3-30-16 HY: T25-Alpha: Speed 1.0 + 0-6 Abs-P2: L14 + Splits + TCF.
Was planning a relaxed day, but it got busy really fast and ended up facing a huge time crunch. But the good news is that I was able to get my full workout in with no cuts.
I knew today was Cardio Day so Speed 1.0 was up. I had done this as a Straight 25 before, so I was confident I could do it again. Well, I did do Straight 25, but it wasn't easy. The long moves just thrashed my arches, and the pain was really causing me heavy discomfort. Again, I was so thankful for the stretch moves that offered some relief from the pain during the routine. There are a lot of jumping and hopping moves in this routine that my arches are bound to feel it every time. So it ends up being not only a stamina workout, but a will power workout as well.
Level 14 is holding true at brutal mode. The groan and moan slipped out in the third round today. I tried really hard to keep perfect form and breathe steady, but I ended up with a quick hold of breath as I began to raise my legs in the latter reps of round 3 and 4. Just BRUTAL!
Splits were good today, maintaining a good low mark. Just waiting till I get used to it and then push lower. Flow was on Par.
In the end, I torched a good 750+kcals.
I had to rush through my shower and prep, and I made it to work with a narrow 4 minutes to spare. WHEW!!!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
3-29-16 HY: P90X-Core Synergistics + 0-6 Abs-P2: L14 + Splits + TCF.
3-29-16 HY: P90X-Core Synergistics + 0-6 Abs-P2: L14 + Splits + TCF.
Today was a very sad day in our home. We brought our first-born to the airport to take off to begin his college career. I'm very excited for him, but seeing him fly away was one of the hardest views I've ever had to endure. When we got home, one less in the house, I was the most unmotivated to do anything ever... I texted with family and friends, watched some TV, etc. Finally, I got tired of feeling like a blah, and decided to throw myself into a workout to get my mind clear for a while. Worked like a charm!
Today was a resistance day so I went with Core Synergistics. Body weight moves mostly, but got a great burn. All the moves were solid, but the moves that I was happy to improve on were Prison Cell Push Ups, and Plank to Chataranga Run. The push up move, I was never able to do more than 10 reps, but today, I pumped out 12. And I was never able to finish the run move without a break. Today, I blew it out of the water. The big difference was that I was actually holding myself up instead of just propping myself up on the low run. Distance to the ground was the same, but I wasn't putting full weight down. I got a huge burn today, but not so much a pump. But the endorphins were flowing and I didn't feel down after my workout! I just took my time and did each move fully. My glutes and hamstrings were quite sore today, but after getting started, I felt really good. My core got a serious workout today. So much so that I considered not doing an abs workout today.
But in the end, I had the time, so why not go for the whole pie! I ended up dong 0-6 abs L14. But the groaning and shouting. My core and abs were really tired, so with L14, the groaning started from the end of set three. But I also upped my rep count to 20, up from 18. Huge BURN!
The Splits were really good. Getting low to the mark was much faster than usual. The Flow was as usual, too. Smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a big 1080+kcals. Exercise, the best medicine for acute depression. I'm feeling so much better... but still sad.
Today was a very sad day in our home. We brought our first-born to the airport to take off to begin his college career. I'm very excited for him, but seeing him fly away was one of the hardest views I've ever had to endure. When we got home, one less in the house, I was the most unmotivated to do anything ever... I texted with family and friends, watched some TV, etc. Finally, I got tired of feeling like a blah, and decided to throw myself into a workout to get my mind clear for a while. Worked like a charm!
Today was a resistance day so I went with Core Synergistics. Body weight moves mostly, but got a great burn. All the moves were solid, but the moves that I was happy to improve on were Prison Cell Push Ups, and Plank to Chataranga Run. The push up move, I was never able to do more than 10 reps, but today, I pumped out 12. And I was never able to finish the run move without a break. Today, I blew it out of the water. The big difference was that I was actually holding myself up instead of just propping myself up on the low run. Distance to the ground was the same, but I wasn't putting full weight down. I got a huge burn today, but not so much a pump. But the endorphins were flowing and I didn't feel down after my workout! I just took my time and did each move fully. My glutes and hamstrings were quite sore today, but after getting started, I felt really good. My core got a serious workout today. So much so that I considered not doing an abs workout today.
But in the end, I had the time, so why not go for the whole pie! I ended up dong 0-6 abs L14. But the groaning and shouting. My core and abs were really tired, so with L14, the groaning started from the end of set three. But I also upped my rep count to 20, up from 18. Huge BURN!
The Splits were really good. Getting low to the mark was much faster than usual. The Flow was as usual, too. Smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a big 1080+kcals. Exercise, the best medicine for acute depression. I'm feeling so much better... but still sad.
Monday, March 28, 2016
3-28-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Cardio + 0-6 Abs-P2: L14 + Splits + TCF + Basketball.
3-28-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Cardio + 0-6 Abs-P2: L14 + Splits + TCF + Basketball.
Last day for my son to be at home so we had things planned for the evening to I had to get my workout done in the morning. So had a lovely ShakeO for breakfast, then went to it. I was extremely nervous about today's cardio because my legs and glutes were quite sore. Walking up and down stairs, and just bending over to pick things up off the ground is extremely slow. But another battle of wills ensued. My will to finish vs. My will to wimp out. Finish won BIG TIME!
FINALLY, I got a Straight 25 on Alpha: Cardio!!! It is the first time since I started doing T25 again back in February. I powered through the first two progressions, and my arches were staying strong, but on the final progression before the first Burnout, the arch pain was hitting the fan. When I got to the Burnout and the first move was Basic Jacks, My arches were killing me. I came close to stopping, but then, it seemed like that progress meter started moving faster and the pain started to diminish, so I kept on going. Main hurdle cleared! The second half was good, but on the Agility progression, my arches started to cry out again, but being so close to the end, I knew I wasn't going to stop. And a Straight 25 was born.
I moved right into Abs and my goal was to moan and groan less in the fourth set, and to keep my lower back down as much as possible on the leg lifts. I did moan and groan less, but keeping my lower back on the ground was still tough. I did make improvements though. The plank is not that difficult anymore, so I am surprised. But the leg lifts is a killer move, especially with the weight low over head. NO CHEATING!
Splits were fine, I was able to get low to my mark, and the Flow was on par.
After my outing with my kids, my daughter wanted to play some basketball, so I lumbered out to the yard and played some B-Ball. Picking up the ball was a task, and defending was even more brutal. Luckily, it got dark fast or I wouldn't have made it. We play for about 20 minutes, but that was more than enough.
In the end (not including B-Ball), I torched a good 777kcals. Better than I thought.
Last day for my son to be at home so we had things planned for the evening to I had to get my workout done in the morning. So had a lovely ShakeO for breakfast, then went to it. I was extremely nervous about today's cardio because my legs and glutes were quite sore. Walking up and down stairs, and just bending over to pick things up off the ground is extremely slow. But another battle of wills ensued. My will to finish vs. My will to wimp out. Finish won BIG TIME!
FINALLY, I got a Straight 25 on Alpha: Cardio!!! It is the first time since I started doing T25 again back in February. I powered through the first two progressions, and my arches were staying strong, but on the final progression before the first Burnout, the arch pain was hitting the fan. When I got to the Burnout and the first move was Basic Jacks, My arches were killing me. I came close to stopping, but then, it seemed like that progress meter started moving faster and the pain started to diminish, so I kept on going. Main hurdle cleared! The second half was good, but on the Agility progression, my arches started to cry out again, but being so close to the end, I knew I wasn't going to stop. And a Straight 25 was born.
I moved right into Abs and my goal was to moan and groan less in the fourth set, and to keep my lower back down as much as possible on the leg lifts. I did moan and groan less, but keeping my lower back on the ground was still tough. I did make improvements though. The plank is not that difficult anymore, so I am surprised. But the leg lifts is a killer move, especially with the weight low over head. NO CHEATING!
Splits were fine, I was able to get low to my mark, and the Flow was on par.
After my outing with my kids, my daughter wanted to play some basketball, so I lumbered out to the yard and played some B-Ball. Picking up the ball was a task, and defending was even more brutal. Luckily, it got dark fast or I wouldn't have made it. We play for about 20 minutes, but that was more than enough.
In the end (not including B-Ball), I torched a good 777kcals. Better than I thought.
3-27-16 HY: P90X-Legs & Back + 0-6 Abs- P2: L14 + Splits + TCF + Football.
3-27-16 HY: P90X-Legs & Back + 0-6 Abs- P2: L14 + Splits + TCF + Football.
The day started off slowly, but quickly got busy. I was finally able to begin my workout around 4pm. I was not looking forward to today routine because it is my P90X Nemesis routine, Legs & Back. Also, since my left glute and hamstring are still tight, I was afraid of aggravating it more. Plus, my right front hip flexor is just starting to feel better and I didn't want to aggravate that. Yeah, I'm just falling apart at the seams.
There are only a few weighted moves in the routine so I decided to keep the weights the same as the previous run through of this routine. Which, by the way, were all 10kgs except for the last weighted move, Calf Raises, for which I used 19.5kgs. I did all the prescribed reps. The only moves that didn't have a set number of reps were the Pull-Ups and Chin-Ups. And for all the sets, I did 12 reps, except for the last set for which I did 14 reps. The first move, Balance Lunges, otherwise known as Bulgarian Lunges, pretty much killed me right off. But the funny thing is that despite the extra soreness, my left leg did better than my right leg. There were only four varieties of Pull/Chin-Ups done twice every third move. The first time through, I did full range of motion on the reps. But on the second time through, went to about a 150 degree angle on my elbows. I didn't use any assistance. I started off doing pretty well through the routine, but after Wall Squats, my inner thigh started to ache. Also, during the Pull/Chin-Ups, my legs started to cramp. They didn't, but I could feel the muscle start to contract, so I quickly started to stretch out. That helped a lot. The move that killed me the most was move #8. Alternating Side Lunge. I did that with a pair of 10kg dumbbells. It is probably too much weight, but I muscled through it, and I could really feel the inner thigh muscles activating on every rep. The second set of Wide Front Pull-Ups I went super wide! Man, that was tough. At the end of the workout, my legs were shaking like jello. I know I'm going to eventually feel it sometime down the road.
I was determined to finish off the 0-6 Abs program this week, or possibly go through 2 weeks until I feel comfortable with the routine. The two moves today were the one-legged two-direction Swiss Ball Circles, and Weight overhead double leg raises. Doesn't sound like much, but I was dying at the end of the 4 sets. Bad form from the 3rd set. My back kept arching off the floor on the leg raises. I tried to WILL my back flat, but I just couldn't keep it down. It looks like this might take at least two weeks to master until comfortable.
The Splits were a very welcome activity. I was able to get low and I kind of figured out how to adjust my hips to get lower. I also took a lot of time to do some extra stretching on my glute. The Flow was good, smooth and clean.
Afterwards, I had to pick up my son from his tennis club, and my daughter wanted to come. Since this was my son's last session, he wanted to take time to talk to his friends. I brought a football, and I was playing with my daughter, running patterns, etc. FUN! We had to wait (and play) for about 20 minutes.
In the end, I torched a good 1400+kcals. Awesome way to start off the week.
The day started off slowly, but quickly got busy. I was finally able to begin my workout around 4pm. I was not looking forward to today routine because it is my P90X Nemesis routine, Legs & Back. Also, since my left glute and hamstring are still tight, I was afraid of aggravating it more. Plus, my right front hip flexor is just starting to feel better and I didn't want to aggravate that. Yeah, I'm just falling apart at the seams.
There are only a few weighted moves in the routine so I decided to keep the weights the same as the previous run through of this routine. Which, by the way, were all 10kgs except for the last weighted move, Calf Raises, for which I used 19.5kgs. I did all the prescribed reps. The only moves that didn't have a set number of reps were the Pull-Ups and Chin-Ups. And for all the sets, I did 12 reps, except for the last set for which I did 14 reps. The first move, Balance Lunges, otherwise known as Bulgarian Lunges, pretty much killed me right off. But the funny thing is that despite the extra soreness, my left leg did better than my right leg. There were only four varieties of Pull/Chin-Ups done twice every third move. The first time through, I did full range of motion on the reps. But on the second time through, went to about a 150 degree angle on my elbows. I didn't use any assistance. I started off doing pretty well through the routine, but after Wall Squats, my inner thigh started to ache. Also, during the Pull/Chin-Ups, my legs started to cramp. They didn't, but I could feel the muscle start to contract, so I quickly started to stretch out. That helped a lot. The move that killed me the most was move #8. Alternating Side Lunge. I did that with a pair of 10kg dumbbells. It is probably too much weight, but I muscled through it, and I could really feel the inner thigh muscles activating on every rep. The second set of Wide Front Pull-Ups I went super wide! Man, that was tough. At the end of the workout, my legs were shaking like jello. I know I'm going to eventually feel it sometime down the road.
I was determined to finish off the 0-6 Abs program this week, or possibly go through 2 weeks until I feel comfortable with the routine. The two moves today were the one-legged two-direction Swiss Ball Circles, and Weight overhead double leg raises. Doesn't sound like much, but I was dying at the end of the 4 sets. Bad form from the 3rd set. My back kept arching off the floor on the leg raises. I tried to WILL my back flat, but I just couldn't keep it down. It looks like this might take at least two weeks to master until comfortable.
The Splits were a very welcome activity. I was able to get low and I kind of figured out how to adjust my hips to get lower. I also took a lot of time to do some extra stretching on my glute. The Flow was good, smooth and clean.
Afterwards, I had to pick up my son from his tennis club, and my daughter wanted to come. Since this was my son's last session, he wanted to take time to talk to his friends. I brought a football, and I was playing with my daughter, running patterns, etc. FUN! We had to wait (and play) for about 20 minutes.
In the end, I torched a good 1400+kcals. Awesome way to start off the week.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
3-26-16 Foam Rolling.
3-26-16 Foam Rolling.
Had the time today to do a nice long foam rolling session. Really concentrated on the left glute and hamstring, the muscle that has been tight for a long time. Felt a lot better afterwards.
Had the time today to do a nice long foam rolling session. Really concentrated on the left glute and hamstring, the muscle that has been tight for a long time. Felt a lot better afterwards.
Friday, March 25, 2016
3-25-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
3-25-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
Today marks the end of an era. Today, I played my last tennis with my son before he heads off to Tokyo to begin his college career. I was hoping I could play better than I did on Tuesday, but it was only marginally better. On top of that, the pain in my front right hip flexor was flaring up each time I planted my right foot for a shot. It was not good. But I gutted out the tennis for our game. It was a good time, and we made good memories.
I wanted to do my splits and Flow right after tennis, but I was too cold and wet from sweat to delay a shower so, I got all that done first and got the stretch in a few hours later. I was able to hit my new lower mark, but then my right knee started to feel a little gimpy so I didn't push as hard, but I did extend the time in the split positions. Right hip flexor feels a little like a pinched nerve in the side splits position. I'm thinking the muscles need to get used to the new found flexibility and openness in my hips. The Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, the tennis torched 1459kcals. Nice burn to end the week, but I wish it didn't have to come with such a solemn occasion. Glad the weekend is upon us.
Today marks the end of an era. Today, I played my last tennis with my son before he heads off to Tokyo to begin his college career. I was hoping I could play better than I did on Tuesday, but it was only marginally better. On top of that, the pain in my front right hip flexor was flaring up each time I planted my right foot for a shot. It was not good. But I gutted out the tennis for our game. It was a good time, and we made good memories.
I wanted to do my splits and Flow right after tennis, but I was too cold and wet from sweat to delay a shower so, I got all that done first and got the stretch in a few hours later. I was able to hit my new lower mark, but then my right knee started to feel a little gimpy so I didn't push as hard, but I did extend the time in the split positions. Right hip flexor feels a little like a pinched nerve in the side splits position. I'm thinking the muscles need to get used to the new found flexibility and openness in my hips. The Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, the tennis torched 1459kcals. Nice burn to end the week, but I wish it didn't have to come with such a solemn occasion. Glad the weekend is upon us.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
3-24-16 HY: P90X- Shoulders & Arms + Ab Ripper X + Splits + TCF.
3-24-16 HY: P90X- Shoulders & Arms + Ab Ripper X + Splits + TCF.
Early afternoon workout today because I have to help my son with some moving stuff in the afternoon. So, here goes! Started off with my ShakeO for breakfast. Sort of like gassing up for a long trip. Little did I know how long it would be.
I was thinking to keep the same weights as the previous time, one and a half years ago, but that changed pretty quick once I got started. So, what I did was to keep the weight on the first round, then upped the weight by 1.25kgs in the second round. I pretty much did that for all the weighted moves except one. First round: Keep for 15 reps, Second round: Up weight by 1.25kgs for 12 reps. I liked upping the weights during Body Beast, so I adopted that practice here. Last time, I kept the same weight for both rounds. So I feel progress is being made. Here are the weights:
01. Alternating Shoulder Presses: R1-15reps/12kgs. R2-12reps/13.25kgs. Being the first move, I felt pretty good and fresh. I didn't really start to feel it coming until the end of R2. I could have gone heavier, but I wanted to pace myself and not burn myself out in the first move.
02. In & Out Bicep Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-12reps/11.25kgs. I was actually surprised that I was able to do this weight so easily. I was tempted to go heavier, but again, I didn't want to burn myself out. I'm just sort of testing the waters at this point. But I did feel that pump coming on.
03. Two-Arm Tricep Kickbacks: R1-15reps/7.5kgs. R2-12reps/8.75kgs. Felt good with this move as well. Just starting to feel the pump especially in my triceps since I was sore to begin with.
04. Deep Swimmer's Presses: R1-15reps/12kgs. R2-12reps/13.25kgs. That half curl doesn't seem like much, but it is much. Second round started to get tough, but I was able to muscle through and get it done with no breaks.
05. Full Supination Concentration Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-11.25reps/13.25kgs. My biceps definitely got stronger. These weights were really good and gave me a good pump. Not much of a burn yet, but getting a nice pump.
06. Chair Dips: R1-40reps, R2-50reps. I just matched the previous number on R1, but I went for it on R2 and I dropped off the stands in pain right at time with 50reps. I was pumped and BURNING!!!
07. Upright Rows: R1-15reps/12kgs. R2-12reps/13.25kgs. This move was good. weights were still kind of easy, but that pump is coming earlier in the second round now. Still not much of a burn yet.
08. Static Arm Curls: R1-16reps/10kgs. R2-16reps/11.25kgs. I started to get a burn at the very end of R1. I almost didn't make it to the end of R2. Major burn. Static arm started to fade at the end of R2 as well. I had to really fight to keep it up.
09. Flip-Grip Twist Tricep Kickbacks: R1-16reps/7.5kgs. R2-12reps/8.75kgs. I was a little nervous about this move. I haven't done a reverse grip kickback in 18 months and I had forgotten how it was. But thankfully, I was able to nail it on both weights.
10. Two-Angle Shoulder Flys: I was a little nervous about this move as well. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep form with the heavier weight. But I was wrong, I was able to handle the heavier weight well, with only a little falter in form on the last couple reps. Got the pump, but only a little burn.
11. Crouching Cohen Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-8-4reps/11.25kgs. This move killed me. On R1, I had to take quick breather breaks from rep 8 and struggled to get the weights up from rep 12. I had to drop my butt down to help get the weights up. Biceps were on fire and pumped! On R2, again, got to rep 8, then needed a lot of help and butt movement to get through the 12 reps.
12. Lying-Down Tricep Extensions: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-12reps/12kgs. This is the one move that I changed. I went up 2kgs instead of just 1.25kgs because I knew I could. Also, instead of doing it laying down on the ground, I did it laying on my Swiss Ball. I learned that method from Body Beast, and like it more than laying on the ground because I can have a lot more range of motion. Great move, good pump and some burn on R2.
13. In & Out Straight-Arm Shoulder Flys: R1-16reps/5kgs. R2-16reps/6.25kgs. I was always wary of the straight-arm moves. Here too, I didn't think I could do the heavier weight and really considered keeping it at 5kgs. But I figured I'd try the 6.26kgs and if I couldn't do it, I'd just switch back to the 5kgs. Surprisingly, the 6.25kgs was very doable for me. Only a little waver on the last couple reps. Felt really good. Excited about the progress.
14. Congdon Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-8-4reps/11.25kgs. Biceps are probably my slowest developing muscle group. Light weight was fine, but the heavier weight, again, needed a break at 8 reps. Then struggled to finish out the last 4 reps. HUGE BURN! and pump.
15. Side Tri-Rises: R1-20/20reps. R2-25/25reps. Love this move. With each rep, I was really feeling my triceps activate in a huge way. EVERY REP! I can really see and feel the development in my triceps.
This was a great workout. One that I'll do over and over again. The funny thing is that if I compare the immediate results of this routine and Body Beast- Bulk: Arms, I get a much quicker burn and pump with the shorter Body Beast workout. I will have to try doing them close together and see if I can figure out what the reason for that is. I ended up adding almost 30 minutes to this routine because of all the dumbbell plate changes. Also, several times, I needed an extra breather after each Giant Set of 3 moves.
I was thinking to do a ChaLEAN Extreme Ab routine today, but Ab Ripper X quickly started after the resistance routine, so I just thought, "Eh, why not." So I went ahead and did it. I did much better this time around. I got a good burn on most moves. Mason Twist, I almost didn't make it to the end. Major MAJOR burn, doubling over after the 50th rep. Lovely!
Splits were really good. Got a lot lower today, too, like yesterday, and did some extra stretches and extended times. Felt really good. Flow was, as usual, smooth and clean. Great day!
In the end, I torched a huge 1423kcals. I'm feeling the pump today, for sure!
Early afternoon workout today because I have to help my son with some moving stuff in the afternoon. So, here goes! Started off with my ShakeO for breakfast. Sort of like gassing up for a long trip. Little did I know how long it would be.
I was thinking to keep the same weights as the previous time, one and a half years ago, but that changed pretty quick once I got started. So, what I did was to keep the weight on the first round, then upped the weight by 1.25kgs in the second round. I pretty much did that for all the weighted moves except one. First round: Keep for 15 reps, Second round: Up weight by 1.25kgs for 12 reps. I liked upping the weights during Body Beast, so I adopted that practice here. Last time, I kept the same weight for both rounds. So I feel progress is being made. Here are the weights:
01. Alternating Shoulder Presses: R1-15reps/12kgs. R2-12reps/13.25kgs. Being the first move, I felt pretty good and fresh. I didn't really start to feel it coming until the end of R2. I could have gone heavier, but I wanted to pace myself and not burn myself out in the first move.
02. In & Out Bicep Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-12reps/11.25kgs. I was actually surprised that I was able to do this weight so easily. I was tempted to go heavier, but again, I didn't want to burn myself out. I'm just sort of testing the waters at this point. But I did feel that pump coming on.
03. Two-Arm Tricep Kickbacks: R1-15reps/7.5kgs. R2-12reps/8.75kgs. Felt good with this move as well. Just starting to feel the pump especially in my triceps since I was sore to begin with.
04. Deep Swimmer's Presses: R1-15reps/12kgs. R2-12reps/13.25kgs. That half curl doesn't seem like much, but it is much. Second round started to get tough, but I was able to muscle through and get it done with no breaks.
05. Full Supination Concentration Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-11.25reps/13.25kgs. My biceps definitely got stronger. These weights were really good and gave me a good pump. Not much of a burn yet, but getting a nice pump.
06. Chair Dips: R1-40reps, R2-50reps. I just matched the previous number on R1, but I went for it on R2 and I dropped off the stands in pain right at time with 50reps. I was pumped and BURNING!!!
07. Upright Rows: R1-15reps/12kgs. R2-12reps/13.25kgs. This move was good. weights were still kind of easy, but that pump is coming earlier in the second round now. Still not much of a burn yet.
08. Static Arm Curls: R1-16reps/10kgs. R2-16reps/11.25kgs. I started to get a burn at the very end of R1. I almost didn't make it to the end of R2. Major burn. Static arm started to fade at the end of R2 as well. I had to really fight to keep it up.
09. Flip-Grip Twist Tricep Kickbacks: R1-16reps/7.5kgs. R2-12reps/8.75kgs. I was a little nervous about this move. I haven't done a reverse grip kickback in 18 months and I had forgotten how it was. But thankfully, I was able to nail it on both weights.
10. Two-Angle Shoulder Flys: I was a little nervous about this move as well. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep form with the heavier weight. But I was wrong, I was able to handle the heavier weight well, with only a little falter in form on the last couple reps. Got the pump, but only a little burn.
11. Crouching Cohen Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-8-4reps/11.25kgs. This move killed me. On R1, I had to take quick breather breaks from rep 8 and struggled to get the weights up from rep 12. I had to drop my butt down to help get the weights up. Biceps were on fire and pumped! On R2, again, got to rep 8, then needed a lot of help and butt movement to get through the 12 reps.
12. Lying-Down Tricep Extensions: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-12reps/12kgs. This is the one move that I changed. I went up 2kgs instead of just 1.25kgs because I knew I could. Also, instead of doing it laying down on the ground, I did it laying on my Swiss Ball. I learned that method from Body Beast, and like it more than laying on the ground because I can have a lot more range of motion. Great move, good pump and some burn on R2.
13. In & Out Straight-Arm Shoulder Flys: R1-16reps/5kgs. R2-16reps/6.25kgs. I was always wary of the straight-arm moves. Here too, I didn't think I could do the heavier weight and really considered keeping it at 5kgs. But I figured I'd try the 6.26kgs and if I couldn't do it, I'd just switch back to the 5kgs. Surprisingly, the 6.25kgs was very doable for me. Only a little waver on the last couple reps. Felt really good. Excited about the progress.
14. Congdon Curls: R1-15reps/10kgs. R2-8-4reps/11.25kgs. Biceps are probably my slowest developing muscle group. Light weight was fine, but the heavier weight, again, needed a break at 8 reps. Then struggled to finish out the last 4 reps. HUGE BURN! and pump.
15. Side Tri-Rises: R1-20/20reps. R2-25/25reps. Love this move. With each rep, I was really feeling my triceps activate in a huge way. EVERY REP! I can really see and feel the development in my triceps.
This was a great workout. One that I'll do over and over again. The funny thing is that if I compare the immediate results of this routine and Body Beast- Bulk: Arms, I get a much quicker burn and pump with the shorter Body Beast workout. I will have to try doing them close together and see if I can figure out what the reason for that is. I ended up adding almost 30 minutes to this routine because of all the dumbbell plate changes. Also, several times, I needed an extra breather after each Giant Set of 3 moves.
I was thinking to do a ChaLEAN Extreme Ab routine today, but Ab Ripper X quickly started after the resistance routine, so I just thought, "Eh, why not." So I went ahead and did it. I did much better this time around. I got a good burn on most moves. Mason Twist, I almost didn't make it to the end. Major MAJOR burn, doubling over after the 50th rep. Lovely!
Splits were really good. Got a lot lower today, too, like yesterday, and did some extra stretches and extended times. Felt really good. Flow was, as usual, smooth and clean. Great day!
In the end, I torched a huge 1423kcals. I'm feeling the pump today, for sure!
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
3-23-16 HY: P90X2- X2 Yoga + Splits + TCF.
3-23-16 HY: P90X2- X2 Yoga + Splits + TCF.
Getting back to vacation! But today, I was sore all over. For some reason, the sorest place was my triceps. There were sore and hard. Lats were sore too, but not as much as the tris. Today was supposed to be resistance day, but up was Arms and Shoulders. NO WAY! Legs and especially front hip flexors were sore, too. So, I thought about it and considered my schedule the rest of the week and decided to take a recovery day and do some yoga. I considered doing left side training because of all the Tennis I've been playing, but opted against it since tomorrows workout will be for upper body tomorrow.
The first few moves were fine, but when we got to the place where we had to do 5 slow military push-ups, elbows squeezing ribs, my triceps were SCREAMING!!! It was truly painful, but I gutted it out and completed all 5. From that point on, the push ups during each Vinyasa slowly got easier and easier, but there was a constant but latent pain the whole time. The routine went well overall, but the toughest move in the first half for me was still the Half moon sequence. Had some balance problems. I wasn't able to stay up very long on my right side. Stayed up a little better on the left but not much better. On the reverse Half Moon, it is a lot easier for me to hold the pose on my fist than on my fingertips. Leg is still not that high on either side. I was VERY happy that I could still do the Wrap pose. Crane was very disappointing. I couldn't hold it for much more than a few seconds at a time. Pushed flexibility is good, but without that push, I can't hold in a flexible position at all. When we got to the Frog pose, I can usually go lower than today's depth, but today, there seemed to be a pinched nerve of something in my left front hip flexor that would cause a shot of pain if I tried to pass a certain point. So I didn't push it that much. That also affected my Pigeon pose when my right leg was back. Every time I tried to push my foot out, my calf would start to cramp, so I ended up just keeping my foot under my body. Also, when I put the top of the back leg directly on the floor, my arch would start to cramp. Not fun pain. The Plow sequence was another tough one. Still can't touch the floor above my head. But all in all, I got through everything and felt really good and loose afterwards.
I did some extra stretching after X2 Yoga, so I took a little time to get into the stretch. I was planning to only do about half of the stretches, but I ended up doing more and for longer. I was able to get really low today, and I adjusted my hip and feet position to get the lowest results.
The Flow was as usual, smooth and clean. It was good to do it as loose as I was. Felt really good, but still had the soreness.
In the end, I burned a mediocre 423kcals. But I wasn't expecting a big burn anyway. The recovery was the priority.
3-22-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
3-22-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
I was only minimally sore today after doing my first P90X resistance routine in almost two years yesterday. So I thought that tennis would go well. Plus, I was coming off a week of a lot of tennis so I thought I would just coast on that extra practice and be hitting the ball well. None of the above. I was back to playing with my regular playing partner in the regular venue and I was terrible... to put it mildly. There were times when I was just returning the ball, and times when I was just junking the ball into the net. Today, since there was no pressing engagement later on, we were able to play for close to 2 hours. When we usually play, it is for only around an hour. In that shorter time, we are able to finish between 2-3 sets of the adjusted scoring. Today, in almost two hours, we barely got in one set. In the whole time, I hit less than a handful of highlight reel shots and was on the defensive most of the time. Most of the points I got were not from my good shots, but rather his mistakes. Concentration was at an all time low. Footwork and movement were terrible as well. I felt like I was moving like an injured cow. Extremely frustrating and disappointing session today. The only positive thing is that I got a nice calorie burn as a result. But I will have to buckle down for next time, probably this Friday with my son. Our last time playing before he heads off to college.
I wasn't able to get in my Splits and Flow until later in the evening, but it felt good to stretch out. For some reason, the front of my hip flexors are really sore. So the stretch was good. Also, since my kids were tired, they went to bed really early so I did the stretch in the dark. But it felt like I was getting low. At least the pain was evident of the fact. I was able to take a little more time with it as well. Flow was good, smooth and clean.
In the end, the tennis only torched 1200+kcals.
I was only minimally sore today after doing my first P90X resistance routine in almost two years yesterday. So I thought that tennis would go well. Plus, I was coming off a week of a lot of tennis so I thought I would just coast on that extra practice and be hitting the ball well. None of the above. I was back to playing with my regular playing partner in the regular venue and I was terrible... to put it mildly. There were times when I was just returning the ball, and times when I was just junking the ball into the net. Today, since there was no pressing engagement later on, we were able to play for close to 2 hours. When we usually play, it is for only around an hour. In that shorter time, we are able to finish between 2-3 sets of the adjusted scoring. Today, in almost two hours, we barely got in one set. In the whole time, I hit less than a handful of highlight reel shots and was on the defensive most of the time. Most of the points I got were not from my good shots, but rather his mistakes. Concentration was at an all time low. Footwork and movement were terrible as well. I felt like I was moving like an injured cow. Extremely frustrating and disappointing session today. The only positive thing is that I got a nice calorie burn as a result. But I will have to buckle down for next time, probably this Friday with my son. Our last time playing before he heads off to college.
I wasn't able to get in my Splits and Flow until later in the evening, but it felt good to stretch out. For some reason, the front of my hip flexors are really sore. So the stretch was good. Also, since my kids were tired, they went to bed really early so I did the stretch in the dark. But it felt like I was getting low. At least the pain was evident of the fact. I was able to take a little more time with it as well. Flow was good, smooth and clean.
In the end, the tennis only torched 1200+kcals.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
3-21-16 HY: P90X-Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X + Splits + TCF.
3-21-16 HY: P90X-Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X + Splits + TCF.
Today was a National Holiday, Vernal Equinox or, the first day of Spring here in Japan. It was a nice day off with beautiful weather. I spent it trucking my daughter around. It wasn't originally supposed to be that way, but a 30-40 minute ride turned into an almost all day thing. So, when I finally got some time to do something, I had no time and had to get right into my workout. Oh Well!
After finishing Body Beast, I was wondering what program to do next. I was thinking of ChaLEAN Extreme, or one of my non-Beachbody programs for my resistance half. But then I figured that I should go back to the beginning and see how I'm progressing since the last time I went through the routines. So, I'm not going to do the entire 90 Day program of P90X, but I'm going to cycle through all the routines as they fit into my schedule. I have the last set of worksheets and I will compare then and now. I've seen big improvements already from day one. Here goes... Chest & Back is a great routine to begin because it is extremely basic in nature and tests over-all upper body strength while specifying to focus on two areas. While I am comparing the last time I went through P90X, this first time through this time, I'm not going to change rep counts, so most of the reps are the same as last time. The last time was 8-16-14, yep, almost a year and a half ago.
01. Standard Push Up-30/30. I felt really good on R1, but R2 was a bit of a struggle, but not too bad.
02. Wide Front Pull-Ups- Huge change in that the last time, I was using the Green resistance band for an assist. With that assist, I did 10/10. This time, I didn't use any assist. I still did 10/10, but R1 was full range of motion, and R2 was at about 135 degrees on my elbows, still no assist. I was very happy about that.
03. Military Push-Ups- Same 20/20 for both times, but I think I felt stronger this time around.
04. Reverse Grip Chin-Up- Same story as the previous set of Pull Ups.
05. Wide Fly Push-Ups- This version is probably the easiest for me. I actually upped the rep count accidentally on this one. I went from 25/25 to 30/30. I needed to take a few mid-set breaks in R2.
06. Close Grip Overhand Pull-Ups- At this point in R1, I'm really feeling the pump, and I can't get my arms back on the huggers the pump is so high. R1 was good. R2, I needed to come off the bar after 7 reps, then I finished the last 3 reps after a little swinging of the arms. Still no assist.
07. Decline Push-Ups- I almost didn't use the Push Up stands on this one because the angle on the decline wasn't that big on them. But I ended up using the stands and they were easier than I expected. But again, in R2, I needed a few mid-set breaks to get to 20 reps.
08. Heavy Pants- All 15 reps wit the weights. R1 at 17kgs, but this time I raised my weights a bit for R2 to 19.5kgs. I usually keep the weight the same, so this was a first. Felt Good!
09. Diamond Push-Ups- Last time I did 20/15-5reps. But this time, I did 20/10-10reps. I was getting really bushed by this point in R2. But I was able to muscle through.
10. Lawnmowers- Last time, 17/17 at 15reps each set. But today, I upped the weight to 19.5kgs in the second round. It was tough, but doable.
11. Dive-Bomber Push-Ups- Last time, 10-4/10-5 reps. But this time, I did 15/10-10. This is probably the most DBPU's I've done in one sitting. But in R2, I started to get a cramp in my right front hip flexor. So I needed to stretch it out a bit, hence the break at 10reps.
12. Back Flys- Last time I was at 7.5kgs, but today, I upped to 10 in R1 then 11.25kgs in R2. Got a good burn in the upper back. Tony's instruction on this move is perfect. Demonstrates the correct way to hit the Back. And boy, did I!
This routine was 58 minutes If I was able to keep up with Tony and Team. But I wasn't. For some reason, I was getting really winded. I had to a couple times, extend my recovery times to catch my breath. So, I ended up adding about 20 minutes to this routine. Brutal routine it is.
I was intending to finish off the 0-6 Abs program by doing L14, the final level, but Ab Ripper X came on the screen so seen after the main workout, I just went ahead and did it. This routine really pushed me hard. I don't remember it being this tough. A couple times, I had to pause the DVD to rest my abs. I was focusing on the big question, "Can I get all the way through Mason Twist with no breaks?" The answer is... YES! I totally nailed that final move. Just a big moan and groan after the move ended. Abs felt really tight.
The Splits kept the level up/down. High level, getting low in my splits. But the near cramping during the Dive Bombers didn't help things. I decided to raise my time a bit and do some extra stretch moves to push myself harder. Still working on angles and what not. Great Day! Flow was as usual. Smooth and Clean!
In the end, I torched a solid 1213kcals. Big burn to start off the resistance week. Got to keep up the intensity!
Today was a National Holiday, Vernal Equinox or, the first day of Spring here in Japan. It was a nice day off with beautiful weather. I spent it trucking my daughter around. It wasn't originally supposed to be that way, but a 30-40 minute ride turned into an almost all day thing. So, when I finally got some time to do something, I had no time and had to get right into my workout. Oh Well!
After finishing Body Beast, I was wondering what program to do next. I was thinking of ChaLEAN Extreme, or one of my non-Beachbody programs for my resistance half. But then I figured that I should go back to the beginning and see how I'm progressing since the last time I went through the routines. So, I'm not going to do the entire 90 Day program of P90X, but I'm going to cycle through all the routines as they fit into my schedule. I have the last set of worksheets and I will compare then and now. I've seen big improvements already from day one. Here goes... Chest & Back is a great routine to begin because it is extremely basic in nature and tests over-all upper body strength while specifying to focus on two areas. While I am comparing the last time I went through P90X, this first time through this time, I'm not going to change rep counts, so most of the reps are the same as last time. The last time was 8-16-14, yep, almost a year and a half ago.
01. Standard Push Up-30/30. I felt really good on R1, but R2 was a bit of a struggle, but not too bad.
02. Wide Front Pull-Ups- Huge change in that the last time, I was using the Green resistance band for an assist. With that assist, I did 10/10. This time, I didn't use any assist. I still did 10/10, but R1 was full range of motion, and R2 was at about 135 degrees on my elbows, still no assist. I was very happy about that.
03. Military Push-Ups- Same 20/20 for both times, but I think I felt stronger this time around.
04. Reverse Grip Chin-Up- Same story as the previous set of Pull Ups.
05. Wide Fly Push-Ups- This version is probably the easiest for me. I actually upped the rep count accidentally on this one. I went from 25/25 to 30/30. I needed to take a few mid-set breaks in R2.
06. Close Grip Overhand Pull-Ups- At this point in R1, I'm really feeling the pump, and I can't get my arms back on the huggers the pump is so high. R1 was good. R2, I needed to come off the bar after 7 reps, then I finished the last 3 reps after a little swinging of the arms. Still no assist.
07. Decline Push-Ups- I almost didn't use the Push Up stands on this one because the angle on the decline wasn't that big on them. But I ended up using the stands and they were easier than I expected. But again, in R2, I needed a few mid-set breaks to get to 20 reps.
08. Heavy Pants- All 15 reps wit the weights. R1 at 17kgs, but this time I raised my weights a bit for R2 to 19.5kgs. I usually keep the weight the same, so this was a first. Felt Good!
09. Diamond Push-Ups- Last time I did 20/15-5reps. But this time, I did 20/10-10reps. I was getting really bushed by this point in R2. But I was able to muscle through.
10. Lawnmowers- Last time, 17/17 at 15reps each set. But today, I upped the weight to 19.5kgs in the second round. It was tough, but doable.
11. Dive-Bomber Push-Ups- Last time, 10-4/10-5 reps. But this time, I did 15/10-10. This is probably the most DBPU's I've done in one sitting. But in R2, I started to get a cramp in my right front hip flexor. So I needed to stretch it out a bit, hence the break at 10reps.
12. Back Flys- Last time I was at 7.5kgs, but today, I upped to 10 in R1 then 11.25kgs in R2. Got a good burn in the upper back. Tony's instruction on this move is perfect. Demonstrates the correct way to hit the Back. And boy, did I!
This routine was 58 minutes If I was able to keep up with Tony and Team. But I wasn't. For some reason, I was getting really winded. I had to a couple times, extend my recovery times to catch my breath. So, I ended up adding about 20 minutes to this routine. Brutal routine it is.
I was intending to finish off the 0-6 Abs program by doing L14, the final level, but Ab Ripper X came on the screen so seen after the main workout, I just went ahead and did it. This routine really pushed me hard. I don't remember it being this tough. A couple times, I had to pause the DVD to rest my abs. I was focusing on the big question, "Can I get all the way through Mason Twist with no breaks?" The answer is... YES! I totally nailed that final move. Just a big moan and groan after the move ended. Abs felt really tight.
The Splits kept the level up/down. High level, getting low in my splits. But the near cramping during the Dive Bombers didn't help things. I decided to raise my time a bit and do some extra stretch moves to push myself harder. Still working on angles and what not. Great Day! Flow was as usual. Smooth and Clean!
In the end, I torched a solid 1213kcals. Big burn to start off the resistance week. Got to keep up the intensity!
Sunday, March 20, 2016
3-20-16 HY: Tennis Tournament + Splits + TCF.
3-20-16 HY: Tennis Tournament + Splits + TCF.
Today was the doubles tennis tournament my son and I entered. The last doubles tournament we entered it was for intermediate amateur level. Then, we were able to pull off a couple of wins, one in the round-robin and one in the consolation round. I thought it was going to be a similar type of thing, but as it turns out, it was for advanced level amateurs. So there were teams playing that have been teamed up for years, people who play doubles 4-5 times a week. This was only the second time for me to play doubles in almost 30 years. Second time ever with my son. So, needless to say, we were out of our element and did not perform as well as we had hoped. But we played hard and got some good experience. We hit several good shots, but more not so good. I was able to hit a few aces in each match which actually surprised me. In the end, we had a great time. I actually wore my HRM, turning it on for the practice times and matches, and turning it off in between matches. After our final match, my son and I tossed the football around, running patterns, throwing bombs to each other. It was fun to just not think about the matches and have a different kind of fun.
I didn't get around to doing my splits and Flow until the evening. I really didn't feel like doing it at all all day after coming back, but after dinner, the thought just hit me that I am making great progress and I didn't want to take a step backwards so I did them. And I didn't lose it! I was able to hit the mark and go past it to lower depths. The pain felt so good! Did a little extra as well. Flow was still spot on, smooth and clean. No HRM for the evening, though.
In the end, I torched 1810kcals. It was a day for making memories that will last a lifetime.
Friday, March 18, 2016
3-18-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Lower Focus + Splits + TCF.
3-18-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Lower Focus + Splits + TCF.
Time crunch again, today. I was planning on coming home early, but ended up coming home at the regular time so I only had just under 2 hours to complete my workout. So I had to cut some parts off. I was feeling the core soreness, so my ab section was the one to be omitted today.
Today's T25 routine completes my third time through Alpha. Since I want to keep the cardio up, I'll probably stick with Alpha a bit longer. Plus, I want to get to the point where I can do a Straight 25 on all the Alpha routines. Up until today, I was able to do a Straight 25 on only Speed 1.0 and Core Circuit. But today, I added Lower Focus to the Straight 25 club! The big obstacle was always the Calf Hops. I was always in too much pain in my arches to continue and had to stop to shake out my feet. Today, I totally nailed it! It brought me right up to the breaking point, but I made it. That gave me energy so I was able to kill the rest of the workout. I was so happy. I almost did a Straight 25 on Cardio, but I've only be able to get half way on Full Body Circuit. I'm confident I can do Cardio next week, but FBC. I'm really going to have to push to get that to Straight 25. Those Push Ups at the end are killer. But I'll get it!
Went right to Splits and today, I hit another LOW! Just by chance, I found that a slight angle change would allow me to get lower, so today marks the lowest ever so far. I could really feel the stretch and pull on the muscles but no much muscle pain, the pain came from the hip joints. Just need to push to get them more open. The Flow was, as usual, smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a good 630+kcals. Not bad for a short workout. Happy for the weekend to be upon us!
Time crunch again, today. I was planning on coming home early, but ended up coming home at the regular time so I only had just under 2 hours to complete my workout. So I had to cut some parts off. I was feeling the core soreness, so my ab section was the one to be omitted today.
Today's T25 routine completes my third time through Alpha. Since I want to keep the cardio up, I'll probably stick with Alpha a bit longer. Plus, I want to get to the point where I can do a Straight 25 on all the Alpha routines. Up until today, I was able to do a Straight 25 on only Speed 1.0 and Core Circuit. But today, I added Lower Focus to the Straight 25 club! The big obstacle was always the Calf Hops. I was always in too much pain in my arches to continue and had to stop to shake out my feet. Today, I totally nailed it! It brought me right up to the breaking point, but I made it. That gave me energy so I was able to kill the rest of the workout. I was so happy. I almost did a Straight 25 on Cardio, but I've only be able to get half way on Full Body Circuit. I'm confident I can do Cardio next week, but FBC. I'm really going to have to push to get that to Straight 25. Those Push Ups at the end are killer. But I'll get it!
Went right to Splits and today, I hit another LOW! Just by chance, I found that a slight angle change would allow me to get lower, so today marks the lowest ever so far. I could really feel the stretch and pull on the muscles but no much muscle pain, the pain came from the hip joints. Just need to push to get them more open. The Flow was, as usual, smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a good 630+kcals. Not bad for a short workout. Happy for the weekend to be upon us!
Thursday, March 17, 2016
3-17-16 HY: BB- Beast: Total Body + ChaLEAN Extreme:Extreme Core Circuit + Splits + TCF.
3-17-16 HY: BB- Beast: Total Body + ChaLEAN Extreme:Extreme Core Circuit + Splits + TCF.
No tennis today. Everyone was busy with their own thing. On top of that, my daughter came down with a fever and was out of commission pretty much the whole day. I stayed with her and took care of her until my wife came home. I started my workout in the early evening after my daughter woke up from a nap.
I kind of wanted to keep that full body thing going so I went with a total body routine from Body Beast, one I really like a lot. I want to push myself and really get the blood pumping to fight any potential virus now infesting my home, so I upped most of the weights in the routine, but I kept several at the same level. In the first circuit, I raised the first Squat weight from 7.5kgs to 17kgs. That quickly put a lot of resistance on my legs. Through both sets of the first circuit set, I got a huge cardio effect. I was really breathing hard. Doing 4 moves in succession with no break is brutal. In the 2nd Circuit Set, I upped all the first round weights. Incline Press 12kgs to 17kgs, Bent-Over Row and Reverse Alternating Lunge 12kgs to 14.5kgs. The second round, I only upped the Incline Press from 17kgs to 19.5kgs. The other two moves kept the same weight as last time, 17kgs. Starting off with a heavy weight really changes things up. There is no warm up, it is banging it out right off the bat. That, for me, is a lot tougher. The 3rd Circuit Set, I tried to raise the weight of the 1,1,2 Military Press from 7.5kgs to 10kgs. That was painful. I took a lot of little breaks because 15reps at that weight was too much for me at that point. I also raised the Stiff Leg Dead Lift from 10kgs to 12kgs in the first round. Then the last two moves of the second round, I upped from 12kgs to 14.5kgs. The Russian Twist with 14.5kgs is extremely tough. I think I probably go lighter next time. I kept the Post Delt Raise the same, 4kgs and 5kgs. My shoulders were letting off a subdued scream at that point. In the final Circuit Set, the first two moves, Bicep Curl-up-Hammer Down and Tricep Extension-Kickbacks went from 7.5kgs to 8.75kgs, then 8.75kgs to 10kgs. Then the third move, Calf Raise- Weight at Shoulders went up 7.5kgs to 12kgs, and 12kgs to 14.5kgs. I sure I can go heavier for my calves, but my shoulders hurt a bit. I need some padding on my shoulders. The entire routine just really kept me on my feet and when I could, I took out the break time between moves within a circuit. But today felt really good. Great pump and burn.
I didn't want to start 0-6 Abs Level 14 at the end of a week so I went with Chalean. Her ab routines are always so innocuous, but they creep up on you and rack your world. This was no different. I had to keep telling myself not to bounce on the Swiss Ball. Awesome Burn!
I really pushed on the splits today, and I feel like I'm progressing. The Flow was good, the first time on the left side though. I wasn't paying attention and I lost the Flow. So I had to start over and the next time was great.
In the end, I torched a good 900+kcals. Huge for a resistance workout. HAPPY!
3-16-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
3-16-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
Three days in a row of tennis takes me back to my younger days. Today, we played in the morning for over 2 hours. But what was different from the 2+ hour session a couple days ago is that the conditions were perfect! Temperatures were ideal, almost no wind. An occasional breeze. We were a little tired from playing in opposite conditions just 12 hours earlier, but it was really nice. Also, we did a lot of serving practice, and it shows in the calorie burn count. My right shoulder is getting a little stronger so I don't have as much soreness pain as the other day. But unlike last time, I was able to put a little more power into my serves. We also played a match which I took. My son was definitely off, because he should be able to run circles around me, but I won handily 8-0. Not a real match, but the game count. Boosted my confidence a bit, but not his. So, tomorrow night, my son is going to see his coach and try to iron out some bugs. He won't learn from me for some reason. hehehe, Oh well.
Had a good Splits session and the Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a solid 1400+ kcals.
Three days in a row of tennis takes me back to my younger days. Today, we played in the morning for over 2 hours. But what was different from the 2+ hour session a couple days ago is that the conditions were perfect! Temperatures were ideal, almost no wind. An occasional breeze. We were a little tired from playing in opposite conditions just 12 hours earlier, but it was really nice. Also, we did a lot of serving practice, and it shows in the calorie burn count. My right shoulder is getting a little stronger so I don't have as much soreness pain as the other day. But unlike last time, I was able to put a little more power into my serves. We also played a match which I took. My son was definitely off, because he should be able to run circles around me, but I won handily 8-0. Not a real match, but the game count. Boosted my confidence a bit, but not his. So, tomorrow night, my son is going to see his coach and try to iron out some bugs. He won't learn from me for some reason. hehehe, Oh well.
Had a good Splits session and the Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a solid 1400+ kcals.
3-15-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
3-15-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
Tennis again today, but only for about 80 minutes. My son and I played at night when it was pretty cold so we played for shorter than yesterday. Just wanted to keep that feel on. We started off slow, but the cold forced us to move a little more than usual. That extra movement sort of caused us to rush our strokes and we had sort of a tough time. But keeping that stroke feel was important.
I was able to keep up my splits and Flow at home so I was happy.
In the end, I torched 900+kcals.
Tennis again today, but only for about 80 minutes. My son and I played at night when it was pretty cold so we played for shorter than yesterday. Just wanted to keep that feel on. We started off slow, but the cold forced us to move a little more than usual. That extra movement sort of caused us to rush our strokes and we had sort of a tough time. But keeping that stroke feel was important.
I was able to keep up my splits and Flow at home so I was happy.
In the end, I torched 900+kcals.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
3-14-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
3-14-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.
I was hoping this would be a tennis day for a while, and unexpectedly, it became one. I was planning to play with my regular partner because the forecast was rain and we play indoors. But we ended up not being able to play. But the weather became sunny in the afternoon so I asked my son if he wanted to play and he could so we play for over two and a half hours. The reason why I wanted to play THIS week is that my son and I are playing doubles in a tournament this coming Sunday and I haven't hit a ball in over two weeks, and I haven't served in much longer. The last time we played together the conditions were as bad as one could imagine, We played in wind, rain, snow, sleet, and of course cold. I was actually playing while wearing a wool hat, a glove on my left hand and my winter coat. Today, the conditions were sunny, cold and very windy. That is probably the same type of conditions we're looking at this Sunday. So it was good that we could play today. The wind was blowing straight through the court, so on one end, hitting the ball as hard as possible, the ball would make it to mid-court. On the other end, just tapping the ball would send it sailing past the baseline. So we had to get used to playing the wind. Within 10 minutes, my legs were feeling like rubber again. Much like they felt last week playing basketball with my daughter. But, luckily I had a power bar and a sodium tablet so I was able to recover and get back onto the court. I did do some serving practice, but I immediately felt that my shoulder was not ready to go full out, so I just hit a few serves, then quite. I hurt my shoulder before trying too much too quickly so I'm going to go slow, increasing my power and reps over the next week. Hopefully it won't be too little too late for Sunday. We had some ups and downs, but getting out there and stroking the ball together was a good thing for us to do. We are planning our schedule now for the week so we can hopefully practice more.
We played at a court near our house so when I got home, about 3 minutes by car, I started right away with my splits. Legs were pretty tired, but I was able to get low. The Flow was also, as usual, smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched over 1760kcals. Huge burn for the day.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
3-13-16 HY: BB- Lucky 7 + Beast Abs + Splits + TCF.
3-13-16 HY: BB- Lucky 7 + Beast Abs + Splits + TCF.
Motivationaly, today was probably one of the more difficult days to get going. I woke up before 7am to attend my son's tennis tournament. It was a lot colder today than it has been for a while. So that meant, as I video taped all five of his matches, I was sitting in very cold conditions. What also didn't help much was the fact that my legs were still sore from Friday's Leg Day. So I had to keep stretching out to keep from cramping. We got to the venue at about 8:15am. It was good to see my son enjoy himself playing doubles with his friend. They did okay in the tournament, but not having played competitive tennis for almost 6 months because of entrance exams really showed. But, they had fun. Anyway, we got home at close to 2:30pm. I had a quick lunch, and then I started watching the tennis matches I taped with my son to analyze them. I fell asleep. When I woke up, I just wanted to vege. The furthest thing from my mind was working out. I was tired from doing nothing strenuous, sore, and sleepy. But the later it got, the desire not to miss a workout overcame me and I got the process going. I finally started my workout around 6pm.
With my achy legs, somewhat sore back and shoulders from napping on the floor, and tiredness I was wondering what routine to do. I had finished the main Body Beast program so I was trying to figure out what program to do next. Then I remembered one disk that I hadn't done yet, so I got it out and did a little research as to what type of workout it was. Since today is a resistance day, I wanted to keep with that, so the Lucky 7 routine seemed to fit my specific needs for today. Short yet intense resistance. It was also perfect because it is Full Body. So, despite my soreness, I would have to work through a few leg moves. Basically, I pyramid from 1 to 7 reps with one set of weights (I have no EZ bar). But in total for one Combo Set, there are a total of 28 reps. And Segi's pace was pretty fast. I did all the sets with a set of 7.5kg dumbbells except for the 5th set, I used a 4kg set. Here is the breakdown:
Combo Set 1: EZ Push-Up + Clean + Squat. I couldn't go straight to 7, I had to take a small break after Circuit 5, then finish it out. Interesting how heavy the weights feel in the later sets.
Combo Set 2: Dead Lift + Bent-Over Row. I completed this move with no breaks, but my lower back started to fatigue at the end.
Combo Set 3: Skull Crusher + Press + Crunch. By the last two sets, my triceps were screaming, but I maid it through, no breaks. The Presses were a lot easier, as were the crunches at this weight.
Combo Set 4: Curl + Military Press + EZ Squat. This was probably the toughest move. I had to take a little break after Circuit 4-6. Biceps were SCREAMING!!! Shoulders were screaming as well during the last two sets.
Combo Set 5: Delt Raise+ Reverse Lunge. This is the move I went down to 4kg dumbbells because it was a straight arm move. But I discovered that 4kgs was light. I will go up and try 5kgs next time.
Combo Set 6: Lat Oblique Twist. This was the most confusing move. The way Segi explained and demonstrated the move, I wasn't sure how I was hitting my lats, or the significance of the counting. So, I added a pulse. This time around, it was more of a core move than a lat move. 7.5kgs was too light. I'm going up next time.
Combo Set 7: Upright Row + Calf Raise. I made it through... BARELY! My shoulders were just screaming on the rows. The only thing tough with the Calf Raise was trying to keep my balance. So I had to push the flex when going up to the top. That made it a workout.
This is definitely a short and fun workout. One that I will definitely do again. I'm thinking that I can do it once a week for the rest of this month along with Beast: Total Body. Just a little maintenance and up keep until I decide what to start in April.
I wanted to stay on the same disk, so I went ahead and did Beast Abs. Got a good burn in my core.
Took a little longer to get to the mark, but I got there and I pushed hard. It hurt a little more because of the soreness, but I knew that was coming. The Flow was smooth and clean.
One good thing about today's workout is that although my legs were sore, especially my quads, when doing the leg moves, I felt not extra pain, and no onset of cramping. Just powered up. Happy about that.
In the end, I torched a solid 626kcals. Good way to start off my week.
Friday, March 11, 2016
3-11-16 HY: BB- Build: Legs + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-11-16 HY: BB- Build: Legs + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
Another somewhat eventless day for me. Got up a little late. Did a little shopping with my wife in the morning. That's about it. Had a shake for lunch so I could get right into my workout. I knew it was Leg Day, so I wanted to be a full readiness.
Started off great! I even upped the weight on the first set from 10 to 17kgs on the Sumo Squat. I was feeling the burn starting to come, but I was fresh. Then I got slammed! At the beginning of the next Super Set, the very first move, the very first rep, I went down, and my left quad immediately seized and almost cramped up. I almost freaked! I walked it off and stretched it out. I tried to massage my thigh and nothing was working to get that tightness out. After a few minutes though, my quad started to relax. I was like, "What is going on?" I almost decided to go to an upper body routine for today, then I hit on the idea of reducing my range of motion. So I started that Super Set again with the Alternating Lunge at about half the range of motion and it seemed to be okay. Once I got it warmed up, both quads were feeling really good and loose. That is probably the biggest complaint I have with Body Beast is that the warm ups at the beginning are extremely insufficient. I know, if I feel that way, I can always warm up more before pressing Play, but that is not the point, all the other routines have a good, very focused 8-12 minute warm up at the beginning of each routine. Body Beast is the first program that has a measly 90 -140 second warm up. For a high intensity program I would expect more. Anyway, once I got warmed up, things became a lot better. The Giant Set was painful, but in a good way. Not because of cramping or inadvertent muscle contractions. Same weights through that Giant Set. The final Giant Set was awesome because of the gains. A gain for every set. On the Calf Raises, I went up 10+ reps on each leg for both sets of weights. For the Seated Calf Raise, I went up 5 reps for both sets. and for the In and Outs, also +5 reps for both sets. Very happy about that! Aside from that initial scare, it was an awesome workout.
This was the final day for Level 13 for me. And it was the best I've done with it thus far. Control, breathing, steadiness were all there. Also the burn. I didn't feel any discomfort during the first two rounds, I felt a little coming on in the third round, and the burn jumped me right at the end in the last 10 seconds of the final set. BOO YA! Nailed it. I feel a lot more confident to move on to Level 14, the final level next week.
I really pushed the splits today, and the right-side splits were particularly improved. It is just a matter of pushing at the right angle so as not to work against the join in my hips. But progress was evident! The Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a solid 955kcals. Great way to close out my week. Happy Weekend!
Another somewhat eventless day for me. Got up a little late. Did a little shopping with my wife in the morning. That's about it. Had a shake for lunch so I could get right into my workout. I knew it was Leg Day, so I wanted to be a full readiness.
Started off great! I even upped the weight on the first set from 10 to 17kgs on the Sumo Squat. I was feeling the burn starting to come, but I was fresh. Then I got slammed! At the beginning of the next Super Set, the very first move, the very first rep, I went down, and my left quad immediately seized and almost cramped up. I almost freaked! I walked it off and stretched it out. I tried to massage my thigh and nothing was working to get that tightness out. After a few minutes though, my quad started to relax. I was like, "What is going on?" I almost decided to go to an upper body routine for today, then I hit on the idea of reducing my range of motion. So I started that Super Set again with the Alternating Lunge at about half the range of motion and it seemed to be okay. Once I got it warmed up, both quads were feeling really good and loose. That is probably the biggest complaint I have with Body Beast is that the warm ups at the beginning are extremely insufficient. I know, if I feel that way, I can always warm up more before pressing Play, but that is not the point, all the other routines have a good, very focused 8-12 minute warm up at the beginning of each routine. Body Beast is the first program that has a measly 90 -140 second warm up. For a high intensity program I would expect more. Anyway, once I got warmed up, things became a lot better. The Giant Set was painful, but in a good way. Not because of cramping or inadvertent muscle contractions. Same weights through that Giant Set. The final Giant Set was awesome because of the gains. A gain for every set. On the Calf Raises, I went up 10+ reps on each leg for both sets of weights. For the Seated Calf Raise, I went up 5 reps for both sets. and for the In and Outs, also +5 reps for both sets. Very happy about that! Aside from that initial scare, it was an awesome workout.
This was the final day for Level 13 for me. And it was the best I've done with it thus far. Control, breathing, steadiness were all there. Also the burn. I didn't feel any discomfort during the first two rounds, I felt a little coming on in the third round, and the burn jumped me right at the end in the last 10 seconds of the final set. BOO YA! Nailed it. I feel a lot more confident to move on to Level 14, the final level next week.
I really pushed the splits today, and the right-side splits were particularly improved. It is just a matter of pushing at the right angle so as not to work against the join in my hips. But progress was evident! The Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a solid 955kcals. Great way to close out my week. Happy Weekend!
3-10-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Total Body Circuit + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-10-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Total Body Circuit + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
Went out to eat a late lunch with my wife. We weren't planning to eat out, but we take our chances when we can and we had a good time. The food was delicious, and I splurged on some dessert. It was some MAJORLY AWESOME Maple Sorbet. But I was surprised at how little I ate. When I compare the quantity of a few years ago, I get full a lot faster, but I got full. So, I had to wait a while until my stomach was okay before I started up on my workout. Especially since it was cardio day. I didn't want to cramp up.
Over all, it was a good routine. I made it all the way to the 7 minute mark and then the plank push up series began. My shoulders were still sore and tired from Bulk: Shoulders yesterday so all those push ups at different angles was brutal. I had to tap out. I wasn't able to make it to the end, again. Then, once I finished the last move of the progression, the Spider Push Ups, The first move of the Burn Out was Shoulder Tap Push Ups. Another break was in order. Then, I needed to take a quick breather every couple moves. Sweat like crazy!
This was probably the best I've felt about level 13 so far. Core is definitely getting stronger, but I still need to focus on keeping that lower back down on the ground. Only one big groan after my very last rep. But I maintained total control the whole time.
Splits are getting lower, hip flexors are getting more open, and I'm feeling really confident that I'm going to get full splits by the deadline if not earlier. Felt really good today. The Flow was also very smooth and clean. It's about time for me to test myself at a different venue.
In the end, I torched a good 861kcal. Very happy because this was a shorter workout with a bigger burn! Thank you, Cardio!
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
3-09-16 HY: BB-Bulk: Shoulders + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-09-16 HY: BB-Bulk: Shoulders + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
After yesterday, I was just really tired today. I got up, had breakfast and got hooked on watching the CNN coverage on the voting reports from Michigan, my home state. After that, we had lunch and started to catch up on American Idol. We're way behind. Then my daughter was invited to go and play basketball, so she left and my son and wife started to watch a program they watch together so I decided to go ahead and start my workout. I was feeling a lot better and rested.
I should have done Build: Legs, but wasn't feeling the vibe for legs today after yesterday, so I went with Shoulders, one of my favorite routines in the Bulk set of routines. When I started out with the warm up, I was feeling really good, so I thought I would up the weights a bit. So I raised the weights on a few moves. The first Super Set, move one, I stepped up one plate, so 3 to 4, 4 to 5, and 5 to 6.25kgs. The Arnold Press was a burner. My shoulders were on fire from the medium weight. I had to really muscle through on the Drop Set, still 17 then 15.75kgs. Since I don't have an EZ Bar, I tried to do the Progressive set as programmed, with no rest. So I finished the ascending grouping about a minute faster than Segi. But Going down, again, my shoulders were so on FIRE! the crew caught up to me. I had to take several mini-breaks. On the last light set, I had to take a quick break every two reps, but really, just a second to gather myself. I also raised the weights on the first move of the next Super Set, the Alt. Front Raise. 4 to 5, 5 to 6.26, 7.5 to 8.75kgs. That is the heaviest so far on that move. But I was able to control it pretty well. On the next Progressive Set, Reverse Fly, I went up one plate 4 to 5, 5 to 6.25, 6.25 to 7.5kgs. That might have been a bit heavy, because I was really feeling the muscles activate like never before. But today, my shoulders really got killed and I really felt it burn.
Abs were good. I really tried to keep my back down and it was very tough. Every time I feel good, I move the weight further over my head and it kills again. So I'm doing it harder and harder each time. Pushing to the edge.
The Splits were really good. I am almost to the ground on the left side splits. For some reason I'm more open on that side. Straddle splits and Right side splits are still higher, but lower than last month. Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a good 700+kcals. But I felt the BURN more than usual.
I keep forgetting to talk about this, but last week, I did Bulk: Arms on Thursday. No big deal, right? Well, for the first time EVER, I was feeling the pump for longer than just immediately after the workout. I was feeling the pump all the way into Sunday. Every time I even bent my arm to grab, hold, carry or lift something, my biceps were pump flexing without me even thinking of it. It was still a little there on Monday, but I was still feeling the affects of it up to yesterday, whenever I moved my back from one shoulder to the other. I was like, "What in the world?" Has that every happened to you? What is that?
3-08-16 HY: Pace Walking.
3-08-16 HY: Pace Walking.
Yesterday, my family had some business with the American Consulate in a city about a 4 hour bus ride to the north of us. I knew it was going to be an all day trip so I knew I wasn't going to be able to do a regular workout. Not even after getting home because we were getting home close to midnight. So, I got my pedometer out and decided to keep the "Exercise Mentality" on during all my walking, and there was a lot of it. Started right from the morning. We all walked about 1.20km from our house to the bus stop. Then a lot of walking between train stations, subway stations, bus stations, all around shopping centers, etc. Well, here is the big and tall of it all. 13374 steps, 6.41 kilometers, 647kcals burned, 120 minutes lapse time. Some big differences between the last time we did this trip, were that we took taxis once we got to the city. This time, we used the subway and distances from the station to the consulate and other destinations were around .50 to 1.25 km. A lot of extra walking. Plus, I was carrying all the water, snacks, documents, and a bunch of other stuff for a modest total of close to 6 kilograms all day. Not much, but after a time it really starts to weigh down. But it was a very productive and fun day.
Monday, March 7, 2016
3-07-16 HY: Basketball + T25- Alpha: Speed 1.0 + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-07-16 HY: Basketball + T25- Alpha: Speed 1.0 + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
Today was my first real vacation day. I spent it getting up late (I was up late the previous evening), watching the democratic debate, then playing video games and watching a movie with my son. Then, soon after the movie was done, I went to play basketball with my daughter. It was very weird, because I had spent the majority of the day extremely sedentary, then suddenly put in a situation when I was forced to task myself. After 20 minutes of basketball, my legs felt like jello. I was like, "What is the deal? I should have way more endurance and strength than this!" I also felt really weak. I guess I hadn't fueled up enough for the sudden exertion. I sweat up a storm, too. I should have used my HRM. It was only 40 minutes because it was close to dark, but that was enough. I was tempted to call it a day, but I had to get in my regular cardio with a HRM.
I'm still on schedule so Speed 1.0 was up. THANK GOODNESS!!! I don't know what I would have done if it was Total Body Circuit. Anyway, it was borderline Straight 25, because the minute long moves really killed my arches, and if the stretch moves weren't embedded in the routine, I wouldn't have made it through. Moves like those Low Cross Jacks, Squat Thrust + Criss Cross Jacks and Criss Cross + Half-Tuck Jumps just totally BLASTED my arches. Again, it's not an endurance issue with regard to my cardio stamina, it is a pain in the foot issue. I have to get past that, over that, what ever it is until it just doesn't hit me like a brick truck every time. I had to modify on a few of the reps and not actually jump or hop, but I kept going and finished it out.
This is the first time that I did the Level 13 Abs without absolutely dying after the last rep. I was ALMOST dying, but not quite there. But still enough core cramp to keep me going on L3 for the rest of this week. I want more leeway at the end.
I really tried to push the splits today. It was hard and painful, but as always, in a good way. And as always, the Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a modest 681kcals. Probably would have been closer to 800 if I had used the HRM from basketball. Next time!
Today was my first real vacation day. I spent it getting up late (I was up late the previous evening), watching the democratic debate, then playing video games and watching a movie with my son. Then, soon after the movie was done, I went to play basketball with my daughter. It was very weird, because I had spent the majority of the day extremely sedentary, then suddenly put in a situation when I was forced to task myself. After 20 minutes of basketball, my legs felt like jello. I was like, "What is the deal? I should have way more endurance and strength than this!" I also felt really weak. I guess I hadn't fueled up enough for the sudden exertion. I sweat up a storm, too. I should have used my HRM. It was only 40 minutes because it was close to dark, but that was enough. I was tempted to call it a day, but I had to get in my regular cardio with a HRM.
I'm still on schedule so Speed 1.0 was up. THANK GOODNESS!!! I don't know what I would have done if it was Total Body Circuit. Anyway, it was borderline Straight 25, because the minute long moves really killed my arches, and if the stretch moves weren't embedded in the routine, I wouldn't have made it through. Moves like those Low Cross Jacks, Squat Thrust + Criss Cross Jacks and Criss Cross + Half-Tuck Jumps just totally BLASTED my arches. Again, it's not an endurance issue with regard to my cardio stamina, it is a pain in the foot issue. I have to get past that, over that, what ever it is until it just doesn't hit me like a brick truck every time. I had to modify on a few of the reps and not actually jump or hop, but I kept going and finished it out.
This is the first time that I did the Level 13 Abs without absolutely dying after the last rep. I was ALMOST dying, but not quite there. But still enough core cramp to keep me going on L3 for the rest of this week. I want more leeway at the end.
I really tried to push the splits today. It was hard and painful, but as always, in a good way. And as always, the Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a modest 681kcals. Probably would have been closer to 800 if I had used the HRM from basketball. Next time!
3-06-16 HY: Basketball + BB-Bulk: Back + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-06-16 HY: Basketball + BB-Bulk: Back + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
More training today. We had a beautiful day and a lot of daylight. We played basketball for over an hour. She wanted to learn some crazy circus shots to try, so we did some behind the back, over the head, spinning shots. It was more play than training, but we both called it when we were tired. Lots of fun.
I rested only a short time before I got started with my regular workout. I'm going a little off schedule so I did Back, with only two routines left. I pretty much kept all the weights the same except for one move, the Dead Lift. I went up 2.5kgs on the light and medium weights to 14.5 and 17kgs respectively. My lower back was feeling a little gimpy with the heavy weights on the Drop Set. So thankfully it was only 8x2 reps. I was happy to still keep the Pull Ups at straight sets, no breaks. The Progressive Set with Reverse Grip Rows was tough because I tried to keep up with Segi's pace. Somewhere in today's routine, my HR jumped passed 200bpm. But this is the closest I've gotten to the DVD time so far. I was feeling good on the Reverse Fly's as well. I might be able to go up a bit the next time around. In fact, I think I will go up a bit on all the weights the next time I do this routine. Got a huge burn and pump.
L13 with 5kgs is still brutal. I'm handling it in the first three sets, but that fourth set is just BRUTAL! I'm controlling it until the last second, but once the set is done, I'm spent. Before I move on to the last level, I want to have a little left to give at the end of the final set.
The Splits were good. I deliberately pushed it to the limit and shifted my hip angle to accommodate going lower. Now, I am really feeling a hitch or a block in my hip flexor. The Flow was smooth and clean, as usual. It was a nice cap off to the workout.
In the end, I torched a nice 781kcals. It was good to get back to the resistance on Sunday.
More training today. We had a beautiful day and a lot of daylight. We played basketball for over an hour. She wanted to learn some crazy circus shots to try, so we did some behind the back, over the head, spinning shots. It was more play than training, but we both called it when we were tired. Lots of fun.
I rested only a short time before I got started with my regular workout. I'm going a little off schedule so I did Back, with only two routines left. I pretty much kept all the weights the same except for one move, the Dead Lift. I went up 2.5kgs on the light and medium weights to 14.5 and 17kgs respectively. My lower back was feeling a little gimpy with the heavy weights on the Drop Set. So thankfully it was only 8x2 reps. I was happy to still keep the Pull Ups at straight sets, no breaks. The Progressive Set with Reverse Grip Rows was tough because I tried to keep up with Segi's pace. Somewhere in today's routine, my HR jumped passed 200bpm. But this is the closest I've gotten to the DVD time so far. I was feeling good on the Reverse Fly's as well. I might be able to go up a bit the next time around. In fact, I think I will go up a bit on all the weights the next time I do this routine. Got a huge burn and pump.
L13 with 5kgs is still brutal. I'm handling it in the first three sets, but that fourth set is just BRUTAL! I'm controlling it until the last second, but once the set is done, I'm spent. Before I move on to the last level, I want to have a little left to give at the end of the final set.
The Splits were good. I deliberately pushed it to the limit and shifted my hip angle to accommodate going lower. Now, I am really feeling a hitch or a block in my hip flexor. The Flow was smooth and clean, as usual. It was a nice cap off to the workout.
In the end, I torched a nice 781kcals. It was good to get back to the resistance on Sunday.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
3-05-16 HY: Basketball + Stretching.
3-05-16 HY: Basketball + Stretching.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to foam roll today, but I was given the chance to play some basketball at dusk, just after sunset with my daughter. She has her class match next week and is wanting to train, so I'm training with her. We only had a little time before it got too dark, so we played hard.
Later that evening, I had some time to stretch out my left glute and hammy.
No HRM so no calorie burn count, I got a good sweat on in just that short time.
Friday, March 4, 2016
3-04-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Cardio + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-04-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Cardio + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
I got home early enough to have a good workout, but I sort of procrastinated and ended up having to rush some to get everything done in one sitting. But it was not necessary to shorten anything or cut anything out.
I was debating whether or not to give Insanity another go, but because of my slight time crunch, I went with T25. I should have made it a Straight 25, but I needed to take 2 short breaks to shake out my arches and calves. The first break was right before the first Burnout. My arches, calves, and the muscles in my upper foot right at the ankle were just BURNING!!! I had to stop and shake them out. Getting through the Burnout and the second half of the routine was fine until the Speed and Agility progression. That much hopping around, again, killed my arches. Other parts were fine this time. But in the end, I calculated the two breaks time and they ended up being only around a total of 30 seconds for both combined. So literally just shaking those extremities out then getting back into the workout.
moved right into Abs. It was really tough because I couldn't moan and groan today because the guy setting up my daughter's iPhone was downstairs. So when the pain hit, I had to really breathe very quietly. And there was a lot of pain. Trying to keep that 5kgs over my head and do alternating leg raises is totally killer. The Swiss Ball Circles is actually the easier move of the two. But that 4th set is just BRUTAL!!! I'm going to stick with level 13 for one more week.
Splits were good. I can feel something in my hip flexor that prevents my opening up my legs by getting pinched in the joint. Or at least that is what it feels like. So when that cramp comes on, I stand up, re-position, then go down again. Much better results. The Flow was the Flow.
In the end, I torched a week-ending 730+kcals. Nice way to end this week. Happy for the off day.
3-03-16 HY: BB- Bulk: Arms + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-03-16 HY: BB- Bulk: Arms + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
On the schedule, Build: Legs was up, but since I did Lower Focus yesterday, I wasn't ready for another lower body blast today, so I went with Bulk: Arms. Such a BLASTER of a workout. I got a major pump and burn with it. I improved on the moves a bit. I wasn't feeling dead on the heavy weights as much as I did previously that pushed me to take a lot of extra breaks. I was keeping up with Segi most of the time. The last two progressive sets saw the biggest improvement. I also raised the heavy weight up a bit from 11.25kgs to 12kgs. Got a huge pump and burn, I didn't take any extra breaks through the progression except on the down side just before the last 15rep set with the light weight. I think the most difficult set is the medium weight on the way down. Forearms and the little muscle on the back of my shoulder was screaming! Great routine!
Had a little time crunch so I moved right into Abs. I went down in weight to use only my 5kg medicine ball. I really wanted to do the second move with my arms stiff straight over my head. Oh MAN! My abs were howling! Definitely got my cramp on with this weight and with stiff arms. Cheated just once by putting the ball over my face, but quickly went back over my head.
Splits were good. I'm really pushing it now. Also trying to straighten my leg. Felt a little pop in my right knee which scared be, so I backed off for a bit, but then pushed at the end. The Flow was smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a solid 700+kcals.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
3-02-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Lower Focus + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
3-02-16 HY: T25- Alpha: Lower Focus + 0-6 Abs- P2: L13 + Splits + TCF.
This was a very odd day in that due to my work schedule, I couldn't do my workout until I got home which was around 8:15pm. So, a shorter workout was very welcome. I was debating on whether I should do X3 Yoga or a T25 routine. T25 won out. I am just starting to bring my endurance and pain tolerance back up so I didn't want to do only one true cardio routine this week, so I decided to go for it.
I was thinking it would be tougher than expected since I hadn't done intense cardio for almost a week, but it was okay. I made it all the way through to the Calf Hops with Arms Up move and my calves and arches couldn't take it. So I had to take a moment to shake out each foot. But other than that, I went straight through. I made it through the Burnout as well, even the Calf Hops. Thank goodness the duration was only 15 seconds on each foot.
I moved quickly into Abs and this time, I did the Alternating Leg Raises correctly. I dropped the weights down by 3.5kgs to 4kgs in each hand, and held the weights over my head. OH MY GOODNESS! That is tough! I was barely getting through the 40 seconds with between 22-24 reps over each of the 4 sets. I had to make my breathing extremely aggressive and loud to get through the last set. OUCH!!! In a good way.
Splits were good. I'm getting to the mark quickly and pushing past it quite easily now. Flow was as usual, smooth and clean.
In the end, I torched a good 700kcals flat. Hitting such a round number hasn't happened in a while.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)