4-19-17 HY: Insanity MAX 30 - Pulse + TCF.
Love my mid-week recovery day!
Okay, no more putting it off. I was going to do X3 Yoga again, then I was thinking about X2 Mobility and Recovery, but then Pulse jumped into my head and that was it. It is a little shorter than I usually like on a recovery day, but I wanted to do it at least once. Plus, I had heard very good things about it so I figured that the short time would just be a bonus. So I went for it. The way the routine was set up, it reminded me of T25 Alpha - Speed 1.0 with the cardio/active move and then a stretch. I really enjoyed it and it was nice for Shaun T to make my legs burn a bit with those Pulse Squat moves. I didn't look at the time, but I maxed out a bit on the second ab move. The one where I had to hold my legs just 6" off the ground. I had to put my feet down twice in the minute. I thought it was interesting that the moves started off at 30-seconds then eventually increased to 1-minute. But the mix of moves and stretches was good.
I also did several Flows to keep the recovery mood on.
In the end, I burned a modest 200+kcals but I felt great.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
4-18-17 HY: Insanity MAX 30 - Sweat Fest + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 250 + Splits + TCF.
4-18-17 HY: Insanity MAX 30 - Sweat Fest + Power 90 - Ab Ripper 250 + Splits + TCF.
Because my schedule was thrown out of whack, today turned into a cardio day. I was intending to do T25 to see how it directly compares with MAX 30, but I figured I'd do the Bonus routines I haven't done yet. Two remain "Pulse" and "MAX 15". I'll give those a go in the next week or two. But today it was Sweat Fest.
On just a brief look at the progress bar, I was a little surprised at the large number of breaks there were. Also, the room was a lot bigger than the program room to go along with the huge number of people. But it was nice to see some familiar faces from Insanity like Chris, Tania, and Ariel. A few from T25 as well. The routine started off as a normal MAX 30 routine, with a rigorous warm up. But after the break, there was a 5-6 minute stretch, so the actual routine ends up being only 20 minutes. So I thought I'd knock it out of the park especially with all the breaks. I will say that I did not like the disorganization of the clock. What I mean by that is that Shaun T was very slip-shod with the time of the moves. Most of the time he would go over the thirty seconds he said each move was. But each move was anywhere from 25 to 45 seconds. And when we are doing a really tough move, it is nice to know the ending time will be the ending time. I'm just saying. But on the positive side, I liked the short circuits and the breaks between each round. However, the differences with the regular MAX 30 program were many. Moves were the same as in all the Insanity programs, nothing new or original, just a repackaging. But the move combinations in the individual circuits was genius. Mixing the upper body move with a lower body move and a strength/core move. As I said, I thought I'd crush this routine, but I actually didn't. My MAX OUT Time was 24:34 at the beginning of the Ski Abs. I couldn't even get into Plank. I was just so spent after the Push-Up Jacks I couldn't even begin the Ski Abs so I MAXED OUT! After that, I needed a break every two moves. I was just so spent. The last move, "Plank Punches" ended up being the odd time of 1 minute and 11 seconds. I needed a few Breaks just to make it all the way through. But despite all the negatives that I found in comparison to the actual program, I really liked Sweat Fest. I called them negatives, but they were not actually negatives. Rather, as I said, differences with something that I had gotten used to and was not ready for all the inconsistencies that existed therein. It was like they were still figuring out how to run the routines. A bit freestyle refreshing. Either way, I will most likely do this routine again and again because it got me sweating like crazy!
I wanted to do my abs but didn't want to go full on because I did on regular routine yesterday, but didn't want to miss two days of Abs because tomorrow is a mid-week recovery day, definitely no Abs tomorrow, so I got out my old faithful and added 5 reps to each move. I was handling it fine, but those extra five reps add up and I was dying by move seven. I actually had to rewind the DVD to stay with it a few times. And my abs were BURNING!!! Felt great and painful.
I did my regular Splits routine but again in dynamic mode. I think I like that better. It moves a little faster and I can push more and harder. But my hamstrings were really sore from yesterday, so I had to go a little slower. My Flow was right on. I started taking Fish Oil again and I think that that has had a great impact on my knee.
In the end, I torched a nice 826kcals. Not bad for a shorter workout.
The big thing today, though is that I finally got a new pair of workout shoes. I used them yesterday, but with resistance training, I didn't get to really push them. Today with MAX 30, I pushed them and they felt great. Below are a couple pics of my new and old shoes.
I have been looking for new workout shoes for a long time because the material was stretching and I had just about tightened the laces as tight as they would go to take in that space. I looked a lot but I just couldn't find a good fit or style or whatever. So I hit upon the idea of looking for badminton shoes. They provide very good lateral support and have just as good cushion as tennis shoes, plus they tread is smooth so they won't rip up my mat. I used my new shoes today for the first time on an intense and brutal routine, and I must say, they were awesome! I'm very happy with them.
Because my schedule was thrown out of whack, today turned into a cardio day. I was intending to do T25 to see how it directly compares with MAX 30, but I figured I'd do the Bonus routines I haven't done yet. Two remain "Pulse" and "MAX 15". I'll give those a go in the next week or two. But today it was Sweat Fest.
On just a brief look at the progress bar, I was a little surprised at the large number of breaks there were. Also, the room was a lot bigger than the program room to go along with the huge number of people. But it was nice to see some familiar faces from Insanity like Chris, Tania, and Ariel. A few from T25 as well. The routine started off as a normal MAX 30 routine, with a rigorous warm up. But after the break, there was a 5-6 minute stretch, so the actual routine ends up being only 20 minutes. So I thought I'd knock it out of the park especially with all the breaks. I will say that I did not like the disorganization of the clock. What I mean by that is that Shaun T was very slip-shod with the time of the moves. Most of the time he would go over the thirty seconds he said each move was. But each move was anywhere from 25 to 45 seconds. And when we are doing a really tough move, it is nice to know the ending time will be the ending time. I'm just saying. But on the positive side, I liked the short circuits and the breaks between each round. However, the differences with the regular MAX 30 program were many. Moves were the same as in all the Insanity programs, nothing new or original, just a repackaging. But the move combinations in the individual circuits was genius. Mixing the upper body move with a lower body move and a strength/core move. As I said, I thought I'd crush this routine, but I actually didn't. My MAX OUT Time was 24:34 at the beginning of the Ski Abs. I couldn't even get into Plank. I was just so spent after the Push-Up Jacks I couldn't even begin the Ski Abs so I MAXED OUT! After that, I needed a break every two moves. I was just so spent. The last move, "Plank Punches" ended up being the odd time of 1 minute and 11 seconds. I needed a few Breaks just to make it all the way through. But despite all the negatives that I found in comparison to the actual program, I really liked Sweat Fest. I called them negatives, but they were not actually negatives. Rather, as I said, differences with something that I had gotten used to and was not ready for all the inconsistencies that existed therein. It was like they were still figuring out how to run the routines. A bit freestyle refreshing. Either way, I will most likely do this routine again and again because it got me sweating like crazy!
I wanted to do my abs but didn't want to go full on because I did on regular routine yesterday, but didn't want to miss two days of Abs because tomorrow is a mid-week recovery day, definitely no Abs tomorrow, so I got out my old faithful and added 5 reps to each move. I was handling it fine, but those extra five reps add up and I was dying by move seven. I actually had to rewind the DVD to stay with it a few times. And my abs were BURNING!!! Felt great and painful.
I did my regular Splits routine but again in dynamic mode. I think I like that better. It moves a little faster and I can push more and harder. But my hamstrings were really sore from yesterday, so I had to go a little slower. My Flow was right on. I started taking Fish Oil again and I think that that has had a great impact on my knee.
In the end, I torched a nice 826kcals. Not bad for a shorter workout.
The big thing today, though is that I finally got a new pair of workout shoes. I used them yesterday, but with resistance training, I didn't get to really push them. Today with MAX 30, I pushed them and they felt great. Below are a couple pics of my new and old shoes.
I have been looking for new workout shoes for a long time because the material was stretching and I had just about tightened the laces as tight as they would go to take in that space. I looked a lot but I just couldn't find a good fit or style or whatever. So I hit upon the idea of looking for badminton shoes. They provide very good lateral support and have just as good cushion as tennis shoes, plus they tread is smooth so they won't rip up my mat. I used my new shoes today for the first time on an intense and brutal routine, and I must say, they were awesome! I'm very happy with them.
Monday, April 17, 2017
4-17-17 HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Burn Circuit 2 + Ab Burner + Splits + TCF.
4-17-17 HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Burn Circuit 2 + Ab Burner + Splits + TCF.
I was planning to play tennis today after work, but the gym was occupied by a class, so that was a bust. But I wasn't too bummed because I could do the weights I was supposed to do yesterday. My schedule is going to be all over the place, but being flexible is the name of the game. Just do what you can and enjoy the journey.
A couple things about today's resistance routine, I was able to do more pull-ups than the last time, but the Switch Grip Pull-Up helped with that increase and the One-Arm Pull-Up was a double but in today's case a triple. I tried it with my stiffest resistance band, and I was able to do 4 reps with my right, but none with my left. So I switched back to the regular style which is putting my feet on a step ladder and pulling up with some assistance from my legs. Got six reps on each arm, but my right got that little extra burn in the beginning. I was following the program and the pace of Chalene, and man! I was getting so winded after each move about half way in. It was brutal. My forearms started to feel in on move 6. Bowler's Lunge with Single-Arm Row. Man, I was dying at the end of each set. Each move after that, I needed an extra few moments to recover. My back started to get that familiar ache with the 8th move, Forward-Lean Lunge with Double Row. Just 12kgs, but my grip strength was going and keeping my back flat was tough especially with that ache. The biggest shock was with move 4. Sumo Squat with Overhead Triceps Extension. I thought my triceps were pretty strong, but this is the only move that I didn't make all 12 reps. At the 9th rep, my tris were BURNING and I barely eeked out that 10th rep. For the last move I started off fine but by the last three reps the sweat was just pouring off my head and face. I don't ever remember that move being THAT tough. I felt the burn multiple times today. BOOOO YAAAA!!!
Went with an oldie but goodie today for abs. I thought it would serve as a good gauge for how weak or strong my core has become. I was able to get through all the moves pretty well without hitting failure, but I felt that warm burn coming on several times and that focused contraction hardening my abs especially with the weighted section. Felt good, but tough.
Splits routine today. Everything was on the same routine, but instead of just holding, I went fast to my stretch point, pushed it past with a few bounces, then moved on. No lingering on one move. I heard that static stretching is not very helpful went trying to increase flexibility. Rather dynamic stretching is better once I hit the stretch point. So, I'm going with that concept for now and see if I get any beneficial change. It felt good today, and I think I got really low and I liked seeing and feeling the bounce past the stretch point.
My Flow was very easy and smooth today. A little cautious with my knee, but zero pain so I was happy.
In the end, I torched a good 1050+kcals. I got exhausted several times, but my HR never topped 155bpm. Still in control.
I was planning to play tennis today after work, but the gym was occupied by a class, so that was a bust. But I wasn't too bummed because I could do the weights I was supposed to do yesterday. My schedule is going to be all over the place, but being flexible is the name of the game. Just do what you can and enjoy the journey.
A couple things about today's resistance routine, I was able to do more pull-ups than the last time, but the Switch Grip Pull-Up helped with that increase and the One-Arm Pull-Up was a double but in today's case a triple. I tried it with my stiffest resistance band, and I was able to do 4 reps with my right, but none with my left. So I switched back to the regular style which is putting my feet on a step ladder and pulling up with some assistance from my legs. Got six reps on each arm, but my right got that little extra burn in the beginning. I was following the program and the pace of Chalene, and man! I was getting so winded after each move about half way in. It was brutal. My forearms started to feel in on move 6. Bowler's Lunge with Single-Arm Row. Man, I was dying at the end of each set. Each move after that, I needed an extra few moments to recover. My back started to get that familiar ache with the 8th move, Forward-Lean Lunge with Double Row. Just 12kgs, but my grip strength was going and keeping my back flat was tough especially with that ache. The biggest shock was with move 4. Sumo Squat with Overhead Triceps Extension. I thought my triceps were pretty strong, but this is the only move that I didn't make all 12 reps. At the 9th rep, my tris were BURNING and I barely eeked out that 10th rep. For the last move I started off fine but by the last three reps the sweat was just pouring off my head and face. I don't ever remember that move being THAT tough. I felt the burn multiple times today. BOOOO YAAAA!!!
Went with an oldie but goodie today for abs. I thought it would serve as a good gauge for how weak or strong my core has become. I was able to get through all the moves pretty well without hitting failure, but I felt that warm burn coming on several times and that focused contraction hardening my abs especially with the weighted section. Felt good, but tough.
Splits routine today. Everything was on the same routine, but instead of just holding, I went fast to my stretch point, pushed it past with a few bounces, then moved on. No lingering on one move. I heard that static stretching is not very helpful went trying to increase flexibility. Rather dynamic stretching is better once I hit the stretch point. So, I'm going with that concept for now and see if I get any beneficial change. It felt good today, and I think I got really low and I liked seeing and feeling the bounce past the stretch point.
My Flow was very easy and smooth today. A little cautious with my knee, but zero pain so I was happy.
In the end, I torched a good 1050+kcals. I got exhausted several times, but my HR never topped 155bpm. Still in control.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
4-16-17 Tennis.
4-16-17 Tennis.
I was planning to do weights today, but my wife really wanted to play tennis. So, I thought I could do a double workout today. But by the time I got home, I was too tired and decided to call it a day. Also, I was intending to do my splits in the evening, but my daughter wanted to play, so I spent my evening with her. She is a bit under the weather so she wanted some attention, I guess. Who better to give her attention than her daddy!
Tennis was good. My wife is getting better and is starting to hit the ball with a little pace. So I started to hit some balls back with a little power. She is still working on timing her back swing so sometime she didn't make it, but often times, she got it back over the net. She was still able to run me around the court. We both had a good time. We started to play a set, but I spotted her a 1-5 score. I was coming back 3-5 when we had to vacate the court.
In the end, I torched a nice 880+kcals. Again, a tiring day, so I called it after tennis. I'll have to get in that stretch tomorrow.
I was planning to do weights today, but my wife really wanted to play tennis. So, I thought I could do a double workout today. But by the time I got home, I was too tired and decided to call it a day. Also, I was intending to do my splits in the evening, but my daughter wanted to play, so I spent my evening with her. She is a bit under the weather so she wanted some attention, I guess. Who better to give her attention than her daddy!
Tennis was good. My wife is getting better and is starting to hit the ball with a little pace. So I started to hit some balls back with a little power. She is still working on timing her back swing so sometime she didn't make it, but often times, she got it back over the net. She was still able to run me around the court. We both had a good time. We started to play a set, but I spotted her a 1-5 score. I was coming back 3-5 when we had to vacate the court.
In the end, I torched a nice 880+kcals. Again, a tiring day, so I called it after tennis. I'll have to get in that stretch tomorrow.
4-14-17 Pickle-Ball.
4-14-17 Pickle-Ball.
Today was Pickle-Ball day. Very competitive match today. We usually play four games, but today, we could only fit in three because they are getting longer. We played our longest game to date today. Our last first-to-fifteen game took just under thirty minutes. Fortunately, I was able to come out on top. The scores were 15-8, 13-15, 15-11. The games scores don't really tell the story of the match. But there were points in all three games when the score just didn't move. We kept trading serves. Then, finally one of us pulled forward but then the other one caught up. Those nail-biting games are the best.
In the end, I torched a good 1000+kcals. I wanted to do a stretch at home, but just didn't have the time once I got home. Also, I was still sore from the weights yesterday.
Today was Pickle-Ball day. Very competitive match today. We usually play four games, but today, we could only fit in three because they are getting longer. We played our longest game to date today. Our last first-to-fifteen game took just under thirty minutes. Fortunately, I was able to come out on top. The scores were 15-8, 13-15, 15-11. The games scores don't really tell the story of the match. But there were points in all three games when the score just didn't move. We kept trading serves. Then, finally one of us pulled forward but then the other one caught up. Those nail-biting games are the best.
In the end, I torched a good 1000+kcals. I wanted to do a stretch at home, but just didn't have the time once I got home. Also, I was still sore from the weights yesterday.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
4-13-17 HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Burn Circuit 1 + Extreme Core Circuit + TCF + Unlock your Hip Flexors.
4-13-17 HY: ChaLEAN Extreme - Burn Circuit 1 + Extreme Core Circuit + TCF + Unlock your Hip Flexors.
Today was sort of a regular work day. But I was able to make it home a little earlier than usual. I was thinking I could do a full workout, but when I got home, I ended up talking with my wife for a while so I was pressed for time. But our talk was good so I'm happy either way. Normally I would do a one-off on a day like today, but I figured I just start the cycle and end it when it ends. As long as I get at least two resistance days in a week, I'll be happy. But I was anxious to get back into resistance training because I knew I was losing strength without it. So, to get back into it, I am going with a program that lit my love for weight training.
Since it has been a while since I did a full-on weight training routine and knowing I've lost strength, I decided to drop my weights down by 3-5kgs. You can see the comparison below in the picture. I also kept the interval Pull-Up moves, but my reps were way down. But now, since I am basically starting over again, I'm going for full range of motion on my Pull-Ups. All the way down and chin over the bar. On top of that, I'm going at a slower pace than just pumping out as many as I can until I fail. I will go at a slower pace and max out. Throughout this routine, I was feeling muscles I had long forgotten, and it felt good. I'm sticking with Chalene's slower pace per rep, too. The slow reps seem to bring on the burn with more intensity. I was surely feeling it today. I'm not going to do a full program, I'm just going to do half, so just two weeks per circuit instead of four. During this time, I hope to raise my Pull-Up count to around 10-12 reps. But it was tough today not only because of my inherent muscular weakness but also because of my left shoulder pain. I'm hoping that working the muscle will iron out the knots in my muscle or at least make it easier to knead out with my rumble roller. But speaking of my shoulder, I had to go a lot lighter to protect my shoulder, also, to improve my range of motion. And also, so I could do holds at the top of each rep, not just swing the dumbbells up and fall down. That is where the burn came from. I loved today's workout.
I wanted to do abs, too, but I was short on time, so I stuck with Chalene and did Extreme Core Circuit. This time, I got back to using the 2kg hand weights. Got a good burn with them. Then, I went right into the Flow, again, because of time issues. I planned to do the Unlock your Hip Flexors after my night class. I did the modified version because I got home late and wanted to get to bed early. Then I finished off the main workout with a nice Flow.
In the end, I torched a good 898kcals. Feel the burn with the weights!!
Today was sort of a regular work day. But I was able to make it home a little earlier than usual. I was thinking I could do a full workout, but when I got home, I ended up talking with my wife for a while so I was pressed for time. But our talk was good so I'm happy either way. Normally I would do a one-off on a day like today, but I figured I just start the cycle and end it when it ends. As long as I get at least two resistance days in a week, I'll be happy. But I was anxious to get back into resistance training because I knew I was losing strength without it. So, to get back into it, I am going with a program that lit my love for weight training.
Since it has been a while since I did a full-on weight training routine and knowing I've lost strength, I decided to drop my weights down by 3-5kgs. You can see the comparison below in the picture. I also kept the interval Pull-Up moves, but my reps were way down. But now, since I am basically starting over again, I'm going for full range of motion on my Pull-Ups. All the way down and chin over the bar. On top of that, I'm going at a slower pace than just pumping out as many as I can until I fail. I will go at a slower pace and max out. Throughout this routine, I was feeling muscles I had long forgotten, and it felt good. I'm sticking with Chalene's slower pace per rep, too. The slow reps seem to bring on the burn with more intensity. I was surely feeling it today. I'm not going to do a full program, I'm just going to do half, so just two weeks per circuit instead of four. During this time, I hope to raise my Pull-Up count to around 10-12 reps. But it was tough today not only because of my inherent muscular weakness but also because of my left shoulder pain. I'm hoping that working the muscle will iron out the knots in my muscle or at least make it easier to knead out with my rumble roller. But speaking of my shoulder, I had to go a lot lighter to protect my shoulder, also, to improve my range of motion. And also, so I could do holds at the top of each rep, not just swing the dumbbells up and fall down. That is where the burn came from. I loved today's workout.
I wanted to do abs, too, but I was short on time, so I stuck with Chalene and did Extreme Core Circuit. This time, I got back to using the 2kg hand weights. Got a good burn with them. Then, I went right into the Flow, again, because of time issues. I planned to do the Unlock your Hip Flexors after my night class. I did the modified version because I got home late and wanted to get to bed early. Then I finished off the main workout with a nice Flow.
In the end, I torched a good 898kcals. Feel the burn with the weights!!
4-12-17 HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + TCF.
4-12-17 HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + TCF.
I think MAX 30 was wearing on me. I mean, I loved the program and the individual routines, but doing that intense of a workout five days a week with a day of intense sports on another day and taking only one off day, WHEW!!! I think a month at a time is all my body would allow. After the first month, I got sick with the flu. Then I was feeling a bit worn out at the end of the second month and needed a few off days at the end to make it.
SOOOOO, Today was a treasure!!!
I brought back my Mid-Week Recovery Day! It has been at least a ten weeks since I last took a recovery day so I was ready for this one. I also wanted to get back into yoga. I was curious as to how I would do on different moves or poses. The big question for me was this, with my shoulder injury, would I be able to do the Wrap move. Answer: YES!!! I was actually surprised that I could do it. And I was able to do it without too much effort, as far as being able to grab my hands. There was a lot of stress on the front leg, but that has always been. Half Moon? I had a little bit of a balance issue on my right side but nailed it on the left. I was also wondering about Camel Pose. NAILED IT!!! It all went by too fast and the 30 minutes was gone. Let me tell you, 30 minutes of MAX 30 and 30 minutes of X3 Yoga present time in a very different manner. One just flies by while the other gets you on your knees praying for it to end. But both are awesome!
I had a great Yoga session and I had a great Flow session to end today's workout. Everything just seemed to fit into place. Now the question is, "What to do tomorrow?"
I was wearing my HRM, but the burn was of no consequence today. But just for the record's sake...
In the end, I burned just under 300kcals in 45 minutes. Great recovery day, and happy to have it back!
I think MAX 30 was wearing on me. I mean, I loved the program and the individual routines, but doing that intense of a workout five days a week with a day of intense sports on another day and taking only one off day, WHEW!!! I think a month at a time is all my body would allow. After the first month, I got sick with the flu. Then I was feeling a bit worn out at the end of the second month and needed a few off days at the end to make it.
SOOOOO, Today was a treasure!!!
I brought back my Mid-Week Recovery Day! It has been at least a ten weeks since I last took a recovery day so I was ready for this one. I also wanted to get back into yoga. I was curious as to how I would do on different moves or poses. The big question for me was this, with my shoulder injury, would I be able to do the Wrap move. Answer: YES!!! I was actually surprised that I could do it. And I was able to do it without too much effort, as far as being able to grab my hands. There was a lot of stress on the front leg, but that has always been. Half Moon? I had a little bit of a balance issue on my right side but nailed it on the left. I was also wondering about Camel Pose. NAILED IT!!! It all went by too fast and the 30 minutes was gone. Let me tell you, 30 minutes of MAX 30 and 30 minutes of X3 Yoga present time in a very different manner. One just flies by while the other gets you on your knees praying for it to end. But both are awesome!
I had a great Yoga session and I had a great Flow session to end today's workout. Everything just seemed to fit into place. Now the question is, "What to do tomorrow?"
I was wearing my HRM, but the burn was of no consequence today. But just for the record's sake...
In the end, I burned just under 300kcals in 45 minutes. Great recovery day, and happy to have it back!
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