High Intensity Midmorning Workout

Day four is a high intensity routine from the BB4FL.

Warm Up: Intu-Flow 9 minutes

Plan 5 Rounds 10 Reps per Exercise. The last three of the four exercises are 10 reps per side.

Frogger Level 1
Swing Split Level 1
Elevated Scorpion Level 1
Pillow Twist Level 1 w/ stool

Actual:

Round 1: 9 minutes 10 reps each
Rest 1: 4.5 minutes
Round 2: 10 minutes 10 reps each
Rest 2: 4 minutes
Round 3: x minutes 8 reps each
Rest 3: 4 minutes

Cool Down: Prasara Yoga 14 minutes

This is a beast of a workout, even harder than I remembered. I had to cut it short to make sure I made an appointment. Only three rounds rather than the planned five. Also, I cut the number of reps in the third round. I'm really out of shape. I was often hovering on the edge of nausea. I think next time I do this, in four days, I'll try 7 reps for each exercise for each round. Or should I do 10-9-8-7-6?

I'm sore. A little bit of spaghetti legs, but not nearly so much as my short intro to Crossfit. . My core is sore, too. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Moderate Intensity Evening Workout

I am once again following the Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss. Today was a moderate intensity ( HAHAHA! ) workout.

Warm Up: Intu-Flow 9 minutes

5 Rounds As Many Reps as Possible of

• Kneeling Push Ups 45 seconds
• Rest 60 seconds
• Hip Bridge 45 seconds
• Rest 60 seconds
• Side Plank Left 45 seconds
• Side Plank Right 45 seconds
• Rest 60 seconds
• Split Squat Left Leg Back 45 Seconds
• Split Squat Right Leg Back 45 Seconds
• Rest 60 seconds

Cool Down: Prasara Yoga 14 minutes

I had a notion to do a couple of sets of light weight, high rep kettlebell swings after my WOD and before my cool down. However, in my presently shall we say undertrained state, this workout was challenging enough just as it is. Notice I chose to do kneeling push ups. I knew I couldn't do 45 seconds of regular push ups for 5 rounds.

I also did the side planks on my forearm and knee instead of the more traditional hand and foot position. The split squats replaced 1-legged squats. Even scaled down this was plenty challenging enough. Think you're in shape? Give it a try. If it's easy I can provide the more challenging variants of each exercise. There are at least 3 and sometimes 4 more challenging forms of each exercise provided in the program.

I can feel my muscles, that's for sure. I hope between this moderate workout and tomorrow's high intensity one I don't make myself as sore as I did with my brief Crossfit experiment. BTW, I was again tempted to skip this workout since it had gotten so late in the evening. Then I thought about how well I slept the last two nights and wanted that good sleep again. Also, friends would be looking for my post in our exercise and weight loss support group on Facebook.

Warm Walk in the Sunshine

It was much warmer than I expected when I went for my walk today. As I walked the clouds started to clear and the sun was beaming down on me. I didn't need the gloves I wore, which I wished I had worn yesterday. After about a quarter of a mile I took them off. After a about a mile and a quarter, I took off my sweatshirt. It took me 42 minutes to walk two miles. That's slow but to be expected given my low level of fitness. I know it will get better over time.

After I got home, I did a Prasara Yoga recovery routine from the Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss. I am very, very tight. It is going to take a lot of work to improve my flexibility. I even got a cramp in my right hamstring just getting into a simple kneeling pose! Tomorrow I'm going to do a moderate intensity workout from the BB4FL that includes an Intu-Flow warm up and a Prasara cool down. I'll do a couple of sets of kettlebell swings, too.

BTW, after yesterday's workout I slept like a log! Just 40 minutes of walking and 20 minutes or so of Intu-Flow joint mobility work and my sleep improved tremendously. I've got to keep that in mind when I'm tempted to skip a workout.

Discipline What Discipline

Last formal exercise was 20131207. Today I did an Intu-Flow recovery routine and walked for 38+ minutes. Intu-Flow is a method for increasing mobility. Tomorrow walking and Prasara Yoga.

I would really like to join a Crossfit gym, but $100 - $165 a month just isn't in the budget right now. I've got to lock into a routine and pay off a debt or two before I sign up.

Walking, Yard Work and Mobility

Yesterday, 20131207 - Pearl Harbor Day, I took a thirty-two minute walk that was about 1.5 miles. That's not fast but not slow either. If I get back into the habit of walking regularly I'll work on speeding things up. I think four miles an hour would be a good target to shoot for.

Once I got home I did yard work for thirty-six minutes. I shoveled piles of leaves into the yard waste can and raked up leaves over maybe 1/6 to 1/5 of our huge back yard.

After the yard work I came inside and did some mobility and stretching work. I focused on the Bretzel and Bretzel 2.0 and this "30 second mobility cure." I did some other upper and lower body stretching for a few extra minutes.  So, I was moving for over an hour probably closer to an hour and a half.

Many Crossfit Skills

I think I'm getting a little more fit even with just four Crossfit Elements classes. I'm still a long, long way from fit. However, I feel really good today. Yesterday evening, 20131205, at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit we learned or reviewed a lot of exercises. The same two ladies I had my first class with and I were again coached by Brandon.

Warm Up Routine

• Shoulder mobility work w/ PVC pipe
• Hurdle Over/under width of gym and back
• Air Squats

The exercises we learned we only did a few reps of each.

• Box Jumps
• Pull Ups
• Kettlebell Swings
• Jumping rope, both Single and Double Unders
• Wall Ball Shots
• Glute Ham Developer Sit-ups
• Back Extensions
• Glute Ham Raises

It seems like we did one or two more exercises but I can recall what they were.  I really sucked at jumping rope. I used to be able to jump rope but you wouldn't have been able to tell that last night. I must practice. After that we did our WOD of the day which was AMRAP in ten minutes of

• 10 Air Squats
• 10 Abmat Sit-ups
• 10(?) Walking Lunges
• 10 Push-ups
• 05 Burpees

Once again the two women I was working out with beat me in the WOD. The 30-something runner probably did 5 rounds. The 20-something curvy girl was on her fourth round. I was just starting my third round of Burpees when Coach Brandon called time. I guess I shouldn't feel too bad, after all I'm 10 - 20 years older than either of my exercise companions.

It was unseasonably hot and humid last night. This also made the painted concrete floor pretty slick. So slick that my back foot occasionally slipped a little during lunges, so slick that I had to put my feet against some stacked mats to do my push-ups. The gym is undergoing renovations, including resurfacing the floors so hopefully this won't be a problem in the future.

So, I've finished my four Elements classes. I can take two more regular classes and then I'll have to make a decision about joining Swamp Rabbit or another Crossfit affiliate. I'm leaning more towards one closer to home but I'll need to visit them.

Deadlifts, Cleans and Snatches

I got up at 0415 this morning after turning off the TV and lights sometime between 2330 and 0000. Somehow I still managed to be a couple minutes late for my Crossfit Elements class at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit. I laid out my workout clothes, packed a bag with work clothes and toiletries last night. I should have also prepared the coffee pot ahead of time. However, it was mostly just my own slowness and generally poor estimates of time required to complete stuff.

Anyway, the box was packed this morning. We went outside with our coaches of the day, Jessica and a guy whose name I don't recall and who is not listed on the coaches page, and split into two groups to warm-up. The warm-up consisted of doing

• Walking lunges
• "Inch worms"
• More walking lunges
• Air squats 
• Squatting on one leg with the other leg crossed over the supporting leg at the knee for 20 or 30 seconds per leg.

I think the other ( and younger ) half of the class did some high knees and butt kicks, too. After the warm-ups we went back inside and proceeded to work on learning.

• The Deadlift
• The Hang Power Clean
• The Snatch

After we worked on those skills with extremely light weights. We went through our workout of the day, a five minute AMRAP of 

• 15 Abmat Situps
• 15 Burpees

I only made it through one round. My whole core, front and back, cramped up like CRAZY! All of the work we did today required strong core which has been one of my weakest points since I was a teenager. I was hurting too much to pay attention to how many rounds other people in the class completed. I really enjoy these types of workouts even if I'm far, far from being fit.

My Legs Finally Returned to Normal

Well, they returned to feeling like they do a day or so after a normal workout on Saturday which was the third day after I worked out on Wednesday. Thursday I didn't workout at all, just drove to ATL to Mom's place for Thanksgiving dinner and back. Friday I walked for about thirty minutes or so and did some stretching, primarily the Bretzel and Bretzel 2.0.

Sunday, I had good intentions to walk and stretch again but never got around to it. Today I had no plans to exercise but tomorrow will be another Crossfit Elements class at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit. I intend to get up early enough to make the 0600 class. I've packed a duffle with toiletries, towels and work clothes. I've also laid out my workout clothes. I'll need to leave the house sometime between 0515 and 0530.

I told my spaghetti legs/pressing means no legs story several times on Thanksgiving. I hope everyone realizes that even though I complained that it felt as if my quads were about to fall off my femurs, I really did enjoy the crossfit workouts. It was a lot of fun even if it was hard.

Overhead Pressing Means No Leg Work Right

Overhead pressing means no leg work right? WRONG. I went back to Swamp Rabbit Crossfit for my second Crossfit elements class. Yesterday when Coach Brandon said that we would be working on overhead pressing today I naively imagined my legs would be minimally involved in today's workout. No such luck.

We started out doing some shoulder warmup and opening exercises with lengths of PVC pipe which we would soon use to simulate barbells. After a few minutes of warming up we were instructed in proper hand and arm position to do overhead pressing motions. Coach also emphasized the need to keep the core tight and even to squeeze and activate the glutes. We then worked through a progression of movements using only the PVC pipes.

• Strict presses
• Push Presses
• Push Jerk  <= This video demonstrates the first three exercises.
• Hang Clean and Jerk
• Thrusters

So of course my thighs were complaining. But after the unweighted thrusters I was nicely warm and loose. Then we got real barbells. We had choices of 15lb, 15kg or 20kg bars. Today instead of the younger of the two women I worked out with today we had a youngish man and the older of the two women from yesterday, the one who looked like a runner. The guy chose the 20kg bar, I started to take one but reduced my ego and took a 15kg bar.

We then worked on thrusters with the bar. After a few minutes of that we received instruction on how to use the rowing machines and then rowed 250 meters. Our WOD ( Work Out of the Day ) was three rounds of rowing and thrusters structured as follows.

• Row 250M
• 12 Thrusters
• Row 250M
• 9 Thrusters
• Row 250M
• 6 Thrusters

That was it. I was again the last to finish. My time was about 7 minutes and 49 seconds. We finished up with some lower body stretching. Again with the Spaghetti Legs. I'm going to be crazy sore tomorrow!

Spaghetti Legs

Twenty three days since my last workout. That sucks. Just so happens, several months ago I bought a voucher for four elements ( learn the basic moves ) classes and two regular Crossfit classes at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit. I really bought the voucher for my daughter back in the summer, but she never used it. Now she is studying abroad in India and won't return until after the voucher expires. So after two years of watching The Crossfit Games and reposting Crossfit photos on Facebook and Google+ I decided to go for it, use the voucher and take my first crossfit class.

Our tiny elements class of three people - two women and me - was taught by Coach Brandon. We started with a warm up consisting of

• Some jogging forward across the building and then back pedaling to our starting point.
• "Hurdle over and unders" to open the hips ( pretending to step over a hurdle at your side and then squatting to go under the next hurdle ). We did this across the building and back.
• Walking lunges back and forth across the building. 

After the warm-up, we focused on proper squatting technique. First we were instructed on the proper stance and form. Then we practiced with

• Air squats. 
• Y-squats facing the wall, trying to get as close to the wall as possible without touching the wall. This forced us to keep erect w/ tight backs. 
• Then using lengths of PVC pipe in lieu of barbells 
• back squats
• front squats 
• and over-head squats. 
• We learned proper sit-up form using "ab mats".

I felt kinda' good because I've actually always loved squats. I have good form, but I learned a few tips from Coach Brandon that helped me have even better form, for example holding my breath to keep tight on the way down and up instead of exhaling on the way up. It also seemed to be easier for me to get proper form than the ladies.

After all of that my quads and hamstrings were already tight, my abs were cramping up and Coach Brandon announced that we would do a ten minute AMRAP ( As Many Rounds As Possible ) of

• walking lunges
• 10 sit-ups
• 10 air squats

Ten minutes doesn't sound like much does it? It was somewhere between 15 and 20 lunges to go across the building and we had to go down and back. I only made it through two rounds and was half way down on my third set of lunges when Coach called time.

I felt like I was in terrible shape. My quads and hamstrings were burning. My heart was racing and I was breathing like a bellows. I even told the coach, "Man I'm in terrible shape," as I was lunging back down the building to our starting point. But I didn't give up. I kept on going. He kept telling us to do "our workout," and to go at our own pace. I kept that in mind and just paused to catch my breath and made sure I used good form.

BTW, the two women in my class? They ate my lunch. One of them was in her 30s and looked to be a runner. She also said she usually works out at the Y, but had bought a deal similar to mine via Living Social and wanted to use it before it expired. The other woman seemed to be in her mid to late 20s but was thick and curvy. The first woman probably did four rounds in the AMRAP and the second woman was nearing the end of her third round.

We finished up by doing five to ten minutes of stretching for the legs and hips. I could feel my legs quivering. As I walked to my cubby to grab my sweatshirt and keys I had a stiff legged gait as if I had been pounding out super heavy squats and leg presses. I walked out of the building and had a choice of a longer walk down a ramp or four steps. I said to myself surely you can walk down four steps. That when the spaghetti legs really kicked in. I could barely get down those steps! I had to hold onto the rail!

After a 20 or so minute ride home, what am I faced with at home? Another four measly steps up into my house. I could barely make it, but I did and though my legs ache I feel good overall. I think I'm going to keep going to SRC even after my intro classes are over. Ever since I injured myself training for a powerlifting contest nearly fifteen years ago I have never been consistent with my workouts for longer than a few months. I guess I should face the music and submit to some external discipline. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this up. This feels like my kind of workout and doing it with a group of people will be much more fun than working out alone at home.

We'll see how these spaghetti legs are doing tomorrow! Oh, because of Thanksgiving on Thursday we're supposed to go back tomorrow for our second elements class which will focus on over head pressing. I need to decide whether I'm going at 0600 or 1800.

Three Workouts on Schedule

I did my third workout on schedule! Well almost. I didn't get started until after 0900 even though I took advantage of the time change to get up at 0530 instead of sleeping in an extra hour and getting up at my normal time of 0615 or so. I would really like to get to the place of being able to workout before going to work. I did this workout outside, barefoot and shirtless again like my friend, Steve Cooksey!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30 x 17.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups (TGU)
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak  Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x5
6. Cat Vomit Exercise (CVE) 1x5 reps

This workout took about 34.5 minutes. Early on in the workout I went back in the house to get a hand band to hold my hair out of my face. I also took a minute to switch out batteries in the battery charger. That probably added about 2 or 2.5 minutes to the workout.

I kept my focus on the swings, kept my core tight. One Tuesday I'll go for 35 reps in each of my two working sets of kettlebell swings. The TGU are getting easier. I think on Tuesday I'll add one more set of "weak" side TGU. I moved slowly and squeezed my abs hard during the myotatic crunches. I kept breaks between reps of the CVE to 5 secs and really focused on exhaling forcefully and trying to pull my belly button through my spine. Great overall workout.

Almost On Schedule

Almost on schedule. I got in another workout with only one day off. However, I would prefer to workout in the morning but got this one in after work. Still light and not full sets and reps, but a workout nonetheless.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30 x 17.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak  Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x5
6. Cat Vomit Exercise 5 reps

I finished in 33 minutes. A minute slower than last time but I did a total of 10 more reps of swings in my two working sets. I really slowed down on my crunches. Also, I could really feel my abs contracting strongly in the sit-up portion of the TGUs. I feel really well worked out from my neck down to my knees. Not much in my calves or arms. I think I'll eventually need to switch up from this workout to one more focused on building up muscle mass. I think I'll wait to do that until I've shed 20 or 30 pounds of fat though. It was a little too cool and damp for me to do the barefoot and shirtless thing today.

Got It In

Ten Days...ten days since my last workout. What is wrong with me? I've got to do better. My health, physical and mental, must be my priority. Without health everything else falls apart.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25, 25 x 17.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak  Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x5
6. Cat Vomit Exercise 5 reps

Done in 32 minutes. Outside in my natural gym, barefoot and shirtless in the sunshine!

Tired of Starting Over Then DO NOT QUIT

So, I haven't worked out again for seventeen days, not since I tweaked my back working out when I was in Atlanta for DevOpsDays. I've seen the slogan which is the title of this post on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and elsewhere on the internet. I need to make it my motto. I keep beginning workout plans and stopping, beginning to eat more healthily and stopping. I've got to get in a groove and stay in it.

Fellow sysadmin and online acquaintance @magurski inspired me with his weight loss tweet:

lost 2.4 lbs since his last weigh-in! Magurski's lost 61.8 lbs so far. #myfitnesspal - Michael A. Gurski (@magurski) October 19, 2013

My wife and sons left a couple of hours ago to ride their bikes on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. I still don't have a bike and my hip has still been bothering me so I decided not to go along. I could have rented a bike, but again you wouldn't believe how uncomfortable riding a bike with an irritated hip socket can be.

Therefore I took a page out of another of my online, Steve the Diabetes Warrior, acquaintance's play books and got my workout in outdoors, barefoot and shirtless. Again, I did a light, brief routine to get myself back in the groove hopefully without hurting anything or making myself too sore.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 15
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30 x 17.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x5
6. Cat Vomit Exercise 5 reps

I finished this routine in thirty-two minutes. I focused on keeping my core tight during the kettlebell swings so as not to repeat the back tweaking, injury. I need to slow down on the myotatic crunches and hold at the top position for a few seconds. The TGUs really had my heart pounding and my lungs working like a bellows. Rising from a supine position to standing and then returning to a supine position repeatedly can be quite a workout even with a light weight. Next workout on Tuesday. 

Subtle Breakage in Saucy Salamander

All of a sudden, after what have become daily dist-upgrades on my part as the release of Ubuntu Saucy Salamander approaches, my VPN connection stopped working. I try to connect to VPN and get an error "no valid secrets". Also, I couldn't edit the VPN connection. Some googling lead me to "gray button for saving “editing VPN connection” in Ubuntu 12.04"  It didn't exactly match my situation, I'm running 13.10 already, but it was close enough for me to figure out what to try. I made the following change:

[chbaker@reacher:polkit-1/actions]$ diff -u ORIGorg.freedesktop.NetworkManager.policyORIG org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.policy

--- ORIGorg.freedesktop.NetworkManager.policyORIG 2013-10-07 05:57:03.000000000 -0400

+++ org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.policy 2013-10-15 16:50:56.724445415 -0400

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@

     <message xml:lang="uk">Правила системи забороняють вмикання або вимикання з’єднань з мережею на системному рівні</message>

     <message xml:lang="zh_CN">系统策略阻止启用或禁用系统网络</message>

     <defaults>

-      <allow_inactive>no</allow_inactive>

+      <allow_inactive>auth_admin</allow_inactive>

       <allow_active>yes</allow_active>

     </defaults>

   </action>

@@ -940,4 +940,4 @@

     </defaults>

   </action>

 

-</policyconfig>

\ No newline at end of file

+</policyconfig>

[chbaker@reacher:polkit-1/actions]$

After logging out and back in my VPN connection works again. I think there are other mis-configurations in Saucy Salamander (13.10), too. For example the date and time are no longer being displayed in my taskbar. Also, when I go to the time date settings all the clock options are grayed out and I can't edit them. This is really quite disappointing since 13.10 is slated for release in just two days. I can live w/o the date and time in my task bar, but no way I can work remotely without VPN.

 

Better Late Than Never - 20131003

I'm in ATL for DevOpsDaysATL. Staying at the Renaissance Midtown on West Peachtree. Went down to the fitness center at 0645 after waking up at 0515. got my workout on. It's still scaled back but had me sweating profusely and breathing hard nonetheless.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30 x 22.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x5
6. Cat Vomit Exercise 5 reps

I did let me ego get in the way a bit and used a weight 5 pounds heavier than last time on my work sets of swings and on the TGUs. I twinged my back a little on the first working set of swings. Somehow looking in the mirror led to sloppier form on a couple of reps! I feel good to have gotten this workout in.

Why?

Why does my body ache?

• Because I haven't been exercising.
• Because I haven't been eating correctly.
• Because I haven't been getting daily sunshine.
• Because I've been sitting too much.
• Because I've been lying around watching TV and reading too much.

Why haven't I been sleeping well?

• Because I haven't been exercising.
• Because I haven't been eating correctly.
• Because I haven't been getting daily sunshine.
• Because I've been sitting too much.
• Because I've been lying around watching TV and reading too much.

Why do I feel borderline depressed?

• Because I haven't been exercising.
• Because I haven't been eating correctly.
• Because I haven't been getting daily sunshine.
• Because I've been sitting too much.
• Because I've been lying around watching TV and reading too much.

What am I going to do about this? To begin with I just finished exercising outside in the sun, barefoot and shirtless, as my online friend Steve Cooksey would do. I scaled my workout way, way back since I've exercised so infrequently since our week at the beach at the end of July.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 15
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 12.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30 x 17.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x5
6. Cat Vomit Exercise 5 reps

Finished up in thirty-one minutes. I'll try to do this scaled back workout a little faster next time. I will not eat any grains or grain based products today. I will not eat any dairy or dairy based products today. If I feel good, I'll repeat this workout on Tuesday. I shouldn't be sore, but if I am I'll workout again on Wednesday.

Five Week Hiatus

I call it a hiatus in the title, but it was really just....laziness. I haven't worked out since 20130802. Finally got myself to workout today. It took me nearly all day to do it but I did. I kept telling myself, just go out there and do a little bit. Don't try to do the whole workout, don't try to do as many sets or reps and as much weight as you did back at the beginning of August. Just get out that and do a little bit.

Finally after watching my favorite NFL team, The Steelers, lose I got out there so I could watch my favorite tennis player, the beautiful, talented and tremendously athletic Serena Williams.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side, alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 17.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 17.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 17.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 20, 20 x 27.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1x10
6. Cat Vomit Exercise 10 reps

As you can see, I lowered the weight on all sets of kettlebell swings by five pounds. I also limited myself to two work sets of swings of just 20 reps each. I used the same weight, ten pounds, on my Turkish Get Ups but stopped with four sets instead of my customary seven. I did my crunches without any weight. CVEs were normal. I completed the workout in 37.5 minutes.

Now I just need to get in a rhythm by working out again on Tuesday.

20130802 Mid Day Workout

Worked out at the beach one last time for this trip. We go home tomorrow. The sun was blazing hot!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30, (18,12) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell

Immediately after I finished swam in the ocean for about 20 minutes. Cool, refreshing and tiring all at once. About two hours after I finished up, we drove to Cypress Gardens. Part of the fun was rowing ourselves through the swamp for about 40 minutes. I'm very sore and quite tired, over tired, twitchy tired. BTW, after the TGUs with the bucket of sand on Monday the 10 lb dumbbell I used Wednesday and today for the TGUs seems really light. I'll try using a 15 lb dumbbell on Monday.

20130731 Rainy Beach Workout

Finally got in a workout after a day of heavy rain. It was still drizzling while I worked out with my two oldest children, Gabrielle and Isaiah. Here is the workout I did today. It took longer than normal because I was sharing the one dumbbell I brought to the beach with the kids.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 20 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30, (18,12) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

Good workout made better by doing it with my kids!

20130729 Beach Workout Improvisation

Spent most of Monday at the beach once the rain had passed. Late in the afternoon I didn't want to go back up to the house to retrieve my "T-Bar Kettlebell" and dumbbell for a workout. So, I filled a large kid's sand bucket with sand and used it for my workout.

1. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x full large sand bucket
2. One Arm Sand Bucket Swings
• Right  x 20 x full large sand bucket
• Left  x 20 x full large sand bucket
• Right  x 20 x full large sand bucket
• Left  x 20 x full large sand bucket
• Right  x 10 x full large sand bucket
• Left  x 10 x full large sand bucket

That was the entire workout. Keep in mind though that this was after a day of ocean swimming and playing on the beach. I could feel the one arm swings in some different areas of my back but I didn't hurt anything. I have no idea how long this workout took but I didn't take inordinately long breaks.

The sand bucket left my left arm in particular bruised and sore where the lip of the bucket was pressing on my forearm.

Spent almost the entire day yesterday, Tuesday 20130730, on the beach or in the ocean. Spent many hours swimming, floating, wading and battling the breakers. I also did a couple of reps of Bretzel 1.0 and 2.0. A little bit later today I'll get my workout on with my weights. 

20130726 Workout Two

I'm proud of myself. I got it in!

1. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 10 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 10 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 10 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30, (20,10) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
2. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
3. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I got this done quickly, about 25 minutes. I did more reps, 10, of swing warm ups than normal, 5, since I was starting "cold." I'm a little disappointed with the third working set of swings but my back was tightening up a bit. Discretion was the better part of valor.

The crunches and stomach vacuums really had my abs fired up. I wonder if two workouts a day under 30 minutes each would be better than one long 60 minute or so workout? Beach week might be a good time to make that experiment. 

20130726 Workout Part One

Took today off from work. We're going to the beach tomorrow! Lost to do. Including getting my dredloks twisted at 1000. I got started late with my workout and had to cut it short. I intend to get in the kettlebell swings and ab work this evening. This half of the workout took 31.75 minutes. Proud of that I was working quickly.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 15 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 15 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell

20130723 Sweating with the Heat Bugs

I didn't get up early enough to get my workout in before leaving for the office today. I committed to getting it in after getting home. I got home around 7 or so, but didn't get my workout started until about 8 PM.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 15 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 15 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
4. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, (15,15), (15,15) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1 x (6,4) x 5 lb dumbbell
6. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

It was still hot and humid outside but not nearly as hot as it usually is in South Carolina in late July. Only in the 80s w/ 70%+ humidity. But that was more than enough for me to be dripping sweat after my second set of TGUs while listing to the "heat bugs", otherwise known as Cicadas, keeping up a racket from the trees. I started my TGUs with a 15 lb. dumbbell but my shoulders and triceps are ready for that yet. Guess I'll stick with the 10 pounder for another week or so.

I was really disappointed with the kettlebell swings. On both my second and third sets I stopped at 15 reps, gathered myself, shook my arms and took some deep breaths before continuing on to get  15 more reps for a total of 30. It was probably a combination of the late hour and my low carb eating for the day up until this workout.

I really slowed down on the myotatic crunches and focused on squeezing hard at the top. I had to pause for a couple of breaths after 6 reps. My abs were firing so hard it was ridiculous. After I finished, I could barely get up off the Bosu Ball my abs were cramping so hard. By this time I had finished a liter of water so I went to the kitchen door and asked someone to bring me a glass of ice water.

With a little more water in my system it was on to the CVE's. I cut the 20 second pause between reps I had been taking down to 10 seconds. I really tried to pull my belly button up to my spine. My abs were fried when I was done. Sweat was pouring off me in rivers, my shorts were soaked as if I had jumped in a pool! This workout took 70.25 minutes, longer than Monday but shorter than Saturday. I can feel just about every muscle from my feet to my neck! I'm gonna be a sore old man tomorrow!

20130722 Outdoor Kettlebell Exhaustion

Last night I did some stretching with the Bretzel 1.0 and 2.0. I also did a couple of Turkish Get Ups for each side without any weights. I just wanted to get everything loosened up and ready to go for today.

It took me a longer time to get to my workout today than I planned but I got it in. When I started it was cool and cloudy. By the time I got to my kettlebell swings the sun had broken through the clouds!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 10 lb. dumbbell
4. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30, 30, (8,17,5) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
6. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I completed this workout in 69 minutes which was 3.5 minutes faster than my previous workout. I also used a heavier dumbbell, 10 lbs. rather than 5 lbs., for the TGUs. What I still haven't figured out is which side is really working the hardest during TGUs, the side with the arm holding the dumbbell or kettlebell or the side with arm you use to "post"?  I tried to limit myself to 1 minute between sets of TGUs.

On to swings where I tried to limit myself to 90 seconds between sets. I know I took longer between sets two and three and I still couldn't finish 30 straight reps in the third set, but I kept going with a couple of pauses to get the full 30 reps. Was still an improvement over last time as I did three sets of 25 reps then.

I need to slow down and really concentrate more on the Myotatic Crunches. After watching that video again, I really need to SLOW down. On the Cat Vomit Exercise, I need to really focus on pulling my belly button to my backbone. I'm doing good exhaling hard and completely. After watching that CVE video I realize I need to take fewer breaths, really only one full breathe, between reps. The last few reps I could barely hold myself up with my shaking arms, my triceps were cramping up! By the time I finished the workout I was laid out in my carport like these folks at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit.

20130720 Barefoot and Shirtless Turkish Get Ups with Kettlebell Swings

As my online friend Steve Cooksey often says, I worked out outside, barefoot and shirtless! I've really been off track since 20130710, ten days!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Turkish Get Ups
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Strong ( right ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
• Weak ( left ) Side x 5 x 5 lb. dumbbell
4. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25, 25, (12,8,5) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
5. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
6. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

This took a long time, 72.5 minutes. This is my first time working the Turkish Get Ups ( TGUs ) into my routine. You may think using a 5 lb. dumbbell is useless but I've only ever really done this exercise one day before and then without any weight at all. When I got done with the TGUs I was nearly wiped out. I could already feel the soreness in my thighs.

Given how I was already feeling after the TGUs, I decided to scale back my swings. Another reason to scale back was that it had been ten days since I worked out. I was doing pretty good until the third set of swings when I had to adjust my tbar with 13 reps to go. With 5 reps to go I was so winded I put the weight down and took several deep breaths and then knocked out the final 5 reps.

You might ask why my only "strength" exercises are TGUs and Kettlebell Swings? Simple, I read about Gray Cook in The Four Hour Body. 

This ( the Turkish Get Up ) is the movement that Gray used most with Michelle Wie, along with the basic swing. The TGU is an elegant solution that includes nine discrete movements which, in combination, address all of the major muscle groups and planes of movement. Gray underscores why the mainstream usually doesn't see it: "The Turkish get-up and swing just aren't sexy enought for the glossy magazines. Am I actually saying that you can be a world-class athlete and only do TGU and swings for injury prevention? Yes, pretty much."

As usual, the six minute ab routine was tough. I was dripping sweat during the CVEs. I wonder how sore I will be tomorrow!

20130710 Turkish Get Ups and Normal Workout

While I was at work today I started practicing the Turkish Get Up without any weights or kettlebells. It's harder than it looks, a real coordination challenge, plus it requires total body strength and flexibility. I use a program called Workrave to remind me to get up from my desk or if I'm standing to walk away periodically during the day. At least three times today I did TGUs.

I didn't get up and get moving early enough to workout before driving down to the office today. So, once I got home this evening I immediately changed clothes and got my workout in.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 32, 33, 30 x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I got it done in 26.5 minutes. It was pouring down rain so I worked out under the carport. It was nice to feel the cool rain drops blowing on my skin, however it made for some slippery footing. Felt really good afterwards. Took my second cold shower of the day.

Slow carb diet all day. Haven't eaten any grains, cereals, pasta or breads since my Saturday cheat day. Haven't eaten any additional sugar and just a little cheese and fruit, not even two full servings of either.

Otterbox Defender Saved My Galaxy Nexus

Have I ever told you all that I can be easily distracted? Well I can. I stopped at a rest stop on my way to the office this morning, I have about a 45 minute commute. For some reason as I was walking back to my car I decided to check my email via my Galaxy Nexus  which I bought via Craig's List for a low, low price several months ago.

I get to the car and remember that I wanted to get a plastic grocery bag out of the trunk to put in the passenger compartment for trash. At some point I put my phone down on the roof of the car, instead of clipping it to my OtterBox Defender holster like I should have, and forgot about it. I'm sure you know where this story is going...

I drove slowly through the parking lot and then began to accelerate on the entrance ramp to the interstate. All of a sudden I hear thumping from the trunk and look into me rear view mirror to see my phone tumbling along the road behind me and coming to pieces!

I quickly pull over and walk back to my phone before someone runs over it. I collect all the pieces of my OtterBox and phone. But guess what? Even though the OtterBox came apart and the battery cover came off the Nexus...NOTHING BROKE! Not the case, not the screen of the Nexus, nothing! Yes, it got scratched up a bit but nothing broke and it is fully functional. The OtterBox snapped right back together and is once again protecting my phone. That's pretty F&$*#ing amazing! Thank you Samsung for manufacturing a tough phone. Thank you even more OtterBox because w/o my Defender I'm sure my Nexus would really have cracked to pieces!

20130708 On A Roll

I didn't post yesterday. I did get in a swim, about 30 minutes total in two 15 minute sessions. Also, I ate following the Slow Carb Diet all day except one small piece of cheese late in the evening.

Today I got up at 0545 but still didn't start my workout until after 0700. I've got to do better!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 3 x 30 x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I was even slower today as I finished this workout in 27.5 minutes. I took a longer break than normal between the 2nd and 3rd working sets of kettlebell swings. This was because I had to move my "outdoor gym" out of my wife's way so she could pull her car out of the carport and head off to her office.

I think I hurried a bit on the myotatic crunches. Need to slow down on the descent into the stretch. I was dripping sweat during the CVEs. Overall a good workout. I'm feeling better each time through. Looking forward to getting 75 reps of swings straight so I can add another 5 or 10 pounds. My steps for Sunday were better than Saturday but still a pretty dismal 3730. Weight on Sunday was 257.4 but today was 256.0.

BTW, I joined the Stylez DietBet! The pot is up to $10,250 with 410 players! The game starts in one more day! You still have a chance to get in. You're betting $25 that you can lose 4% of your body weight in four weeks. Of the pot 85% is split between the players who make the goal. Say 60% of the players lose 4%+, then ( $10,250 * 0.85) / ( 410 people * 0.60 ) = $35.42/person! That's about a 42% return on your money in four weeks, plus you'll be healthier for it! Got for it? What have you got to lose?

20130706 Swimming and Free Eating Day

Yesterday was my day to eat anything I wanted, a la Slow Carb Diet and Four Hour Body, and I did. It was the first time I really let loose as Tim Ferriss suggests and I almost, but not quite, made my self sick with carbs ( cereal, chips, fruit, cookies, bread, potato salad, ice cream ), diary and sugar. I'm glad to be eating more cleanly today.

The only exercise I got was about 25 minutes of actual swimming as we spent an hour at the pool in the rain. We had the whole pool to ourselves, just us and the lifeguard. My steps for the day were dismal, only 2809. Weight yesterday morning was 253.4 this morning after the binge 257.4. It's probably mostly water. I'll try to go swimming again today.

20130705 Minimalist Exercise

Four workouts on schedule! I'm really loving this very simple, minimalist approach to working out and losing fat. Could I do more? Sure I could. Will I do more in the future? Absolutely, my mind craves variety and eventually my body will, too. And while this workout is very effective, it is not for all around fitness and or muscle growth. Part of me hates this workout too because kettlebell swings are very taxing, Myotatic crunches are very hard, and the Cat Vomit Exercise ( kneeling stomach vacuum ) just is no fun at all.

The reason I say it's very effective for weight and fat loss is that I've dropped 10 pounds in the last 16 days. I did that when I was only about 66-75% compliant with the Slow Carb Diet, too. I'm going to dial that diet in for the next three weeks before our beach vacation. I might be able to drop another 20 pounds and go from 255.6 down to 235! If I even approach 240 I'll be ecstatic and 245 will make me very happy :-D

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22.5 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30,30,(21,4) x 32.5 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished today's workout in 24.6 minutes, faster than Wednesday but no where near as fast as Monday. I feel like I wimped out a bit on the third set of swings and paused at 21 reps before getting 4 more. My back, glutes and thighs feel well worked. My left hip is still giving me problems, it's painful and still feels like it's going to give out on me sometimes when I'm walking. Speaking of which I only got 4147 steps yesterday. My goal next week is 5000 steps a day. I might be able to average 4500 steps per day this week.

I followed slow carb diet very well yesterday. For brunch I had shrimp and organic spinach sauteed in grass fed butter, eggs scrambled in grass fed butter, organic black beans. I had a couple of handfuls of raw almonds for snack. Dinner was broiled Tilapia filets & broiled summer squash and organic black beans. Later on I had some real american and swiss cheese followed by a couple of tablespoons of almond butter right before bed. 

20130703 Three Workouts on Schedule

I got in a workout before going to the office today! Hoo-ray! Go me! Worked out outside. It was cool and humid, but I was still dripping sweat at the end.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30,30,25 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 25 minutes. Not why I was slower than Monday. I didn't think I was wasting time. My glutes were burning when I got done with the kettlebell swings. In addition, even though I was consciously trying to relax my arms and shoulders my delts seemed to be the limiting factor on my third set of swings.

Ha! Never finished this post yesterday. By the end of the day I could feel every muscle on my backside from my glutes to the base of my skull. It was a good feeling of having been worked. Still feels good today. July 1st 3203 steps, July 2nd 3539 steps, July 3rd 4542 steps. That's the right trajectory, but a long way to go. Weight today is 256.2 which is up from a low of 253.6 on the 2nd. I expected it as I we had pancakes for dinner on Tuesday and then I ate fruit and ice cream after dinner last night. 

20130701 Good Progress

I got in a workout on Monday! Hoo-ray! Go me! Worked out outside. It was very humid after a brief but heavy morning downpour.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30,30,20 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 22.75 minutes. That's cooking! I wasn't messing around. I was still a bit sore in my lats and triceps from Saturday's workout and swimming. Felt good to get my workout done in the morning. Got to get more steps in though.

20130629 Only Two Workouts for the Week Again

I was awake off and on from 0530 this morning. I should have gotten up but I kept reading and dozing off then waking up, repeat. Finally got up around 0700. Spent a few hours drinking coffee and water, playing games on my tablet and doing chores around the house. Just finished my workout at about 1130.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 30,30,20 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 25.8 minutes. I'm really happy with my progress on the kettlebell swings. I really focused on moving through the MCs slowly, getting a full stretch and a hard squeeze at the top. I focused more one the CVEs.

Four weeks until the beach! Got to get three of these workouts per week and swim at least twice a week. I'm doing better on the Slow-Carb Diet. I'm also reading a great book Eat Move Sleep. It's The Slight Edge approach to health. I only averaged about 4000 steps the last two days, not good.

Even with my inconsistent workouts and only being about 66-75% compliant w/ the Slow Carb diet on a daily basis I've lost seven pounds in two weeks! I really may drop below 240 by the time we go to hte beach as I'm at 254.6 today.

20130626 Not as Early as I Had Hoped

I got up at 0530 this morning. Spent about an hour drinking coffee and water as well as doing chores around the house. I finally got started on my workout at 10 minutes until 0700 or so.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,25 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x (6,4) x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 25 minutes. I pushed hard, but also made myself relax and flow, on the last work set of swings to get 25 reps. Abs started burning around rep 6 on the MCs I paused and then cranked out the final four. I've got to focus and pull my abs in harder, empty my lungs more fully on the CVEs. I really do not like the CVEs.

I missed my Monday workout. :-( Meant to do it Tuesday but got up late, then was too tired when I finally got home at 1930 last night. I really must get three of these sessions in per week from now until the week of our beach vacation.

I ordered a new pedometer which should arrive today so I can get back to counting my steps. I've fallen off pretty badly with my eating this week. I've had a late night bowl of cereal two nights in a row. I ate sushi, including rice, yesterday. For dinner last night we had chicken stir fry with noodles and rice. Definitely not low carb, not even slow carb. Got to do better.

20130622 Saturday Morning Burn

After a couple of cups of black coffee and a couple of large cups of ice water I got right to it. Driving to ATL today for my brother Nathan's bachelor party.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,25 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 25.1 minutes. I pushed hard on the last work set of swings to get 25 reps. Even though most of the power for swings comes from the legs, hips and back, my front delts were on fire during the last 5-8 reps. Abs started burning around rep 8 on the MCs. I've got to focus and pull my abs in harder, empty my lungs more fully on the CVEs.

I need to work hard next week to get 30 reps each on the first two working sets of swings. Took my pedometer out of my pocket only to find that the battery had fallen out because the screw hold the cover had fallen out. :-(

20130620 A Day Late But Better Than Never

I never got around to working out yesterday even though I "worked" at home. Actually, it turned into a non-working, mental health day. I worked out this morning, not as early as I would have liked but I got it in before 0830.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,20 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 5 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 25.6 minutes. I knocked it out! I had an appointment to get to at 0900 so no messing around.  I used a 5 lb. rather than a 10 lb dumbbell for the Myotatic Crunches to make sure I could do them really slowly with good form. Must get in my next workout on Saturday before going to ATL.

No breakfast, just black coffee, water and supplements. Lunch of baked fish, greens and great northern beans ( skipped the cornbread, yay me! ) at OJ's Dinner after my appointment. I weighed 263 today after my workout. Probably would have weighed a little less but we had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner last night. Only 1787 recorded steps so far today as I left my pedometer at home when I went out to my appointment this morning :-(

20130617 After Work Exercise

I didn't get up early this morning. After a frustrating, non-productive morning I just got in my workout.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,(15,6) x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 10 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 27.5 minutes. I did the entire workout out doors thanks to my daughter's gift to me for Father's Day: an exercise mat! No messing around ripping CDs and checking the mail ;-)  My back is a little tight but I think it will be okay.

No breakfast, just black coffee, water and supplements. Late lunch of leftover salad, steak, red beans and baked asparagus. I weigh 264 today at the end of the day. I think I would feel better weighing first thing in the morning. Only 3132 steps so far today :-(

20130615 Still Not on Track but Getting Closer

I missed my Monday workout. I didn't get up early this morning. I am working from home today, so after a productive morning I just got in my workout.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,20 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 8,2 x 10 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 32 minutes. I did the trip to the mailbox and ripped some CDs, :-( . Good form when doing the myotatic crunches, probably the best form since my first time doing them. Better form on the  Cat Vomits, too. Man, I still can't believe how taxing three work sets of kettlebell swings can be! I'm sweating like a pig.

Eating is still not nearly as compliant as I would like. I'll do better, only six weeks to the beach! I want to be below 240 when we leave for Isle of Palms! I weigh 261 today.

20130612 Minimum Effective Dose

I missed my Monday workout. I didn't get up early this morning. I am working from home today, so after a productive morning I just got in my workout.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side alternating
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,10 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 6,4 x 10 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 27 minutes despite a short delay to setup a CD to rip and typing in all the info between my set of Glute Activation Raises and Flying Dogs. I said last time I wouldn't do such a thing again, so better discipline on Friday is a must! I much better form when doing the myotatic crunches, probably the best form since my first time doing them. I can tell because my abs were really cramping and getting tight. I could tell even further because of the really strong reaction I was getting from my abs during the Cat Vomits, too.

At best I was only 50% compliant with the Slow-Carb diet since Saturday. I' think I'll do a fast, Eat Stop Eat, for 24 hours after breakfast tomorrow and resume Slow-Carb with lunch on Friday. Then I'll use Saturday as a "eat all and everything I want day" and get strict on Slow-Carb Sunday - Thursday next week then repeat.

Must Workout More Than Once a Week

So, here I am working out on a Saturday one week after my last work out. I've got to do better. I will get up and workout prior to breakfast and going to work this coming Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I can sleep late on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday if I want, too!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,18 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 10 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 35 minutes and 22 seconds. Delays were walking to the mail box between my warmup swings and the first read set of swings as well as stopping to setup a CD to rip and typing in all the info between my set of Myotatic Crunches and Cat Vomits. I won't do that again! Also, I need to get my hips up on the Bosu Ball more and slow down when doing the myotatic crunches.

I kept pretty close to the Slow-Carb diet all week except for a couple of times when my sweet tooth got to me late at night and the evening when we had hamburgers for dinner and I had two hamburger rolls. I'm going to eat whatever I want from now until dinner time and then fast until dinner tomorrow ala Eat Stop Eat.

Shame on Me

It's been a while since I worked out. I don't think I've done a work out since 20130518. Shame on me for not working out!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,10 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 x 10 lb dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I finished this work out in 25 minutes and 44 seconds. 

We are going to the beach on 26 July 2013 for a week. That gives me 56 days, or 8 weeks, including today to shed a minimum of 16 pounds. I'm going to do this workout three times a week, swim laps on Saturday and Sunday at the Furman pool and stick to a Slow Carb Diet. I might even be able to lose as much as 40 pounds in the next two months. Stay tuned!

20130518 Two Workout Records

I haven't worked out since last Saturday, 20130511, and I didn't record it then. So here goes.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,12 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I think I complete that workout in 27 minutes.

Today's, 20130518, workout

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25,18 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10 holding 5 lb. dumbbell
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I completed this workout in 28 minutes. It would have been faster but I got distracted with some banking stuff on the computer for several minutes. Sweating like a pig! Time for a shower, some food and then Iron Man 3 with the kids!

20130508 Brief but Brutal Workout

It took me way longer than I had planned to get started with my workout today. I got it done though!

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. t-bar homemade kettlebell
• Swings 25,25 x 32 lb t-bar homemade kettlebell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

The weights on the Kettlebell exercises are approximate. Despite having acquired the pieces for my t-bar about two years ago, I have never weighed the pieces. I'll do that today and adjust the figures above accordingly.

The  workout took 23.5 minutes. I took 30 second breaks between the warm up sets of kettlebell work. I had to take a full two minutes after each set of 25 swings to get my breath under control. It was also quite a challenge during the "Cat vomit Exercise" to hold the "belly button sucked up to spine" with all air expelled from my lungs for a full 10 seconds. I found myself sipping in a gasp at 6-8 seconds on the first few reps but got better as the set went on. 

I'm going to repeat this workout on Friday early in the morning prior to breakfast. I got this workout from The Four Hour Body.

20130503 Hotel Workout

I didn't get around to posting this workout last week. I was in New Brunswick, NJ for the LOPSA-East 2013 Conference, a conference for sysadmins put on by sysadmins. I got up early Friday morning before things started and did the following workout.

1. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
2. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
3. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 20 lb. dumbbell
• Point B 5 x 20 lb. dumbbell
• Swings 5 x 20 lb. dumbbell
• Swings 27,18,5 x 30 lb dumbbell
4. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10
5. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

I believe this workout took approximately twenty minutes. Unfortunately, I didn't record the elapsed time though I was using the stopwatch function of my Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone, which runs CyanogenMod by the way. The hotel had a pool but the heater was broken so I decided not to do any work in the water.

I Am SORE

I am SORE from my calves to my shoulder blades. I am SORE front to back and side to side! This is almost laughable. I've been swimming and such twice a week for a two or more months. I only added a very few exercises yesterday, most with no extra weight and one with ridiculously light weight. But I feel like I had a marathon work out session.

I guess that just shows the effectiveness of a few well chosen exercises and swimming! I almost hate to think about how I'll feel tomorrow. Usually the soreness is worst on the second day after a workout. It'll be interesting to see how my currently under-trained forty-seven year old body responds.

Four Hour Body, Aqua Walking and Swimming

So, I pulled The 4-Hour Body ( T4HB ) off my shelf last night. I am going to get into the best shape of my life. However, I must deal with the reality of my various chronic injuries and physical limitations. T4HB focuses on finding and doing the minimum work necessary to achieve the maximum results. It also has extensive sections on rehabilitation, correct muscular imbalances and healing "permanent" injuries.

Today I added a few exercises to my routine. Over the last two or three months I've just been going straight to the pool as I noted yesterday. I started out with the what Tim Ferriss recommends as the two most effective ab exercises which for his Six Minute Abs routine and the simple version of the Perfect Posterior routine.

1. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10
2. The Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10
3. Two-legged Glute Activation Raises 1 x 20
4. Flying Dogs 1 x 15 per side
5. Kettlebell Swings
• Point A 5 x 22 lb. dumbbell
• Point B 5 x 22 lb. dumbbell
• Swings 5 x 22 lb. dumbbell
• Swings 20,20,10 x 30 lb dumbbell

Then I head for the therapy pool and the lap pool. I repeated the same workout in the pool as I did yesterday. I was already a bit sore after yesterday. I'm completely wasted now. I just want to eat and go to sleep, but it is way too early.

Swimming

It has been a long time since I posted. I started having some serious pain in my left hip around Halloween 2012. Sharp, stabbing pain. I could be walking along fine and all of a sudden PAIN! Pain so intense I would nearly fall down.

Fast forward to January 2013. I finally decide to go to the doctor. I have Xrays, an MRI the works. All they see is evidence of arthritis. I go to physical therapy. The exercises I do for my hip set off some severe back pain, pain even worse than my hip. I have some deteriorating disks in my lumbar spine. I miss a lot of work. I finally get in to see a spine specialist. He wants to do epidural steroid injections but he's about to go on vacation. I have an MRI of my spine and start taking oral steroids.

Spine doctor gets back from vacation two weeks later. My back feels enough better that I decline the epidural steroid injections. Also I've been going to the heated therapy pool at Furman University. In the therapy pool I spend 20-30 minutes walking then another 20 minutes doing mobility exercises for my lower body and treading water. When I first started going to the pool I was limping and walking all hunched over like a really, really old man. Now, my hip still hurts but I'm walking like a normal person. I even started swimming laps in the lap pool a few weeks ago.

Today I walked in the therapy pool for 20 minutes.

• Five minutes walking forward
• Five minutes walking backward
• Five minutes walking sideways
• Five minutes walking sideways crossing one foot front then back

Followed by ten minutes of mobility exercise. Then treading water 4 x 90 seconds on and 30 seconds rest. After that I swam 22 lengths of the lap pool which is about  three tenths of a mile. I repeated the following four times

• kick board one length
• freestyle one length
• breast stroke one length
• freestyle one length
• back stroke one length

That was twenty lengths. I finished off with two fast, for me, freestyle lengths. I'm beat and sore tonight. Last week was the 2nd annual Running Nerds 5K. I ran the first one for my 46 birthday in 2012. This year I can't run. This Friday is the Swamp Rabbit 5K which I ran with Laura and Miles last year. This year I can't run but Laura, Gabby, Isaiah and Miles are going to run it. I'm just going to keep on swimming and maybe start walking again.

I had been swimming and working out in the therapy pool only twice a week on Saturday and Sunday as I thought those were the only days the therapy pool was open to the public. As it turns out it is open to the public after 530pm during the week. Just this week I went on a Wednesday after work. I'm going to stick with three days a week for a while then maybe move up to four days a week of swimming.

Miles Does His First CrossFit Kids WOD

Miles Does His First CrossFit Kids WOD

3x or 5:00

5 walking lunges => bear crawl => 1 beginner rope climb => basic dot drill x 10 => broad jump => 5 super-slow squats


With no precise directions, I just had him bear crawl back the distance he did the walking lunges. I also assumed the lunges were five per leg. We don't have a rope climb setup so I had him do 10 bodyweight reverse rows. He did five broad jumps as one seemed kinda' silly. How slow is a super-slow squat? I had him do 3 seconds down and 3 seconds up. Miles complete three rounds.


7:00 AMRAP
5 deadlifts, unloaded-10#
60-yard run

Miles used a 10 pound bar w/ two 5 pound plates for his deadlifts.  I guestimated the 60 yard run. He completed four full rounds and 5 additional reps of deadlifts. I'm proud of my boy! His face was red like a true Crossfitter when he finished!