I'm awake. I managed to make it through our New Year get-together with friends last night, without completely blowing the nutrition plan. There was some damage done (a glass of scotch, two glasses of red wine, and a slice of lasagna) but it didn't add up to much. My main meal consisted of wheatgrass salad and salmon on lettuce with cucumbers. Delicious. It's nice spend time with a small group of really good friends in a quiet home environment. The days of attending large parties to ring in the New Year are over, without any regret. We've been having this small group get-together for a number of years now, and we're all in agreement that it's a pleasant tradition worth keeping.
I note, with some amusement, that this is January 1, 2010, the day when many people typically jump onto their new year resolutions by stressing their bodies in a new fitness regimen. I've heard many times that such resolutions are likely to be cast aside by the end of January, as commitment and enthusiasm wane. Thankfully, I'm not in that boat, having started my fitness journey in September, 2008. This is just another day for me on the fitness calendar, and I cheerfully jumped out bed and got to Interval X Plus, with Tony, Traci and Mark.
This workout is a little out of sequence for me, because due to the wedding I attended last Sunday night and related Monday morning obligations, I didn't have the energy or the willpower to do Interval X Plus on the scheduled day. So, it slid a little bit in the schedule, landing on today. I enjoy this workout, specifically the lack of rest time between the various exercises. I also like the pacing of each individual exercise, moving in intensity from easy, to medium to full-out. It's one of those workouts where the intensity of the workout is determined solely by the individual: if you want to push yourself harder, go ahead. If you feel like you need more of a break, slow down a bit. The genius of these workouts is that in spite of how more fit you become, the workout can still challenge you. When you get closer to reaching a goal, you set the bar a little farther away.
The most difficult move for me in this sequence of exercises is the Carlito 3-way Pushup. I'm fine with speeds 1 and 2; speed 3 is my nemesis. I can't keep up with Tony and the kids. My problem is jumping back to plank, then jumping from plank to a standing position. My hips complain during this move, and I slow down as a result. Then, all I get is a one-minute break, and I get to do the same exercise again. Tony can be nasty when he wants to.
Nevertheless, it's a great workout, and I feel alive and energized right now. That puts an exclamation mark to the end of Week 11. Week 12 is coming up, and I'm looking forward to pulverizing my body.
Happy New Year!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Round 4: Day 75: Bun Shaper
The only negative about this workout is the name, which sounds more like it should be released by a woman trainer than a man. Tony never uses this title during the workout; he titles it Bun Blaster, or something like that. His workout sheet has a title and a handwritten title extension beside it, but neither of them is Bun Shaper. While I'm not crazy about the title, I am big on the workout.
I don't know if I mentioned this already (perhaps I should read what I've previously written), but this workout consists of a series of 9 moves, repeated twice. The first round moves slowly, due to instructions and Tony taking his time to demonstrate proper form; the second round moves quickly, due to time constraints and Tony's assumption that once proper form has been demonstrated, the second round can move faster. This is, in my opinion, a successful approach. I like Tony's comments about form, because they help me understand the intent of the exercise and will make each exercise more focussed and (hopefully) successful. It's also one of the rare DVDs where more time is spent discussing proper form and the reason for it. It's really like Tony is there to train you. I also like the speedier second half because while the slower pace of the first round isn't enough to exhaust you, the speed of the second round is going to make you sweat. That's what makes this workout worthwhile.
Kicks are not really my thing. I have a tightness in my hip flexors which, while improved through persistent yoga and stretching, doesn't allow me to really extend my legs high into the air while doing side kicks. Realizing that this is a personal weakness is half the answer to my problem; actually getting my legs higher is the other half. I've been doing deep lunges during the warmup to loosen up my hips, which is helpful; I've also been focussing on a target for each kick, which is also helpful. Thirdly, I've been focussing on really leaning over, and sliding my heel in the direction of my kick, keeping my eyes on my target. While my leg is up, I'm noticing a slight pull on the hamstring of the stationary leg. Memo to self: make sure to stretch out your hamstrings before leg kicks. Slowly, I'm seeing some improvement.
I'm glad this is part of my workout routine. It helps to break up the sequence of workouts in order to keep things interesting. Keeping things interesting is a key ingredient to fitness success. I bet more people get off their routines for no other reason than they're bored. Variety is the spice of life and helps to maintain muscle confusion. Keep your body guessing, keep mixing it up, keep at it, and change will come.
I don't know if I mentioned this already (perhaps I should read what I've previously written), but this workout consists of a series of 9 moves, repeated twice. The first round moves slowly, due to instructions and Tony taking his time to demonstrate proper form; the second round moves quickly, due to time constraints and Tony's assumption that once proper form has been demonstrated, the second round can move faster. This is, in my opinion, a successful approach. I like Tony's comments about form, because they help me understand the intent of the exercise and will make each exercise more focussed and (hopefully) successful. It's also one of the rare DVDs where more time is spent discussing proper form and the reason for it. It's really like Tony is there to train you. I also like the speedier second half because while the slower pace of the first round isn't enough to exhaust you, the speed of the second round is going to make you sweat. That's what makes this workout worthwhile.
Kicks are not really my thing. I have a tightness in my hip flexors which, while improved through persistent yoga and stretching, doesn't allow me to really extend my legs high into the air while doing side kicks. Realizing that this is a personal weakness is half the answer to my problem; actually getting my legs higher is the other half. I've been doing deep lunges during the warmup to loosen up my hips, which is helpful; I've also been focussing on a target for each kick, which is also helpful. Thirdly, I've been focussing on really leaning over, and sliding my heel in the direction of my kick, keeping my eyes on my target. While my leg is up, I'm noticing a slight pull on the hamstring of the stationary leg. Memo to self: make sure to stretch out your hamstrings before leg kicks. Slowly, I'm seeing some improvement.
I'm glad this is part of my workout routine. It helps to break up the sequence of workouts in order to keep things interesting. Keeping things interesting is a key ingredient to fitness success. I bet more people get off their routines for no other reason than they're bored. Variety is the spice of life and helps to maintain muscle confusion. Keep your body guessing, keep mixing it up, keep at it, and change will come.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Round 4: Day 74: Yoga
Am I ever glad today was Yoga day. I felt that my back was a little tense yesterday evening, likely from the Back & Bicep workout from yesterday, and I was looking forward to some yoga to stretch out my back and ease any tension and stress in my shoulders. To top it off, I'm going for a massage in an hour (my wife has terrific health and medical coverage through her office, and I'm planning on taking full advantage of what's available to us) and I'm going to instruct the masseuse to go deep, to release any remaining tightness in my body.
I did yoga in my cramped, low-ceilinged basement this morning, a departure from my usual location of my living room. I don't particularly mind the space, but I have come to resent the low ceiling, which limits a full range of motion. Obviously, any movement where my arms have to be fully raised is out of the question. With yoga, there are several times where my hands have to be raised fully above my head. The best I could do with my restricted ceiling height is fan my arms out in a modified Y-shape. Not ideal, and a little frustrating, but one makes do with what one has available.
I believe that I was rather successful in emptying my mind (no jokes, here, please). As I write this, I can't recall having any particular thoughts running through my mind during the session, other than trying to keep really low in my lunges. That was a requirement, because I can't fully raise my arms over my head during Crescent pose or Warrior 1, unless my front knee was deeply bent. In fact, I believe that I was much lower than Tony was during those poses. I guess that in one respect, there was a benefit to having a low ceiling.
The leg raise during Side Arm Balance is proving to be somewhat difficult for me. I tend to lose my balance a little, not falling over, but just teetering, and I don't extent my leg too high into the air. That's a move I'd like to improve. I'd also like to improve my form during the Half-Moon and Reverse-Half-Moon sequences. I'd like to extend my rear leg higher into the air, to more closely approach parallel to the floor. I don't think I'm too far from that at present, it's just that there's room for improvement. As always, the closer you get to your objective, the more work you seem to have to do.
Namaste.
I did yoga in my cramped, low-ceilinged basement this morning, a departure from my usual location of my living room. I don't particularly mind the space, but I have come to resent the low ceiling, which limits a full range of motion. Obviously, any movement where my arms have to be fully raised is out of the question. With yoga, there are several times where my hands have to be raised fully above my head. The best I could do with my restricted ceiling height is fan my arms out in a modified Y-shape. Not ideal, and a little frustrating, but one makes do with what one has available.
I believe that I was rather successful in emptying my mind (no jokes, here, please). As I write this, I can't recall having any particular thoughts running through my mind during the session, other than trying to keep really low in my lunges. That was a requirement, because I can't fully raise my arms over my head during Crescent pose or Warrior 1, unless my front knee was deeply bent. In fact, I believe that I was much lower than Tony was during those poses. I guess that in one respect, there was a benefit to having a low ceiling.
The leg raise during Side Arm Balance is proving to be somewhat difficult for me. I tend to lose my balance a little, not falling over, but just teetering, and I don't extent my leg too high into the air. That's a move I'd like to improve. I'd also like to improve my form during the Half-Moon and Reverse-Half-Moon sequences. I'd like to extend my rear leg higher into the air, to more closely approach parallel to the floor. I don't think I'm too far from that at present, it's just that there's room for improvement. As always, the closer you get to your objective, the more work you seem to have to do.
Namaste.
Round 4: Day 73: Back and Biceps
I had a different approach to Back and Biceps today, as this was the first time I've done this workout using dumbbells instead of resistance bands. Some of the exercises are the same or similar to others found in other workouts, so I was able to get a decent basic idea of appropriate weight levels from those experiences and transfer them to the B&B workout. Other times, I completely miscalculated. For the first time, I noticed Tony saying that if you picked the wrong weight, switch it for a weight which will do the trick. I never noticed some of those comments when I was using resistance bands.
I tried to pick weight levels which would really challenge me. I wasn't really interested in 12-15 reps, just 8-10. If I got to 12 reps, I made a note on my worksheet to increase the weight. There seemed to be more of those notes than I'm typically used to seeing. The next time I do this workout, I'll really be better prepared for it.
This is a much more enjoyable workout for me using dumbbells. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it before when using resistance bands. Now, it's even better. I like the pacing, I like the subtle differences in form between free weights and bands, I like being able to compare my weightlifting abilities to Tony and the kids. It makes me more competitive, and made me realize that I'm a little lower in capability than I'd like to be. It got me excited to see that I'm capable of lifting more, and that the ceiling has been raised. Using bands, I felt I had pretty much gone as far as I could have with this workout. Now, it's like starting all over again from scratch.
I was reasonably well prepared to do the workout by having done Just Arms, Diamond Delts, and Upper Body Plus. All of those routines have exercises which are applicable to Back and Biceps. This workout, like the others, revealed that my left arm is still weaker than my right, although I do feel that some gains are being made by the left arm. It still surprises me when my left arm becomes incapable of doing a bicep curl, when my right arm can keep going. There's no pain; just the inability to lift. It's almost like you're not part of the experience, just a viewer of something happening. One thing I'm definitely conscious of is not trying to do too much and risking an injury. When my arm fails, I know it's time to stop.
I'm really looking forward to doing this workout again. Perhaps it will make a more frequent appearance in the next round.
I tried to pick weight levels which would really challenge me. I wasn't really interested in 12-15 reps, just 8-10. If I got to 12 reps, I made a note on my worksheet to increase the weight. There seemed to be more of those notes than I'm typically used to seeing. The next time I do this workout, I'll really be better prepared for it.
This is a much more enjoyable workout for me using dumbbells. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it before when using resistance bands. Now, it's even better. I like the pacing, I like the subtle differences in form between free weights and bands, I like being able to compare my weightlifting abilities to Tony and the kids. It makes me more competitive, and made me realize that I'm a little lower in capability than I'd like to be. It got me excited to see that I'm capable of lifting more, and that the ceiling has been raised. Using bands, I felt I had pretty much gone as far as I could have with this workout. Now, it's like starting all over again from scratch.
I was reasonably well prepared to do the workout by having done Just Arms, Diamond Delts, and Upper Body Plus. All of those routines have exercises which are applicable to Back and Biceps. This workout, like the others, revealed that my left arm is still weaker than my right, although I do feel that some gains are being made by the left arm. It still surprises me when my left arm becomes incapable of doing a bicep curl, when my right arm can keep going. There's no pain; just the inability to lift. It's almost like you're not part of the experience, just a viewer of something happening. One thing I'm definitely conscious of is not trying to do too much and risking an injury. When my arm fails, I know it's time to stop.
I'm really looking forward to doing this workout again. Perhaps it will make a more frequent appearance in the next round.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Round 4: Day 72: Kenpo Cardio Plus
I attended a wedding last night, which ran late, and I was unable to get a decent night's sleep. I was all worked up after arriving home from the wedding, and it made it hard for me to sleep. That, along with having to wake up early this morning, made it difficult to get motivated to work out this morning. We had to bid our out-of-town guest good-bye this morning, so I wasn't able to work out at my normal time. So, I had the combination of lack of sleep and disrupted schedule facing me as I tried to work out.
I actually contemplated not working out today, but giving my body a rest. I had originally scheduled Interval X Plus for today, but didn't feel up to it. Instead, I decided to substitute Kenpo Cardio Plus, which was to have taken place this Friday. I didn't see the harm in switching out one cardio workout for another. Besides, I felt that Kenpo Cardio Plus is not as challenging as Interval X Plus, and, given my state of mind and body, felt that would be an equitable trade-off, considering that the alternative was not to work out altogether.
I believe I made a sound planning decision. Having committed to working out, I really committed to Bringing It during the workout. I had some personal issues eating away at me and used them to channel my aggression into working out. There's a healthy solution to dealing with one's psychological issues. The workout was tremendous. Speed Side Kicks, which usually gives me timing issues, were no problem. Neither did Gladiator. Perhaps the One on One workouts are giving me extra flexibility, which translates into greater success with Kenpo Cardio Plus.
I was so pleased with the workout on two levels: firstly, that I actually committed to the workout and, secondly, that the workout went so well. Today, I really learned the value of pushing play.
I actually contemplated not working out today, but giving my body a rest. I had originally scheduled Interval X Plus for today, but didn't feel up to it. Instead, I decided to substitute Kenpo Cardio Plus, which was to have taken place this Friday. I didn't see the harm in switching out one cardio workout for another. Besides, I felt that Kenpo Cardio Plus is not as challenging as Interval X Plus, and, given my state of mind and body, felt that would be an equitable trade-off, considering that the alternative was not to work out altogether.
I believe I made a sound planning decision. Having committed to working out, I really committed to Bringing It during the workout. I had some personal issues eating away at me and used them to channel my aggression into working out. There's a healthy solution to dealing with one's psychological issues. The workout was tremendous. Speed Side Kicks, which usually gives me timing issues, were no problem. Neither did Gladiator. Perhaps the One on One workouts are giving me extra flexibility, which translates into greater success with Kenpo Cardio Plus.
I was so pleased with the workout on two levels: firstly, that I actually committed to the workout and, secondly, that the workout went so well. Today, I really learned the value of pushing play.
Round 4: Day 71: Chest & Back
The last time I did this workout, it was near the end of the day, and I didn't have very much energy. So little, that I was only able to do the first half of the workout and ran out of gas for the second round. So, I was looking forward to this workout again to prove to myself that I was, indeed, capable and that the last time was just an aberration.
I challenged myself by paying careful attention to the weights I was using, did an honest assessment of whether I was capable of lifting more, and did so when possible. I also tried to do push-ups to failure. That occurred when I was doing Diamond Push-ups during the second round, had some serious arm shake, then collapsed on the floor. No injury, just the realization and the satisfaction that I had done as many as I could.
I was really pleased with the workout. I have not been getting too much sleep over the last few evenings, as we've been entertaining an out-of-town guest and trying to do my workouts in-between attending family events and visiting various friends. In spite of my lack of sleep and general doziness, I was still able to focus and enjoy a good workout.
During the last week, I've been paying attention as well to my nutrition, making sure that I'm eating clean, getting enough to eat, and staying away from alcohol and sugary treats. I'm getting some strange looks, but it's worth it.
I challenged myself by paying careful attention to the weights I was using, did an honest assessment of whether I was capable of lifting more, and did so when possible. I also tried to do push-ups to failure. That occurred when I was doing Diamond Push-ups during the second round, had some serious arm shake, then collapsed on the floor. No injury, just the realization and the satisfaction that I had done as many as I could.
I was really pleased with the workout. I have not been getting too much sleep over the last few evenings, as we've been entertaining an out-of-town guest and trying to do my workouts in-between attending family events and visiting various friends. In spite of my lack of sleep and general doziness, I was still able to focus and enjoy a good workout.
During the last week, I've been paying attention as well to my nutrition, making sure that I'm eating clean, getting enough to eat, and staying away from alcohol and sugary treats. I'm getting some strange looks, but it's worth it.
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