Sunday, 10 July 2011

Phase 2. Hybrid Training. Week 3 Complete. 60 Day Program.

Again see my first blog for reasons behind this madness. As ever I dont expect many to read or care about this blog. That is not the purpose. I am setting goals to achieve. By making them public, I am less likely to skip processes needed to complete my goals. Those that do read this, feel free to give me positive feedback, or mock me. Both would help.

It appears more people read this than I thought. Doubt it is inspiring them to greater things though. Got the impression they thought I was just being a bit strange.........probably not far off the mark.

My current goals are -
1) Body - achieve 10% body fat and maintain. Incomplete, currently 17.3%, up 0.7%
2) Body - achieve a visible six pack. Incomplete
4) Fun - Play 4 rounds of golf at Slaley Hall or other similar courses this year. Incomplete. 1 game played at Mercer George Washington.
5) Body - Run 2.5 miles in 18mins45secs. In 9 weeks. Incomplete. First run 22mins37sec. PB 18min51sec
6) Mind - Read The Inner Game by W Timothy Gallwey. Incomplete, at page 72 or 239
Completed Goals -

3) Mind - Read "The 4 hour workweek" by Tim Ferriss. I have also read The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. I would recommend both books to anyone, cant think how someone would not benefit from these. Especially the 4 Hour Body.

Monday
Weight 12st11
Breakfast - Lentill Bolognese, 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Lunch - Lentill Bolognese
Late Lunch - Chicken salad, brazil nuts
Dinner - Beef Stew
Bed - 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Exercise - Work out A. Yates row 59kg 10 reps. Shoulder press 31kg 8 reps. Myotic crunch 8.5kg 10 reps. Cat Vomit 10 reps.
Tuesday
Weight 12st11
Breakfast - Lentill bolognese, 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Lunch - Lentill Bolognese, brazil nuts
Late Lunch - Chicken salad
Dinner - Popcorn and diet coke
Bed - 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Exercise - rest.
Film - Green Lantern 3D. 6/10. Decent but no more.

Wednesday
Weight 12st11
Breakfast - Lentill bolognese, 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Lunch - Buffett
Late Lunch - Buffett
Dinner - Beef stew and veg
Bed - 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Exercise - Pylo Cardio by Insanity Workout
 
Thursday
Weight 12st7 5 - 17.3% body fat
Breakfast - Lentil bolognese, 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Lunch - Dhal
Late Lunch - Chicken salad, brazil nuts
Dinner - Beef stew and veg
Bed - 2 boiled eggs, protien shake
Exercise - Work out B. Incline Chest Press 51.5kg 7 reps. Kettlebell swings 60 reps. Bicep curls 29kg 7 reps.
Poker in The Coach - finished 4th or 5th.

Friday
Weight 12st11
Breakfast - Dhal, boiled eggs, Protien shake
Lunch - Lentill bolognese, brazil nuts
Late Lunch - Chicken salad
Dinner - fish and veg
Bed - boiled eggs and protien shake
Exercise - Run 18mins51secs
Saturday
Weight 12st11
Food porn day - dhal, chicken, sandwich, 8 cans, resala chicken - naan - rice, starburst
Exercise - Cardio recovery by Insanity
Durham Miners Gala
Sunday
Weight 12st11
Food - Dhal, chicken, resala left over, lamb dinner, chocolate, ice cream
Exercise - Rest
Film - The Experiment - 7/10 - Good premise but a slightly lame ending.
Phase 1 = Insanity 60 day Workout. Completed.
Phase 2 = My Hybrid training will last 60 days (this may be extended as I might be away for a few days in August. Although I might take Resistance Bands with me).
Mt 60 day programm involves the Occamm Protocol from The 4 Hour Body, Insanity Workout DVDs, and the Slow Carb Diet. Reviews below -
Occamm Protocol

"http://wiki.dandascalescu.com/summaries/tim_ferriss_-_the_4-hour_body/from_geek_to_freak_-_gaining_muscle

Exercises

"More than four hours per month of gym time is not necessary to reach your target weight in record time. Flip the growth switch and go home." (p. 190) With your newfound time, focus on eating.
  1. Record all settings on your machines (e.g. hole number in the sliding seat adjustment) and standardize the movement. Control all variables that should not change between exercises (form, seat adjustment, rest time etc.)
  2. Use the "locked position" to protect your shoulders in all weight-bearing exercises: pull your shoulder blades back and push them down towards the hips 1-2 inches. If you are lying down on your back and someone pulls your arm up, then your whole body should follow instead of just the arm and a (dislocated) shoulder.
  3. One-Set-To-Failure: Follow Arthur Jones' general recommendations for one-set-to-failure (80-120 seconds of total time under tension per exercise set), for 7 or more reps (the leg press is to be performed at 10 or more repetitions at the same cadence). Do not just drop the weight when you hit failure. Hold it at the limit for 5 seconds. Then slowly lower it for 5-10 seconds. "Do not underestimate the severity of complete failure. [Failure is pushing as if] you had a gun to your head." The last rep is the one that matters. If you feel you could do another set a minute later, you didn't reach failure. "Contrary to widespread belief, this is not the point at which the individual thinks they cannot complete any more repetitions, but rather the first repetition that fails due to inadequate muscular strength." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_training#Progressive_overload
  4. 5/5 Cadence: "Perform every repetition with a 5/5 cadence (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) to eliminate momentum and ensure constant load." The only exceptions to the cadence rule are the abdominal exercises and the kettlebell swing.
  5. Do not pause at the top or bottom of the movements.
  6. Between exercises, "[t]ime 3 minutes exactly with a stopwatch." (p. 203). This means that if you work out with a partner, you must very carefully alternate exercises (so that they do their workout during your rest time of 3 minutes and vice-versa), or you just do both exercised, then they do both their exercises.
  7. If you complete the minimal target number of reps for all exercises (except abs and kettlebell swing), increase the weight the next workout at least 10lbs.
  8. If you fail before 7 reps (or 10 for the leg presses), do not decrease the weight and do another set. Just leave, take one day off, then com back 48 hours after your failure. (p. 217)
  9. Increase recovery time along with size. "The bigger and stronger you get, the less often you will go to the gym" because your body needs more time to repair a 20lb muscle vs. its 10lb predecessor. (p. 204)
There are two workouts that you will alternate. Each workout consists of two primary lifts, which can be done using either machines, or free weights."
Pylo Cardio Review
"http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/2009/05/insanity-reviews-sneak-peek-plyo-circuit/
First thing, Shaun T says something about warming up, but the volume is low, and my kids and wife are still sound asleep.  The clock timer says 41 minutes 30+ seconds.  Next thing I know, we are off doing cardio.  And the pace is fairly quick.  First impression and thoughts…. “Did I miss the warm up?”  I wasn’t going to stop and check or rewind, so I just keep going.  We started off jogging in place, then jumping jacks, Heisman, a 1-2-3 move, butt kicks, high knees, and mummy kicks.  This lasted a little over 3 minutes, but was repeated a total of 3 times, for a total between 10 – 11 minutes.  We then get a 30 second water break.  With each rotation, the speed of the exercises increases, so be ready to pick up the pace each round of each set.  After the water break, I see STRETCH come across the screen, and then the realization HITS me.  THAT WAS THE WARM UP!
And then a slight smile breaks out across my face, and I think, “This is gonna get good”.  And as I realize that I’m smiling, that voice in the back of my head says, “Your wife is right, you are obsessed”.  I guess INSANE is more like it!
So the stretch is just under 7 minutes, and quite thorough.  After the stretch, a water break.  I look at the timer and see 23:20 on the clock.  Don’t let this 23 minutes give you the wrong idea.  There is nothing EASY about the next 23 minutes.  Even the water breaks are too short!
First round of the workout, the timer shows 2 minutes for the upcoming round in the set.  You start doing Suicide drills, power squats, mountain climbers, ski downs.  Then its time for a water break, and I think “I got this, no sweat.”  Then after 30 seconds you repeat, but this time, you go for 3 and a half minutes, and the pace is faster.  A much earned water break follows, and then another round of 3 and a half minutes, and YEP, a faster pace.  But is it really faster?  :)   You feel like you’re moving faster, but you wonder if you are having a “mind is moving faster than my body” moment.  After your last move of ski downs, you catch a curve ball with some added moves…..switch feet, and football wide sprints.  Water break. And just under 15 minutes on the clock remaining.
The next set starts with 2 and a half minutes on the clock and you’re back at it again with basket ball shots, level 1 drills, ski abs, and in-out abs.  Water break.  At this point, I like to think I’m in good cardio shape, but this circuit is TOUGH.  Remember what I said, not for the weak.  But guess what, you do your BEST.  The video shows people taking breaks, collapsing on the floor, exhausted.  Others jump up and aren’t quite as exhausted.  Strive to be those people.  Take breaks, be smart, then get back in the game and get in shape!  If you’re in shape, get in BETTER shape.  Push yourself and your limits, push beyond your comfort zone.  Get ready for the next round of the same thing, but now you are at a 3 minute cycle.  Another water break.  Entirely too short!  Last round of this set is 4 minutes 30 seconds, and will test every part of your being.  You’ll be tired, exhausted, and I’m embarrassed to say how many times my knees hit the floor.  But that’s okay, I’ll grow with this workout, push myself, and work harder!  But it’s not over yet, the last 2 minutes, you do some jabs, cross jacks, uppercuts, and attack.
Finally the cool down and stretch for the remaining 3 minutes or so, and you’re dripping with sweat, thinking, what a great workout, and completely wiped out"

Cardio Recovery
"http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/2009/08/insanity-reviews-cardio-recovery/
At the start of the DVD you get about a 3 minute warm up, staring with some good DEEP breaths, and some familiar warm up stretches.  Most of the warm up and stretches you have seen on the other DVDs and should be something you are familiar with.  You move on to some plank work, but nothing too stressful, or demanding.  I really enjoyed this stretch and plank work, you get some good stretches in, and some nice roll ups, stretching the back and stretching your neck.  Be sure to keep your back straight and your butt down while in plank.  After your plank work, you stretch for a few seconds in downward dog, and then on to stretching out your hamstrings.
With about 24 minutes left in the workout you start doing some deep muscle work, starting with 16 slow wide leg squats.  The moves are nice and slow, and nice and deep.  At the last squat, you stop and hold.  While you hold this squat, you make some short “pulses”.  (Small, quick squats, without raising up completely).  By the end of this sequence, your legs will feel nice and toasty!  But you’re not done.  Next you’ll move into a lunge on the left side, with the left leg forward.  You start with some deep lunges, and at your last lunge, you stop and hold at the bottom.  Nice burn in this hold position.  I have to admit, when I first did Cardio Recovery, I let my leg rest, and came out of the lunge.  You may have to too, or maybe not, it’s okay if you do.  We are all working on improving our fitness, no matter how long or how brief we have been working out.  After you hold the position, you do some pulses. You’ll repeat this same sequence on your right leg.  In between your right and left leg, you do some more center wide position squats.
With about 15 minutes on the clock, you will start some Plie Yoga Stretches.  Basically a wide center squat, but turn your feet outwards.  Extend your arms straight out, and and lean to your left side, until your left hand rests on the floor, the right hand is straight up.  Repeat on the right side.
The next exercise is called “Quad Strengtheners”.  We have all seen the workout videos, where you are on the floor, with your hands and knees on the mat.  You then extend one leg straight back, and you raise your leg up and down.  Basically the same concept, but just a bit harder.  Shaun T has you extend one leg back, but you also lift the other knee off the mat as well.  Just and inch or two, but it really works your whole body and core, not just your legs.  After you do each side, you will then use the same concept to work your obliques, by moving your knee to your shoulder, alternating on each side.
For about the last 8 minutes you do some yoga stretches, and final cool down stretches.
This workout is still going to be a workout, its just not the cardio intense workout like the other DVDs.  You need to recover from your workouts, so please be sure to keep this workout in your rotation.  I know I am always thinking, “go go go”, and try to skip these workouts.  Sometimes we need to slow down and recover.  When we skip these recovery workouts, we risk over training.  Then your entire progress comes to a screeching halt, and we certainly don’t want to do that.  Workout hard, and recover….. then you can workout hard again"



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