Yoga X

Completed most of Yoga X last night. I stopped just before the Yoga Belly 7 Series.

It was hard last night as my upper body was still sore from both previous workouts still. I tried doing the push ups in between, but really couldn't hack it. The rest of it was ok, went as expected from not doing it in so long.

The plan was to run tonight. We'll see if the snow melts. If not, I'll look to either Plyo, Intervals X+, or possibly Kempo Cardio X+.


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Shoulders & Arms

Success. Still one of the easier (note: EASIER, not EASY, by any means) workouts of the bunch. My plan was to actually only do half of the workout, but I ended up doing the whole thing. Go me! But i did not do the bonus round. Not feeling the soreness too much yet, but I'm sure that will change soon. Meant to do Ab Ripper X afterwards, but I forgot.

Notes from the workout: I replaced the upright row with In-n-Out Shoulder Flies, as the upright rows are really killer on my right shoulder. I used 30 lbs for most of the bicep work, and grabbed the 10 lbs (30 and 10 are all i own) and worked till failure when i didnt hit 8 reps, with the 30s.

So today should be Yoga X. Still debating whether to do all or half of it. The plan was to do it in the morning, BUT! right, i failed to wake up, AGAIN! and i still need to find a day or 2 to get a run in. just too cold.

I'm holding off on numbering the days/weeks and calling this the start of round 3, because, i fear it may fizzle out like the last 2 tries.

A Good Start to a New Month

So, the plan is PlyoX tomorrow, and maybe Intervals X Plus on Sunday.

We'll see how I end up.

Lets just say, I ended up very well! Okay, let me back off a little bit and just say it went well. I really wanted to continue my half-marathon training, but that was virtually impossible with the sub-zero wind chills. I mean, I'm one that can take the cold reasonably well, but even I have my limits! I really wanted to hit some resistance training and cardio, though, so my solution? I did half of Chest & Back followed up with 25-30 min of Plyo X. I wanted to take it light on C&B, since its been a while. So I capped the push ups at 10 reps, and pull ups at 8 (doing what I could unassisted, and finishing up with the chair). And let me tell you, even doing that, was HARD! By the time I got to the dive-bombers, I was spent. And to imagine, I only did one round. Plyo went ok- though was disappointed with my perfomance. Thought it would be a touch better from my *four runs...wishful thinking I suppose. Perhaps I was spent from just doing C&B.

So, I woke up Sunday morning, motivated, and tackled Intervals X Plus. I actually did pretty well with this. It wasnt as hard as I last remembered it. Was able to do all the moves, except 2, which were the push up moves. I was incredibly sore from the day before, so there was no way I could do those. So they were pretty much extra 60 sec breaks, and I didnt take any more than that, which I was proud of. So to revisit the question of which is harder, Plyo or Intervals X? Hands down, PLYO X.

One thing I tried this weekend, which I read was good to do, was I did all my workouts with no sneakers. It was interesting. My ankles did get sore, since my ankles are all kinds of messed up, but I think I did alright. I find shoes get in the way sometimes, so I enjoyed it. It'll even help with stability, so may help out my ankles in the long run. I'm working out on carpet so impact wasn't much of an issue.

So I'm still incredibly sore today, but its such a nice feeling. Was going to pound out Shoulders & Arms this morning, but once again, failed at waking up. So, I should get it done tonight, which watching the Bachelor....haha. Dont ask.

'Till next time, BRING IT!

End of Jan Update!

It has been four weeks since I've started eating cleanly, and eating less in general, and its paid off pretty well, see for yourself:

1/4- 211.8 lbs @ 22.5% fat (47.7 lbs of fat)
1/29- 204.2 lbs @ 21% fat (42.9 lbs of fat)
Net: 7.6 net weight loss, (4.77 lbs of fat-loss, roughly 10%).

As you can see, about 40% of my weight loss was lean body mass as well, and that could be a result of restricting too many calories. Recent daily calorie requirement calculations has me around 2660 calories perday, if i am lightly active (working out 1-3 times a week). I have been averging about 1500 calories/day on the weekdays, and higher on the weekends, of course.

I have also been out running four times in the past 2 weeks, in an attempt to start my half-marathon training. Distances so far: 1.6, 1.6, 3, and 2 miles. Not the greatest, but its a start! I also did Ab Ripper X on Tuesday, and I'm still a tiny bit sore today, 3 days later. Had planned on doing a run yesterday, and one tomorrow, but the weather is not cooperating. So, the plan is PlyoX tomorrow, and maybe Intervals X Plus on Sunday.

We'll see how I end up.

Half Marathon, Diet, and more...

2.5 months since I last posted? NOT GOOD. And as I mentioned in a previous post, no posts = no working out! Sadly enough, that holds up. The only activity I've had in the past 2.5 months has been volleyball, and that was only once per week. I should mention, though, the nice bike ride I did in San Fran. Biked from Pier 39, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and into Sausalito. And if anyone knows anything about SF, it is not flat! Made for a good challenge and even better workout. The ride out and back was about 16 miles, essentially working off all the fatty, unhealthy foods I had been consuming during the vacation. Good thing.

In other news, I've signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon. Yes, half. I'm not quite up for the full 26.2 miles just yet. Its set for September 12, 2010. A few coworkers will be doing it also, which will make for some nice friendly competition. Definitely in a hole since I'm not much of a runner. Good thing I'll have 9 months to train.

Since the new year, we (the wife and I) have been trying to eat healthy. Meaning lean proteins, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Very little fats/oils, and processed foods. Eating a lot of turkey and chicken breasts, cooked on the Foreman Grill, and chowing down on salads and a fat-burning vegetable soup (created by researchers at Sacred Heart University, I believe, years ago). Who knows if the soup works, but its a tasty way to get heaping portions of vegetables. For now, I'm totalling about 1500 cals/day.

So, has it been working you ask? Take a look at the stats, keeping in mind, this is purely just shaking up the diet. No working out or marathon training, YET.

1/04: 211lbs @ 22.5% fat
1/11: 209.2 lbs @ 21% fat

AND, just for kicks (since you're only supposed to weigh yourself once a week), this morning, i was 206 @ 21.5% fat. Not bad for 1.5 weeks. Until next time....(hopefully sooner than 2.5 months).

Yoga X

Yesterday, I decided to do Yoga X. Good news and bad news. The good news: I did the whole thing! Bad news: it was HARD. Well, at least harder than the last time I can remember doing it. I've definitely lost a good amount of what I had. I can still touch my nose to my right knee though! Tried to do all the push ups, but had to drop a few, as I was sore from Intervals X Plus (which had a couple push up moves in itself). My legs and glutes are still incredibly sore from Intervals, and doing Yoga last night, contrary to what I thought, did not help it.

I have volleyball tonight, so it'll be three consecutive active nights. A good start. Hoping to knock out Chest & Back or Shoulders & Arms over the weekend.

'Till next time, BRING IT!

10/28- Intervals X Plus
10/29- Yoga X
10/30- Volleyball
10/31 or 11/1- TBD

Intervals X Plus

Ok, I won't say that I'm starting Round 3, yet. But since its been over a month since I last worked out, I felt the desire to do SOMEthing. Had planned to do plyo, but remembered I had purchased the P90X+ videos, and said, "AH! Perhaps I'll take a stab at one of the workouts". So that is what I did.

My focus was to do some cardio, in order to just get my blood pumping, so naturally, I looked to Intervals X Plus. Can I just say, "O. M. G." For my first workout back after a month, this was a KILLER. I'm not sure where I'd rate it against plyo, but this is right up there.

This workout has 15 moves, all for 1 min each, but with 3 intensity levels per move. So you go from moves 1 to 15, break, then 15 back to 1. What makes this one harder than plyo is the lack of built in water breaks (I had to make many of my own!). I'd say I did the workout at maybe 80%. I was so tapped out of energy halfway through, I skipped some of the moves entirely, and others I skipped the highest intensity part. I finished the workout a bit dizzy, but hey, that is to be expected, jumping into a workout like this after a month of slacking off.

My legs and glutes are especially sore this morning, but it feels really good to have worked out again. Stood taller. Felt fitter. But nothing like getting on the scale to tell me that i'm 211 lbs @ 23% fat. AHHHHH!!!!!!! (if y'all recall, I made it all the way down to 196 and 19% fat at the end of round 2.5!). I eat entirely way too much.

Hopefully, I can continue now, doing somewhat of a hybrid of the X and X Plus. My plan is to Yoga X tonight. Lets hope that happens =)

BRING IT!

Distractions

Ok, its probably understood that:

lack of updates = lack of working out, haha.

And like i need more 'excuses' to not workout. the world series starts on wed., the football season is in full swing, and NOW? its opening week for the NBA season. wonderful.

i'm trying to conjure up a lighter/modified P90X schedule so i can at least do SOMETHING for the moment. been slacking off, BIG TIME.

Phase I Update

Here's a little recap of where I am at.

9/21- Legs & Back
9/22- Softball
9/23- Shoulders & Arms
9/26- Chest & Back
9/27- ARX
9/29- Softball
9/30- Volleyball

Went on a mini-vacation from 9/25-9/28, but was able to squeeze in one workout. So after a quasi-week 2 and 3, going to finish off the week with a couple of workouts, and then jump back into week 3 and a phase 1 bonus week before heading into recovery week. So tonight, the plan is Legs & Back, ARX.

By the way, diet has been....ehhhhh.

Phase 1, Week 2

Day 7 Day 9: Shoulders & Arms, ARX

As you can see, I'm shifting things around so far this week. As previously mentioned, my back is still sore, so did not want to jump into chest & back. Did the workout with my newly purchased 30 lb dumbells, but had to switch over to the bands toward the end, as fatigue set in. Had a good workout, and shoulders & arms continues to be one of my favorites (perhaps because its not AS strenuous as the others!).

Up to 17 reps per move in ARX, except Leg Climb (all) and Mason Twist (20, rest, 10, rest, 5). Abs aren't even really sore from Monday's ARX. Nice.

On deck: TBD