1-29-18 (Monday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 2 + Anabolic Stretch Training + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-29-18 (Monday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 2 + Anabolic Stretch Training + TCF + Ab EMS.

Happy with a regular schedule, which means today was RESISTANCE DAY!!!

First, the extra Pull-Ups.  For the foreseeable future, I will be doing all my pull-ups with added weight.  Not sure when I'll do a test set without the weight but one of these days I'll have to, I guess.  But not today.  For the first three sets, I did it with 10kgs, then the last set, the parallel grip (Horn) pull-ups, I did it with 12kgs.  As you can see, the reps are still below 10 per set, but they are up a little from the first time I did it with weight.  One thing that was very different today was the fact that I wore an elbow brace today because the pain was a bit much the last time.  So, I wore the brace I recently got for tennis.  Huge difference.  It really seemed to protect what I can only define as over flexion.  It held the muscle in place, especially on the Pull-Ups and Shoulder Press moves.  I also added the Breakdown set onto the first three moves again.  As for the regular routine, I pretty much kept the weight the same as the last time.  The only change was on move 8. Lateral Delt Raise.  I was feeling extra worn out on my right side, so I went down from 10kgs to 8.75kgs.  Which is odd because on move 7. Frontal Shoulder Press, I had a little incident on the 6th rep.  As I was coming down, near the top, my arm suddenly lost strength and it was all I could do to not drop the dumbbell.  So I shook it out, did three, then did the 3 Breakdown reps.  There is a little wavy line under the last 3 reps because that second set of 3 was really shaky.  Extremely worn out and had to kip and whip up the weights with not so great form on the last couple reps.  I felt a little weaker on the Press moves, but a little stronger on the Raise moves on my left side.  Whereas my right side felt a tad weaker.  I think it was all the tennis from Sunday.  I am not fully recovered yet.  But I felt a good burn just at the right times and the pump came on quickly.

I was anxious to try the Anabolic Stretch so I went right to stretching the three muscle groups, Shoulders, Legs and Glutes.  I still have to learn the names of the different positions and "Poses" so I had to do a little quick research, but I was able to stretch out my legs and glutes easy enough, but the Prone Maltese, I had a little problem because it stretched only the anterior shoulders, I needed to stretch the medial and posterior.  So I did an addition shoulder stretch to hit all sides.  I felt good progress was made.  I still trying to find the sweet spot for the Anabolic stretches so I may not be doing the most effective positions yet, but I'm learning.

I ended with a good Flow series and later in the evening, with a good dose of EMS.

In the end, I burned 752kcals.  A lot of good things came out of today's routine so I was satisfied.  But a few odd things happened as well that I will have to watch for the next time around.  Don't want that to happen again.

1-28-18 (Sunday) HY: Tennis x2 + TCF.

1-28-18 (Sunday) HY: Tennis x2 + TCF.

Since Wednesday all the club members had been watching the weather to see if today would be a snowy, rainy, cloudy/sunny day.  The forecast said something like 45-50% chance of rain.  So we were all iffy on whether or not we would actually be able to practice on today.  Luckily, the club was able to reserve one court in the afternoon for 2 hours at the indoor facility.  If the weather was bad, we would cancel the out door courts and then play indoors and visa versa if it were good or playable weather.  It turns out that the weather was extremely unstable and there was a drizzle.  So, it turned out that we decided to give the out door court a try and if practice was fine, just leave it at that.  But voices rose within saying that they wanted to KEEP the afternoon court even it the morning session was played.  So that is what happened.  It was, for me, unprecedented to have two sessions in one day.  Since that was the official decision, my wife decided not to go in the morning.  I wanted to go in the morning, so I said I would go in the morning, then go with her in the afternoon, too.  So that is why I did a double tennis day.  It ended up being a total of over 5 hours of tennis for me today.  In talking with other members in the morning, it seemed like there were going to be a lot of people going to the afternoon session instead of the morning one.  So I figured, since we would only have one court, it wouldn't be as rigorous. 

In the morning, there ended up being only eight people.  But we also had only one court.  There are two on the grounds, but one court was rather water logged from the night before so we couldn't play on it.  So it was good that there were only eight people.  The menu was regular, following the warm up, Stroke/Volley, then Serve/Return, and finally Point Sims.  I felt just okay with my strokes.  I wish I could have been more consistent, but I was a bit erratic. I would hit a great shot in one rally, then just shank it in the next rally.  I'd feel really controlled one moment, then just totally off the next.  My Volleys were also the same way, I was hitting them in, but my control was way off much of the time.  I just couldn't keep it consistent.  My serve started off really good.  I was hitting my spots and with good speed, power and control.  Then, slowly, I started netting them and then I almost totally lost it.  I couldn't get anything in.  Not sure what happened.  I suspect it was connected with my elbow and right forearm pain.  Or maybe I just got tired.  For Point Sims, we started off with the forehand receiving cycle, then the backhand.  Here, I was able to get into a groove a little more.  I played some good points, and had some well placed shots.  The idea of this practice is to keep the rally going for as long as possible, so most of my missed shots were when I tried to save an out or bad ball.  But I want to be able to control everything which is why I go for even the bad balls.  By this time, my back started to ache and I was a little worried that I wouldn't be 100% in the afternoon.  Also, the rain started to pick up, but luckily, right at the end, so we didn't have to shorten the morning session.

Just two hours to rinse off, eat lunch, then head off to the indoor court with my wife.  Surprise surprise, there were only 6 people to begin with too.  Three people in the morning didn't come but they were replaced by three people in the afternoon.  But about 25 minutes later, a few more people came, but we still had only 8 people.  So, it was pretty much the same level of practice as the morning.  That is so because of my HRM.  My peak heart rate in the morning was 166bpm and only 156bpm in the afternoon.  But the funny thing is that my strokes, volleys, were much better.  I felt I had more control and I felt more consistent.  Then, maybe it was the Adrenalin, but my back pain didn't cause any bad movement.  And my forearm and elbow pain was there, but I was able to power through it without too much trouble.  But I was really happy about my volleying.  Much more crisp and consistent.  I was able to get the ball deep consistently.  I was able to also make some good shots during the Point Sims.  We didn't have time for Serve/Return in the afternoon.  I was happy that I went in the afternoon as well.  I just wonder how I'm going to feel tomorrow and beyond.

Later in the evening, I was/am feeling pretty tired and all's I could get in was a short Flow series.  I'm planning to go to bed right after I post this entry.

In the end, I burned a total of 3173kcals.  1679kcals in the morning and then 1494kcals in the afternoon.  What a huge way to start off my week.  Good news, this is my last week of classes so I'll be free because I'll be entering Spring Vacation soon!!!

1-26-18 (Friday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 1 + Anabolic Stretch + TCF.

1-26-18 (Friday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 1 + Anabolic Stretch + TCF.

I was able to have enough time to get in a good not-rushed workout today.  I usually have a time crunch on Fridays, but recently, I've been able to make it home early enough so that doesn't happen.

I was considering moving on to the Lean Phase, but then I realized that its time was a lot longer than Push and I probably would have had to rush at the end, so I decided to go over Push one more time.  But I did it with one twist, see if you can see what did below on the worksheet.

As far as the weights, I raised the weights were I could, namely move 3. Single-Arm Bent-Over Triceps Extension (+1.25kgs), 5. Single-Leg Squat (+2.5kgs), 6. Overhead Triceps Extension (+2.5kgs), 7. Hammer Biceps (+.075kgs), 8. Heel Squat (+3kgs).  Then, on the for the extra Pull-Ups, again, I did them with my new weight belt and added 10kgs for he first 3 sets, and then added 12kgs for the last set.  But here are the new changes: First, the first three moves usually don't have an Extreme Set, but I added them in just for fun. Second, on move 2. Standard Squat, I added a Shoulder Shrug with a static hold.  I figured I could get in a little work on one of the smaller muscle groups that I usually don't work on in ChaLEAN Extreme, the Traps.  It was a good workout.  It took a little longer than the DVD run time because of the addition of a lot of extras, and since I have only one set of big weights, and this routine goes from Upper Body to Lower Body to Upper Body, I had to switch off weight plates between almost every move.  But I got a huge cardio effect from all the moves.  Right from the first move I was feeling the pump and burn.  I immediately was pumped and stayed that way all the way to the end and a while past.  I did have some pain in my right elbow, but I am trying to take care of it with some EMS treatment and focused stretching.

A big thing that I tried today was the Anabolic stretch (AbS).  I'm not going to explain it, but I was reading up on it and the science behind it looks sound, and seems logical.  So, I hope that I can do it after every resistance routine.  Today, the focus muscle groups were Biceps, Triceps, Glutes and Hamstrings.  So the AbS calls for 5 sets of 30 seconds for each muscle group, So that added around 10 minutes to the routine before I did my Flow.  The biggest problem was with my Biceps stretch, specifically my right elbow pain.  I had to go down in weight so I'm hoping that doesn't effect my results too much.  If your interested, let me know and I can tell you a little more about it.

In the end, I burned 785kcals.  It was a great workout and finished with time to spare.  Very enjoyable when I can do it that way on a Friday.  Happy Weekend!

1-25-18 (Thursday) HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + TCF.

1-25-18 (Thursday) HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + TCF.

Four days of hard routines and sports, I needed a good recovery day.  I haven't had one in a while, so I was eager to get in some Yoga.  But I was on sort of a time crunch because of a night class, so I went with X3 Yoga, short and sweet.  The usual places were better than expected.  I was able to get the Wrap with relative ease.  I was surprised about that.  I was a little shaky on the Half-Moon and the Reverse Half-Moon.  But I was able to kill Crow.  It was so great to get back to doing yoga again.  After the routine was done, I went right into the Flow series.

Later in the evening, after my night class, I got my Flow done.

In the end, I burned a modest 250+kcals.  I really needed this today!

1-24-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF.

1-24-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF.

Regular tennis day.  We were supposed to play near my home today, but the forecast said SNOW! so we moved to the indoor facility.  Luckily, it didn't snow, but the temperature dropped drastically below -0C.  And it was pretty cold indoors as well, just with no wind.  I got two of my rackets restrung so I was anxious to try at least one of them out tonight.  And I did.  It felt good, but I was hoping for a little more pop off the strings, but I'll keep working on it.  One racket I had, had really loose strings, so I actually bit the bullet, cut them, and then had it restrung.  So three of my rackets are all at the same spec tension.  I'll try the other on on Sunday.  Then, the plan is to rotate them as I play day-by-day.

I did a lot better this time around.  I was able to get the good strokes in and I was able to work on every part of my game.  I was able to get my long lost serve practice in, too.  Everyone rotates in and out of the line, and when it is my turn, I serve around 4-5 balls.  Today, I got all my serves in except for about one each time at the line.  But the very last serve I hit...  FELT SO GOOD!!!  And it was so good that it solicited a applause and cheers from the people behind me in line.  I was serving from the Ad court and I hit a flat serve out wide and pegged the middle of the outer line.  It was a clean FREEZE serve, meaning the guy receiving my serve didn't even have time to move, or even flinch in the direction of the ball.  And the receiver is one of the best players in the club.  Then, during the Point Sims, I won a good number of points off of a better team.  It was a great night.

I got in the Flow series after getting home and showering.

In the end, I burned 1200+kcals.  Even though it was cold, I sweat a good amount.  I wore a new lined outer jacket that kept me warm, so I was happy.

1-23-18 (Tuesday) HY: Pickle-Ball + TCF.

1-23-18 (Tuesday) HY: Pickle-Ball + TCF.

Today, the gym wasn't as frigid as it was last week.  But I dressed prepared for the cold and it kept me warm in that fridge.  This week, I could not be stopped.  No suspense, I got my second clean, no excuses sweep.  We played four games, mainly because the games were short, so we could fit in a fourth.  Although, there were a lot of good shots from both sides of the net, I was able to break out of the freeze quicker, and link more points together in a row.  I was also more, MUCH more aggressive.  I attacked the net way more, and tried a wide variety of shots and was successful.  I hit 15 on all the games, but John got the following 6-7-6-4.  It just fell all into place.  Basically, all the games (except the last game) were pretty until John got to around 5 points, then I just took off and ran away with it.  It's not that John was playing badly, but I think I was just on my game.  It is definitely more fun to win.

I didn't have time to do my Flow at the gym, so I snuck it in at home in the evening.

In the end, I burned a good 1050+kcals.  It was a great load of fun today!  Again, I felt like I was moving very well.  Good day!

1-22-18 (Monday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 3 + A40 Core + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-22-18 (Monday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 3 + A40 Core + TCF + Ab EMS.

This week, I'm sort of back to a "regular" schedule again, so I am able to spread out my resistance days a little better than previous weeks.  Today, I got to do the final routine of the Push Circuit.  Target muscles were Legs, Back and Chest.  It was a pretty straight forward routine.  I pretty much mirrored the previous time with regard to weights except for two moves, 6. Bench Press, and 8. Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Rows.  Both of those moves, I went up to 25kgs from 22kgs.  I was able to handle the Bench Press fine, but the Rows, 25kgs is still a little too heavy.  I felt my form was off and my range of motion was smaller because it was too heavy for me to get all the way up.  Plus, I was also worried about my back.  So, next time, I'll probably go down to 22kgs again.  Then, there are the Pull-Ups.  I got a new toy today, a weight belt for bar work.  I wish I had it when I was doing the OCR Dead Hang challenge last month.  But I'm having fun with it now.  So, I added 10kgs to my pull ups which is why the rep numbers are down.  The first set, 5-Grip, I did only two rounds, down from 5 rounds.  Then, I added 6 reps of Parallel Grip Pull-Ups for a video I made to show my new "Toy".

For the Wide Grip, I got only 4 reps, down from 10. Then Close Front, I got 5 reps, down from 10.  Finally, Towel Pull-Ups, I got 5, down from 7.  I was pretty happy with those numbers.  Overall, it was a good routine.  A few misjudgments on weights, but I'm satisfied.

I felt good, and I wanted to get in some focused Ab work, so I went and did the A40 Core routine.  This time, to equal Ab Ripper 200, I did five rounds, and I was in pain!  The final set was brutal, but I made it through.  I ended the routine with a lovely Flow series.  Later in the evening, I got in my EMS.

In the end, I burned a good 750+kcals.  I'm glad I got that much.  My area is still cold, but I'm now using a heater because I don't like to breath in the cold air when I'm breathing heavy.  I wouldn't want to reactivate my bronchitis.

1-21-18 (Sunday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-21-18 (Sunday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

It was a beautiful day!  The temperature was perfect for tennis.  I dressed anticipating cold conditions, but I ended up having to remove a couple layers.  I will have to pack some shorts just in case the next time.  There was some other event so the main leader/members weren't there today, so the practice seemed a little disorganized.  It started off fine with the warm ups and then moving into Stroke/Volley practice.  Everything seemed alright.  My strokes were okay, but for some reason, I was hitting off my back foot, and I wasn't getting the head-speed I usually get on my forehand.  But I was able to work it out for the most part.  I guess it was a case of my head knowing what to do, but my body wasn't keeping up.  Then we moved into Serve/Return drills.  I went to return, so then when we switched, I would have uninterrupted  serving.  But when the cycle was done, instead of switching out for new returners, we switched drills to Point simulation on one court and match play on the other.  I like match play, but I was not happy because I didn't get to practice my serve.  And when it came time for me to do match play, it showed.  My serve was inconsistent and lacked kick.  But fortunately, I was on the winning side of the two matches I played.  Then, while we were all taking a break, some members went to just practice and they took over one court.  While on the other court, we went back to Point Simulation, but focusing on volley and then the Approach Shot.  The problem is, with several beginners and no one able to teach, no one really played an actual approach shot.  I probably should have stepped up to teach it, but there were others there who had more seniority and I didn't want to step on any toes or embarrass anyone.  So I just did my thing, and got a good practice in.  At the end, I was left a little wanting, but I worked it out.

I got in my Flow and EMS in the evening.  I was more tired than I thought I should be, so just those two extras.

In the end, I burned close to 1500kcals.  I little low for Sunday tennis, but with the conditions the way they are, I'm not surprised.  But great way to start off my week.

1-19-18 (Friday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 2 + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 200 + TCF.

1-19-18 (Friday) HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 2 + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 200 + TCF.

Today, I was working the flex shift at work.  I went in early and came home early.  I worked out perfectly because it gave me just enough time to get a full workout in with time to spare, and I didn't need to rush through it.  But I did have to start as quickly as possible once I arrived at home.  So I got to it.

I knew today was going to be a resistance day if I could have the time so I went back to the resistance program I was using before, ChaLEAN Extreme and continued where I left off.  Push Circuit 1 is all about the Shoulders and Hamstrings.  I added Back with the extra Pull-Up moves that I wrote in on the worksheet.  I'm not going to go over each move, because everything pretty much went as programmed.  I hit each set and completed each set to failure.  No split sets.  That is the beauty of the Push Circuit because only 8 reps, it is doable.  However, I was able to up my weights from last time, 1.25kgs for every move.  It doesn't sound like much, but it makes a big difference.  I was also able to up my reps on all the Pull-Up variations except for the second set, I stuck with 10 reps on the Close Front.  The one BIG difference over last time is that I added 1-Arm Pull-Ups just to try them out.  Unfortunately, I was already totally Blown and I was only able to get 3 reps on the right side, and I couldn't even begin to get up on the Left.  Both were using the strong resistance band for support.  I was a little disappointed in the dramatic drop in strength.  I tried a Dead Hang, also.  I was able to do a good 30 seconds, but that was after I had already done 59 Pull-Up reps and a ton of shoulder work.  Today felt good.

I was feeling really good still so I wanted to do a little ab work, so I quickly went with Ab Ripper 200.  Basically, I wanted to see how quickly the burn would come with a comparable routine with the A40 Core routine.  The one I did last night.  The Burn came on a lot quicker with the A40.  I myself was pretty surprised.  But the burn from Ab Ripper 200 lasted a lot longer than with so I was happy.  I wish someone could tell me the difference between the instant burn and the late, long lasting burn.  Or at least "Longer lasting Burn".  Then I got to the Flow and finally was able to exactly get the same time between the Left and Right.  I was able to work out the equal time on both sides.

Finally, I got in my Ab EMS after my shower, so everything is all good.

In the end, I burned over 850kcals.  It is my off day tomorrow so I'm going to take advantage of it and rest up my body.  I'm planning to get to bed early tonight to get some body repair in.  Happy Weekend!

1-18-18 (Thursday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BEAST, Workout B + A40 Core Routine + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-18-18 (Thursday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BEAST, Workout B + A40 Core Routine + TCF + Ab EMS.

No night class tonight, so I was free to take my time with my workout.  I am still giving the Body Weight BEAST a try so I'm going to stick with it for at least the rest of this month while sticking a ChaLEAN Extreme routine in where I can.  The plan is for one of them tomorrow.  I wasn't able to do the Anabolic stretch afterward like I wanted to because I didn't have the time to read enough about it, but I have some free time tomorrow so I'm going to bone up on it and then give it a try, hopefully.

Today, Workout B was up and this one was really tough the last time.  So much so that I wasn't even able to finish the whole routine.  Today, I was determined to finish no matter what, and I did.  But I wasn't able to do it straight through.  I was able to do the first Circuit with no break.  I was able to keep the time for all ten rounds and I was going all out.  Even though the moves are easy, I started to feel those inner thighs burn at the end.  The last time I did this routine, my inner thighs were toasted for at least four days.  Hopefully I will be able to recovery much quicker this time around.  I took a few minutes to recover before starting the second circuit.  I felt good, but I needed the break after the 10th round, and then one more break after the 17th round.  Then, I just knocked out those last three rounds.  I was stoked!  The Eccentric Pull-Ups are brutal.  The last round before each break, I was breaking form.  I was flaring my elbows way too much on especially the last rep.  But I was very happy that I was able to get through all 20 rounds.

I wanted to get in a little burning abs, so I did the A40 Core routine.  The recommended number of round is three rounds, but I ended up doing 4 rounds.  Next time, I'll get in 5 rounds so I can cut at a straight 200 total reps.  But the progression of the moves is a real killer.  In the second round, my abs were burning on the second move.  The moves are simple, but the progression is killer.  I was burning from the second round to the end.

I was bushed, so I took my shower and then got in my Flow and and EMS in the evening.

In the end, I burned 925 kcals.  Again surprised that I got that good a burn.  But I did have a moment where my heart-rate was topping out at 200+bpm, probably during the Eccentric Pull-Ups.  Next time, one less break.  Going for it. 

1-17-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-17-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

Today, tennis was supposed to be at the close courts, but because of the rainy forecast, it was moved to the further indoor courts.  I was able to hit some solid balls tonight, but I am back to feeling a little off of center.  I don't feel totally comfortable on court with easy balls.  I feel like I am back on my heels for a lot of my forehands for some reason.  It is hard to understand why because typically, my forehand is my stronger side.  For some reason, I'm not moving forward in my stroke.  My timing is off by a breath and I am not hitting the sweet spot of my racket.  I tried using my US Open racket and I have decided to cut the strings and get it restrung with more tension.  I just didn't feel comfortable with that looser tension especially when I tried to power the ball.  Tonight, I wasn't on fire, but I hit some good shots, some phenomenal shots, and an equal share of shanks.  My inconsistency really came through tonight.  I suspect that my eyes have a big part to play.  I am just not picking up the ball as well as I used to, and that is causing me to have messed up timing.  So, the only thing to do is get my eyes checked do my best and keep on practicing.  But all that being said, I had a good time tonight.  I was able to burn the ace players I was hitting against which felt really good.  Overall, I had a good time tonight.  I was happy to get in some hard hitting opportunities tonight.

When I got home, I did the extras, Flow and EMS.

In the end, I burned just under 1250kcals.  Back to resistance tomorrow and the Body Weight BEAST!  I'm also planning to give a try to the Anabolic stretching technique at the end of my routine.

1-16-18 (Tuesday) HY: TCF + Pickle-Ball + Ab EMS.

1-16-18 (Tuesday) HY: TCF + Pickle-Ball + Ab EMS.

It was another BEAUTIFUL day... outside.  The gym, however, was still like an ice box inside.  Probably close to 3-5 degrees difference.  John was going to be late, so I set everything up and had some extra time to do my Flow.  I was able to get a nice long Flow series in.

When we started, I was feeling good.  The warm up was good, but the signs were there.  Something was off.  But one very good thing is that I felt that my mobility was really working for me.  The one thing that wasn't working was my Paddle Positioning.  Shots that I usually hit with ease were flying out and just missing.  It all came to a head when we started the matches.  In that first set, everything was just not working out.  John jumped out to a big lead and kept on increasing that lead with almost every service change.  I was only managing 2 point a run, while John was getting between 4-6 points in a row.  I lost badly, 7-15.  The second game, we were pretty much neck and neck until 5-5, then I pulled away and got the score to 13-5.  I though I had this game in hand, but that was not the case. John hit some incredible shots as did I, but I collapsed once I hit 13 points.  I couldn't buy another point.  To make a painful story better,  I ended up losing the game stuck at 13.  Final score, 13-15.  I finally started putting thing together today.  As I said, I felt I was moving quite well, mobility was feeling good.  I grabbed the lead, and then I didn't let go.  A few times I started to seemingly dozing off, but not in that cold.  This time, I was keeping the stuff all around.  I ended up taking the game 15-8.  There was only 10 minutes left, but we started a fourth game.  And we were just going at it.  Every point a battle.  That's the way I like it!  Lead changes almost every point.  It finally got to 5-5, but our time was up, so I suggested playing to 7 points.  And, for the record, I wanted to let John start with the new ending score.  We decided to play to 7.  We started this mini-game from 5-5 with John serving.  After a few more serve changes, I closed out this shortened match, 7-5.  This score took us almost to meeting land.   Including that last short game, we ended up in a 2-2 tie.

I got in my Ab EMS in later in the evening.

In the end, I burned just under 900kcals. Another good day.  Any day is good with Pickle-Ball!

1-15-18 (Monday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-15-18 (Monday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

Normally, I would be working on a Monday, but since yesterday was a work day, today was off.  So, my wife and I went to play tennis.  I had missed my big tennis day on Sunday, so my wife said she could play today, so we played.  When my wife made court reservations, I was very shocked that she reserved 2 hours.  In the past, she would have only gotten 1 hour because she would get too tired.  But she has been playing 2-3 times a week and her endurance is getting better.

Just the two of us on court, but we went through the menu we usually do with the tennis club.  Did a good warm up, then just stroke practice.  Then we shifted to serve practice then finally volley practice.  We have one big basket of balls and we went through it at least 5 times.  I couldn't hit out with my wife, but it was a good control practice.  Oh, and also, the weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!  It was actually warm out.  I prepared with many layers even before I took one step outside, and as we started to play, the layers came off quickly.  It was a lot better than I thought it would be.

After showering at the gym, we made a day of it.  Eating out and then shopping.  I got something I have wanted for a long time.  Maybe I'll post a pic of what I got later.  But it was a great "Date-Day".  When I got home, I got in my Flow and Ab EMS.

In the end, of only the tennis, I burned over 1050kcals.  It was a great day.

1-14-18 (Sunday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BEAST, Workout A + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-14-18 (Sunday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BEAST, Workout A + TCF + Ab EMS.

My original plan was to workout on Saturday night and then take an off day on Sunday because Sunday was scheduled to be a workday for the Japanese equivalent of the SAT's.  My school is a testing site and I have to be a test monitor.  That was the reason for the plan, but, my girls wanted to go out on Saturday night, so I became their driver and we didn't get home until late, so no workout.  When I got home after work today, I was surprisingly energetic.  I was itching to get my workout in.  I had just had an entire day of sitting and watching high school kids take tests, I NEEDED to move.

But I was tight, so to loosen up, I went with Cold Start, which worked like a charm to warm me up.  Then I got right into the routine.  My brain was feeling like oatmeal, so I really didn't want to think too much about what to do, so I went with the body weight program I began last week.  The Body Weight BEAST.  Here is the graphic again:

The last time I did this routine, I got only 6 rounds done.   I really wanted to top that number, I was thinking 7 rounds.  When I started, I was feeling good, so I didn't take any unneeded rest breaks.  I was also keeping sure of my "Four Pillars" of working out.  I pushed it, but not to sacrifice any move over another.  I ended up doing 8 rounds.  And I finished with only 8 seconds left to go just before the time hit 30 minutes.  It felt good, and I am very glad that Side Planks follow the Jump Squats.  Anything more than that and I would have just collapsed.  I felt extremely satisfied with today's workout which I closed out with a lovely Flow series.

Then, later that evening, I got in my Ab EMS.  Still want to keep that core strength going up.

In the end, I was surprised to discover that I had burned just over 700kcals.  Plus two round really makes a big difference.

Let's get this week started!

1-12-18 (Friday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BEAST, Workout B + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-12-18 (Friday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BEAST, Workout B + TCF + Ab EMS.

Today was a terrible day.  I had to go to work as usual, but classes were cancelled because since Saturday and Sunday are the National Scholastic Achievement Tests that are used to dictate the rest of the lives of high school seniors, and our school is a testing site, we had to set up the rooms and receive "training" and "instruction".  Please don't get me started about the Nit-Picking Anal style of how these tests are administered, suffice is to say, it was, and always is, VERY Japanese.  Anyway, because it was snowing heavily, two out of the three standard routes to school were closed.  The one open route was jammed for three quarters of the way.  So, what normally would take an hour and 20 minutes, took almost three and a half hours.  It is a 40km drive, but 30km was bumper to bumper stop and go, not to mention all the lovely traffic lights.  Luckily, the trip back was normal.  Anyway, everything that concerned me was mostly done.  The only meeting that I had to attend was about 15 minutes long.  The rest of the training was for something I wouldn't be involved with.  So, I had to drive over 5 hours for a 15 minute instructional lecture.  I was not happy... AGAIN, since this pretty much happens every year at this time.  I don't work on Saturdays, but I'll have to go in on Sunday and monitor high school students taking the tests for three hours.  I got home close to 3:30pm and my wife suggested I take a nap.  I was very sleepy, so I decided to follow her suggestion.  I dropped right off.  When she woke me at 4pm, I was still a bit groggy but felt a little refreshed.  We talked for a bit about our days, then I got ready for my workout.  Another time crunch.  Today, I had just over an hour to get my workout done. 

I needed Cold Start, so I started off with it.  Right after it, I moved into the new routine, Body Weight BEAST, Workout B:

The format, as you can see was a little different from Workout A.  Only 4 moves, but done a mini-sets.  I was able to blast through the 10 rounds of the first two moves, but by the 6th round, I was needing every second of that 30 second break. I was sweating and breathing hard.  My legs, especially my inner thighs were feeling it.  I was hitting 15 reps almost every time.  I did get 16 reps one time, though.   As always, focusing on my 4 Pillars.  Then I moved to the next pairing of moves.  I was happy to get in the Pull-Ups.  I was thinking that 5 reps was too few, but I would soon find out that it was not.  I'll be up front right from the beginning.  The second pairing calls for 20 rounds.  I was only able to get 16 rounds because of fatigue and time.  I kept it going for 10 rounds, but I was dying, so I took a few minutes to catch my breath and shake out my arms, back and shoulders.  5 Negative Pull-Ups sounds small, but by the 7th round, my arms felt like noodles.  I couldn't hold the slow rep any longer, and just dropped after I started down.  After a break, I did 5 rounds, but again, I was dying by the 4th round.  I took another little break after those 5 rounds were finished.  I tried just one more round, but my arms were shot.  And because of those two breaks after 10 and 15, I had to stop anyway.  I was "Saved by the Bell".  It was weird, I didn't feel the pump so much, but I was totally feeling the burn.  That was a brutally great little routine that I look forward to doing again, and hopefully, sticking it out for the full 20 rounds.

I had just enough time to get in a good Flow series. 

In the evening while preparing for Bible class I teach at my church on Saturday mornings, I got in my Ab EMS.

In the end, I burned 780+ kcals.  I was sort of expecting to get closer to 500 kcals.  I knew it would be more than Workout A, but not THAT much.  So I was really happy that a got a good calorie burn in to end the week.  I'm going to miss Tennis on Sunday, but I'm definitely playing on Wednesday! 

Happy Weekend, everyone!

1-11-18 (Thrusday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body-Weight BEAST, Workout A + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-11-18 (Thrusday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Body-Weight BEAST, Workout A + TCF + Ab EMS.

I was in a time crunch today so I wanted to do something short, not too "Cardio-ish", and a little "Resistancey".  Also, I really didn't feel like doing one of my normal programs.  Then, I found a little program a while ago that I had forgotten about until the other week that I remembered again and decided to give it a go.  It is the second month of the Body Weight Program.  I did the first part before called Body Weight BOOM,  This one is Body Weight BEAST.  The format is the same, but there are more moves and it is done in 30 minutes.  BOOM was done with a fixed number of sets.  Today's main routine was time based.

I didn't want to go into the workout cold, so, I went to my favorite and most dependable independent warm up routine, Cold Start.  It always gets me loose and warm.  I average 70+kcals.  I usually start with a heart rate of around 60bpm, but by the end of Cold Start, I up to 100+bpm.  Then I got into the main routine.

I will show you the graphic of the routine and its explanation so I don't have to type it all out:

I was able to get in 6 rounds.  My rest time between the first 3-4 rounds was close to 1-minute.  But I was starting to feel the heavy fatigue coming on after the fourth round, so I took almost 90 seconds for my last two breaks.  I also took about 10 seconds moves, and a little more to catch my breath after the cardio moves.  Almost no break between the Spiderman Push-Ups and Deep Pause Squats.  Maybe 20-30 seconds after the Jump Squats.  My core felt strong, so I didn't really feel too much of a burn with the V-Ups.  Oh, on the Spiderman Push-Ups, I felt a bit slow, (Not by choice), I guess my body needed to get used to the movement, because I was able to pick up the pace for the rest of the rounds.  One thing I was trying to do was stay focused on my Four Pillars: 
1. Correct Form
2. Range of Motion
3. Activation of the Target Muscles
4. Time Under Tension. 
That is the reason I didn't try to blast through the reps, but I was trying to get the most benefit out of each rep.  The next time I do this routine, I may even slow it down even more and do a little Eccentric work.  This little routine was surprisingly good as a Full Body workout.

I finished off my workout with a nice long Flow Series to calm my heart rate.

I had my first Thursday night class of the year, so after getting back from that, I worked in my Ab EMS.

In the end, I burned around 420kcals.  Not a huge number, but I felt good.

1-10-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-10-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF + Ab EMS.

Tennis day again!  The weather was pretty brutal outside.  Earlier in the day, there were torrents of hail, rain, and wind.  I was considering not going to tennis today because of it, but since I know I won't be able to play on this coming Sunday because of work, I really wanted to go.  So I made it happen.

I got to the courts a little late, but I was able to get in a good warm up before we started the menu for the day.  Despite the weather, a lot of people showed up, the most this year so far.  It was the usual menu starting with Stroke/Volley, then Serve/Return, and finally Point simulation.  I was able to get warm and keep warm the whole time, but I forgot my hat and my head got a little chilly because of the sweat.  I sweat from the head a lot more than the average person.  I was hitting at about 60%.  A big mixture of good and bad shots.  I really need to work out my ups and downs to stay on the plain.  Strong and stable.  That's what I want.  My serve was not doing as well as I was hoping, too.  My "IN" ratio was probably around 40%.  I need to raise that to at least 60%. higher if possible.  But I had a good time and a tiring schedule.

Like yesterday, I did all the peripherals when I got home.

In the end, I burned over 1100kcals.  More practice is still very necessary.

1-09-18 (Tuesday) HY: Pickle-Ball + TCF + Ab EMS.

1-09-18 (Tuesday) HY: Pickle-Ball + TCF + Ab EMS.

Pickle-Ball day has finally arrived.  It has been about two weeks since I last played and that time, I was on fire, achieving a 4-game sweep with no excuses.  I was hoping to keep that intensity going for today.

The gym was cold, but not the coldest yet.  I've felt colder.  Once we started playing, I felt good, but something was a little off.  I didn't feel completely comfortable with my stroke and I was mis-hitting the ball way more than I like to during the warm up.  But we started the game anyway.  Funny thing, I think John was feeling the same way, because we were stuck on 1-1 for the longest time.  Finally I broke the tie and I edged ahead.  But every time I went ahead a few points, John would come back just short of catching me.  Finally I broke loose and took a big lead, getting all the way to 14-7.  Then I shut down.  Shots suddenly started flying wide, I was missing long, and John scraped and clawed his way back to 14-13.  Finally, though, I closed it out, taking the first game 15-13.  I was relieved to escape that first game with a win.  Unfortunately, the second game was a continuation of the bad play.  But for a time, I was barely keeping pace with John.  He would jump out ahead, then I would mount a come back.  But I never got closer than two points.  The closest I got was at 7-9.  Then I gave up the ghost and John ran away with the game.  There were a few serve changes, but I only got one more point in that game.  I lost 8-15.  In the first two games, I still wasn't able to feel the intensity.  I felt tired and I was struggling to get into the games.  Two possible causes for this comfortableness, 1. the cold, and 2. my body was feeling really stiff from the resistance workout yesterday.  Tight and sore muscles all around.  And my movement attested to that fact.  Anyway, the third game, I guess I was starting to feel really warmed up and I started to move a little better.  I jumped out to a quick lead and kept it all the way.  John tied me once, at 4-4, but that was it.  I rushed to the win, 15-9.  The three games were extremely competitive with many serve changes and more longer rallies.  Usually we would play four games in our time, but today, we were able to only play 3 games.  Although I didn't feel totally with it, I felt good getting back out there. 

When I got home after work, I I got in my flow an my Ab EMS.

In the end, I burned about 922kcals.  The cold strikes again to lower my calorie burn.

1-08-18 (Monday) HY: Ab EMS + ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 1 + TCF.

1-08-18 (Monday) HY: Ab EMS + ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Circuit 1 + TCF.

Normally, today would be Pickle-Ball day, but today is a National Holiday so I got to stay home.  I had a pretty productive morning once I got up at close to 10am.  Had a late breakfast and then did some video editing which allowed me to start clearing my hard disk on my recorder.  I want to get it done by the end of this month.  Then we had some family time... sort of, without my son, because he got up close to noon, then was invited out again, so he left.  So, it was me and my girls at home.  It was during this time that I got in my Ab EMS, and it felt stingingly good.

I finally got to my workout at about 6 pm and I knew it was going to be resistance.  I was debating whether or not to do one more round of the Burn Phase, or go into the Push Phase.  As you can see, I decided to go on to the Push Phase.  The main reason for that is that as I was looking through my worksheets, the Body Beast sheets caught my eye and I kind of got the spark to do that program again, so I'm going to finish just one round of the Push Phase, possibly two, then one round of the Lean Phase, then get into Body Beast.  That is the plan for now.  But anyway, today was Push Circuit 1, and I was ready to go a little heavier than before.  I added the usual 4 extra sets of Pull-Ups so that extended the time a little longer, especially at the end, because my recovery times were getting a little longer, by about a minutes or so.  As you can see from the worksheet below, I added the Horn (parallel grip), Towel Pull-Ups, Chin-Ups, and 5 Grips (Wide, Normal, Chin-Up, Close Grip, Parallel Grip).  The first move, Horn, went pretty well,  I was happy to get 15 reps in, but afterwards, I stayed in the Dead Hang for a while just to get some Hang time in.  The first Tri-set of moves was good.  I was feeling strong and the initial weights were a little heavier than before, except for the Triceps Extensions.  I was going to go up to 8.75kgs, but when I picked them up, I knew I wouldn't be able to go with a full range of motion, so I went back down to 7.5kgs.  I got a good pump and burn, and I was able to do a static hold at the top to activate my Tris even more.  Burner of a move!  Towel Pull-Ups are really tough on my fingers.  After doing them, my fingers always feel like they are a little off center, and it takes a while to feel centered again.  Nothing different today.  I kept trying to shake them out, but the feeling was still just off.  In the second Tri-set, I only went up on the Biceps move.  And that brought me to failure.  There is no way I could have pumped out one more rep with 10kgs.  I needed a little bit of a swing to get that last rep up.  Then the Extreme Sets start with this move.  Good science behind it.  I felt really pumped up after it.  The Single Leg Squat was BRUTAL!!!  Leg work is usually better for me than upper body stuff, but today, the leg work was... BRUTAL!!! No other word describes it better.  Almost feeling that cramping coming on at the end of each set and during the Extreme Sets.  Chin-Ups were beginning to show my fatigue.  I didn't come off the bar between reps or for rest time, but I did hang a little more between reps.  My right forearm was feeling the pain.  Happy to get 12 reps.  The third and final Tri-Set brought the pain on all the moves.  The Hammer Curls... OUCH!!! I had to do a little back arch to get the last two reps up.  And then the Extreme Set, I needed to cheat a bit to get the last two reps up from mid way.  I was feeling the burn!  Heel Squats would be no problem is done faster, but these slow reps a killers.  Enough said.  I almost didn't make the last rep up.  The whole routine went Biceps, Legs, Triceps, so I have no idea why Chalene does regular push-ups as the last move.  So, not to cheat out my triceps, I went with Diamond Push-Ups.  My triceps were on FIRE!!!  But the Extreme Set was not as intense with the little break.  3 reps were okay, but I still felt the burn come.  The final set of Pull-Ups were on 5 grips.  Before, I would just do one rep then switch grips, today, I did 5 reps then switched.  Wide and Regular were fine. Chin-Ups, I had to hang a bit after the 3rd and 4th to get the 5th in.  On Close Grip, I came off the bar after 3 reps, shook my arms out, then knocked out the last 2.  For Parallel Grip, I stayed on the bar the whole time, but had to hang for a breath after reps 2, 3 and 4.  I needed a kip to get up for the final rep.  But I got all 25 reps done.  For a total of 62 Pull-Ups on the day.  My grip felt strong!  But I still have the pain in my right forearm after hanging for a few minutes.  I felt incrediblly pumped, especially in my forearms after the workout.  But I felt a good pump all around as well.

I finished off the workout with a smooth and clean Flow series.

In the end, I burned a good 822kcals.  I big burn for a predominantly upper body workout.  Tomorrow is Pickle-Ball day!  We'll see how sore I am from today's workout and if it effects my game.

1-07-18 (Sunday) HY: Tennis + TCF.

1-07-18 (Sunday) HY: Tennis + TCF.

I've been getting to be late during this vacation for one reason... my son.  He has a lot of events this New Years and is taking the car to go to them.  This is the first time for him to do this this often in one trip home.  He gets home around 1-2 am.  I can't help but wait up for him.  So tonight was no different.  I went to bed as soon as he got home safely.

I woke up feeling not fully rested and a little heavy, and a bit out of sorts on so many different levels.  Luckily, tennis always starts at 10 am so I can relax some before going.  When I got there, there were very few people and it ended up that only 12 members came.  So that meant that there would be a lot of practice time and even matches.  So after a good warm up, we got into the day's training menu.  Starting off with the regular Stroke/Volley drills, then Serve/Return drills.  All the balls were used in each round, so we had a good practice with each drill.  My serve was at about 65-70% during the practice so I was relatively happy.  However, the big issue I was having today was the fact that I wasn't feeling light on my feet.  In fact, I was feeling the exact opposite, I was feeling so heavy.  My foot work laterally was okay, but moving forward to get short balls, I felt like an elephant on Dramamine.  I wasn't getting to anything.  I was always like two whole steps behind.  Anyway, after the drills, we were able to break up and play Fast4 Matches.  I didn't know the official name of these games until a couple days ago, so I'm happy I can use the official name here for the first time.  Fast4 matches are sets played, first to win 4 games with no-ad scoring.  If the set gets to 4-4, a tie breaker, first to 7, win by 2 is played.  I was paired with a very good lady, and our opponents were the #1 player in our club and a guy that got 3rd place in the Southern Japan Amateur Doubles tournament last summer.  Things seems pretty hopeless from the start, but right from the start, we were on fire breaking in the first game, and then my partner held serve to go up 2-0.  We almost broke the #1 players serve on the Game point, but he held.  On my serve, we got to 40-40 game point and we couldn't hold.   So the score was now 2-2.  But we stayed focused and broke the serve again of the 3rd in S.Japan guy, and my partner held her serve again.  We were ecstatic and giddy that we beat that pair.  It was a good match to end my day on.  I was pretty tired from the drills and the match, but when I got home, I quickly finished off my day with a Flow series.

In the end, I burned 1992kcals.  I was pretty tired and ready to go to bed, but I ended up waiting for my son to get home again.

1-05-18 (Friday) T25 - Alpha: Speed 1.0 + TCF.

1-05-18 (Friday) T25 - Alpha: Speed 1.0 + TCF.

Well, I was going to do a whole workout, but there was sort of a sudden thing that I had to take care of and I had just enough time to fit in the T25 workout and Flow.  I had a normal beginning, and everything was doing fine.  There is one move that Shaun T does once in the normal workout then once in the Burnout, the Low Cross Jacks.  For some reason, that move seems to be longer and does more to kill my arches and calves in this routine than any other move.  I did my best to keep up and stay on pace.  The 8+ minute Burnout is tough, but I got through it.

I finished up with a good Flow series from Dr. Cheng.

In the end, I burned just over 400kcals which is a lot more than I thought I would on a 25 minute plus Flow workout.  Not quite was I was expecting from today's workout, but I got something done, so I was satisfied.

Happy Weekend!

1-04-17 (Thursday) HY: Ab EMS + P90X3 - Cold Start + Six-Pack Shortcuts - Upper Body Weights + Abs After 40 - A40 Abs + TCF.

1-04-17 (Thursday) HY: Ab EMS + P90X3 - Cold Start + Six-Pack Shortcuts - Upper Body Weights + Abs After 40 - A40 Abs + TCF.

Today was another relaxing, nothing to do day.  Got to wake up late again, around 10:30am, and just relax watching some news and TV shows, playing some games, catching up on SNS correspondence and posts, etc.  While at my computer, I got in the Ab EMS session, about 30 minutes worth of stimulation.  It was a little painful at first with the setting I chose, but I got used to it and then I could feel my abs working it.  My daughter had "voluntary" school, so she was gone, and my son was sleeping the day away.  My wife was busy as a bee, but taking time to relax as well here and there.  I helped with chores, too.  Anyway, around 6pm, I started getting ready for my workout and finally started around 6:30pm. 

I was debating as to whether or not I should do resistance or cardio today, and I decided on resistance because of all the tennis I did the past couple days.  But I didn't want to get into a set program on the last and only resistance day of the week.  I wanted a "One-Off" that was moderately intense.  I fell upon the Six-Pack Abs Upper Body Weights routine that I have done a few times in the past at just the exact similar situation.  It's not too long, and works all the major/glamour muscle groups.  I still haven't made a worksheet for this routine, but I will sometime in the future.  But for now, I will just type my weights for each round.  This routine is basically 6 moves, but I added a 7th because I wanted to get back to Pull-Ups and bar work.  Then those moves are done consecutively in four rounds.  As I started the routine, I realized that I was actually feeling a bit tight, so I stopped and got Cold Start out and did that Awesome warm Up routine.  It was perfect for what I needed it to do.  Here are the moves, weights, and rep counts:

1. Single Arm Row in Runners Lunge, Right then Left.  10 Reps each side.
R1 - 17kgs,  R2 - 17kgs, R3 - 17kgs,  R4 - 18.25kgs

2. Clapping Push-Ups, 10 Reps.
R1 to R4 - 10 reps each.

3. Standing Shoulder Presses, Both arms together. 10 Reps.
R1 to R3 - 14.5kgs, R4 - 15.75kgs.

4. Alternating Standing Biceps Curls, 10 Reps each side.
R1 to R3 - 12kgs.  R4 - 13.25kgs.

5. Single Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extensions, 20 Reps.
R1 - 17kgs, R2 to R4 - 18.25kgs.

6. Standing Shoulder Shrugs, 20 Reps.
R1 - 22kgs.  R2 to R3 - 23.5kgs. R4 - 25kgs.

7. Pull-Up Variations, 10 Reps.
R1 - Pull-Ups.  R2 - Chin-Ups.  R3 - Close Grip Pull-Ups.  R4 - Parallel Grip Pull-Ups.

I was feeling the pump and burn on each set from Round 2 on.  There was only one set in the whole routine that I tapped out before the assigned number of reps.  That was the Triceps Extensions in R4.  My Triceps were feeling almost fried in R3, but in R4, with the added weight, I only made it to 17 reps then I had to put the weight down.  But moments later, I picked it up again and pumped out 5 more reps until failure.  During the Pull-Ups, The first two rounds were no problem, but R3 was tough.  I had to hang a bit to rest, but I never got off the bar.  Working that Grip Strength.  I felt a little twinge of pain in my right forearm, but I got through each set without coming off the bar.  But I was really feeling the pump and burn.  It took a little longer than expected, but it seemed to go by really quickly, so I was happy.

Then I saw a little Ab routine that I haven't done yet, so I figured, "Eh? Why Not!".  It is also from Six-Pack Shortcuts, but with the transitional figure head after Mike Chang left.  The program is Abs After 40, or "A40" for short.  Basically, it is just four moves done consecutively, 10 Reps each with only 30 to 45 seconds of rest between rounds.  The moves aren't anything new, but the new thing is the order of the moves and their progression.  The guy says that the moves should be done in 3 rounds, but I did 4 rounds to keep continuity with the previous routine.  Here are the moves:

1.  Flutter Kick
2.  Knees Bent V-Ups
3.  In-and-Outs
4.  Reverse Crunches/Leg Raises

I blew through the first round, but I started to feel a big something in the second round, starting with the V-Ups.  And then from that point on, I was just barely making it through each move.  The following two rounds were brutal.  I felt the burn each move from the second move of the second round.  This was a lot tougher than I had expected.  I sure I'll come back to this one in the future.  Super BURN!!!

I closed out the evening with a lovely Flow Series.  It is really interesting doing the Flow with arms like rubber.

In the end, I burned 910kcals.  It was a lot more than I had expected to burn in a short time and for an Upper Body routine.  But I was happily surprised.  I'll Take It!!!  Tomorrow, I start back to work.  All my foreign colleagues were not happy to have to go back to work on Friday, especially since Monday is a national holiday.  We couldn't plan a longer vacation bridging the Winter Holiday and the National Holiday.  The admin just had to put that ONE school day in there.  But at least I had a good workout today.

1-03-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF.

1-03-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + TCF.

I woke up close to 10am.  I wasn't feeling as sore as I thought I would.  My body was actually feeling pretty normal.  By I did have a slight pain in my left shoulder, and neck.  And a slight headache.  My kids didn't get up until closer to 1pm.  We pretty much did nothing all day.  We were huddled around our heating table watching TV and playing games.  I taught them the wonderful game of ROOK!  But I was sort of dreading the idea of going upstairs to workout.  I really felt like not wanting to exercise all day.  And I caught myself thinking, "I could do just a yoga or stretch or a recovery routine... Naw, later..."  Then, I got notification that my tennis club was practicing at the regular time.  Since I really didn't play as well as I should have/could have yesterday, I was anxious to get back swinging the racket.  So, after talking it over with my wife and daughter, I decided to go to the tennis practice.

I was feeling a little out of sorts for a bit during the warm up, and then pretty much at the beginning of each new drill, but I got into the swing of things and I was able to make contact with the ball a lot better than yesterday.  Now I know that yesterday was probably mostly due to lack of experience and nerves.  I need to keep pushing to get that muscle memory in place so no matter what my nerves do, I can have my body automatically perform shot form so I can make good solid stokes.  The menu was as usual, but surprisingly, there were a lot of people who came.  But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  The members are very dedicated to their sport. 

When I got home, I was feeling a lot better.  A lot of the tightness and soreness got worked out and I wasn't feeling much pain in my shoulder or neck.  I was able to finish out my day with a nice Flow series.

In the end, I burned 1100+kcals.  So I was happy about my eventual activity for the day.

1-02-18 (Tuesday) HY: Tennis + Walking + TCF.

1-02-18 (Tuesday) HY: Tennis + Walking + TCF.

Today is the day!  Tournament Day!  A little background, I was active in playing Jr. USTA Tournaments when I was in Jr. High and High School, but I haven't played in any sort of competitive singles tournament in about 30 years.  I promised my son, after he played last year that I would enter this tourney with him this year.  So I did.  Yes, I was nervous, and it showed.  I wasn't very talkative, and gave only short responses when spoken to.

It was cold, but luckily, the weather was perfect for tennis.  Warming up was good, but I just couldn't get the stiffness in my mind to loosen up.  I was in the second group of matches.  In my first match, I was up against a pretty good high school kid.  The first point of the match, I successfully served and hit a solid put-away volley.  I ended up taking the first two games.  Then I lost the second two games.  Then I took the next two games.  Then I lost the next two.  So the score was 4-4.  I was serving and as I stepped up to the line to serve, I noticed that my strings had popped.  I went to get a reserve racket, but the tension was a lot looser than what I had been playing with.  I couldn't adjust and ended up losing the next two games and the match.  That was a match I should have and really wanted to win.  I was very disappointed in myself.  My second match was against an older but much more experienced player.  And I got crushed. 1-6.  I moved into the Consolation Bracket and I was playing a guy that I should have been able to beat, but I was just off my game.  I was junking gimmies into the net and spraying balls long and wide.  I lost that match 2-6.  After holding my serve twice in my first match, I didn't win a service game the rest of the day.  The three games I did win were all breaks of serve.  I also, double faulted on match pint in my last two matches.
Takeaways from today:
The Bad - I need more experience in match play.  My mental game sucks.  I need to have a more consistent contact point for my strokes.  I need to be able to string good points together, not just a good shot here and there.  I need to get over my nerves.
The Good - I was able to hit aces against every opponent.  I hit at least one clean winner in each game I played.  This is just one step, my first step in gaining experience to play better and get used to match pressure.
I really didn't like to lose matches I know I'm good enough to win, but I realize that for me, I'm going to have to lose more before I start winning.  I just need to be strong and patient.  I can't get down on myself.  I need to accept my weaknesses and work hard to turn then into strengths.  Finally, I need regular practice.  I'm glad I joined my tennis club in October otherwise I would have had ZERO confidence going into the tournament.  But through this experience, I know what I need to work on (Yes, everything), so I can focus on one thing at a time over the next year until the next tournament.  I hope to play in another tournament in the summer or spring, but it will probably be a doubles tournament with my son, and if not, I'll ask someone at my club to pair up.  The fire is glowing brightly now!

After the tournament, we went to the mall to meet my daughter and to go to our regular family vacation dinner.  At least once every vacation, we go out to eat together.  I was exhausted but I was also very hungry because we didn't have time to eat a regular lunch because the tourney organizers were trying to fit as many matches in in one day as possible.  They gave us lunchtime, but my son wanted to practice during that time, so I only had a bagel and a banana.  BTW, my son made it into the main draw and got to the Best 16.  He ended up losing to an older and more experienced player.  On top of that, he had a callous rip open on his racket hand so he couldn't hit with his usual pace and power.  We'll see what happens in the next tournament.  ANYWAY, we went to our favorite buffet restaurant and had a great meal.  I ate a lot of really healthy food, and a fair portion of not so healthy food.  But I tried to keep it under control.  Then, afterwards, we walked around the mall shopping for things my kids and wife needed/wanted.  Yes, I was the only one who ended up not getting anything, but I wasn't really looking for anything, so I was happy to tag along.  But when I checked my pedometer (which I put on after the tournament, I had walked the equivalent of a 5 km distance.  My legs were really aching by this time and I was needing to stop every once in a while to squat, rest, and stretch my lower back and glutes.  I had used up my last bit of energy reserves shopping.  But as the food I had just eaten started refilling my energy banks, we got home and I closed out the day with a Tai Cheng Flow.  Which I probably wouldn't have done had it not been for a Challenge group I am taking part in through my coach.  Shout out to Elizabeth!

In the end, the tennis alone burned 3100+kcals.  I was feeling it all afternoon and evening.  I'm wondering how I'll feel tomorrow.  Of course a lot of the tightness and soreness was from playing in the tournament, but I'm sure a lot of it was due to nervous stress as well.  Once my body releases that tension, I wonder how the soreness will be.

1-01-18 (Monday) HY: Ab EMS + P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BOOM, Workout A + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 200 + TCF.

1-01-18 (Monday) HY: Ab EMS + P90X3 - Cold Start + Body Weight BOOM, Workout A + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 200 + TCF.

The first day of 2018 was extremely... docile.  I woke up close to 11:30am (which was still before my kids).  I stayed home all day doing little busy work here and there. Finally getting up to my space to see what was going on in the world and get ready for my workout.  While there, I got in my Ab EMS and did some ab warm up. The first workout of the year is the day before my tournament so I didn't want to go to hard, but I wanted to get my heart rate up and to sweat a bit.  So I just continued with the Body Weight BOOM program.  Today was Workout A again, so I went to it.  Starting with Cold Start to warm my whole body up, I felt good and loose at the end. 

Workout A was those same moves: High-Low Plank Drill, Contra-Lateral Toe Touch, Scorpions, and 1 1/4 Squats.  I actually made a mistake last Friday on the first move,  I did only 10 reps total, but it is supposed to be 10 reps for each side leading, so today, I did twice as many as I did on Friday.  For the Toe Touch move, I used more variety in my raised foot placement in all 5 rounds.  My leg was crying out by the end.  Scorpions and Squats were fine, but time consuming.  I was not rushing, but pushing the three points:  Flexing and working the target muscle groups, Time under tension, Range of Motion.  Again, felt the burn right when I should.  Great little workout. 

I wanted to get back into my ab work, not just the EMS, so I started back slow, with Ab Ripper 200.  Great little routine!  I was able to keep up with Tony until the burn just took me out at the Hip Ups.  I had to tap out around the 10th rep.  But I got back into in and finished.  I needed to tap out one more time on the last move around the 15th rep.  My abs are stronger, but their endurance is low. 

I finished off with a year beginning Flow Series.  Smooth and clean. 

In the end, I burned 448kcals.  Pretty much what I was expecting, so no surprise or disappointment.  A good start to the New Year.  Glad to get it done.  No rest for the weary!  2017 was a good year for my workouts, I'm going to crush it in 2018!