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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I was glad to get everything done in one workout.

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