Day 23: Core Synergistics

This was a brand new workout in the program and my favorite so far. This was a lot of fun but a LOT of work. Every exercises had you working your core (back, chest, stomach, hips). Arms got a great workout too though. Lot's of plank work, push-up varieties and lunges. There were roughly 20 exercises with nothing repeated. I did really well with the first half and kept up well. Some of the exercises towards the end were just kicking my butt though. I look forward to doing this one again.

Day 22: 5 mile run

Woot! A new personal best for me today. I can't remember the last time I ran 5 miles.

Today started phase two with a new workout schedule. Today was supposed to be Yoga. With the wife working late tonite, I wasn't going to be able to do yoga and watch the baby. So, tonite we ran, and ran, and ran. I actually start to tire by the end of this run. My hips started to get a bit sore. Other than that, the legs and everything else felt good.

When Kenpo comes up on this week, I'll substitute for th missing yoga workout. Cookie day came and went again at work. That's 4 weeks now without touching a cookie!

Day 21: Rest & Weigh-in

Today marks the end of phase one. Tomorrow we start a new routine for week four. For rest today I taught my last taekwondo class for the foreseeable future. This year marked my 15th year as an instructor but added responsibilities at work and home made this a time to step back. So today was very bittersweet. I'm looking forward to having that time with my family but will greatly miss all of my students. They are a fantastic group of kids and it was very hard to say goodbye.

On an up note, I was able to fit into a pair of pants today that I couldn't even button 3 months ago. I'm also starting to notice more definition in my arms - especially in my forearms and shoulders. My stomach feels really solid underneath all that soft mushy stuff. I'm glad for all that since my numbers this week were not so hot. I'm averaging 1-lb. per week. Hopefully as I continue, my metabolism will improve and my body will start to burn some more fat.














Final weight: 191.8 lbs.
Weight lost this week: 0.4 lbs.
Total weight lost: 3 lbs.

Day 20: 4.5 mile run

It was another cardio day so I decided to run again. It's the easiest way to workout with the baby. Jogging strollers are the greatest invention. Unfortunately, the one tire started to get flat about half way into the run which just added resistance. Once again, the first 1/2 mile was the first but by mile 2 I really felt in the zone. I had to cut the run short again to meet Eva's feeding time. Sometime I need to go running without her to find out what my limit is. I really felt good the last 1.5 miles and felt like I could probably run another 20 minutes at least.

I grabbed a pair of pants this morning off my stack of pants I was too fat for. They fit great.

Day 19: Legs & Back followed by Ab Ripper X

I love this workout. Mostly because I have a very strong lower body and great balance so this is stuff I can actually do! In many cases I'm able to do more reps with more weight than the guys on the video. I get some of my self-esteem back after the girls on there smoke me on pull-ups.

One of the toughest exercises on this disc is the one legged wall sit. You sit against the a wall with legs bent 90 degrees. You start with one leg extended straight and you switch legs every 10 seconds for one minute. It's absolutely KILLER. Tonite was the first night I made it through the whole set.

I really pushed myself tonite to after my lunch decision. I had all intentions of having a chicken sandwich with veggies for lunch but I was wooed away. The meatlovers pizza looked so delicious and it was everything I hoped for and more. Sausage, pepperoni & ham. MMMMmmmmm. I only had one slice and I had side salad with it. Still made feel a bit guilty but hey, if it gets a few more reps out of me, it can't be all that bad.

Day 18: Yoga

Yoga is tough!!!! Still really struggling with some of the poses but enjoying it nonetheless. Another late night made this mornings workout a struggle. Felt great afterward though.