Return to Ruggedness Session XXXIII - 42014 - 50314

SESSION XXIII – 42014 – 50314

This may be the session that changes everything!! I started running more regularly – well better than once in a great while. I’m still blaming the weather when it doesn’t cooperate, but when it does I take advantage of it, when I can. Got to get feet on the dirt, and keep working my legs. I started going to Temple to train legs, on equipment only they have. I started adding tofu to my beans. No negative results yet. Measuring day was more of a surprise than a relief – the numbers are going where I want them to. Maybe it’s the change of season. I started taking protein and creatine again, but not daily.

Gain more strength, drop more weight, shed more centimeters, build more endurance. Age is not an excuse!!

42014 – [Sunday #306] -  wake 193 – E! dropped an early one. No exercises, no breakfast ACV & tea, ate my salad at work.

Pull ups today, new rule – don’t settle for 1 set, go 2 – 3 small sets of 3-4 reps. Get stronger!!

42114 – [Monday #307] –Wake 193 - @ mile run/jog – strong the whole way. Random chores, going to dead lift & leg press before spin. That’s the plan. Only day off, maybe take one this week.

Did some deadlifting – failed at 315, but tried. Leg presses 8 plates. Some EZ bar curls. Spin was great!!! Strong exercise day.

42214 – [Tuesday #308] – Wake 188 – Massive drop, but this is actually a correction/recovery. Dynamic tai Chi & Yoga 3 sun sals, leg stretch, tea, beans w/ shrooms, red pepper, pepper jack cheese. I got some kind of rush after eating. Started sweating, nose running – toxins flowing out of the body… FELT FABULOUS!! Maybe some pushups @ the gig. TGX later today, no ankle wts today.

Gig – reverse pushups 20+22

Another strong day. Good TGX, coached mostly.

42314 – [Wednesday #309] – Wake 188 – Not much energy, slight headache, vivid dreams. Did some work, started leg swinging & movement from the mat. Grilled cheese, tom, romaine & peppers, no “Dinner” last night, last meal was post aqua, possible cause of headache – ACV @ wake up.

Gig – reverse pushups 10+15+10

Don’t feel like I’m getting stronger, but have to remind myself… it’s a long road back.

42414 – [Thursday #310] – wake 189.5 – even w/ no dinner wt gain? Huh! AM work – arm & leg swings, run, jacks 7 burpees, got o reclaim the burps, full scale. Off to work, bean soup & lentils bkft.

Keep on my toes. Intervals to the train station, running across streets cuts off 1-2 minutes, ha-ha. Up the El steps fairly easy.

Gig – pushups (rev) 15+10 (pumpers & boxing) finished with 10? More maybe. Medium/strong day. YGX was energetic – burp-ups getting stronger. No chest pain, breath good.

Funny how the entries have changed. A hundred years from now I’ll be writing, “still alive” ha ha.

42514 – [Friday #311] – wake 189.5 AM exercises including some pushups on the iron gym (IG). Boxing, upper body motion.

Work – rev pushups 20+10

Temple power leg press –

Full range about 600 lbs. 2 sets

½ about 800lbs.  2 sets

Static Hold – about 1000 lbs 40-50 seconds 2x

Seated calf raises & holds

Shin flex 80 lbs… 3 sets

Chest Press/hold (Smith) 110 lbs + bar hold about 25-30 seconds.

42614 – [Saturday #312] – Wake  191.5 – slight headache & stuffy. After Happy hour & leg work… Super tired and in bed in the 9s. Wake up movement. Mental health day. Records purge. Home chores, pushups in b/w on iron gym (IG) – 10 close neutral, 15 (wide, outer handles/back) + 4 x 20 more….

42714 – [Sunday #313] – wake 193 – Run/jog/walk intervals 2.5 miles. No time recorded, no calorie count. Protein & creatine shake & short nap after… what will today bring?? Home work. Love doing the wide pushups on the IG. 3 x 30 and a set of 20 late in the eve.

100 Jax – first in a long time

30 lb shrugs 2 sets so far. 

42814 – [Monday #314] – wake 191 – Immediate IG pushups 20 slow & low wide prone. 35 quick then 40 (first time since the injury doing that many).  2.5 mile run, whole 2 + ½ mile of intervals. (Jog/walk stretch about 50 mins.)

Top Notch day!

Good legs work! Romanian deadlifts low wt reps (grip strength): Leg press, calf work and holds (Inverted). Barbell press practice, bar only 20 reps + reverse press. Incline db press 35lbs. 3 sets 8-10-12. Strong spin class & coconut H2O from save-a-lot Yeah!!

42914 – [Tuesday #315] – Wake 188.5 27/51 – Measuring Day. 6 Sun salutations. (I really should do this more often)

Top … 99 … last 97  YAY

Mid…93 … same (=36.6 inches, that’s pretty thick.)

Bot….97 … same

Under 98 … 100 last time, that’s about an inch and I can feel the difference. WOW!

Top/solar plexus	99 cm	97 cm	+2cm	Looking good
Middle/hips	93 cm	93 cm	0	Steady nxt tells
Bottom/naval	97 cm	97 cm	0	Steady hopeful
Under/waste	98 cm	100 cm	-2	Rite direction

 

This chart may not mean anything to anyone but me, it nonetheless shows how much
thickness I added to my torso from the first time I measured in June of 2011. I want
everything except the solar plexus area to be in the 85 (or less) to 89 cm range. This is an
every 45 day measurement... just enough to keep me honest and alert me of any radical
changes.

Gig – 20+20+15 reverse push ups.

TGX was awesome, great finale!!

43014 – [Wednesday #316] – Goodbye April – 188.5: Legs sore, body sore. Movement this AM, typical Wednesday recovery stuff.

Start 20 wide pushups + 20 rev pushups (gig) +20+10, Curls w/ 10 lb dbs.

Put the workout in WORK> do what I can in the back. steps things up. Did more @ work inc. shadow box, squats, db curls, Zero @ Aqua today… Rain… torrential.

MAY 2014

April 2014 weight chart, back on the roller coaster again. Not many
steady moments.

50114 –  [Thursday #317] – Wake 191  +2.5 lbs. I think this is the weekly correction. Eat sweat work… 2 easy rounds. Should get back to this, this month in prep for zurich. Beans lentils, tofu, squash, cheese bkft… dropped a early one. Ate “dinner” last night. No X at the gig. YGX was good – did some 40 lb incline db presses before class & a few dips.

50214 – [Friday #318] – wake 191 36/47 [snooze] – woke with the urge to do crunches, turned into mat work out and knee lifts, leg work from the mat.

Intervals from hope to the train station – run hirst st, ½ CC to walnut, ½ block from end of fence up the steps. It was good today, little by little.

Gig- 10 reverse pushups.  Tandem curls 10 lb, 20+ (3 rounds tot.)

Temple legs: Leg press, calf raise (+ indies), shin flex 90 lbs (wrong sneaks) leg X, smith press, hold, shrug hold.

50314 – [Saturday #319] – WAKE 191 E: woke well, 3 minutes before alarm. I am on auto wake now.  EZ – ex- pushups, some curls, intervals to the El. 7 mins, so 1-2 mins off the walk. Lazy day at the gig. Got some pull ups done. Shadow boxing.

End of session #23

Return to Ruggedness Session XVIII – 20914 – 22214

Session XVIII

Three major stories this session, 1) The burpees streak ended and the very next day I reached the 100 burpees in a single series goal, and I haven’t done them the same way since. 2) I started lifting weights again. I’ve been smart enough to keep them light, at this point no more than 20 lbs. but I can curl those suckers pretty easily for reps; slow & steady. 3) I can do pushups again!! YAY! Even started doing pushups for half of my burpees sets. So as one burpees era ends, another one begins.

In not so major news, I’ve adjusted to day work. No more falling asleep when I get home from where ever and waking up at midnight or 2 AM, I try to keep work-night sleep to 10PM – 4AM. I wake up strong at 4AM and exercise for about 40 minutes. If I get up earlier and don’t mess around I may get an hour in. I am feeling the difference in small ways. I make & eat salads for lunch most days and 4 days a week I’m teaching fitness classes. The snow has gotten in the way a few times, but it is what it is, isn’t it?

Indeed I am feeling more energetic and generally better, if not stronger. For the past week, or so it seems my weight has been at 190.5. I am going for 175, but in the tradition of having to get in condition to get in better shape, I feel I have to get in a certain condition to drop the weight and I have to NOT STOP just because I get close to my goal. I am not going to be able to coast in. In fact when I try to coast I get further away.

I haven’t felt the need to desire to take any powdered supplements of protein or creatine. I do still take the vitamin/pill supplements daily.

No pictures have been taken of late. I think I’d just be taking more before pictures and I have enough of those. Big Chunky is perplexing; last measuring day showed gains, [slight as they may be, but they add up] in the lower torso, however there’s more definition. The bod is definitely “toning” up and becoming more defined, but the belly seems to be going nowhere. Not sure whether it’s contrast that makes it seem bigger and flabbier or whether I’m losing fat everywhere else except Big Chunky. Well, not going to do surgery, and not going to starve myself and there is no pill, so I might just as well keep doing what I’m doing.

Two things that psyche me up; one is the prospect of training outside again and two having my shoulder back to 99% and making it stronger this time around. I don’t plan on benching any time soon, but I think I’ll be able to put up some dumbbells and get back to those dips as well. … and actual pull ups – palms away. And climbing ropes and poles and suspension/TRX stuff out in the park!

So let’s really return to ruggedness and have something to show for it.

20914 [Sunday #236] – woke 190.5 / 175  1.088 over my goal 9% over desired weight.

Breathing exercises 2x 4:16:8  (inhale:hold:exhale)

12 min warm up

12 min strength

12 min cool & stretch

373 calories 36 mins.

Keep HR in fat burn zone.

The system: run, box, squats, pushups, kicks, burpees, jacks, fence climbs.

21014 [Monday #237] – wake 190.5: shoveled snow. Sleep was ok, dreams of snow & Marsha Jones (she could smell snow in the air.)

Did breathing a few times today, working on 5:20:10 ratio. Spin was strong. Got good energy. PB&Honey/cinnamon sammich before spin. 3 BCAA after, still have NRG!! Maybe wts at home?? Nah, no home work. Did chores and played on FB. Sleep at 10:30pm ish. (22:30).

21114 [Tuesday #238] – woke up with alarm. 190.5 32/49. I think the Fat/H2O measurements will become more important, ut I’ll still track the weight.

Woke determined and did 36 minutes of exercise 12-12-12 with attention to HR, 410 calories burned according to measure. Lentils, beans, tea, vits. Living strong and getting used to days a bit faster than I expected, even though I expected to adapt faster than I expected. TGX this eve & Aqua. Maybe I can sneak in some squats and kicks or push off something at work.

ROM in left shoulder has increased again – still got a ways to go and still working on it. I have to resolve to go beyond my goals and set mind & behavior goals. I must pursue more human connections.

TGX was very strong, creative and exciting through both sessions, then home. Didn’t need to eat dinner, just some almonds, blueberries. Sleep by 23:00.

21214 [Wednesday #239] – wake 190.5 29/50 – noticing the FB/H2O are changing, good sign. Weight will follow. Still 9% above desired weight.

Morning exercise 12-12-12, close to 400 calories, didn’t go as hard as yesterday. Beans, lentils breakfast and tea or course. Sleepy/bored @ 10:30, dozed while writing this… Got breathing done 10 x 5:20:10 first time, maybe 2 more today. Aqua tonight. Then snow.

21314 [Thursday #240] – woke 190.5 E! Up strong after a snooze, to a blizzard. Made it to work. Had a great breakfast. Trailmix did the work @ work, wasn’t hungry. Started working on 7:28:14 breathing, it actually gets easier, maybe that’s why I wasn’t so hungry. Y is closed today. No YGX. Shoveling snow was the workout. Seriously considering bringing up the 20 lb. dumbbells to work out with. Did I predict this? Have to stay with the bands also. Maybe bands first.

HOME WORK

Warm up phase: (I scribbled down some times & HRs – maybe I can make them out.)

The warm up phase was 3 rounds of running in place (60 secs.), boxing (100 punches), 10 burpees, 20-30 mt. climbers, 20-30 jump-lunge-squats, 50 total front kicks & 20 – 25 power squats. Took about 12 minutes. Burned about 146 cals. [cal. Count is for demo purposes.]

Training Phase: 3 rounds of squat-press, power burpees, deadlifts & flies.

Round I: 10 lbs dbs 10 reps HR 132 79% about 5 minutes.

Round II: 12 lbs. 10 reps HR 132 79% - it was tougher and slower.

Round III: 20 lbs 5 reps HR 144 86%. This is where I want to be, using 20s and getting reps & keeping HR 70-85%

Mat Phase: Press, flies, tri-x, pull overs

Round I: 10 lbs. 15 reps  65% HR

Round II: 12 lbs. 10-15 reps 58% HR

Round III – various wts. (20 lbs press, 12 lbs. the rest) 64% HR.

Standing Curls

12 lbs. 30 reps total  64% 106 bpm

20 lbs. 20 reps tot 73%  121 bpm – 2 sets.

43 minutes in 547 calories.

*weight gloves on for this session 1.5 lbs each.

Stretch Phase – mostly lower back & hamstrings, balance, warrior type, standing then seated. Ending HR 88 bpm.

60 minutes 691 calories. Not mad about this. Trying to keep HR to fat burning levels, esp at home. Intervals for TU/YMCA.

21414 [Friday #241] – Wake 190.5; 

Holding steady, but no numbers? Had a great Homework session last night. Ate some sweat. Basically did the cardio-sculpt routine. I guess I’m back to weight work. Can’t skip the bands, maybe I’ll work with them today.

I’m going to have to get back to the body building/sculpting techniques, plus outside low heart rate high endurance stuff and back to juice practice and be more disciplined and focused.

I’m going to have to strength train differently, with the body and sculpt with the weights and bands. What I need is a mighty mission – the 175 by 55 goal doesn’t seem to be inspiring me.

I may have mentioned this before – bit I need some serious motivation to get back into my badass attitude and badass training. Then I remembered “An old man in a hostile city.” Will that do it? Being in condition to walk forcefully through a blizzard to get to work? I’ve never been so motivated than when I was doing it for my kids. (Or so I told myself.) Maybe I can conjure someone to protect, someone to impress besides me. No days off!!! [Print & post, b/c I almost forgot.] seven days a week. Got to do SOMETHING!!

Today’s Work

Warm up 12 minutes – the normal warm up is two rounds of the 7: run, box, burpees, mt. climbers, jump-lunges, kicks & squats. Training 30-40 minutes.

Chest band (red,blue,green) press & matching pushups: 8-8*-4-4-5  * hard round

Wall ball deep squats 5 x 10, pretty easy, do more.

Chin ups 5 x 5 = 25 weak on this.

Tri-x Bench Bands 8-6^-6-6-4 to failure ^=deeper ROM

Stretch 12 mins – usual leg, yoga style.

Lapping up the tea today, 3 cups. In all day, took off sick. Maybe legs later. Probably won’t go out. I don’t see the point.

Training Round/Session II

6.5 boxing and upper body work, & leg/mat work, a la TUGX sessions.

Had some success with breathing exercise today 7:28:14  inhale & holds went well, but exhale was too fast. May Y tomorrow?

21514 [Saturday #242] – Wake 190.5 32/49 – woke sore from exercise. Breathing through both nostrils. Got extra sleep. Maybe close to 10-11 hrs. dreary out – thinking maybe go to the Y, or just go out to be out. Pretty much a full day of exercise. Just random & intermittent.

THE WORK

Kicks.

50 squats & 50 w/ ankle weights

50 kix over the ironing board & 50 w/ anks

30 each standing band leg curls, (orange & black) + 30 w/ anks.

Boxing gloves & wrist weights

Curls – 10 lbs (gl&wr) & 12 lbs.

Shoulder lats – 10 lbs no pain, increase to 12 lbs.

Shrugs, curls progress from 10 – 20 lbs.

Shoulder press – neutral 12 lbs.

Triceps kicks –

Incline db press 20 lbs. 2 sets of 10.

21614 [Sunday #243] – wake 190.5 E

20 pushups & boxing. Sore from yesterday’s work. Maybe more today. Looks like the sun’s trying to shine. Wake up breathing 7:28:14, 2 groups of 5. More success, almost ready to go for 8:32:16, & actually progressing. Don’t quit. See how far I can go, maybe this will work for swimming.

5 burpees – slow w/ pushup, box & random stuff.

Late workout: warm up 2 rounds, plus twists & bob 18 minutes *5 burpees w/ pushups each, and 5 without.

Training w/ weights

2 rounds 12 lbs – 10 reps;

Squat, press

Power burpee

Deadlift

Back flies.

Mat Training 1^st round 12 reps, second round 10 reps.

Press: 20 lbs (all others 12 lbs.)

Flies,

Triceps extensions (skull crushers0

Pull-overs

21714 [Monday #244] – wake 190.5 32/49 36 minute morning exercise.

Warm up rounds; run-jack-box-burp-mt. climb- jump lunge-kick-p’squat-bob-weave.

* split burpees 1^st ½ with push up, very slow. 2^nd ½ no pushups.

10 first 12 second.

Training round, more intense, but same stuff.

Cool down, stretch, legs as usual.

Strong through cycling [YMCA] & energetic after omelet for dinner.  (8pm)

21814 [Tuesday #245] – wake 190.5/175  -  9% over, still!!

Early morning training 12-12-12. Breathing, working on 8:32:16 the exhale is giving me a challenge. No need to detail the work I guess, but I did write it down, but here’s a brief:

Slow start but went through training phase 120 squats (3 rounds), pushups 3x25 – this is significant; shrugs & curls, 20 lbs.   420 cals 36 minutes.

TUGX was strong & exciting, had a full room. Aqua was okay one belissima.

Ate on the run, no legit dinner. Bed by 22:30, but woke well before the alarm 04:10.

21914 [Wednesday #246] – Pisces season begins. Wake 190.5  32/49, BF/H2O going the wrong way. Dropped 5-6 yesterday but no weight loss, interesting & unconcerned. Have to trust that I am burning and eliminating fat. I haven’t been doing this regimen long enough to evaluate yet. Next measuring day is in March and I’m wearing ‘fat-boy’ pants [a size too large] because they are the warmest I have.

Today’s unmeasured AM training: warm up & box.

Training phase w/ 6.5 [gloves & ankle wts on wrists] + 20 lbs dumbbells. 2 rounds.

Squats, 20, shrugs, mat press, bent 1-arm row, mat tri-x, standing curls.

Stretch phase, regular stretches, pushed it a little bit.

Beans, lentils, cheese for bkft. Aqua later today.

Breath work: 8:32:16 – tough, mostly the exhale. Working towards 10:40:20. Got 10 @ 8:32:16, exhale is still weak, but getting stronger. Dropping 3-6 a day, maybe fat is breaking down & eliminating.

Aqua was good. 6 people. Felt good. Tea /Austin. No dinner.

22014 [Thursday #247] – wake 190.5 27/51. I like seeing change, even small change.

Got to the morning training, made it easy today. Had a must-do attitude warm up was mostly calisthenics – training mostly squats & pushups, (expecting shoulder pain and happily surprised when it doesn’t come.). Mat set of squats – 60, no burpees… will do them @ YGX this eve. 12 mins stretch.

I must move more at work. Maybe light cals & stretching, stuff I can do in the back.

YGX, slow start, but I got a surge 10 minutes in. still not my best performance, tho not bad for being up 13 hours.

22114 [Friday #248] – Wake 190.5  27/51. 13^th straight day at this weight. Slept late, lazed the first part of the day. Have a slight headache, maybe routine change. Headed to the Y to train, not sure what I’ll do, but I have spec forces in mind as well as trying some dips to test the shoulder. Not expected to be long, but we never know. Dreary day, lite rain due.

Rain’s heavy. Made it to the Y.

Standard warm Up.

Training Phase – Special Forces 10 to 5 and 5 back to 10 reps. Break between each set. Easing in. can feel the left shoulder while holding the bar, but it held up for the pushups. Standard stretch.

Barbell weight 125. 50 minutes time.

22214 [Saturday #249] – wake 8 AM 190.5 ACV before bed. E message. Dropped one early. Day 14 – this is maintenance, how long til the fat drops? No measuring til measuring day. Ow many days straight have I trained?

Headed to the Y.

5 times 8;32:16 – breathing on the trolley. Not bad.. it does get easier. Stick here for a while til I’m up to 3x a day.

Ginger, cheese, beets.

Today’s work done 55 minutes. Felt much stronger during the warm up.

Standard warm up

Spec forces ladders; deadlift 140 lbs & db presses, [25s] – 10-5 & 5-10

Standard stretch… making progress.

Session 18 ends