8-28-16 HY: Body Beast - Build: Chest & Tris + Beast: Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-28-16 HY: Body Beast - Build: Chest & Tris + Beast: Abs + Splits + TCF.

T minus 2 Days and counting before I leave for the US on my business trip through my university.  I should be started Week 6 of Combat, but I won't be able to do that program while I'm state side, so I'm going to pick up when I get back.  So, for today and Monday, I'm going to do resistance and then I'll take a travel day, a lot of walking, sitting, pulling luggage, etc.  Bursts of running, dips in the waiting area, wall squats, etc.  Moves that work but don't bring on the sweat too quickly.  So today, I went with the above noted routine.

The worksheet didn't look too long, but with all the plate changes, and the extra breaks because I was at failure, added a lot of time to the routine time of 58 minutes.  I love Chest Presses, and I nailed the first Single Set.  The Super Set started to burn me up.  The Decline Fly and Press just really winded me.  I kept the same weights on the Fly, but on the Drop Set, I had to go down a touch.  The Giant Set was absolutely BRUTAL!!!The Close Grip Press followed by Partial Chest Fly followed by the Decline Push Up.  Death by chest workout.  I was feeling a MAJOR PUMP!  My shirt actually had to stretch around my shoulders and chest.  At this point, I was still able to do the Declines on my toes.  That information is significant for later.  The Single Set for the Triceps was even more brutal.  Although I did the same weights as before, my form on the Drop Set was... sad to say, not stellar.  I frigged and fragged to get the dumbbells up on the last 3-4 reps in both sets.  The Supper Set with the Single Arm Kickbacks followed by Tricep Push Ups, started off okay with the light weight, but it was impossible for me to do them on my toes.  I had to go onto my knees.  And even then, I just barely made it up.  On the 15 rep set, I ended up going only 2/3's down.  I couldn't even do a full rep on my knees my triceps were THAT fried.  But by the final set, I was able to go all the way down on the first 5 reps, then partially down on the last 3 reps.  Then the final Super Set, I had to push like crazy, and go a little over time to get the 50 reps.  But on the Dips, I went down only half way.  Any lower and I would have just collapsed.  In and Outs were good until rep 30, then the burn BURNED!  I had to stop at 40 reps and then barely made it within the 60 seconds to the 50th rep.  Two hours after the workout, I'm still feeling the burn, and the pump. I'm going to feel this for the next few days FOR SURE!!!

Beast: Abs is a good workout.  Abs is something I do regularly so today wasn't as tasking as the resistance was, but I still got a good burn.  Every time I do the Russian Twist with the weights, I crack my back.  Kind of creepy, but loosens me up, for sure.  Today, on the weighted Side Plank, I went with 7.5kgs.  Oh Man, that was tough!!! Took a little longer to get through it, but I didn't take any mid set break, fully continuous.  Great routine and awesome burn.

Splits went to a new low for ALL Splits.  I was so happy with my progress today.  I was really able to push it lower than ever before on all fronts.  I was also able to really feel the pull in my inner thigh muscle so I was able to stretch it out.  One thing about the Build: Chest & Tris routine today, I don't have a bench, so I do the moves on a Swiss Ball.  That adds a huge lower body workout that I didn't really realize until today.  The Static resistance I put on my lower body to stabilize myself during each rep is a really good workout.  It is sort of like that stretch Tony introduces in P90X2, the Neural something something stretch.  I think that that had a huge part to play in how much more flexible my legs were today.  Just a thought.  But I think I was within 4 centimeters on my Right Side Splits, within 10 centimeters on my Straddle Splits and Left Side Splits.  Getting there! Goal in sight!!!  The Flow was really clean today, and yes, Smooth!

In the end, I torched 1285kcals.  Today, I was the BOSS!!! But tomorrow I'm going to be the whimpering baby due to soreness. HA!

8-26-16 HY: Cycling + Combat 30 Kick Start + Splits + TCF.

8-26-16 HY: Cycling + Combat 30 Kick Start + Splits + TCF.

Well, today was an odd day to say the least, as far as scheduling and my plan went.  I was planning to do a Body Beast routine today, and then Combat 30 tomorrow because of my US trip from Tuesday.  I have an early start on Tuesday so no time for a regular workout, so I am planning to not take my usual Saturday off day, rather, go straight through till Monday, then possibly have two non-regular workout days Tuesday, and a repeat Tuesday in the US (time lag thing).  But things suddenly changed.  The day before, my daughter was almost hit by a car while riding her bike.  She got a few bruises and scrapes, but was okay.  Her bike took a tumble, and a few things got thrown out of wack.  So, I was tasked with riding her bike to the shop where we purchased it to get it fixed.  I could have done it myself, but I don't have the appropriate tools, so I had to ride it into the city, which is about 25km round trip up hill both ways. LOL!  Her bike is also very different from mine, it is a high school prescribed bike so it looks like a woman's bike from the 80's.  So peddling it was a lot more resistance-intense than my recumbent.  Angles are all so different.  Center of gravity was also a lot higher so I had to get used to that.  I must have looked like a beginner cyclist.  Also, it only has 3 gears compared to my 21 gears.  A lot more work up hill and on long slopes.  So it was a matter of riding the bike to the shop, waiting for it to get fixed and tuned up, then riding it back home.  I figure I'd make it part of my workout.  Unfortunately I totally whiffed on wearing my HRM.  I could have kicked myself all the way to Jersey and back.  Anyway,  It was a nice ride, a lot less hot than I expected in the middle of the day with the sun a full strength and no cloud cover.  It had been a very long time since I rode last so it was nice to get out their despite the different ride.  There was a nice gusty wind from all directions so tough and easy sections.  I said it was a 25km round trip distance, but stupid me, I got lost on the way, and tacked on an extra 5km because I missed the turn off and went way past the shop, so had to turn around when I realized my mistake.  It was like I had showered the moment I stopped and got off the bike.  The wind was keeping me from realizing how much I was actually sweating, but it was a lot.  Luckily, I brought a change of clothes so I changed while I waited.  The trip back started off nicely, but then my inner thighs started to have that cramping pulling feeling about 10 minutes in.  I was afraid to push any harder or else if I had a full blown cramp, that would keep me from a lot of other stuff in the days to come, so I backed off.  I was started to push my pace, but quit.  The hills and slopes were tough, and it was right at the time when high school students were heading home, so I was zipping past a bunch of high school kids.  Felt cool! But I came back to earth when I remembered what bike I was riding.  If I had worn my HRM it probably would have shown a nice burn of close to 850-900kcals.

When I got home, I was feeling a lot more tired than I thought I should have.  May the heat affected me more than I thought.  But I got changed and got ready to do my workout.  By this time, I was in a time crunch and had to get my workout down within just over 2 hours.  C30 was perfect for this day.  I don't think I could have handled Body Beast after the ride.  But I figured that 30 minutes would be much easier.  It was... and it wasn't.  The first two tracks were fine, the upper and lower body separate. But once the combinations started, and the progressions started becoming longer, I started to slow down.  I just couldn't keep up with their pace.  The combination of "Upper-Upper-Jab-Round House Kick" I was just a half a second off, and by the end of the set, I was a full rep behind.  It was like that for most of the combinations.  I was really winded and needed an extra break before the last two tracks.  I was very glad, for the first time, that there wasn't any strength track in this routine.  I still used the 1kgs, and I was REALLY feeling it.  Couldn't keep my hands up in guard stance, and during the scissors, and the back and forth jacks, I just let my arms hang.  Just couldn't keep them up.  But I got through the routine in good fashion.

Splits felt really good after the cycling.  And I'm happy to announce that I hit all new lows in all splits today.  I didn't even really need to push that hard to get there, but I had to push hard to stay there.  Flows were right on point.

In the end, but measuring only from the regular workout not including the cycling, I torched a good 886kcals.  So I think I would have had close to 2000kcals toasted today.  Great way to finish off this week.  Happy Weekend, Everyone!

8-25-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + ChaLEAN Extreme - I've Got Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-25-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + ChaLEAN Extreme - I've Got Abs + Splits + TCF.

Last day of night classes before my business trip to the US.  But the day was another lazy one, just doing some more organizing and stuff while watching Netflix.  I lost track of time and barely got to my workout just in time to finish the whole thing before I had to go to class.  Had to skip dinner though, but ended up having a shake when I got home.  Nice to have everything done all at once.

Second time around this week for Combat 60.  But the big difference is that I decided to use the 1kg weight during the workout.  Combat 45 went well, so I figure I'd give it a go.  Long story short, I made it through with the 1kgs, but I was really feeling it.  I tried to put as much power into the punches as I could, but I got a tingling sensation just off my thumb when I threw a power punch so I was afraid I might be pulling a nerve or something, so I backed off a bit until the buzz went away.  I was able to make it all the way through until there were only three track remaining.  By that time, my arms were really feeling the weight so I took an extra rest between those intervals.  Needless to say, they were the most cardio intensive tracks so I was pretty winded after each one.  I forget with track, but Rachel talks about "Shredding" the shoulder muscle on a particular variation of the jab, so I started trying to use more shoulder on those jabs, and back played a huge part as well.  I'm really wondering how I'm going to feel tomorrow.  In the last Track, the core and strength track, I made it all the way through with only two extra breaks, on between the first and second sets, and one after the first set of push ups in the second set, just before the circle push ups.  I was also able to get more range of motion on the crunches so I was happy about that.  Over all, had a good workout with a lot of sweat and heavy breathing.

I wanted to go intense on abs but I didn't have the time to do Insane Abs, so I went with Chalene's toughest ab routine (in my estimation).  I had a good warm up in Combat 60 at the end, so the initial moves were good, so I knew I had to push myself more to get the burn.  When the leg lifts started, that's when the burn started coming on.  Weighted obliques brought an intense burn and I bellowed out.  Luckily I was alone so no problem.  This is one of my favorite ab routines because it doesn't use momentum and the slow reps are brutal.  Oh, and the push ups really help to focus on the core.  Often times when I do push ups I only focus on back, chest and arms, but when doing push ups for the core, that is a whole different ball game.  I have to, with purpose of mind, focus on what my core is doing during each rep and make sure I'm activating the target muscles or I'm not doing the correct form.  Great workout!

Splits were especially satisfying today.  Mainly because I made huge strides on my right side splits.  Front leg was straight and I was able to push the lowest so far for that side. JAM ON!!!  The Flow was on point.

In the end, I torched over 1100kcals.  Big day, big burn!

8-24-16 HY: P90X2 - Recovery and Mobility + Splits + TCF.

8-24-16 HY: P90X2 - Recovery and Mobility + Splits + TCF.

Well, I was a little too relaxed today.  I pretty much just relaxed at home and did some organizing of my stuff, watched some baseball, played some games, etc.  When I looked at the clock, I had only two hours before I had to get to work, so I had to jump into action.  Luckily it is a mid-week recovery day so I went with Tony.

I just love this recovery routine because it actually makes me feel like I recovered.  The pain from rolling out the hot spots ends up being beneficial.  Again, today, I doubled the Foam Rolling sequence and again, there was a noticeable difference between the initial balance and mobility moves and the same moves after the foam rolling.  Huge loosening up of shoulder, lower back and legs.  I had a good improvement in stability and balance as well.  I really tried to push hard and deep on the stretch part of the routine.  Stretches like Pigeon, Frog, Figure 4 Hamstring stretch, etc. were awesome and painful.  Great round.

I did the Splits and Flow after my night class in the evening.  I love having a double stretch day.  I can really feel the difference in all angles of the splits.  I'm passing into a new low, and am again at another plateau.  So once I get used to this one, I'll push hard and go a step lower.  Left side splits are definitely the closest to getting all the way down.  If I do complete that, I will consider that a huge victory and mission one-third accomplished.  Flow was normal, no glitches.

In the end, I burned a modest 270+kcals in the afternoon part of my workout.

8-23-16 HY: Combat 45 Power Kata + Swiss Ball Core + Splits + TCF.

8-23-16 HY: Combat 45 Power Kata + Swiss Ball Core + Splits + TCF.

Today was a good relaxing day.  My wife went out with her friends, so I went out on my own to see a movie.  When I got home, no one was home so I relaxed a little more, then got to my workout.

Today's Combat routine is the final routine in a Triple Combat run, Combat 30, 60, and now 45.  Right off, let me say that I thing that C45 is even more difficult than C60.  There are a lot more high impact jumps and what not  than C60.  C60 only has that Jumping Front Kick, but there the Jumping Side Kick, the Muay Thai Flying Knee, and one other that I can't remember at the moment.  There are also more reps than C60.  I had a good start to the routine, getting through the first two intervals, upper and lower body warm ups, relatively easily, the next two intervals were also fine, but after the fourth interval, I started to feel gassed, so I took a little extra time on the break. When I started the 5th interval, I was totally feeling gassed and my feet felt so sluggish and my movement was extremely muddled.  But I knew if I stopped, I wouldn't finish so I kept on pushing through, and by half way through that interval, I started to catch my second wind.  If I'm correct, that was the Muay Thai interval, and the first set of Flying Knees are what led me to get back into it.  The second set was a lot stronger and I was putting some power into it.  Also, this is the first time for me to do C45 with the 1kg weights.  With the weights, I had to be careful not to over-extend on my punches, but at the same time, get enough range of motion to flex my arms, shoulders and back muscles, especially on those power punches.  So today, form was paramount for me to keep right.  Great routine today!

I will be doing three ab/core days in a row today, so I wanted to do something intense with a lot of reps.  I also wanted to stay on the Swiss Ball so I went with an Indie Trainer and did a YouTube Core Swiss Ball routine.  It was a good routine, that reminded me how brutal plank is on the ball.  But there were also some good strength moves that included core work like Decline Push Ups.  Another great routine!

Splits were good. I added more time to the positions to get deeper and to push harder.  The Flow was smooth and clean.

In the end, I torched 850+kcals.  Completed the trifecta of Combat routines.  Rocked it!

8-22-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Core Circuit + Splits + TCF.

8-22-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Core Circuit + Splits + TCF.

Kind of a regular vacation day. Got up late, relaxed in the morning, went out with my wife to do some shopping, went out to eat together, came home and relaxed some, then got to my workout in the late afternoon.  Lots of time so I could lean into everything.  I added a lot of time for the stretching and splits.  Also had to roll out some gimpy areas.

Combat 60 is a fun routine that mixes fighting styles which makes it much more interesting.  I was keeping up with the team and their pace, not adding any extra breaks until the 20 minute mark.  At that point, I wasn't too tired, but my throat was getting really parched and I had to take a drink.  Then I had to take a break after the last cardio interval which had a lot of fast moves upper and lower body.  But again, during the last half of the last interval, I needed a few mid-set breaks because I was dying.  Two variations of Push Ups, and two variations of crunches.  In the first set, the Push Ups were done on the knees, but in the second set, on the toes, and my arms were shaking like branches in the wind by that last time around.  But I rewound the DVD and did all the reps.  Even though I take a break, I still rewind and do all the reps, sometimes more.  The Ab moves, also two variations a regular crunch, then a round the knees move with two crunch pulses.  I never get the range of motion in the second set that I get in the first set.  It was a good routine.  Also, instead of using the 1kg weights, I went to the .5kg weights.  I couldn't handle the 1kgs for 60 minutes.  But the weight was just enough to make me fell the flex with every punch and jab.  One day I may go for the 1kgs, but not today.

That last ab move sort of primed me up to do more abs, so I decided to go ahead and do a bonus ab routine just because.  I hadn't done Extreme Core Circuit in a while, so I chose that one.  Plus, I really like that routine.  But today, I tried to stay in the difficult position, and Owwww!  I felt it burn.  Moving on the ball really helps me focus on the whole core all the way around.  Adding more range of motion today just made it burn all the better.

Today, I had the time, and my legs were feeling good, so I added time to several of the positions and I pushed low.  It was a really good session.  I think I hit a new low as well on the straddle and the left side splits.  The right side still needs a lot of work.  But it is getting there.  The Flow also, I added some runs and tried different speeds.  I LOVE VACATION!!!

In the end, after close to 3 hours, I torched a solid 950+ kcals.  Keeping the vacation alive!

8-21-16 HY: Yard Work + Combat 30 Kick Start + Insanity - Cardio Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-21-16 HY: Yard Work + Combat 30 Kick Start + Insanity - Cardio Abs + Splits + TCF.

Today was a moving day/resting day.  In that I was either moving or resting, no in between.  Once I got up in the morning, I was going.  I wanted to sleep in because I was up late the night before.  My wife had to bring my daughter to her club but the last thing she said to me was, "If you want to do the yard, you should get up soon."  I had wanted to do the yard last week, but it was just too hot, in the 100's.  But in the earlier morning, it is not as hot.  I didn't tell my wife that I was going to do the yard today, but her words rang in my head, and I couldn't get back to sleep.  So I dragged myself out of bed, had breakfast then got ready for the yard.  By the way, my biceps and triceps were quite sore since yesterday.  A little better today, but still sore.  So using the weed-wacker wasn't particularly appealing.  I did an extra round of cutting today to get everything extra short.  So basically, I cut the grass, raked everything up, bagged it, then went back over the whole lawn cutting grass that escaped the first go around.  The whole thing took a little over 2 hours.  I had always been curious as to how many calories I burned doing the yard, so today, I wore my HRM while working.  I was expecting about 400-500kcals in the two hours, but I was extremely surprised that I actually burned just under 900kcals.  But even though I'm not doing a lot of heavy intense lifting and such, I was constantly moving, and my whole body was pretty much flexed to hold and control the weed-wacker and the other tools.  The heat that came on for the last 90 minutes or so probably played a part as well.

After taking a shower and all that, I was just exhausted.  Again, I think the heat had a big part to play in zapping my energy.  I pretty much just vegged on the couch and eventually fell asleep, ending up taking a 2 hour nap.  When I woke up, I had lunch, yes, a very late lunch, close to 5pm then got started getting ready for my workout. 

I originally thought to just continue on with Combat Week 5, but I just was not feeling up to doing Combat 60 today.  I was still pretty tired, and still a little dehydrated. So I decided to just start up Week 5 again which begins with Combat 30.  I was also thinking to not use the weights, but when it came right down to it, I couldn't NOT use the 1kgs.  So I got them out and used them.  I immediately felt their resistance, and my biceps especially, were aching on the extension.  I was a little out of wack during the second interval, the kick interval with balance, but I reeled it in and got it under control by the end.  I also felt as though I hit my second wind really early because I felt a lot more energetic than I though I would.  I had to take a little extra long break between the 4th and 5th intervals, and the 5th and last intervals.  Aside from that, I got through pretty straight.  I felt pretty good at the end.

I was thinking of a trainer whose Ab routines I could do this week, and I almost went back to Chalene, but then, I figured I'd give Shaun T a try.  I don't remember too many "only ab" routines he has, but I knew about Cardio Abs.  So I figure I'd do that one today, then find what other ones he has.  There is one Shaun T Ab routine that I have not done yet.  It is the one in his deluxe pack, the one I just picked up the beginning of this summer from the Beachbody Summer Sale, the one called "Insane Abs".  I will get that one in this week.  The cardio moves at the beginning of Cardio Abs were fun and different, but I knew they were coming.  For me, the way Cardio Abs is set up, the burn doesn't hit until the very end.  Then it hits you like a ton of bricks.  The final move is those two level hip thrusts.  On that last set, I was absolutely dying!!! Collapsing after the final rep. Talk about BURN!!!  There are little burns at the end of the little progressions, but the big burn is at the end.  Definitely hit me hard... But in a good way.

Added some time to the Splits today, and was able to get low quickly.  The Flow was also good, but had to adjust because of my gimpy right knee.

In the end, today turned out to be a big calorie burn day.  I torched a nice 1650+kcal in my two sessions with over four hours of work.  Big start to my week!

8-19-16 HY: Body Beast - Bulk: Arms + Beast: Abs + Splits + TCF + Table Tennis.

8-19-16 HY: Body Beast - Bulk: Arms + Beast: Abs + Splits + TCF + Table Tennis.

I decided to fix my Combat schedule issue by adding a resistance routine to this week, and one more next week.  That should fill in any gaps I might have because of the extra Tennis I played this last week.  I really like Combat, but I noticed that I'm losing the definition is my upper body that I had before I started the program.  So now, I am thinking that Combat is not enough to build muscle.  I need that intense weight training.  But I will stick with Combat as my primary program until I'm done with the program.  Then, I'll add it to the cardio rotation coupled with resistance.

The list above has Table Tennis last, but actually I did it first.  I did a good leg workout with table tennis, playing over an hour, and this time as well, was intense.  Legs felt the burn quicker than last time.  Then got to my regular workout for today.  I was looking to Bulk: Arms the whole time because it is a short and extremely intense routine that really works the muscles.  Right off, I upped my weights from the noted weights.  Upped everything by about 1.25 - 2.5kgs with a few exceptions.  Every move hit failure on the heavy sets and the final sets.  But by the end of the first move, my biceps were so PUMPED!!!  It was a feeling that I hadn't had in a while.  It felt GOOOOOD!!!  By the end of the first Triceps move, both arms were pumped and BURNING!!!  Force Set just about burned out my biceps, and I almost lost it on the Skull Crushers on the heavy set.  The last two progressive sets that hit Bi's and Tri's just killed my arms.  It was so awesome!  The final move of the routine, I upped the weight to 12kgs.  But I did it a little differently.  Instead of using a weight plate, I just used a regular dumbbell and then held it straight up above my chest and crunched from there.  BURN!!!

I stuck with Segi for abs and burned out my abs.  A lot of good slow moves not using momentum to get up.  Basic to advanced moves done slowly really fry the muscles.  I really like this ab routine.  Perfect for today.

The stretch/splits were great.  I was able to get back to my lowest low and then some.  The Flow was clean and smooth.

In the end, I torched a solid 850+kcals.  So ready for the weekend and off day.  Happy Weekend!!

8-18-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.

8-18-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.

Final tennis day of my son's visit home.  Unfortunately, we had to cut the session short because he had a sudden appointment in the early afternoon, so only 2 hours today.  It was still hot today, this morning, but we had some shade because we changed courts to a court that had bushes near it that provided shade on the edges of the court, so that was nice.  It was really weird though because one end of the court seemed really bright, while the other end seemed hotter.  For some reason, my timing just seemed really off today.  I was mishitting a lot more, I was either really late or really early on the ball.  And for the first time in a long time, I just totally whiffed on the ball.  Maybe I was pushing too hard because of the knowledge that the time was shorter.  I don't know, but it took longer today to get my bearings and start making good contact with the ball.  Anyway, the session ended on a a really high note.  In the finally rally, we both hit some incredible shots, made incredible saves, and displayed the depth of our abilities.  And yes, I won the final point!  But it was such a good rally that we were both like, "Ok, let's end on that!"  I'm going to miss playing tennis at that level.

Did the Splits and Flow in the evening, and everything went well. Got low, and was smooth and clean.

In the end, for the tennis , I torched 880+kcals.  Good first day of my summer vacation.

8-17-16 HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + Table Tennis + Splits + TCF.

8-17-16 HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + Table Tennis + Splits + TCF.

Mid-week recovery is here!  Last day of work is here! That caused some problems because of the times of the classes so I had to get up early and do a quick workout, hence, X3 Yoga, in the morning.  And then the Splits and Flow at night after work.

X3 Yoga was a good routine to stretch out and wake up.  Everything in the routine seemed to be very stable.  The only time I lost my balance to the point of tapping out was, of course, on the Toe Bind move.  My leg is still incredibly bent on that move and today, Left was the weaker leg.  For some reason, I just can't stand up right on that move when the left leg is down. I always seem to find my balance point when I'm hinged at the waist at about 45 degrees.  I'm going to have to work on that more.  Needless to say, the Toe Bind move is my worst of the routine.  I really like all the others!  My Crow today was very good.  Just a few toe taps, but stayed in pose the whole time.  Eventually, I got through the routine in good form.

My last class was in the late afternoon, and it was switched to a "Sayonara Party" for one of the class members.  His favorite restaurant is Japanese BBQ "Yakiniku" style restaurant, so that is where we met to party and eat.  They ordered the "All-You-can-eat" course, so there was a lot of meat coming.  I would, in previous years, eat myself into a "tizzy" at an AYCE place, but tonight, I did pretty well to control my eating and didn't need to open my pants or anything!  It was a good evening and the member was happy.

When I got home, I just wanted to relax with the family a bit before getting to the Splits and Flow.  But when I got home, I was informed that we were going to have a family Table Tennis tournament.  Great!  The pairings were announced and play began.  It was fun, and eventually, I came out on top.  But after the tournament, my daughter and I started playing, and for some reason, we got into a zone and our rallies were knock-down-drag-out rallies.  And it was so SO FUN!!  I was sweating like crazy and we where having some insane exchanges, both making incredible shots and saves.  We played like that for over an hour! When we were zoned in, MAN!  Incredible things happened!  In the shower, about 20 minutes after we stopped playing, my quads started to ache.  My stance was low and I was bouncing up and down, and side to side moving for the ball, and the tension and flex of my legs was constant for most of that hour.  Not to mention all those squats to get and make shots and pick up the ball. Ended up being one of the best and funnest unexpected workouts ever!

Finally, I was able to get to my Splits and Flow.  They went well, and I can confirm that I have reached a new low on the straddle splits.  Flow was on!

In the end, I torched over 200kcals during the yoga, and a lot more during the Table Tennis, splits, and flow.  Great day all around!  HELLO VACATION!!!

8-16-16 HY: Combat 30 Kick Start + P90X3 - X3 Ab Ripper + Splits + TCF.

8-16-16 HY: Combat 30 Kick Start + P90X3 - X3 Ab Ripper + Splits + TCF.

Had some work today, but got home early and was able to relax some and watch a little Olympics before working out. Still Hot, but decided not to start with that. 

I'm beginning Week 5 of Combat, but I'm a little off the schedule because of the tennis sessions with my son last week and this week.  I have one more session later this week, then I'll have to figure out how to get back on track with my schedule.  First up on the Week 5 schedule was Kick Start.  I could have gone with Combat 60 which is due up tomorrow, but since it's Wednesday tomorrow and I won't be home all day, I will be taking a recovery routine with me to school and doing my workout there. But back to today's workout.

I've done Kick Start several times now, and nothing has really changed except for the fact that I am able to get through it with less breaks.  I used the 1kg weights today, and got further into the routine before my shoulders started to ache.  On the kick interval, I felt my kicks were a lot more stable and straight.  My balance also seem to be a lot better today.  I was able to put a little more power into all the moves with the weight, and I tried to increase my range of motion on twisting my core on my punches.  I wanted to push my core work today.

X3 Ab Ripper. I don't remember any moves from this routine.  It has been a few years since I went through X3 and since the Elite Block is only a month, my memory of this is gone.  The first move was relatively easy, that Windmill Tin Man, or something like that, which is basically a variation on Triangle Pose.  Got a little core push, but seemed more like a warm up move than a hard core core move.  Yep, it was just that, just warming me up for the kill.  There were a lot of new moves, like the Dolphin hope, which killed my shoulders more, but moves like the 5 position Abernom, and the variation/combination "Banana-Boat-Mason Twist" absolutely killed me.  Then the final move, the Two-Speed Bike started off easy, but got brutal real quick.  I didn't think, at the start, that this routine would burn me out too much, but at the end, I was dying.  Great routine with killer moves not using speed or momentum, all core.

Splits were great! I got past that plateau a little bit today.  I hit a new low on my straddle splits.  I was really opening up the abductor muscles and hip flexors.  The Side Splits are coming, but they are still tight, Right side is higher than the left by about 3 inches.  I'll have to push more to get it down on the ground by December 31.

In the end, I torched a solid 780+kcals.  Got a good sweat on and nice cardio effect. Need that recovery.

8-15-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.

8-15-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.

Another Tennis Day!  Again, played with my son.  Again, it was HOT and SUNNY!!!  The two big differences between the previous time we played and today were it was only my son and I today. The last time, while my son rested, I played tennis with my wife. So I was running around a lot more last time. So today, I was able to take a little bit more break time.  That fact really showed up in my calorie burn.  And today, there were a few spells of cloud cover.  So it wasn't totally fry pan-like.  I am getting used to the speed and power of my son's style of play so I was able to focus more and make better and more consistent contact with the ball.  That seemed to frustrate my son because he was not doing well.  I had a good time despite his outbursts of frustration.  I didn't totally get dehydrated like last time because I kept drinking and taking those salt tablets.  So I kept my fluid intake steady and I was able to keep my energy level higher.  That also showed up in my level of play.  It is very interesting to see in a practical way how so many seemingly unconnected things are connected and all have influence on my activities.  Today was just a much better day.

I was able to take a nice nap in the afternoon, and felt very refreshed afterwards.  I did my splits and Flow afterwards and again, was able to push quite low, and have a smooth and clean Flow.  No HRM today.

In the end, I torched 1500+kcals during my just under three hours of tennis.  Duration was exactly as long as last time, but 300+kcals less.  That was the result of the addition of playing tennis with my wife last time.  My movement was almost continuous the whole time.  But the breaks today were really beneficial.  Only one more tennis session left before my son heads back to school, so I better make the best of it.

8-14-16 HY: Combat HIIT 1 Power + Core Challenge + Splits + TCF.

8-14-16 HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Combat HIIT 1 Power + Core Challenge + Splits + TCF.

This was an odd day.  Had an appointment from noon until evening and so I had to get my workout done in the morning.  I've never done a morning workout on a Sunday before, so this was a new experience.  I was feeling a little tighter than usual so to start off my workout, I led off with Cold Start, and it served its purpose perfectly.  Got my sweat started, my heart pumping and my body loosened up.  I really like the HIIT Power routine because it uses the weights a little more and it can work my shoulders and legs very well.  The warm up is a nice cardio interval then it gets into the weights.  It is a good thing that the weighted interval comes at the beginning of the routine or I'd never get through it in one shot.  The last move is absolutely brutal with that triple press move.  Thank goodness it is only four reps per set.  The next few intervals are good, but the toughest interval is the Burpee-push up-Squat/jump interval.  That 8-12-16 rep progression seems easy, but it is a killer.  I was so dying after the second set.  I needed a longer break just to catch my breath.  But once I got started on the 16 rep set, I charged it, took a short break at 8 reps, then charged to the end. "Death by Burpee" is the motto of this routine.  I wanted to at least do a short ab routine, but I ended up not having time because of the extra break times that were needed.

It was close to 8pm when I got home and once I was all settled, I started the second half of my workout.  It was a little later than I had wanted, but I was training my son.  I've been giving him tips while he's been at college on how to bulk up and we were going over a body weight routine he does.  I gave him some extra chest and back moves as well which are key tennis muscles.  After he finished, I did my thing.

My coach is running a 1-month long Challenge group and as part of that group shorter challenges are embedded. The most recent challenge is a core challenge so it was perfect for me to tack that on to my daily workout to work my abs.  Basically, it is a circuit of crunches-planks-push ups.  It took me about 18 minutes to complete and it wore me out.  I cold feel my core really working to keep stable.  Before I started, I thought to do two rounds, but NO WAY! Once was enough.

The Splits and Flow were good.  On the splits, it feels as though I'm getting through my present plateau so I'm very happy about that.  I need to keep on pushing though. Flow was on point.  Also, I wanted to see how many calories I burned on just the Splits and Flow (today, plus the Core Challenge).

In the end, I torched over 830kcals in the morning, then just over 200kcals in the evening.  Topped 1000kcals for the day.  Nice way to start my week.

8-12-16 HY: Combat 45 Power Kata + P90X2 - X2 Ab Ripper + Splits + TCF.

8-12-16 HY: Combat 45 Power Kata + P90X2 - X2 Ab Ripper + Splits + TCF.

I don't know if I could have handled another day in the sun playing tennis today, so luckily no tennis today.  So I was glad to get back to good ol' Combat.  I am a day behind on the schedule, but I'll get caught up in due time.  But I will be taking a break from Combat when I go back to the USA at the end of the month for a few weeks.  I'll be doing some supplemental routines while in the USA.  But I digress.  Back to the regularly schedule report.

Today was HOT, and today was the first time I used my AC in my car for almost my whole commute.  I would usually open my windows, but today, it was just blowing hot air, even at the top of the mountain I drive over, which is usually cool at the top.  The only time I would turn off the AC is when I would be going up a steep hill so I wouldn't loose power.  Other than that, it was all AC.  It was nice because I didn't get that "Sweat Stripe" across my chest from my seat belt.  But I was able to get home early and start my workout early so I could finish the whole workout in one sitting, no split.

Since I played Tennis yesterday, I went with yesterday's routine just to keep up.  I wanted to do this routine because of the Flying Knee move in the second or third to last interval.  But I was a little afraid, because when I woke up today, my legs were really tired and tight.  Not really sore, though, so I was a little confused.  At the beginning of the routine, movement was tough. I almost stopped and got out Cold Start.  Probably my biggest issue with Combat, as I've said before, is the lack of a good warm up stretch.  Today, there was only a forward bend and a left and right pull at the beginning of the second interval to stretch the legs in preparation for the kicks.  Not enough for sure.  But had I done that, I wouldn't have had the time to finish my workout, so I just stuck with it. The routine itself is probably my favorite of the bunch so far.  There are still a few routines I haven't done, but they are hard pressed to beat this one.  I really like the combinations presented in this one.  They are not complicated and they are realistic in nature.  Direction changes, variation of punches within the combination, which isn't unique to this routine, but their combination just works really well in this context of Power Kata.  I sweat up a storm, but today, I had the AC on so I didn't spray as much as I did when there was no AC.  I tried to focus on flexing my core during the combinations to keep myself stable to try and get an ab burn.  I could feel my core working hard, but I didn't get a burn.  As a result, I decided to up the ante with my core workout.

Went right to X2 Ab Ripper, the next Tony ab routine up. Less reps, but a lot more intense.  I was dying with the slower reps and the burn was on, I mean, really ON!  I had to tap out a couple times mid set because of the burn.  Moves like "Abernom" sp? I had to tap out at rep 6. Abs were just on FIRE!  Then during the "Legs in the air circle" move, oh man, that little raise just ripped me open.  And also on the "Open Gate" move.  Had to tap out because of the hip raise. Just brutal, "But I Love it!"

The Splits and Flow were right on point, and I was able to get really low pushing through and past the comfort zone into the pain zone.

In the end, I torched a solid 850+kcals!  Great way to end the week and flow into the weekend and off day.  Happy Weekend, everyone!

8-11-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.

8-11-16 HY: Tennis + Splits + TCF.

Today would be Combat Week 4 Day 5, but since my son is home from college for summer vacation, today became a TENNIS DAY!!!  It has been two weeks since I last played so I was ready for excited to get back on the court.  I was also very curious to see how much my son had improved since the last time we played.  The difference is that I play about once a week, and he plays almost every day at school.  And as expected, he got a lot better.  Much more POP to his shots, a lot more spin, and a lot more confidence.  But the old man still had some tricks up the proverbial sleeve.  The big problem was that it was scorching hot.  We started as early as possible on the public courts, 9am, but by that time the sun was out and at full power.  Not to mention the humidity.  We brought a lot of water and everything we could think of, but the heat was bringing on the sweat, and between every ball, we had to towel off.  The thing that surprised me the most is that I was maintaining a pretty good level of energy, running for balls, hitting shots, etc. The good thing about playing outside is that the sweat that flies off of me dries up pretty fast and the court doesn't get slippery.  We ended up playing for just under 3 hours, and despite regular hydration, I still got dehydrated.  (More on that later.)  But for most of the time, I was able to keep on running and rallying.  However, at the end of the reservation time, we went onto the court for the last run, and that was it, I was gassed.  At the start of that last time, I could barely pick up my feet.  I could barely move.  But I was eventually able to get the engine started one last time and I finally got into it.  But this late in the session, my grip was soaked, my clothes were soaked.  And as a result, the racket was slipping in my hand, turning in my hand if I didn't hit the ball perfectly in the sweet spot. (I regripped/taped all three of my rackets this evening.) We had a lot of fun.  Once I got home, I drank and drank, and took a nice shower.  But afterwards, I was just totally exhausted.  I could feel that I was hot, but I wasn't sweating.  I was smooth and dry.  That was the first time I had been that dehydrated.  So I drank almost a liter of coconut water to help the re-hydration process and all that, and I took a nap.  Next time, maybe a little shorter session might be in order.

After lunch, I relaxed some more and then began the Splits and Flow.  Everything was good.  Felt good to stretch out the legs.  Near the end of the tennis, I felt a cramp coming on.  Stretch was great. The Flow flowed.

In the end, I SCROCHED just under 1900kcal during the tennis.  BAM!! WHAT!!!  I wish I could do this more often, but knowing ones limits is important.  So, tomorrow, Back to Combat to finish out the week.

8-10-16 HY: P90X2 - Recovery and Mobility + Golf + Splits + TCF.

8-10-16 HY: P90X2 - Recovery and Mobility + Golf + Splits + TCF.

Mid-Week recovery day, or Combat Rest Day. Either way, I wanted to foam roll.  I started the routine as usual, but then I started thinking that I wanted to roll a little more.  So, I ended up doubling the Foam Rolling sequence.  I had never really understood the "Release" one is supposed to feel when foam rolling until today.  When I hit on a hot spot, I would instinctively flex the muscle because of the pain.  Stay on it for a bit, then move on.  But today, I realized that For the "Release" to come, I would have to allow my muscle to relax with the roller on the spot.  So, I had to push myself to "UN-Flex" my muscle while on the roller.  I have more hot spots on my legs and triceps so that is where I spent most of the time.  But doubling the Rolling time really freed me up to really sit on my spot.  Then, in the second round of the diagnostic exercises, I had better range of motion, better balance and better all around performance.

I had a class to teach in the early afternoon, so after that,  I went out E-Golfing with a former student.  Normally, I wouldn't say anything about an extracurricular activity, but it turned out to be rather rigorous.   We were practicing for 2 hours and my core, forearms and right shoulder was feeling the strain.  On top of it all, it was really fun.

Splits and Flow were good.  Both up to par and as expected.

I wore an HRM for only the morning, and that ended up showing a burn of only 219kcals.  But it was a highly beneficial session.  Great day of activity!

8-09-16 HY: Combat 30 Kick Start + P90X - Ab Ripper X + Splits + TCF.

8-09-16 HY: Combat 30 Kick Start + P90X - Ab Ripper X + Splits + TCF.

Started the day with a Shake and then got right into my workout.  Morning workouts are great, but my body is still pretty tight upon waking up.  And Combat doesn't do much in the way of stretching in the warm up.  So I have to stretch with the moves.  A very ballistic stretch. This routine starts off easily and then quickly jumps to some intense stuff.  So when that transition happens, I have to punch it up a gear or a get left behind.  Today, again, to increase the intensity, I used my 1kg weights.  I was really feeling it in my arms and shoulders.  It was a pain fest.  Shoulders and biceps were burning.  I had to keep telling myself to keep my guard up, because my hands kept dropping, especially in the waning minutes of the routine.  Also, no Air Conditioner today.  I started in the morning and it was still not that hot. It definitely wasn't cool, but not too hot.  But once I started moving, the sweat started pouring.  And just so you know, I was spraying all over the room.  It took a while to clean up.  But those short intervals really pushed me and before I knew it, the routine was done and I was soaked.  Even though this is a beginning level routine, it is still brutal.

I wanted to up the intensity for my abs also, so I went to the next level.  Ab Ripper X is way more than the "next" level, but that is next in line, so I went for it.  Everything went well, Feeling the burn coming on, getting through all 25 reps.  Then my nemesis, "Mason Twist".  Bugged out at 40 the last time if memory serves.  Today was a different story.  Nailed the 50 reps!  Even felt like I could go a few more, but stopped at 50, then doubled over.  Slayed it!  Glad to be back.  Got to keep it going and keep it consistent!

Splits were good.  Pushed to my mark quickly and added the pain to go past it.  Flow was on point. 

I was glad to get everything done in one workout.

In the end, I torched 950+kcals.  Sweat like a pig!

8-08-16 HY: Combat HIIT 2 Shock Plyo + 10 Minute Trainer - Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-08-16 HY: Combat HIIT 2 Shock Plyo + 10 Minute Trainer - Abs + Splits + TCF.

It was a good day. Had a good sleep, got to wake up late, relaxed prep, home early.  Got to start my workout early as well, so I was able to get it done... EARLY! I love days like this. Three Cheers for Summer Vacation!!!

Today was a tough routine that I was determined to conquer.  Well, I didn't "CRUSH" it, but I only took one mid-interval break and that wasn't my fault.  Had a computer malfunction again, but got it going a lot quicker than yesterday. But the "Between-Interval-Pull-Ups" are back.  I started after the Burpee Interval and did them every break until I did 4 sets.  But I was able to up the rep count from 12 to 15reps, so I was very happy about that.  That is, except for the final set.  I saved the toughest for last, and I had to do a 10-5rep split.  The Wide-WIDE grip pull ups just wore me out and I failed at 10reps, so I came off the bar, shook out my arms, then hammered out the last 5reps.  I had more energy today than the last time I did this routine so in the final Interval, I was able to do the Dive Bomber Push ups on my toes as opposed to on my knees the last time.  But going back to the beginning, that warm up is brutal.  It  burns out the legs pretty quick, but that forced my body to dig deeper for that second wind.  Which came with the Burpee Interval.  I think a big part of the reason why I had more energy today was two-fold, 1. I got a lot of sleep, and 2. I had a Shake for lunch just before my workout.  Felt good and strong. 

This was a bonus Ab routine today.  I normally do only 3 ab routines a week, but since I have the time during vacation, I'm going to push as much as I can and do abs every chance I get.  This week, I'm going with all Tony routines.  I haven't done 10MT Abs in a long time, so I was glad to have the chance to do it today.  Everything started off well, but then when it moved into the Plank-based moves, OH MAN!!! My shoulders really felt it, especially after the second move.  The last few moves were BRUTAL!  I can still feel it in my shoulders several hours after the workout.  But I tried to keep form and flex hard to active the core.  It burned me out. 

Splits were good, keeping up the micro movements to stretch as many muscles in my inner thighs and hamstrings as possible.  Time to push past this plateau.  The Flow was, as usual, on point.

To close things out, I did a challenge from a Challenge group I'm in through my coach.  The "How many Power Jumps can you do in 1-minute?" Challenge.  I had to put my strap-brace back on for this one.  I went for speed instead of height, but still getting my knees high, but not my body.  I blasted it from the beginning, and had to take a few seconds in the middle to catch my breath, but then went for it in the second half.  Ended up with 101reps.  My knee was feeling it.  I was going to try again tomorrow, but I figure I had better not.

In the end, I torched a satisfying 1040+kcals.   That was a bit of a boost at the end.

8-07-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 200 + Splits + TCF.

8-07-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 200 + Splits + TCF.

Today was Sunday, but I had a recruiting event at my school so I had to work.  It was one of the major events so I was very busy, plus, I was tapped to do the demonstration class for the prospective students.  And as head of the English course, I was busy running around getting things organized, finding people, all that stuff I'm not used to.  By the end of the day, I was tired, sweaty and so happy to go home.  I rested a bit but since I didn't want to start my workout too late, I didn't rest that long.

My heart sank a bit when I realized that Combat 60 was up.  Since I was already a bit tired, I didn't relish the thought of doing such an intense and long routine.  But that is what was on the schedule so there was no backing out.  Once I got started, I pick up what I can only describe as a second wind of energy because I was revitalized and re-energized!  The Punch and Kick combinations just turned me into a fighting machine.  I was rolling through the routine.  I had finished the "Girls" part and was just about to finish the "Boys" part when my computer crashed and rebooted.  I had trouble getting the DVD to play so I took some time re-rebooting my computer and finally ended up having to use the external DVD drive from my laptop to play the DVD.  I'm going to go buy a new DVD player to connect to my monitor sometime this week so I won't have anymore problems.  During the time I was waiting for my computer to reboot, I was jogging in place, and I even did a set of 15 Chin Ups.  Happy I was able to knock them out. Finally, I was able to play the DVD and restart the routine.  I went back to the middle of the Interval to get warmed up again, and I was back.  Finished out the routine with a high level of energy.  As I said the last time, the way the routine progresses, it seems a lot shorter, and is finishes a lot quicker than one would think.  Just this routine burned over 700kcals.  The final interval, the push ups and ab work interval was killer.  But I stuck with the moves and I got a huge pump in my arms, shoulders, and burned out my abs.

Since I burned out my abs already, I decided to finish off the job with a short but insanely intense ab routine, Ab Ripper 200.  Seems really old school, and it is, but it burns with the best of them.  Pushing range of motion and holding the tension, BURN BURN BURN!!!  I love this routine.  Great supplement to big routines that have ab work embedded.

Splits hurt today, at the beginning, but getting to my mark is getting a lot easier and faster.  Got there today in less than half the time.  But getting there was painful.  Got to keep pushing, I'm almost there.  Flow was great!

In the end, I torched 1098kcals.  Great way to start off my week.

8-05-16 HY: Combat HIIT 2 Shock Plyo + ChaLEAN Extreme - Ab Burner + Splits + TCF.

8-05-16 HY: Combat HIIT 2 Shock Plyo + ChaLEAN Extreme - Ab Burner + Splits + TCF.

Early afternoon workout today.  Finally time to do a complete workout with some extras thrown in.  This routine is a BRUTAL one.  The warm up, with those jumping lunges is just killer.  I legs were, and usually are, dying by the end of just the warm up.  They definitely warmed up quick, but they got primed for the second wind which came in the next interval.  Even though it is a short routine, it is very intense.  I was able to keep up, and keep pace.  I almost fell behind during the short leg round with the weight, but I pushed to keep up and get through it in time.  I was very glad that I was able to do this routine with no extra breaks and not mid-interval breaks.  But I did have to extend a few of the interval transition breaks because I got winded.  Especially with the second interval with the Burpees and the Weighted interval.  Great routine!

Moved right into the BONUS ABS round.  I wanted to finish off the ChaLEAN Extreme Ab routines this week, so I added this one today.  Short and sweet.  Being only 11 minutes, I am able to really push hard and burn my abs because I know the pain will end quickly.  Being able to see the goal is huge when there is self-inflicted pain involved, for sure!  This is usually my "Go To" ab routine when I'm short on time, but today, I could sink into every rep since there was not time constraint.  Really burned up my abs today.

Splits were good, got a little hitched up in my hip flexors, but worked it out.  Finally got low and with straight legs all around.  Happy that there is not extraneous pressure on my knee.  Flow was on point.

In the end, I was able to torch a nice 777kcals.  Very nice way to end my week and Flow into the weekend and off day.  But tomorrow may hold some Foam Rolling.  Fingers crossed!  Happy Weekend!

8-04-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-04-16 HY: Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Abs + Splits + TCF.

TENNIS DAY...  NOT.

Normally, it would be tennis day, but my playing buddy hurt his back so he is out of commission for a while.  So no tennis until my son comes back for vacation.  Then, I may take a break from Combat and play more tennis than anything when he is here.  But today, another free afternoon so I took the time to get into the workout really seriously.  

This is the Mother of Combat.  A long and intense routine that is brutal on the arms, shoulders and Legs.  Plus, to up the ante a bit, I used the little half pound weights in place of the gloves.  It was a good routine and I was really feeling it right from the start.  I really like the progressions/intervals in this routine.  They are a lot of fun and they really hit the spots.  I'm still a bit disappointed in my Round House kicks.  There was a time when I could kick at head level.  I could get my leg up there and snap a good Round House, but now, I can only raise my leg, mostly my right leg, to kick to the stomach or chest at the most.  But today, felt a little better, but the range of motion is still very limited.  I thought I would be able to do a lot better because of the splits training, but nope, not to be.  On VERY HAPPY thing, is that when I woke up in the morning, something inspired me to look in a drawer for my strap supporter and I found it.  It has been missing for a few months now.  And I actually hadn't needed it much recently, but since starting Combat, I need it.  So I was really glad I was able to find it.  A lot of punches and those lunging forward for power punches puts a lot of different pressure on the knee so I now need the supporter.  Especially today!  Still felt a little gimpiness, but a lot less were I to not have the strap supporter.  I was hoping to do the Muay Thai Flying Knee, but I guess that move is only in Combat 45.  I loved the last interval for the abs.  Killer moves!  Served as a good warm up for my abs routine coming next.  

This week, I'm going through all the ChaLEAN Extreme ab routines and up today, was Extreme Abs. Love this one, and I was able to burn out my abs today with it.  I tried to keep good form and push my range of motion, especially keeping my lower back on the floor.

I ended up waiting to do the Splits and Flow after my night class so in the evening, I was able to push the stretch more and take a nice long session.  The pain is real, and I hope my results will be realized this year.  Flow was on point.

In the end of the first session, I torched a solid 855kcals.  Pretty much as expected.  I still missed my tennis though.

8-03-16 HY: P90X2 - Recovery and Mobility + Splits + TCF.

8-03-16 HY: P90X2 - Recovery and Mobility + Splits + TCF.

Mid-Week Recovery! Today, I had the time, so I took the time to really "ROLL OUT".  The routine starts out with sort of a warm up, balance, find-a-baseline type of feel to it, then gets into 20 minutes of Foam Rolling.  Then it does the same moves as a check to see if there are any noticeable affects on my body.  To tell you the truth, I usually don't feel much, if any difference between the first and second times.  I feel good after the rolling, but no actual differences in my performance.  Today, however, having time as I said, I more than doubled the Foam Rolling time and really sat on the hot spots.  And when the second time came, I had better range of motion, and a lot better on my balance for the Twisting Step-Back Lunges.  I felt really stable on those, but I lost a little balance on the Balance Reverse Toe Touches on my left side.  I had to tap down twice.  But really felt a lot better and there was a noticeable improvement in performance.  Guess I need to put more time into the Foam Rolling and do it more regularly.

I was going to do a full workout in the morning, but decided that I had a great time with Tony and I'd keep the Splits and Flow for the evening.  So today ended up being a double stretch day.  Need more of those, too.  So, in the evening after work, I banged out the Splits and Flow.  Splits were painful and low, and Flow was on point.  Just a little hard because of my right knee, but not anything that hurt the fluidity of the Flow itself.

In the end of the morning session, I burned a nice little 247kcals.  But I sweat like CRAZY!

8-02-16 HY: Combat 30 Kick Start + ChaLEAN Extreme - I've Got Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-02-16 HY: Combat 30 Kick Start + ChaLEAN Extreme - I've Got Abs + Splits + TCF.

Another HOT HOT HOT day in Japan! But it was a good day because I was able to get home early and relax a little before working out.  Again, got some Project time in and a little TV time as well.  As soon as my room cooled off, I was ready to go.

This seems like a transition week because I'm going back and doing some of the beginner routines.  I started it out just like normal and remembered that the last time I did this I used some half pound weights instead of the gloves.  The warm up was only a few moves in when I decided to really up the game and use 1kg weights.  WHOA!  That made a huge difference and by the middle of the first interval, the one with all those punches, I was really feeling it in my shoulders.  I was very careful not to extend my punches or I could really hurt my joints with the extra stress.  So I kept my elbows at a slight angle and stayed vigilant. Even on the kick interval, I was feeling it extending the blocks and guide hand, and also the ready stance with my hands near my face.  That was tough just keeping them up after a while.  But it was good to test myself like that today.  A good day to be alive!  Great routine.  I was also doing my best impression of a Sprinkler.   The sweat was rolling!!!  But there was a negative.  My knee was also feeling it a bit today so I had to modify on moves that put pressure on the right side.  I had a brace, but lost it. I'm going to have to put out for another one because I don't know if I can go another long round like Combat 60 without one.  Maybe later this week before Thursday.

I wanted to step it up on my abs and stay in ChaLEAN Ext.  So I went with I've Got Abs.  I think I went to the hardest routine.  Now that I think about it, this routine is more intense than Extreme Abs.  But that will be my closer for the end of the week.  The moves are all just a little more intense.  Weights are used in a different way, more to isolate the different core muscles.  Really hit the obliques hard today.  But everything, too.  I was cramping almost every couple moves.  Good thing there was the Push Ups to give me a slight break.  But the moaning and groaning was resonating through out the house, but in a good way!

The Splits were really good today.  I judge that by the pain.  A lot of pain in the stretches today.  And getting nice and low! Flow was good and on point.

In the end, I torched a nice 657kcal.  Shorter workout today, but very effective!

8-01-16 HY: Combat HIIT 2 POWER + Swiss Ball Abs + Splits + TCF.

8-01-16 HY: Combat HIIT 2 POWER + Swiss Ball Abs + Splits + TCF.

Another HOT HOT day today, but after work, I made it home quickly and tried to get cool quick.  But I had to get to my workout quick so I wouldn't have to workout later than necessary.  No more procrastinating.

This routine is a good routine for resistance training with weights and body weight moves.  The intervals were known to me, but they were still brutal.  But today, I wanted to reduce the number of breaks and finish as close to the time allotted as possible.  I started off strong and made it through the whole Warm Up! But then the Weighted Interval came.  I stuck with 7.5kgs and that was enough to get the heart pumping.  I started off strong and did the first set of moves well, but when it came to those FIVE sets of Triple-Presses, my legs and shoulders were BURNING!!!  But I stuck with it.  No extra breaks, but I did have to extend the existing breaks a bit to catch my breath.  But the interval with the Burpees was the nail in the coffin.  The three sets with 8-12-16 reps was BRUTAL!!! I did the 8 reps fine.  I didn't want to stop in the middle of the set, so I pushed the 12 rep set and I was dying afterwards.  I needed to greatly extend the break by about 60-90 seconds or so.  The guy says the last set is "2 sets of 8".  I took him at his word and did 2 sets of 8.  I just took a little breather between sets, but at the end of the 16 reps, I was so out of breath it wasn't even funny.  WHEW!!! BUT, Goal achieved, no extra sets.  That all ended on the next and final interval. The interval on the floor.  The "Get Ups" and the Cross-Mountain Climbers and Spider Push Ups.  I basically had to take a break between each move.  My shoulders were dying, and I couldn't stay up.  I kept needing to reverse the video because I didn't want to miss any time with the move.  But I finally got through it.  Great Routine complete with Burn!

Normally I wouldn't do two days in a row of abs, but I was feeling good, so I decided to just do something new, so I went to the internet again and found a video on youtube that had an interesting set of swiss ball ab moves.  It was easy at first, but the more reps I did the burn crept up on me and then grabbed be from behind and nailed me.  Burned my abs UP!!!

Moved right into the splits and killed it!  Great stretch on the inner thighs and hamstrings.  Hip Flexor is still needing a lot of work to get it loose enough to do good splits.  The Flow was on point. Smooth and clean.

In the end, I torched a nice 790kcals.  Keeping up despite the heat!