Great workout!!! Probably the toughest yet!

Superbowl weekend was relaxing but fun. Spent most of the weekend with my 3 ladies. Bella and Sofie can't get enough Sushi...especially Bella. She's not one of those people who you meet and they say "oh, I love sushi..", but when you ask what type of sushi they like...they say "yea, I like the non-fishy type...eww the raw stuff is not my thing". Duh!! This is usually about the point when I want to immediately stop talking to that person. People!!! You don't like sushi!!! You like california rolls! =)
Anyway, my older one loves the real stuff. I mean she'll ask specifically for the fish roe, sashimi, and anything stinky and slippery. When we grill or stew fish, she will always ask for the eyes and slurp them up like how other kids suck and chew on skittles. Gotta love Bella! Don't worry, we're not irresponsible parents who would give massive quantities of mercury-tainted tuna and bottom feeders to our child...stop judging us. =) She only gets a sushi or two.
The superbowl party I attended was chill/fun. Christine and Sofie (Sofie wasn't feeling well) stayed home while Bella and I went over to my close friend's house. Christine is not a huge football fan and would be more interested in the choice of wines offered at the residence. I stayed until half time and returned home with Bella. I'm really getting comfortable resisting unhealthful foods. I ate a burger and a huge plate of salad...and I didn't even touch the beer. Felt good and enjoyed the game/company very much.

Now for today's workout details. One month ago, I promised Joel (BD's boxing trainer) that I'd spar with him at the 1 month mark of my program. It was exhausting but I felt much better than a month ago. I could tell Joel was pushing much harder and at one point even looked like he was out to do some real damage. Actually, the guy is a cardio machine...he simply doesn't seem to fatigue. I even got sloppy a few times and punched in face. I think he knew that was going to happen because he put in a mouthguard before we began to spar. We went 2 rounds and he basically turned me into a punching bag by round 2. For every 1 shot I got in...he probably hit me 2 or 3 times. It felt good though! Thanks Joel.
After my boxing warm up, we started the training program. At this point, I was pretty much spent and felt like I had sprinted a mile. We had the biggest group so far...to join me for my workout (we had 9). It was also one of our most efficient workouts. It was non-stop ass whoopin and we were all business. There is no doubt today's workout was very motivational and people seem to be getting a sense of what my workouts are about. Basically, non-stop...intense...circuit/cross training. It will test you physically and mentally. The weak of mind will struggle quite a bit, but with practice and a bit of motivation from the others...people catch up and start to get it.

I always find it interesting when people make an issue of others trying to get fit. I don't know if it's just envy/jealousy, but all they have to do is ask instead of gossiping and complaining about the group getting too big and hogging their gym. It's like they would rather hate on the group simply trying to get fit than simply ask to join in. I don't get it and it's getting kind of annoying. People! Either leave me alone or ask for help. No matter how you look at it, the workout group brings so much energy to the gym and helps create an environment which all gyms should possess....an environment where you can feel the actual pursuit of fitness/health instead of a bunch of people going through the motions. Get with the program and please take your complaining else where...this comment/suggestion box is full!!

Today's workout:
-Warm-up: Boxing 2 rounds (sparring with Joel)
-3 cycles of the following 2 stations (switch every 30 seconds):
1. Plyo push ups on medicince ball
2. Bilat KTC (Abs)
-3 cycles of the following 2 stations (switch every 30 seconds):
1. 25 lbs plate chest push and pulls
2. 25 lbs plate squats
-3 cycles of the following 9 stations (switch every 30 seconds):
1. Crunches
2. Push ups
3. 25 lbs kettle bells lunges
4. KB 20 lbs bent over punching rows
5. Box jumps
6. Bar hops Bilat
7. Dummy man alt kicks
8. Heavy bag alt. pushing
9. Rest/timer
-Stairs: Run up 2 steps at a time and down 1 step at a time. (7 or 8 times)

Today's Meals:
-Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil
-Lunch: Huge grilled chicken cobb salad with cranberry/italian dressing on the side
-Snack: Whole avocado and banana
-Snack: 35g of protein (whey isolate)
-Dinner: 5 egg whites scrambled with turkish eggplant side (leftover from Sunday) and some of Christine's lasagna with skim ricotta cheese (a taste)
-Tons of water!!!

Bring on Month #2!!!

So far so good...
Body Composition: 13.7% (exactly 30 days ago, it was 16.6%)
I had Scott take the measurements again. He said I looked a little less "pudgy". Ha! Nice! Thanks Wallace!
Overall, I definitely feel leaner. More importantly, I feel significantly more fit (increased muscular endurance/strength, cardiovascular endurance, and tolerance to fatigue). Unfortunately, the pictures taken today may not be a true comparison since we failed to use the flash. Oh well... I still feel there is noticeable change.

The pictures on the left side are from day #1 (30 days ago). The pictures on the right are from today!







Today's workout:
Warm up: Versaclimber 5 min and Stairmaster 5 min
-Did 3 cycles of the following 4 exercises (change stations every 30 seconds)
1. Jumping up pull ups
2. Modified deadlifts (30 lbs DB)
3. Squating straight bar row/twists (42.5 lbs)
4. Jumping lunges
-3 cycles of the following 6 exercise stations (rotate every 30 seconds)
1. Suspension unilat reach/rotations on TRX straps
2. Unilat cable squat cable row/twists (35 lbs)
3. DB bent over alt rows (punches) (20 lbs DB)
4. Leaning Bilat heel raises
5. Leaning speedmountain climbers
6. Rest
-3 cycles of the following 6 stations (rotate every 30 seconds)
1. Hold the heavy bag for the person kneeing
2. Alt kneeing the bag
3. Crunches
4. Bicep curls to shoulder press
5. Tubing alt bicep curls (blue)
6. Lateral raises (10 lbs DB)
-Stairs (simply went crazy on these...)

Meals:
-Breakfast: had 2 hard boiled egg whites with my super shake and fish oil
-Lunch: Chicken and rice
-Snack: Protein shake (35g of whey protein isolate)
-Dinner: rice, indian kidney beans, some lean ground beef, and split pea soup
-Tons of water!!

Duty calls...

Had a maven full staff meeting today. A few brave ones were put through a workout by Scott "Da Managa" Wallace! Feedback was positive and he did us proud. Jerry and I had another meeting to attend...although we missed out on the workout, the meeting was definitely worthwhile. We're really trying to put the right team together for 2010 and beyond. I really hope the full timers we've hired in the last year come to truly realize the opportunity they have in front of them...maven's success is greatly tied to the extent this realization leads to consistent performance from the star players. Nothing will go unnoticed and staff performance above and beyond a job description will be rewarded accordingly sooner or later. I guess only time will tell...

Tomorrow should be a busy day. Have a few real estate counter-proposals to send out and a few meetings to attend. 1 month measurements and pictures are tomorrow!! The workout will be one of the most intense I've put myself through so far.

Diet was excellent today...had 5 meals/snacks (my body's craving more protein so I've made an attempt to increase my intake).

Until tomorrow....

Suspension training def adds some fun to the training!

Pouring rain! Gotta love the down pours in Jersey...

It was another great day...love kicking off a week this way! Good energy, productive, and balanced. One of the biggest self challenges I've faced during most of my professional career has been maintaining balance. As people who know me well can attest, I've been more extreme and passion driven than balanced. What I realized is I can be passionate, highly motivated, and productive while maintaining balance in my life. In fact, I've been even more productive since changing my perspective on life, work, money, and people. I still have ways to go and will continue to improve myself. Going to the extremes of workaholism and "vacation-phobia" was very detrimental to my mental, psychological, spiritual, and physical well being. Believe it or not, I used to see people's need to take vacation as a sign of weakness...basically, the weakness which seperated the leaders from the followers. Man, was I wrong. The extreme work ethic and drive to succeed WAS my weakness. My insecurities and fears basically drove me to out-perform everyone anywhere I worked. However, long term happiness was completely absent. My life was work and the pursuit of success. Am I not pursuing success anymore? No way! I view success a bit differently now...success is reaching my potential in more ways than $$, positions, toys, and respect. I feel strongly that money will be the least of my problems as long as I strive to reach my full potential and do what I'm suppose to do. 2010 will be a year to remember for I know many things will become clearer to me. I must stop myself before I go off rambling a bit too much...

Today's workout video clip:

-Warm up: Treadmill 5 min/Bike 5 min/Stairmaster 5 min

-Training:

1. Incline push ups (legs up): (20-15-15)

2. Plate squats (25lbs plate): (20-20-20)

3. Suspension push ups (VIDEO CLIP-Me)(TRX straps): (15-15-10)

4. Box jumps (16 inches): (15-15-15)

5. Ball push ups (VIDEO CLIP -Alain)(medicine ball): (15-15-15)

6. Lunges: (15-15-15)

1. Plyo bench push ups: (15-15-15)

2. Suspended pikes (VIDEO CLIP-Me)(TRX Straps): (15-15-10)

3. Push up plus (hit up serratus anterior): (15-15-15)

4. Leg up-medicine ball lifts-crunches: (15-15-15)

5. Cable straight bar/arm trunk rotations (VIDEO CLIP-Alain) 25 lbs: (15-15-15)

6. Side hip pikes (obliques): (15-15-15)

1. Stairs: 2 up and 1 down (8x)

1. Biceps: Bilat DB curls 30 lbs/Alt DB curls with tricep extensions 20 lbs/forearm DB twists at shoulder ABD of 45 degrees 15 lbs/Thera tube suspended preacher curls (15-10-10)

RPE: 17 (maintained HR of 150-165 bpm for 70 mins) TIME: 75 min.

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil. Have gotten some requests on what the ingredients are for the super shake I drink. Here is it: 2 tablespoons of gogi berries, 1 tablespoon of pure cocao powder, 1 heaping tablespoon of hemp powder protein, 2 heaping tablespoons of hemp seeds, 1 heaping tablespoon of raw sunflower seeds, 1/2 serving (25 g) of whey protein isolate, 1 banana, 1/2 cup of frozen berry mix, 1 serving scoop of green vibrance (packed with greens and good bacteria), and fill to top with coconut water. Wait 15 minutes and take fish oil capsule with glass of water. Love my magic bullet! If you don't have one...get one!!

Lunch: Greek food (chicken souvlaki??spelling/greek salad and split pea soup)

Dinner: Cod, some lean beef (leftovers from weekend), vegetable soup, and herb salad. Took a serving of pure glutamine a great protein supplement (equivalent to a few egg whites) an hour after dinner.

TONS of WATER!!!

Happy for my parents!

As of last night, my parents are in Seoul, South Korea. As some of you know, they moved there after 26 years of living in the States. I dropped them off at JFK on Saturday night and got a call from them last night...as they settled in their new apartment. Although we'll miss them very much, I'm really happy for them. They get to finally take a "vacation" after about 2 decades without taking one. My father has worked so hard to support us for the last 35 years and consistently led by example as all men should. My mother has given us nothing short of her very best every day and is the epitome of strength. They are without a doubt the best parents anyone can have and I owe them more than I can ever give. Thank you mom and dad...love you!
I know what you're thinking..."didn't know Taylor had feelings...". For my family, close friends, and a few select causes, I'm like jello. Yeah, I got feelings but no tear ducts...they closed up 2 decades ago due to lack of use! =)

This weekend was a bit odd as you can tell by the lack of posts. I trained on Saturday morning without a set program. I basically improvised and took it relatively "easy". Wrapped my hands and put on some 16 oz boxing gloves and gave the heavy bag a good ol fashioned beating. The poor bag got some real nasty kicks to the liver and spleen too! Did a bunch of different push ups and crunches.
To my ego's surprise, my wife finally let one of her friends know that I'm looking better already! She never tells me this stuff to my face...I guess to protect me from my huge ego! Thanks hon!?!? Muscle memory is beautiful thing.

Overall, I still maintained an excellent diet over the weekend. Had some beef on Saturday and Sunday night. I'm definitely getting leaner by the week. Lastly, just wanted to add that my buttocks are making a come back as well! Pants are starting to feel a bit looser at the waste but tighter around the hips.

Looking forward to another kick ass week. Plannning on training at Paramus on Monday (bet 5-6pm), Wed (bet 5-6pm), Friday (bet 5-6pm), and Sat (bet 8-9am). Cliffside Park on Tues (bet 3-4pm).

If anyone is interested in joining in any of the days this week, text me the day of and I'll let you know a more exact time. Thanks!

Workouts picking up some steam!

The workouts are definitely picking up in intensity. The group training is helping to motivate the guys. We need some gals representing! Anyone?? It might be just me but I doubt it...I really feel and see a difference after only 2 weeks of consistently sticking with my program. Next week will begin the incorporation of the TRX training straps. It's going to get fun!



Today's workout team: Andre, Victor, Scott, and Alain


WORKOUT:
Warm-up: Treadmill 5 min/Jump rope 5 mnin/Versaclimber 5 min/Bike 5 min (level 8 maintaining over 90 rpm)
Training:
1. Burpees (VIDEO CLIP-Alain): 5x5
2. MMA kicks to heavy bag: alternating 6x20
1. Bent over barbell rows (VIDEO CLIP-Scott): 95 lbs (15-15-15)
2. Jumping pull-ups: (15-15-15)
3. Lying pull-ups: (15-15-15)
4. Bent over alternating rows: 10 lbs plates (15-15-15)
1. Incline hip extensions: (12-12-10)
2. DB modified deadlifts: (15-15-15)
3. Leaning bilat heel raises (VIDEO CLIP-Andre): (20-15-15)
4. S/L line toe jumps (VIDEO CLIP-Andre): (15-15-15)
1. Plate rotations around head (VIDEO CLIP-Me): 25 lbs plate (15-15-15)
2. Ant delt raises with DB (VIDEO CLIP-Me): 25 lbs DB (15-15-15)
3. DB lateral raises: 10 lbs DB (15-15-15)
4. Thera tubing lateral raises: Yellow (15-15-15)
5. Thera tubing bicep curl progressives (Bilat/Bilat twists/Alt twists): Red (25-25-25)
1. Stairs: 2 up and 1 down (x8)
Abs:
1. Supine leg twists: (10-10-10)
2. Reverse curls: (12-12-10)
3. Knee to same side elbow with crunch: (15-15-15)
4. Crnches: (15-15-15)
RPE: 17 TIME: 90 min

MEALS
-Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil
-Snack: Protein shake with frozen fruit, banana, and water
-Lunch: Korean rolls (kim bap)
-Snack: Raw meal bar from whole foods
-Dinner: kim bap covered and cooked with 3 egg whites, kim chee, and spinach soup
-Snack: Trader Joe's granola and veggie chips (just a little)
Tons of water!!

Busy day...

Yesterday was quite busy for me. It's funny how things end up pulling you back in when you try to focus on other ventures/jobs/projects. I guess it's a good problem to have, but it can get a bit confusing. If January is any indication of how 2010 will go for me, it's going to be a fun sporadic year. I've had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people in the last few weeks. It's true what people say...when you least expect things or take a step back from the situation, things begin to natural unfold. Without boring you with my rambkings, it's becoming clearer to me that life is very short and it's essential for all of us to make the best of our relationships and to maintain a broader perspective on life as we know it. Sometimes the "meaningless" and "trivial" things in our lives are what ends up tranforming us and bettering us. Like some of you, I'm always in search of the "big" moments in life to define who I am. There is no doubt in my mind my perspective is changing...


Yesterday's workout: Scott, Kent, and Chris joined me.
Warm-up: TM 5 min/Versaclimber 5 min/Rowing 5 min/Jump rope 5 min
Training:
1. Dips: (20-15-10)
2. Push-ups: Legs up on bench and flat (20-15-10)
3. Bench Push-ups: (20-15-20)
4. Railing Push-ups: (20-15-10)
1. Box Jumps: (20-12-10)
2. Plate Squats: (25-20-20)
3. Lunges: (15-15-15)
1. Dip progressives (25-20-15)
2. Tricep narrow push-ups (20-15-10)
3. TB tricep extensions (15-10-10)
1. Stairs: Up 2 and down 1 (x8)
Abs:
1. Leg lift progressives: (15-10-10)
2. Obliques-side plank raises: (10-10-10)
3. Crunches: (20-15-10)
RPE: 16 TIME: 75 min

MEALS:
Breakfast: Super shake and fish oil
Lunch: Japanes (Sushi lunch box)
Dinner: Korean food (some beef and pork) and korean side dishes
Snack: korean rolls (kim bap)

Good job guys!

Today's workout was one of the more intense sessions I've had since the launch. Alain, Scott, and Sean decided to join me in a kick ass workout. Today's program focused on the "pulling" muscles of the body (mainly the back muscles, hams, and biceps). The guys stuck it out and drew some attention from the other members as we rotated from exercise to exercise with minimal rest in between sets! It was intense and motivating as everyone was looking to give it their best. Let's just say the guys made me proud! Hopefully, they had a great workout and will join me again soon...

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
-WARM-UP: Treadmill 5 min (start at 6 degrees at 3.8 mph then increase by a degree every 30 seconds)/Speed jump rope 5 min/Versaclimber 5 min/Rowing 5 min
-TRAINING:
1. Mid-grip pull-ups then jumping pull-ups for set 2 and 3 (15-15-10)
2. Standing cable bilat rows 20 lbs then seated alt. lat pulldowns 27.5 lbs (20-15-15)
3. Straight bar vertical standing alt. rows with trunk twists 35 lbs (VIDEO CLIP-Taylor) (20-15-15)
4. Dip bar pull-ups (VIDEO CLIP-Alain)(assisted going up and eccentric non-assisted going down) (15-10-10)
1. Lunges 25 lbs plates (15-15-10)
2. Deadlifts 30 lbs DB (VIDEO CLIP-Sean)(15-15-15)
3. Kettle bell S/L alt ham/hip extensions 25 lbs (15-10-10)
4. S/L heel raises then S/L line jumps (15-15-15)
1. Bent over DB rows B then alt. 20 lbs (VIDEO CLIP-Scott)(15-15-15)
2. Standing DB upright row 25 lbs plate (15-15-10)
3. DB shoulder press 25 lbs (20-15-15)
4. Lateral raises 10 lbs (20-15-15)
5. Bicep DB curl progressives 20 lbs (Bilat curls-Sup curls-Alt. curls) (15-10-10)
1. Stairs (UP 2 steps at a time..DOWN 1 step at a time) approx. 10 times 2 flights of stairs
ABS:
1. Dip bar KTC with posterior tilts (very hard exercise but we tried) (10-8-6)
2. Alt KTC on mat (15-10-10)
3. Plank crunches (15-10-10)
RPE: 17 TIME: 1 hr 30 min (tougher with a bigger group but we managed)




TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: Super shake with fish oil
-LUNCH: Greek (salmon steak, rice, and greek salad)
-SNACK: protein bar and natural energy drink
-DINNER: Fish, some rice, arugula salald, and lentil soup
-SNACK: Egg white protein shake 25 g of protein
TONS of WATER!!

Productive day!

Plowed through a stack of bills for Maven, a few phone calls, emailing, and had a few meetings. It's definitely easy to fall behind when there is so much on the plate...or not. Actually, I fall behind because I choose to not be as productive. It's so easy for us to blame our seemingly stressful lives as the reason for not doing this or that. When it comes down to it...we just choose to not make time for what we supposedly have no time for. It really is about prioritizing what needs to be done and being efficient actually getting it done. For most of my professional career, I loved being busy for the sake of being busy regardless of how little I was getting done. I guess this is something most of us struggle with...efficiency and productivity while maintaining a balanced life both professionally and personally. Is it impossible? Absolutely! Is it easy? Absolutely not! It takes tons of conscious effort, discipline, and practice to create new habits. Unfortunately, most of us quit or get distracted way before habits can be formed and engrained. Even before good habits can be formed, there has to be a perspective change. For example, if we continue to see our lives as out of hand and out of our control, it will be. However, if we train our minds to think of our lives as our lives, we regain control of it and are able to reorgainze and manage it. I'm getting there. It's been a rough inconsistent road, but it's finally beginning to click and 2010 looks to be a pivotal year for me. Hopefully, some of you will choose to regain control of your lives and develop new habits, which will likely enrich and enliven you daily as you begin to live out your dreams...instead of simply hoping for them.

Had a pretty intense workout today. Scott, the birthday boy from my last post decided to join me. He took a few weeks off due to various reasons (mostly fighting off a cold which he had to get on antibiotics for). I hope he enjoyed our workout and got a glimpse of what true cross-training is all about. I took a few pictures of him performing squats.

TODAY'S WORKOUT:

-WARM-UP: Treadmill 5 min (3.8 mph/begin at 6 degrees incline/increase incline a degree every 30 seconds), Versaclimber 5 min, Speed jump rope 5 min

-CROSS TRAINING:

1. Dips (20-15-10)

2. Push-up progressives (ONE SET: Floor plyo/Flat/Bench) (15-10-8)
1. 35 lbs plate squats (25-20-15)

2. 16" box jumps (15-10-10)

1. Gravitron dips 40 lbs of assistance (20-15-10)

2. Cable chest fly/press 30 lbs (20-15-10)

1. Side lunges (15-15-10)

2. 16" box S/L step ups (15-10-10)

1. Dips progressives (VIDEO CLIP) (ONE SET: legs up/legs on floor/knee at 90) (25-20-15)

2. DB tricep extensions (VIDEO CLIP) (20-15-10)

3. Railing focus push-ups (VIDEO CLIP) (emphsize horiz abduction) (20-15-15)

ABS:

1. Leg lift progressives (ONE SET: leg lifts-twists/KTC alt/KTC bilat) (15-15)

2. Pelvic tuck-KTC-Pelvic rotation (TAYLOR ORIGINAL) (15-15)
3. P-Ball crunches (20-15)

RPE: 16 TIME: 60 min

TODAY'S MEALS:

-BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil.

-LUNCH: Japanese (chicken teriyaki lunch box)

-DINNER: Fish, some rice, arugula salad, and a little kimchi jigae (a korean favorite)

-SNACK: 1/2 a Korean pear

I'm back!

Friday and Saturday was pretty much taken up by the continuing education course I took in White Plains, NY. Lets just say my crackberry came in handy and I was very happy at 5:35 pm Saturday as I left Burke Rehab Hospital to head back home. It was worth 12 cont ed credit hours!
I didn't get to train on Friday and Saturday but the rest was good for the body. My diet was very good for both days even though I didn't end up working out. Went out last night for Scott's (maven manager) B-day and had 1.5 Amstel lights. It was good fun celebrating with a nice bunch of people. I also had a chance to hang out with Bill...a good friend and old business partner. Got home around one but I knew I had/wanted to workout this morning. It felt great getting in the gym after a few days off! I don't know if it's just me wanting to see it, but I could already tell a difference in only a week. I'm looking forward to the month point when I'll take my measurements again and strip down for photos!!
As I posted about a week ago, my parents are moving back to Seoul, South Korea next Saturday. I'll miss them very much but I know they'll be happier there and that's what matters. Skype is awesome. It was basically the defining factor in making my parents feel relatively comfortable with the decision to "leave" us. They have both given me everything a parent could give a son without ever asking for anything back. For this, I can't thank them enough and I owe them so much. I've been blessed with the most amazing parents.
Today I had my cheat meal for the week. What was this you ask? Japanese ramen! It was my first time trying "home made" japanese noodles. Saw an episode of Man v Food where Adam hits up an authentic ramen joint in LA. According to my informal survey, there are no good places in the mtero area. So we went to the only place we knew...Mitsuwa. One word to describe the experience...SALTY!!! Probably will never try Japanese ramen again...unless it was in a ramen house in JAPAN. I've also never had such a strong adverse response to unhealthy food. Immediately after we finished eating, the salt and MSG (I assume they loaded it up since I'm pretty sensitive to MSG) gave me an intense headache and almost made me feel like I was coming down with a cold. Sudden fatigue and drowsiness hit both of us like a brick wall. We went straight to the fruit aisle to buy a bottle of veggie juice and a few tangerines. Downed a bottle of water as well. It's like the healthy diet during the last week already caused my body to have adverse reaction to crap. It's a good thing! Everyday this past week provided evidence of why it's important to have a healthful daily diet. Basically, stay consistent....whether you eat crap everyday so you have an adverse reaction to healthful foods or eat right and so your body hates the wrong. My energy level and my mood was directly connected to what I ate/drank. I'm actually looking forward to Monday when I know it begins another week of non-compromising healthful living. It's getting easier and easier to eat right.

TODAYS WORKOUT:
-WARM-UP: Treadmill 5 min/VersaClimber 5 min/Speed jump rope 5 min
-RESISTANCE TUBING:
1. Lat straight arm pull (20-20-15)
2. Straight arm horizontal abduction/Wide grip row (20-20-15)
3. Bilat bicep curls/Alternating (25-20-20)
4. Flashers (20-20-15)
1. Shoulder presses (20-20-15)
2. Lateral raises (20-20-15)
1. Bicep progressives (20-20-15)
2. Bench push-ups with crunch (4 sets of 15)
3. KTC and alt (20-15-15)

The workout was a bit shorter than usual, but felt as good.
I'll make sure to put up more pics and videos of the exercises from my workouts.

TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: Super Shake and fish oil
-LUNCH: Nasty Japanese ramen (felt like crap for about 2 hours)
-SNACK: Bottle of veggie juice and a tangerine
-DINNER: Fish, rice, and korean side dishes
-SNACKS: Trader Joe's granola (as you can tell, I like Trader Joe's snacks)

Weird/crazy week so far...in a good way.

First of all, thank you to the 3 of you who are actually reading my posts and supporting Jato Fitness.
It's been a good week so far. Unexpectedly met some really interesting people in meetings and have been thinking more than usual. It must be the healthy meals and crazy workouts. Overall, I feel real good and things are really starting to come together. What you ask? I'm not even sure yet...but I know I'm looking and trying to figure myself out.
I'm due to attend a continuing education course to renew my physical therapy license tomorrow and saturday. Two days of vestibular rehab education. Fun!!! Oh well, I'll try to make the best of it. This also means I won't be able to work out until Sunday. Christine (my wife) is going to a work party tomorrow night and I'll be staying home with my monkeys. On Saturday, there is a possibility I'll be going out for Scott's B-day for a little bit. We'll see.

Today's workout:
-Warm-up: Treadmill 5 min/ Rowing machine 5 min (level 8)
-Cross-training:
1. BB bent over row Bilat/Alt 40 lbs (15-15-10)
2. Pull-ups (shouolder width grip) (15-8-5)
1. BB modified deadlifts with shrug 70 lbs (15-10-10)
2. Lunges holding 25 lbs plates (15-10-10)
1. Standing cable unilat row/twist (20-15-15)
2. Lat pull-downs (20-15-10)
1. Squats (20-20-20)
2. Leaning Bilat. heal raises S/L (20-15-15)
1. Lateral raises DB 15/10 lbs (20-15-15)
2. Plate ant delt raises 25 lbs (15-10-10)
3. DB lateral raise circles 5 lbs (15-10-10)
4. Bicep progressives 40 lbs BB/20 & 15 lbs DB/Alt (15-10-10)
5. Forearm twists with slight lat raise 20 lbs DB (15-15-15)
Abs: Basic crunches (4 sets of 35)

Meals:
-BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil
-BREAKFAST 2: 1/2 of 3 egg white omelette and slice of white bread
-LUNCH: Turkish food (yogurt dip, 3 small slices of turkish bread, turkish beef patties, roasted vegetables, garden salad)
-DINNER: Yellowtail roll, spicy salmon roll, a bunch of korean side dishes, popular korean soft tofu soup (asked for less spice and salt)
-Tons of water!!!!

So far so good! 1st week almost done!

It's been a special week so far. I'm about to complete my first week of training as I make a return to high-level fitness and document every step. Although the training has been exciting, what has made this week so special is that I've had the opportunity to meet with some incredible people through networking and friends. Every meeting started out with discussions of business and/or real estate...but quickly moved on to more meaningful topics such as life philosophy, money/success, and the pursuit of happiness (which sounds cheesy but happens to be one of my favorite movies). I can't help it, I like happy endings (get your minds out of the gutter!). I feel 2010 will be a pivotal year for me in regards to discovering my true potential and figuring out myself. Thinking too much has gotten me into trouble before but I feel I'm actually on the right track and in a good frame of mind. Due to my tendency to be self-reliant and independent, receiving help/quidance from others has always been a struggle of mine. That's why I'm attached to my Kindle and reading books written by authors who I can't help but respect and learn from. Many of them have devoted their lives to researching and "figuring out" things for us. However, New York Times best selling authors can only do so much for my personal/professional growth and learning due to the absence of a friendship/relationship between the reader and author. I feel 2010 will be a year when I'll find a person who I can seek a life-transforming mentorship from. Many highly successful and content people I know speak of having a mentor who challenged them and guided them during confusing times. You can say I'm "hungry" for some guidance. As you can tell, I'm pretty much using this blog as my diary...but I'm trying not to ramble on and on too often.

Todays' workout:

-WARM UP: the usual (TM walk 5 min/Versaclimber 5 min/jump rope 5 min)

-CROSS TRAINING:

1. Push-ups (ONE SET: flat & bench) (20-15-10)

2. Dips (20-15-10)

1. Speed step-ups: (3 sets of 30 seconds)

2. Heavy bag MMA kicks (alternating): 3 sets of 30 seconds)

1. Railing plyo push-ups (ONE SET: plyo & non plyo) (25-20-15)

2. Cable chest press 20 lbs (focusing on full contraction of pecs every rep) (20-15-15)

1. Mini squat jumps (20-20-20)

2. S/L DB heel raises 25 lbs plate (20-15-15)

1. Tricep extensions with rope attachment 20 lbs (25-20-15)

2. Bilat standing tricep extensions 10 & 8 lbs (20-15-15)

-Abs (VIDEO clip of one cycle)

1. Leg lift progressives (15-10-10)

2. Side plank obliques (10-10-10)

3. Basic crunches (25-20-15)

MEALS:

-BREAKFAST: Super shake and fish oil

-LUNCH: Thai food (chicken/rice noodles in a light peanut sauce) & tum yum soup

-DINNER: Arugula/avocado salad with cilantro dressing, a small block of salmon steak, a little rice, alittle potato/egg salad, a bowl korean vegetable stew. Now that's a meal!

-SNACK: Trader Joe's granola and a oatmeal cookie

Instant healing??

Something really crazy happened today. As I posted this morning, I woke up with intense left shoulder pain, which I believed was originating from an inflammed supraspinatus and the long head of the biceps (slept on the shoulder for ?? hours). For most of the day, the pain was very limiting and sharp. I was almost non-functional with the L arm due to the intense pain. I was even considering holding off training for a day or two until the acute pain diminshed. Then, around 3pm I headed into a 2 hour meeting. There is no doubt in my mind the pain was intense when I arrived at the meeting site...since I remember having a hard time putting on my suit jacket as I got out of the car. To my total surprise, my shoulder pain had improved 85% post-meeting. I can't explain it. I've had bouts of acute pain in pretty much all my joints at one point or another. Never have I had this happen where such acute pain was present, then without a "clicking back in" or "popping back in" episode it returns to pretty much normal. As I'm typing on my laptop right now, I keep moving it just amazed at the absence of the pain from this morning. What I'm trying to say in a very verbose way...I'm definitely happy about it!

As you can assume, I headed straight to the gym after my last meeting. My friend Sean joined me in the training session today. He's been wanting to lose a few pounds and get ready for road biking and golf season. Held up well considering he hasn't resistance trained in a long time and has been restricted due some orthopedic issues. Hope he sticks with his goal to train 3 times a week. I felt great once again and was extra careful with my exercise selection to prevent re-injury.

The following is a picture of Sean doing dips.

My workout today-DONE...

Warm-up: Treadmill 5 min (begin with 6 degrees/3.8 mph. increase incline a degree/30 sec)

Resistance Training:

1. Bench push-ups (25-20-20)

2. BB bent-over rows 50 lbs (20-20-20)

1. Seated row 35 lbs (20-15-15)

2. Hi standing unilateral cable row/twists 30 lbs (15-15-15)

1. Modified deadlifts 35 lbs DB (15-15-15)

2. Lunges 20 lbs DB (15-15-15)

Rowing machine (level 10 intense) 5 min

1. DB bicep curls (ONE SET: Bilat curls - Bilat hammer curls - Alt bicep curls) (10-10-10)

2. Dip progressives (ONE SET: legs straight - knees bent at 90 degrees) (25-20)

1. Kettlebell squats 25 lbs (20-20-20)

2. S/L KB contra floor reach 15 lbs (15-10-10)

Abs:

1. V-twists KTC (25-20-20)

2. Crunches (25-20-20)

3. Plank crunches (10-10)

RPE: 15 TIME: 50 min

MEALS:

-BREAKFAST: Super shake (30g of protein) and fish oil

-LUNCH: Cuban food (chicken steak, lentil/bean soup, salad, and some rice and beans) mmm

-DINNER: 1/2 of whole fish, 3 small meat patties, a little potato egg salad, and baby bokchoy-oyster mushroom dish

-SNACK: Trader Joe's granola (love this stuff)

-SNACK: whey protein shake (25g)

Until tomorrow!

Holy shoulder pain!!

Felt great last night, but woke up this morning with intense left shoulder pain. Woke up on my left side with my left arm folded under my body. As I tried to role over to get up...the shoulder pain was sharp and painful. Self-evaluated and I believe it's my supraspinatus and the long head of the biceps. Prognosis: a few nights of sleeping on my back should return it 100%..hopefully. I've had issues with my right shoulder in the past but the left one has held up to this point. It's amazing how the wrong static positioning of a joint for a length of time can actually cause injury. This is the case for probably the majority of low back pain diagnoses out there. My body hasn't felt this good in a very long time...except for this shoulder "injury". Will keep you posted on the progress. I'll make a last minute decision whether to train today or not. Even if I didn't train today, I'd still be on track for 5 days this week. We'll see.

Monday!!!!!

Left shoulder is bugging me a bit. Whether the workouts have been a bit too intense or I slept on it the wrong way...it's a nuisance. DOMS may be playing a role in the discomfort as well. Legs and the rest of the body feel ready to kick off the week. I'll limit overhead and exacerbative movements today when training. As you will see below, I'm focusing on pulling exercises and avoiding overhead/pushing movements. Pretty excited about my first full week of training. Other than the slight shoulder discomfort, I feel great!

Today's workout will be at Paramus around 5pm!

Program:
-Warm-up: TM incline walk 5 min, Versa climber 5 min, and jump rope 5 min (No Prob)

-Workout:
1. Pull-down Progressives (20-15-10) OK (Standing cable wide grip then alternating)
2. DB Bent over rows B/ALT (20-15-10) OK (20 lbs DB)
1. Side Lunge (15-10-10) OK (0 lbs)
2. 1 ft. B box jumps (15-10-10) OK (0 lbs)
1. Standing Uni cable row/twist (15-15-10) OK (35 lbs)
2. Self-assisted pull-up on dip bars (15-15-10) OK
1. 1 ft. S/L step ups (15-10-10) OK (box was more like 16 inches and one leg at a time)
2. Squats (15-15-10) OK (touch ass on box each rep)
1. DB Bicep curls progressives (15-15-10) OK (20 lbs DB - Bilat then alternating)
2. DB Grip twists with slight lat raise (15-15-15) OK (20 lbs DB)

-Abs:
1. Leg lifts progressives (15-10-10) OK
2. Bench plank with KTC (15-10-10) OK
3. Crunches/twist (15-10-10) OK

RPE: 15 Time: 5o min (start to finish)

UPDATE: Althought RPE doesn't say it felt much better...it did. Did not feel as nauseous as last week. The longer warm-up seems to help. I feel my body responding to everything and I love it! The shoulder felt good since I avoided exacerbative movements. Actually...it feel better already. It should settle down with a good night's rest and proper positioning during sleep.

TODAY'S MEALS:
-BREAKFAST: My super shake and fish oil
-LUNCH: Leftover mom's california rolls and mmm good chicken breast/veggie dish
-SNACK: New cliff protein bar 20g of protein (I'm not a fan of bars but tried it...it was good)
-DINNER: Fish, fish, and more fish. some rice and a mixture of healthy korean food.
-SNACK: Trader Joe's gluten free granola mix and an oatmeal cookie.
-SNACK: whey shake 25g protein.

Last few minutes of the Seminar workshop

Now that's what I'm talking about!!

Muscles soreness is at full force today! I love it! Decided to listen to my muscles screaming and take the day off from training. The rest should help prepare me for the week ahead...this week will be my first full week of training in a long time.
As much as consistent training is important to obtaining peak fitness, listening to your body and resting is equally essential for progress and long-term change. Most people who are kicking off a new fitness regimen go to extremes forgetting about patience and steady progress. Gradually increasing the intensity to match the current fitness level will help prevent this.
As I thought about the seminar we held yesterday, I keep thinking about how much I enjoy publicly speaking about my passions and beliefs. Once I've reached a level of "success", I would really enjoy holding seminars and conferences related to self-improvement and life/business coaching. I guess time will tell how my life unfolds!

As all of my family and close friends know, I have a hard time finding people to learn from. I guess that's where my ego and pride comes in. Often times, I feel people just don't get it. This is not to say I've figured it all out...quite the contrary. It just means I find too many contradictions in people for me to take what they say too seriously. I do find sound/meaningful advice and guidance from reading books written by people who appear to have put some deep thought into what they say. I feel people truly living out their passions and beliefs is a rarity in this life. It appears most people don't have a clue what they live for. The sadest part is that they aren't bothered enough by their lack of purpose to do anything about it. This all said, this year I hope to find an actual mentor whom I can confide in. Who is this person going to be? I guess I'll find out...

Sorry for the rambling. I've never kept a diary before...and blogging is allowing me to think things through and "speak" about what's on my mind. Can be boring but it's just me being transparent.