Stretch X today. Just what the doctor ordered. I wasn't pumped up and ready to take on the world when I was done with this one. I was relaxed and my body felt a ton better. My neck is still messed up, but that one may take a while to heal.
Not much sweating or upping the heart rate today so I went on an hour long walk with the wife and kid tonight. Beautiful night to stroll around downtown Lexington, KY.

Diet today sucked. I couldn't get away from my desk to make my shake at 10am or at 2pm so I just went without. It was not good to go that long without eating. I'm going to have to make alternative plans for days when I'm stuck at the desk. Maybe some of those Myoplex Lite bars - anyone have other suggestions? Thanks Big Papa.

You should make your shakes at home and keep them in one those mini cooler contraptions. That way if you're real busy throughout the day all you gotta do is pop open that white and blue (or red) little box and gulp down greatness!

Back to the beginning today - Workout 8 - Chest/Back

I did a lot better than the first day. About the same number of reps, but less down time for recovery.
Still used the band instead of pull-ups. I hope that days 60-90 I can actually do some regular pull-ups.
Push ups went well. Diamond push-ups are tough.

Ab Ripper X also today
This goes better every time I do it.

Really got a good sweat again today. I'll step on the scale again this weekend - hopefully there are some visible improvements.

Neck is still messed up. If it stays this way I'll probably head to a doc or PT person on Monday.

Way to go. Even though you did the same amount of reps you improved your work by not having to take as long of breaks as before. Keep it up!

Friday - Plyometrics Workout #9
This workout makes me sweat a river! I took very few breaks today and got a great workout. There is no quesiton that I need to work to continue to get lower in my stance on some of the exercises like the one where you do defensive slides... and I need to work to jump higher and higher, but the first week I had to stop several times just to gather myself. Today I was able to go the distance (minus a couple seconds at the end of a couple of exercises).
I'm not going to weigh in again until tomorrow after the morning workout and I'm hoping to be 308 or less.... we'll see.

Big Papa

Workout #10 Today
At home I use the bands. My man Scottie Too Hottie came over and we brought it this morning. Arms were BLASTED today. Last week we brought home dumbells - today the bands worked way better. I like the way you can adjust the tension just by moving my feet or making the loop bigger.
I'm going to try to post a picture later tonight where my son Luke joined us.


Weigh in today 308.5!!!!! That's post workout so I probably am legit 310, but that's definitely headed in the right direction for me.

Ab Ripper X today also.
I didn't have time to do ab ripper with Scott so he took it home while I took my little girl to her dance class. I got a 50 minute walk in while she was there. My wife and I found a historic district of Lexington we'd never been to before. It had some awesome older homes. Anyway, I picked up Ab Ripper on the way home and did it by myself. Today was the first time that I actually did all 25 reps on each exercise because I could push pause. The 16 minute workout took me about 30 minutes to finish today, but my abs actually got a MUCH better workout. I may have to do that one at home from now on (maybe in addition to doing the abbreviated version with my partners).

Pretty jacked about the whole program right now.

Big Papa

PS - Last night after getting home from work and the Plyo workout I hit the couch and watched some of the olympics. I went to bed about 9:30 and woke up at just before 8am this morning... I think my body needed some rest

Workout 11 - Yoga

Still my least favorite by a mile, but I did do better today. It was nice to have some idea what was coming. Last week I kept coming up out of the position so I could see the tv and know what I was supposed to do next. Today I was able to get a lot more time in the positions. I avoided the shoulder press series altogether so I didn't put that pressure on my neck again. It's a lot better, but still not exactly right.
I will say that my flexibility has improved quite a bit in a week - as has my balance.
I still do most of the upward dog poses as Cobra (knees on the ground) I think that will improve as more weight comes off.
Overall - glad I pushed play.

Later in the evening went for a 2.5 mile walk. Nice night. Good sweat.

Big Papa

Workout 12 - Shoulders and Legs

I went into this workout feeling a bit weaker than I usually do. I'm blaming it on being a Monday. I did 1 real pull up on my own today before moving to the band again.
It was a solid workout and I was dripping with sweat when we finished. I just didn't feel as strong on all the pull ups. The leg exercises were good. My balance and flexibility continue to improve also.
Ab Ripper X today also. Better, but still not as good of an ab workout as when I did it alone because I paused it to get in every rep. Still considering taking it home to do later in the evening.

Pressing on...
Big Papa

This morning when I went to put on my belt I had to go one hole farther than normal!!!

One small step at a time.

Big Papa

Workout 13 - Kenpo

I like this workout a lot. Partially because I picture the faces of various people who get on my nerves while I punch and kick, pratially because I'm able to get through the entire workout without stopping and I do every rep as we go. Since my #1 goal is to lose weight and get in better shape, the cardio workout I get in this one is solid.
My partners did some bench press after the workout, but I just put my pants back on, tightened my belt one notch tighter than normal and went to make my protien shake.
Went on a walk/stroll tonight with the wife and kids. Rain is on the way so we didn't go too far from home.

Still pushin' play - Big Papa

Workout 14 - Stretch X

Took some kids on a field trip today so I didn't get to do this one with my partners. Took it home and got it done tonight. Good stretch. I did everything but Plough. I'm still waiting a while before I try that one again. Flexibility continues to improve. Had a little kink in my lower back today - the very last stretch where he has us do child's pose but move our hands to the side got just the right spot.
Back to some major intensity tomorrow.

Bring it. Big Papa

Day 15 - Chest and Pull Ups

Today we brought it. Scottie too Hottie was fired up. Every time we would get ready to do a set, he'd have us call out how many we planned to do. Then when everyone was done with their number he'd say - Alright boys - we've still got 10 seconds - rep out 5 more. It was the hardest we've attacked a workout yet.

Ab Ripper - I got 15 reps on each one today. I decided to do one leg up crunches since I'm not able to climb my leg yet. Leg scissors still just kill me.

Can't remember the last time I exercised 15 days in a row. This afternoon we'll do plyo together then the challenge of pushing play at the in-law's house on a holiday weekend!!!!!! No Excuses! Big Papa

Day 16 - Plyo

Plyo rocks. I get a major sweat and I'm able to do all the moves. I don't squat low enough on the squat jacks and I still work at jumping higher on the squat jump stuff, but it's a good one.



Day 17 - Shoulders and Arms

I brought the DVD's to my mother in law's house. My brother in law is an associate pastor at the local mega-church so I was able to use their workout room to BRING IT. It's not as fun to do the workouts without my partners, but I pushed play and worked hard. This workout I usually do at my house so I use a band. Today I had all the dumb bells I could ever need and got a much more strenuous workout. I like the bands, but I'm feeling it tonight and I know it's from using the free weights.
All in all - a good day.

Day 18 - Yoga

Yoga is finally getting tolerable. I'm still at the mother-in-law's so any excuse to get out of the house will work, but I have actually made some improvements to the point that I'm not just attempting to do the moves, I'm actually fine tuning so that I feel the best stretch/balance/etc. I'm still skipping a couple of the moves - plough, the one where you twist backwards and grab hands between your legs... but it's come a long way in a few weeks.

I encourage everyone to give yoga a shot. No one could hate it more than I did the first week when I messed up my neck... but it has value.

Big Papa


PS - My niece and her husband came to my mother-in-law's house today from New Orleans. If you're a religious person and could send up a prayer for them and all the people who have had to evacuate - I'd appreciate it. She lost just about all of her worldly posessions in Katrina before she was married. Her husband is having a tough time watching CNN and TWC. Thanks - BP

Day 19 - Legs and Back

So it's Labor Day and I'm working out at home tonight. AFter a 5 hour drive back from Paducah I get out of the car and put in the video. The legs went well, but I didn't plan ahead and bring home one of the big bands I use at school in place of pull-ups. I couldn't get enough tension out of the small bands I have at home. It ended up being just a leg workout. I still got a great sweat out of the workout, but it sucked that I didn't have the right equipment to get done what I needed to get done. I'm probably going to have to guy a pull up bar for home for situations like this one.

On a positive note- normally when I get home from a big road trip I plop down in the recliner and grab a bag of popcorn or chips and veg out. Legs for 40 minutes is much better than that... Do your best - forget the rest.

Big Papa

Day 20 - Kenpo

Worked up a solid sweat, but today was (dare I say) - kind of easy. We worked hard and encouraged each other to go even faster than they did on the tape so that we could get more reps in. I smile when I think about 3 weeks ago and how hard it was to get through it during week 1.
Good stuff - Big Papa

it does get enjoyable and (dare I say) easy at times, and then Plyo day comes and you're reminded oh yeah "I really don't like Tony"

Day 21 - Stretch X

Good for the body.

Also went for a one hour walk with my wife today.

Big Papa

Day 22 - Yoga

This waws the first time we've done Yoga as a group. The boys didn't care for it too much. They are both in really good shape and felt like they didn't get a great workout. Since we did Stretch X the day before they felt like it was kind of overkill.
I liked it. I sweat as much on Yoga day as I do on Plyo day. I don't know why, but all that Upward Dog to Downward Dog for the first 45 minutes really gives me a good workout.

So I don't even attempt Crane - I take the Child's Pose option instead. My boys want to show off and do it. Both of them get up on their hands... and when they tilt forward they totally CRASH and BURN. Ryan landed on his shoulder and fell in a heap. Scott tucked his head and ended up doing a forward roll. I don't know that our minds were clear, but we were laughing our asses off.
Good stuff. Big Papa

PS - I tried to do Plough again today. The shoulder stand went pretty well, but I was still feeling some pressure on my neck if I tried to put my legs over my head at all, so I just stayed in shoulder stand.