3-06-18 (Tuesday) HY: Isometrics + ChaLEAN Extreme - Burn Intervals + Extreme Core Circuit + TFC.
Today was the final round of entrance exams for the graduate program at my university and I was chosen to be one of two test monitors. Two monitor is usual, but today, there was only one candidate... for a 90-minute test. I mistook the start of the test time and ended up empty-handed... LITERALLY!!! I was due to just sit there watching one student take a test. It was an English test so I was able to read a copy of the test. I read it over more than 10 times, and I read the first sentence close to 20 times, in the first 30 minutes. That is when my brain started to melt from inactivity. So I hit upon the idea of doing Isometrics and Breathing Exercises. So, for the next hour or so, I was doing Isometric and breathing exercises. I did multiple rounds of three sets on my Forearms, Chest, Lats, Back, Biceps, Shoulders, and Calves. Then finally abs. I was surprised at how much of a pump I was getting, and how much of a burn I was getting as well. I decided to stop when my shaking under the tension was getting a little too noticeable, and my breathing started to rise in decibels. It felt really good. But I was able to play with my technique and I discovered that angles are huge. Just a slight change in an angle can activate a whole different set of muscles. I also learned a little about how to activate my target muscles better. That is why I was able to get such a great pump. I'm definitely doing this on the plane.
When I got home, I packed a little more, then got to my workout. I wanted to do a few weights, but not heavy ones, so I went with the original Cardio/Resistance combo routine, Burn Intervals. I started off with the 4kg dumbbells, and I was able to keep them the whole way through. The only extra break in the weighted moves was, of course, during the Triceps part. I did the Kickbacks with no problem and moved right into the Overhead extensions. I got through the Singles with some pain, but once Chalene started the slow reps, I died and had to take a break. There were only four slow reps, but the burn was real. I had to break after the Slow Reps, then I finished out the Triceps on the singles. That is the best I've done on that move in recent memory. The Thigh Toner Band moves were Killer. I totally wasted my glutes with that band. A good type of pain. But I was very happy with my performance on this routine.
Final concentrated Abs for a few weeks, so I went with a fun one. But today, the burn was even hotter than usual. I was killing it, but at the end, I had to really push myself through to the finish. The burn was REAL!
Since this is the last night before I leave for the US, my wife wanted to have dinner with everyone, so I cut my regular stretch and finished out with a good Flow series.
In the end, I burned 623kcals. This ends my regular workouts at home. The next time I exercise, I will be 30,000 feet in the air or be walking around an airport with heavy bags. But once I get to the US, I think I'll be playing quite a bit of Pickle-Ball. Cheers!
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
3-05-18 (Monday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start - Agility X + A40 Abs + Hip Flexor Stretch + TCF.
3-05-18 (Monday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start - Agility X + A40 Abs + Hip Flexor Stretch + TCF.
I was feeling a lot of soreness today, especially in my hamstrings. But I wanted to do another X3 routine, so I went with Agility X thinking it was a little less intense than Accelerator. WRONG!!! A lot of legwork, jumping here and there, Cross Lunges, etc. Very tough. A lot of jump and holds, balance work, and exploding jumps. Legs were feeling it today. My back was also feeling it some with moves like the Toe Tap Skater. But I was surprisingly resilient. The agility moves at first made me feel like a clodhopper. I was just not in control of my body. The positioning of my body just forced my momentum to slow my lateral movement. But once I started to learn more efficient body positioning in the movement, I was able to move faster. Moves like Near and Farrs were a lot easier and faster. I felt the terrible tightness in my hip flexors with the move Scissor Kick Jumps. I just couldn't get my legs up high enough on the quick middle kick. But the move that really took me out was more than halfway in, Plyo V Lunge. The cross lunge with the Plyo-Jumps. I needed a break after that one. The first strength move, Gump Jump Push-Ups, was fine, but I started sweating hard on this one. Then the move that squashed me, Squat Jump Lunge. Like Plyo V Lunge, but with the added Jump Squat in the middle. I was totally fried after this one and needed a break. But the move that finished me off, finished the routine off as well, Plyo Line Push-Ups. This one also, I started it, but about 10 seconds in, I collapsed. So, I took a breather then restarted the minute. Pushed myself to the limit to finish without a break. Killer routine.
I was exhausted, but still had to get my abs done, but just a quickie. A40 Abs fit the bill, short, but major burn reaction in the core. I was tempted to stop at three rounds (which is the prescribed number of rounds) but I pushed on to do 5 rounds. Had to get at least 200 reps on my abs. I finished out with another deep stretch focusing on my hip flexors and hamstrings, then a good Flow series.
In the end, I burned 808kcals. Again, 800+ burned. I'm a happy camper. I'm getting ready for my USA trip. All packed and ready to go. Just some on-the-day stuff that isn't in my bags.
I was feeling a lot of soreness today, especially in my hamstrings. But I wanted to do another X3 routine, so I went with Agility X thinking it was a little less intense than Accelerator. WRONG!!! A lot of legwork, jumping here and there, Cross Lunges, etc. Very tough. A lot of jump and holds, balance work, and exploding jumps. Legs were feeling it today. My back was also feeling it some with moves like the Toe Tap Skater. But I was surprisingly resilient. The agility moves at first made me feel like a clodhopper. I was just not in control of my body. The positioning of my body just forced my momentum to slow my lateral movement. But once I started to learn more efficient body positioning in the movement, I was able to move faster. Moves like Near and Farrs were a lot easier and faster. I felt the terrible tightness in my hip flexors with the move Scissor Kick Jumps. I just couldn't get my legs up high enough on the quick middle kick. But the move that really took me out was more than halfway in, Plyo V Lunge. The cross lunge with the Plyo-Jumps. I needed a break after that one. The first strength move, Gump Jump Push-Ups, was fine, but I started sweating hard on this one. Then the move that squashed me, Squat Jump Lunge. Like Plyo V Lunge, but with the added Jump Squat in the middle. I was totally fried after this one and needed a break. But the move that finished me off, finished the routine off as well, Plyo Line Push-Ups. This one also, I started it, but about 10 seconds in, I collapsed. So, I took a breather then restarted the minute. Pushed myself to the limit to finish without a break. Killer routine.
I was exhausted, but still had to get my abs done, but just a quickie. A40 Abs fit the bill, short, but major burn reaction in the core. I was tempted to stop at three rounds (which is the prescribed number of rounds) but I pushed on to do 5 rounds. Had to get at least 200 reps on my abs. I finished out with another deep stretch focusing on my hip flexors and hamstrings, then a good Flow series.
In the end, I burned 808kcals. Again, 800+ burned. I'm a happy camper. I'm getting ready for my USA trip. All packed and ready to go. Just some on-the-day stuff that isn't in my bags.
3-04-18 (Sunday) HY: P90X3 -Accelerator + P90X2 - X2 Ab Ripper + Hip Flexor Stretch + TCF.
3-04-18 (Sunday) HY: P90X3 -Accelerator + P90X2 - X2 Ab Ripper + Hip Flexor Stretch + TCF.
I am taking the month of March off from my tennis club because I'm going to be away for three out of four weeks and me, being the cheapy that I am, I didn't want to pay the monthly club fee for only two sessions. So today was sort of back to basics with cardio.
Accelerator was a lot tougher than I remember. Starting off with a pretty quick pace, then turning it up a notch. I was breathing hard and sweating bullets. I started off pretty well. I think I killed it for most of the first half, but I lost it on the move Spin Stops. That just totally fried my legs and I had to take a little breather after that one. The next one was Plank Walkers, which wasn't that bad, but I was dying at the end. And that was the last move before the mid-way break. Shoulders were SCREAMING!!! I started off the second half pretty well with the Joel Jumps, but the Plank Circles had to be modified because of space. I don't have enough room to actually make the turns. But that was another killer for my shoulders. Double Trouble Climbers started off fine, but again, I burned out at the end, just able to push myself to the finish line. But the move that totally fried me was the last move, Donkey Kicks. I started off and went for about 20 seconds then flamed out. I took a quick breather, then started the minute again and got to the end. Total exhaustion!!!
BUT, I wanted to get abs but at a slower pace so I went with X2 Ab Ripper. I don't even remember the last time I did it, but it was a great routine that fried my abs crispy. Started off fine, but the move that got me was the Oblique Crunch Roll, about 5 minutes in. That was a great all-around core burner. First time to double over in cramping pain. 10 minutes in, Gate Bridge Lift is usually a relatively easy move, but today, BURN BURN BURN!!! That added lift was the straw the burned me out. The last move, Balance Bike Crunch, only 20 reps, but I had to take a break after 10 reps, then finish it out. My abs just couldn't go all the way. More BURN!!!
I finished out with a good stretch on my hip flexors and also my hamstrings. The past few days my hamstrings and hip flexors have been really sore, so I took time to stretch them out. Then I finished out my workout with a good Flow series.
In the end, I burned 828kcals. I was thinking around two hundred less, so I was happy to top eight hundred. But I missed my tennis.
I am taking the month of March off from my tennis club because I'm going to be away for three out of four weeks and me, being the cheapy that I am, I didn't want to pay the monthly club fee for only two sessions. So today was sort of back to basics with cardio.
Accelerator was a lot tougher than I remember. Starting off with a pretty quick pace, then turning it up a notch. I was breathing hard and sweating bullets. I started off pretty well. I think I killed it for most of the first half, but I lost it on the move Spin Stops. That just totally fried my legs and I had to take a little breather after that one. The next one was Plank Walkers, which wasn't that bad, but I was dying at the end. And that was the last move before the mid-way break. Shoulders were SCREAMING!!! I started off the second half pretty well with the Joel Jumps, but the Plank Circles had to be modified because of space. I don't have enough room to actually make the turns. But that was another killer for my shoulders. Double Trouble Climbers started off fine, but again, I burned out at the end, just able to push myself to the finish line. But the move that totally fried me was the last move, Donkey Kicks. I started off and went for about 20 seconds then flamed out. I took a quick breather, then started the minute again and got to the end. Total exhaustion!!!
BUT, I wanted to get abs but at a slower pace so I went with X2 Ab Ripper. I don't even remember the last time I did it, but it was a great routine that fried my abs crispy. Started off fine, but the move that got me was the Oblique Crunch Roll, about 5 minutes in. That was a great all-around core burner. First time to double over in cramping pain. 10 minutes in, Gate Bridge Lift is usually a relatively easy move, but today, BURN BURN BURN!!! That added lift was the straw the burned me out. The last move, Balance Bike Crunch, only 20 reps, but I had to take a break after 10 reps, then finish it out. My abs just couldn't go all the way. More BURN!!!
I finished out with a good stretch on my hip flexors and also my hamstrings. The past few days my hamstrings and hip flexors have been really sore, so I took time to stretch them out. Then I finished out my workout with a good Flow series.
In the end, I burned 828kcals. I was thinking around two hundred less, so I was happy to top eight hundred. But I missed my tennis.
Friday, March 2, 2018
3-02-18 (Friday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Bodyweight BOOM - Workout A + RevAbs - Merciless Abs + TCF + Stretch.
3-02-18 (Friday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Bodyweight BOOM - Workout A + RevAbs - Merciless Abs + TCF + Stretch.
Today was a great day! I took a half-day off and went to see the Marvel movie, "Black Panther". I really enjoyed it, and I'm really looking forward to Infinity War. But I was able to get home in time to get in a full workout before sunset, so I was very happy.
Started off the same way as yesterday, with Cold Start, and then moved into a different bodyweight routine. Yesterday was from BEAST, today is from BOOM. The circuit was only 4 moves, but these are moves that can't really be done fast, so they actually took longer than one might expect. Here are the moves:
High-Low Plank Drill 10 per side
Contra-Lateral Toe Touch 10 per side
Scorpions 10 per side
1 ¼ Squats 10 per side
I did the prescribed 5 rounds, and I was dripping sweat afterward. By the fourth round, my shoulders were screaming out after the first move. I had to really gut out the last round. My hip flexors were really aching on the second move which made holding steady as I went down a lot more difficult. Then the Scorpions helped to stretch out my hip flexors, and my chest while giving my glutes and core a good workout. For the Squats, I think I may use weights next time because I didn't really feel any type of burn or pump from that move. So I treated it as a recovery move. It is a nice little circuit that is tougher than it looks.
I wanted to get some conventional Ab work in so my eyes fell to Brett. I was debating as to which routine to do and finally decided on the Phase 2 routine instead of the Phase 1 routine. I wanted to test myself with a tough ab/core routine. The thing about Merciless Abs is not the moves, but the slow pace at which Brett leads. Slow V-Ups is a burner move for sure. I got through Round One fine, but Round Two was on a different level of pain. The grunting and groaning on the last couple reps were loud and distinct. The first move was by far the toughest of the three. The second move was a Cross Knee in Plank, then the Spice Round was a Kick Over in Plank. Cross Crunch for the Obliques. Got it done. Then the third move was the standard Capoeira move. I had to gut out the Spice Round because I was using 4kg dumbbells. Heavier than what Brett was using. YEAH!!! But the Burn was hot and REAL!
I finished off with a Flow Series. I was a little concerned about my hip flexors so I took some time to stretch them out, especially in the Butterfly stretch. I used to be able to put my knees down, but not anymore, plus, there was an ache in my hip flexors so I will be taking more time to stretch and get back my hip flexibility. I've been aching there for a while now. I've got to fix that.
In the end, I burned another modest 510 kcals. I was satisfied with my workout today. But I think I will have to kick up the intensity on Sunday. But for now, Happy Weekend!
Today was a great day! I took a half-day off and went to see the Marvel movie, "Black Panther". I really enjoyed it, and I'm really looking forward to Infinity War. But I was able to get home in time to get in a full workout before sunset, so I was very happy.
Started off the same way as yesterday, with Cold Start, and then moved into a different bodyweight routine. Yesterday was from BEAST, today is from BOOM. The circuit was only 4 moves, but these are moves that can't really be done fast, so they actually took longer than one might expect. Here are the moves:
High-Low Plank Drill 10 per side
Contra-Lateral Toe Touch 10 per side
Scorpions 10 per side
1 ¼ Squats 10 per side
I did the prescribed 5 rounds, and I was dripping sweat afterward. By the fourth round, my shoulders were screaming out after the first move. I had to really gut out the last round. My hip flexors were really aching on the second move which made holding steady as I went down a lot more difficult. Then the Scorpions helped to stretch out my hip flexors, and my chest while giving my glutes and core a good workout. For the Squats, I think I may use weights next time because I didn't really feel any type of burn or pump from that move. So I treated it as a recovery move. It is a nice little circuit that is tougher than it looks.
I wanted to get some conventional Ab work in so my eyes fell to Brett. I was debating as to which routine to do and finally decided on the Phase 2 routine instead of the Phase 1 routine. I wanted to test myself with a tough ab/core routine. The thing about Merciless Abs is not the moves, but the slow pace at which Brett leads. Slow V-Ups is a burner move for sure. I got through Round One fine, but Round Two was on a different level of pain. The grunting and groaning on the last couple reps were loud and distinct. The first move was by far the toughest of the three. The second move was a Cross Knee in Plank, then the Spice Round was a Kick Over in Plank. Cross Crunch for the Obliques. Got it done. Then the third move was the standard Capoeira move. I had to gut out the Spice Round because I was using 4kg dumbbells. Heavier than what Brett was using. YEAH!!! But the Burn was hot and REAL!
I finished off with a Flow Series. I was a little concerned about my hip flexors so I took some time to stretch them out, especially in the Butterfly stretch. I used to be able to put my knees down, but not anymore, plus, there was an ache in my hip flexors so I will be taking more time to stretch and get back my hip flexibility. I've been aching there for a while now. I've got to fix that.
In the end, I burned another modest 510 kcals. I was satisfied with my workout today. But I think I will have to kick up the intensity on Sunday. But for now, Happy Weekend!
3-01-18 (Thursday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Bodyweight BEAST - Workout A + TCF + Ab EMS.
3-01-18 (Thursday) HY: P90X3 - Cold Start + Bodyweight BEAST - Workout A + TCF + Ab EMS.
As March begins, I am officially starting my elbow rehabbing month. I am doing this to coincide with my 2.5 week trip to the United States. A week before I leave and a week after I get back will be just bodyweight routines and no bar work. I exacerbated the injury in December when I did that OCR Grip Strength Challenge. I don't regret doing it, but I probably should have stopped when the extent of the injury came clear. But, like an a**, I had to finish it at all costs. So, now, I'll have to really keep watch over my diet so I don't balloon up by the end of March. During my time in the states, I will be playing a lot of Pickle-Ball. Since I will be staying near a relative who runs a local Pickle-Ball club. So I'll be getting in a lot of practice. Also, I'll be eating with relatives, all of whom are vegans, so I'm thinking while I'm away, I'll be eating pretty well. Maybe even lose some inches while I'm there. That would be a first. My mindset whenever I travel to the US is, "eat what I don't have in Japan." I have always gained weight when going to the US. Maybe this will be a new result.
Since I'm started cold, I did Cold Start to warm up, and then I got into the workout. Here is the circuit:
1a) 10 Spiderman Push Ups
1b) 10 Deep Pause Squats (2 sec at the bottom)
1c) 5 Burpees
1d) 10 Jump Squats
1e) Side Planks (20 sec holds per)
1f) 10 Floor V Ups
I did this for 6 rounds. When I did this before, I didn't remember my legs being this fried. But especially on moves 1b to 1d, those just killed my legs. The first two rounds were fine, but I really started to fatigue from the third round. My legs felt like they were on the verge of cramping but didn't. I was also thinking about doing an ab routine, but my core was feeling pretty spent by the end of this one, so I let good enough be.
I did my Flow and then after the regular workout was over, I got my EMS done.
In the end, I burned a very modest 400+ kcals. With bodyweight routines, I'm not expecting to burn a lot, and that is not the point. I'm giving my right arm a good rest before I totally screw it up.
As March begins, I am officially starting my elbow rehabbing month. I am doing this to coincide with my 2.5 week trip to the United States. A week before I leave and a week after I get back will be just bodyweight routines and no bar work. I exacerbated the injury in December when I did that OCR Grip Strength Challenge. I don't regret doing it, but I probably should have stopped when the extent of the injury came clear. But, like an a**, I had to finish it at all costs. So, now, I'll have to really keep watch over my diet so I don't balloon up by the end of March. During my time in the states, I will be playing a lot of Pickle-Ball. Since I will be staying near a relative who runs a local Pickle-Ball club. So I'll be getting in a lot of practice. Also, I'll be eating with relatives, all of whom are vegans, so I'm thinking while I'm away, I'll be eating pretty well. Maybe even lose some inches while I'm there. That would be a first. My mindset whenever I travel to the US is, "eat what I don't have in Japan." I have always gained weight when going to the US. Maybe this will be a new result.
Since I'm started cold, I did Cold Start to warm up, and then I got into the workout. Here is the circuit:
1a) 10 Spiderman Push Ups
1b) 10 Deep Pause Squats (2 sec at the bottom)
1c) 5 Burpees
1d) 10 Jump Squats
1e) Side Planks (20 sec holds per)
1f) 10 Floor V Ups
I did this for 6 rounds. When I did this before, I didn't remember my legs being this fried. But especially on moves 1b to 1d, those just killed my legs. The first two rounds were fine, but I really started to fatigue from the third round. My legs felt like they were on the verge of cramping but didn't. I was also thinking about doing an ab routine, but my core was feeling pretty spent by the end of this one, so I let good enough be.
I did my Flow and then after the regular workout was over, I got my EMS done.
In the end, I burned a very modest 400+ kcals. With bodyweight routines, I'm not expecting to burn a lot, and that is not the point. I'm giving my right arm a good rest before I totally screw it up.
2-28-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + Ab EMS.
2-28-18 (Wednesday) HY: Tennis + Ab EMS.
This is my final Tennis Day until April, so I planned to make the most of it. I left home much earlier in hopes of getting in some extra warm-up time, and it worked. I was able to warm-up with the leader who is arguably the best player in the club. It started out well when we were playing at the service line, but when we moved back to the baseline, that is when the differences started to show up. I am able to handle hard hitters, but I haven't played someone who has such a biting slice backhand. It almost accelerates when it hits the court and it has some weight behind it. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn't catch up to it to get a good stroke on it. Afterward, I was asking him how he hits the shot with so much backspin. His secret is the string tension. I string my racket at 55lbs. which is pretty tight for more power. But he strings his racket at 40lbs. Which is like a butterfly net in comparison. Because it is so loose, the ball stays on the racket surface much longer allowing it him to generate that much more spin. I tried looser strings once, and I couldn't control it. I'll have to find a way to work around that or give up the hard slice. But I was sweating buckets just from the warm-up.
Luckily, again, there weren't many people to start, so it was constant drilling for the first 30 minutes or so. Then suddenly a bunch of people came and we continued doing the same drill for the late-comers. This time there was a little wait, but not much. We had two courts and eventually, 14 members. We were in full rotation mode. Also, when I was at a break station, I didn't rest, I was running around picking up balls and chasing balls to stop them from going into neighboring courts that were occupied by other people. I would say that my strokes were at about 60% and my volleys at 65-70%. Before leaving home, I actually wasn't feeling very good. I was feeling sluggish and very listless. I was feeling that feeling you get just before you catch a cold. Just BLAAAH. But once I got onto the court, that feeling flew away and I was energetic and pumped to play.
We also did Game Sims. This format, today, was about 50%. I would strike the ball well sometimes, then I could feel myself leaning over way too much to hit the ball especially on my backhand. And when I do that, it goes directly into the net like a wet tissue. I wish I could just hit auto-pilot and the good form and footwork would automatically happen. The thing is that I KNOW how to hit a good backhand, and forehand for that matter, but for some reason, all too often I just junk or shank the balls. Granted, there are a lot of "forced" errors, but there are also way too many unforced errors. Those are what I need to clean up and get out of my game.
I got in my EMS later in the evening.
In the end, I burned over 1600 kcals. That was a big burn for a Wednesday. Probably due to the extra play time and the higher intensity rallying. Happy HUMP Day!
This is my final Tennis Day until April, so I planned to make the most of it. I left home much earlier in hopes of getting in some extra warm-up time, and it worked. I was able to warm-up with the leader who is arguably the best player in the club. It started out well when we were playing at the service line, but when we moved back to the baseline, that is when the differences started to show up. I am able to handle hard hitters, but I haven't played someone who has such a biting slice backhand. It almost accelerates when it hits the court and it has some weight behind it. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn't catch up to it to get a good stroke on it. Afterward, I was asking him how he hits the shot with so much backspin. His secret is the string tension. I string my racket at 55lbs. which is pretty tight for more power. But he strings his racket at 40lbs. Which is like a butterfly net in comparison. Because it is so loose, the ball stays on the racket surface much longer allowing it him to generate that much more spin. I tried looser strings once, and I couldn't control it. I'll have to find a way to work around that or give up the hard slice. But I was sweating buckets just from the warm-up.
Luckily, again, there weren't many people to start, so it was constant drilling for the first 30 minutes or so. Then suddenly a bunch of people came and we continued doing the same drill for the late-comers. This time there was a little wait, but not much. We had two courts and eventually, 14 members. We were in full rotation mode. Also, when I was at a break station, I didn't rest, I was running around picking up balls and chasing balls to stop them from going into neighboring courts that were occupied by other people. I would say that my strokes were at about 60% and my volleys at 65-70%. Before leaving home, I actually wasn't feeling very good. I was feeling sluggish and very listless. I was feeling that feeling you get just before you catch a cold. Just BLAAAH. But once I got onto the court, that feeling flew away and I was energetic and pumped to play.
We also did Game Sims. This format, today, was about 50%. I would strike the ball well sometimes, then I could feel myself leaning over way too much to hit the ball especially on my backhand. And when I do that, it goes directly into the net like a wet tissue. I wish I could just hit auto-pilot and the good form and footwork would automatically happen. The thing is that I KNOW how to hit a good backhand, and forehand for that matter, but for some reason, all too often I just junk or shank the balls. Granted, there are a lot of "forced" errors, but there are also way too many unforced errors. Those are what I need to clean up and get out of my game.
I got in my EMS later in the evening.
In the end, I burned over 1600 kcals. That was a big burn for a Wednesday. Probably due to the extra play time and the higher intensity rallying. Happy HUMP Day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)