Round 2, here I come!

Okay.  Tomorrow, Sunday, starts Round 2 of the Hybrid.  I've remixed the order a tad to give me more variety, and to maximize the effectiveness of certain days (namely, Yoga).  I've thrown a couple of items back in, and extended it by a week to give a full 90 days (91, really) of workouts.  That includes three recovery weeks.

For this past week, I had decided to "give in" just a little bit.  I gained exactly 2 pounds, and since all I did was the Fit Test one day, and Yoga X another and NOTHING else (workout-wise), I'm sure it's all fat.  But I'm not upset  at all.  I expected it, and wanted my body to recharge and recuperate.  I want to go into Round 2 with a rested and healed body.  I only did the Fit Test and Yoga days like I did so I don't get too sore when I hit the weights tomorrow.

Damn, I'm getting excited just thinkin' about it.  43-45 pounds more to go for target weight.  According to the BodyBugg app (which I think is using a more accurate approach for body fat measurements), I'm 37% body fat as of tonight.  My eventual target is below 15%, preferably closer to 12% or 10%.  After my target weight is achieved, that's the only number I care about.

The day-to-day schedule can be seen here (it's an embed of my Google calendar).

Round 1 Fit Test Results

So yesterday, I did the Fit Test (using the P90X test as the model), just as I had done the day before I started the program.  I'll let the numbers speak for themselves:

	START	CURRENT
Date	2/27/2012	5/29/2012
Resting Heart Rate	96	86
Pull-ups	0	3
Vertical Leap	11	16
Push-Ups	26	37
Toe Touch	0	3
In & Outs	36	60
Wall Squat	0:35	1:13
Bicep Curls	15/20lb	13/30lb
First HR Maximizer	162	168
Third HR Maximizer	104	107

So, all in all, some pretty significant improvements in all areas.  I think the part I'm most happy about is the pull-up improvements.  I haven't been able to do pull-ups AT ALL for nearly 10 years.  Booyah!

That's it, the numbers are in!! Final weigh-in of round 1 is done!

Last work out completed!  P90X/Insanity Hybrid week 12 is DONE! It's been a painful experience, but a necessary one. And the story's not over, but I have reached the end of the chapter.

I now officially weigh lighter than I have in about six or seven years.

So, without further ado, let's start this journey off with the starting numbers:
Weight: 242lbs
Waist: 47in
Hips: 45in
Chest: 44.3in
Body Fat: 25.5% (ewww)
And, I looked like this:

Some Fitness Updates

So tomorrow marks my final workout of my P90X/Insanity Hybrid schedule. I have been working my ass off (in some ways, literally) to get myself in shape.  So 3-4 times a week I've been working on P90X, and the remaining 3-4 times have been Insanity.  It fluctuated a little, depending on which week I was in.  For example, earlier in the program, I was doing more P90X and less Insanity (a 5-to-2 ratio).  Now, near the end, I'm doing more Insanity, at a 3-to-4 ratio.

But tomorrow marks the last workout.  It would normally be X-Stretch, but I did that earlier this week due to some scheduling conflicts (I was unable to work on Yoga at the time I needed, thus preventing my use of the gym).  So I'll be doing Yoga X tomorrow at about 3:00pm.  Then the final results will be tallied, weighed, measured, compared, analyzed, entered into the Team Beach Body website, and then posted not only here, but on my Facebook page.

I do have a final fitness test, which I will complete on Wednesday, the 30th.  'Why wait three days,' you ask?  Because I want my body to be rested.  No major workout the day before hurting my results.  I didn't have a workout the day before my initial fit test, I'm not going to sabotage my progress measurements by doing it at the end.  I'll post pictures of my fatness, and my not-as-fatness, so people can see my before and after results.

But that doesn't mean I'm done.  Nay nay, as John Pinette would say.  I plan to start again the following Sunday.  And then another three months of kicking my own ass (and losing some of it).  Only this time, I'll take more progress pictures.

Insanity - First Milestone - HOLY SHIT!!!

Oh my god!  Something's working SUPER right!

For those of you who don't know Shaun T's Insanity program, it's a strength-based cardio workout.  So it's not just moving your body.  It's a TON of body-weight and power moves (such as unusual pushups and high jumps) that REALLY gets you working.  I usually am over 160bpm on my heart rate (target training rate is 150), and frequently hit over 170bpm. 

So today marked the first day of Week 3 of this program, for me.  On day one, all participants take a Fit Test.  Then every two weeks until day 60, you do it again.  The results is a mere two weeks are ASTOUNDING for me.  I'm still reeling.  Here are my results.  The column on the left is what I started at.  The column on the right is what I scored today.

Move:                           Fit Test 1                     Fit Test 2
Switch Kicks................57                               100 (Alternating "front kicks" as fast as you can, only one foot ever touches the ground)
Power Jacks.................45                               50 (Jumping jacks while doing a squat at the low points)
Power Knees................55                               90 (Bringing the knee up, at an angle, as high as you can)
Power Jumps................15                               30 (Jump as high as you can, lifting the knees as high as possible)
Globe Jumps.................6                                 8  (these are four jumps per rep)
Suicide Jumps...............11                               13 (Those in my dojo would know these as Josh's burpees)
Push-up jacks...............15                               18 (like doing a jumping jack in a push-up position)
Low Plank Obliques.....14                                40 (While in low plank position, bring the knee to the outside and try to touch the shoulder)


OMG, that hurt, but the results are intense....

Phase 2 Begins - Measurements taken

Okay, so Phase 2 of my workout plan starts tomorrow.  So, I got some measurements taken:
Body Weight - 227lbs
Waist - 47in (around the navel)
Hips - 45in
Chest - 44.3in
Right Thigh - 26in
Left Thigh - 26in
Right Calf - 16.5in
Left Calf - 17in
Right Upper Arm - 13.9in
Left Upper Arm - 13.5in
Right Forearm - 12.5in
Left Forearm - 11.5in

I couldn't get the suprailiac measurement (belly pinch) yet, as I can't seem to find a single pair of body fat calipers locally ANYWHERE.  I ordered a set, along with a body tape measure (specifically designed for the purpose), which should be here Wednesday. 

I will be taking these measurements every day starting Wednesday, once I get the order in.  That will last for two weeks, after which I will measure only once a week.  This is a 9-week phase.

For weight lifting, we're going to cut things back a little.  So we'll start with three workouts during the week (which will not change), but each workout will have only one set of 12-15 reps each exercise (that will change dramatically over the course of the next few weeks).  The idea is to start light, and increase in weight each and every week AT LEAST.  By the time I'm done with the 9-week program, I should be lifting the most, at three sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise.

And oh yeah - I'll be switching to free weights for this one, except the calf raises and pull-ups.  The exercises are as follows:

Squats
Bench Press
Romanian Deadlift
Pull-ups
Standing Calf Raises
Pendlay Rows
Overhead Press
Alt DB Curls
Dips
Pinwheel Curls


Week 1 will include four cardio sessions at 30 minutes each.  My target heart rate is 155-163bpm.  I will eventually be doing seven cardio sessions a week, except for week 9, during which I will not be doing ANY weight or cardio training.

Here's to Phase 2!

Muscle Weighs More Than Fat: Fact or Fiction?

So, I was once told by a person that muscle does NOT weigh more than fat.  That it's a myth.  I want to facepalm this so hard.

So let's get the basic argument against this statement out of the way: "A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle".  DUH.  That's also saying that my body does not weigh more than AIR, because 230 pounds of carbon and water weighs the same as 230 pounds of nitrogen and oxygen.

I find it hard to believe that people don't think about density.  When you say something weighs more than another thing, you're comparing density, not weight.  The idea is that with two identically-sized masses, the weight will be different.

So, for my 230 pounds, I'm 5'6", and about 48" round at the widest point.  But to equal that in AIR, it'd take a few cubic MILES.  So is it really a fair assessment to say that we weigh the same?  No.  So this disparity needs to be in mind when comparing fat and muscle.

There is some contention on how much more dense muscle is than fat.  This depends on several factors of the individual.  But the estimates range from an 18% volume increase, to as much as 300%!!!  That means the fat will be 1/5 as large for the same weight, or maybe even 3 times as large!  THIS is what people mean when they say muscle weighs more.  It is more dense.

So yes, muscle weighs more than fat, because the same volume will weigh more if it's muscle, versus the same volume of fat.  And volume is what makes you look ...well....fat.

Workout Progress, 1/3/11

So here's a summary of my workout today

I started out with 25 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I kept my heart rate near the maximum of 162bpm for almost all of that time.  Burnt 375 calories in the process.

I then moved to weights, and done as follows
Bicep Curls - three sets at 60, 55, and 40lbs.  15 reps each set.
Tricep Extensions - three sets at 50lbs each, 15 reps each set
Leg Press - Two sets at 180lbs, but found it weak.  Went to 200lbs for the third set.  15 Reps each
Shoulder Press - One set at 40lbs, and two more at 50lbs.   15 Reps each
Standing Calf Raises - three sets of 15 reps, 220lbs (plus body weight) - OWWWW!
Seated Bench Press - One set at 75lbs, and two at 85 lbs - 15 reps each
Pulley Flies - Two sets at 35lbs, and one at 30lbs.  15 Reps each
Single-leg Step Knees (using a stool at about 14 inches, raising the other knee to the chest) - 15 reps, 3 sets each side
Lower Back Extensions - Three sets of 15, each 200lbs
Seated Rows - One set at 50lbs, and two sets at 60lbs, 15 reps each
Rear Delt Flies - Two sets at 35lbs, and one at 30lbs, 15 reps each.

All in all, I probably burnt off 700 calories, plus the cardio.  So in the neighborhood of 1000 calories, plus normal usage of sitting on my ass in front of a computer.

JR’s Journey in Enshin Kai Karate

So for the past three weeks, I’ve been undergoing training with the SE Denver dojo of Enshin Karate.  First, a little background why I suddenly shifted from Taekwondo to Karate.

My TKD instructor was no longer able to continue teaching at the gym in Golden, and I was seeking another alternative.  Now, a few years ago, I said if anything was to ever happen to my TKD training that would prevent me from continuing, I would seek out an Enshin teacher.

Lo and behold, the Grandmaster and founder of Enshin Karate is based right here in Denver.  He founded the style in 1988, and in the same year, he founded the Sabaki Challenge, in which I intend to compete.

So now, I’m studying at the corner of Monaco and Evans in SE Denver, under Sensei Dave Anver. 

I go at least seven times a week, and some weeks I go nine times.  Monday through Saturday at 6am, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15pm, and Saturday at 9am.

The 6am classes are more about physicality and cardio than technique.  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are heavy bag training.  Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are weight training.  This rotation is what caused me to stop my P90X rotation for a while, until I get used to the new routine.  I will re-start my P90X routine later on, to add to the current Karate exercises.

The evening and Saturday 9am classes are about techniques, forms and (mostly) kumite, or fighting.  We actually spend more time working on techniques against another student than just standing there throwing techniques in the air (though, some of that is done).

I’m starting again as a white belt for now, and at first that kind of annoyed me.  But then I fought some of these guys.  Yeah, I needed to start over.  Unlike some schools I’ve trained with, these guys all have a very intense fighting component to their belt tests.  Hell, the black belt test involves fighting ten black belts in a row, and I’ve seen about a third of the people fail their tests – and not just the black belt – all levels of belt ranks have had people not pass.  That shows standards, even if it does provide some intrepidation to the student.

Another cool thing is the understanding that some other dojos just simply seem to lack.  They have two classes – child and adult (Saturday 9am classes are a mixed).  And whatever rank one gets in the child class does not necessarily confer over to the adult class when that student gets old enough.  In fact, we have one student who was a black belt in the kids class, and just transferred to the adult’s class.  He has to re-test, and who knows where he will wind up.  It is possible after his first test he may even be a white belt again, as he is now going to be on the path he will walk for the rest of his karate “career”.

All in all, it’s a VERY tough training, and it’ll take me a long way.

 

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P90X – Day 36 – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

I’m modifying the workout routine this week, since tomorrow morning I will be starting my Enshin Karate training in Denver.  For those who haven’t followed the details, Enshin was created by Kancho (Master) Joko Ninomiya, also the founder of the Sabaki Challenge – the one I hope to compete at in 2012.
So, what’s the modification, you ask?  Well, I’m just skipping the Ab Ripper X routine for a while.  It’s a 17-minute workout, and always appended to another hour-long workout.  So, with all the cardio I’ll be doing, I’m going to skip it for a while.
But I DID do the entire Chest, Shoulders and Triceps routine.  But more astute followers of this blog will notice I’m on Day 36, then do the math, then go “WTF?”. 
Well, I had to take a week off.  My body was in such pain that I couldn’t continue for a while.  I even had to call in to work one of those days – and making up those hours SUCKED.  So I started Week 6 over again.  With the Ab Ripper exclusion, I should have more energy, but still get a great fat-burning workout – as long as I push myself properly during the rest of the workouts and Karate training.

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