Round 7: Day 48: Mason's Choice

I'm still here; I've just been somewhat delinquent in posting over the past few days. Today I picked up Mason's Choice again for the second time, and really enjoyed it. It takes me awhile to work up a sweat, but there are times in the latter portion of the workout where I sweat freely and am a bit short of breath. Tony is in good humour, and it's an engaging workout.

I'm still battling motivation issues, and I'd say that this Round hasn't been particularly successful so far, even though I'm heading into my second Recovery Week. Time is passing, results aren't being achieved, improvements aren't being seen, boredom is setting in, weight is up, definition is down, and some muscle has been lost. Not a good situation, I'd say.

Since I haven't been particularly intense, I'm not going to make this an official Recovery Week, but rather a rachet-up-the-intensity-with-cardio week. I'd like to spend one week really pushing myself to increase my energy level and to drop some weight (even if it's water weight). I just want to see if I can jump back onto the fitness bandwagon with a really tough week.

I've got a notion in my mind that I'll finish up this Round, take off a couple of weeks, then do a session of pure Insanity. It will be a change of pace, to say the least, and will shake up my fitness regimen. I'm also interested in seeing whether it will help me melt off some stubborn fat.

On to Week 8.

Round 7: Day 44: Diamond Delts

Back to resistance today, with Diamond Delts. It's been about a month since I last did this workout. The last time, I recall, I slightly tweaked a muscle in my neck when doing the two direction shoulder flys, so I had a bit of fear about re-injuring myself. There's always that moment of fear and hesitation when reconnecting with something that gave you some pain. I felt that way about taking up running again, following my calf injury in June of this year. I suppose that it's only natural that your brain gives you a warning about something when that thing has hurt you before. It's a bit like entering into another personal relationship after you've had a particularly painful breakup. You move with caution.

Psychology aside, I think there's another reason that I've been distanced from Diamond Delts for awhile: I didn't particularly feel like doing resistance workouts. There always seems to be a clear reason for things: I don't want to. It's not really a good reason, but it dogs each of us at some point in our lives, and it applies to so many aspects of life, not just physical exercise. But, like other aspects of life, you have to throw out the "I won'ts or I can'ts, and change them to "I wills". Not easy, but ultimately, it's the right thing to do if you want to achieve in your particular endeavour.

Today's workout was challenging. My right shoulder was bothering me, the lingering effects of a rotator cuff injury I suffered while playing baseball as a young boy. My right shoulder always clicks and cracks when I rotate my arm around my shoulder. It's not that painful; it just results in a slightly restrictive movement which normally doesn't bother me when doing pushups, but is noticeable when doing pike presses, because they more fully engage the shoulders, rather than the pecs.

So, I put on a brave face and did the best I could. And, I would say that today's workout was pretty successful, as a result. The next time will be easier, as I get my way back into resistance workouts.

Round 7: Day 43: Kenpo Cardio Plus

Hopping back onto the cardio bandwagon, I chose Kenpo Cardio Plus today, from P90X Plus. Like Friday's workout, this isn't the most intense workout I own, but it does encourage you to work up a good sweat, provided you put effort into it.

Even though I've done this workout many times before, the passing of time has dimmed my memory somewhat. I had some coordination issues trying to make my body do some of the moves and actually had to refer to the TV to make sure that the right limb was moving in the right direction at the appointed time. The most difficult move (to do, that is, not to remember) is the Gladiator. I'm handicapped by a low ceiling in my workout space (about 6'-3" high) so getting a good, high jump with a leg kick could result in a serious concussion. So, my move is a little modified in the name of health preservation and in the desire to spare my country additional medical expenses. Still, attaining a high leg kick is a challenge for my piano string-like hamstrings, and, after 10 repetitions each side, I've had enough of this move. I've never found it to be easy, although I can manage to live through 30 second's worth of effort.

I completed the workout without taking a water break, although I did mop off my face a couple of times. After 18 months, this workout still challenges. I like that about this series, and about all of Tony's workouts. You're challenged to grow and compete against yourself.