Thursday night and I am reporting after another tough workout.
This one was extra tough as my legs are still killing me from Tuesday. I thought I was over the DOMS, but no, they are back with a vengeance. This time it is in a new muscle area so the balance work is causing new muscle tears. Oh well, it will only toughen me up.
Tonight was all about the shoulders and core. Again, it was only 2 supersets, but they are enough to make one tough workout.
The first superset consisted of 4 exercises and we did 3 sets. The exercises were 1) table top on a stability ball while tossing a small medicine ball up with one hand and catching it with the other. 30 tosses later, I could move on to the next exercise. 2) Hands-to-forearms planks performing 8 on each side. 3) Lunges with a punch movement attached using the cable machine - 8 per side again. 4) Squats with a one handed cable row performed on the up stroke so the legs would help generate power - again 8 per side.
The second superset also consisted of 4 exercises which we did again for 3 sets. This one started out with 15 Supermans, then 8 Scorpions per side, then 8 side-crunches per side, and finally 30 alternating toe reaches. For that last one imagine doing a crunch while lifting one leg straight up and trying to touch the opposite hand to the raised foot.
I have to say that the last superset was the most painful. Everything was screaming at me by the end. The first superset was no picnic either as there was a lot of leg work included and they weren't happy, as I previously mentioned.
On another note, for the next 2 weeks I get to repeat the last 4 sessions on my own. My trainer, Karissa, is off on vacation (not sure who approves these) so she won't be there to push me. Somehow I am going to have to motivate myself to complete everything - and she wants me to up the weight that I am using while performing these exercises on my own. She is off to the eastern parts of Canada and the US for the next 2 weeks. I'll probably text her at odd hours just to drive her nuts while she is gone just to give her some grief. But, when she gets back I am taking her out onto the ice so she can experience curling and try to figure out some exercises that will mimic some of my movements. I am going to try and make her pay!
That's it for this week. Tomorrow I am off to Capital EX so I won't be back at the gym until Tuesday. Enjoy the long weekend.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Operation 204 - Chapter 24
Another Tuesday, another update.
A bit interesting today as I am writing this and am still recovering. Had a bit of a stomach flu for the past couple of days so today was a tough one. I almost cancelled, but then I would have felt worse, so I pushed through to get to the gym and to get it done.
Today was another tough day as it was more balance and speed work. Working on the endurance and balance is a real tough one for me. Karissa works me hard that's for sure.
We only did two supersets today. I say "only" like it was easy. It was anything but easy.
The first superset consisted of the deep lunges where I had to touch my elbow to the instep on the same side - 12 per side, then I had to do 5 different runs through the ladder on the ground finishing with a short run through low hurdles. The 5 ladder runs consisted of 1) both feet in then step with one foot on each side, then to the next space; 2) same thing as 1, but starting with the other foot, 3), side stepping the ladder by stepping both feet in then one foot off to one side, then back in and one foot to the other side; 4) running the same as 1 but backwards; 5) running the same as 2 but backwards. The final exercise in this superset was lunges with one foot on the bench 12 reps per leg. We tried with one foot strapped into the TRX, but I could not keep my balance at all on that. I will have to work on that. We repeated that superset 4 times.
The second superset consisted of another 3 exercises that we repeated 4 times again. This time it was much more balance work. The first exercise was shoulder press while balancing on one leg - left leg on the ground while pressing with the right and vice versa for the other side. 12 reps per side here. The second exercise was one arm cable power rows. This time we upped the weight to 35 pounds which sounds much lighter than it really is. On one cable machine it's 35 pounds and on another it would be 80. The point of this one was to row the weight with as much speed as I could generate on the pull stroke. Another 12 reps per side. The final exercise was tricep pull-ups while balancing on the bosu ball. Another 12 reps here.
So, what did I learn from today. First, I learned that I am down to 239 so I am dropping some weight finally. Second, I learned that my balance really sucks, but I get better quickly. Third, I learned that this particular workout is murder on my legs. Everything I did brought the legs into play. Fourth, I learned that my insight was correct. Ask Karissa about that. And finally, I learned something about my motivation.
I learned that I am not motivated by a desire to get into better shape. Don't get me wrong, I do want to get into shape to feel better and that is why I got back to the gym, but that isn't what is keeping me going. I am motivated to work harder so I don't disappoint my trainer. I work hard to ensure that she is happy with me. I think that if I disappoint Karissa, then I am failing. How screwed up is that - A motivation that is totally external to me and is nothing more than looking for validation from another that I am doing what I should. The worst thing about that is that I am not sure that I want to change it. The fact that I am motivated at all is still a good thing, so I guess if it's external, so be it.
Anyway, I am not working out tomorrow as I am heading to Taste of Edmonton to sample some delicious food, but I will be back on Thursday.
A bit interesting today as I am writing this and am still recovering. Had a bit of a stomach flu for the past couple of days so today was a tough one. I almost cancelled, but then I would have felt worse, so I pushed through to get to the gym and to get it done.
Today was another tough day as it was more balance and speed work. Working on the endurance and balance is a real tough one for me. Karissa works me hard that's for sure.
We only did two supersets today. I say "only" like it was easy. It was anything but easy.
The first superset consisted of the deep lunges where I had to touch my elbow to the instep on the same side - 12 per side, then I had to do 5 different runs through the ladder on the ground finishing with a short run through low hurdles. The 5 ladder runs consisted of 1) both feet in then step with one foot on each side, then to the next space; 2) same thing as 1, but starting with the other foot, 3), side stepping the ladder by stepping both feet in then one foot off to one side, then back in and one foot to the other side; 4) running the same as 1 but backwards; 5) running the same as 2 but backwards. The final exercise in this superset was lunges with one foot on the bench 12 reps per leg. We tried with one foot strapped into the TRX, but I could not keep my balance at all on that. I will have to work on that. We repeated that superset 4 times.
The second superset consisted of another 3 exercises that we repeated 4 times again. This time it was much more balance work. The first exercise was shoulder press while balancing on one leg - left leg on the ground while pressing with the right and vice versa for the other side. 12 reps per side here. The second exercise was one arm cable power rows. This time we upped the weight to 35 pounds which sounds much lighter than it really is. On one cable machine it's 35 pounds and on another it would be 80. The point of this one was to row the weight with as much speed as I could generate on the pull stroke. Another 12 reps per side. The final exercise was tricep pull-ups while balancing on the bosu ball. Another 12 reps here.
So, what did I learn from today. First, I learned that I am down to 239 so I am dropping some weight finally. Second, I learned that my balance really sucks, but I get better quickly. Third, I learned that this particular workout is murder on my legs. Everything I did brought the legs into play. Fourth, I learned that my insight was correct. Ask Karissa about that. And finally, I learned something about my motivation.
I learned that I am not motivated by a desire to get into better shape. Don't get me wrong, I do want to get into shape to feel better and that is why I got back to the gym, but that isn't what is keeping me going. I am motivated to work harder so I don't disappoint my trainer. I work hard to ensure that she is happy with me. I think that if I disappoint Karissa, then I am failing. How screwed up is that - A motivation that is totally external to me and is nothing more than looking for validation from another that I am doing what I should. The worst thing about that is that I am not sure that I want to change it. The fact that I am motivated at all is still a good thing, so I guess if it's external, so be it.
Anyway, I am not working out tomorrow as I am heading to Taste of Edmonton to sample some delicious food, but I will be back on Thursday.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Operation 204 - Chapter 23
Another Thursday, another update. I know you are looking forward to it.
So while I type this one out, I am watching today's stage in the Tour de France (I PVR it every day so I can watch it in the evening). It is strange knowing that these guys can't do my workouts as they don't have the strength, but they can climb a mountain that has an average gradient of over 8% at a speed of 20 km per hour. There is no way I can do what they do. I am not sure that I can wrap my brain around the dichotomy.
Anyway, today was more of the third phase, which is cardio and balance. I have to tell you that today was mostly balance. My abs are going to kill me for the next few days I am sure.
We started out with some warmups by first doing lunges on the bosu ball (15 per leg), then we placed a ladder on the ground and I had to start at on end beside it and step both feet in then both feet out into each gap down the length and back up - speed was the word for that little exercise. We did this superset 3 times, but I had to increase the ladder portion each time - down and back 3 times, then 4 times, then 5 times in the last set.
After that we moved to a 3 exercise superset consisting of one-legged sippy birds with dumbbells (I'll explain), squats on the bosu ball with only my body weight, and finally push-ups on the bosu ball. Ok, the sippy birds - picture that stupid little desk toy that has the bird that bobs up and down. The exercise looks like that. One leg is stretched out behind as I bend over so you can draw a straight line from my head to my toes along that leg for the entire exercise. While holding dumbbells, this exercise really works the legs and the core as I had to keep my balance. We did this 12 times per leg. The squats and push-ups were 15 reps each.
For the third and final superset, we used a larger exercise ball. This superset consisted of flys while I was in a table-top position. The exercise ball was one end where I rested my neck and my legs were the other end. This position meant I had to keep my stomach really tight to maintain my balance. We then moved to tricep pull-downs while balancing on one leg. Thirdly, we did Russian Twists - again the table top position on the exercise ball but this time I had to twist to each side and maintain my balance. The last exercise was lower back extensions (essentially supermans but upper body only). For this superset it was done 3 times with the reps as follows: Flys - 15, triceps - 10 per leg, twists - 15, lower-back extensions - 15.
It was also an interesting day from a trainer-trainee perspective. For some reason, everyone thought that today was the day to talk to my trainer - Karissa was little Miss Popular today. She was busy trying to watch me to ensure that I was performing the exercises correctly and trying note to be rude to the people that kept coming up to talk to her. Maybe they just don't get that I pay good money for my hour, but oh well. Also, we discussed ways for her to set up a couple of her other students that she thinks would make a good couple. I will be looking for updates as to how that works out as the guy that thinks would be perfect for someone has a thing for Karissa. She doesn't know it (well maybe she does by now) so that could be interesting.
I will be back with another chapter on Tuesday but I may post more this weekend as I am off to the Edmonton Indy to watch some car racing and enjoy the weekend.
So while I type this one out, I am watching today's stage in the Tour de France (I PVR it every day so I can watch it in the evening). It is strange knowing that these guys can't do my workouts as they don't have the strength, but they can climb a mountain that has an average gradient of over 8% at a speed of 20 km per hour. There is no way I can do what they do. I am not sure that I can wrap my brain around the dichotomy.
Anyway, today was more of the third phase, which is cardio and balance. I have to tell you that today was mostly balance. My abs are going to kill me for the next few days I am sure.
We started out with some warmups by first doing lunges on the bosu ball (15 per leg), then we placed a ladder on the ground and I had to start at on end beside it and step both feet in then both feet out into each gap down the length and back up - speed was the word for that little exercise. We did this superset 3 times, but I had to increase the ladder portion each time - down and back 3 times, then 4 times, then 5 times in the last set.
After that we moved to a 3 exercise superset consisting of one-legged sippy birds with dumbbells (I'll explain), squats on the bosu ball with only my body weight, and finally push-ups on the bosu ball. Ok, the sippy birds - picture that stupid little desk toy that has the bird that bobs up and down. The exercise looks like that. One leg is stretched out behind as I bend over so you can draw a straight line from my head to my toes along that leg for the entire exercise. While holding dumbbells, this exercise really works the legs and the core as I had to keep my balance. We did this 12 times per leg. The squats and push-ups were 15 reps each.
For the third and final superset, we used a larger exercise ball. This superset consisted of flys while I was in a table-top position. The exercise ball was one end where I rested my neck and my legs were the other end. This position meant I had to keep my stomach really tight to maintain my balance. We then moved to tricep pull-downs while balancing on one leg. Thirdly, we did Russian Twists - again the table top position on the exercise ball but this time I had to twist to each side and maintain my balance. The last exercise was lower back extensions (essentially supermans but upper body only). For this superset it was done 3 times with the reps as follows: Flys - 15, triceps - 10 per leg, twists - 15, lower-back extensions - 15.
It was also an interesting day from a trainer-trainee perspective. For some reason, everyone thought that today was the day to talk to my trainer - Karissa was little Miss Popular today. She was busy trying to watch me to ensure that I was performing the exercises correctly and trying note to be rude to the people that kept coming up to talk to her. Maybe they just don't get that I pay good money for my hour, but oh well. Also, we discussed ways for her to set up a couple of her other students that she thinks would make a good couple. I will be looking for updates as to how that works out as the guy that thinks would be perfect for someone has a thing for Karissa. She doesn't know it (well maybe she does by now) so that could be interesting.
I will be back with another chapter on Tuesday but I may post more this weekend as I am off to the Edmonton Indy to watch some car racing and enjoy the weekend.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Operation 204 - Chapter 22
Here's the latest instalment of my workout saga. It was an interesting day today too.
Again, I didn't feel like going to the gym. It was a busy day at work. Busy enough that I didn't get to have lunch as meetings went long. This didn't help my mood at all. Also, my legs and butt finally stopped hurting yesterday from Thursday's workout. And finally, I have been losing my voice for the last 4 days so I think I am fighting something off.
Anyway, I was expecting another day of extreme weights but Karissa had different plans for me today. It seems that today was the day to shock my system again as we started phase 3 of my program by adding endurance to the list. Today was not about completing a set number of reps, but it was about continuing for a length of time.
For the first superset, it was walking lunges while hugging a medicine ball to my chest and twisting to each side at the bottom of each lunge. This was paired with side-steps and side cross-overs (shuffle sideways by crossing on leg in front of the other then in behind the other). That last exercise looks a lot like a dance move. Anyway, that superset consisted of doing each exercise for 90 seconds. That doesn't sound like much, but this was endurance, so speed was also a factor.
The second superset was on the cables where we started to mimic some of the motions that I will use when curling. Sweeping motions mostly, but also a little bit of balance work. Exercise one in the superset was what I can only describe as lawnmower starting. Two hands on one cable handle and pulling up like starting a lawnmower. Exercise two was a two-handed pull down on a rod attached to the cable to mimic the curling sweeping motion. Exercise 3 was one where I had to balance on one leg, dip, and then extend while pulling the cable across my body. All 3 exercises were 45 seconds per side, so 90 seconds each.
Superset 3 was one that we didn't have time to complete (thankfully) as it consisted of bent single-hand alternating rows then supermans where I had to bring my hands from an extended position down to beside my head and back to extended before dropping. I have done these before, and they are not nice. The last exercise in that superset was planks from hands to forearms and back to hands. 90 seconds for each of these as well.
As I mentioned, we didn't have time to get that last superset completed 3 times (like the others) and we only did it once. However, Karissa has told me that we will complete that one on Thursday.
I assume that we will be meeting on Thursday, but I can't be sure. I mentioned to her boot camp class that they may want to push her down the stairs at the Hotel Mac. Not sure if they will, but you never know.
Anyway, I'll let you know what happens on Thursday.
Again, I didn't feel like going to the gym. It was a busy day at work. Busy enough that I didn't get to have lunch as meetings went long. This didn't help my mood at all. Also, my legs and butt finally stopped hurting yesterday from Thursday's workout. And finally, I have been losing my voice for the last 4 days so I think I am fighting something off.
Anyway, I was expecting another day of extreme weights but Karissa had different plans for me today. It seems that today was the day to shock my system again as we started phase 3 of my program by adding endurance to the list. Today was not about completing a set number of reps, but it was about continuing for a length of time.
For the first superset, it was walking lunges while hugging a medicine ball to my chest and twisting to each side at the bottom of each lunge. This was paired with side-steps and side cross-overs (shuffle sideways by crossing on leg in front of the other then in behind the other). That last exercise looks a lot like a dance move. Anyway, that superset consisted of doing each exercise for 90 seconds. That doesn't sound like much, but this was endurance, so speed was also a factor.
The second superset was on the cables where we started to mimic some of the motions that I will use when curling. Sweeping motions mostly, but also a little bit of balance work. Exercise one in the superset was what I can only describe as lawnmower starting. Two hands on one cable handle and pulling up like starting a lawnmower. Exercise two was a two-handed pull down on a rod attached to the cable to mimic the curling sweeping motion. Exercise 3 was one where I had to balance on one leg, dip, and then extend while pulling the cable across my body. All 3 exercises were 45 seconds per side, so 90 seconds each.
Superset 3 was one that we didn't have time to complete (thankfully) as it consisted of bent single-hand alternating rows then supermans where I had to bring my hands from an extended position down to beside my head and back to extended before dropping. I have done these before, and they are not nice. The last exercise in that superset was planks from hands to forearms and back to hands. 90 seconds for each of these as well.
As I mentioned, we didn't have time to get that last superset completed 3 times (like the others) and we only did it once. However, Karissa has told me that we will complete that one on Thursday.
I assume that we will be meeting on Thursday, but I can't be sure. I mentioned to her boot camp class that they may want to push her down the stairs at the Hotel Mac. Not sure if they will, but you never know.
Anyway, I'll let you know what happens on Thursday.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Operation 204 - Chapter 21
Sorry this post is a bit late, but last night my computer just would not work. Couldn't get it to boot up at all, so that is why I am posting this today.
Also, there was no workout on Tuesday as Karissa had a migraine and I had no motivation to get my fat ass to the gym. I think the craptacular weather here is to blame.
Anyway, yesterday I was back in the gym to endure insane amounts of pain. I knew that it was going to be a tough day as I hadn't been in for a week and we had some catch-up to do. Also, my left hamstring was a lot tight, so I wasn't sure how it was going to behave.
The first thing I did when I got to the gym was to stretch out the hamstring. Once I had done that for about 5 minutes, everything felt better. I then moved on to the elliptical to warm-up before Karissa got there to work me with the weights.
Once Karissa got there, she informed me that we were going to kill the legs then move onto some cable work to start introducing some speed work while increasing the weight. I wasn't looking forward to the leg work as I was having problems with the hamstring, but I was able to suck it up.
For the legs we did a superset of leg presses, step ups, and walking lunges. However, this wasn't as easy as it sounds. For the leg presses we did 10 plates (10 reps). I found out that the machine starts at 21 pounds so for the leg presses I did 471 pounds. For the step ups we used a box that was 2 feet high and I had to bring myself completely up using one leg only. The other leg couldn't help out once it was on top of the box. 10 per side for that one. Then for the walking lunges, I did those while carrying a 40 pound barbell on my shoulders. We did 3 revolutions of the superset as I didn't have it in me to do a 4th. I was completely drained.
For the cable work we did two more supersets. The first one was flys, presses, and twists. I can't remember the weight we used for these ones. I know it wasn't insane, but the cable machine is a completely different workout as everything feels different. I think that we will increase the weight a fair amount the next time we use this set.
The second superset consisted of bent rows, bicep curls, and reverse chops. Again, I can't remember the weights we used, but the last few chops were getting tough. I am sure we will up the weight on these ones too next time.
So, after a day when I really didn't want to be at the gym, I was able to make it through and I know that it is better for me. On the way home though, the hamstring really acted up again so I made sure that I got enough water into me last night to help that. It feels better this morning.
See you all again on Tuesday.
Also, there was no workout on Tuesday as Karissa had a migraine and I had no motivation to get my fat ass to the gym. I think the craptacular weather here is to blame.
Anyway, yesterday I was back in the gym to endure insane amounts of pain. I knew that it was going to be a tough day as I hadn't been in for a week and we had some catch-up to do. Also, my left hamstring was a lot tight, so I wasn't sure how it was going to behave.
The first thing I did when I got to the gym was to stretch out the hamstring. Once I had done that for about 5 minutes, everything felt better. I then moved on to the elliptical to warm-up before Karissa got there to work me with the weights.
Once Karissa got there, she informed me that we were going to kill the legs then move onto some cable work to start introducing some speed work while increasing the weight. I wasn't looking forward to the leg work as I was having problems with the hamstring, but I was able to suck it up.
For the legs we did a superset of leg presses, step ups, and walking lunges. However, this wasn't as easy as it sounds. For the leg presses we did 10 plates (10 reps). I found out that the machine starts at 21 pounds so for the leg presses I did 471 pounds. For the step ups we used a box that was 2 feet high and I had to bring myself completely up using one leg only. The other leg couldn't help out once it was on top of the box. 10 per side for that one. Then for the walking lunges, I did those while carrying a 40 pound barbell on my shoulders. We did 3 revolutions of the superset as I didn't have it in me to do a 4th. I was completely drained.
For the cable work we did two more supersets. The first one was flys, presses, and twists. I can't remember the weight we used for these ones. I know it wasn't insane, but the cable machine is a completely different workout as everything feels different. I think that we will increase the weight a fair amount the next time we use this set.
The second superset consisted of bent rows, bicep curls, and reverse chops. Again, I can't remember the weights we used, but the last few chops were getting tough. I am sure we will up the weight on these ones too next time.
So, after a day when I really didn't want to be at the gym, I was able to make it through and I know that it is better for me. On the way home though, the hamstring really acted up again so I made sure that I got enough water into me last night to help that. It feels better this morning.
See you all again on Tuesday.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Operation 204 - Chapter 20
Another Thursday workout is now behind me. It was an interesting workout.
I was in a bad mood for today's workout as I had to spend the day in interviews and packing my office. We are having our offices reconstructed for the next week so we all had to pack up and move to temporary space. I hate moving. So, with that in mind, I went to my workout.
We wanted to do a body check to see the progress that I have been making. This didn't go well either. We tried Tuesday, but the machine was broken. This time it was working so we did the impedance test, did all of my measurements, and put everything into the computer. The computer spit out the results that I haven't changed at all. Not one bit. I know that I am stronger and I have more definition in my legs and arms, but there was no change anywhere. Weight was the same, measurements were the same, and impedance was the same. We aren't sure what this means so we will test again in 6 weeks to see if there are any changes happening. I will also be stepping up my cardio work to see if that will make a difference.
So, after that, we got to my workout. We were in a shortened period today because of the testing so we didn't do too many exercises. We started with the superset of squats, a strange dumbbell bench press and barbell tricep extensions. For the squats we were up to 70 pounds per side. With the bar and the weights, I am up to 185 pounds. We will push this as I could have done more on my third set. For the bench press, we used 35 pound weights. This one was strange as I pressed both weights then the right one then the left one. This counted as 1 rep. For the tricep extensions, I used a 60 pound barbell. Really pushing myself today. In fact, in the final set of the bench press, I did fail at 6 (couldn't get to the 8 reps that we are doing).
The second and last superset consisted of leg press, lat pull downs, and upright rows. For this one, the rows were at 90 pounds per side, the lat pull downs were at 120 pounds and for the leg press we really pushed it. We started at 8 plates (360 pounds) in the first set, then moved to 10 plates (450 pounds for the second set) and lastly up to 12 plates (540 pounds) for the last set. This was a struggle, but I was able to complete the 8 reps for each set. This means that we will be upping the weight again next time.
So, after setting personal bests again, I feel quite good. It still doesn't explain why my body isn't showing any changes, but who knows on that one. And finally, my lovely, beautiful, and talented trainer, Karissa, put me in a much better mood by the time we were done and she even offered to help me move once she got off work. However, I was done shortly after she was done at work so she wasn't able to aid me in that. But the offer was nice.
See you all next week.
I was in a bad mood for today's workout as I had to spend the day in interviews and packing my office. We are having our offices reconstructed for the next week so we all had to pack up and move to temporary space. I hate moving. So, with that in mind, I went to my workout.
We wanted to do a body check to see the progress that I have been making. This didn't go well either. We tried Tuesday, but the machine was broken. This time it was working so we did the impedance test, did all of my measurements, and put everything into the computer. The computer spit out the results that I haven't changed at all. Not one bit. I know that I am stronger and I have more definition in my legs and arms, but there was no change anywhere. Weight was the same, measurements were the same, and impedance was the same. We aren't sure what this means so we will test again in 6 weeks to see if there are any changes happening. I will also be stepping up my cardio work to see if that will make a difference.
So, after that, we got to my workout. We were in a shortened period today because of the testing so we didn't do too many exercises. We started with the superset of squats, a strange dumbbell bench press and barbell tricep extensions. For the squats we were up to 70 pounds per side. With the bar and the weights, I am up to 185 pounds. We will push this as I could have done more on my third set. For the bench press, we used 35 pound weights. This one was strange as I pressed both weights then the right one then the left one. This counted as 1 rep. For the tricep extensions, I used a 60 pound barbell. Really pushing myself today. In fact, in the final set of the bench press, I did fail at 6 (couldn't get to the 8 reps that we are doing).
The second and last superset consisted of leg press, lat pull downs, and upright rows. For this one, the rows were at 90 pounds per side, the lat pull downs were at 120 pounds and for the leg press we really pushed it. We started at 8 plates (360 pounds) in the first set, then moved to 10 plates (450 pounds for the second set) and lastly up to 12 plates (540 pounds) for the last set. This was a struggle, but I was able to complete the 8 reps for each set. This means that we will be upping the weight again next time.
So, after setting personal bests again, I feel quite good. It still doesn't explain why my body isn't showing any changes, but who knows on that one. And finally, my lovely, beautiful, and talented trainer, Karissa, put me in a much better mood by the time we were done and she even offered to help me move once she got off work. However, I was done shortly after she was done at work so she wasn't able to aid me in that. But the offer was nice.
See you all next week.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Operation 204 - Chapter 19
I have big news today. Well, big for me. You may not think so.
I had to tighten my belt a notch today.
Yes, you read that right. I had to tighten my belt - literally not figuratively. I haven't lost much weight, but I am slimmer. So, the weight loss can't be far behind.
Today's workout was a tough one. We are still on the strength building phase of the schedule so that's what we did. We did change up the workout a bit in that we worked the entire body instead of 1 or 2 areas.
We started with a superset of deadlifts, bench press, and upright rows. We started lighter on the deadlifts then finally found the weight that I would do for the superset. We did deadlifts at one 45 pound weight on each side. Finally up to the big plates. For the bench press we kept it light as my arm still doesn't like that movement. 10s on each side for that. And for the upright rows, we moved it up each set starting at 55, then 65, 70, and finally 75 for the last set.
After that superset, we moved onto another superset consisting of hack squats with 90 pounds per side, rear delt flys (while lying down on the bench for extra gravity pull) with small weights - 7.5 pounds I think, and then situps while holding one of the 7.5 pound weights above me while doing them - 8 times for each arm.
The final superset for the day was another 3 exercise set consisting of bicep curls (40 pounds), tricep extensions (70 pounds), and hamstring curls (20 pounds).
The weights may not seem like much, but I worked hard today. I know I worked hard just due to the fact that showering afterwards was tiring.
We will be trying to do an update on my body composition as well in the next week or so (the machine was broken today) so expect an update soon. That will tell me if I am on the right track or not.
See you Thursday.
I had to tighten my belt a notch today.
Yes, you read that right. I had to tighten my belt - literally not figuratively. I haven't lost much weight, but I am slimmer. So, the weight loss can't be far behind.
Today's workout was a tough one. We are still on the strength building phase of the schedule so that's what we did. We did change up the workout a bit in that we worked the entire body instead of 1 or 2 areas.
We started with a superset of deadlifts, bench press, and upright rows. We started lighter on the deadlifts then finally found the weight that I would do for the superset. We did deadlifts at one 45 pound weight on each side. Finally up to the big plates. For the bench press we kept it light as my arm still doesn't like that movement. 10s on each side for that. And for the upright rows, we moved it up each set starting at 55, then 65, 70, and finally 75 for the last set.
After that superset, we moved onto another superset consisting of hack squats with 90 pounds per side, rear delt flys (while lying down on the bench for extra gravity pull) with small weights - 7.5 pounds I think, and then situps while holding one of the 7.5 pound weights above me while doing them - 8 times for each arm.
The final superset for the day was another 3 exercise set consisting of bicep curls (40 pounds), tricep extensions (70 pounds), and hamstring curls (20 pounds).
The weights may not seem like much, but I worked hard today. I know I worked hard just due to the fact that showering afterwards was tiring.
We will be trying to do an update on my body composition as well in the next week or so (the machine was broken today) so expect an update soon. That will tell me if I am on the right track or not.
See you Thursday.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
My life as a caddy - Day 2
Well, my day 2 ended late yesterday and unfortunately, there won't be a day 3. My golfer, Jesse, battled but missed the cut by a paltry 4 strokes. We'll get to that.
This time we went out in the afternoon and started from the 10th hole. We were the last group to go out and it did hurt us a bit. The golfers' timing was thrown off as we had to wait on most holes. About the only time we didn't have to wait was after we played 18 as we needed to have a rules official come over to give us a hand.
The weather was nice for golf - not too hot and no wind, but it was cloudy which makes it hard to read the greens. Flat light makes it very difficult to see the breaks in the greens. That, and the greens at the Edmonton Country Club are very subtle and hard to see at the best of times.
On the 18th hole, Jesse hit his tee shot a bit long and it came to rest up against the viewing stands behind the green. The rules official came over and had us go through a full series of motions to find the correct spot to drop the ball. Once we got that all complete, a few minutes had passed. That put us behind the group in front of us, but we caught up to them again a few holes later.
Jesse did finish well and had some great holes, but some tiny mistakes that caught him. He was 2 over for the day (a score I will never shoot I am sure) and he did have a couple of drives that were 350+. This is coming from an 18 year old - once he ages a bit and bulks up, his shots are going to be scary long.
Being a caddy is a different experience. There is so much that you have to do to keep the golfer in the zone so he can just golf. I have a new respect for the guys who do this as their job and chase golfers around the course day after day. The bags aren't light and you spend a lot of time trying to keep up with your golfer. There is a lot to remember and you don't want to interrupt anyone out there. You need to interact with your golfer to keep him loose and focused plus you need to ensure that you are maintaining a good relationship with the other golfers and caddies in your group. You have to know the rules so you don't inadvertently break one. If a caddy breaks a rule, it hurts his golfer - there is no penalty for the caddy.
All that being said. I really enjoyed it. I am sure that my shoulders and legs have something different to say, but it was a great time. I saw the game from a different view. These guys are amazing. They hit the ball right where they want to. They manage the game so much better than us duffers. In places where we would hit a driver, they hit a mid iron to place the ball. The imagination around the green is something to see. Also, having a gallery follow you around the course is something different too.
Anyway, I am looking forward to the next one as I think that I want to do this again. I will schedule this into my calendar so I don't forget to take the time off work to volunteer again.
Too bad there is no day 3 to this story. However, I will be following the career of Jesse Gibson as he will be going places as a golfer.
This time we went out in the afternoon and started from the 10th hole. We were the last group to go out and it did hurt us a bit. The golfers' timing was thrown off as we had to wait on most holes. About the only time we didn't have to wait was after we played 18 as we needed to have a rules official come over to give us a hand.
The weather was nice for golf - not too hot and no wind, but it was cloudy which makes it hard to read the greens. Flat light makes it very difficult to see the breaks in the greens. That, and the greens at the Edmonton Country Club are very subtle and hard to see at the best of times.
On the 18th hole, Jesse hit his tee shot a bit long and it came to rest up against the viewing stands behind the green. The rules official came over and had us go through a full series of motions to find the correct spot to drop the ball. Once we got that all complete, a few minutes had passed. That put us behind the group in front of us, but we caught up to them again a few holes later.
Jesse did finish well and had some great holes, but some tiny mistakes that caught him. He was 2 over for the day (a score I will never shoot I am sure) and he did have a couple of drives that were 350+. This is coming from an 18 year old - once he ages a bit and bulks up, his shots are going to be scary long.
Being a caddy is a different experience. There is so much that you have to do to keep the golfer in the zone so he can just golf. I have a new respect for the guys who do this as their job and chase golfers around the course day after day. The bags aren't light and you spend a lot of time trying to keep up with your golfer. There is a lot to remember and you don't want to interrupt anyone out there. You need to interact with your golfer to keep him loose and focused plus you need to ensure that you are maintaining a good relationship with the other golfers and caddies in your group. You have to know the rules so you don't inadvertently break one. If a caddy breaks a rule, it hurts his golfer - there is no penalty for the caddy.
All that being said. I really enjoyed it. I am sure that my shoulders and legs have something different to say, but it was a great time. I saw the game from a different view. These guys are amazing. They hit the ball right where they want to. They manage the game so much better than us duffers. In places where we would hit a driver, they hit a mid iron to place the ball. The imagination around the green is something to see. Also, having a gallery follow you around the course is something different too.
Anyway, I am looking forward to the next one as I think that I want to do this again. I will schedule this into my calendar so I don't forget to take the time off work to volunteer again.
Too bad there is no day 3 to this story. However, I will be following the career of Jesse Gibson as he will be going places as a golfer.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
My first day as a caddie!
Well, the first day of the tournament is in the books for me and my golfer. I have to say, it was a lot of fun.
Our tee time was set for 9:30 this morning. The caddies were told to be at the course an hour early on the first day as there is usually mass confusion as no one know what the golfers look like, people don't know where they are going, etc. I got to the course at 8:15 as the traffic was so light today I had no problem getting to the River Cree to park and the shuttle got me to the course in record time.
My golfer was at the course already and warming up on the range when I got there under the watchful eye of his coach. I was introduced to both and Jesse continued to warm up. Jesse Gibson is the name of my golfer for the weekend. He was one of the qualifiers from the Monday event and had to survive a playoff to do it. He is an 18 year old phenom. Amazing player.
Once he finished up on the range, we moved to the practice green where he worked on his flat stick. I took the time to clean his clubs. They needed cleaning! By the time I was done, they looked new. Once Jesse was done on the practice green, we moved to the first tee.
Now, I got lucky in that Jesse doesn't own a large tour bag. He has a nice, little stand bag with the 2 strap system. It was very nice to carry. Don't get me wrong, it was still heavy, but much more manageable. I also found out as we went along that Jesse had enough food in the bag to feed the entire course :)
It felt good to walk the course and work with someone who knows how to golf and plays at a much better level than me. It was just great to see how well they play the game and the course management they use. I even mentioned that on one hole I could guarantee that all members of the course would use driver but everyone of the players in our group used their 3 woods to place the ball in a better spot.
Now, I also have a bone to pick with my trainer. Day 2 stiffness from my leg workout kicked in about the 3rd hole. It was starting to become a real struggle to complete the course. I did do it, but the legs are killing me now. It could also have something to do with the fact that I was standing for 8.5 hours straight - but the stiffness definitely is a factor.
Jesse ended up 2 over for the day and has a real shot at making the cut tomorrow. I hope he does so that way I will still be working for the weekend.
I will have another update tomorrow. In the meantime, if you want to see how Jesse is doing, check out the website for the Canadian Tour.
Our tee time was set for 9:30 this morning. The caddies were told to be at the course an hour early on the first day as there is usually mass confusion as no one know what the golfers look like, people don't know where they are going, etc. I got to the course at 8:15 as the traffic was so light today I had no problem getting to the River Cree to park and the shuttle got me to the course in record time.
My golfer was at the course already and warming up on the range when I got there under the watchful eye of his coach. I was introduced to both and Jesse continued to warm up. Jesse Gibson is the name of my golfer for the weekend. He was one of the qualifiers from the Monday event and had to survive a playoff to do it. He is an 18 year old phenom. Amazing player.
Once he finished up on the range, we moved to the practice green where he worked on his flat stick. I took the time to clean his clubs. They needed cleaning! By the time I was done, they looked new. Once Jesse was done on the practice green, we moved to the first tee.
Now, I got lucky in that Jesse doesn't own a large tour bag. He has a nice, little stand bag with the 2 strap system. It was very nice to carry. Don't get me wrong, it was still heavy, but much more manageable. I also found out as we went along that Jesse had enough food in the bag to feed the entire course :)
It felt good to walk the course and work with someone who knows how to golf and plays at a much better level than me. It was just great to see how well they play the game and the course management they use. I even mentioned that on one hole I could guarantee that all members of the course would use driver but everyone of the players in our group used their 3 woods to place the ball in a better spot.
Now, I also have a bone to pick with my trainer. Day 2 stiffness from my leg workout kicked in about the 3rd hole. It was starting to become a real struggle to complete the course. I did do it, but the legs are killing me now. It could also have something to do with the fact that I was standing for 8.5 hours straight - but the stiffness definitely is a factor.
Jesse ended up 2 over for the day and has a real shot at making the cut tomorrow. I hope he does so that way I will still be working for the weekend.
I will have another update tomorrow. In the meantime, if you want to see how Jesse is doing, check out the website for the Canadian Tour.
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