R9D68 – Vegas 2012

For the past few years my wife and I have travelled to Vegas with friends and in the beginning it was always a hedonistic trip through buffets and restaurants and for the other three, an alcohol soaked trip through toleranceville. As the years have passed we have learned how to use the Las Vegas Strip as a cardio event and now thanks to the Paleo diet being rolled out of buffets is a thing of the past. This trip it was nice and warm so we even got to spend time in the pool (we usually go during the colder months) and overall we had an amazing time. I did manage to squeeze in a bootcamp workout while I was there but the amount of walking that we did each day was more than enough to count for the daily burn so to speak. The food was fantastic, we did breakfast at Hash House A GoGo which I would recommend and other meals at P.F.Changs and BLT inside Mirage. We also had an excellent meal at Samba, the Brazilian Steakhouse in Mirage and while the atmosphere isn’t quite as energetic as Copacabana Steakhouse in Niagara Falls still the food was very good and the service was attentive. Despite the bad reviews for the Niagara location I still think it was the best Brazilian we have been to, the wait staff make it hard to love, but the food choices are unparalleled. The one good thing about Samba was that the food was not salty, just well grilled and well presented and with 8 choices you are hardly limited in what to eat.

Now it’s back to the grind, I have bootcamp class this evening and it is going to be tough to get over the lack of sleep even though I seem to remember doing a fair amount of napping during the weekend. It was great to get away, and from a fitness perspective, the break was welcomed with open arms.

R9D67 – Bootcamp 3.4.2 – Weights And Stability

This evenings workout was a pleasant surprise, it was very shoulder intense but it was enjoyed by everybody which is rare. Even I was a big fan of it I just wish we had kettlebells instead to do the workout because it would make the clean and press section and snatches so much easier. So saying that, if you have a kettlebell and want an hour long torture session, go ahead!

D8 3.4.2 Weights

1 Arm x2
10 Press
10 Curls
10 Front Raise
10 Side Raise
10 High Pull

1 Arm 1 Leg x2
10 Press
10 Curls
10 Front Raise
10 Side Raise
10 High Pull

1 Arm x2
10 Clean
10 Swings
10 Clean and Press
10 Swings
10 Snatch
10 Swings

Stability Ball / Block 1 Arm x2
10 SB Press
10 SB Lockout Rollback
10 SB Curls
10 SB Laying Curls

Stability Ball / Plyo
30s SB Plank Hold – Plank Hold
10 Plank Circles Each Way – 10 Shoulder Touch Each
10 SB Pushups – 10 Pushups
10 SB Pushup Boing – 10 Clapping Pushups
30s Decline SB Plank – 30s 1 Foot Plank Hold
10 SB Decline Pushup – 10 Plyo Pushups
10 SB Decline clapping pushups

Bonus Round

10 Turkish Get Ups Each side (skipped)

 

R9D66 – Bootcamp 3.4.1 Cardio With Blocks

D7 3.4.1 Cardio with boxes

2x section
20 block plank run
10 block burpee
20 block plank run
10 block pushup jacks
20 block plank run

4-8-12-16-12-8-4
jacks
mary katherine switch
knees up
heels up

2x section
10 step up and back
10 step up and over run around
10 block jumps
10 block jumps up and over run around
10 clear jumps run around

2x section
10 side to side step up and over tap
10 side jump up and down far side
10 grapevine up and back increasing speed
10 grapevine round the world

1x section
10 lenghtways step up step down run back
10 lenghtways jump up jump down run back
10 4 box jumps, jump up and over run back
10 4 box jumps with 4 jacks jump up and over run back

foot tap around the block each way
20 jacks
10 burpee hands on block
24 foot tap, 24 jacks, 12 burpee
12 foot tap, 12 jacks, 8 burpee
6 foot tap, 6 jacks, 4 burpee
12 foot tap, 12 jacks, 8 burpee
24 foot tap, 24 jacks, 12 burpee

Cool down with some yoga and hamstring/back stretch

R9D64-65 – PAP Lower Review and The Disappointing Finish To P90X2

PAP Lower.

Since I found PAP Upper to be, well, a load of PAP I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by PAP Lower. Having lowered my expectation a little I enjoyed it a little more than PAP Upper but I was not impressed by the workout. I found the warmups to be more entertaining than the workout itself but to give it credit, I actually did struggle a little with a couple of the moves. Here, in brief (because it is brief) is the workout:

Warmup – Interval 1 x4 – Interval 2 x4 – Cool down

Interval 1:

Step up Convict – 1 leg step up to back lunge
Skater Plyo – basic skater side to side jumps
One Leg Line Hop – Hopping forwads, backwards and side to side 45s
Tony Horton’s Triangle – Besides the disgusting image the name evokes, this is just a front and back laying abductor exercise from the 80s

Interval 2:

Squat Cross Reach – Highlight of the workout, weighted squat with a diagonal extension at the bottom
Split Squat Jump (Mary Katherine’s on Crack) – Yawn, more MKs
Monster Slalom – Think of it as wide tire runs
Side Bridge Leg Lift – the toughest move, get into side plank and hold your leg up. Ouch!

So it wasn’t too challenging but it also wasn’t the yawn fest that PAP Upper was. I at least was challenged with this but then again in about 2 weeks when I have mastered the Side Bridge it will be reduced to just another short, not particularly hard workout.

That’s my beef with the whole P90X2 thing, it’s the same issue I have with ending P90X on a rest week. This third phase was supposed to be the Grand Finale of your 90 day crusade, a fitting end to a three month journey of fitness and mental toughness but it just isn’t. Instead it’s a gentle tailing off of the system with 4 workouts, 1 yoga day and 2 rest days, not exactly the fitting climax to what is otherwise a great workout system.

In other news, I filled out the days with some RKC and a day on a spin bike while waiting for my kids to show up for gymnastics.

 

 

 

R9D62/3 – PAP Upper Review and Bootcamp 3.3.2 Cardio

So the bad news is that the knee issues continue, I am not sure why, if it is exercise related, rest related, standing at my desk related or what. I do recall that I have had occasional issues in the past for a few days at a time, I am hoping this will pass. It’s not that I can’t work out, it’s more that I can’t kneel on my right knee because the kneecap is painful. I am trying to baby it a little while keeping it mobile and upping my fish oil a little. I am also thinking about starting with a joint health supplement, a little Glucosamine and Chondroitin maybe. Anyone with any suggestions would be welcome!

So I have finally taken my first steps into Phase 3 with PAP Upper. I have to admit I am a little disappointed. I was expecting some new methodology, some interesting new moves or angles to work the muscles or maybe even something I hadn’t seen before. Sadly it was just my bootcamp class for the public. Maybe I am expecting too much, I mean the workout was OK, I liked the people in the video and the presentation was OK but the workout itself left a little to be desired.

PAP stands for Post Activation Potentiation. It could also easily stand for Pushups And Pullups or Poor Athletic Performance (OK, so maybe that is a little harsh but I was not particularly impressed). It is supposed to be a mix of power, explosiveness, isometrics and flexibility. I found the variety of moves both confusing for the beginner and inadequate for the person supposedly on the third phase of the best at home workout on the planet.

Here is the basic outline, you decide:

Complex 1 (of 2)

10 Renegade Rows (Pushups on dumbbells with rowing between each pushup)
10 Clapping pushups (they are called plyo but to me plyo are airbourne pushups)
60s Plank hold with feet on a medicine ball
60s Weighted bar superman – this was the only challenge during the hour.

Repeat until you have done Complex 1 4 times without resting.

Complex 2

10 Towel Pullups
10 med ball v ups (V-snaps)
10 leg raised shoulder press (other leg resting on an 18″ to 24″ plyo box)
60s Foam Roller Angel

Again repeat 4 times.
I guess it was interesting enough to do a couple of times but it’s not going to be a favourite of mine by a long shot. I hope PAP Lower is a little more challenging.

In contrast, here is my Bootcamp class from last night:

D6 3.3.2 Plates and Weights

Huggers
Twists
World’s Slowest Burpees
Inch Worm
Worlds Greatest Stretch
Groiners
Scorpion

Workout with bench plates or dumbbells (I used a 45lb plate)

X2
10 Strict Press
10 Overhead tricep extension
10 Curls
20 Crunch
20 Hanging Leg Raise

X2
10 High Pull
10 1 arm shrugs each side
10 1 arm side bends each side
10 side crunch each side
10 hanging crunches (tuck)

X2
20 in and out
10 roll to boat hold
20 ARX bicycle
10 full sit up
10 hanging leg raise sides

X2
10 Front raise
10 Halo
10 Curls
20 weighted In and Out
20 Russian Twists
10 Pullups

X2
10 Laying Press
10 Laying Pullover
20 Laying Press
10 Laying Pullover
10 Weighted Rainbows
20 Laying side crunch each side
10 Pullups

R9 Forced Rest Week Plus Ranking The P90X Crew!

Last week for the first time in my life I experienced knee pain. It was not something I want to repeat and scared me a little thinking that maybe my trusty knees that have always been a source of pride for me may finally be showing some wear and tear. It was fortuitous then that I was forced to take several days off to run the scoring system at our Gymnastics meet over the weekend. Although it was very long hours and the stress was savage it was mostly off my feet giving my body a full rest of what is now 5 full days. I can’t remember the last time I took 5 days of complete rest but I think I probably needed it. I have been bugged by niggling injuries and a feeling of general malaise that I am hoping will have passed once I get back into my routine. Most importantly though, it gave my knees a rest from the jumping and squatting that seem to be very prevalent in my current training. I have noticed that all my recent posts are bootcamp posts which basically tells me that I was excluding my P90X2 and RKC workouts because I wasn’t able to make the grade physically. I also had noticed that it was harder and harder to get through the bootcamp workouts which I had suspected may have been a sign of overtraining.

So today I hope to enjoy a triumphant return to working out and I hope that my 5 days off will have cleared up any issues that I had. Time will tell, but I am definitely filled with a desire to get back to working out. As a reward I think I will start the PAP series now and make this phase 3 of round 9.

I read a great page online this morning which came from Tony himself via Facebook. It ranks the P90X workout cast from best to worst. Thanks to the folks at Jezebel.com for the laughs. Here’s the page.

R9D61 – Bootcamp 3.2.2 Bodyweight Abs

They asked for an abs workout so this is what I did to them today. It was not as hard as I had imagined it would be, but then again I sneezed this morning and thought my body had exploded à la Mr Creosote.

Still it could be worse, I could be at Planet Fitness having Krispy Kremes after my elliptical “workout”

 

 

 

 

 

Bootcamp 3.2.2
20 shoulder crunch
20 hip crunch
10 legs up 3+1
10 bum lifts
10 hanging leg raise

10 regular pushups
10 military pushups
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side hold
10 pullups

20 in and out
10 roll to boat hold
20 ARX bicycle
10 full sit up
10 hanging leg raise sides

10 pushup step out
10 clap pushup
10 plyo pushup
10 pushup side raise leg raise
10 pullups

20 side crunch
20 side to side flutter
20 full rainbow
20 russian twists

20 shoulder touch
20 hip touch
10 spider each side
10 knee to elbow each
10 knee to opposite elbow each

20 standing knee to same elbow
20 standing knee to opposite elbow
40 happy dance
20 standing knee to same elbow
20 standing knee to opposite elbow
40 happy dance

20 Crunchy Frog
10 rollback hold
20 ARX scissor switch
20 shoulder crunch 3+1 to hip

R9D59 and 60 – RKC at Work and Bootcamp 3.2.1 Cardio

Week 2 of bootcamp starts with cardio. For some reason, maybe because I am slightly under the weather, my heartrate was the highest I have ever seen it during this workout. At one point I think I saw 172 on my HR monitor which for me is insane!

Beats the elliptical that’s for sure!

In order to bridge the gap from last week I snuck in an RKC workout at work again on Friday. It’s becoming my escape route from skipping workouts on the weekend – a bad habit I need to break! It was the same basic workout, Clean and Press with swings plus 5×5 snatch at the end.

D3 3.2.1 Cardio

1x section
10 SB Burpee
5ea SB runaround
10 SB pushup boing
5ea SB face around
10 SB plank to sphinx rollup
20 SB mountain climber
10 SB hamstring roll in

2x section
20 Hit The Floor
10 Suicides
20 Switch Kicks
20 in and out abs

2x section
4x 8Jump rope with 4jump half turn
10x 8 sprint 4 switch lunge
10 stance jacks (foot touch)
10 vsnaps

2x section
5x long jump run back – single double triple repeat
2 knees up side run lengths
10 2 line forward and back suicides with pancake
10 ski abs

x2 section
5 burpee
5 burpee with 4 run
5 burpee with 4 run and 4 in and out
20 plank jacks
10 plank jacks with in and out

1x section
10 SB Burpee
5ea SB runaround
10 SB pushup boing
5ea SB face around
10 SB plank to sphinx rollup
20 SB mountain climber
10 SB hamstring roll in

Bonus

Shoulder burners

R9D58 – Bootcamp 3.1.2 – Bonus!

Wednesday was bootcamp again, it’s our third round and this was day 2 and I was very happy to have a former athlete of mine and another former gymnast from the club turn up to participate. Attendance of the regulars was down but it was really nice to see that we have a few more bodies participating this time around.

That said, it was not an easy workout for them to have as their introduction to bootcamp. It was weights day and since we had done so much chest and triceps work during bodyweight, I decided to concentrate of shoulders and biceps. It was a pretty gruelling workout since we were working such a small muscle group and I hope it wasn’t too much for them. We will see. At least next class is cardio so they should get a better idea of what it’s like to get their heart rates up!

Here is how it all went down:

D2 – 3.1.2 Weights

x10x2
Double Curls
Double Press
High pull
Wallball
Chin ups or turnarounds

x10x2
Alt curls
Alt press
Front and Back Shrugs
WallBall
Chin ups or hand turns

x10x2
Double curls back to wall
DB good mornings
Warrior 3 double curls
wall sit strict press
DB halo

x10x2
Shoulder raise side
Shoulder raise front
Shoulder raise side to front
Shoulder raise front with row
Wallball

x10x2
Double Curls
Alt Curls
Outward curls
Hammer Curls
French Curls

Abs – 25 (free)-15-10 with DB

in and out
bicycles
full situp
russian twists

Quick Note About “Safe” Starch. And While You Are Here – Eat Meat!

I’m a little up in the air about this. My gut feeling is that during times of NIMGU (that magical post workout hour when your insulin is well mannered and disciplined) it’s fine to have some starchy carbs such as rices or potato (mostly yam) since the effect of insulin resistance is out of play during that hour. Any other time? Not for me, but for my kids I would say it’s a valid way to add a small amount of carbs to the diet. Growing bodies and specifically young athletes have a requirement that is different from a full grown adult who is working at a desk all day and working out a few nights a week. My gut tells me it’s OK, but not in moderation, I think moderation is too often. I would say it’s OK rarely, maybe twice or 3 times a week the day after training. I don’t have any specific scientific support for this but what I do know is that the body of a young athlete is far better and more efficient than an over 30 or over 40 recreational athlete at dealing with a slightly elevated level of carbohydrate on an infrequent basis.

Anyway, here is the article I read today which kind of indicates that “safe” carbs aren’t really that safe and that the more you eat the worse they are.

I think it’s important to note here that we are talking about measurements of degrees. If your diet is good enough that you are debating whether or not to have 200-400 calories of sweet potato or rice then you are probably on the right track generally speaking. If you think you can have fires for lunch every day because Simon says potato is OK then you are missing the point…

..And you should put down the fry and immediately do 40 squats, 20 burpees and 15 handstand pushups.

As a bit of an afterthought I want to link the excellent article in rebuttal to the latest studies saying meat eating will lead to premature death. I cleared the air about this one with my kids, so now it’s your turn.

Gary Taubes – Science, pseudoscience, nutritional epidemiology and meat. I know, thrilling title but it’s important!]

If you are interested in a more in depth article outlining this reckless use of bad science, here you go.