10-14-17 (Saturday) Walking.
Saturday is normally my off day, but the weather was absolutely perfect along with the temperature. I couldn't NOT GO OUTSIDE!!! So I took a walk with friends from church for over 2 hours. It was beautiful. I look forward to doing that again! No HRM, but I sweat a lot. My back was a little achy, but I powered through. Happy to be where I wanted to be on a Saturday like this.
Monday, October 16, 2017
10-13-17 (Friday) HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + 30-Day PUC + TCF.
10-13-17 (Friday) HY: P90X3 - X3 Yoga + 30-Day PUC + TCF.
I went for the morning workout today. Also, I did something new. Usually, when I do morning workouts, I have a shake, then do the workout. But today, I flipped them around. Since it wasn't a high intensity workout, I tried doing it on an empty stomach. So, I got right to it. It wasn't that bad. I didn't feel all that hungry, and I didn't feel like I was going to faint from low blood sugar. I wonder how I would have felt if I had done a more intense routine, like something from P90X or Insanity.
The yoga was good. I felt very solid today. I crushed pretty much every move. My balance was much better on everything from Half-Moon to reverse Half-Moon, to the Crow pose. In fact, I held it for the whole time. Woo Hoo! It has been a long time since I was strong enough to do that. Toe Bind was good, the Wrap was good, everything just felt good. I was very happy with my performance of the Yoga.
I had to do the second and final day of the Week 2 schedule of the 30-Day Pull-Up Challenge. I didn't want to do it cold, so I decided to do it after yoga. I wasn't looking forward to it because I knew how much it was going to hurt. Although, it didn't hurt as much as before, it still totally wasted me. It felt good to get those negatives out of the way. One big thing with the negatives is that that version really works the forearms. They were just dying the other day, and they were dying today. I was able to get a little further before I needed to take a split, but it was good. There was a little progress.
Finishing off with my Flow series. Great start to the day.
In the end, I burned just over 600kcals. Looking forward to the next week's sets. I'm looking for some good epic days. Happy Weekend!
I went for the morning workout today. Also, I did something new. Usually, when I do morning workouts, I have a shake, then do the workout. But today, I flipped them around. Since it wasn't a high intensity workout, I tried doing it on an empty stomach. So, I got right to it. It wasn't that bad. I didn't feel all that hungry, and I didn't feel like I was going to faint from low blood sugar. I wonder how I would have felt if I had done a more intense routine, like something from P90X or Insanity.
The yoga was good. I felt very solid today. I crushed pretty much every move. My balance was much better on everything from Half-Moon to reverse Half-Moon, to the Crow pose. In fact, I held it for the whole time. Woo Hoo! It has been a long time since I was strong enough to do that. Toe Bind was good, the Wrap was good, everything just felt good. I was very happy with my performance of the Yoga.
I had to do the second and final day of the Week 2 schedule of the 30-Day Pull-Up Challenge. I didn't want to do it cold, so I decided to do it after yoga. I wasn't looking forward to it because I knew how much it was going to hurt. Although, it didn't hurt as much as before, it still totally wasted me. It felt good to get those negatives out of the way. One big thing with the negatives is that that version really works the forearms. They were just dying the other day, and they were dying today. I was able to get a little further before I needed to take a split, but it was good. There was a little progress.
Finishing off with my Flow series. Great start to the day.
In the end, I burned just over 600kcals. Looking forward to the next week's sets. I'm looking for some good epic days. Happy Weekend!
Saturday, October 14, 2017
10-12-17 (Thursday) HY: YAYOG - Advanced: Timed Sets + ChaLEAN Extreme - Ab Burner + TCF.
10-12-17 (Thursday) HY: YAYOG - Advanced: Timed Sets + ChaLEAN Extreme - Ab Burner + TCF.
I only had about 90 minutes to complete my workout because of a night class after a full day schedule. So the time crunch was on.
The last time I did the Advanced Timed Sets, I was about dead at the end. Mark said that this was the toughest routine in the program, and last week, I truly thought it was. The four moves done for 8 sets each for 20 seconds, then a 20 second breaks between. The first two sets were fine, just warming up, good form, and relatively steady breathing. The next two sets, I started to feel the grind, but still relatively strong. The next two sets were TOUGH. Muscles started to feel the burn, and form started to wain, but I was able to keep it in check. The last two sets were BRUTAL, a true test of fortitude. The BURN was on and for each move, strain and pain. The first two moves were the worst of it. Star Jumps is just so not cool to start a routine with. The second move was "Half" Dive Bombers, but I did full Dive Bombers. The Pain and Strain were killers definitely in the last two sets. The third move, Oblique V-Ups, I really pushed it ion this move, I did each rep as fast as I could but with good form, full range of motion, a jerk-pause at the top and bottom to prevent momentum, and steady breathing to air out the pain. I was able to hammer out 20 reps on both sides in the last two sets. OUCH!!! The final move, Hip Raises, the real challenge was to keep my shoulders above my hands. I kind of let things slip a bit allowing some momentum to help me swing my hips into position. At the end of the routine, I didn't feel as dead as the last time. I felt pretty good actually and I was able to move on to the next routine quickly.
I had intended to step up to Extreme Abs, but because of the limited time, I stuck with Ab Burner. My abs were already somewhat fried because of the Oblique V-Ups earlier, but I was able to power through. I did have to take a break in stride (no need to rewind the DVD), by just putting my feet down for a moment, but it was quick, just to relieve the cramping coming on. Abs were feeling it.
The Flow series at the end was solid after a big "Blank Out". I was 3/4 of the way through my first Flow when I suddenly forgot what the next movement was, so I started over and got through. Because of that miss, I did a double series, luckily I had the time.
In the end, I burned just over 600kcals. I knew I was going to feel it all night and the next day.
I only had about 90 minutes to complete my workout because of a night class after a full day schedule. So the time crunch was on.
The last time I did the Advanced Timed Sets, I was about dead at the end. Mark said that this was the toughest routine in the program, and last week, I truly thought it was. The four moves done for 8 sets each for 20 seconds, then a 20 second breaks between. The first two sets were fine, just warming up, good form, and relatively steady breathing. The next two sets, I started to feel the grind, but still relatively strong. The next two sets were TOUGH. Muscles started to feel the burn, and form started to wain, but I was able to keep it in check. The last two sets were BRUTAL, a true test of fortitude. The BURN was on and for each move, strain and pain. The first two moves were the worst of it. Star Jumps is just so not cool to start a routine with. The second move was "Half" Dive Bombers, but I did full Dive Bombers. The Pain and Strain were killers definitely in the last two sets. The third move, Oblique V-Ups, I really pushed it ion this move, I did each rep as fast as I could but with good form, full range of motion, a jerk-pause at the top and bottom to prevent momentum, and steady breathing to air out the pain. I was able to hammer out 20 reps on both sides in the last two sets. OUCH!!! The final move, Hip Raises, the real challenge was to keep my shoulders above my hands. I kind of let things slip a bit allowing some momentum to help me swing my hips into position. At the end of the routine, I didn't feel as dead as the last time. I felt pretty good actually and I was able to move on to the next routine quickly.
I had intended to step up to Extreme Abs, but because of the limited time, I stuck with Ab Burner. My abs were already somewhat fried because of the Oblique V-Ups earlier, but I was able to power through. I did have to take a break in stride (no need to rewind the DVD), by just putting my feet down for a moment, but it was quick, just to relieve the cramping coming on. Abs were feeling it.
The Flow series at the end was solid after a big "Blank Out". I was 3/4 of the way through my first Flow when I suddenly forgot what the next movement was, so I started over and got through. Because of that miss, I did a double series, luckily I had the time.
In the end, I burned just over 600kcals. I knew I was going to feel it all night and the next day.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
10-11-17 (Wednesday) HY: Lower Back Stretch + Foam Rolling.
10-11-17 (Wednesday) HY: Lower Back Stretch + Foam Rolling.
Uh-Oh, I think I overdid it a little on the splits and hamstrings. My lower back was feeling a little strained. I was lucky it didn't go out again. So, today I thought I should take it easy and stretch it out and try to relieve the soreness and tightness. So today was just about giving my back a break and letting the muscles relax. The stretching and rolling did a lot to help recover. It was also good because I had 4 classes today so my back was tight from that also. No HRM, so no burn count. Good session.
Uh-Oh, I think I overdid it a little on the splits and hamstrings. My lower back was feeling a little strained. I was lucky it didn't go out again. So, today I thought I should take it easy and stretch it out and try to relieve the soreness and tightness. So today was just about giving my back a break and letting the muscles relax. The stretching and rolling did a lot to help recover. It was also good because I had 4 classes today so my back was tight from that also. No HRM, so no burn count. Good session.
10-10-17 HY: P90X3 - The Warrior + Splits + TFC.
10-10-17 HY: P90X3 - The Warrior + Splits + TFC.
After a big day of tennis and a brutal YAYOG Advanced workout, I was feeling a little worn out, so I went with an intense but slower paced routine. I also wanted something "full body", and something relatively new or "not-done-in-a-while". It has probably been more than a year since I did The Warrior so I thought I'd check it out, and sure enough, it was exactly what I wanted. Like YAYOG Circuit training, there are four moves in five sets. But unlike YAYOG, there are different moves for each set, but the focus is the same. So, I liked the variety MUCH more in this routine. The focus of the moves are, first, an upper body move, then a cardio move, then an abs/core move, and finally an explosive legs/lower body move. Each focus point was hammered each round. Although there were only five rounds/sets, each move was a minute long so the total workout time was more than YAYOG. The great this is that since there was a tough ab move in the routine, I didn't feel the need to do a separate ab routine afterward. I got the burn I needed already. By the end of the routine, my arms and chest, core, legs, and cardiovascular system were pushed to their limit resulting in an intense, full body burn.
All that done, I was able to cool down and move right into the next part of the workout. I was feeling good, and I was feeling tight in my legs, so I decided to revisit my splits training. I went through the full routine, borrowing a lot from Tai Cheng's Neural Reboot 4 routine as usual. As expected, I lost distance in my splits, and I was pretty tight in my right hip flexor especially on the Straddle Splits. But after a few shakes of the leg, I was able to get the muscle back into position and go down so the stretch hit my inner thighs. I started off the session about 25cm up but finished around 18cm. Hamstrings are still a big problem so I did a little extra to stretch and loosen them up. But the biggest problems are still my Hip Flexors. I'll have to push those every chance I get to maintain a good level of flexibility. Then I finished off with a good series of Flows.
In the end, I burned a good 700+kcals. Surprisingly good workout today and shorter than usual.
After a big day of tennis and a brutal YAYOG Advanced workout, I was feeling a little worn out, so I went with an intense but slower paced routine. I also wanted something "full body", and something relatively new or "not-done-in-a-while". It has probably been more than a year since I did The Warrior so I thought I'd check it out, and sure enough, it was exactly what I wanted. Like YAYOG Circuit training, there are four moves in five sets. But unlike YAYOG, there are different moves for each set, but the focus is the same. So, I liked the variety MUCH more in this routine. The focus of the moves are, first, an upper body move, then a cardio move, then an abs/core move, and finally an explosive legs/lower body move. Each focus point was hammered each round. Although there were only five rounds/sets, each move was a minute long so the total workout time was more than YAYOG. The great this is that since there was a tough ab move in the routine, I didn't feel the need to do a separate ab routine afterward. I got the burn I needed already. By the end of the routine, my arms and chest, core, legs, and cardiovascular system were pushed to their limit resulting in an intense, full body burn.
All that done, I was able to cool down and move right into the next part of the workout. I was feeling good, and I was feeling tight in my legs, so I decided to revisit my splits training. I went through the full routine, borrowing a lot from Tai Cheng's Neural Reboot 4 routine as usual. As expected, I lost distance in my splits, and I was pretty tight in my right hip flexor especially on the Straddle Splits. But after a few shakes of the leg, I was able to get the muscle back into position and go down so the stretch hit my inner thighs. I started off the session about 25cm up but finished around 18cm. Hamstrings are still a big problem so I did a little extra to stretch and loosen them up. But the biggest problems are still my Hip Flexors. I'll have to push those every chance I get to maintain a good level of flexibility. Then I finished off with a good series of Flows.
In the end, I burned a good 700+kcals. Surprisingly good workout today and shorter than usual.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
10-09-17 (Monday) HY: YAYOG - Advanced: Circuit Training + ChaLEAN Extreme - Ab Burner + 30-Day PUC + TCF.
10-09-17 (Monday) HY: YAYOG - Advanced: Circuit Training + ChaLEAN Extreme - Ab Burner + 30-Day PUC + TCF.
Today was a national holiday, but I had to work. I would usually play Pickle-Ball on Monday, but my playing buddy took the day off because of the national holiday. So, I was free to start back on the YAYOG program.
I finish the first round of the Advanced Phase with Circuit Training, that 4 moves done consecutively in 8 sets. Each move is done for 20 seconds with 10 seconds for transition time. Then a 30 second break between sets. But Mark cuts that time down several times, sometimes in half. The 4 moves are Iron Mikes 12-16 reps (Full RoM alternating Jumping Lunges), Bouncing Push-Ups 12+/-, V-Ups 10, and One-Legged Hip Raises 10. Through all the moves and all the sets, I was able to keep my pace and rep count constant. There were times when I was dying, and times when I caught a second wind so I could squeeze out a few more reps, but only like 1-2 extra. My average rep count is what the number after the move name stands for. My legs were absolutely dying from the Iron Mikes. I felt a twinge of a cramp coming on, so I shored up my form and stayed careful. I was able to hold it together for all 8 sets. The Bouncing Push-Ups were actually a good move for me. I felt strong to the 6th set, then the last two sets were extremely tough, but I squeezed out a few extra reps in the last set. But I got air on each rep to the end. The V-Ups almost killed me. I was supposed to keep my feet off the floor, but in the last half, I had to start tapping down on the last couple to few reps. The burn hit hard. The One-Legged Hip Raises were fine, but just doing them really wore me out. I needed every second of each 30-second break which is why I was not happy when Mark cut some of those breaks. So I rewound a bit to get the whole break plus a few seconds. When I finished the routine, it took a while for me to catch my breath and recover.
My abs were tired so I was debating on whether or not I should or could do an ab routine. But I decided to go ahead and do it thinking to modify when needed. I needed it only once between moves when I had to put my legs down. But aside from that, I went through cleanly.
The second week of the 30-Day Pull-Up Challenge introduced the negative Pull-Ups. I have done negative Pull-Ups with Tony in X2 and X3, but those reps were usually on a 3-count up and down. This time, the focus was on the negative so I had a step ladder under me to assist me getting my chin back above the bar. I was supposed to do 5 sets of 8 reps alternating Parallel grip with Pull-Up grip each set. I got the first set done without any breaks, then I went down hill from there. My arms burned so much introducing a new kind of pain. I had no idea that there could be another kind of pain in working out. I thought I had experienced everything, but I guess I have a lot to experience yet. But I was able to get at least two reps consecutively each set. Getting it done.
After a good shake out, I finished with a Flow that was more difficult than usual because I could barely lift my arms.
In the end, I torched a nice 905kcals. Time for bed!
Today was a national holiday, but I had to work. I would usually play Pickle-Ball on Monday, but my playing buddy took the day off because of the national holiday. So, I was free to start back on the YAYOG program.
I finish the first round of the Advanced Phase with Circuit Training, that 4 moves done consecutively in 8 sets. Each move is done for 20 seconds with 10 seconds for transition time. Then a 30 second break between sets. But Mark cuts that time down several times, sometimes in half. The 4 moves are Iron Mikes 12-16 reps (Full RoM alternating Jumping Lunges), Bouncing Push-Ups 12+/-, V-Ups 10, and One-Legged Hip Raises 10. Through all the moves and all the sets, I was able to keep my pace and rep count constant. There were times when I was dying, and times when I caught a second wind so I could squeeze out a few more reps, but only like 1-2 extra. My average rep count is what the number after the move name stands for. My legs were absolutely dying from the Iron Mikes. I felt a twinge of a cramp coming on, so I shored up my form and stayed careful. I was able to hold it together for all 8 sets. The Bouncing Push-Ups were actually a good move for me. I felt strong to the 6th set, then the last two sets were extremely tough, but I squeezed out a few extra reps in the last set. But I got air on each rep to the end. The V-Ups almost killed me. I was supposed to keep my feet off the floor, but in the last half, I had to start tapping down on the last couple to few reps. The burn hit hard. The One-Legged Hip Raises were fine, but just doing them really wore me out. I needed every second of each 30-second break which is why I was not happy when Mark cut some of those breaks. So I rewound a bit to get the whole break plus a few seconds. When I finished the routine, it took a while for me to catch my breath and recover.
My abs were tired so I was debating on whether or not I should or could do an ab routine. But I decided to go ahead and do it thinking to modify when needed. I needed it only once between moves when I had to put my legs down. But aside from that, I went through cleanly.
The second week of the 30-Day Pull-Up Challenge introduced the negative Pull-Ups. I have done negative Pull-Ups with Tony in X2 and X3, but those reps were usually on a 3-count up and down. This time, the focus was on the negative so I had a step ladder under me to assist me getting my chin back above the bar. I was supposed to do 5 sets of 8 reps alternating Parallel grip with Pull-Up grip each set. I got the first set done without any breaks, then I went down hill from there. My arms burned so much introducing a new kind of pain. I had no idea that there could be another kind of pain in working out. I thought I had experienced everything, but I guess I have a lot to experience yet. But I was able to get at least two reps consecutively each set. Getting it done.
After a good shake out, I finished with a Flow that was more difficult than usual because I could barely lift my arms.
In the end, I torched a nice 905kcals. Time for bed!
Sunday, October 8, 2017
10-08-17 (Sunday) HY: Tennis + Lawn Work + Foam Rolling.
10-08-17 (Sunday) HY: Tennis + Lawn Work + Foam Rolling.
Another big tennis day. Straight tennis for 3.5 hours. It could have been super awesome except for the fact that it was in the low 90's and the sun was bearing down like crazy. But despite that, I still had a great time. Good news first. The past few times with my new tennis club was great just to get out on the court and swing free, but I didn't feel comfortable with my swing and my stroke in general. I just felt like everything was just off. I couldn't put my finger on anything specifically wrong, but something was just not right. Well, today, for the first time in a long time, I felt my stroke coming back. I felt hints of being comfortable, I was swinging and striking the ball solidly. Albeit ever so fleeting, I felt I took a step in the right direction today. And my serve, when we started the serving drills, I wasn't getting anything in. I was just netting the ball or it was flying long or wide. Just wasn't striking the ball well. On top of that, my shoulder was hurting, like I was doing something to throw it out of joint. But about half-way through the drills, something clicked on the deuce side, and I starting really feeling the ball. I started hitting my spots and powering my first server IN! The AD side was still a problem, but at least I started to feel it. Another step in the right direction. In the last hour, we started to partner up to play matches. Unfortunately, this is where the weakest part of my game came into play; the mental game. Although I was starting to feel it during the practice sessions, come game time, I couldn't get it going. Sure, I hit a few good shots and played a few good points, but overall, I was still netting the ball way too often. I didn't win any of my service games, but at least I didn't double fault whole games away like I did last week. My serve was okay, I hit a few aces every game, but then I hit a few double faults as well. I need a stronger mental game and I need consistency. That is what I hope to improve over the next few months. Then, come January, I plan to play in a singles tournament where I hope to put my experience into practice. One thing I learned as well, my present water bottle is not big enough for 3.5 hours of tennis on a hot day. I could have drunk twice as much, but I was being conservative with my water consumption since I only had one bottle. I made it last to the end of the session, but I bought a 500ml bottle of water for the drive home.
When I got home, it was clear that the soreness and fatigue were starting to set in. It was also clear that our lawn had turned into a jungle and if I didn't do something about it today, I wouldn't be able to get to it for another two weeks or more, so it had to be today. So, without taking a break, I went straight in and got it done. Weed wacked, raked, and disposed of the cuttings. But I drank lots of water. Still hot, but got it done. The bad thing is that my right forearm was starting to cramp. All then tennis, then a static grip on the weed wacker... OUCH! I tried switching hands, but the control was terrible so I switched back. After the first clearing of the cuttings, I usually go back and cut again, but by this time, my neck was burning, and it looked "good enough" so I left it at that. I'll do a more complete job the next time around.
By this time, it was almost 3pm and that was enough. I took a shower and had lunch. One of my favorite dishes prepared by my wife. I was tempted to take a nap, but I have to sleep early tonight so I fought the urge. My hip flexors and lower back were really aching by this time, so much so that walking was a bit difficult. Pain with every step. So, later in the evening, I rolled out my back and stretched out my hip flexors. I wasn't able to get them as loose as I was hoping for, but it feels a little better.
In the end, I torched a whopping 3012kcals. I don't even remember if I have ever burned that many calories at once before. Good start to a new week. But wait till next week, it's going to be epic. Oh, today was supposed to be the start of Week 2 of my Pull-Up Challenge, but because my right hand/forearm was too racked, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep hold of the bar, so, I'm going to start tomorrow. Week 2 is a series of negative Pull-Ups. Oh GLORY!!!
Another big tennis day. Straight tennis for 3.5 hours. It could have been super awesome except for the fact that it was in the low 90's and the sun was bearing down like crazy. But despite that, I still had a great time. Good news first. The past few times with my new tennis club was great just to get out on the court and swing free, but I didn't feel comfortable with my swing and my stroke in general. I just felt like everything was just off. I couldn't put my finger on anything specifically wrong, but something was just not right. Well, today, for the first time in a long time, I felt my stroke coming back. I felt hints of being comfortable, I was swinging and striking the ball solidly. Albeit ever so fleeting, I felt I took a step in the right direction today. And my serve, when we started the serving drills, I wasn't getting anything in. I was just netting the ball or it was flying long or wide. Just wasn't striking the ball well. On top of that, my shoulder was hurting, like I was doing something to throw it out of joint. But about half-way through the drills, something clicked on the deuce side, and I starting really feeling the ball. I started hitting my spots and powering my first server IN! The AD side was still a problem, but at least I started to feel it. Another step in the right direction. In the last hour, we started to partner up to play matches. Unfortunately, this is where the weakest part of my game came into play; the mental game. Although I was starting to feel it during the practice sessions, come game time, I couldn't get it going. Sure, I hit a few good shots and played a few good points, but overall, I was still netting the ball way too often. I didn't win any of my service games, but at least I didn't double fault whole games away like I did last week. My serve was okay, I hit a few aces every game, but then I hit a few double faults as well. I need a stronger mental game and I need consistency. That is what I hope to improve over the next few months. Then, come January, I plan to play in a singles tournament where I hope to put my experience into practice. One thing I learned as well, my present water bottle is not big enough for 3.5 hours of tennis on a hot day. I could have drunk twice as much, but I was being conservative with my water consumption since I only had one bottle. I made it last to the end of the session, but I bought a 500ml bottle of water for the drive home.
When I got home, it was clear that the soreness and fatigue were starting to set in. It was also clear that our lawn had turned into a jungle and if I didn't do something about it today, I wouldn't be able to get to it for another two weeks or more, so it had to be today. So, without taking a break, I went straight in and got it done. Weed wacked, raked, and disposed of the cuttings. But I drank lots of water. Still hot, but got it done. The bad thing is that my right forearm was starting to cramp. All then tennis, then a static grip on the weed wacker... OUCH! I tried switching hands, but the control was terrible so I switched back. After the first clearing of the cuttings, I usually go back and cut again, but by this time, my neck was burning, and it looked "good enough" so I left it at that. I'll do a more complete job the next time around.
By this time, it was almost 3pm and that was enough. I took a shower and had lunch. One of my favorite dishes prepared by my wife. I was tempted to take a nap, but I have to sleep early tonight so I fought the urge. My hip flexors and lower back were really aching by this time, so much so that walking was a bit difficult. Pain with every step. So, later in the evening, I rolled out my back and stretched out my hip flexors. I wasn't able to get them as loose as I was hoping for, but it feels a little better.
In the end, I torched a whopping 3012kcals. I don't even remember if I have ever burned that many calories at once before. Good start to a new week. But wait till next week, it's going to be epic. Oh, today was supposed to be the start of Week 2 of my Pull-Up Challenge, but because my right hand/forearm was too racked, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep hold of the bar, so, I'm going to start tomorrow. Week 2 is a series of negative Pull-Ups. Oh GLORY!!!
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