Let's try again...

NTA

Hundred pushups Week 4 Day 2 with 120s rest instead of 90s: 
 
Set 1: 25 ok 
Set 2: 29 ok - weird 'cos I got to 20 fast but then struggled 
Set 3: 25 ok - slow from 13 
Set 4: 24 ok, 1 on knees. Argh! So close! Form wasn't great the last few... 
Set 5: 20 ok, 12 on knees 
 
Finished with pullups: 
 
X 4 - 30s rest 
X 3 - 30s rest 
X 3 - 30srest 
X 2 - 30s rest 
X 1 - 30s rest change to chins 
X 2 - 30s rest 
X 2 - 30s rest 
X 1 - 30s rest 
Hang in chin at top - 20s 
 
phew

NTA

Slept in until 7am, then clocked a 5km run in a tick over 26 minutes - could have done better but as I'm taking the boy hiking this afternoon I didn't want to wreck myself. 
 
[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1351890491' post='322765'] 
Today: 95.4kg, Chest 110cm, Waist 99cm, Hips 104cm. 
[/quote] 
 
Today: 94.1kg, Chest 108cm, Waist 98cm, Hips 104cm 
 
Didn't get under 94, but this means I'm back on track after last week's aberration. If I could go another kg per week through strict diet, I'll get down under 92kg before goal date. Then if I push on I could get under 90 by xmas. Thing is, this week the eating discipline had me with extremely low blood sugar levels, so I have to be careful about that.

JK

Mate those readings are all going in the right direction. Keep up the good work!

NTA

Hike went well - about 6km in to the camp site took us around three hours - the boy is only 8 and there was some pretty tough country in that, despite being a clear track. Got set up and fried some bacon - he polished off half of it- then a night time walk and a good kip. 
 
Had been overcast all day, but when I got up for a slash around 11pm it had cleared and I spent a bit of time star gazing. Magic, despite not being that far from the 'burbs. 
 
Woke up around 5.30, got breakfast going and a brew, then busted out of there about 7am and out the other track (~4km) to be back at the car by 10. Clear skies all the way. Proud of the lad - only had to carry his pack about half the way <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Home in time for my treat meal - a whole pizza (tiger prawns, capsicum, bbq sauce) for the bro-in-laws birthday at the local eyetie and then home to set up Windows 7 on my PC (Need it for Warfighter and Black Ops 2). 
 
Might go a rest this arv and watch us get dished up at cricket.

NTA

Hundred push-ups Week 4 Day 2 with standard 90s rest: 
 
Set 1: 25 ok but the lower back isn't feeling sweet. 
Set 2: 29 ok but something isn't really right there. See how I go... 
Set 3: 25 ok. It isn't getting any worse, so extending rest to 120s from here. 
Set 4: 25 ok. Stretching helps - roll back and forth on the floor, knees to Chest 
Set 5: 21 ok, 15 on knees. 
 
Definitely will talk to the chiro on Thursday about this. Can't do decent float times without a lower back. Feels hard up against the spine, more on the left... 
 
Myotatics and cat voms to finish.

NTA

Mrs TA left for work too early for me to run 5km this morning, so did weights instead: 
 
Chins x 5 
Hammer into bicep curl x 5 
Bent row x 5 
Deadlift x 5 
Shrug x 5 
Arnies x 10 
Static lunges x 10 left then right 
Squats x 10 
Step lunges alternating x 10 per side 
Burpees x 10 
Pullups x 3 - then another three as I was unhappy with that 
 
Chins x 5 
Hammer into bicep curl x 5 
Bent row x 5 
Deadlift x 5 
Shrug x 5 
Arnies x 10 
Static lunges x 10 left then right 
Squats x 10 
Step lunges alternating x 10 per side 
Burpees x 10 
Pullups x 5 
 
All before breakfast.

NTA

Karate last night. The sensei must have known I was thinking about a harder workout, because he spent the first five minutes talking about techniques to improve intensity. Gripping the floor with toes, tensing the active muscles, locking the core etc. Muscles were definitely getting a more thorough isometric working over. 
 
Also learned a couple of handy defensive drills, and a couple of not-so-defensive drills <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/knuppel2.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':knuppel:' /> The sensei is former army (played hooker in the Army XV) and won a national kumite title a few years back too. When you absolutely, positively have to cripple every motherfucker in the room, accept no substitutes. 
 
This morning I went for a run - 5km in just under 26 minutes @ 11.59km/h. Was trying out a few tips I picked up in the video below, and the speed difference was noticeable but I couldn't sustain the strain on my calves at this stage. Biggest help: drive the knee forward. Everything else falls into place after that. I thought I was front striking properly before, but now its going to be even better! Hoping to crack 25 minutes before Christmas over the 5km. 
 
[media]

NTA

Calves are still feeling it, so tonight I just did a brief weights circuit as the back is also starting to get awkward: 
 
Chins x 7, Arnies x 12 @ 14.25kg, Pullups x 4 
 
Chins x 6, Arnies x 12, Pullups x 3 
 
Chins x 6, Arnies x 12, Pullups x 3 
 
The girl made Rocky Road for her daycare this week, so I was obliged to try some. Problem is, due to nanny stating, no nuts or other hazardous materials allowed! So it was just mushrooms and glace cherries in with the chocolate (surprised they even allowed chocolate) but it tasted good enough to pig out on three or four pieces <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eusa_whistle.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whistle:' /> 
 
Still I ate fairly well the rest of the day. Probably overdid the protein input though, based on the bathroom visits <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mellow.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':mellow:' />

Kirwan

[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1352367025' post='323824'] 
I'd also like to point out at this point in time that burpees suck. I'm especially unco at the jumping bit. 
[/quote] 
 
Two things helped me with these. First was being told to get the feet outside the hands on the jump up from the ground, this gets you feet read for the jump standing up without mucking around. 
 
Second was kicking your legs out slightly before you hands to get to the ground (instead of hands down, feet out). Makes it a faster, more fluid action.

NTA

I'll give it a go once the back is 100%, tho on that front burpees are much easier than sustained pushups

Kirwan

[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1352966620' post='325251'] 
I'll give it a go once the back is 100%, tho on that front burpees are much easier than sustained pushups 
[/quote] 
 
Depends how many you do. I still wince at the AMRAP 7mins of burpees from earlier in the year. The first minute was good, the rest....not so much

NTA

Was a bit of a nothing night as far as exercise goes. Had to mow the lawn and cook dinner so didn't get enough time to run, and with the back and calves released by the chiro, but still sore, other opportunities were limited. In the end, I decided on a set of randoms: 
 
First three Goju kata at half pace, working on technique and muscle tension for burn 
First three Meibukan kata at full pace, mainly for practice 
The three ichi kumite sets because I can never remember them - so it proved again. 
Breathing exercises 
 
Hanging overhand for ten seconds - wide grip, 90 degrees 
Hanging underhand for ten seconds - narrow grip, 90 degrees. 
10 x bent flyes @ 14.25kg 
Hanging knee raise (overhand grip straight arm) x 10 
Hanging knee raise (underhand grip at 90 degrees) 3 sets x 5 
Hanging knee raise (overhand grip straight arm) x 5 
 
Edit: oh also a set of 50kg shrugs x 5, 50kg deadlifts x 5, 50 kg bent rows x 5. Forgot that earlier.

NTA

Weigh in tomorrow, and the back and calf issues are giving me nerves that it won't go well. So tonight I need to smash out some extended weights, then kick some arse on my regular run in the morning. Hoping to crack 94...

NTA

So, big weights session. Objective is to keep going circuits until complete failure I guess... Foo fighters is on, let's go... 
 
5 x chins 
5 x hammer into 5 x bicep curl @ 14.25 kg 
5 x military into 5 x shrug into 5 x deadlift into 5 x bent row @ 50 kg 
10 x Arnies @ 14.25 kg 
Neck set 
10 x lunges left then right (preserving legs for run tomorrow) 
20 x squats 
10 x burpees 
5 x pull ups 
Took just over 13 minutes - slacker! Minute rest. 
 
Repeat 1: 9 minutes! Minute rest. 
Repeat 2: dropped one military press rep due to fatigue. 10 minutes 
Repeat 3 was basically half sets. Stuffed! 10 minutes for that one - LOTS of rest. 
 
Though I did nail a couple of military press at the end to make up for the fail in circuit three... 
 
Back held up pretty well. Sore as but studies show that it is apparently better to keep using your back than stop doing anything. I will continue to monitor the situation.

NTA

Got up this morning and took a massive dump. Always the best thing BEFORE a run I find, especially on weigh-in day. 
 
Then I clocked a new PB - 5 km in 25:08! Calves were still tight like mofos but I followed Eric's advice and drove the knee as often as I could. So with two good points to start the day, here is last week: 
 
[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1352496471' post='324067'] 94.1kg, Chest 108cm, Waist 98cm, Hips 104cm 
[/quote] 
 
Today: 93.4kg, Chest 107cm, Waist 98cm, Hips 103cm. 
 
Boo-yah! First official weigh-in under 94kg. I feel like I'm in that zone when I was just starting, where everything just seemed to work, and the willpower on the eating was especially good. 
 
I'm also starting to understand just how hard I can work without my old physical limitations, where I don't think I really did before. 
 
Need to keep driving that right through to Christmas.

NTA

Got onto the Funk Roberts program tonight, and did the full five sets but had to take about a minute rest between each. Form was probably shit too. Man that is tough. Finished it in 14 minutes but if I took shorter breaks (and was fit) I could probably do it in ten. Intense. 
 
Finished with hanging leg raises. Prone grip for five, then supine. Repeat. Works my abs quite well.

NTA

Back into hundred pushups now the back has had a bit of a break. Not expecting much due to lack of practice. 
 
Week 4 Day 2 - 90s rest standard: 
 
Set 1: 25 ok 
Set 2: 29 ok with pauses at top a few times 
Set 3: 18 ok, 7 on knees. Back hurting there 
Set 4: 15 ok, 10 on knees 
Set 5: 10 ok, 26 on knees. 
 
Hardly surprising given the break, but still disappointing. Decided to have a 5 minute break then do: 
 
Chins to fail x 6 
Arnies to fail x 16 @ 14.25kg 
Bent rows to fail x 12 @ 50kg 
Shrugs to fail x 26 @ 50kg 
Deadlifts to fail x 30 @ 50kg - back hurting, grip was getting loose 
Bicep curls to fail x 9 per arm @ 14.25kg 
Pullups to fail x 4 
Supine hanging knee raise to fail x 8 
Prone hanging knee raise to fail x 4 
 
Was a crap 24 hours in general as i had a bit of issue with some previous surgery that has flared up again and put me down in the dumps. I hate that - took a day off work but was too mopey to enjoy it.

NTA

Given there are few places I can express this on the interweb without someone from work seeing it (and because I don't want to spam another thread plus the wife doesn't want to hear this right now), here I am: work fucking shits me. It really does get in the way of a good time. 
 
I should be out on a road trip seeing this wide brown land, or hiking in the fucking mountains somewhere. Sleeping under the stars, seeing the lives others lead and enjoying life without all the bullshit.

NTA

After the self pity came karate. Pretty good tonight and got a bit of a sweat on. Definitely need to go running tomorrow though as I need to work my way down toward 22 minutes for the 5km and keep burning those kJ! 
 
Have figured out that 1 big treat meal a week is fucking with my digestive system, hence my recent flare up of the hindquarters. Think for now I'll have to moderate all intakes and smooth that shit out. Literally.

SimonAdd

Hey NTA, what style of karate is it that you do? Ever think of competing?

The Silver Fern

Let's try again...