|
|||||||
The Gym Put on your sweats and come on in. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
||||
|
||||
TapOutXT..why do I do this to myself?
Decided I was interested in more functional strength and less pushing heavy things around in the gym due to the aches and recovery periods increasing exponentially, so I opted to give this program a whirl. I chose it largely due to its portability derived from not requiring anything other than a couple of rubber resistance bands, a pair of weighted gloves, and a towel. It's loosely based on MMA moves.
The first workout in the series is called Cross Core Combat. It's all about core stability and has you do various "combat" strikes while keeping the core engaged--it's also very sphinx pushup-centric. The pace is grueling (for a beginner) and your heart rate will go up pretty quickly as you engage stabilizer muscles you're not used to using on top of other major muscle groups in executing the strike moves. I regularly squat ~380 and still bench ~180 even after the shoulder surgery, but this flat wore my butt out. P90X was not nearly as difficult to keep up with. My wife regularly does P90X workouts and runs 5 mi several times a week and even she balked at some of this. Tomorrow: Strength Force Upper & Abs, so if'n I ain't dead in 90 days.....
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
|
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Stamina and cardio will take time to get use too. Just stay with it.
Good goin
__________________
Doofbag Fer EverI smell Fish |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
Day 2: Strength & Force Upper, and Abs
This one was a series of various push-up styles followed by an shoulder/arm move with a band. The pace, like yesterday, was fast--faster than P90X by an appreciable margin. It is currently beyond me to keep up w/ it--thankfully I have a pause button My arms are jello after 2 days of more push-ups than I could count. Had to go to the knees to get some of today's later moves w/ any semblance of good form. The abs workout has some of the same moves as P90X, but there are a few others that I just could not manage at all. The one funny thing I've noted about the DVDs is that unlike Tony Horton's back-up dancers in P90X, the crew behind Mike Karpenko is not all at the same level of fitness. In other words, you don't have to feel like a total grabastic piece of amphibian shite, because there is probably someone on the screen doing worse than you. Tomorrow: DOMS and Plyometrics....
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
#5
|
||||
|
||||
Day 3, 4, and 5.....
Day 3 should sound familiar to anyone who's done P90X--Plyometrics. This is similar to Horton's workout, but again pulls in more of what could be termed martial arts moves, but probably only by someone who's not a martial artist. One significant difference I note is that Karpenko is very much keeping the emphasis on core engagement throughout the whole program, while Horton seemed to concentrate on upper back development via pull-ups. Day 4, again should sound familiar from P90x--Yoga. There was not as much single leg work as P90X, and the workout is a bit shorter--50 mins. It still had me sweating from merely twisting around and holding various body parts up in the air in uncharacteristic style. It ended with a short ab workout. Day 5, today, was legs & back. This one relies on a big rubber band hooked around various appendages, unlike Horton's program that uses dumbbells for resistance. Again, Karpenko emphasizes core work while simultaneously working legs & shoulders. E.g., there are several moves done w/ a band around your ankles or hands while in a plank position. After 4 days of it, my arms are somewhat like gelatinous goo, but I managed to get through most of it without barfing up my pancreas. Frankly, I am a bit surprised at how much it's taxing me. The aches & pains of what are probably little used stabilizer muscles, as well as pounding on infrequently abused joints are more detrimental than actual strength/endurance deficits. P90X seemed easier, but it's hard to say if I'm in that much worse shape than 2 years ago (I'm 30lbs lighter and have been in the gym a lot more, so I doubt this), or it's being nearly 49, or this is just hard. Tomorrow, cardio & abs again. Now off to tune up 2 bikes, fertilize my yard, clear up the tree I cut down 2 weeks ago, and go check on a dodgy starter for someone. Thank God for 4-day weekends to relax.
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Good on ya Tim!!
Not quite as dedicated.... The Gym at work, the TRX and the chin up bar in the shop are the current punishers Dirk |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Thanks. I have a desk job these days. That coupled with stingy "my Irish ancestors survived the potato famine" genes presents a wonderful opportunity to easily grow nothing but a bigger ass....
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
So, day 6, which I really did this morning (day 7 is recovery) instead of yesterday was what he called sprawl & brawl. Think some standing/lunging punching move followed by some torture in a plank position, w/ a few ab moves rolled in for fun. The pace keeps the heart rate up and the sequence of moves repetitively works up & down the body. Compared to some of the previous workouts, it was a bit tame. Although that may be because I twisted my left knee in July and seem to have aggravated it again, so some of the jumpier moves were replaced w/ add'l pushups.
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Sounds absolutely brutal. I'm slowly getting myself conditioned well enough to start P90X again, but this looks far more challenging.
__________________
You might be a king or a lowly street sweeper, but sooner or later you dance with the reaper. Make Doof Clenas Fun Again (MDCFA) |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Needless to say. At your age, you need time to recover and rest.
Are you sure you should be going 3-6 days in a row?
__________________
Doofbag Fer EverI smell Fish |
#11
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Commentary up thread notwithstanding, it's a tough workout, but I am only a few years older than some of his test subjects. I didn't try the P90X fit test before I started this--maybe I should have. I think more than anything else, TapOut is simply exercising muscles in different planes of movement, and our bodies are outstanding at getting used to doing things efficiently in one way--and they don't like change much.
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
#12
|
||||
|
||||
Well, the doc told me today that the medial collateral ligament is sprained and I need to be nice to if for about 3 weeks to see if it improves before he'll be taking any pics of it. Rest, ice, elevation, brace, mobic, voltaren gel, and don't jump on it. So, back to liftin' weights for a while...to be continued.
__________________
Tim Ancient '79 FXS w/ probably about the same HP as a tractor Equally ancient '79 Massey Ferguson 255 Somewhat dilapidated, yet functional, Kubota L2500 '20 Branson 3620 '18 Ram 3500 Diesel '02 Wrangler X, 4" lift on 33 x 12.50s Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Felt Nine 50 Killin' more bees than Monsanto . . |
|
|