Base + Back Week 4

I wish I had started working the negatives for pull-ups sooner.  I am feeling muscles I didn't know I had.

Yet the little voice in my head says that perhaps it was too ambitious to think that I could get to a pull-up in 3 months.

I'm trying to ignore that voice.

So I'm at the last Base & Back workout.  I enjoy this workout a lot -- the balance of plyo and pull-ups is pretty cool.

Plus, I'm getting a lot better a Superman Banana X and Oblique Roll Crunch, mainly by engaging my core more.  Huh, I guess there's something to that. ;)    

No Kip Pull-ups [modified]: 12/40-50 lb RB --> 12/50-62 lb RB (5 negatives)
Plyo Frog Squat: 22 --> 27
Wide Leg Close Grip Chin-Up [modified]: 12/40-50 lb RB --> 12/50-62 lb RB (5 negatives)
Chair Jump: 20 --> 20
Chin Pull: 12 (6 each chin-ups and pull-ups)/40-50 lb RB --> 16 (8 each)/50-62 lb RB (8 negatives, 4 each)
Plyo Lunge Press: 16/3 lbs each hand --> 30/3 lb each hand
V-Pull Ups: 12 (6 each arm)/40-50 lb RB --> 24 (12 each arm)/50-62 lb RB (5 negatives)
Surfer Spin: 22 --> 22
Kippy Cross Fugly Pull: 15/40-50 lb RB --> 16/50-62 lb RB (5 negatives)
Jack-in-the-Box Knee Tuck: 16 --> 20

Calories Burned = 647 (compared to 731 in Week 1)
Average Heart Rate = 125 (compared to 133 in Week 1)
Peak Heart Rate = 170 (compared to 172 in Week 1)

Working Out at Mom & Dad's

Halfway through my workout this morning, Mom cooked bacon.  I think she was trying to taunt me.  She says she was trying to inspire me to get through it and be done.

So, we are up at Mom & Dad's house this weekend.  It's the first time I've done a workout not at home.  In fact, I did TWO workouts -- Recovery & Mobility and Chest + Back + Balance & Ab Ripper.

I meant to bring our pull-up bar up with us.  I brought the resistance bands and foam roller, and completely forgot the pull-up bar.  This meant I had to figure out how to do my modified pull-ups.  I tried attaching the resistance bands to the treadmill -- that didn't work.  I tried to have John hold the resistance bands -- that didn't work, especially since he was sitting in a comfortable reclining/rocking chair.  Mom said, "You might have to go outside."  Dad said, "Yeah, and hook your bands on the fence."

So I went outside.  John told me it was 30 degrees, and I was pretty sure I was going to freeze because I wasn't going to go put on a shirt.  However, the sun was shining, and for the 45 - 60 seconds I was out there doing my pull-ups, I was okay!

I was a tiny bit better on the Superman Banana X with a little more room, but only a tiny bit.

The whole thing was a good test of modifying the workouts to the location I was in.  It was also good to find out that the cheating I did the day before didn't wreck my workout.  I didn't feel sluggish at all.  I guess that's what happens when you go to bed at 10 PM and get up at 8 AM.  

Recovery & Mobility
Calories Burned = 275
Average Heart Rate = 92
Peak Heart Rate = 132

Chest + Back + Balance & Ab Ripper

Calories Burned = 765
Average Heart Rate = 124
Peak Heart Rate = 168

X2 Back + Base

When I thought about what might included in the Back + Base exercise, I figured it was back exercise and leg exercises.  Yeah, no kidding.  What I didn't consider is how the leg exercises would work.

Can you say Plyocide + Pull-ups?

This workout is 10 exercises repeating for 2 rounds.  It alternates pull-ups, which I modify using resistance bands equaling 40-50 pounds, and then a plyometric exercise.  omg.  On the plus side, I think I can increase my resistance band weight next week so that I can get that much closer to the reality of a pull-up.

And after you're done, you do Ab Ripper.  I'm still terrible at Superman Banana X -- I think in part because I don't have enough room in my living room to do it.  I'm still working it out.  My hips were also bothering me more today, so some of the ab exercises (like Roll V Hold and Row Your Boat) were killing me, and I had to rest/readjust several times.

Most of the time I was working out today, I was thinking, "I can't wait for tomorrow when I can do Recovery & Mobility!"  I need that foam rolling!

Calories Burned = 761
Average Heart Rate = 133
Peak Heart Rate =  172

Pleasant Soreness

I woke up today with sore lats!  I'm thrilled!  It's a sensation I've been waiting for since this whole thing began!

Yesterday I did the X2 Chest + Back + Balance workout -- which is basically the pull-up/push-up workout.  Seriously, the exercises alternate.  Luckily, I had two things on my side: 1) in the morning, I watched the DVD to get a sense of the exercises and modifications; 2) at least some of the exercises were familiar (e.g. 4-Grip Pull-Up, Plyo Push-Ups, Push-Up Side Arm Balance).

I was TERRIBLE at Chattarocker.  It basically has you going from Chattaranga (from yoga) to Sphinx to Plank  while moving your feet back and forth.  I just didn't have the upper body strength to make it happen.  I didn't go any exercises on Med Balls -- I'm just not confident enough yet.  I used bands (red & black together to equal 40-50 pounds), but I think I need to increase the weight I use.  It wasn't easy per se, but I really want to better prepare myself to do a pull-up.

All the weight training workouts in this phase also include Ab Ripper.  I'm still working on that Superman Banana X!

Calories Burned = 591
Average Heart Rate = 114
Peak Heart Rate = 160

X2 Total Body & Ab Ripper Week 4

Sometimes, I'm not sure how to distinguish the workouts from each other.  X2 Total Body involves weights and balance poses as does X2 Balance & Power.  I get that they are different kinds of workouts, but anyway.

X2 Total Body is not an easy workout.  Nevermind that this is the pull-up workout and I still am unable to do a pull-up.  I get so sweaty lifting weights in this workout -- something I never really got from lifting weights at the gym (without running first).  So that's a good thing.

Here's the rundown of my improvements from Week 1 to Week 4:
1-Arm Chest Press: 12/10-12 resistance band (RB) --> 15/25-30 RB
4-Position Pull-Up [modified]: 5/10-12 RB --> 10/35-42 RB
Push-Up Side Arm Balance [on floor]: 5 --> 20
Switch Lunge Press [modified]: 12/10-12 RB --> 15/10-12 RB
Warrior 3 Kickback: 15/3 lb --> 15/3 lb  (I wish I had tracked how many times I touched on this, but I didn't)
Warrior 3 Curl: 15/3 lb --> 15/10-20 RB
Boing Push-Up [floor]: 5 on bosu --> 10 plyo (This is a ridiculous exercise where you start standing with a stability ball in your hands, keep your legs straight as you fall toward the floor with the ball in front of you, do a push-up and bounce back up.  I couldn't keep my core engaged when I tried to this on the ball, so I kept collapsing into the ball and decided I would just work on plyo push-ups instead.  I can't clap when doing plyo push-ups yet, but I can get my hands into the center and  back out.)
Crunchy Lever Pull-Up [modified]: 10/10-12 RB --> 15/35-42 RB
Mule Kick Burpee: 5 --> 6 (These weren't always pretty, I need to still work on holding my body in the air longer)
Swimmer's Curl in 1/2 Chair: 10/10-12 RB --> 12/10-12 RB
Balance Kickback [on floor]: 10/3 lb --> 10/6 lb (I'm pretty sure my form isn't that great on this one!)
Rocket Launcher Preacher Curl: 12/10-12 RB --> 12/15-20 RB

I'm also getting better at Ab Ripper -- with the obvious exception of the Superman Banana X, which has been my nemesis from the beginning.

Calories Burned = 611 (compared to 768 in Week 1)
Average Heart Rate = 123 (compared to 125 in Week 1)
Peak Heart Rate = 168 (compared to 172 in Week 1)

I am a morning person but...

I don't think morning workouts are for me.  Due to my schedule these last few days, I have had to get up early to work out before my day begins, instead of working out in the late-afternoon or early evening.  I am not sure my body thinks this is a good idea.

I feel stiffer in the morning, slower to warm up.  My muscles protest, and fatigue more easily.  Although I am still improving in many exercises, I don't feel as good doing them in the morning.  Perhaps the ability to move around throughout the day is helping my body warm-up and prepare for the workouts.  Luckily, this is an occasional issue, arising only when other things, like filing my dissertation, getting a facial, and seeing friends, require that my day not be punctuated by a workout.

On the plus side, I did the Ab Ripper this morning, and figured out better how to do the Superman Banana X, with less giggling and more core engagement!  It wasn't perfect, but it was much improved!      

Total Body (separated Ab Ripper from this because of time)
Total Calories Burned = 666
Average Heart Rate = 130
Peak Heart Rate = 170

Ab Ripper + Yoga

Total Calories Burned = 551
Average Heart Rate = 107
Peak Heart Rate = 152

I wish I had watched the videos in advance of ACTUALLY doing them

Today I attempted X2 Total Body & Ab Ripper.  Thank goodness this is a DVD; I can pause, rewind, and start again.  I mean, how do you do a mule kick burpee?  Or a crunchy lever pull-up?  I wish that I had taken time in the weeks before I started this process to watch the videos from the couch.  It would have helped orient me better to the timing and to the exercises (and especially the modifications!).

Luckily, John wasn't paying enough attention to photograph or record the relative debacle that was this workout.   Don't get me wrong, I did as much as I could, modified where necessary, and I'm pretty sure that next time I do this, I'll be better.

The major modification I made was using the bosu ball instead of a stability ball or medicine balls.  Some day, I want to be able to do a plyo push-up (in which you push your hands off the ground at the top of the push-up) or push-ups with my hands on medicine balls, I'm just not there.  So I did them on the bosu, which provided some of the instability (and extra balance work), but wasn't quite as intense.

As for the Ab Ripper, the moment I saw that it was only 16 minutes long, I said to John, "This is going to be the hardest ab workout I've ever done."  Not far off.  There's an exercise called Superman Banana X in which you have to hold your appendages off the ground and roll from your stomach to your back (ideally without using your hands or feet).  I rolled around on the floor, managed to do it partly right, and feel a tiny bit of what it's supposed to feel like, and I realized, as I giggled at the ridiculousness of it, that I have so much core work to do.

Calories burned = 768
Average heart rate = 125