kinkoshinkai’s BodyBlog

OK, the intensity program kicked my butt, and my niggling aches got the best of me.  That and life combined to tell my body to take a week off.  It didn’t kill me!!!  I actually healed pretty well, though when I went to do calf raises, I still felt some twinging.  Which leads me to my "observation du jour".

In any athletic activity, there are certain parts of your game that deteriorate first.  In tennis, the serve is usually the first to go.  In golf, it’s the tee shot/driver.  I discovered today, that my legs didn’t, apparently, do much last week, while I focussed mainly on school-work and sat around with books and papers.  So, in my weight training, my legs were the first to go. 

I suspect that had I at least taken some long walks, or engaged in some physical recreation, I would have maintained better, but I didn’t, and legs took a beating today.  Even though I told myself, "Hey, self!  Don’t worry about pushing too hard.  The intensity thing can back off a bit!", I still ended up pushing hard enough that walking out the gym door required a rest pause.  I actually considered calling a taxi to take me accross the parking lot to my car!  But I didn’t injure myself.  I accepted the ego beat-down of backing off the weight.  I only took 60 seconds between sets, so the intensity was good, and I mixed up the rep schemes on different exercises just for sh–’s and giggles.  I’ll feel it over the next two day, no doubt.

I’m currently using Flex magazines 3 month "Get Shredded" program from this year’s Feb issue.  I’m in month 2, which calls for Chest, shoulders, and tri’s Mon and Thurs, legs (quads, hams/glutes, and calves) Tues and Fri, and back, traps and bi’s on Wed and Sat.  It’s been a long time since I hit a bodypart twice in the same week.  After last month doing most everything in the 6-8 rep range and a minute or so rest between sets, this month is tougher and testing my cardio level substantially. 

The routine calls for 4 sets for the first body parts of 4 esercises.  The first two sets still in the heavy 6-8 rep range and the next two sets either 10-12 or up to 15 reps at a lighter weight.  I push pretty close to failure on most sets, and full failure on the last one or two, so the 30 second rest called for between sets really makes me huff and puff and sweat!!!! Then the last exercise for each body-part is done bi laterally, alternating sides one at a time for 15 reps back and forth non-stop for 4 sets.  Concentrations curls, cable laterals, dumbell rows, reverse grip tri-press on cables, leg extensions or lying leg curls done this way are TOUGH as finishers!!  I start biceps with 110 lb bar curls and can barely handle a 20-25 lb concentration curl at the end!!

BUT, I am seeing my abs more following the winter hibernation layer finally.  The amazing part to me is that I cannot afford the food to properly follow the diet plan (I barely eked out the money for some Scivation and Higher Power whey to get me through this month!), and I frequently skip the HIIT cardio just due to time and family constraints.  But it IS working, but seriously KICKIN’ MY EVERLOVIN’ ***!!!