Week 5, Day 3: Back and Biceps

Did you feel the pump today Jacob?  I did.  I really liked this routine, and think that, when I'm done with p90x this will still be part of what I do.  There were many of the exercises that I did 15 reps on, and I'm planning to up the weight on those and drop the reps.  (I've indicated this in the spreadsheet).  Ab ripper seemed almost easy today.  I really liked this workout.

Here are the numbers.

Week 5, Day 2: Plyometrics

Kind of hard to get back into it after the week "off".  The way I measure progress on this is by how quickly I get through the entire workout.  My ultimate goal is to get through the whole thing without pressing pause.  I'm not sure how well I did today, though, because I forgot to note the time when I started.  I feel like I went a little long.

Week 5, Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

First day with a new routine is always awkward.  I'm still learning what weights to use, and how to properly do the exercises.  Today was the same.  Next time I do this routine it should be better.

I couldn't do the one-arm push ups.  Everything in my back went snap-crackle-pop even when doing them from the knee position.

How Tony is doing that flying push-up thing when I'm doing clap push ups is crazy... simply crazy.

Here are my numbers.

Week 4, Day 7: Rest or XStretch

Didn't do XStretch, but did go caving again.  So that part's okay.  And that's the end of phase 1.  Tomorrow I start with phase 2, which is probably going to be tougher.

Week 4, Day 6: Yoga

Each time I do it, I'm a little better.  Sharon is hanging in there with me on yoga.  I actually got through some of the one-legged balance poses.  I was able to get into crane for several seconds, and even did royal dance for a while.

There's just no way I can do that stand on one leg, one leg straight out in front and grab my toes.  I can do it okay with my hand under my thigh, but grabbing my toe is just not happening yet.

Week 4, Day 5: Core Synergistics

I'm a lot more comfortable with my numbers this time, and I felt a lot better about all the various exercises.  Prison cell push-ups are still hard.  They are almost a burpee, and doing 10 reps involves doing 30 push-ups.

The numbers are here.

Week 4: Day 4: XStretch

Felt good.  My hamstrings are probably the most flexible part of me.  But that fog stretch hurts!!!

Week 4: Day 3: Kenpo

It's just easy... even with the weights.

Week 4: Day 2, Core Synergistics

This was my first time on this routine, so I wasn't very efficient.  Wasted a good bit of time just learning how to do the moves.  I'm not sure all my numbers on the spread sheet are correct.  I wasn't counting reps so much as trying to learn the moves, and by the time I would learn them, it would be time to move on.  I should have better rep counts next time.

Some notes.
Banana rolls are awkward.
I could actually do sphinx push ups!!!
It's very difficult for me to pick the leg up on low lateral skaters.
Prison cell push ups are HARD!!!
Plank to Chatarunga Run is HARD!!!
Lunge Kickback Curl Press... I originally thought I'd do 20 lbs on this.  I did 10 lbs and barely got through it.
Dreya Roll is much harder than it looks.
Table Dip Leg Raise is not as hard as I thought, but I think my form may not have been very pretty.

Here are the numbers.

Week 4: Day 1: Yoga

Easy peasy... was able to get into crane for a bit this time around.  And actually got all the way through some of the single-leg balance stands.

Week 3, Day 7: Rest or XStretch

Well, I did neither today.  I didn't XStretch, but I sure didn't rest either.  Sharon and I went to cemetary pit and caved all day.

Oh, and happy birthday David Guy!

Week 3, Day 6: Kenpo

Held on to the 3lb weights throughout the entire workout, even when doing jumping jacks and x-jumps.  This still feels like one of the easier workouts to me.  My left-back kick is clumsy, but getting better.

I'd like to hear back from Jacob on how it worked out for him.

Week 3, Day 5: Legs and Back

This is the routine that leaves me feeling the most sore in the days that follow.  Really kills my legs.

I added weight to the step back lunges and a tiny bit of weight to the sneaky lunges.  I added reps to my unassisted pull-ups across the board.  Toe roll iso lunges are still very difficult for me.  Also, so is the very first exercise (balance lunges).

Ab ripper seemed the strongest so far this time.  Phifer scissors were not so bad this time.

Here are the numbers.

Week 3: Day 4: Yoga

Each time it feels like we're doing a little bit better.  Have to do it two times next week.  It's good to have Sharon as my buddy.  That one-legged stand forever thingy is pretty difficult.

Week 3, Day 3: Shoulders and Arms

Not much to say, numbers up just a very little bit.  Done with this for phase 1.

Here are the Numbers.

Week 3, Day 2: Plyometrics

Completed my last plyometrics of phase 1.  Brian worked with me today.  We did it in 1 hour and 10 minutes, which is my fastest time.  Also didn't seem to be as bad today as in the past.

Brian said that plyometrics should be called die-o-metrics.

Week 3, Day 1: Chest & Back

Seemed a bit hard today. Had heartburn throughout the workout. This was probably because I stayed up too late last night playing Star Wars and eating Doritoes that Bryan brought.

Bryan was my workout buddy today.

Here are the Numbers.

Week 2, Day 7: XStretch

All too easy... week 2 done and done.

Week 2, Day 6: Kenpo

Okay, so this is still one of the easiest workouts. To make it tougher, I used 3lb weight during every punch. I put them down only for run-in-place/jacks/x-jumps. Next time I intend to hold the weight through the entire workout.

A T T E N T I O N
J A C O B !!!

That means you.

To make this routine a workout, put a 3lb weight in each hand and hold them for every single punch/block move. Should be easy for a whipper snapper like you.

Week 2, Day 5: Legs and Back

Hey, I thought this was supposed to get easier.

It isn't.

Another tough workout but I completed it.  Things of note.

Even though I wasn't tracking everything to begin with, I decided that I wanted to after all.  I found another workout sheet that includes all the exercises.

Get it here.

I think I should add weight to the step back lunges.
My arms go numb holding the dumbbells during the calf raises near the end.  Toe roll ISO is HARD.
I've updated the spreadsheet and started tracking ALL the numbers.

Get it here.

Week 2, Day 4: Yoga

Was late getting the blog entry for it today, but Sharon and I did do the yoga this morning.  We both felt more comfortable, and like we were doing a better job of moving from position to position.  Some of that stand-on-one-leg-and-balance-forever stuff is still sort of difficult, and it's still hard to see what's going on in the video when you're staring at your unmentionables.  But overall, we both felt better about the workout that the first time through.

Tomorrow I have to do more chin/pull-ups...

Week 2, Day 3: Shoulders and Arms

Thought I was all done for the day, had my numbers down and was about to go to the computer room to key in blog entry and numbers, when the DVD started in on Ab-Ripper... I had forgot about Ab-Ripper!  Ugh!  But I did it.  Still feel very uncoordinated on reverse bicycles.

Still experimenting with weight/rep combos.  Think I might like to go with more weight and fewer reps, but will try to finish week 3 much as I've been doing weeks 1 and 2.

Here are the numbers.

Week 2, Day 2: Plyometrics

My goal was to finish in under one and a half hours.  I finished in one hour and twenty minutes.  This is still a very very very tough workout.  I'd say, if there's a workout that makes me think about quitting, this is the one.  But I didn't.  And I just have to do it one more time in phase one.

Tony's right... it's the mother!

Week 2, Day 1: Chest & Back

Increased the reps on some of the push ups.  Increased weight amounts.  Strained my back just a bit on one of the lawn mowers, but interestingly, didn't strain the part of my back I was actually using for the exercise.  Don't think it's serious and it didn't keep me from completing the workout or completing ab-ripper.   Feeling a little sore as I sit here typing tho.

Numbers are here.

Day 7: XStretch

Sharon did it with me... easy peasy.  It was a little longer than it needed to be I think, but it was certainly a good stretch.

Week 1 done.

Day 6: Kenpo

I was really sore this morning from yesterday's difficult workout, so I was worried this one would be tough.  Then when the stretches started really felt like it was going to be a tough workout.  Turns out, this has been the easiest workout to date.  I think maybe it's because when doing the punch exercises in Power 90 I was holding 3 lb weights, and I did not do that today.  I think next kenpo I'll pick the weights back up to add to this workout.  Otherwise it's almost like a rest day as far as  the punches are concerned.  The kicks are still tough, but not bad.  Eventually I'll put on leg weights during those.

Day 5: Legs and Back

Okay, so who knew that there would be more pull/chin-ups in "Legs & Back" than in "Chest and Back" or "Shoulders and Arms"?  And who knew that "Legs and Back" would end with a very "Plyometrics" type of exercise?  Well, I suppose I do now.  Anyway, today was kind of tough.  And my routinekept getting interrupted as well.  But I managed to get through it.  Ab ripper is still tough but I survived it.  I'm really clumsy on the reverse bicycles.

Even though Tony is saying to write everything down all throughout the routine, the workout sheet only has places to track the pull/chin-ups.  In fact here's a quote from my workout sheet.

"While this workout consists of both leg and pull-up exercises, we would like you to record the number of reps you performed for JUST THE PULL-UP EXERCISES."  (emphasis theirs).  I try to get as many as I can of these without assistance, and then complete to 10 reps using the chair.  I realized on the second round that if I did that with the switch grip, that I would have more reps with one grip than with the other, since I do 2 reps before switching the grip.  So I completed to 12 reps on the second go around.

Here are the numbers.

Day 4: Yoga

Some of if felt really stooopid, some of it was insanely difficult.  I didn't say Ommm at the end.  The good thing here, though, was that Sharon joined me, which was way cool.  Also, it's really hard to keep an eye on the video and see what you're supposed to be doing when you're twisted into a pretzel and you're staring at the back of your own heal.

And it lasted forever, but we got through it.

Day 3: Shoulders and Arms

It's done!  Today's ab rippers where a whole lot easier. Still a little sore from the previous day's workouts, but not as bad as I had feared.

Still learning which weight amounts to use on which exercises.  I think I need to up my weight and reduce my reps.

Here are the numbers.

Leave a comment if you're reading this, if only to say, "yup, I read it and I'm keeping tabs on you."

Day 2: Plyometrics

Great googly moogly, that was hard!  My new goal for plyo is to finish the hour-long workout in under an hour and a half.  Today took an hour and forty five minutes.  I mean, I'm used to having to take an extra little break between each circuit, but I'm not used to having to take a little extra break between every exercise. 

Day 1: Chest and Back

Done and done.

Pace for chest and back was a bit slower than I expected, but maybe that's because my reps were pretty low. Pull-ups were tough.  I could have done a bit more on my first push ups.

I was not at all prepared for some of the Abb Ripper exercises.  They killed my lower back from the beginning.  I remember it being that way when I started with TH abb ripper 100 though, so hopefully it'll get better.

My reps may be a bit low yet, but I'm satisfied with day one.

Here are the numbers.