April 28, Push/Pull focus with The Challenge

April 28, 2019, Sunday - P90X3: The Challenge + ChaLEAN Extreme: I've Got Abs + Push/Pull Challenges + Shoulder Care Yoga + TCF.

I wanted to accelerate my Pull-Up and Push-Up work so I went with a good ol' standard: The Challenge.  I wanted to up my numbers a bit, so I was going to go to 7 on the Pull-Ups, but on the first set, the Wide Grip, I could only get to 6, so I reset the number to 6.  I also was thinking to go to 20 on my Push-Ups, but I didn't want to burn out too quickly so I lowered it to 17 for the first half, but eventually went to 20 reps from the second half.  Below is the worksheet data:

Pretty much a standard workout, but the big difference was in the BURNOUT.  Tony does a 1 pull-up to 3 push-ups combo, and I usually hammer out 11 rounds of that, but with the new numbers, 3 Pull-Ups and 5 Push-Ups, I could only get 8 rounds.  I got an excellent pump and burn.  And I still did the Push/Pull Challenges.  But for them, I broke down the Push-Ups into a couple of sets instead of one set.  I wasn't able to do the Pull-Ups as stated, 9-4-2, so I did a few more sets to keep the reps.  I did 3-3-4-2. Then I did 30-30 for the Push-Ups.  Arms were JELLO!

I decided to further punish myself by doing "I've got Abs" again.  This time, those Push-Ups were brutal.  I almost went to my knees, but I gutted it out.  The Shoulder Care Yoga and the Flows were fine.

In the end, I burned a good 783 kcals.  While I'm freestyling it, I think I'll do The Challenge at least once a week just to get a boost for Push-Ups and Pull-Ups.

April 26, Only had time for some Ab and Shoulder work.

April 26, 2019, Friday - ChaLEAN Extreme: I've Got Abs + Push/Pull Challenges + Shoulder Care Yoga + TCF.

I went to see Avengers: Endgame today in the afternoon, so by the time I got home, I didn't have a lot of time to work out, but I decided to go ahead and do a short one.

I chose I've Got Abs.  It is primarily an ab routine, but it also uses push-ups for its planking, but I figured that I could also get a little strengthening in as well.  It's been a while since I last did this routine so doing it made me a little nervous.  But coupled with the Push/Pull Challenges, my abs and chest and arms got a sufficient workout today.  And finishing off with the regulars, all in all, it was a good routine.

Short workout, but in the end, I burned a good 350 kcals.

April 24, Needed to start doing some Low Impact Lower Body work

April 24, 2019, Wednesday - Piyo: Buns + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Core Circuit + Push/Pull Challenges + Shoulder Care Yoga + TCF.

I am still not ready to go back to playing tennis, but since it is Wednesday, a regular tennis day, I wanted to try to get some leg work in and start conditioning my lower body for when I do go back so it won't be such a shock when I do start up again.  I've been working a lot on my upper body and babying my lower body to protect my ankle, I figure something is going to give when I go back to tennis.  So, I'm starting to do some body weight stuff for my lower body.  I couldn't think of anything better than PiYo to take care of my legs.

PiYo Buns sounded like a good lower body routine so I went for it and boy was it ever.  My legs and butt were feeling it around the 5-minute mark.  A lot of that slow lunge and squat work is just really taxing on my legs.  I could feel the tension.  I think I'm going to feel it in the days to come.

The rest of the workout was as usual.  I was thinking not to use the 2 kg dumbbells on my abs, but I ended up using them anyway.

In the end, I burned a good 654 kcals.  It was a short workout, but the pain made it feel longer. 

April 23, Sticking with Body Beast Upper Body focus

April 23, 2019, Tuesday - Body Beast: Bulk-Arms + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Abs + Push/Pull Challenges + Shoulder Care Yoga + TCF.

Today I'm focusing on the upper body, specifically arms in "Bulk: Arms".  Here is the worksheet for routine:

As you can see, I went with somewhat lighter weights so I could focus on eccentric movement, range of motion and form.  That is especially true for the last two Progressive Sets.

I definitely felt the discrepancy between my left and right arms and the discrepancy between my biceps and triceps.  My left side is definitely weaker than my right.

Abs are back on track, but still, have a way to get where I want to be.  For the Push/Pull Challenges, 43 Push-Ups and a 7-4-2 on the Pull-Ups.  That first set of pull-ups always makes my left side lats feel the strain, but that warms them up so that feeling is not there for the remaining sets. 

In the end, I burned a good 748 kcals.  Upper Body BURN!  Even though I was working on arms, I got a good little pump in my shoulders and other upper body muscles as well.

April 21, Ankle Rehab before my regular workout

April 21, 2019, Sunday - Ankle strengthening and Stretch + Body Beast - Bulk: Back + Beast Abs + Push/Pull Challenges + Shoulder Care Yoga + TCF.

In the afternoon, I was taking some time to strengthen my ankle and test its range of motion.  I was also doing some lower back stretches and bridge work to test my ankle mobility.  It looked pretty good and felt a lot better than before.  When I used to do the Bridge move, as I lifted my butt, my feet, which were about shoulder width apart on the floor,  would be forced toward each other.  So my feet to knees would end up in a "V" shape.  But now, I was able to do bridges and have my feet stay shoulder width apart.  HAPPY!

Anyway, I promised I would work on my Back today and so I did.  Back with Segi and Bulk Back.  So here is the rundown of the routine:

Super Set
Pull-Over - 15r@17 kgs/ 12r@19.5 kgs/ 8r@25 kgs - 22 kgs
Pull-up - 10r/ 10r/ 7r-3r

The Pull-Overs were fine, the first two sets of pull-ups were also fine, but I had to tap out at 7 on the third set.  But I got through it.

Progressive Set
Reverse Grip Row - 15r@12x2 kgs/ 12r@14.5x2 kgs/ 8r@17x2 kgs - & Down

This was probably the roughest move of the routine.  I had to really work on that heavy weight.  I had to really push it.

Force Set
One-Arm Row - 5x5r@14.5 kgs Left first, then Right

Again, the first three sets were easy, but the fourth and fifth, brutal stuff.

Single Set
Deadlift - 15r@10x2 kgs/ 12r@12x2 kgs/ 8r@15.75x2 kgs - 14.5x2 kgs

I have to watch my back on this one.  I felt a little dangerous tweek when I was lifting earlier.

Super Set
Reverse Fly - 15r@6.25x2 kgs/ 12r@7.5x2 kgs
Plank Rotation - 12r@6.25x2 kgs/ 12r@7.5x2 kgs

I had to really push to get this one finished.  Those last few reps in the second set were just really tough.  But I crushed it.

Then I went to Beast Abs Classic, and it was the same routine I have on disk, so I changed to Beast Abs.  This was different than the Classic routine so I was wanting to try it.  I didn't last 20 seconds into the first move.  I don't have a rundown of this routine, but suffice it to say that I was burned out at the end.

I was thinking to claim to do the challenges integrated into the workout, but then I decided to just do it.  The numbers for Push-up was 41 reps which I crushed and then almost collapsed.  Talk about Burnout.  The Pull-Ups were very tough.  The set rep was 6-4-1.  I could handle only 3r but I got the other set done fine.

Then I decided to try the Flow.  I had been hesitant to do it because I had just done 30 reps.  And I was right, I was fried.  I could only do 3 reps.  I finished the 3, then hammered out the stated numbers the rest of the way.  The push-ups were good.  Crushed the set number which was 41 reps. 

I wanted to try the Flow series and I went for it.  It was a good Flow.  But I was still cautious about going on one foot.  But I got through it without a hitch.

In the end, I burned a good 981 kcals.  Awesome for an upper body workout.

Ankle Rehab and Recovery

A word about my ankle and its healing progress.

In mid-March, while I was playing tennis, I apparently did something to my ankle that I didn't quite realize.  In the evening, my ankle felt sore and painful, especially when I went down a flight of stairs.  I've had that feeling several times in the past from sore muscles so I thought that it was just sore muscles and that I'd just power through.  So, come to the next tennis practice, I went and played as much and as hard as the pain would let me.  I would start off feeling tight, but in time I would loosen up and the pain would become weaker until I didn't even notice it until I really had to run, stop and change directions.  This lasted for about three practice sessions.  Finally, one day I was looking at my ankle and it was swollen to the point where I couldn't even see that nubby bone on the sides of the ankle.  So, I put a cold pack on it and elevated it and did all the home remedies I could think of to do.  But it was still swollen. 

Finally, I took a Tuesday off from work and went to the hospital to get it X-rayed and checked out.  The doc said that the tendon that sort of controls the outside to in lateral movement was damaged and a big contributor was my flat feet or lack of any type of arch in my feet.  So the doc prescribed an insole made specifically for my foot.  For some reason, he made one only for my left foot.  He also taped up my foot and I immediately felt the difference and the pain was much lower.  So, they took a mold of my foot and was told it would be done by Friday. 

On Friday I went back to the hospital to pick up the insole.  I felt great, at first, then my arch started to ache.  But I sort of bent my foot to relieve the ache then kept going.  After a few days, I was used to the new insole, but I didn't like the difference in the hight of my shoes, so I went to the sporting good store to get an insole from there to try and even it out.  About five days into using the left insole I noticed something different in my gate. 

Since high school, I was walking sort of like a clown, with my toes jutting out with every step.  Both the left and right.  There was a guy that I sort of idolized, a really popular guy, president of the Student Council type of guy, and we were actually friends.  I went to his house often.  And that was how he walked so I started to walk like him from my freshmen year and since then, I'd always walked like that.  A few years ago I tried to correct it by myself by consciously trying to put my toes forward when I stepped instead of out, but after a few days, my knees started to hurt.  Then when I stopped trying to fix it, the pain went away. So I thought there was no hope of correcting it.  But with this new insole, in less than a week of using it in my work shoes, my gate was straight, and then with the store bought insole in my right, my right side was also starting to point forward as well.  I was ecstatic!  Now, I'm using arch supporters that wrap around my arch and foot when I'm at home in my socked feet.  I don't want to lose that effect.  Now, I'm looking into getting arch supporting insole for all my shoes.

You may be asking "why not just buy the store insoles instead of getting the expensive one made specifically for my foot?"  Well, there is a difference, a huge difference actually.  The store insole is a one-size-fits-all style so it is close to where I need the support but not right on it.  I have to wiggle it into position several times while I'm wearing it while the prescription one is perfect every time.  Plus, with insurance, I'm getting 70% back so it's not actually that expensive.

Anyway, that is my story.  I'm still not playing tennis, but I hope to go back to practice from May at the earliest.  I'm taking the whole month of April off.

I highly recommend that if you have arch issues that you get arch support insoles.  It will change your life!

April 19, Spot Training with Segi, the BEAST.

April 19, 2019, Friday - Body Beast - Build: Chest + ChaLEAN Extreme - Extreme Core Circuit + Push/Pull Challenges + Ankle Strengthening and Rehab.

The last two workouts I did were arm workouts, so I was feeling the need to get in some chest, and the only program that has routines that specifically was Body Beast.  My Chest was up, and I decided to hit my Back next time.  When doing this routine, I usually do it with a workout sheet and keep track of my weights, but today, I just went with feeling and past experience to choose the weights I did.  I still seemed to work out just fine.

Here is the rundown of the routine:

Superset
Incline Fly - 15 reps@7.5x2 kgs/ 12 reps@8.75x2 kgs/ 8 reps@10x2 kgs
Incline Press - 15 reps@12x2 kgs/ 12 reps@14.5x2 kgs/ 8 reps@18.25x2 - 17x2 kgs

This was a good starting set.  I felt good and strong as the rounds came and went.  The first round, 15 reps was actually the toughest because I was still in need to stretch those particular muscles, so the second and third sets actually felt better.  Not as much pressure and strain, but intensity.

Force Set
Chest Press with Rotation - 5 reps x 5 rounds@14.5x2 kgs

The first three rounds were easy, but I was absolutely scorched on the last two.  My pace fell and I couldn't keep up with Segi, but I got through it.

Progressive Set
Incline Press
Up - 15 reps@8.75x2 kgs/ 12 reps@13.25x2 kgs/ 8 reps@15.75x2 kgs
Down - 8 reps@17x2 kgs/ 12 reps@14.5x2 kgs/ 15 reps@10x2 kgs

This set just rocked my world.  My triceps also got a really good workout.

Combo Set
Close Grip Press to Fly
15 reps@7.5x2 kgs/ 12 reps@8.75x2 kgs/ 8 reps@12x2 - 10x2 kgs

This is always a scary set for me before I start, but once I got the feel for it, I was fine.  But this is where I actually thought that 15 reps is a lot.  Here again, my triceps were getting a good workout as well.

MultiSet
Decline Push-Ups - 15 reps
Cobra to Airplane - 30 seconds
Decline Push-Ups - 12 reps
Russian Twist - 30 seconds
Decline Push-Ups - 8 reps

I was fried and burned by the time the last rep rolled around.  But I was happy that I was able to power through all the push-ups.  Previously, I would be too fried and would have to go onto my knees. 

I actually started to do the Shoulder Care Yoga but realized that I didn't have the time, since I was in a time crunch, so I went instead to abs.  I loved doing the Extreme Core Circuit last time, I figured I'd do it again, still with only the 1 kgs hand weights.  Another awesome burn. 

Then I finished out the workout with the Push/Pull Challenges, just the designated rep count due to the lateness of time.

In the end, I burned a good 768 kcals.  Remember, Back is up next.  I'm happy for the weekend.