Wednesday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Single-Leg Deadlifts (3 sets of 3, and then 3 sets of 1, working up to a 1-rep max)

These continue to confound me, especially as I kept loading on more weight. I tried doing 'em with a straight lifted leg (the way everyone else seems to be doing this exercise), and found that it's a lot easier to maintain balance and power, but my coach told me to cut it out. "Keep your back knee tucked in," he instructed. "Kicking your leg out throws your hips out of alignment. And try not to put your back foot down."

Fine. I'll just keep wobbling. At this point, I'm able to hoist a barbell loaded with the equivalent of my bodyweight while balancing on one leg, but it ain't pretty.

Metcon:

A fun one today.

3 rounds for time:

• 400-meter run (in my Vibram FiveFingers, as usual)
• 21 Abmat sit-ups
• 12 Renegade rows (using a pair of 45-pound dumbbells)

Result: 8:03. I'm happy with my time. I didn't take any mid-set or between-set breaks, and transitioned quickly from one exercise to the next. It's been a while since I last did renegade rows as part of a WOD, but they weren't that bad, even using the RX'ed weight. I could have run a bit faster, I suppose, but wanted some gas left in the tank for the sit-ups and rows.

I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I'm able to fly through Abmat sit-ups without much trouble or effort. I'd suspected I was doing them wrong, but my coach watched me perform today's workout, and didn't seem to have a problem with my technique. Could it be that all my Ab Ripper X practice from last year is paying off?

Round 3 / Day 94: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + P90X Ab Ripper X

For Memorial Day, I took a day off from watching any workout DVDs. Of course, I didn't get a break from actually working out, but I did get to watch regular TV while exercising. ("Hoarders" is horrifyingly compelling.)

I'm trying to gain a little more weight, so I'm trying to lift heavier and eat more. I'm super-sore from the former, but pretty happy about the latter. With the start of summer, I should have lots of opportunities to throw meat on the grill and dig in with gusto. Tonight, we cooked up some grass-fed beefalo rib-eye from Pampero Longhorn Ranch, and it was all kinds of awesome.

Round 3 / Day 90: 2K4 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

This morning, for the first time in a week, I really enjoyed working out. Part of it, I think, is that I wasn't sweating alone -- M was next to me, lifting weights in sync with her ChaLEAN Extreme Push Circuit One video. Even though we didn't say a word to each other, it was great having company.

Another reason I dug my morning workout: I didn't have to turn on the TV to do it.

Round 3 / Day 77: P90X Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X

Back to the workout that kicked off all this madness -- and while Chest & Back's not quite as challenging as it once was, it still manages to beat me into a sweaty, exhausted mess.

I'm definitely going to feel this in the morning.

Round 3 / Day 76: Original Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

I can finally do pistols! (Sort of. I need to hold onto the toes of my upraised leg to keep my balance.)

Round 3 / Day 73: Original Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + P90X Ab Ripper X

Tony Horton is full of douchey mottos, dripping with chest-out machismo ("BRING IT!" and "X ME!" come to mind), but there's one that truly resonates with me: "Don't just kind of do it."

Before P90X, I was just kind of doing it. I dutifully but half-assedly climbed onto my elliptical or lifted weights each night, but on a scale of 1 to 10, my exertion level rarely rose above a 6.

And even now, there are times when I suddenly realize that I've been dogging it. This morning, for example, I was in the middle of my Man Maker kettlebell routine when I noticed that my form was shit. I wasn't pushing my butt back far enough when I lowered the kettlebell, and my knees were drifting in front of my toes. On the upswing, my pelvis wasn't thrusting forcefully forward, and my arms weren't locking out completely. I was phoning it in. Sloppily.

It's been nine months since I started P90X and holding myself accountable to daily workouts, so I suppose it's not surprising that I'm prone to occasional lapses in attention. But I need to keep reminding myself to not just kind of do it.

Maybe I should tie a string around my finger. Or tattoo a message on my face like this gentleman.

Round 3 / Day 66: One-on-One with Tony Horton - Killer Abs

I bought the entire Volume 1 set of Tony Horton's One-on-One series, but I wonder if anyone who made a standalone purchase of the Killer Abs DVD feels gypped. Including shipping and handling, it costs about one-fifth of the price of the entire P90X set, and consists of just two of Tony's previously-released ab workouts -- Ab Ripper 200 and Ab Ripper X -- back-to-back. (And he manages to forget to do one of the exercises to boot.) Don't get me wrong: It's a good, gut-churning session and all, but couldn't Tony (and BeachBody) have thrown in a few new moves just to lend this disc the illusion of being different enough to justify the $23 price tag?

Round 3 / Day 48: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout Workout B + RKC Get Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus (+ 50 Pull-Ups)

Before piling everything in the car and making a beeline for Southern California, M and I dutifully got up at 5:30 this morning to exercise.

Today's Turbulence Training routine wasn't too tough -- the stability ball moves and planks are fairly easy, and the rest of the exercises were fairly basic -- so I upped my weights and added brief sets of pull-ups at the end of each superset. By the end of my final set of Step-Ups, I knew I'd picked the right weights; I was just the right amount of exhausted.

Get-Ups are still kicking my ass, particularly when I'm doing them from my left (weaker) side. I may need to start wearing a helmet.

As for Abs / Core Plus, is it just me, or did Tony get a little too carried away with his attempts to add variety to the moves in P90X+? The exercises on the pull-up bar are great, but Cherry Bombs? Banana Masons? Raised-Toe-Iso-Leaning-Standing-Crunches? Are these moves really any better than those in Ab Ripper X?

Round 3 / Day 43: P90X Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X

I still love Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X, but to be honest, they're starting to feel a bit too easy.

I wrote the previous sentence ten minutes ago, but still can't think of anything else to say about today's workout, so I guess I'll just end this post with a random photo.

Round 3 / Day 31: One-on-One with Tony Horton - Killer Abs

Is it just me, or are the Ab Ripper 200 moves more difficult than the Ab Ripper X ones? Perhaps it's because I'm used to cranking out Fifer Scissors, V-Up Roll-Ups and Mason Twists, while simple crunches are a shock to my system. But it's just plain weird that the first half of this workout seems so much tougher than the second half -- especially since Ab Ripper X was clearly intended to be a step up in intensity level.

Round 3 / Day 27: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus

2K5 Workout A starts with two rounds of three warm-up moves: Prisoner Squats, Elevated Push-Ups, and Stability Ball Leg Curls. And for the main event, we have (as usual) three supersets, each repeated three times:

Superset One:

• Squats (8 reps): You can choose to do 1-Leg Squats (a.k.a. Pistol Squats) instead, but I'm still not yet able to do 'em using my left leg, so I opted for regular old Squats instead.

• Dumbbell Chest Presses (6 reps): I've totally run out of things to say about chest presses.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (8 reps): While doing this exercise, I sometimes fear that my lower back is going to just snap, and my upper body's going to separate from my pelvis and topple to the floor.

• Spiderman Push-Ups (5 reps per side): After having done a billion Oblique Push-Ups, these are a (welcome) piece of cake.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Step-Ups (10 reps per side): I'm not a super-heavy guy, and I only carry a 30-pound dumbbell in each hand when I do my Step-Ups, but I'm worried that one of these days, my weight bench is going to collapse while I'm doing this move. For some reason, this entire workout is suffused with dread. I need to stop watching "Lost" on my TiVo while doing Turbulence Training.

• Dumbbell Rear-Deltoid Raises (12 reps): Fun! Round 3 doesn't contain much in the way of isolation moves for my shoulders, so I really dig this exercise.

And then I proceeded to suck at Get-Ups for 5 minutes.

Lastly: Abs / Core Plus. This is a perfectly fine core workout, and as I've mentioned before, the hanging leg raises are awesome. The rest? Ehhh. The other moves are decent, but pale in comparison to Ab Ripper X or Killer Abs from the One-on-One series.

Off to bed now, where I can try to crack open one of the four or five books I've started (but will probably never finish) reading.

Round 3 / Day 20: 2K4 Turbulence Training Workout B + P90X Ab Ripper X

Perhaps it's because I'm not used to exercising so late in the day, or maybe it's because the fitness center at my hotel sucks balls isn't great, but my workout was less than ideal. The weight room was surprisingly crowded; a bunch of big guys in tank tops were heaving dumbbells around and puffing out their chests in front of the mirror. Having not been in a gym in a while, I'm no longer accustomed to waiting for my turn to use a bench or a set of barbells. Plus, I was getting weird sidelong glances from the other nocturnal gym rats -- most likely 'cause I was wearing a pair of black Vibram Five Fingers. Dainty!

In any event, here's what I managed to get done:

2K4 Turbulence Training Workout B started with some easy warm-up moves: Forward Lunges, Push-Ups, and Stick-Ups. Then, we got into the good stuff. As with the 2K3 version, Workout B is all about the legs:




Superset One:

• Deadlifts (8 reps): You know -- deadlifts.

• Dumbbell One-Arm Standing Shoulder Presses (8 reps per side): Same as the ones in P90X Shoulders & Arms.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat the superset twice, for a total of three supersets.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Reverse Lunges (6 reps per side): Self-explanatory, right?

• Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats (12 reps per side): They look like this. Not sure why we're supposed to do 12 of these, and only 6 of the Dumbbell Reverse Lunges (which, to me, are way easier).

Rest for a minute, and then repeat the superset twice, for a total of three supersets.

Superset Three:

• One-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curls (8 reps per side): Just like the ones from last week, but keeping just one leg on the ball.

• Spiderman Climbs (12 reps per side): These are identical to the Oblique Push-Ups you know and love from Insanity. Start in a push-up position, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Do a push-up, but as you lower your body, slowly bring your right knee to your right elbow, keeping your right foot off the ground. Reverse the motion on the way up. That's one rep.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat the superset twice, for a total of three supersets.

I did my Get-Ups yesterday, so I skipped right to Ab Ripper X. I never realized how ridiculous I look while doing Crunchy Frogs until I did 'em in public.

Exhausted. I'm speaking to a roomful of lawyers in less than 9 hours. Must...sleep...now...

Round 3 / Day 15: One-on-One with Tony Horton - 30-15 Upper Body Massacre + Killer Abs

In just 60 minutes, the One-on-One 30-15 Upper Body Massacre workout video perfectly encapsulates the very best and worst of Tony Horton.

First, the bad: Tony has plenty of time between exercises to indulge in his usual preening theatrics -- which, admittedly, have finally become more amusing than irritating to me. (Tony's like the loud, close-talking uncle who drops in for dinner and cracks stale, vaudeville-era jokes while poking a finger into your chest to punctuate his punchlines; it used to piss you off, but now you just roll your eyes and chuckle at how he can't seem to help himself.) And once again, Tony plugs his overpriced PowerStands, though to be fair, he also points out that if you bought a door-mounted P90X Chin-Up Bar, you're not going to be able to do all the pull-up variations in this workout.

But enough about the negatives. The good stuff vastly -- VASTLY! -- outweighs the bad. I kid you not: This is hands-down the best upper-body bodyweight resistance workout I've come across yet.

Details after the jump.

Round 3 / Day 10: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Man Maker + Insanity Cardio Abs

For the sake of maximum variety, I've decided not to linger on any one particular version of Turbulence Training during Round 3; rather, I'm doing a different Turbulence Training workout each week for the first month (before doubling back in subsequent months).

Last week, I tried out the "Original" flavor of Turbulence Training. Today, I got a taste of Craig Ballantyne's "2K3" version. (By the way, "2K3" just means he developed it in 2003.)

Workout A starts with a quick warm-up sequence (repeated once), consisting of Reverse Lunges, Close-Grip Push-Ups (a.k.a., Military Push-Ups), and Stick-Ups.

Stick-Ups look super-easy: You basically flatten yourself against a wall, reach your arms straight up, and then move them down to a "stick-up" position -- keeping your arms, shoulders and back against the wall at all times. It's a super-low-impact move, but I was surprised to find that this was a challenge for me; my flexibility, mobility, and range of motion aren't as great as I thought.

After the warm-up, you move into the three supersets that form the core of this workout:

Superset 1:

• Chin-Ups (8 reps): No description needed, right?
• Dumbbell Chest Presses (8 reps): I'm pretty sure you know this one, too.

Repeat twice for a total of three times, resting for one minute between supersets.

Superset 2:

• Dumbbell Elbow-Out Rows (8 reps per side): Just like Elbows-Out Lawnmowers from P90X Back & Biceps, only done using a bench rather than from a low lunge position.
• Dumbbell Low-Incline Press (8 reps): Same as Dumbbell Chest Presses, but with the back of the weight bench angled up slightly to better hit your upper chest. 

Repeat twice for a total of three times, resting for one minute between supersets.

Superset 3:

• Decline Push-Ups (15 reps): Same as the ones from P90X Chest & Back.
• Dumbbell Incline Curls (8 reps per side): These are similar to the Lean-Back Curls from P90X+ Upper Body Plus, but with some back support. This is a great isolation move, and keeps you from cheating -- I definitely felt the burn in my arms.

Next, it was onto 12 minutes of Man Maker training with my kettlebell. It's tough as hell, but I'm slowly getting into the "swing" of things. (Ha! Get it? GET IT??? I fucking love puns.)

Last but not least, M joined me for a round of Insanity Cardio Abs. As I've said before, I prefer Ab Ripper X (Cardio Abs overemphasizes hip flexor movements, in my opinion), but it's nice to break up the monotony with some jumps and planks.

Tomorrow: Fountain of Youth yoga! (I'm genuinely looking forward to it. Fer real, yo.)

Round 3 / Day 8: P90X Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X

Back to basics: Chest & Back with Tony, Scott, Bobby and Maren. I love this video; there's nothing like a bunch of pull-ups and push-ups to give you a crazy pump and burn. Nonetheless, I'm relieved that with Round 3, I won't have to repeat Chest & Back for another month. Having already done this session twelve times in half a year, I'm looking forward to trying out some new resistance workouts.

Round 3 / Day 6: Original Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

Given all the crap I crammed into this morning's workout, I'm a little surprised that it took less than an hour.

I started with Workout B from the Original Turbulence Training program. It begins with a couple rounds of Y-Squats, Close-Grip Push-Ups and Forward Lunges -- a sequence that's identical to the warm-up in Workout A. And then the fun starts.

The workout is made up of three supersets -- each done three times.

Superset One:

Squats: Hold dumbbells, squat down and back up, and don't round your back. Keep your knees behind your toes. If this is too easy for you, you can do One-Leg Squats (Pistols) instead. Right now, I can only manage to do a few Pistols -- without dumbbells -- using my right leg, so I opted for Squats. (8 reps)

Chin-Ups: Do 'em from a dead hang. Simple and straightforward. (8 reps)

Superset Two:

Dumbbell Split Squats: Start in a standing position, with a dumbbell in each hand. Lunge forward, pressing the front of your back foot into the ground and bending your back knee. Lower your body (keeping your torso vertical) until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Pause, and reverse the motion but without stepping back (i.e., stay in a split-squat stance). When finished with all reps for one leg, switch to the other. (8 reps per side)

Stability Ball Rollouts: Kneel on a mat and place your clasped hands on the top of a stability ball. Slowly lean forward and roll your hands over the ball, allowing the ball to move away from your body. Keep your abs braced and your body straight, and go as far as you can. Contract your abs and reverse the motion. Repeat. (After countless Ab Ripper X and Cardio Abs sessions, this was a piece of cake.) (10 reps)

Superset Three:

Dumbbell Rows: Nothing new or fancy -- just regular old dumbbell rows. Rest your left hand and left knee on a workout bench. Lean over, keeping your back flat, and grab a dumbbell in your right hand. Start with your arm fully extended and slowly row it up and down. (8 reps)

Mountain Climbers: Just like Plank Runs from Insanity, but slowed down. Start in a plank position, pick one foot off the floor, and slowly bring your knee up to your chest. Do all your reps with one leg, then switch to the other leg. Keep your abs braced throughout. (12 reps per side)

And with that, Workout B was finished, and I moved onto the New RKC Program Minimum portion of my morning session. On the menu today: Turkish Get-Ups.

As I mentioned yesterday, I suck at Get-Ups, but with some more practice (and some luck), I'm hopeful that I'll have this licked soon. The Program Minimum requires five uninterrupted minutes of Get-Ups from alternating sides, but I put in a few extra minutes to try to land the proper form. I ended up having to do a few Get-Ups with a lighter weight (I used a 25-pound dumbbell) before I was confident enough to try a few with my 18 kg kettlebell. I'm happy to report that I didn't drop the kettlebell on my face, crush my skull and die.

Afterwards, I popped in the Ab Ripper X DVD for some Tony time. I'm pretty sure I can now recite from memory all of Tony's lines from this workout.

Speaking of Tony, I was amused to read this quote from Myron Davis, a professor of health promotions at Weber State University, who was recently interviewed about P90X: "I think he's got a lot of good things [in the program]. The problem is, I couldn't stand him."

Post-Round 2 Recovery Week: RKC Man Maker + P90X Ab Ripper X

More test-driving today. On this morning's agenda: kettlebell training -- more specifically, Pavel Tsatsouline's "New RKC Program Minimum" from "Enter the Kettlebell!" As Tsatsouline puts it:

The New RKC Program Minimum will deliver

• The conditioning of a world-class fighter;
• Rapid fat loss without the dishonor of aerobics;
• A back of steel;
• Muscular, flexible, and resilient shoulders;
• A skill base for the rest of the RKC drills.

Regardless of your goals, a simple routine of swings and get-ups makes a powerful introduction to RKC training ... these two moves will give you the biggest bang for your kettlebell buck.

The New RKC Program Minimum consists of two simple but ass-kicking workouts:

1.  Twice a week, do 12 continuous minutes of "Man Maker" training. What's a Man Maker, you ask? "Its template is simple: alternate sets of high-rep kettlebell drills -- swings in our case -- with a few hundred yards of jogging. Do your swings 'to a comfortable stop' most of the time and all-out occasionally." Sounds easy, but it's hard as hell.

[UPDATED: Just to clarify, the Man Maker video clip below shows snatches, not swings. I'm not yet proficient enough to do rep after rep of snatches without something going horribly, horribly wrong.]



2.  Twice a week, do 5 continuous minutes of Turkish Get-Ups, switching hands with every rep. Get-Ups sound easy, but aren't: You start by lying on your back holding a kettlebell up in the air with a straight arm, and "without jerking or unlocking the elbow, stand up and then slowly lie back down."



I did the Man Maker today, but instead of running, I did jumping jacks. And even after adding Ab Ripper X at the end, my total workout time today totaled less than half an hour. But it was brutal nonetheless. Ab Ripper X wasn't any more challenging than usual, but the kettlebell swings were exhausting. This is classic HIIT combined with resistance training for the legs. By the end, my glutes and hamstrings were on fire.

Quite frankly, I was worried I wouldn't be made into a man.

Round 2 / Day 89: 100 Pull-Ups, 200 Push-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

I'm trying to slowly but surely increase the number of reps I do with weights strapped to my belt. Today: 35 pull-ups with a 20 pounds of weight strapped to my belt, 35 pull-ups with 10 extra pounds, and another 30 pull-ups with no extra weight. Not much more than last week, though I added another 50 push-ups. Baby steps, I guess.

Round 2 / Day 87: P90X Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper X

Spit out your gum, Tim the Marine. You're gonna choke.

Round 2 / Day 85: P90X Chest, Shoulders & Triceps + Ab Ripper X

The kids spent the night at their grandparents, so I got up late (6 a.m.!) to exercise. And given that I didn't need to rush through my workout today (no diapers to change! no breakfast to make!), I took my time with Chest, Shoulders & Triceps and Ab Ripper X. For the first time in weeks, I stayed with Tony's pace; I didn't zoom ahead, nor did I skip the warm-up stretches or cool-down exercises. And as a result, I was able to increase both my reps and weights pretty substantially today.

In my frantic rush to squeeze in my daily workouts before the kids got up in the morning, I'd overlooked the importance of taking a few recovery breaks. Now I know, and knowing's half the battle.