With TBC, there isn't a lot of continuous run progressions or lower body progressions, rather it is broken up with upper body progressions so my legs could take a short break. I wasn't expecting to do a Straight 25 either, I was already too tired to expect that, but surprisingly, I went all the way to the burn out then had to take a quick 20 second breather and got a drink. then I completed the whole burn out, but had to take another break just before starting the Plank Runs. Then, after the 25 minutes, I took a couple of minutes longer before starting the cool down. Over all, felt good. I was sort of planning in my head to modify, but once Shaun T starts yelling at me, I can't modify. I guess adrenalin took over and I was pushing as hard a usual.

The first Combo in Phase two was really complicated. I had to really pay attention to the moves and the footwork. This is the first time that Dr. Cheng has taught footwork alone first before adding the upper body movements. A lot of intricate moves and new moves that I had to really watch. I went over the combo a few times on both sides after the class finished. I'm looking forward to doing this one again on Wednesday. Today's foam rolling really hit the spot and ironed out some of my leg issues. Love that thing!

In all, I burned close to 2100kcals today. Great way to start the week. Then I had Greenberry Shakeology for dinner! Apples are in season here now, so I added some apples to the mix and boy did it taste even better than usual. Two big changes in my Shakeology recently is 1. I don't use Soy Milk anymore. and 2. I don't use bananas anymore. I think the change has had a good effect on me. Can't wait for more!

Hope everyone has had a good weekend! The week starts... NOW!

Wk 4, D7. Off Day.

Wk 4, D7. Off Day.

Normally, I wouldn't write anything for a day off, but it wasn't a regular day off. I climbed a mountain with my family. It was a 6km round trip up and down. I was also carrying all the food and water (voluntarily) up the mountain.

The great thing is that I could really feel the benefits of T25, especially on the climb. My legs felt strong and I was able to keep a steady pace helping those who needed help as well.

On the way down, I really felt it in my quads, but not so much as to kill me. My right knee did feel a bit gimpy and my back started to stiffen up. Coming down put a lot of pressure on my joints.

Then, there was a park at the bottom of the climb that had like 18 obstacles, sort of like American Ninja Warrior. Some of the obstacles were very similar like the rope swing to the cargo net climb at the end of stage one. I always thought that those obstacles were easy, but once I actually tried it, WOW! A lot harder than it looks! But had an awesome time! Gotta go again!

Wk 4, D6. T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + White Crane Spreads Wings.

Wk 4, D6. T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + White Crane Spreads Wings.

Good day with a STRAIGHT 25! I had forgotten how fast I had to move my feet on this one. I had to really push it to keep up with the crew. I felt really light on my feet today at the beginning for a good 15 minutes plus. But I also forgot that the Burn Out was close to 8 minutes long with no Stretch relief. During the burn out my arches started to really feel it. but the pain was no where near the pain of four week prior. I can honestly say... NAILED IT!!!

In Tai Cheng, this is the move I have been waiting for. Something with "Crane" in it. I really got my Bruce Lee on today. Felt like Bruce Lee in Chinese Connection when his hand were getting all tracky on that Russian's butt! Love IT!!!

Also, to finish off my week, I did 5 sets of 50 chair tricep dips and weighed in.  At the end of week 4, I have lost 3.3kgs, or 7.27pounds! So I'm averaging 1.8pounds per week. I think that is a good pace.  If I keep this up, I'll hit my goal and then some by the end of the year. To reach my goal, I need to lose 6 more kilograms, or a little over 13 pounds. Gotta do it! That cheese cake is waiting for me at New Year's! LOL! Just kidding!

Great way to finish off the week. Got a surprise planned for tomorrow! Can't wait!  AHHHH, the weekend's here! Come to Papa!

Wk 4, D5. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Bear Coming Out of Cave.

Wk 4, D5. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Bear Coming Out of Cave.

I made it through, but I did have to rewind the DVD once because I missed the instruction and was lying at an angle where I couldn't see the screen, so I took a 10 second break to rewind. Bummer. My abs felt good, but burned out. I have to get my abs much stronger. I am nowhere near where I want to be as far as core strength. I need to maybe add some routines to raise that strength up.

The move today was very easy, but very hard at the same time. The move was simple, but the stance was very tough to keep, especially during the shift. In the end, I got the move, but was still a little iffy about my foot placement and angle. I'm going to have to take a look at the Master Scroll again to make sure of the stance. I also kept over stepping the stance, going wider than the 45degrees. A lot of work to do.

Wk 4, D4. T25-Alpha: Full Body Circuit+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Pulling Knee. + Tennis and Pull ups.

Wk 4, D4. T25-Alpha: Full Body Circuit+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Pulling Knee.  + Tennis and Pull ups.

That was a little out of order. I played tennis in the morning, and I was, at the risk of sounding arrogant, unstoppable! And I just kept getting stronger as the game went on. So I tested fate and changed my game plan and went to a serve and volley style. Final score, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, 6-0. Right after putting away the equipment, I did 20 pull ups and hit the showers.

When I got home I got into my T25 and Tai Cheng. I was able to do Straight 25, but my oblique push ups were slow compared to last time, which was two days ago. This time I was only able to do 16 in the allotted time, last time I did 18. Also, I had to take some of the higher impact stuff down a notch because my knees, both knees, and my ankle were a little gimpy from the tennis.

Pulling Knee was a very easy move, but one of the coolest ones yet. I imagine myself with white hair and a white long beard with a fu-man-chu while I was doing the move.

Burned close to 1800kcals today in my workouts. Good day!

Wk 4, D3. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Raise Hand.

Wk 4, D3. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Raise Hand.

Second Straight 25 for this routine. The Calf Hops were still painful, but I had felt like I had a little more leeway on them today which is good. Also, I was forced by circumstances to workout in the morning, and that was also very good. Nice to give myself a boost like that in the morning. 

Another triple combo move today. Raise Hand sounds so mundane, but it is another characteristic move of Tai Chi. Love the flow. Can't wait till I can put them all together. I'm trying to remember the moves now. I'll have to check the Master Scroll again.

I also did 250 Tricep Dips. I did 200 last night just to see if I could still do them. I'm sort of missing resistance training and the pump. Getting plenty of burn, but missing the pump. I may keep doing the tri-ups. I still haven't reached my goal of doing a muscle up since I made the goal last year. Haven't had the time to go and try it at the horizontal bar at the park. I'm going to have to make my way out there sometime soon.

Great to get the workout out of the way.

Wk 4, D2. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Single Whip.

Wk 4, D2. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Single Whip.

Typhoon day! But thankfully it passes without incident. More game and movie time with my kids. Again, not really motivated to workout, but the opportunity knocked and I had no excuse or reason not to workout, so I did.

I really wanted to get Straight 25 for this particular routine so I determined to get through it without taking any breaks. Although I can't say that I nailed it, I can say that I did get all the way through without taking any breaks. But I feel a bit sheepish because even though I technically didn't take any breaks, at times, I slowed way down, without breaking form. That happened mainly in the Burn Out. I made it all the way through the main workout and I actually had some energy left to go right into the burn out, but after doing 18 oblique push ups and going right into shoulder tap push ups in the burn out. That was almost too much. That is when I slowed my pace down some. Well, somehow, I muddled through. I feel good about it, because I broke through, not with a bang, but with a bloop. Now to build on that performance. Hopefully, I can NAIL IT before I finish Alpha Phase.

Single Whip is an awesome move. It is a little complicated as it is a compound move. I need a little more practice with it to make sure of my hand positions and stance. But this move has the big looping hand movement that is so characteristic of the old Kung Fu movies I used to watch where the monks would do their forms just before putting the beat down on some bandits. AWESOME!!!

Hope everyone had a great Columbus Day!

Wk 4, D1. T25-Alpha: Cardio+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Push.

Wk 4, D1. T25-Alpha: Cardio+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P2 + Push.

Nailed it! STRAIGHT 25. The running progression is still tough, but I'm able to bear the pain in my arches better and more each time I do this routine and progression. I was feeling very unmotivated today because of the weather I guess. Just felt like lazing around, but I had to start week four. I was also very excited to progress to Phase TWO of Tai Cheng.

Tai Cheng Phase TWO is underway. Neural Reboot for Phase TWO is about 8 minutes longer. We sort of rush through the old moves, but add a lot of new things as well. The foam rolling add the quads. More leg stretches, and some additional moves I don't remember the names of as of yet. The Push move begins right from the end of sequence 1, so I'm excited to continue the flow. The new move instruction was only 7 minutes long. So both workouts took me a bit over an hour.

Glad to get started on week 4! Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Week 3, Day 6. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Week 3, Day 6. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit+ Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

YEEE HAAWWW! What a way to finish off week 3. I really went for it on this routine to get finish up with a Straight 25! Really tried, and I made it all the way to the five minute mark with no break, but the burn out, right after that spider series ending with oblique push ups was too much. I couldn't go right into the burn out after burning out on those push ups. In the burn out, I took a few breaks and ended up extending the 25 minute workout to 28 minutes and 13 seconds, burning over 400kcals. I was very happy with today's performance despite not doing a Straight 25.

Again with the yellow strength band today. I felt that my balance is coming into focus. I have to keep low and hip tucked. I focused on getting all the way back in my stance so I could pass the acid test for the back stance. Great run today with Sequence ONE. Can't wait for phase 2.

Have a great weekend everyone. We looking down the barrel of a Super Typhoon aiming to smack us on the head on Sunday. It's already cloudy and windy.

Week 3, Day 5. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Week 3, Day 5. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Not as enthused about today's workout. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should declare it a straight 25 or not. I did, in fact, do the whole routine without any long or extended breaks, but I did shift from regular to modified moves several times. Especially in the leg raise progression and the tap in progression. Feet on the floor, I'm okay, but lifting the feet and not touching the floor, I definitely lost some ab strength. So, since I wimped out on those moves, one can argue that I did take a break as far as move intensity. So, I guess I will not declare straight 25. Bummer I had a good streak going there. It starts again, tomorrow!

I'm really feeling good with the Phase 1 Sequence. Today I did it with the yellow resistance band. Fortunately, I didn't feel my structure collapse or anything like that, but going from balance to heel out in the front stance really tasked my stability. I have to keep working at it to gain more balance. I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but I am so ready for the weekend!

Week 3, Day 4. T25-Alpha: Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Week 3, Day 4. T25-Alpha: Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

STRAIGHT 25... AGAIN!!! You would think that being able to get through these T25 workouts gets easier the more you do them. NOT!!! Even though I am getting through them without a break, there are times, several times in which I have to take my foot off the gas a bit to allow the lactic acid to go down, then I step on it again. I'd say that about 3 to 3.5 minutes is where the pain starts to get really intense. Sometimes I can make it to the end of the progression and shake it out a little in the couple seconds before the next progression starts, and other times, I have to let up a bit. But always keep moving.  My next goal is to go full tilt through the 25 minutes. What can I call THAT???

Really getting it with Sequence ONE. However, with the stance litmus test, I still am not coming all the way back on my hind leg. I have to strengthen my quads to hold that wider stance. I think I may try the resistance band around my knees next time. Only two more days of the Neural Reboot Phase 1, then it's on to Phase 2. Exciting!

Week 3, Day 3. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Week 3, Day 3. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

TWO IN A ROW!!! Another hurdle cleared. Felt good today, but I was worried about those calf hops. As expected, my arches and calves were killing me, but not as early as the last time. The real pain came when Shaun T was counting down, "Four, three, two, ONE!" I was so glad when he said one, but I only had a couple seconds before the next move but either way, it was less painful than the calf hops.  My quads really felt it today. I was trying to focus more on form and range of motion as opposed to just getting through the workout. I tried to keep my squats and lunges as low as possible. That lunge progression was a killer today.  I had to get a little shallow in my stance a couple times, but held it on the hold.  Great workout today! Burned just under 300kcals in 25 minutes.

Tai Cheng today was good. I'm getting very used to the moves and I was able to keep my head and spine up and straight a little more than yesterday. Still a few kinks, but getting better. Flow felt good today.  Tried to pay more attention to my breathing today, too. I haven't been careful and my breathing has slipped a bit.  Especially today, the foam rolling on the lower legs was awesome! Very much needed!

Very happy with today's workout. Burned over 600kcals including my cool down!

Week 3, Day 2. T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Week 3, Day 2. T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

NAILED IT!!! STRAIGHT 25!!! Second routine. Sure, it is one of the less intense ones, but it was totally intense for me. I was so happy to get through the whole routine without stopping. I am so thankful for the stretch intervals though. They totally saved me. I also am glad that I am getting used to the "Up & Over" move. I lost my rhythm a few times, but my feet kept moving up and over.  Great workout.

Got to do the same reboot and sequence as yesterday. Felt a little better today then yesterday. Feeling confident. Still dropping my head, though. I'm getting better at tucking my hips. The whole rest of the week is the same in order to pound it into my head and body. Not only should my brain know the sequence, but my body has to know it as well so as to be natural and automatic.

In the morning, because of this weeks schedule, I played tennis today instead of Tuesday. Was a little better off the bat today. Started strong, but faded and then caught my second wind at the very end. But the big issue today was judging the my distance to the ball. For some reason, I was either jamming myself or not close enough to the ball upon contact and would always have to adjust with my arm, screwing up my core rotation on my swing. I bit frustrating, but I got through it. Final score: 6-1, 6-2, 7-5, 5-1. Ran out of court time and couldn't finish the final set. Today, my left knee had a bit of an twinge issue on the lateral side.

In all, burned close to 1900kcals today PLUS Greenberry Shakeology for dinner! DELICIOUS!!!

Week 3, Day 1. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

Week 3, Day 1. T25-Alpha: Total Body Circuit + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Sequence 1.

I really wanted to get that Straight 25 today, but no go. I got the furthest I've gotten without a break today, but still couldn't go all the way. I got to the 13.30 minute mark, to the Spider progression, I think it was, and I couldn't go all the way, I had to take a break before the final move of the progression. Don't quote me on that move though. I may be mistaken. In this case, I really wish T25 had the same type of book P90X3 has with all the workouts and their moves listed. That would really help referencing back. After my initial break, I had to take four more breaks after that until the burn out, then an additional 3 small breaks during the burn out. I try to go all out in the burn out with good form. My breaks are only a few seconds, but help me get my breath back. Also, for this workout, I get really thirsty in the middle so I have to stop to take a drink. If I don't my throat gets really dry and scratchy and it get hard to breathe. Guess I haven't reached that next level of fitness yet. For this workout, I consistently burn about 100kcals more than the other routines. Today, I burned a total of 427kcals on Total Body Circuit.

I love doing Sequence One! It was so cool to put all six moves together into one fluid motion. I really felt my inner Bruce coming out. Again, it is great that Dr. Cheng keeps reminding me of the posture cues. I'm doing a little better with the hips, but now, I'm looking down more for some reason instead of keep my eyes front. I also have to watch that I don't over extend on the 45 degree angle on my stances. My hips and knees naturally flare out so that is easy for me, but the problem is that I sometimes go a bit too far in my stances. Which is bad because I could lose balance. I failed the balance test today because I was too forward. I need to stay over the weighted leg. Good burn on that leg, whichever it might be.

In the end, I burned a total of over 700kcals. Great way to start Week Three! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. See you on Monday!

Week 2, Day 6. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Press- Separate & Pull Combo.

Week 2, Day 6. T25-Alpha: Lower Focus + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Press- Separate & Pull Combo.

Since I was able to do a Straight 25 for Cardio, I thought I could do it for Lower Focus. I was killing it until CALF HOPS. OUCH. I couldn't handle the cramping pain in my calf. I started to kill calf hops until Shaun T said, "Don't put your heel on the floor." PAIN!!!! I had to take a few seconds to shake it out on both sides. I took a few more breaks after that, especially after the burn out. That was a killer! But I only added about 2 minutes and 45 seconds to the 25 minutes. I'm really going to need to strengthen my calves if I want to get a Straight 25 on Lower Focus.

Tai Cheng was really good today. This was the final combo series. Gone twice through all the combos and looking forward to week three. Great way to end the week! Have a great weekend everyone... when you get here 

Week 2, Day 5. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Ward off-Pull Back Combo.

Week 2, Day 5. T25-Alpha: Ab Intervals + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Ward off-Pull Back Combo.

 

I really wanted to get two in a row of Straight 25, but ab intervals is still really tough for me. I was taking mini breaks all over the place. I need to really focus on my abs to make them firm. This is going to be really tough to get my abs in shape. Five weeks may not be enough.

 

Tai Cheng really felt good today. I feel that the Neural Reboot is helping a lot with flexibility and balance.

Week 2, Day 4. T25-Alpha: Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Lift & Lower - Phoenix Tail Combo.

Week 2, Day 4. T25-Alpha: Cardio + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Lift & Lower - Phoenix Tail Combo.

I have coined a phrase that is going to be my rallying cry for the duration of my doing T25. The phrase is "Straight 25".  Not very original, but I like it because is expresses my desire to get through each routine in the T25 program without any break. I strive to do the 25 minutes STRAIGHT, no breaks.

Today, was the first ever, after a week and a half of a Straight 25 routine. I totally nailed it. The amazing this it that I forgot my knee brace and almost stopped to get it, but I thought, "Nope, I've started already, No stopping." My knee wasn't feeling gimpy at all. It felt strong all throughout the routine.  There were two points at which I almost stopped, but pushed through, In the middle of the second burnout while doing the last agility move. My arches were just dying! Let me just say that I love how fast that progress bar moves. The next move was the low kicks! Love IT! That move was great because I could shake it out as well as kick. The second point was at the 2 minute mark, just before the "Building the power move." Again, my arches were aching, but with only 2 minutes left, there was no way I was stopping so I just booted that thought from my mind. STRAIGHT 25 BABY!!! The first time EVER for me. Woo Hoo!!! I was stoked!!

Today's Tai Cheng combo is a repeat of Sunday's combo.  I had forgotten it, so I was happy I could go over it again. I have to make a concerted effort to remember these moves and combos. Dr. Cheng doesn't tell us to do that, but I need to get my head into the game as well. So I'm planning to try visualizing the combo move throughout the day, reminding myself of the cues.

At the end, I burned over 600kcals in today's workout. Great day's work.

Week 2, Day 3. T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Press - Separate & Pull Combo. PLUS Tennis to start the day.

Week 2, Day 3. T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + Tai Cheng: Neural Reboot P1 + Press - Separate & Pull Combo. PLUS Tennis to start the day.

Today was a weird and great day. Started off with Tennis in the morning. It was my first tennis match in about a month, and my first real competitive match since the middle of August. It started off really rough, I couldn't keep anything in the court and my timing was SO off. It took me about 15 minutes to get my bearings and start really stroking the ball. I found my groove and hit away. Final score, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, 6-0.  Burned 1000+kcals.

After the tennis match, I have been missing doing pull ups, so I ripped out 20 pull ups in a 12-4-4 set. I'm thinking of doing pull ups regularly to keep up that ability. Don't want to lose what I gained from P90X3. Although I feel I have already lost some strength in that area because I haven't done a serious series of pull ups since finishing P90X3.

I got home around 8pm so I rushed my prep and started Speed 1.0 at about 8:30pm. I was able to do Up and Down's a little better this time, but still felt like a hack. I was able to hang with Shaun T for almost 20 minutes. With 6 minutes remaining, I had to take a 15 second breather to shake out my feet. My arches were killing me, but recovery time with shaking it out is getting shorter. I only took one more break at 3 minutes remaining, but after that, I pounded it home.  Great workout, and I feel myself getting better at it along with my legs getting stronger. My legs were a bit sore and tired from the tennis already, so I think I might have been able to hang the entire time if I didn't already do a lot of movement with tennis in the morning.

Tai Cheng was, as usual, Awesome! Love today's combo and felt the flow really nicely. I'm trying to follow Dr. Cheng as closely as possible, but I still wish I had him here with my to check my form. Sometimes I get the sense that I'm doing something wrong, or I'm missing something in my stance or posture and I just can't figure it out.  Hopefully those questions will abate when I get further into the program.

In total, I burned close to 1700kcals today.  Plus, Vegan Berry Shakeology for dinner!