39 by 39

Moving to Another Blog

2009-07-19T17:38:00.002-05:00

Alright folks...I am going to try to keep up with some fitness blogging, but it will defintely revolve around "Chasing Wyatt."

The new blog is www.ChasingWyatt.blogspot.com

See ya there!

It's a Wrap

2009-07-15T17:27:00.003-05:00

Thanks for following me on this ride. If you've been silently watching, that's great. If you've put the bets on the table, you are probably waiting to see if you win...so here you go!

Initial 215.5
Final 207.1

8.4 lbs. is a far cry from 39. You all have watched and seen the workouts, the progress, and the perspective I'm taking from this, so I won't repeat myself here. You can see that here.

However, one thing that I didn't really blog about was diet. Over the course of the four months, I've tried a few different things, but didn't really commit to the initial Monkey Bar eating plan. I liked it, but didn't stay committed. That doesn't mean I did poorly on eating. Overall, I did very well, but there was a lot of experimenting especially regarding how food actually made me feel, paying attention to whether I was actually hungry, etc. I'm sure I could have lost more if I just "stuck to something." I didn't blog about diet, because I changed so much that I would have driven myself crazy if I tracked it. I prefer to eat rather than talking about it. However, I do like talking about the workouts just as much as doing them...hence, I got plenty of those.

So, what's the next step? I am definitely continuing on and training with the variety that I have been. I love it. This is the longest I've been consistent in years. I was bored, not very athletic, and just going through the motions, even though I had a degree and a personal training certification. This is a fun, fun way to train. I will take the improvements in athletic skills over the weight loss right now. I'd also put my 39 year old butt up against my 29 year old butt and beat him with his left arm. I may not bench as much weight (I never do it for a workout and haven't since around 2001, but did do 275 for 1 rep just for giggles a few weeks ago), but I guarantee I'm stronger overall and my core strength is way beyond what I had back then.

So, the last question, is "do I continue blogging on the progress from here?" That will be answered by YOU. I enjoy writing, and sharing, but it is getting harder to do with less time at home, and a block on the computers at work.

However, if you want to see how things go post-challenge, including some more focus regarding diet, then I might keep 39by39 going, or just create a new one.

So, if you want to see this keep going, comment in the comment section and say "we aren't ready for this to be done yet...please don't leave us Lostdogman...the world can't live without you" or just say "keep going dude."

Thanks again everybody!

T minus 2 hours and something something

2009-07-14T21:36:00.003-05:00

I will be 39 in less than three hours. Technically, that's not true. If I wanted to be anal retentive, I would mention that I was born at 11:57pm on July 15...so, at almost midnight tomorrow, I'll truly be 39 (central standard time of course).

Tomorrow, I'll have to wait until later in the day for some official information, but I'll let you know how I decided to celebrate today. I can't remember the last time I did burpees. After taking some hospital employees through a workout that included burpees, I was motivated. Mostly, I've avoided them because of the push-up part infringes on my "ignore the chest entirely portion of my corrective-exercise-for-the-new-millennium-and-beyond-all-inclusive-never before-seen-personal-fitness-routine." It's been a long while. Honestly, I don't miss the pain of them, but I just had to see what I could do even with all the time away from them.

Back in April, our staff did a 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off burpee challenge for 10 minutes. I tanked toward the end (or maybe the middle...according to the post) and finished with 96.

Today, I did the same workout, and at the 10 minute buzzer, I hit 100. On the nose! Not bad for a 38 year old. I can live with that. It was hard...very hard. I wanted to stop the whole 2nd half. I figured that I could average 5 per each 15 seconds, then I hit 100. The count? 6, 12, 17, 22, 28, 33, 38, 43, 48, 53, 58, 62, 66, 71, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100. Some 6's, some 4's, and a whole lot of 5's. From 53 on, I thought "this was really stupid." At 75, I was trying to do math, which is difficult when your head feels like it is being pummeled by a vintage Mike Tyson, your arms are turning to jello, and the air under your feet keeps getting smaller and smaller. The last 25 were nothing but a "I really have to post something before my birthday and if I don't hit 100, there is proof that I can't suck it up." So, apparently, I sucked it up.

While my 100 may not be as great as Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game on March 2, 1962, I'm pleased, and not afraid of being a 39 year old who didn't hit his weight loss goal, but can run, jump, and climb!

Sweet Thing

2009-07-09T17:22:00.004-05:00

For my 1st father's day, my wife B bought us tickets to see Keith Urban in Dallas, so we are driving up tomorrow and seeing the concert Saturday. I'm gonna try to get some burpee workouts, or something like that in during the weekend. Something short and fast.

So, I'll be out of pocket hanging out with my Sweet Thing and enjoying life outside the normal weekend. In case anyone thinks I'm saying Keith Urban is my sweet thing...nope...B is my sweet thing.

There are a few reasons I want to live well, and one is to spend as much of my life with her as possible, grow old together, watch our son grow up. So, thanks to the love of my life for being sweet enough to get tickets for us! Sweet thing indeed! I love you baby!

Still Jumping

2009-07-07T20:30:00.003-05:00

I liked having 30/30 vision so much I decided to buy the company. Wait. That was an old, old commercial about an electric razor (sorry young ‘ens). I did like 30/30 so much yesterday, I took it again, used some jump rope still and alternated jumping rope with other exercises. It looked a little something like this:

30 seconds jump rope

30 seconds rest

30 seconds Power Wheel Pike Up

30 seconds rest

30 seconds jump rope

30 seconds Power Wheel Knee In

30 seconds rest

30 seconds jump rope

30 seconds Power Wheel Roll-out

Repeat that flow 2 x’s through, then keep the jump rope alternating with either deck squats, split squats, or Power Wheel Hamstring Curls…

This was for 24 minutes total. Now, here comes the fun. Our intern has been practicing doing the Power Wheel Crawls. She is getting very good at them, so I says to myself “yo, I need some motivation, a little competition.” So I says to our intern, “yo, wanna crawl?” She says “yeah, yeah, sure, sure, why not?”

We’ve set up a “sprint course” that runs from the north end of the gym, out the front door of the gym, into the front hallway to the front door. Visually, it looks like 50 yards, but honestly, it is more like 40 yards (37.53228811002 yards maybe)? As a staff, we’ve tried to “sprint” to see how quickly we can crawl. The other day, I made it in 17 seconds. On the 3^rd run today, I broke my previous record and pulled out a 16.3 second run. Thank God because I almost face planted when I was trying to take larger “steps.” The funniest part about doing these is that if you start with a good glute contraction, you end up with a wedgie to prove you are a true warrior. I mean, what else can say workout warrior like a wedgie…weally (I mean really).

8 days away from the final weigh-in. In all honesty, right now I’m hoping for 200-202-ish. Ish is my friend in the world of weight. Ish should follow every weigh-in…who hasn’t gotten all OCD and stepped on the scale 27 times one day and realized they have 27 different readings (thanks to that digital decimal point)? Don’t make me feel like I’m the only one…you know you’ve done it!

30/30 Vision

2009-07-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

Sometimes vision is blurry (ever had your eyes dilated?), sometimes perfect (20/20), and sometimes just what you need...in today's case, the vision I had was 30/30. That would be the vision to foresee performing 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off Jump Rope Sprints (as fast as possible) for 30 minutes(alternating forwards and backwards each round). Actually, I didn't foresee anything. I saw the idea on Monkey Bar Gym, and I had wanted to do jump rope today anyway, so we'll just say it was some divine plan that the two actually met today.

The biggest surprise was walking away having my arms and shoulders feeling like I just spent my time lifting weights. I'm not used to walking away from a cardio session with a "pump." Somehow, the 30 minutes felt like 10...how on earth did that happen? How many times has that happened in my life? So far, I think just once.

This was perfect for today. My shoulders, back, abs, elbows, and forearms all feel like I had just the workout I needed. A good start for the rest of the week. I have no idea what my vision will be tomorrow, but if I feel as good as I do today, I'll be looking forward to it.

Two Post in One Day? What a Bargain!

2009-07-02T17:45:00.002-05:00

Today, I was sore. Really sore! The Power Wheel "Sprint" Crawls (that's not me in the video, it's just to show what is looks like) yesterday made my legs, butt, abs, back, chest, and shoulders sore. I've used the word sore three (oops, four) times now, so I better stop. That exceeds the recommended quota for any blog post. Anything past that is complaining.

Today, everything performed, involved "correction." Range of motion exercises for the neck, shoulders, and mid back took a lot of the tension out. The rest were jump ropes, 50 box jumps (plyos), 50 plyometric back rows, 50 rotations to the right only, and 50 full range squats. These may not look like anything new and different for me and they aren't. However, they do address the problem areas the best right now. I feel like the guy who crossed from Kansas to Colorado and sees the Rockies in the distance. You know the destination is out there and you can definitely see it (I'm really hoping that Kansas is still next to Colorado or I'm gonna feel like an idiot! Haha!). This is the first time I think I may actually get these imbalances in check.

In the last couple weeks, I improved the range of motion in my shoulders by at least 3 inches on a common assessment that I perform. Nice! There's some freedom! I like it...a lot, but was stunned when it happened. I thought, did I just do that? Yep, I did!

OK, I gotta jet, we're going out tonight, leaving the baby at home with Grandma (aka Lolly) and are off for a night out.

To Weigh or Not to Weigh

2009-07-02T17:20:00.003-05:00

"Well, you're going to have to wear a belt, because we can't afford to buy more shorts yet." In the midst of this fitness challenge, Bethany bought me five new pairs of shorts. This is significant why? They were size 34" waist. This is down from the 36" I had been wearing for a while now (several years). The introductory quote was spoken today, about a month after the purchase of the aforementioned shorts. So, reading between the lines, you might be able to postulate (yeah, I just used that word) your own scenario for why this quote occurred.

As I walked around today without a belt in my formerly more snug 34" waist shorts, I spent half my time wondering how many people were going to think I was playin' gangsta with my pants sagging, or just proud to display that I wear boxer shorts. Neither was true. It was irritating trying to hold my pants up. This isn't because my butt disappeared over night. It's actually bigger than it used to be.

This is my plight. My weight is stagnant. To maintain a sense of mystery (sorry Jackie. Although you are rooting me on and want to know how I'm doing, I gotta play a little hard to get here! Haha!), I will just say I'm somewhere between 200-210 lbs. Obviously a long way from 176.5.

Here is the cool thing though. It doesn't really feel like a plight. Today was a reminder that the numbers (or a specific number) isn't telling the whole story. After 4 or 5 hernia surgeries (hard to remember how many) in my abdomen over 12 years, I didn't know if I could ever get my stomach back in shape without developing another one.

Going from 36" to 34" and apparently aiming for the next size down is pretty significant. And, right now, it begs the question "to weigh or not to weigh?" I really do think I would be heading through these last 13 days with a sense of dread if my only focus was "can I make it to 176.5?" So far, if we are going by that number, I would be like the guy who said he was going to score 40 in a basketball game, but didn't even break into double digits. It's a long way off.

What isn't a long way off is the conversation that led my wife to say "Well, you're going to have to wear a belt, because we can't afford to buy more shorts yet." That conversation carries a lot of weight in itself.

If You Don't Blog About Working Out Did It Happen?

2009-07-01T14:54:00.002-05:00

Per a subtle comment from the lovely "B" (aka my wife), it has been brought to my attention that I haven't blogged recently, which leads to the title of this particular post.

So, here is the response. I haven't done a thing! OK, total lie. Yesterday was a wild, fast paced workout with a client. I wasn't sure he was coming, and honestly didn't think he would since I hadn't heard from him during the day. So, I was prepped to do my own workout, and he pops in and figure we'll team train. It was an off the cuff, let's throw it out there and see what can we do. There was jump rope, power wheel, alternate punches, bosu ball medicine ball throws, bodyweight rows, among other things.

Today, my co-workers and I worked on the Power Wheel crawls, even timing ourselves on a "sprint." There was nothing planned, just a fun, "hey, watch what I can do" session.

Apparently, I am rebelling against any pressure to be a Type A personality. I'm not Type A, but sometimes I feel like I'm supposed to be...not sure why, but I just do. So, I've just been taking my "non-Type A butt" through the paces of completely spontaneous workouts. A plan is good, but sometimes, you just gotta play a little. And, to answer the question in the title of the post, yes, it happened even if I never said so.

Short Term Memory Loss

2009-06-27T10:05:00.003-05:00

I tried to think what I did for workouts this week, and honestly, I almost forgot. Mostly, I have forgotten, but I do remember the general idea.

I think my Wednesday workout was some sprints on the treadmill, vertical jumps with the Power Jumper, and high step-ups (30-36 inch steps)...I'm sure there was something else, I just can't remember it.

Yesterday included more vertical jumps with the Power Jumper, but with less resistance (1 band instead of 2), back rows, dips, and deck squats. 4 sets of 10 on each (I actually did 5 on the jumps because my first set was kind of a joke).

I feel like a broken record, because lack of sleep definitely makes the energy level ebb and flow more than I would like. Yesterday, I just felt weak. A teething baby and a strange surge of energy at night helped me average about 4-5 hours a night tops. That isn't good! There was only one nap during the week.

One thing that I don't want to see happen is a vicious circle that looks something like this:

Little sleep --> little energy during day --> no workout --> decreased calorie expenditure --> little sleep --> little energy during day--> no workout --> decreased calorie expenditure...you get the idea. I've gotta break that up somehow and the one thing that I seem to have some control is the workout. I have seemed energized later in the day after working out, and maybe that's why I'm having trouble going to sleep? I don't know. Sleep troubles have plagued me since I was a teenager, so I'm not in unfamiliar territory. I just don't want to let that keep me from moving during the day.

Speaking of sleep, Bethany is at a shower, Wyatt is taking a nap...so, maybe I'll get a quick nap in. Wishful thinking, but I'll try anyway!

Posting Later

2009-06-26T14:42:00.002-05:00

OK, I started a post, and Firefox shut down, and I lost it so...I'm going to post later! Arrrgggghhhhh!!!

Celebrating Wyatt

2009-06-23T21:00:00.003-05:00

Wyatt is 5 months old today. I won’t go on and on about how great I think he is, although words such as awesome, amazing, spectacular, and magnificent do come to mind (and that’s even after he has spit up and pee’d on me). Why am I celebrating Wyatt today? Aside from it being a “birthday” of sorts, his life has definitely impacted my view of life.

As I think of all the things I want to be able to share with him (rather than just sit back and watch), I realize much of it relates to some great memories that I have of playing baseball and basketball with my Dad as a kid. The final score of a 100-99 basketball game reminds me that either we played a looonnnggg time or we were just deadly shooters (he won that game, and I was a sore loser…I cried). Playing catch until darkness fell reminded both of us that a curve ball is difficult to pick up without any illumination.

So, how did I celebrate with a workout today? I just thought of things I want to be able to perform and do easily when I “grow up” and just did them. I took a combination of movements and combined them into one big repetition. I consider 1 rep to consist of one of the following:

Deck Squat moving into
Plank moving into
Sitout moving into
Vertical Jump moving into
A Kettlebell swing (64 lb.) moving into
Kettlebell snatch right arm (64lb.) moving into
Kettlebell snatch left arm (64lb.)...so, all said this progression was completed 32 times in 30 minutes.

Why Deck Squat? Because I want to get up and down from the ground easily

Why Plank? Because I have to end up somewhere before I do the next move

Why Sitouts? Because it involves core and shoulder stabilization

Why Vertical Jump? Why not? I want to get the rim again!

Why Kettlebell Swing? It actually takes away my former title of “flat butt” and works hamstrings, erectors of the back and with range of motion in the shoulders

Why Kettlebell Snatches? Um, I think just because I like ‘em…good enough reason right?

Why all together? Because I have a feeling Wyatt is going to be a ball of fire always on the go and I need to keep ahead of the game with him. He’s developing at a quicker rate than I am right now, so I better hustle.

This was all preceded by the Eischen’s Yoga progression that I did in Indiana. I felt pretty worked out from that before I ever started, but I liked it.

So, to Wyatt, thank you for bringing an excitement and joy to my life and a desire to bring more of the same to you as you grow up!

Shifting Focus

2009-06-23T20:52:00.003-05:00

I’ll be honest. I’m not going to weigh 176.5 lbs by July 15. I am such an idiot, a failure, a waste! Just kidding! Actually, I don’t buy that at all. 39 lbs. by age 39 is a catchy title, a noble goal, and yet still not going to be a reality. What is going to be a reality?

I love doing the workouts that I do now. Some are hard, make me shiver at the difficulty, but overall, I love the variety and the focus on improving skills, strength, and conditioning. While the scale can show a lot, it doesn’t show what has changed internally. My view of fitness, activity, and the rest of my life is different. My life is riddled with inconsistency, starting, stopping, giving up, but that is not true of this challenge. There have been numerous distractions (good in the form of a new son, and bad in the form of the lack of sleep), potential pitfalls (getting sick for a week), and a continuing pursuit of getting an “out of whack body back on track.”

My reality is this:

I don’t want to stop working out after July 15.
I want to be active for the rest of my life.
Wyatt won’t walk for several months and won’t run for even longer, so I still have time to train to keep up with him.
This challenge is not a phase, it is a springboard.
Being able to jump again without blowing out an ankle, knee, or calf is one of the most exciting things for me. Although I’m only 5’9” I had a brown mark in the middle of my forearm from hitting it against a 10 foot rim as recently as age 28. I can’t get there yet, but I wouldn’t (repeat…wouldn’t) even try jumping for a few years because everything felt like it was going to blow out if I tried. That’s progress!
Persistence occurs over time, not apart from time, and not without battles (what good is a movie without the ups and downs? It is called boring, and fodder for helping me sleep).
Movement is good. Being able to step up and down, jump, pull myself off the ground, and perform many other movements is priceless.

My 94 year old grandmother and 90 year grandma were both active for most of their lives and now they are both using walkers due to surgeries. They both were moving pretty freely until the last year or two, so they have lived full active lives. Yesterday, I saw a lady barely over half their age struggle to pull herself into her van by the steering wheel. I didn’t know if she would make it (thankfully she did). I don’t say that judgmentally, but it was a reminder that we were created to move, to live, to breathe, and made me realize that I want to live a long and active life.

Not only do I want an active life, but I desire one that includes some perspective; a way of seeing things that bring clarity to everyday life. I’ve linked to the guys at www.lifespotlight.com before and I will again. Some of the points they made in a post last week have significantly impacted my thinking this week. A couple that immediately stuck with me were:

Don’t have a vision of you 30lbs lighter in 30 days, have a vision of you healthy and lean in 1, 10, 25 years…that will keep you on track for life (as I can’t tell you how many people are always trying repeatedly to lose the same 15+ lbs they seem to lose/regain year after year).

(That's a novel thought…it isn’t about 39lbs. by 39!...it’s about chasing Wyatt, and whatever children may come behind him, enjoying being free to live life with my wife unhindered by inactivity…God willing of course!)

Throw out the scale, it’s causing more problems than it solves. You don’t know what the magic number should be anyways, so stop obsessing over it. A mirror and your clothes will tell you what is going on with your body composition.

(Is this a cop out for me, or a motivation to remember 176.5 lbs. may not be the “magic number?”)

I might have been embarrassed a few years ago if I started on a challenge and I didn’t reach the numbers. I also may have said “screw it” and checked out mentally, emotionally, and even physically. That isn’t the case today. That is why I have shifted focus and probably will continue to shift focus. Yeah, I think I would like to get to 185-190 lbs., but guess what? The last time I weighed that (5 years ago) I couldn’t do 20 kipping pull-ups AFTER a full workout, nor could I do a full range bodyweight squat, nor could I avoid pulling a hamstring, a calf, or irritating a rotator cuff when I tried to perform an explosive movement (get your mind out of the gutter…this isn’t like Jeff Daniels in “Dumb and Dumber” after Jim Carrey slipped him the “Turbo lax” in his tea...sorry, I haven't outgrown potty humor).

Age 38, almost 39, and almost where I want to be, and enjoying what I already possess; that, for me is shifting focus.

Indiana

2009-06-22T22:25:00.002-05:00

I don't have a lot of time to give an overview of Indiana, but basically, it comes down to this. It was busy, exhausting, although great to see my family. So, what do you do with busyness and exhaustion?

Well, I actually tried to do some Eischen's Yoga (found at yep, Monkey Bar Gym). I've never really tried it much, but did it several days as my "workout" and was amazed at how much you have to engage your body and how much better my back and shoulders felt doing some of the holds like the "Upside Down Mutt" (no, the "Downward Dog" that's it). I think I'm going to add this in to my normal workout.

Hopefully, we'll get back to a little more variety this week. Unfortunately, work is now blocking sites (including blogspot), so I won't be blogging as quickly. In any case, I'll keep up the posting, even if slower!

Not So Much Here or Here...

2009-06-17T07:51:00.002-05:00

Tommy Boy, starring Chris Farley and that other guy (oh yeah, David Spade), is one of the most quotable comedies of the last 25 years. One of the most quoted lines is "Not so much here or here..." The line is the motivation for last night's workout.

I'm not trying to work here or here...but right here. My focus is still to get these muscle imbalances under control a bit. Usually I feel pain "not so much here or here, but right here." The "right here" is my right lat and mid/low trap (a little in the rhomboid too...right inside the shoulder blad...I mean shoulder blade).

So, in my quest to correct a problem and still get a good workout, I created my own yesterday. 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off through 5 exercises for 4 rounds. It ended up being 24 minutes of work...and I definitely worked.

1. One arm body row: right arm for 30 seconds, rest for 30, then left arm...
2. Jack Knife or Full Extension on Jungle Gym: works hams, glutes, erectors, traps, rear delts
3. Overhead Squat with just a light bodybar to work on shoulder retraction
4. Power Wheel Knee-ins (knee-ups? Whatever you want to call them)
5. Turkish Get-up w/ 53.5 lb. Kettlebell: dont' know the dude in the video, but he just did a lot more weight than me, and I won't take my shirt off yet either!

Because every exercise engages the whole body to some degree, I was really tired afterward. It was awesome. I felt really relaxed later in the evening, like I had 2 glasses of wine, and I had none. Nice side effect of the workout!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2009-06-16T14:14:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, my wife, son, and I are flying to southern Indiana (technically Louisville, then driving to southern Indiana) to see my family. There will be no gym to visit, so what am I going to do? Great question...glad you asked it.

What are some of my options?

There's a big hill perfect for hill sprints.
There is a playground where we can do knee-ins with our feet on the swing and hands on the ground (just like a Jungle Gym or TRX) or any variation from that position.
Push-ups on the swings with either hands on the swings and feet on the ground, or vice versa
Body Rows on those same swings
Bodyweight Squats, Split Squats, Deck Squats, Lunges
Handstand push-ups, Regular Push-ups (I'm trying to resist doing chest still...eventually yes, not yet)
Jumping...the big 3 foot high concrete block in front of my Grandmother's house is perfect for a high box jump.
Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, etc.

So, that's just a few options. We can do either intervals or just for reps, alternating exercises or circuits, max reps on 8-10 exercises (1 minute each, with a minute of rest between)...or...or...or...or...or...you get the idea.

There are a ton of possibilities. Deck of cards workout, maybe? Who knows? We'll keep it fun and spontaneous. We won't have a good Internet connection there, so if there is an update, I'll be surprised. Also, my grandmothers are ages 90 and 94, so I'm thinking it is better to spend time with them and watch them enjoy their great grandson. But, if there is a sleepless night, maybe there will be an update or two.

Yesterday

2009-06-16T11:18:00.002-05:00

Yesterday...little time in general...little time devoted to exercise, so once again, gotta be efficient. 15 minutes of jumping rope (according to studies should equate to the same # of calories as 30-45 minutes of jogging). I hope so!

Train to Live Not Live to Train

2009-06-13T13:58:00.005-05:00

If you live in the San Antonio area, you might have seen this phrase on shirts advertising a chain of gyms. It just so happens that I worked there for a short time. "Train to Live Not Live to Train" or something to that effect was the phrase.

We've all probably found ways to be obsessive compulsive or addictive in our thoughts or actions in some area of our life. Although I rarely agreed with the attitude I saw from this particular gym regarding the way they did business, I did appreciate the catch phrase on that shirt. Why? I don't want to spend 2 to 3 hours trying to convince myself that acting like an addict (albeit a "health addict") is normal or good for me.

Yesterday, after getting my job evaluation and trying to troubleshoot some problems, I looked at the clock and realized that I will probably have one chance to workout today. Once I leave the gym, I'm heading home and spending time with my son. Time for a workout wasn't in abundance.

So, 20 minutes of effort (actually 10 minutes of work with 10 minutes of rest) performed at high intensity allowed me to get an awesome workout without spending a ton of time on it. I didn't even bring workout clothes (always forget at 5:00 in the morning...yeah, yeah, I know I should set out the workout clothes the night before...yada, yada). It didn't matter...so, my work clothes got sweaty and dirty.

I used the basic template of Monkey Bar's workout for the day.

15 seconds on, 15 seconds off for 10 minutes of Kettlebell Clean and Press. I only have one kettlebell, so I did one arm at a time. The goal was a 100 reps. I only did 80 reps. It was my 1st time, so I was pretty happy. The Clean and Press done with one arm works your legs, hips, glutes, core, shoulders, arms, and back...either as a prime mover or stabilizer.

Then 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off for 10 minutes, alternating between Kettlebell Swings and Split Squats. I was supposed to do Squat Jumps, but I did jumps with the Power Jumper the day before, so I switched it up to the Split Squat...really good for range of motion around the knee and hips.

20 minute workout = high workload = great benefit = happy camper. I don't love working out in a gym...it actually bores me if I'm doing traditional routines, but this is different. It is invigorating, fun, hard, challenging, but most of all it reminds me to train to live, not the other way around.

Gratuitous Use of My Son's Cuteness to Reinforce the Purpose of This Challenge

2009-06-11T13:22:00.003-05:00

This is Wyatt at 4 months. This is me getting closer to 39 years old. He's cuter, but I have bigger arms...but not for long. He's gonna be a strong boy...gotta keep going to keep up.

You Gotta Walk Before You Crawl

2009-06-11T12:59:00.004-05:00

Yep, I said it wrong...on purpose. In the realm of normal human development, crawling before walking is a given. However, the Power Wheel Crawl is another story. You better know how to walk before you try this.

Monkey Bar Gym used to have a 100 yard challenge, which I don't see on their updated site. I missed my chance to win some of the DVD's, but I still want to do the challenge. The Power Wheel crawl is a killer. You have to engage everything to perform it.

Today's workout was made up by me, and look a little something like this:

1. Power Wheel Crawl around half the gym
2. 15 Body Rows (yep, still trying to work on those)
3. 5 reps per arm of Kettlebell Jerks
4. 10 reps of Power Jumper (that's the elastic band you put around your legs and neck to increase the intensity) Box Jumps
5. 100 jump ropes forward and back

I made it through twice, and then felt a little crazy. I decided to up the ante on the Power Wheel crawl. Starting at one end of the gym I crawl out the door, through one long hallway, turned a right corner down another hallway, then another right turn to the other gym entrance. At that point I had to drop, gather myself and keep going to get to the other side of the gym. It was around 80 yards, and a lot harder because of the right turns...I hoped for a clean run from start to finish.

That almost did me in, but I decided to get a few more Power Jumper jumps (25 reps) in place to work the legs, butt, and core.

There is just over a month to go to the finish of the challenge. But, like every good cliche that takes on a life of it's own, it's really just the beginning. The way I train now is like play. It is fun, it feels like living, and playing, and breathing. So, come July 15, I'm continuing to sing Viva la Vida in honor the amazing Coldplay concert last night. Apparently, Viva la Vida, means "long live life." I'm cool with that. The Ramones sang "I Wanna Live," Coldplay sings "Viva la Vida," and Jesus said he came "that you might have life and have it abundantly." Viva la Vida baby!

Shakin' not Stirred

2009-06-09T18:59:00.002-05:00

Since I have a phone number that contains the number combination "007" hidden somewhere within all 10 digits, it should be no surprise that I feel the freedom to steal a line from James Bond. I'm not particularly a James Bond fan (the movies that is...but, love the technology that guy gets to try out), but hey, it found it's way into to MY phone number, so I feel privileged to use whatever line I like (unless a lawsuit persuades me otherwise then adios witty use of James Bond's famous line).

Today, I was not "stirred" to work out, which means that the "oomph" was flat out gone. However, I did it anyway and was shakin' afterward. I did yesterday's Monkey Bar workout with a modification.

Monday June 8th

1) Kettle Bell Push Press 5x5 (shoulder exercise, but the use of legs to "push" and doing one arm at a time (additional core stabilization) makes these a more full body workout than expected).
2) Kips 3x15 (I did Body Rows instead...again...they are helping with the scapula winging, and create less tension in my lats. I miss the kipping pull-ups, but gotta work on what I need to work on).
3) Lateral cable Jump 3x15 (add a little "Power Jumper"...a fine piece of rubber cable that really adds a challenge to the jumps...makes your hips, butt, and thighs scream by the end of each set. Really using your arms to propel yourself gets the heart rate up too).
4) PW/JG Plyo Curls 3x15 (that's a power wheel hamstring curl, which is definitely a challenge...you have to tighten your abs and glutes to hold yourself off the ground to perform them).

This doesn't look like much, but since all of them involve using a majority of your body either in performing the movement or stabilizing for the movement, I was shakin' at the end. Maybe losing all those blood platelets yesterday had an impact? Maybe not. In any case, I am glad I was shakin' even though was not stirred.

Friday

2009-06-08T05:58:00.004-05:00

Friday's workout was pretty simple, and one again proves that the 5 x 5 workout is not all that easy. On paper, because of the lack of reps and time, it seems like it wouldn't be effective, but I was sweating like a beast (which one I don't know, but a beast nonetheless).

1st 2 exercises (alternating 5 reps on one exercise with 5 reps on the other...for 5 sets)
1. Full-weight Body Rows (suspended off the ground)
2. Handstand Push-ups

2nd 2 exercises (same rules as the 1st)
1. Pistols (one-leg assisted squats)
2. Hanging leg raises (hang from bar and raise feet up to touch bar until you can't do that anymore and regress to knees to elbows)

My butt and thighs hurt all day Saturday...not bad, but enough to make me think "what did I do to make 'em hurt like this?" That would be the pistols...hadn't done 'em in a while.

I'm giving platelets today, so I'm not sure if there will be a workout (aside from some corrective exercises which do seem to be working)...hopefully we'll be doing 4 straight "for real" workouts this weekend...err, I mean week.

It's early without much "go juice" coursing through my veins (3 hours of sleep...what do I expect, it's Monday...how else should I start the week?), so I don't have a lot to say, but since we are looking forward to the Coldplay concert here Wednesday, enjoy their new video for "Life in Technicolor II." It originally appeared as an instrumental on Viva la Vida, but the "II" version has lyrics and a fun puppet show to go with it.

Intern Requirement #1

2009-06-04T12:56:00.003-05:00

One of the requirements (unwritten, unspoken, but entirely expected) for our interns is the willingness to try different workouts, just because (strike up the Wizard of Oz: Because, because, because, because...).

Today, we introduced Monkey Bar Gym style training to our latest intern. The workout?

Thursday June 4th
100s Workout
100 yd Farmers Walk 16s/24s/32s: This is kettlebell weight, but we only have one kettlebell. Grab a dumbbell in each hand, heavy enough to make it really challenging for 100 yards.
100 yd PW crawl: This is a power wheel crawl.
100s Step Ups 12" box-20" box: I wasn't quite sure what this was saying, so I just said, do 100 step-ups (50 per leg)...For some reason I swear I'm seeing Jesus about half way through on this!
1 lap run (500 yd): We made it 400 meters...in the ballpark, and easier to track on the treadmill for the conversion table illiterate (that would be me).
AMAP (as many as possible) in 30 min: We all made it through twice, and made it to step-ups the third time around. Not bad. Lots of panting.

The biggest realization? The Farmer's Walk works your core and your shoulder girdle more than you think, and combined with the Power Wheel Crawl, you get a ridiculous amount of stabilization work around the core. It feels completely different than doing crunches or sit-ups. It works differently, but is extremely effective. Check out this study of various ab exercises and equipment to see what I mean. If it seems that I plug Monkey Bar a lot, yes, I do. I love what they do.

Nobility, Bravery, Stupidity...In That Order

2009-06-04T06:22:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, a client walked into the gym and informed me there were wasps building a nest near an outside entrance. First thought, "I hate wasps." He then proceeded to tell me he was allergic to them. 2nd thought, "I hate wasps...this man needs help (so noble) and time to get my revenge (bravery)." When I was 8 years old wasps built a nest behind the backboard of my basketball hoop and after a couple stings from those suckers, I've been fighting a war with them ever since.

Off to war we go...armed with a EZ curl barbell, I march out to the battleground. Nervous with anticipation I see two nests and 10 + wasps. Here is where my unmatched steely resolve will surely lead to victory. Die, die! I attack with a ferocity seen only from Magda's dog (Puffy) in There's Something About Mary. I would put a wonderful link to a youtube video of that, but I entered "There's Something About Mary Dog Attack" and about a dozen porn options showed up...NOT what I was looking for youtube (thought you guys didn't allow porn?)! Don't worry, I watched Fireproof last night and I didn't click on it (honestly, I'm just scared that that word search pulled that up...is their search engine just jacked or what?).

Back to the attack. After four or five successful hit and run missions, my confidence is soaring. Aside from the stem and a small remnant of nest, I have destroyed their home, basking in the glory of my ability to sprint away with EZ curl bar in hand for upwards of 30-40 yards while looking over my shoulder with a manaical laugh. Nevertheless, those evil @#%)(*& were still hanging around trying to reconstruct what I have destroyed. How dare they do this to me?!

A new weapon is chosen. The WeightWise (is there still a trademark tag necessary if the company no longer exists here?) book bag. A forceful push against the frame should kill several at a time (who needs spray? This is still personal). Attempt #1: several dead and I'm still basking in the glory of my utter genius and domination of these punks.

Attempt #2: As a boxer who has forgotten that straight, direct, and crisp punches have been effective, I leave my successful tactics and take a big looping swing going for the knockout. The breeze created by my swing alerts my enemy to attack. At once I feel 5-6 stings on my right arm, running away with all the gracefulness of drunk defensive lineman in high heels (it's a picture, not a reality of my choice of footwear). Yes, stupidity has finally arrived!

I have run the gamut. Nobility in wanting to protect our client. Bravery in fighting an old foe. Stupidity. Well, you can make your own judgment on where that fits in the story.

Needless to say, the walk over to our hospital and the requisite request for and consumption of some benedryl (sp?) severely hindered my true workout yesterday. However, I'm chalking the five sprints up as speed and agility training with a need to focus on training my brain how to distinguish between nobility, bravery, and stupidity. Today, I'll leave all nests alone and make good on taking our new intern through a crazy Monkey Bar Gym workout.

Breaking out of Prison

2009-06-02T19:15:00.003-05:00

As Jaclyn said in her comment, "time to get moving" (paraphrased). So, not moving feels like a prison. The bars that hold you in are muscles that don't feel right, the sentence are the pains that tell you to stay in your place for as long as necessary, and the prison guards are the taunters telling you you'll can't break free. This is a metaphor, not a slam on prison guards or the system that they work for.

Over a week of inactivity, sickness, lack of sleep, and general discomfort. Sometimes, you got a make a break for it. Like Andy in Shawshank Redemption, you want freedom. Freedom from feeling stuck, restricted, frustrated...whatever.

Today, I'm breaking free. There's a whole sermon in here somewhere I'm sure, but for now, it is the freedom to move, to remind my body I'm not done with you yet. Today, with a reminder from J & J to laugh a little and get on with it, I did.

But, not without some purpose. Prison workout with purpose.

10 reps, 9 reps, 8 reps....2 reps, 1 rep

1. Body Rows on a "Jungle Gym": Need shoulder retraction to help strenthen rhomboids and stretch out those pectoralis minor (here's to you human anatomy buffs)
2. Bodyweight Squats: Still working on hip flexibility and working the "2nd heart" aka "the legs."
3. Overhead Cable Shoulder Presses: Obviously strengthens the shoulders, but also lengthens the lats (the big flippin' swollen muscle on the right side actually felt flexible!)
4. Power Wheel Knee-ins: Core stabilization + movement
5. Jump Ropes (x 10 reps...100 reps, 90 reps...20 reps, 10 reps): why? Do reverse jump ropes and work on external rotation (exact opposite of what you do on a computer all day) and engage that shoulder girdle.

I hit most of my weak areas. I love the style I have trained with but need to actually pay attention to what needs to be addressed. So, what is probably going to go bye-bye for a season? Kipping pull-ups...my lats are tight enough (love 'em and want to do them, probably a little too much). Replace with overhead presses, full cable extensions, and retractions. Bye-bye push-ups...for now...I love 'em (throwing "love" around a little loosely), but not 'til I get those rows kicking in a little more. I'm going to keep working on some of the corrective exercises on lower intensity days and see if I can get ironed out a little more.

What's the rest going to look like? Wait and see...I'm not done...don't give up yet...I'm really not done!

The Game Ain't Over

2009-06-01T08:13:00.002-05:00

Now I have no one to cheer for in the NBA Finals since Lebron and Co. are out of the picture, but I still have to pick a team, so go Magic!

Well, I have a month and half to lose just about as much weight as I did at the beginning! Getting sick didn't help either. The game ain't over though, so I'm not worried. Right now, if I was able to be under 200 lbs. by July 15, I think that would be reasonable for where I am at currently. Still ultimately, I would like 185-190 range. 175 only if I could not be withering away.

Maybe I can change this to 39 corrections of poor alignment by age 39? I alluded to it recently, and that definitely needs to be a focus too. Undo some really jacked up knots and muscle dysfunction? Should help with the pain. Honestly, I'm tired of constantly having pain, and I feel like I'm on the brink of getting some of these pains ironed out. Just for those wondering. These pains are NOT related to my current workouts. They've been there a LOOOONNNNGGG time.

Pain or no pain, the game ain't over, and I haven't quit. It's time to resume the cliche's and get back on the horse.

Almost Functional

2009-05-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

Today is the first day I've felt well in a week, so I'll be back up and running shortly...hopefully!

Sick and Tired

2009-05-27T08:23:00.002-05:00

Sick and tired is a bad combination. Usually it is an expression that alludes to irritation with a situation. While that is true, I am literally, sick and tired. I caught a "cold" over the Memorial Day holiday (started Saturday and gradually worsened). I'm even getting to take my old friend, Prednisone (hate that stuff), to help with my breathing, and acquired my first inhaler in almost 2 years.

Two hours of sleep last night is not helping my case. This feels like an accumulation effect for me. I'm glad doing the 39 by 39, but I also know I'm fighting a lot. Being a brand new dad, sleeping less than I should, and working earlier than anyone should isn't helping my cause. Yes, it sounds like excuses, and I'll admit that. I've got excuses. I'm not giving up, but I'm admitting I'm human, and I'm just sick and tired. Hopefully, I'll get to feeling better over the next couple of days and get in some good activity. Right now, I'm going to focus on some of the corrective exercises that have seemed to improve all the imbalances I have. I've really been considering focusing my workouts in the next 45 days to address more of the imbalances. While I like pull-ups, I would probably address my issues better with body rows (need retraction), and overhead presses (which has seemed to help with some of the lat tightness).

I really love following some of the workouts that I've done from Monkey Bar, and Crossfit, I need to get more specific on some of these imbalances. There is definitely an irritation that occurs that makes me want to jump out of my skin sometimes from the pain I experience daily.

OK, I have vented, I have complained, and that's all for now. I'm not dead yet, but I'm not back yet either. Maybe the 39 lbs. can happen over 39 weeks? Ha!

Cindy Brady?

2009-05-21T11:47:00.004-05:00

I haven't looked at crossfit recently, although I could right now. In any case, I'm not gonna look and I'm going to work off of my memory (memory? What's memory?). In the Brady Bunch, there were three female children, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, the middle child who thought people didn't notice her (what's her name?), and Cindy (pronounced with appropriate lisp for maximum cuteness and tv personality).

Did crossfit ignore the spectacular Marcia, Marcia, Marcia in all her flowing haired glory? Did they forget the middle girl's name too? Did they name one of their workouts after the "youngest one in curls?" Probably not, but they did name the workout I performed today "Cindy." Or, at least, I think they did (memory, remember?).

For 20 minutes:

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 bodyweight squats

As many times as possible...

Since I mentioned previously, I have been sleeping poorly, so I'm just glad I completed this 10 times. 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 150 squats. Decent and just about what I expected for today.

Just so the middle child doesn't feel left out, Jan, we all know who you are and maybe we'll create a workout just for you.

Sleep Aversion

2009-05-21T08:09:00.002-05:00

Two craptacular nights of sleep have left me wondering what it looks like to work out. Lame, I know. I'm getting back on the train today...for real, no kidding, not lying. That's all I have to say right now as I'm still reeling from watching Lebron drop 49-8-6 on the Magic and...lose! Arrrgggghhhh.

20-25 minutes of...Thwack, Thwack, Thwack

2009-05-18T11:21:00.004-05:00

Thwack. A word? A sound? An action? What is it? Today, it was the sound of 1 1/4 lb. speed rope repeatedly hitting the floor, created by either the internal or external action of my arms moving in a transverse plane, while concurrently jumping and recovering in the frontal plane...blah, blah, blah, blah. I was jumping rope and it made a cool sound only referred to as "Thwack!" Maybe it should automatically come with an exclamation point? "Thwack!" Maybe two? "Thwack!!"

In any case, I'm glad I did something. I woke up today to less than stellar news that will remain private, and it was tempting to stay in the fog of disappointment. At least for 20-25 minutes, the fog was burned off by the sheer speed of my jump roping skills. I've noticed that it is easier to workout if you are just really angry, rather than feeling down. There is energy that comes with anger. I guess you could say it is the extreme ends of intertia for me. Anger makes me want to move and keep moving (a body in motion tends to stay in motion). Just being disappointed or sad makes me want to sit on my tail (a body at rest tends to stay at rest). So, inertia (the resting kind) was attacked with a "Thwack!!" (yes, two exclamation points should suffice) today.

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em

2009-05-15T06:21:00.005-05:00

Put on your big baggy MC Hammer pants and go back to 1990, shave some lines in your hair (maybe 2 on one side and 3 on the other...like I did once!) and say "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. I still have no idea what "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" means, but it seems like a good starting point to discuss my pain.

Numerous years of playing sports and performing repetitive movements led to the following for me:

1. A large knotted band of muscle in my upper left trap
2. Rounded shoulders (thanks to an infatuation with the bench press...stupid, stupid!)
3. Dropped right shoulder (trying to stand all cool like Joey Bagadonuts?)
4. Winging scapula on right side
5. Big balled up muscle section in mid-back (right side) near bottom of rib cage (lower traps). This makes deep breathing feel very difficult as it pulls all along the right side of my rib cage.
6. Slight rotational torso turn to the left (I should have switch hit in baseball and softball)
7. Tightness in anterior neck (should have been unafraid of the Buda belly and breathed with my diaphragm and learned how to play guitar without looking at it).
8. A broken right arm left it difficult to externally rotate and the end result feels like "tennis elbow."

Folks, these conditions took 35 years to create, and I've been working on them on and off for over three years trying to improve the problems as I've learned more and more about muscle function. I have probably seen a 75-80% improvement, but as I continue to work on them, often times, I will experience a lot of pain. Unfortunately, when you have muscular imbalances, the scene looks like an ongoing tug of war between overactive muscles (which you can call Type A need to chill out muscles) and underactive muscles (aka "dude, stop smoking your doob on the beach and get to work" muscles). Basically some muscles have done more than they are supposed to for a long time, and others have been lazy and not worked like they should.

The end result for me when trying to calm down the tight muscles and strengthen the weak muscles is there are days and weeks where I just feel pain and irritation. This would be one of those weeks.

Aside from the great workout on Tuesday, and forcing myself to do 100 push ups yesterday, I have mostly focused on some corrective exercises. So, I'm basically trying to unscrew a screw. Maybe I need to "Pray" (song #8 on "Please Hammer...") just to make it today, but the pain makes me want to say "Can't Touch This" (song #2). I just want to feel better and be a "Dancin' Machine" (song #7).

Plateaus, What Plateaus?

2009-05-12T19:07:00.002-05:00

One of the most irritating things about working out is plateaus. Plateaus are lame, and trick you into thinking what you are doing isn't working, even if it is in fact a part of the normal cycle of training. I jokingly say "what plateaus?" because sometimes what you feel in your body screams at you "nothing is differenet, you are pathetic you little peon...give it up." Today, I was rebounding from an indulgent weekend that included three different celebrations on consecutive days: 1) our friends contribution to our lives, 2) Mother's day, and 3) my father-in-law's birthday. All fun times. I will refrain from expounding on the feastly food carnage, but I will say I showed little discernment, thus making my 1st workout of the week a perfect place for me to think I would die on a plateau. No advancement, no improvement, just a painful death.

I was wrong. It was hard after a few days away, but I also felt really good. A friend stopped by and maybe that helped. We did the workout together and I felt very determined to keep going.

The prison workout we performed was 5 exercises starting with 10 reps, then 9, then, 8...down to 1, alternating between all 5 exercises. We did kipping pull-ups, Hindu push-ups, kettlebell swings, wall ball throws, and floor wipers.

At the end of this session, I decided to try one max set of kipping pull-ups (although I already did them during the workout). I grabbed those pull-ups by the throat, stepped on their neck, and said, Jack Bauer style "I will do whatever I have to do, Tony Almeda (errr, Almaeda, or Almeida?)." Overly dramatic and not altogether true, however, I jumped up and popped out 20 reps, and probably could have done quite a few more, but I think I was in shock that I could do that AFTER the workout.

Maybe my body needed the rest this weekend and the celebration? Who knows...all I know is that I didn't feel like I hit a plateau today and feel almost as good as LeBron James popping in 47 points with 12 boards and 8 assists over the weekend.

Tabata Something Else Plus or Minus 160 seconds

2009-05-08T12:28:00.002-05:00

32 x 5 = 160, correct? I'm trying to do this in my head, so I'm sticking with the numbers until someone tells me otherwise.

A few days back I mentioned wanting to try the Tabata Something Else (which was a modification of the Tabata This which is in the video link on the original post). A "traditional" Tabata interval is usually 20 seconds of activity with 10 seconds rest with one exercse performed 8 times through this interval. So, that = 4 minutes through 1 circuit (160 seconds of activity with 80 seconds of rest).

I tweaked it slightly to 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off (popular here if you've been reading, although I haven't performed it as a tabata style routine yet). So, here is what it looked like.

32 total sets:
8 sets of 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off with Kipping Pull-ups
Same #'s for Push-ups
Same #'s for Sit-ups
Same #'s for Squats
(moving through all sets with no additional rest between each exercise, so this was a traditional Tabata minus 160 seconds of activity plus 160 extra seconds of rest).

This combo of exercises looks familiar, but I'm going to try other variations more frequently in the near future. One of the reasons for doing these exercises though is how they are all engaging so much of my body. Nothing is really "isolated"...the sit-ups come the closest, but they are full sit-ups.

I just realize this post is Mr. Joe Friday...nothing but the facts...that's a little lame. I repent, and will be funny, witty, sarcastic, or some other semblance of entertaining on the next post. If not, I'll do a traditional Tabata Interval and add back in the additional 160 seconds.

Hansen

2009-05-06T12:50:00.007-05:00

Don't worry! This post isn't accompanied by the ever famous refrain "MMMMBop" (how many M's are there?) by Hanson. Today's workout is called "Hansen" on www.crossfit.com (actually it was the May 1st workout). Tabata This will wait for later. I don't have a real explanation why I'm trying more Crossfit workouts lately other than I felt like it?

Hansen is named after "Marine Staff Sgt Daniel Hansen [who] died February 14th in Farah Providence, Afghanistan when an IED he was working on detonated. Daniel is survived by
his mother Sheryll, his father Delbert, his younger sister Katie, and his twin brother Matthew (also a Marine)."

Crossfit is known for naming workouts after fallen soldiers. I don't often pay as much attention as I should to this through either callousness, ignorance, or the lack of serious threat on my life everyday. I have no idea what it is like to serve in the military and I can't really comprehend the hardship of going to war.

I will say that the pain of the workout was intense, but I realized during the workout that I won't be paying the same price that Marine Staff Sgt Hansen did. Relativism as a full-blown philosophy is bankrupt, but there was sense that "in relation to" the cost of the life of Marine Staff Sgt Hansen I could make it through the workout. I will pay a cost, yes, but a very small one.

The official "Hansen" workout is:

5 rounds
30 Kettlebell Swings (2 poods = 70 lbs. approx.)
30 Burpees
30 Glute Ham Sit-ups

The Brand X (aka the scaled back version) was as follows (and what I completed):
5 rounds
20 Kettlebell Swings (1 1/2 pood = 54 lbs. approx...for me it was 53.5 lbs.)
20 Burpees
20 Regular Sit-ups (wanted to try the Glute-Ham version, but didn't have the equipment)

I completed it in 38:29. I almost quit earlier 2 or 3 times, but I'm glad I didn't give up. Thanks Marine Staff Sgt Hansen.

Tabata Something Else or 40's

2009-05-06T07:41:00.004-05:00

Yesterday provided a conundrum. That's my attempt at using a big word this early in the morning. There have been many different workouts flying past my radar on http://www.crossfit.com/ and http://www.monkeybargym.com/. The big question was do I try the "Tabata Something Else" workout from Crossfit or the "40's" from Monkey Bar Gym (look under the May 1st workout)?

For most of the day I was getting myself psyched for the Tabata Something Else workout, but since I know I am a slave to the clock on that one, I decided to go with the one that can be done at whatever pace I can go. Somedays you just have to stick it to the man, and get away from a clock...so enter the "40's" workout (not to be confused with Kung Pow: Enter the Fist). Don't worry Tabata Something Else is still on my list for the week.

In memorium to yesterday's workout, you may enjoy U2's song 40, or go back to their Red Rocks concert to see them in their younger days. For you sports fans, you can enjoy watching Michael Jordan dropping 43 pts. on the Net at age 40. Not bad for an old fart, but I think I can still take him.

The Weekend

2009-05-04T06:10:00.005-05:00

I've been up since 2:30-ish. Once again, Monday morning = wide awake earlier than I have to be. So, I'll keep this gruff and short to go with my frustration. Really I'm not in that bad a mood, but I am wishing for those 2 1/2 hours I missed out on (apart from the 15 minutes I was able to watch my little boy laugh, coo, and smile...that wasn't bad at all! It was great seeing my wife too, but she wasn't cooing).

OK, so this weekend, I sprinted, on purpose, and I didn't blow out a hammy or anything else, so that is a plus. The YMCA is basically in my backyard so I ran sprints on the soccer fields. 2 - 100 yard plus runs and 8 - 50-60 yard runs. One time, I either was actually running fast or the lack of O2 getting to my head left me in a state of euphoria (did you see the size of that rabbit?).

Sunday, yard work = workout for the day. Usually I would say that doesn't count, but I think it did. There was cardio and strength training involved--and blisters too--, so it counts!

Again...for the 1st Time

2009-04-30T12:51:00.005-05:00

Part of the fun (and pain) of trying new workouts is there are always opportunities to try something for the first time.

Today, as an ode to a former gym member who is now serving in the Army, I decided to try one of his favorite Crossfit workouts. Technically, this workout is named "Helen."

For myself, I prefer to call it "Hell-en" for good reason. While I have a desire to run, jump, climb, etc., I have not dedicated much time to the run portion of my fitness wish list. Flashback, ala LOST style, to the spring of 1983, a 5'1" 99lb. mini-lostdogman came from behind to win the sectional 400m dash in a time of 60.3 seconds. Flashforward, ala LOST style again, to April 30, 2009 and witness the 5'9", 209.9 lb. (you bet I'm using that last weigh-in weight) mega-lostdogman attempting to run that same distance on a treadmill. Let's just say mini-lostdogman sits down after his victory and tries to act cool talking to the 7th grade cuties of the year, while making fun of mega-lostdogman as he tries to complete each run by sometime in the next decade (probably thinking "I'll never be like him!").

For the unaware, 209.9 lbs is not nearly as fun to move around as 99 lbs. Yes, I feel much more comfortable at a higher weight in that I wouldn't be blown over by the mere breath of someone picking a fight with me. However, no one has picked a fight with me since I was dressed as a nerd on Halloween in college (remind me to tell the story of how 10 guys jumped the guy dressed as a nerd...I was innocent I tell ya!).

What am I trying to say, I can't remember...I'm having flashbacks to the kick to the head on that Halloween. Ahhh, yeah, it is harder to move this much weight around, and hence, that is why "Hell-en" gets the new and updated name from me.

Here's the "Helen" workout:
3 times through

400 meter run
21 kettlebell swings (1 1/2 pood...what's a pood? Who knows, but it's close enough to the 53.5 lb. kettlebell I used)
12 pull-ups

I did time the thing, but I'm keeping it to myself; maybe I'll share it if I do it again in a month and see some improvement...in the meantime, I'm just licking my wounds.

The best thing is that I did the kipping pull-ups and it was the first time I've been able to do a consistent rhythm and do the reps uninterrupted. Pretty cool. Overall, though, this was really challenging and just plain hard. It does motivate me to attempt running more of the longer sprints, or at least work on tabata sprints.

In any case, this was another 1st time workout...again.

Four Days Felt Like Four Months

2009-04-29T09:50:00.002-05:00

Last night, in my 1st attempt to return to form after four days rest, it felt like four months. I started with the ever cleverly titled exercise "the Inverted Burpee." I've done them before, but last night seemed more difficult.

So, I started with the overly taxing Inverted Burpee for 50 reps.

Next, I performed 50 kipping pull-ups. Trying to get the rhythm is difficult at first and I'm finally getting into a groove on them. So, these are getting better, even if it didn't seem like it last night.

Then 50 box jumps onto 36" table.

Honestly, I felt weak, tired, and just like I was fighting to do it. That will teach me to take that much time off!

However, this morning three of our interns celebrated their last day here with a tear-inducing, melodramatic, and sentimental circuit training workout.

We picked 5 exercises using 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off (all out during the 15 seconds on)...and went through 10 times. I was ready to quit after 5, but Amy once again looks like she isn't even working, so I had to put my big boy pants and keep going.

We did 1) body rows/pulls, 2) sit-ups, 3) squats, 4) jump rope, and 5) push-ups. We kept it simple and old school, and they all involved using most of the body at all times, which = more muscles worked, which = increased calorie expenditure. And...that's a good thing, in case you were wondering.

Might As Well Jump

2009-04-28T16:40:00.000-05:00

Starting Back Up

2009-04-28T12:20:00.003-05:00

Ideally, I wouldn't take 4 days off of working out, but I'm not freaking out that I didn't "work out" from Friday to Monday. Considering I weighed in at 209.9 this morning AFTER eating, I feel good. While I am not blazing the pounds off, I think I'm heading the right direction. As I burn my .963230038293 lbs. per week, I'll continue to re-iterate (reiterate? I could use spellcheck, but I'm going to be stubborn) that I've seen great progress.

Maybe I'll even put up the gratuitous "hey man, look what I can do" picture of me jumping over a rock at "play" this past Saturday? Hmmm...but, I don't have access to that here, so that will happen sometime after 8:00pm tonight.

Run, Jump, Play...I'll provide proof of at least one or two of those in action later today, unlike that stinking Bigfoot hoax from last fall.

Blogging Aversion

2009-04-24T05:47:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have a blogging aversion. When I first started, I was blogging in a matter of minutes about the last workout. The last two days I've waited until the following day. I feel a little distracted, so maybe this should be titled "Blogging distraction" instead?

In any case, whether it is an aversion or a distraction, all things come to an end, and so will my silence about yesterday's workout.

Burpees, as you may have noted, create a sense of ambivalence like no other exercise. That would mean an emotion on one side is screaming "yes, I love the challenge." The emotion on the other (probably fear) whimpers "don't hurt me."

The previous day we took the 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off model and used it with different stations. Yesterday, we applied it to Burpees...nothing but Burpees, for 10 minutes. So, you get 20 opportunities to perform Burpees because of the intervals.

I was hoping for 100 since I performed 100 in around 13 minutes on my first ever attempt around a month ago. Mentally, Burpees can be brutal, especially in the middle. I'm pretty sure that is where I fell short yesterday.

I finished with 96 in 10 minutes. Not awful, but not earthshattering...and more importantly, continuing to improve. Heather pulled out 96, and Bry fired out 77. We all felt pretty good.

Then a friend of Bry's showed up, said, hey I can try that workout, and threw down 142. Arrrgggghhh...pride...taking...a...hit...

Still, nothing compares to the interesting birthday Burpee celebration this wildman did on his 30th birthday. All I gotta say is "if you ever, ever, ever hear of me or see me wanting to try this, remind me that on April 24, 2009 I said no way, no chance, never."

So Little Time Left

2009-04-23T08:11:00.003-05:00

Our interns have less than a week left here, so we are making the most of our workout time together. The only crying so far is from burpees, not the sadness of the separation that is to come.

Yesterday, we enjoyed the blissful 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off workout. There were 3 stations and we spent 8 minutes on each station.

Station 1: Alternating between Burpees and Jump Rope
Station 2: Alternating between Squats and Mountain Climbers
Station 3: Alternating between Cable Full Extensions and V-ups

Note to self...don't be the noble guy who sets up the rotations so that you do the Burpees/Jump Rope combo last. Philip told me I looked like I was going to die. As Billy Joel is playing in our gym at this very moment, he says "you may be right...I may be crazy...it just may be a lunatic you're looking for." Totally taken out of context, I'll say, Philip was "right." I looked like I was going to die. I felt "crazy" for letting this old man take the hit of doing the hardest station last. The lunatic part...give me a few days, I'm sure I can feel like that in the right situation.

Chillin'

2009-04-21T21:10:00.001-05:00

Today...NOTHING! Chillin'...and..Go Cavs!

One Month Later

2009-04-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

On March 19, I apparently did a workout that consisted of:

5 pull-ups
5 dips
15 sit-ups

As many times through as possible in 30 minutes. Today, I gave it another shot. I began all alone with great intentions to go 30 minutes. Remember all those posts about "getting by with a little help from my friends"? Well, it is easier with others spurring you on.

Somewhere around the 10 minute mark, I could feel that I was losing steam (and that raging knot in my trap that been there for years and years was acting funny), so I adapted, and says to myself "yo, Lostdogman, you made it 16 times tru last time...why not go tru 16 times as fast as you can?" So, I says backs to myself "yo...you is a genius." Since there was an agreement between both sides of my brain, we set out to hit 16 times.

At 21:53, it was all over. It wasn't 30 minutes, but I did cut off roughly 8 minutes from before in attaining "16 times tru." Getting better, baby, getting better.

Tired, Sore, but it is OK

2009-04-20T05:36:00.004-05:00

It's early. I've been up since 3:00am. Not by choice. Apparently, it is becoming tradition that instead of sleeping until I have to wake up on Monday mornings, my body is stirring by 3:00am.

My butt and legs are sore from Saturday's lunges. Usually, it is just my attitude that is sore this early on a Monday morning, but that isn't the case today. A friend let me borrow a book to read called "In a Pit with Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson, the pastor of National Community Church in D.C. Yesterday, after it sat on our coffee table for days begging to be read, I finally picked it up. After just three chapters, I went and bought my own copy. The number of great quotes is overwhelming. Batterson hit me hardest with a quote about boredom. I wonder if this is what I've been fighting with exercise for years? That's why I am currently always wanting to try something new, daring, challenging. But, what about the rest of life? He has poked at my heart and stirred up something. Not sure how to explain it or understand it yet, but this quote pushes at my willingness to settle for boredom, even though I despise it:

If the truth be told, the alternative to fear is boredom. And boredom
isn't just boring. Boredom is inexcusable! Soren Kierkegaard went so
far as to say that "boredom is the root of all evil" because it means we're
refusing to be who God made us to be. If you're bored, one thing is for
sure: You're not following in the footsteps of Christ. At some point
in your life you have to make a choice between fear and boredom. Lion
chasers choose fear.

Off The Cuff

2009-04-17T12:01:00.003-05:00

Sometimes a game plan is called for, and sometimes it ain't. Today, there really wasn't anything planned, but Kiz, Philip, and I pulled out an "off the cuff" workout. I just finished with Fire Extinguisher training, putting out a digital fire on level 2 in 10 seconds. What does that mean? I have no clue at all, but in my mind I saved the whole building from sure digital fire disaster.

After fire training, we mapped out a quick plan for 3 exercises with an interval of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, at least 7 times through (just to top 20 minutes...technically 21 minutes).

The exercises of choice were:

1. Wall Ball: http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/WallBall.wmv
2. Jump Rope
3. Sit-ups

Philip thought his coffee was going to come up. That's what you get when you go "off the cuff." He was willing to go, risked tasting his precious coffee again, but luckily avoided it. Kiz overcame being sick for most of the week. Myself? Today was the first day I really, really felt different. I've felt like I have improved and am getting better and stronger, but today, it just seemed like I was at a different level in terms of recovering and powering through fatigue. My last set (we did go through 7 times) was probably my strongest. The most wall balls I did was 15 and was able to repeat that on the last set. On jump rope, I completed 83-84 on the last set...and...21 reps on the last set tied my highest for a round. Usually by this point I'm holding on for dear life and surviving. Today when I pushed, I actually "pushed through" instead of just "pushing against." Why do I feel a Rocky training scene coming on?

Funny Quote

2009-04-16T09:42:00.004-05:00

The guys over at www.lifespotlight.com have a hyperlink infested post called Link Love that would make me proud. They have a funny quote with a valid point:

A lot of people think “losing weight” is the goal. It’s not. Losing fat is
the goal. Weight is a fairly unimportant number. I mean, you can lose weight
by cutting off your leg, but few would argue that’s healthy.

You might think I would take offense at this since my fitness challenge involves losing a certain amount of weight, but it doesn't. While my goal is a certain weight, I've said several times there won't be crying if I don't reach it, but am in great physical condition. If I don't make 176.5, and end up weighing 185-190, but can move easily, powerfully, and through a full range of motion with decreased bodyfat, I'd be happier than if if I just weighed an inactive, immobile 176.5. How I weigh what I weigh will be more important than just that final number.

The end goal is chasing my little boy around, climbing trees with him (not just yelling up to him "be careful"), not getting outrun by him when he is 2 years old (that would feel traumatic), and experiencing some of his joy in just being able to "play."

Friends, Part Deux

2009-04-16T06:39:00.002-05:00

OK, so using the term "deux" looks like I know French. I don't, and I don't have a witty introduction today. But, we did have a great staff workout yesterday.

A common workout that Monkey Bar Gym has is a circuit that is according to time. You perform an exercise for 40 seconds, then rest 20 seconds, and move on to the next. You can pick however many exercises you want (4 to 6 is the most common that I've seen).

Since we had four of us working out, we just picked four exercises to avoid any confusion on stations. The exercises were:

1. Jungle Gym Strap Push-ups
2. Deck Squats http://www.mbgvideos.com/Deck_squats.wmv
3. Jump Rope
4. Box Jumps

We made it through 6 times, which equals 24 minutes. Honestly, I was ready to quit at 4, but once again, having others pushing you a little more was a welcome thing. Being that I was the sole representative for the male population in the group and am anywhere from 11 to 16 years older then them all, I had step it up. When I asked "last one?" before the 5th round and Amy didn't look tired, and shook her head "NO!" I was sure I need to make peace with God, tell my wife I love her, and kiss my little boy goodbye. Yeah, that's dramatic. Call me Drama King. Seriously, two more rounds was a real challenge at that point, but I'm glad the young'ens challenged me and kept me going.

With a Little Help From My Friends

2009-04-14T15:11:00.003-05:00

Most people know Ringo Starr as the drummer of the Beatles (or if you are British, you could say it Bay-tles). However, every now and then a drummer steps up to the mic and delivers his statement that "yes, I can be a lead singer," which makes you wonder if he's been fantasizing about getting up to the mic enough to consider killing off the lead singer. Ringo's not the only drummer in history to sing. Don Henley does on "Hotel California" and Peter Criss of Kiss sang the famous "Beth." Deen Castonova even pulls off a dead ringer Steve Perry for today's version of Journey on "Mother, Father."

None apply to today's workout. We live in Texas, so Hotel California is out. Beth would be short for my wife's name (Bethany), but she hates the short version. That automatically gets tossed because it makes my wife angry. I don't think I'm having any mommy or daddy issues (well, not today at least), so that leaves "With a Little Help From My Friends" as the theme for the day.

Two of our interns, Amy and Bry, were working today. Things have been a little slow, so as part of their internship, we will often try out new workouts to give them a feel of something a little less traditional. We pulled out the infamous "Deck of Cards" workout. If you read back, you'll remember I performed that solo for my first workout of the challenge (finished in over 36 minutes with different exercises) and then died out at just 30 cards last attempt.

Today proved the point that sometimes you just need other people to be a part of your workout. It challenges you, and allows you to stop feeling that you have to go it alone (which I unfortunately tend to do).

We completed the Deck of Cards in 28:22.22. Not bad at all, and a definite improvement from my solo attempts. Here's how we broke it down:

Darin: Hearts = Burpees, which could be Squats Thrusts, Burps, or Burpees (same for everyone else too); Diamonds = lateral jumps; Spades = Squats; Clubs = Body Rows
Amy: Hearts = Squats; Diamonds = Body Rows; Spades = Burpees; Clubs = Lateral Jumps
Bry: Hearts = Lateral Jumps; Diamonds = Squats; Spades = Body Rows; Clubs = Burpees.
Aces = 14 reps, Kings = 13 reps, Queens = 12 reps, Jacks = 11 reps, and 10 down to 2 reps for the numbered cards.

If you've never done a "deck of cards" workout, the most daunting (yes, I said daunting) part is that you can end up getting several of the same card one after the other. It happened to all of us on Burpees it seemed. First, Bry got hit with a lot of high rep cards, then I did, and Amy was lucky enough to get the Burpees at the end. Lucky her...but, we all got by "With a Little Help From [Our] Friends."

AMAP in 20 Minutes

2009-04-13T12:40:00.004-05:00

AMAP = As Many As Possible

Today is a new day. Well, everyday is a new day, but today is only day that can be a new day presently...all other new days haven't happened yet, so there will be new days in the future, and I have yet to actually perform a workout in the future.

So, what am I saying. Who knows? Somebody tell me.

What do I want to say though? I want to say that today's workout involved performing four exercises for 10 reps at a time AMAP in 20 minutes.

I took 10 reps of the following four:

Kipping Pull-ups
Bodyweight Squats
Push-ups
Sit-ups

In 19:45 I completed this 7 times, so for you math gurus out there, it is 70 reps per exercise. If were going to be honest, and apparently am going to be, my plan included performing this circuit for 30 minutes AMAP. Someday I'll tackle that. It wasn't today, but I do have to wonder if I could have pulled off 100 of each in 30 minutes. I'll have to wait to find that out someday in the future.

Slow and Steady?

2009-04-13T08:04:00.004-05:00

If I had my wish, I would be at 205 by now. However, yesterday morning's official 210.2 wasn't bad and knowing how my body feels (especially around the waisteline) I am feeling pretty good about things. Yesterday at church, several kids who used to be in the youth group when I was the Jr. High Director (2002-2005) came up to say hi and that I was looking thin(ner?). I'll just say they said "thin." Leave the "er" off that right?

Anyway, I figure 17 year old boys, who I knew as 12 year olds, are not afraid to tell you if you are looking pudgy. They didn't, so I consider this a plus.

I feel like I have passed through the fire a little bit. If you'd read anything here at all, you know there has been family in town (twice), a cute but sleepless baby here and there, a bit of stress, and plenty of opportunity to just say I'm too tired. Honestly, if I didn't write down the history of this pursuit, I wouldn't remember what I've gone through right now. Things are exhausting.

So, as of 8:11am on 4/13/09, I am down to just over 3 months to go. While I am not technically "on pace" the hardest part has been waded through, and it is time to stay focused for the next 2 months without any major interruptions in our schedule (unless Wyatt decides to teethe early...pray the boy doesn't. I love him, adore him, but dear God...must...have...more...sleep!).

I...Are...Am...Exhausted

2009-04-10T07:14:00.003-05:00

A week of short nights, early mornings, and numerous travels back and forth from Canyon Lake (45 min. each way) can be thanked for the title of this post. The week is blurry, my body tired, but there have been some good workouts this week. Tabatas from Hell (relative to Cowboys from Hell by Pantera) were the order of the day yesterday.

If you are unfamiliar with Tabata intervals, the general idea is that you take an exercise and perform it in intervals. One of the most common is 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 times. This doesn't sound hard until you actually attempt it, because the 20 seconds is supposed to be very high intensity.

Yesterday, I deceived two interns into thinking this would be fun. The bad news is I convinced myself it would be too.

The Workout
1. Pull-ups or Body Rows: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off...8 times through. Note to self...stick tail between legs, wimper off into a corner.
2. Knee-ins on Power Wheel: same time and number...arms...going...numb...holding...self...up...trying...core exercise.
3. Push-ups: you get the picture on time and number. Started with hindu push-ups, then to push-up, then to alternate punches with bands. I'm thinking a leg exercise would have been a great idea here. What the Tabata hell was I thinking?
4. Jump Rope: I'm seeing blue lights, sparkling with purple fairies and pixie dust...not really.

We took a little break, then decided, hey "let's try this with hill sprints on the treadmill." We did and I didn't die. This is good news.

So, in 20 minutes of activity, we were probably about as comfortable as the interviewer in this Billy Bob Thornton interview. It was difficult, but you feel like a "bigger person" after going through it...probably just like that interviewer. Really, seriously, watch the interview...it'll make you squirm.

Skin The Cat...and a Deck of Cards

2009-04-07T15:46:00.003-05:00

Once again, B and I went out to Canyon Lake and spent the night with my folks. Around 9:00 I think (?), we walked out to the playground and took advantage of the rings. Well, B held the ever adorable Wyatt (picture right), and I played around looking ahead to a future of acting Wyatt's age from around age 4 to 10.

I did a few kipping pull-ups just for practice and then started performing some "Skin the Cat" maneuvers. If you are PETA fan, there were no actual cats harmed in this performance; the exercise just has a pretty brutal name. I think I did somewhere around 25. Does it matter? Not really, since I was basically "practicing" them.

It was pretty amazing how much work goes into them though. This afternoon at our gym I attempted the Deck of Cards workout. Hearts = Squats, Diamonds = Divebombers, Spades = Tucks, and Clubs = Kip ups (14 reps for Aces down to 2 reps for a 2 card).

After 30 cards and about 30 minutes, I was finished. A very long day yesterday, another 6:00am wake up cry, and the Skin the Cats wore me out. I wanted to go for the whole 52, but think in this case, stopping was wise. Along with me, I feel like my rapier's wit has gone with me, so forgive me for a decrease of hyperlinks and spectacularly funny banter. Maybe it will return tomorrow?

A Weekend Away

2009-04-06T09:20:00.005-05:00

B and I spent the weekend out at Canyon Lake at my folks timeshare, so there was a lot of relaxing. Wyatt slept poorly Friday night, so I got tired of trying to sleep sometime between 7:00-8:00am and went out to the kid's playground and did some burpees to pull-ups. Since the equipment included swinging rings, it was a nice challenge for being early in the morning with not much sleep. I only did 25 total, but it felt like 50, especially trying to coordinate the timing of the push-up to the jumping and grabbing rings that were still moving from the previous rep.

On Sunday, I mostly rested, but during the Cavs drubbing of the Spurs (Go LeBron!) I would do some Power Wheel rollouts during the commercials just to work on my core. Honestly, I don't know what I actually weigh after the weekend, and I don't care...yet. My pants were falling off me yesterday, so I know my waist is getting smaller, so that is a start. I have traditionally gained muscle fairly quickly, so I know I am in the phase of dealing with not dropping a ton, but am adding some good metabolically active tissue (aka muscle) so that in the long run, I should be fine. We'll see if this calm approach is still in place in a few more weeks or if I am freaking out if the numbers aren't dropping.

It Looked Easier on Paper

2009-04-02T21:08:00.003-05:00

Every now and then theory crashes forcefully against reality. A real life example might look like this.

"Hey interns, wanna do a 5 x 5 workout?" What's this you ask? Look under April 1.

One intern (aka #10) replies "Sure" which is accompanied by a hint of glee when I explain the workout. It sounds easy, not too challenging, and then the expectations of a nice, relaxing workout are shattered by the reality of the workout.

One arm body rows alternating with modified one-arm push-ups scream "you're no Rocky Balboa" while I might hear Clubber Lang from Rocky III answer the question "what's your prediction for the workout today?" He snarls "prediction?," purses his lips, makes a T-Rex pee his pants (if he wore them), and says "PAIN!"

One-leg box steps were supposed to be a breeze, but the embarrassing perspiration problem appears instead. If that wasn't enough, the decision to add a Portable Power Jumper to vertical and broad jump portion of the workout seemed a bit foolish, based upon the panting and feeling that someone shot us in the buttocks.

Honestly, this was a great workout and totally enjoyed the challenge of it, but it's another reminder of the foolishness of underestimating the Monkey Bar Gym workout of the day.

Might As Well Jump...Daddy Mack'll Make You Jump...Jump Around, Jump Up, Jump Up and Get Down

2009-04-01T16:55:00.004-05:00

As an ode to Van Halen, Kriss Kross, and House of Pain, I followed Monkey Bar's Jump Rope Pyramid workout (scheduled for March 31).

50–100-150-200-250-200-150-100-50 jump rope revolutions forwards and backwards for each number AFAP.

Stability-invisible jump rope
Strength-regular jump rope
Power-doubles

I used a 1 1/4 lb. heavy rope (which doesn't sound that heavy, but I triple dog dare you to do 2700...err, I mean 2500...jumps and see if that light weight makes your traps, shoulders, and arms swell up). Since I haven't advanced to the world of the dreaded double under jumps, I stuck firmly to the regular jumps. Unfortunately, I didn't time it like I should have...but I think it took about a minute and half because I am a machine. In fact, I moved so fast, I was transported to a hidden island back in 1977. Pretty awesome...and yes, I like hyperlinks.

March 31 Workout...Fueled by Frustration

2009-04-01T07:24:00.004-05:00

Occasionally conflict provides enough adrenaline to make a workout feel like your last chance at sanity at the end of a long day. I was particularly "Adrenalized" (that's for all 3 of you Def Leppard fans out there, and I'm one of them) by an encounter with someone who, despite every attempt to appease, pacify, or satisfy them, it's never enough. And...whoa to the one who doesn't give them everything they want. The tension I felt from the aforementioned encounter provided plenty of steam for me to do...

Prison Workout - March 30th
Alternate between the following two exercises, completing reps of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 AFAP:

1. Push-ups on Jungle Gym Straps

2. Kipping Pull-ups

Rest as needed, then move onto using the same format:

1. Box Jumps (I usually use a higher box, but jumped onto a 18" high bench...yeah, gotta justify that...I got hops, baby!)

2. Full Cable Extensions

Rest as needed, then move onto:

1. Jump Ropes Backward (I did your standard 2 foot jumps with a 1 1/2 lb. weighted rope for 150 reps...I felt lame, but that sucker fries your shoulders at the end of a workout)

2. Jump Rope Foreward (200 reps, alternating legs...looks like running in place)

This took about 24 minutes. I hope to reduce my times on these type of workout eventually, which would mean my recovery time is improving. I did better at recovering with the Box Jumps and Full Cable Extensions. I think it would have been better if I ate about an hour or hour and a half out, but I was too busy being angry, and I don't want to let anything interfere with that do I?

2nd Hand Questions

2009-03-31T17:28:00.007-05:00

I was starting to think that only my wife consistently read this blog, which is great in that I know she supports me. On the flipside, I was thinking "a daily readership of 1 person doesn't really inspire a whole lot of people, no matter how awesome my wife is."

Today, a friend/client told me they had another trainer following my blog, so here is my official "welcome" to said trainer (who I'm sure has a name, but don't know if he wants to be "outed" as a blog follower yet!). So, this post is in response to a question that this trainer had about what I'm doing for my diet.

I haven't really posted much on it yet because 1) I'm much more comfortable with tracking my workouts, and 2) I'm still getting the hang of the new way of eating, so it is a little harder to say exactly what I'm doing.

Diet-wise, I am following Monkey Bar Gym's 60 Day Challenge Diet (that comes with a purchase of their online 60 Day Challenge). I received this back around Thanksgiving of 2007 with good intentions of starting my own challenge. Didn't happen, although I did start experimenting with some of the training styles of Monkey Bar then.

Without giving away too much of the diet (since they would like you to pay for it, and I really like what they do and don't want to steal their $), I will say that for fat loss they recommend eating 80-90% of your foods in the top half of the "1st class" of 3 class levels of food. In the 1st class, there are foods such as leafy greens, green, colored, and starchy veggies, beans/legumes, fresh fruit, whole unrefined grains, raw nuts/seeds and dried fruit, and tofu (haven't ventured there yet). So, read through that last sentence and start at leafy greens and stop at fresh fruit and eat those 80-90% of the time.

They do allow for a cheat day (or 3 cheat meals during the week) where you eat "whatever you want." There are other little hints and clues they give to follow, but calorie counting isn't one of them.

So, based on success level, I do know that I stuck to the 80-90% rule for fat loss during the first week. The 2nd week if you read back, you'll see I was fighting lack of sleep, company, etc. and I definitely ate more of outside of the 1st class, although not a whole lot. I am not tracking my exact food intake, and honestly, I am the exact opposite of being anal retentive, so calorie counting feels hyper-restrictive to me. If I sound crazy, part of this is experimental for myself, so I consider it an adventure.

Although not tracking things meticulously, I can give you an idea of what today has looked like, and can attest that I feel pretty satisfied when I eat like this (which has surprised me a bit).

March 31
Oatmeal with blueberries and bananas (and a small bit of dark chocolate, which MBG definitely a-oks for light use and enjoyment) and a cup of coffee.

1 Pear, 1 Banana

2 Peanut Butter Cookie Larabars (tastes just like a peanut butter cookie, but better for you)

2-3 handfuls of raw trail mix

Tonight will probably include a bean burger on a whole wheat bun with spinach, avacado, and other healthy stuff (that I actually am liking...major surprise). Maybe some of the Squash, Zucchini, and Hummus?

I haven't worked out yet today, and am waiting until the end of my shift, only because I forgot a change of clothes and would rather leave the gym after working out instead of sitting in my own sweaty, gross smelliness.

Mixed

2009-03-30T06:33:00.006-05:00

Starting the week off, I have feelings going in two completely different directions: 1) disappointment with the number on the scale...how did I end up back at 215? and 2) "Woohoo" (is that an emotion?), I'm loving working out and I'm eating waaaaay better than I have in the past...I feel stronger and am more tone. I can feel differences in my body although the scale creates that wonderful "head game."

So, either I (a) give up because of a disappointing read on the scale, (b) reassess the situation and figure out where to go from here, or (c) I'm not sure what "c" should be. I got started on the options and didn't know how many I had, so I'm just going to pick "b."

39 by 39 is my goal, but if we go way back to the first post, my motivation is to be fit, functional, and able to be active with my son (and future children). If I end up weighing 185-190 instead of 176.5 and I can run, jump, climb, and do pull-ups like it's just taking a breathe I'm not going to be disappointed.

But, in the meantime, I'm disappointed, a little frustrated, but I came into workout and was done by 6:15am.

This was yesterday's 60 day challenge workout from Monkey Bar Gym:

Circuit - March 29th (but done on March 30th...ahh, yeah, being rebellious)
10 Burpees (did these the best I ever had. All reps were strong with a good push-up and an explosive jump with hands reaching toward the ceiling at the top)
150 Jump Rope forwards and backwards
10 Cable Full Extensions

AMAP (as many as possible) in 25 minutes

I made it through 4 times, which I felt good about since Wyatt woke me up at 3:00am, and I never did fall back asleep. Yes, I'm blaming my poor, innocent, adorable, 9 week and 3 day old son for waking me up, but his smiles this morning were pretty awesome, so all is forgiven! (This is where I would insert a smiley face in case anyone thought I was being too hard on Wyatt).

The Magic 50...

2009-03-27T10:18:00.003-05:00

Another night of around 4 hours of sleep played mind games with me. The fog of war is a popular term for the confusion that occurs in wartime. Fog is what I experience with sleep deprivation. Confusion and frustration appear in a milli-second while motivation and hope feel years away.

Knowing myself and knowing my history, today would have been a great day to let confusion and frustration reign. Not today, not with a workout like "The Magic 50" beckoning my tired and weary body.

In short, this was painful (in the good way) and it was enjoyable (in that the pain got to stop). My lungs burned, my diaphragm heaved, and for a few seconds I thought I saw Jesus...not really, but I'm going to see Him one day, and was wondering if this might be it. I then followed up by helping our interns unload buckets of water out of the pool (extra workout?).

In all seriousness, I didn't put myself close to death, but it was a hard workout, and I believe it was necessary. The fog has burned away and I'm ready for the rest of the day.

Dragon Butt Revisited

2009-03-26T07:47:00.002-05:00

Two nights of less sleep (extremely adorable, yet sleep challenged two month old is to blame) is taking a toll. Yesterday, I did do a 5 sets x 5 reps workout with Bodyweight Back Rows, Dips on a Jungle Gym strap, and Kettlebell Cleans to Presses. Didn't feel too bad, but today, my backside is still feeling the effects of the "Karen" workout kicking it over the course of those 150 reps. You could say the soreness makes "her" memorable. I hear Forrest Gump saying "Somebody shot me in the buttocks." Another great benefit is that my core has been sore (in a good way) without performing a single crunch or sit-up.

With the soreness and sleepiness, at this point, I'm reading what signals my body is throwing out, and I'm listening. I doubt I will work out today, and I need rest/sleep, so Dragon Butt wins for the day. Lostdogman out!

Dragon Butt...er, Draggin' Butt No Longer

2009-03-24T18:27:00.004-05:00

James Brown's "I Feel Good" is on in the background of the gym. I concur with ole' James (God rest his soul) at this moment. For the astute reader, you may notice the lack of time between my last post and this post. The reason is it didn't take long to perform the "Karen" workout. I got up from the computer, thought "go for it...come on..." and I listened to the thoughts in my head.

Crossfit is known for timing their workouts, so I timed this too (although I don't consider myself a "crossfitter"...yet...there is always time to become a convert).

150 Wall Ball shots in 14:04. I won't look at the the Crossfit website, as I'm sure some of the wildmen there pulled out 150 in 5 minutes or less (possible? check for me and let me know, but not yet). Anytime I'm doing a workout for the 1st time, I'm just trying to challenge myself to answer the question "can I do it?"

Well, I did it, "I Feel Good" and I'm over the "do I really want to do this?" hump for the week...unless there is another one tomorrow.

Exhausted

2009-03-24T17:40:00.004-05:00

Last week, I felt like taking on the world. This week I feel like I'm going to have to kick myself in the rear to get moving...just draggin' butt (not Dragon Butt, which I supposed would occur after a spicey meal). Since my brother and his girlfriend were in town, there was plenty of relaxing and staying up later, talking into the night. I didn't eat terrible, but I was eating less vegetables/fruits throughout the day and wasn't getting as much water (unless you count coffee as a water source!). Significant? I think so.

So, what does that mean for the workout today? Well, I'm going to pay attention to Ross Enamait's blog post regarding "thinking for yourself" which seems contradictory since I'm listening to what someone else said, right? Seriously, though, he has a good point about paying attention to your body, and seeing that some days you have it and some you don't, but you can adapt and improvise.

If I were going to follow strictly a Monkey Bar Gym workout today, I would be doing more of a max strength workout, but my strength feels low, so I'm probably going to focus more on conditioning in the form of the "Karen" workout from Crossfit.

"Karen" is For time: 150 Wallball shots, 20 pound ball (we only have a 16 lb. ball here). We'll see how it goes adapting and improvising. The funny thing is that I thought about doing this workout today before I knew this workout even existed (or at least something similar...thought about throwing the ball, but didn't have a # of reps picked out). When I looked and saw it was yesterday's http://www.crossfit.com/ workout, I laughed when I saw it was something I considered doing on my own. Cue the inspirational music; apparently I'm supposed to do this today. Can I get a witness?

Yeah Baby!

2009-03-21T12:07:00.003-05:00

Without sounding overconfident, I gotta say "Yeah Baby!" A very good first week is almost over. I thought I would weigh-in every Sunday, but I felt good today, was a little curious, and thought "why not?"

So, drum roll...

210.4 down from initial weigh-in of 215.5. If nothing else, this is a good jump start for me to think this is possible.

I had a quick workout with a friend this morning and picked four exercises (body rows on a swing set, push-ups on a swing set, bodyweight squats, and sit-ups) and did worked down in reps on each, starting with 16, 14, 12, 10...down to 2. You get the picture. It felt more challenging than I thought it would today, but in a good way.

I'm basically following the diet that comes with Monkey Bar Gym's 60 day challenge (although I'm not technically doing it) and it allows for either a whole "cheat day" or 3 cheat meals spread out. Last night I did have a cheat meal, but didn't go too crazy.

OK, gotta go help with the baby...Lostdogman out!

30 minutes...Go!

2009-03-19T09:19:00.007-05:00

I don't know if I'm crazy, motivated, or just having fun. Maybe a combination of all three, eh (throw that "eh" in there for Canada)? Today, I was going to listen to my body and wait to see if I would work out. I did wait a little while, but not long. The interns in the gym and I pulled out an impromptu morning workout.

Crossfit.com had a workout a few days ago that I saw and made me think "could I do that?" So, interns in tow, and the clock set to 30 minutes, we proceeded to see how many times we could make it through the following three exercises.

1. 5 reps of pull-ups
2. 5 reps of dips
3. 15 sit-ups

I made it through 16 times, which means I did 80 pull-ups, 80 dips, and 240 sit-ups. Kinda proud of myself. I've never tried this, and didn't know if I could do it, but so far, I'm alive and well.

If anyone wonders why I'm not doing traditional cardio (longer duration running, walking, biking) to lose weight, I have an answer. #1, traditional cardio bores me to death, so I'm exercise ADD when it comes to walking, long jogs, etc. #2, I enjoy this type of workout. Imagine that...I'm having fun. #3, it doesn't fit my goals (I do want to be able to run, but not long-distance...sprinting, avoiding rabid Sasquatch; you know that type of thing). #4, there is significant debate on the effectiveness of "aerobic training" in fat loss. Because of that, I want to experiment. #5, my favorite fitness pros (Jon Hinds from Monkey Bar Gym and Ross Enamait from http://www.rosstraining.com/) do not train with "traditional cardio" and are in amazing condition, so I am giving this a test drive myself. I've had one foot in and one foot out (the out was mostly the how and what I eat). On the physical preparation side, I've taken my time working my way up over several months of dabbling with different aspects of this training, so it's NOT like I'm jumping in doing P90X after doing nothing for a year. I've just been less than fully committed. How do you like that...a less than fully committed fitness professional? (be kind...if cut, do I not bleed?)

So, now I'm all in...so far!

Loved This Workout

2009-03-18T15:48:00.003-05:00

Strength training is easier for me than conditioning. That's why I've weighed 206-220lbs. for years. In the fall, I did 23 pull-ups (yes, at one time), which is great, but doing that is "the opiate for my mass." It tells me that "you are doing alright, don't worry about losing weight." I've said for the last 3-4 years that I feel better weighing less and then I do nothing about it. No matter the workouts I put in, I'm not gonna lose without eating right. So, I'm eating right, and I'm doing workouts I like to do.

Today's workout:

5 sets of 5
Alternating between 1) full-weight body rows on Jungle Gym straps and 2) Handstand Push-ups

Then do the same with 1) One-leg bodyweight squat (assisted by holding on Jungle Gym straps), and 2) One arm kettlebell cleans with 53 lb. kettlebell.

I didn't think I would work out today after two really good days, but I'm trying to get 5 days a week in (4 if I need extra rest). My brother and his girlfriend are coming into town this weekend, so the chance of working out Saturday or Sunday is zero, so I did it today...and am glad I did. It felt great, took about 30 minutes once again, and I loved it. Fun workout!

Burpees are Evil

2009-03-17T19:09:00.002-05:00

Burpees have to be of the devil, or at the very least a part of our fallen creation. Regardless, they do seem to have a very good benefit to my cardiovascular conditioning, so when I saw they were part of today's Monkey Bar Gym workout, I grit my teeth, procrastinated most of the day, and then finally caved in and went for it.

The workout was as follows:

30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for ten minutes of the follow three exercises (you rest in between each exercise as needed):

1. Burpees: completed 75 (full push-up at bottom and jump at the top)
2. Hindu Squat (I changed them to regular bodyweight squats and did around 140 total)
3. Cable Punches (I changed it to alternating cable rows to work on my back which is weaker than my chest)...there is no way I was counting by this point.

Short, intense, and done for the day!

Hummus and Squash and Zucchini, Oh My!

2009-03-17T17:38:00.004-05:00

5 years ago in a small jazz club in Los Angeles, I watched Frank Gambale's amazing musical set, and had my first experience with...hummus. That night I thought my first would be my last. To me, it rivaled the taste of my shoe, or manure, or...you get the picture. Very unpleasant.

Times have changed, and maybe my taste buds have too. The memories of the manure hummus are long gone. Today, Hummus and Squash and Zucchini (Oh My!) does not elicit the same fear as "Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My!) did for Dorothy on her journey to see the Wizard.

So, who would have thunk it? For a snack today I ate sliced raw Squash and Zucchini and dipped it in Hummus...and I didn't feel cheated, and I really actually liked it, and I am even craving more.

In any case, all this dramatic build up is to say that I'm doing just fine eating healthy today and still on the wagon, after a whole 3 days.

1st Workout

2009-03-16T08:42:00.001-05:00

The 1st workout of the challenge is done! The Deck of Cards workout completed in 36:15 (add 1 minute for forgetting to hit the timer at the start, but I did finish all 52 cards). I've never tried it for time, so that was a twist for me. However, I am trying to keep things shorter and more intense; hence timing it.

So, what is the Deck of Cards workout? Today, here is what it looked like:

Hearts = Burpees (or some variation...in my case today it was Squat Thrusts. Wyatt woke up at 3:00am and I had to work at 5:30, so a 7:15 workout on 3-4 hours of sleep requires some modifications)
Diamonds = Box Jumps
Clubs = Sit ups
Spades = Back Rows (on Jungle Gym strap system)

For each suit, there are 13 cards of course to make up a 52 card set. Aces = 14 reps, Kings = 13 reps, Queen = 12 reps, and Jack = 11 reps. The number cards are easy. The # on the card = # of reps (10 down to 2).

So, if you complete the full deck, you will be performing 104 reps per exercise for a total of 416 reps. This workout is tough, and since it revolves around "the luck of the draw" you may end up doing the same exercise several times in a row. Today, that happened on the front end with back rows and on the back end with squat thrusts. I was sure I shuffled them enough, but oh well, whatever, nevermind (to quote Kurt Cobain). It was all good...very good, hard workout.

Let The Games Begin

2009-03-15T11:31:00.000-05:00

Thank God I don't weigh 210 today, or I was going to have to come up with another name for the blog!

Day 1 weigh-in...look for yourself. It's official, it's real, it's on...here we go!

Why are Jesus' words "Apart from Me you can do nothing" feeling appropriate?

T minus 2 days

2009-03-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

Alright, alright...here we go. Two more days and this thing officially starts. I'm actually looking forward to this. It doesn't feel like some endeavor that I "have" to do, or something to prove myself to someone, or deny myself enjoyment of living. All I want to do is feel good, move freely, and chase my kids around (only one so far...hope for 2 or 3 more...yeah B, I said 3 more...haha!). Of course, I won't mind if B looks at me and says "hubba, hubba" although she says she finds me handsome already. In any case, it is T minus 2 days.

So, how am I gonna do this?

Well, the lovely and talented B, my wife, is going to encourage me and start her 32 by 32 journey (see comments on the first post). So, she's on board, which makes dinners at home easier, and I have support right off the bat.

In terms of diet, I'm still going back and forth on a couple of ideas. Typically, I do not feel great eating 6 times a day, and feel a little better eating lightly during the day, and having a bigger evening meal. Believe me, there is tons of debate on how all this works (eating frequently vs. intermittent fasting). Mostly, I'm going to focus on eating more veggies, fruits, etc. and try to pay attention to how I'm feeling in terms of hunger. I'll be looking at things more closely this weekend and see what needs to go on the grocery list and what doesn't.

For my workouts, I'm probably going to follow workouts from 2 or 3 different sources. Since I am shooting for improving conditioning, athleticism, and fat loss, I will mostly go with shorter duration, higher intensity workouts like you find at Monkey Bar Gym, Crossfit (modified of course to start; they are on another planet with intensity), and Ross Enamait's Never Gymless or Full Throttle Conditioning.

I've dabbled with this type of training and for me, it is way more fun than "traditional training" for me. I'm going to use only equipment that can be used at home. That doesn't mean I will only train at home, but everything I use will be able to be used anywhere, such as an adjustable kettlebell, Jungle Gym strap system, Cables/bands, Jump Rope, and good old fashioned bodyweight exercises (i.e. push-ups, pull-ups, bodyweight squats, etc.).

39 by 39

2009-03-10T21:44:00.001-05:00

On July 15, I turn 39 years old. As I ponder what I hope life looks like as I age year after year, my ideas and goals are shaped in light of this hope. What do I hope for? I want to run, jump, climb, crawl, and play with my son. I want to play baseball in the yard with him like my Dad did with me. What if he doesn't like baseball? We'll worry about that later. This is all about hope.

One thing I know is that even though I am in the fitness profession, I weigh more than I want to weigh. I'm 5'9" and I weigh 215 (the last 5 are courtesy of the post Wyatt diet). Yeah, I can hold my own in terms of strength, but I'm not a NFL running back and I don't need to carry the weight. I can't move as quickly as I would like and I just don't feel as comfortable at 215.

So, what am I saying? I gotta have some motivation; a challenge. So, starting March 15, I have 4 full months to lose 39 lbs. by the time I am 39 years old. 39 by 39. That would put me at 176 lbs. Honestly, I don't have to weight 176 lbs. to be happy. If I hit 185 I would feel great.

When I've mentioned how much I want to lose people look at me like "huh?" If a visual of the 180 lb. me helps to see that I would not waste away, look at the picture. This is at age 26 and I definitely wasn't a waif. Too far to go back? I don't know, but I'm going to give it a shot.