Yesterday's Kickboxing Fiasco

Thursday I decided, that in spite of my knuckle wounds, I would still try to whack the Nexersys. I brought the big gloves to the gym. Gosh, I really hate them. After 10 minutes of steady state cardio just to warm up, and with band-aids on my knuckles, I donned the huge black gloves and did 5 rounds on the flaky left-side machine. It's so whacked out that I knock the screen blank several times. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop the action and by the time the screen reappears, I've missed several moves. Bummer. There goes Accuracy and Strikes. The motion is actually peeling the band-aids off my hands inside my gloves. Ugh.

Before I switch to the right-side machine, I run back to the locker room and grab some sports tape to wrap over both my hands. Which makes it harder to get my gloves on and off when the machine tells me I'm hitting too hard and I have to reset it by pushing a screen button with my finger. I miss a few moves because of this too. All the left-side pads to this machine are overly-sensitive so my jabs are registering 168%, which is ridiculous. I have to refrain from a full Left Dig and just tap that particular pad. Kicks, however, are hit-or-miss as to whether the machine registers them or not. Meanwhile, the right side of this machine barely registers any blow so a full out cross either scores me 89% Power, or I'm hitting too hard. I can't win. And my knuckles are still being scraped raw. Bleah.

I talk to the gym owner about proper hitting form. He's much taller than I am and was, just that morning, having a go at the machines. "Well, if you hit the pads straight on then you're hitting with the flat of your fist and not really knuckles. I don't have any knuckle bruising. But you're probably having to hit up to reach the Jab and Cross pads. That might be causing your hands to slide inside your gloves." He also recommended that I go to Sports Authority, or Dicks to try on kid's MMA gloves instead of dealing with online stores. I'm not sure I want to trek all the way to Danbury CT. Well, at least I got my workout done. And 8 min of Tabata afterwards. I really didn't think I was going to make it past 5, but once you get to 5 then the little voice in your head says, Well, you can probably do one more. And so on. Until you've actually finished what you set out to do. Cool.

Thursday Workout

Elliptical Training

Calorie :   96 CAL
Distance: 0.84 mile
Duration : 00:10:13

Nexersys Kickboxing machine

5 rounds Intermediate Follow Me avatar program

  Accuracy 81% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 117%

 

7 rounds Beginner Follow Me avatar program

  Accuracy 83% / Strikes 89% / Average Power 112%

 

Elliptical Training

8 min HIIT 

Calorie :   73 CAL
Distance: 0.74 mile
Duration : 00:10:00

Weakest Link is A Pinky

I can tell it's Winter regardless of what the calendar says because I've had to reset the mouse traps a few times already. When I say reset, I mean toss the little rodent body in the outdoor trash, wash off the old peanut butter because there's usually traces of blood in it, put new peanut butter in it and stick it in a slightly different spot. I really love these new plastic snap traps. They're so much easier to use and re-use than the old-fashion metal bar traps, and infinitely more humane than glue traps or warfarin. I've experienced the agony of a tiny critter screaming while its insides dissolved and I'm never doing that again.

I also keep refilling the bird feeder with sunflower seeds, figuring that's the most calorie-dense food I can provide other than suet. The squirrels aren't making this easy. I'd buy suet except the animal feed store burned down a few weeks ago and I always forget to look in the super market. The cold is making my dry skin positively cranky: fissures have formed on my thumb and index fingers. Sometimes I take a callous file to the sides of my fingers just to keep them feeling human. Lanolin and petroleum jelly are my friends in the winter.

Today is a rest day between lifting days so I can either whack the kickboxing machine, or do a full body workout. Since tomorrow's a Back Day, I figure it'd be best to spare my arms and elbows by not doing pull ups or inverted rows. 10 min cardio warm up, a quick stretch and then I'm wrapping my taped hands and stuffing them into my kickboxing gloves. But I can already tell that something's not quite right, as if the stiff padding atop my knuckles is actually part of the problem. My pinky knuckle is bruised by round 3 but since I doubt if anything's broken, and there's no sting (so I didn't rip any skin) I keep going until I've finished all my rounds. I'm not sure what else I can try.

A guy shows up to spar the machine next to me, He goes two rounds and then he's done. I guess that's kind of a work out. I'm not even really warm until round 4 or 5. When I'm done, I grab all my gear and sit by the Mats to unwrap my hands and put my hoodie back on. While I'm doing this, the same guy drops onto the Mat and tosses a small weighted ball into the air while he's laying on his back. He does this three or four times and then he's back to whatever he was doing before.

There's only one Precor elliptical free. All the others are occupied by women dutifully steady-state pedaling in a trance. I make a point of turning the TV off on my station because I need to focus on the timer. One minute of steady state to get started, then 15 seconds all out, as fast as I can, then 45 seconds of gasping for air and catching my breath before the next 15 second round. Repeat for 10 minutes. Done. The women on either side of me seems a bit befuddled. Whatever. Another quick stretch followed by some ab work and I'm done. Yaaaay!

Tuesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.75 miles (74 calories)
I'm amused that I seem to burn fewer calories but cover more distance below.

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 97% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 136%

11 min elliptical = 1 min steady state + 10 min Tabata  = 0.84 miles (82 calories)

50 crunches / 50 Pulse-ups / 50 alternating bicycles

photo posted for actual stats:

At Least I'm Consistent

Maybe it's a touch of OCD but I tend to be a bit compulsive in things I care about. At least it's nice to be consistent. Today I only let my son sleep in to 8:30 because I want to catch the 2nd showing of Big Hero 6, which opened last Friday. Because it's Veteran's Day, there's no school and I know the movies will be crowded. The gym child care room is not. Weird. I do my 10 minute cardio warm up which contains 4 minutes of Tabata (15 seconds On / 45 seconds Off) and then a quick cage stretch before I smack the kickboxing machine for a few rounds. Okay. Twelve rounds.

Nothing particularly different about today. I tape and wrap my hands before stuffing them into my pink kickboxing gloves. My right pinky knuckle is sore but I haven't scabbed anything up so that's good. I do spend a lot of time re-setting the machine because half my cross punches are too hard and stop the machine. Like I said, nothing much different. Except during the 10th round, some guy decides he needs to whack the other machine for a minute or two. He punches and jabs and kicks. There's a flurry of activity, but I'm not impressed. What did he do? A 3-minute round? Maybe it's because I spent my childhood watching bad Shaw Brother kung fu movies, but endurance and perseverance is ingrained into my vision of training.

After I strip off the gloves, wraps and tape, I put my hoodie back on and do 10 minutes of Tabata (1 minute steady-state to get into gear, then 10 minutes of 15 seconds On / 45 seconds Off). I feel pretty good. A quick lower back stretch and a basic upper back movement to prevent knots from forming under my shoulder blades and I'm off to the showers. My son and I buy our tickets with 45 minutes to spare so we wander up to the creperie restaurant. They're running a special on Tuesdays: buy one savory crepe and get one sweet crepe half price. My son orders berries and Nutella. I opt for the spicy Caribbean chicken stew crepe which is surprisingly tasty with tender chicken chunkes and a medley of olives. The salad is a bit wilted so I pick at that. By the time we get back to the theater, we hear grumbling about the show being sold out. Since we already have tickets, we just waltz right in. It pays to plan ahead.

Tuesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.78 miles (81 calories)
I'm amused that I seem to burn fewer calories but cover more distance below.

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 97% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 137%

11 min elliptical = 1 min steady state + 10 min Tabata  = 0.81 miles (78 calories)


photo posted for actual stats:

Buttered Rye Toast Has Done Me In

I'm exhausted today and I don't believe it's my workouts. No, I don't blame my increased cardio activity. Or upping my weights. Or even actually lifting real weights. Or the Halloween candy which consists mainly of Almond Joy, Mounds and Take 5 fun-size bars. I blame eating buttered rye toast with caraway seends. That, and being at the monthly Cub Scout planning committee meeting that runs from 7:30 to damn near 10 pm. I'd already ferried my son to kung fu, made dinner, and fed and walked the dog before we got to Cub Scouts. Luckily other parents brought their kids too so my son wasn't the only child there.

This morning is my son's early extra gym class (a PTO special) so I have to drive him to school an hour early. Today is also early kung fu, so I have to pick him up from school and drive him to class. Luckily, we have nothing after that and we both relish the idea of staying home for the evening even if it means struggling through the last of the Chinese school homework that's due Saturday morning. Tomorrow I'm also suppose to take my son to the local archery shop to shoot in their indoor range. And perhaps get some archery pointers. We're suppose to meet up with another child and his mom, but my son seems less than enthusiastic. I suspect their friendship is waning.

I tape and wrap my knuckles when I get into the locker room. I've brought scissors in my gym bag to cut neat strips of white tape. Every week I try positioning the tape a little differently over my right pinky knuckle. Today I've got a strip between the pinky and ring finger, overlapping both knuckles. Today my knuckles are sore and bruised after 12 rounds, but I don't get the familiar sting that signifies a rip in the skin. Maybe I've finally figured out how to tape my hands properly.

The machine is still flaky. I actually manage to land a blow that not only stops the machine, but temporarily causes the screen to blank as if I've hit the kill switch. Two seconds later and the screen is back up, but I have to be mindful of my punches. With three rounds to go, another person is suddenly whacking the machine to my right. He's wearing big gloves and seems to be sparring. I glance at the display. He's up for 4 rounds. Most people only do a few rounds. Not me. I like pushing limits of endurance and strength. Eventually I'll get back to 15 rounds (60 minutes). For now 12 rounds (48 minutes) is pretty good. And I haven't lost any skin off my knuckles.

Thursday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.74 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 96% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 137%

11 min elliptical = 1 min steady state + 10 min Tabata  = 0.82 miles

photo posted for actual stats:

Which is Sillier?

Which is sillier, me in a blonde fairy wig with elf ears, or me wearing boxing gloves that come half way up my forearms? I'll let you decide. Just don't hurt yourself laughing. The blonde wig was a steal at Kmart for $10. I've always wondered how weird I'd look as a blonde. The pointy ears makes it even better.

I'm still fighting a minor head cold so my HIIT cardio is adjusted for longer rest periods (15 seconds On / 45 seconds Off). I only do 4 minutes out of 10 for the warm up so I'm not very warm by the time I get to the kickboxing machine. But I do bust a good sweat in a few rounds because I'm less worried about really bruising my already battered knuckles. The gloves are a pain though because you have to take them off in order to sip the water bottle, and to tap the Continue Button after you hit the machine too hard and it stops you with that idiot Warning screen. Luckily, they slide off fairly quickly, but everything is slick with sweat. I'm not even sure how you air these things out.

I'm going to cut back and only hit the machine once next week, probably Friday, which is Halloween. I've got some black and orange clothes I can wear to match my over-sized black gloves. My Accuracy is down and so is my Power, probably because my hands still hurt, even with these gloves. But I get a good cardio workout that really tests my arm and shoulder endurance. You know you're tired when you notice that holding your hands up in front of your face is making your shoulders ache. I should go back to doing DB Lateral Raises next week, but I'll ease back into them.

I get a nice woman in the locker room to take a photo of me with my gloves on and we chat a bit about how much punching the bag hurts. Maybe because we have such small boney hands. Oh well... The gym scale reads 108.8 lbs which is fine since I demolished the 1.5 liters of water in my bottle. Now, off to the Home Depot to get plywood for the new printer...

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.76 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 96% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 132%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata  = 0.74 miles

photo posted for actual stats:

Rebellion is Brewing

When it rains, it pours. FedEx called yesterday to tell me that they were delivering my new printer today but that they needed a signature. I managed to contact a real live human and had a message sent to the driver to call me with a delivery time. After all, I can't just wait around all day for the delivery guy! Luckily he called just after I'd put my son on the school bus and I hadn't left for the gym yet. What great timing! He showed up 30 minutes later with the printer, extra ink and paper samples. Yay! Of course, the new printer is bigger than the old one so I already know that I need to get a piece of 30x20 plywood for my printer table. And it's raining today.

When I get home from the gym, there's another box waiting at the front door. It's another FedEx delivery, but this time it's my matte board and frames. Yay! The lovely sales rep at Blick.com told me to expect them no later than next Monday. Okay, I'm resigned to using what prints I have for my November show, but it'd be really grand if my new Pixima Pro100 worked better than my old S900. But at least I'm not dependent on it. That's one thing I'm really not comfortable with, being dependent.

I modify my HIIT cardio for more rest time and am surprised to see my SPMs (Strides Per Minute) pop up from a max of 270 to 282. When I first walk into the gym, I note a new person smacking the right-side Nexersys. I've never ever noticed this person before, and I can't even tell if it's male or female due to the unisex T-shirt and long pants. It's tall and skinny with glasses and an odd haircut that'd be longish for a guy (but not impossible) or a middle-aged woman. The person strikes blows with knees and elbows which means they're doing an Intermediate Level program, but their movement is so odd that it reminds me of a puppet. They're also slightly bucktooth. They're the perfect image of a stereotypic geek but I can't quite place where or who. And they're gone by the time I get to whack the machine.

My knuckles are on the verge of complete rebellion today even though they're wrapped and taped. Because they start to sting and burn halfway through the session, I know that my scores aren't going to be any better than Mondays. Between rounds 11 and 12, my godawful neighbor V stops by to chat and it's all I can do to be polite. There's only 60 seconds between rounds and I don't want to have to adjust my earphones, etc just for him to blather about the shed at the lake. I don't really know what he's rambling about (and I actually don't care either) but I suspect he's just trying to ingratiate himself into my good graces. Apparently he's been trying to push other neighbors into taking him shopping or running errands for him. And no one wants to do it. Because his attitude (before he got "sick") was that he couldn't be bothered to write down people's phone numbers, or emails, or save their text messages. It was always the other person who had to make the effort to contact him. Even though he's the one nagging about how lonely he is. What he really is, is an emotional vampire.

My knuckles still sting and burn so next week I'll cut back to just one day. But what will I do with myself the other 4 days. I guess I could intersperse lifting and other types of cardio... before I suffer from a complete rebellion.

Wednesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.79 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 97% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 136%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata  = 0.73 miles

50 crunches

photo posted for actual stats:

Abbreviated Cardio Kickboxing

Today's a double post because I didn't get around to posting yesterday. But I did work out although I did cut back a bit. I'm fighting a mild sinus infection and feel a bit run-down. Perfect for the seasonal changes to knock my body's immunity for a loop.

The Nexersys kickboxing machine isn't getting any better and there are times when I actually can't read anything on the screen. I modified my Tabata and cut the rounds on the kickboxing. Two days rest is not enough time to heal bruised knuckles so whacking the machine was a bit more painful than I'd like. But it's not enough to stop me from doing it. Maybe I'm dumb like that. But I note that even at only 12 rounds, it's a lot of punishment in total amount of blows. (Image at lower right shows Total Blows vs how many blows the machine actually called for.)

Monday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.76 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 95% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 138%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 6 min Tabata + 2 min steady state = 0.76 miles


photo posted for actual stats: 

When Your Body Fails You

I hate to admit this, but I'm going to have to cut back from my 3x week kickboxing the machine routine. Not that I don't love it because there's nothing more satisfying than being able to throw lightning-fast punches 14 rounds into your session and still maintain enough power to bring up the Warning: You Are Punching Too Hard screen. It's an awesome workout that combines both cardio stamina and strength endurance. But my hands are getting beat to crap. In spite of moleskin, white tape, cloth wraps AND gloves, my knuckles are bruised and scabbed. Yes, I have ridiculously small hands, even for a person of my size, and they're boney, veiny and sinewy. Not much meat on them and while I think that punching makes the bones thicker, I am worried about stress fractures and joint problems. Last night my knees and shins felt sore and achy. If it weren't for the fact that I'm 54 years old, I'd think they were growing pains.

Today I try the Gel Wraps with just taped knuckles and only get a few punches into round one before cancelling the session. Too painful. I pull those off, wrap my hands and stuff them into my old gloves. Yesterday I resorted to tossing them into the dryer on the low setting so they were actually dry after three days. Today I do 10 rounds at Beginner and 5 Intermediate. Halfway through the 2nd session, I feel the familiar sting and pinch between my right pinky and ring finger. Yep, that'd be about 12 rounds into it. I'm not sure what's happened exactly except that I've got a bruise and a scab there, but not from impacting the machine. A proper punch involves the first two knuckles (pointer and index finger). This has been happening for the past several weeks and I can't figure out why, except that perhaps my right hand can only handle 11 rounds before starting to fail, starting with the last knuckle. I'm disappointed in myself.

I've got moleskin and white tape wrapped around my left pointer where the edge of the Gel Wrap took the skin off. My old gloves come down further and don't bite into my left fingers, although they do on my right which is why I always wrap my right pointer with tape. Afterwards, I do my 10 min of cardio and then some abs before calling it done. The locker room is blissfully empty.

This morning there were several chatty women there, and one I'll call WoodyWoodpecker because of her shock of short red hair. She's a loud middle-aged woman who thinks nothing of driving diagonally through a parking lot because traffic rules don't apply to her. Today she really pissed me off because as I'm unloading my gym stuff into a locker, she puts her sneakered foot up on the bench, right next to my bag, like she's showing off her legs. After a few moments, I can't take it any longer and say to her, "Are those indoor shoes?" because the gym (and most martial arts schools) make a distinction between outdoor and indoor shoes. She says, "Oh you can wear these indoor and outdoors." WTF? They have what appear to be cleats on them. Then I say, "I'm sorry, but can you take your feet OFF the bench then." She's so flummoxed that she's actually quiet for a second before whispering to The Apple (whom she was chatting with), "Uh, I gotta go use the bathroom." Because really, what's she gonna say to me? At least I didn't say to her, "Were you raised in a barn!?" because that's what my grandmother would've said.

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.78 miles

Nexersys 10 rounds Beginner Follow Me (40 min)
  Accuracy 97% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 139%

Nexersys 5 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (20 min)
  Accuracy 86% / Strikes 102% / Average Power 95%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata = 0.76 miles

25 crunches / 50 bicycle alternating knee to elbow / 25 pulse-ups

photos posted for actual stats: 

Hump Day Blues

It's unseasonably warm at near 80°F, so I've delayed swapping the screens for storm panels on our doors. Today the school bus was 5 minutes early and we were 2 minutes late, so my son had to run down the hill in order to make the bus. It's promising to be a weird day. My neighbor is very chatty and while I don't mind being friendly, I find that this morning conversation really saps my momentum when I'm trying to get to the gym. Still, I do make it and even manage to tape my hands beforehand.

I have new "gel" wraps because my gloves are STILL wet even though I rinsed them out two days ago. I may resort to tossing them into the dryer! I do my 10 minute cardio warm up but change the Tabata to 5 minutes of 15 seconds On and 30 seconds Off. Then I tap in 12 rounds at Beginner Level. Halfway through the program, the screen blinks ominously and the blue disappears out of the magenta band. Uh oh. This makes reading various combinations difficult, and some signals disappear altogether. And then, during the last round, I feel my right pinky knuckle sting. It always happens during the 12 round and I'm not sure why. Today I put a small bandaid on it, under the tape and cloth wrap, but it didn't really help. Worse, my left hand pointer first joint is chafing against the edge of the glove. It takes the skin right off. Which detracts from my accuracy and punching power. If my gloves aren't dry by Friday, I'll have to tape both pointer fingers as well as my knuckles.

I'm not really in the mood for the ending 10 minutes of cardio, but I do it anyway, sticking to 2 minutes of steady state followed by 8 minutes of 15 seconds On and 30 seconds Off. Then a quick stretch and off to shower. Done. Yaaaay!

Hump Day Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 5 min Tabata + 2 min steady state = 0.79 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 96% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 134%

Nexersys 3 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (12 min)
  Accuracy 84% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 90%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata = 0.77 miles

photos posted for actual stats: 

Mondays Are Hard

We were out all weekend so today was really hard. Not only did I only get a mouthful of oatmeal for breakfast, but I got to the gym late. It's cold and damp as well. I do my 10 min cardio with 4 min HIIT and then 15 rounds of kickboxing the Nexersys machine. The last 10 min of cardio is rough and I don't feel up to a full 8 minutes of HIIT so I only do 6. It's enough. I knock out some crunches and call it a day.

Monday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.79 miles

Nexersys 15 rounds Beginner Follow Me (60 min)
  Accuracy 97% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 136%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 6 min Tabata + 2 min steady state = 0.74 miles

25 Crunches / 25 Bicycles / 25 Pulse Ups

photo posted for actual stats: 

 

Progress in Small Increments

The tank is
Violet, not Blue

Last night's Cub Scout planning meeting ran long and both my son and I were exhausted by the time we got home. Thankfully, we'd already had dinner and finished all homework before we went. We were probably over tired because neither of us could fall asleep right away once either. I got up this morning to walk the dog and get breakfast ready. Oddly my son popped awake as well, wondering if coming home 15 minutes early meant he had to leave for school 15 m
inutes early. He didn't. Our school is dismissing 15 minutes early due to Emergency Planning Testing where we have to "prove" we have a plan should there be an emergency. Frankly, it doesn't really prove anything.

I tell myself that maybe I won't do HIIT cardio before I kickbox the machine but I do anyway. Even though I'm warm by round 3, I don't really feel loose until round 8 when I'm really drenched. By round 12 I'm debating whether I should just call it done. But I'm never easy on myself so I punch in 3 rounds of Intermediate. I get into a good rhythm for most of my rounds and it shows in the increased power scores on both the Beginner and Intermediate sessions.

Lately my right pinky knuckle has been getting bruised halfway through my session. Which is odd because punches land between the first two knuckles and the pinky is nowhere near the point of impact. I'm thinking it might be residual force (from my first two knuckles) spreading across the leading edge of my hand. I'll have to put a bandaid on that knuckle next time, before I wrap my hand in white tape, before I use the cloth wraps, before I stuff my hands into my all-so-fragrant gloves.

I tell myself that maybe I won't do the 10 minutes of cardio after kickboxing, but find myself marching up the cardio platform and climbing aboard the elliptical. I tell myself maybe I won't do 8 minutes of Tabata. Maybe I'll ease back down to 4 or 5 minutes, but I don't because once I've done 6 minutes, well, what's another two?

I snap a few awful selfies in the locker room. I can't quite get the hang of right side photos, but at least I don't look like I'm wasting away. I was worried for a split second that I was starting to get scrawny. But that's sooo not true. I compare my numbers from the last few kickboxing sessions and I see that my numbers are better. Granted the machine is still glitchy and purple, and I didn't get horrible combinations tossed at me for the three Intermediate rounds. Still, it's nice to think there's progress. I am thinking of pulling back on the kickboxing. Maybe three times a week is too much for my bony knuckles to handle. I miss lifting, but I don't miss spending a lot of time at the gym. It's hard to modify a program that seems to be showing results. Maybe I won't decide just yet.

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.8 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)   Accuracy 97% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 142%

Nexersys 3 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (12 min)
  Accuracy 89% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 115%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata = 0.76 miles

photos posted for actual stats: 

Shoot, Even I Think I'm Fast

I had to write a list out in order to remember all the stuff I gotta do. Found out it's cheaper to book airline tickets directly than using the time-share travel agent (the agent herself actually told me this!) because they don't get any fees from the airlines. So to save myself $25 per person on fees, I looked online and discovered that I can save an additional $75 per person if I do something like book with AA and depart out of JFK but return to LaGuardia. Good thing I'm planning on using a car service instead of long-term parking!

Oh, can't forget to book a dog sitter. And renew the dog's license this month. And pay for next year's summer camp. And triple check to see if my son wants to attend the mini-camp on Monday because there's no school and camp is offering activities and lunch from 10-3. He'd see old friends, but he's not terribly enthused. My guess is that he'd rather be playing Minecraft and camp is strictly no electronic devices.

I still haven't taken apart the S900 Canon printer but I've cleared my son's playroom table and covered it with newspapers. Meanwhile, the new Canon Pixima printer arrived today so I dragged the box in and left it by the sofa in the living room. Now to call the plumber, get the laundry into the dryer, and finalize the Invitational Postcard for my November show at the library.

As per my HIIT cardio and kickboxing routine, I do 10 minutes of cardio with 4 min standard Tabata (15 sec On / 15 sec Off), stretch and then attack the Nexersys. 12 rounds Beginner followed by 3 rounds Intermediate. The purple band across the screen is bigger than it used to be. The machine is still glitchy for certain rounds. But I notice that I can be really, really fast on my combinations, especially the Jab Cross rounds. I don't think it's my imagination either. But it could be.

I finish with 10 more minutes of cardio: 2 min steady state followed by 8 minutes of 15 sec On / 30 sec Off. It feels pretty good. A quick lower and upper back stretch and some crunches. I cut my reps down to 25 per set. I smell like cat pee. Ugh. I read an article last month that suggests that people who train very hard see changes to odd things like their saliva, leading, inexplicably to more cavities. I know my dentist has been complaining lately that I have more tartar than usual, although I'm fairly compulsive about brushing and flossing. Another thing I've recently noticed is that my sweat seems different. Now the white tape on my knuckles are stained yellow when I unwrap. And now there are sweat stains on the whites sections of my workout clothes. I wash my gear as soon as I get home but still the stains persist. Thank goodness for black clothes!

Wednesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.81 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)   Accuracy 96% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 140%

Nexersys 3 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (12 min)
  Accuracy 84% / Strikes 101% / Average Power 98%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata = 0.74 miles

3x 25 Crunches

photos posted for actual stats: 

Monday Workout

Got to the gym late because I had to order a part for my photo printer. I have a show to put up for November at the library in Montrose NY. This printer has worked flawlessly for years and I can still buy ink at Staples or online. But the Waste Ink Absorption Pad is almost full is an error message I've never seen before. Well, Canon discontinued making that part three years ago. WTH? I have an unopened 6-pack of ink I just purchased! I ordered a new printer and it should be here by Wed or Thursday. There are DIY forums that suggest I can dissemble my printer and gently wash the ink pads. I'm going to give that a shot since I don't really have anything to lose.

Meanwhile, it's my wedding anniversary but my hubs is away on business. He's not really the sentimental, romantic sort. Sometimes I wish he was. But I'm not really that sort either. Still, it'd be nice if I didn't have to poke him to remember these things.

I changed my HIIT cardio a little. The warm up is the same 10 minutes with 4 min of 15 secs On followed by 15 secs Off, then 3 min steady state. The Nexersys machine still has a purple band across the screen. And round 14 shouldn't really count because the program got really wonky, flashing odd combinations that it didn't actually score properly. My ending cardio program started with 2 min steady state but I changed the HIIT to 15 sec On, followed by 30 sec Off for the remainder 8 minutes. It felt pretty good. A quick Mat Stretch and a few crunches (50). Done.

Monday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.79 miles

Nexersys 15 rounds Beginner Follow Me (60 min)
  Accuracy 96% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 139%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata = 0.75 miles

50 Crunches

photo posted for actual stats:

Friday Workout

I'm changing my tail end 10 min cardio routine a tad, from the 5 or 6 min Tabata (15 sec On / 15 sec Off) to 8 min of 15 sec On / 45 sec Off. I need that longer recovery period to keep my heart rate reasonable. Data from the Beginner and Intermediate rounds suggests that I should probably spend more time in the latter since my power is closer to 100% there. It's a beautiful day and I hate the fact that I spend most afternoons indoors, working at my computer. Oh well... at least I got out this morning with my son. Oddly, my town's schools are all closed due to Yom Kippur which doesn't actually start until sundown today. At the next town over, where my gym is located, schools are all in session. Oh well...

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.82 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 97% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 137%

Nexersys 3 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (12 min)
  Accuracy 85% / Strikes 101% / Average Power 100%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 8 min Tabata = 0.73 miles

3x 50 Crunches

photos posted for actual stats:

Sore and Tired? Not an Excuse, Just an Incentive.

Today's
post-workout
selfie

I woke up this morning surprised that the back of my upper arms (triceps) were a tad sore. Must've been all those push ups as they add up to just shy of 200 (3x50=150 + 3x15=45 totals 195). I'm not putting on size (thankgoodness!) but my arms get a good pump and I feel that I'm maintaining if not increasing my strength. It's what I've been after all along.

I'm definitely not getting enough sleep either, but that doesn't stop me from going to the gym for my standard 10 minute cardio "warm up" with 4 minutes Tabata. At least I do get warm from it. I have to remind myself to inhale as deeply as I can because I tend to pant in a rather shallow fashion, and that sort of breathing isn't very productive. Uh oh, there's a weird purple-magenta band about 4 inches high running across the entire width of the screen on the left kickboxing machine. The color seems to bleed through sporadically during the video demonstration, but is fairly static during the Follow Me Avatar Program. I punch in 12 rounds because I intend to get another 3 at the Intermediate Level.

The color band becomes really distracting when the avatar body develops a purple-green halo around it's torso that resembles fluttering insect wings. Still, it's not enough for me to interrupt my program. After I finish the 12 rounds, I mention the screen issue to the front desk, and to J who is actually training on the adjacent cable machine. "You should try the right-side machine. I fixed a bunch of the sensors," he tells me. So I move all my gear to the other machine and punch in 3 rounds of Intermediate. It's not horrible, but still glitchy. It still doesn't register my Lead Sweep, and sometimes Power Kick. It jumbles a series of combinations and doesn't register all the blows either. Ugh. But it works. Sort of.

10 more minutes of cardio for a "cool down", but it's not a cool down. Especially since I upped the Tabata to 6 minutes. I'm drenched again so thankgoodness I'm wearing my hoodie to blot everything. I take a few minutes on the Mat to do a quick set of crunches and stretch out my upper and lower back. I see D and we discuss the Nexersys, and being a married single parent. She has 3 boys so I really have nothing to complain about. She shows me where the reset button is on the machines as well. She's going to have a go at the newly-fixed right-side machine. I'll be back to whack the machines on Friday. Tomorrow is Bench and Row day. If I can get on the Smith machine.

Wednesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.8 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 98% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 140%

Nexersys 3 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (12 min)
  Accuracy 82% / Strikes 95% / Average Power 108%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 6 min Tabata + 2 min steady state = 0.79 miles

50 Crunches

photos posted for actual stats: 

<Note the purple band running the width of the screen

<Right-side machine doesn't have screen issues

Different Day, Different Ache

My lower back and legs seem fine today although my knees are occasionally twingey. 59°F is almost balmy when I take the dog for a walk. He's feeling very frisky for 11 years old and he wants to romp in the yard and roll in, what I can only guess is, deer and/or bunny poo. My hubs is off to Boston for a few days again, but last night he parked at the other end of our property so I can get out of the driveway. He doesn't actually have to be in Boston until 8 pm but he needs to check into his hotel which isn't as near the airport as he'd like. He'll get home on Friday and then Saturday, he and I are taking a bow seminar (designed to increase accuracy skills) at Practical Primitive in New Jersey. It's going to be another exhausting weekend. On the other hand, I put a few gooseberries in my oatmeal this morning. I like the way they taste, but I love the way they look in their papery leafy wrappers. Makes me want to put them into a collage of some sort.

10 min cardio warm up with 4 min Tabata gets me a tad warm. I stretch my hamstrings at the Cage before proceeding to the Nexersys kickboxing machine. My right shoulder has been a little twingey since last night so I wonder how I can get my workout done and not aggravate anything. Instead of 15 rounds Beginner Level Follow Me, I enter 12. If my shoulder holds up, I'll do 3 rounds at Intermediate Level because I miss it. And I feel as if I've been slacking.

Through "trial and error" I discover that if I keep my Cross low, my shoulder doesn't hurt. I can't quite figure out the Accuracy rating for the early rounds because I know I've hit all my targets properly, but I tend to Hit Too Hard and that always lowers the score. The one round I manage to make 100% is the one round where my power is the lowest, probably because I'm concentrating so hard on not stopping the machine. The 3 rounds at Intermediate Level move quicker so I'm actually working harder. It feels good once I get used to the new tempo.

My first round sucks, but I get progressively better. The 2nd round is quite telling though: I register 105% for Strikes because I'm hitting the pads every time they light up. Some of them aren't actually suppose to be lit, but the impact of my blows is causing a ripple effect in the sensors. I still hate the awkward cross-body combinations like Jab-Power Kick, Cross-Lead Sweep, and Cross-Power Kick. Those tend to throw me off balance for a moment as I change my footing for each blow. Once I get a rhythm going, however, it feels as effortless and graceful as dancing. I notice this especially when the U2 song The Miracle comes on. It has the perfect beat for stepping forward to Jab, pull back, Cross punch, pull back. Sessions like that make the entire 15 rounds worth it.

All the Precor's are taken so I resort to using the LifeFitness Cross-trainer for my last 10 min of cardio (and 5 min tabata). I actually do 6 min of Tabata because I'm a tad uncomfortable with doing 20 seconds of "move as fast as you can" followed by 10 seconds of "catch my breath but don't stop moving" on this machine. It's much harder to switch gears in such a short period of time, especially when the machine admonishes you to pick up the pace.

Afterwards, I do some abs (Torso Twist machine) and change my crunches to add a variation: alternate knee bicycling, crunches, pulse-ups. I'm so pre-occupied with remembering to go to the store after the gym that I completely forget to weigh myself. The kindergartner apparently has been home sick with pneumonia, or at least that's what the school bus drive told me this morning. I want to get a get well card and a small plush for me and my son to walk up to her house later today.

Tomorrow is suppose to rain buckets, but my son and I plan to go to the gym anyway. I'll do my abbreviated workout (push ups and pull ups and cardio) and then we'll check out the new creperie that opened next to the gym. My son has been dying to try a crepe. I see that they have Cuban sandwiches, which is one of my husband's favorite. If it's good, I'll have to snap a photo and send him some food porn to make up for all the photos of sushi boats and heavenly ramen bowls that he sends me. Yeah, it's that kind of relationship.

Wednesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.81 miles

Nexersys 12 rounds Beginner Follow Me (48 min)
  Accuracy 96% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 141%

Nexersys 3 rounds Intermediate Follow Me (12 min)
  Accuracy 87% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 109%

10 min cross-trainer = 2 min steady state + 6 min Tabata + 2 min steady state = 1.13 miles

Torso Twist Machine: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs

50 alternating bicycles / 50 crunches / 50 pulse ups

photos posted for actual stats:

Welcome DOMS

It's not often I wake up with DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Today my hamstrings and to a lesser extent, my glutes, are a bit sore. Must've been those Smith SLDLs followed by Glute Ham Raises on the Lat Pull Down station. I must be doing them right! The rest of me feels okay though, or at least I don't register any soreness until I start kickboxing the machine. Hmmm. My back is a tad sore too. Guess I did those Smith RG BB Rows right too. What's not sore is my chest, delts and triceps because, as I've said before, Benching isn't nearly as hard as doing Push Ups for reps. Don't believe me? Try getting three sets of 50 reps. Toss in a few Hammer Grip Pull Ups between your sets. Yep, I'm daring you.

My plan was to continue with cardio 3x next week, a body weight workout one day next week, and one day for actual weight training. Except I forgot that there's no school next Thursday and Friday due to the High Holy Days. So I'll have my son with me. Which means Abbreviated workouts. Okay, no problem. I'll just lift weights on Tuesday, and pray I can get use of the Smith machine. Today there's a father-son tag team on the Smith. Good thing I'm just doing HIIT cardio on the elliptical, and whacking the Nexersys. Oh, and some crunches and pulse-ups for good measure to end the week.

I see a few regulars today. The parking lot is ridiculously crowded but there aren't that many people at the gym. It's puzzling. It's a beautiful crisp Autumn day so maybe everyone's gone for a run outside? Again, I'm not really warmed up after 10 min of cardio. Round 4 is when I start sweating. But at least I didn't actually blank the machine today although I did stop it more than once. There is one combination round that continues to flummox me because I can't seem to center myself quick enough so my accuracy is lower for that round than any other. It's a right Cross followed by a Lead Kick. I usually stand with my left forward so I have to body cross to punch, and then step back slightly to use the left foot to lead kick, otherwise I'm too close and the kick is paltry and barely registers. But the power is good and I make most of my strikes. It's very satisfying.

Friday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.81 miles

Nexersys 15 rounds Beginner Follow Me (60 min)
  Accuracy 98% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 142%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 5 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.83 miles

50 crunches / 50 pulse ups / 50 crunches

Photos posted for actual stats:

Constant Progression is Difficult

This week is a bit crazy so I'm glad I haven't signed my son up for any martial arts classes yet besides the one kung fu class he takes after the two hour Chinese school class on Saturdays. Yesterday we'd volunteered to be part of the recruitment table for Cub Scouts at our grade school's "Back To School" night for grades K-2. Tonight is grades 3-5 so my son and I will have to be at school by 6:30 pm to ensure we get a parking spot. Tomorrow is the Cub Scout Pack Meeting which runs from 7 to 8:30 pm. Through all this, my son has agreed to do 30 min on the elliptical in the garage right after school (while watching youtube videos on his iPad, because the iPad has a timer) in order to win a pack of Pokemon cards each week. But we also want to get all his grade school and Chinese school HW out of the way, which doesn't leave much time for dinner, much less feeding and walking the dog. Luckily, we can usually reheat leftovers for the first few nights. Last night we ate dinner after we got back from school. It would probably help if he got home sooner than 4 pm, but that's not the case.

I'm tired when I get up this morning. Instead of putting an egg in my oatmeal, I decide to add a scoop of protein powder to it after it's cooked. I don't like the results because the oatmeal is too soupy. The dog's unhappy because usually I let him lick the bowl, but since this is mocha-cappucino flavor, the bowl goes directly into the sink after I'm done. Tomorrow I'm putting an egg in it. The dog will be happy too.

It takes me a while to get to the gym. I have to call the plumber again because even though the leak is fixed, the water flow seems restricted for both the cold and hot water taps. Now I have to order new parts from Kohler and then the plumber will return to install them. Again.

I'm also concerned about my new eye drops because they appear different in the bottle. Normally it's difficult to discern the level of the clear, colorless liquid in the bottle. This time, the meniscus appears thick and foamy, like egg whites and that's disturbing. The pharmacist checks her other bottles but they all appear the same way. My ophthalmologist notes my concern but hasn't heard anything regarding any new formulations of this particular drug. Okay, maybe I'm just paranoid. But news of those patients who died from fungal contaminated steroids is still fresh in my mind.

I tape my hands before I get to the gym and make a mental note to buy more sports tape (but I completely forget while I'm grocery shopping afterwards). Ten minutes of cardio (4 min of Tabata) barely warms me up. I don't actually break a sweat until the 3rd round of whacking the Nexersys. I actually hit the machine so hard with a right Cross that the screen goes completely blank for a moment. Uh oh. I've broken it. But then it flashes back on again. Whew! Kickboxing the machine is a constant battle between punching hard but not too hard (detracts from accuracy points) and scoring accurately, but not pulling back so much that the blow registers less than 100%. By the 14th round I start to lose a little focus, and I have to remind myself that I should finish strong.

I do 10 more minutes of cardio (5 min Tabata) and stretch out my lower back on the Mat. Oh yeah, I should do some abs. Knock out some crunches, pulse-ups and then more crunches (sets of 50). Done. Yay! Tomorrow I'm going to give some serious thought to using the Smith machine again. If I can get on it. I'd still like to keep the body weight movements in my routine, but maybe whittle that down to once a week. Just to change things up. Change is good.

Wednesday Workout

10 min elliptical = 3 min steady state + 4 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.79 miles

Nexersys 15 rounds Beginner Follow Me (60 min)
  Accuracy 98% / Strikes 99% / Average Power 139%

10 min elliptical = 2 min steady state + 5 min Tabata + 3 min steady state = 0.80 miles

50 crunches / 50 pulse ups / 50 crunches

Photos posted for actual stats: