Day 454 - Rest Day

It's Easter and I went up to Pennsburg to take my Dad out for breakfast.  Church in the afternoon and now heading over to my brother's house for dinner.  Another rough night of sleep last night, so the challenge continues on that front and I have no answers.  Here's hoping tonight is better.

Update: Dinner was wonderful, but I ate too much.  The Strawberry Shortcake was probably the point where I knew I was overdoing it, but having a cheat day once in a great while is allowed.  Next one for me will be my birthday on April 19th.  Between now and then I plan to stay at 2400 calories / day.

Day 453 - Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper

I just finished Base + Back and am taking a break and having some protein before starting Ab Ripper.  I went into Base + Back with very little energy, but once I got started I found that I was able to get through it pretty well.  It seemed like the breaks I took were shorter and that I really didn't need them as much this time through.  I even increased reps on a couple of things.  On the troubling side of things I had another rough night of trying to sleep last night in spite of reducing the protein intake and cutting out most caffeine and stopping the BCAA powder, so still not sure what is going on.  I guess it's time to stop guessing and schedule an appt. my the doctor.

Day 452 - Run & X2 Yoga

I slept a bit better last night and didn't need anything like Benadryl to help me fall asleep (thankfully).  Not sure if that's because I was super tired or because of the changes in eating I made.  I'm hoping it was the latter.  I'm continuing to reduce my caffeine intake and my protein intake just to be safe.  I got in a great 5k run at lunch today in a new best time of 25:43 (8:15/mile).  Yoga was good tonight.  I focused on stretching positions like downward dog a lot tonight and I could feel the difference that makes.  I'm well below calories so far today (0nly at 1800 so far) for a day with two workouts.  I can't imagine I'm going to each 600 calories in the next hour right before going to bed, so I'll have to make up some of it tomorrow.

Day 451 - P.A.P. Upper

I decided to do PAP Upper tonight instead of Shoulders + Arms because Monday's workout didn't do me any favors with my tennis elbow (despite the use of tendon support bands).  The workout tonight felt a bit sore on the elbow while doing the Row moves, but I got through them.  I decided to do pushups instead of the Arnold presses and I was surprised how hard of a substitution that was.  Doing towel pull-ups and push-ups in the same sets does a number on the biceps and I felt it.  I'm continuing to cut back on the protein intake in hopes of seeing if it helps with the issues I'm having with sleeping.  Last night didn't seem any better, but yesterday was the first day of reduced protein and cutting out the BCAA powder, so time will tell.  One way or another I need to figure out why I'm not able to sleep.  Weird thing is that I really don't seem drained in the course of the day.  Still trying to figure that one out.

Day 450 - Rest Day

It's Wednesday and I'm doing phase 2 so that means tonight is my rest day from X2.  I can certainly use it tonight.  I've had some trouble sleeping lately and am feeling the effects of not getting a good nights sleep.  At first I thought it was the effects of caffeine in things like the diet soda I drink during the day.  I've cut all of that out for the last week or so, but that hasn't changed things.  Now I think it may be the result of too much protein in my diet combined with the use of the BCAA (which helps protein absorption).  It seems when I read about this online there are lots of different opinions on whether it affects sleep, so I figure the best way to tell is to cut back on protein (I'm going to stay in the 100-120 range for a while) and cut out the BCAA to see if it helps. 
At work today we had a Noon meeting and they served pizza.  I did okay by having just one slice of vegetable pizza.

Day 449 - X2 Plyocide

I found the workout tonight to be pretty easy to get through.  I guess I'm getting used to it at this point.  I'm continuing to focus on my eating more by eating as healthy as possible.  Right now I'm at a bit of a plateau in my results so I need to push through by putting the effort into the workouts and making sure to eat right on a regular basis.  Based on how shirts are fitting I can tell that my chest and arms are gaining a bit of bulk, but it takes a long time.

Day 448 - Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper

I was struggling to decide if I should do phase 2 or phase 3 this week.  The idea of doing phase 3 was enticing because the workouts are shorter, but I decided that I had such a long break from phase 2 (because of my elbow) that I would be cheating myself if I didn't do another week of phase 2 before doing phase 3 for a week.  I'm glad I decided that for tonight.  It took longer and this is a tough workout, but it felt really good.   Ab Ripper was good.  I really felt it during Abrinome again.

Day 447 - Rest Day

It's Sunday so It's a rest day from working out.  Recently I've had some trouble sleeping at night, so I've decided to cut back on soda with caffeine (like Diet Dew).  Problem is that there is withdrawal from caffeine, so I've had to deal with some headaches over the last few days.  Just goes to show how bad Caffeine is for me.  I really should have done this a long time ago.  The other issue I need to be careful about is an increase in appetite since caffeine curbs your appetite.

Day 446 - Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper

I just had a really good workout.  I didn't have to hold back or modify on any of the moves, so I was able to get a lot of the routine.  This workout still kicks my butt and requires me to take a few extra breaks, but the breaks are getting shorter.  This has been a good week for workouts, so I'm going into my Sunday feeling pretty good about the effort I've put in this week.  I was recently reading an article on proper eating.  I'm doing pretty well on that front, but one of the interesting points was that it's important to mix up the sources of protein so that you're body has to continue to adapt.  One thing I can do is try to mix more fish into my diet.  Right now my sources are from different things (chicken, turkey, beef, Soy beans, milk, whey powder, whey protein bars, whole grain hot cereal, eggs, egg whites).

Day 445 - X2 Yoga

Yoga was good tonight.  I did some chin-ups before and after the yoga as well.  I noticed in the mirror today that it seems I have a bit more fat around the midsection (just a bit), so I probably need to cut back on the daily calories some. I plan to cut back to 2400-2500 for the next few weeks to see if that helps.  According to the scale I haven't gained a lot (I'm at 141), so not overly concerned at this point.

Day 444 - X2 Shoulders + Arms & X2 Ab Ripper

I pushed it harder this week to continue to test my elbow and it went okay.  I got a really good workout tonight and it seems no harm done.  Once again, Ab Ripper was really a good workout tonight, so I'm probably going to feel it in the muscles tomorrow.  I love this program.

Day 443 - Run Day

It's a rest day from X2, but I went for a run today after work.  It was windy again (which is a real nuisance), but I made it 5k.  It wasn't a record-setting pace, but still not too bad. Eating continues to go well.  My diet is not exactly varied much, but I like what I eat and it's getting the job done.

Day 442 - X2 Plyocide

I had trouble sleeping last night, so I was dragging all day today and was feeling pretty run-down by the time I got home from work.  I decided to get Plyocide in before dinner (for obvious reasons) and I'm glad I did.  I feel so much better after doing that workout. 

Day 441 - Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper

I got a late start tonight because I was busy doing other things before dinner, so I knew it was going to be pretty late by the time I finished up.  For some reason that always take some of my motivation out of me.  I much prefer to get my workouts done before dinner if I can.  The routine went pretty well tonight.  The tendon supports continue to help me avoid aggravating my tennis elbow condition, so I was able to give about 95% tonight.  The only move I switched up was the close over-hand chin-ups because the put a lot of stress on the forearms.  Ab Ripper was really tough for me tonight.  I focused a lot on Abrinome and from there on I could really feel the pain.  I was sweating a lot by the time I was done (which is unusual for me with Ab Ripper).  I was off from work today, but I still ate well.  I should reach my 200 grams of protein by the time I go to bed.  I'm continuing on with 2600 calories as my goal and so far it seems to be going pretty well, so I think this may be the number (given my current rigorous workout schedule).

Day 440 - Rest Day

Well, the biggest news is that my elbow survived the workout yesterday okay, so it appears that the tendon support bands are doing their job.  Yesterday was a brutal workout that really stressed the arms.  I can still feel some pain in the tendon, but it's not getting any worse, so I think as I continue to use the bands and be cautious with the workouts I should be able to move forward with the workouts and hopefully allow the injury to get better over time.  Encouraging.  Not doing anything today as far as workouts go.  Just resting and getting ready to attack it again tomorrow.

Day 439 - Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper

Wow, that workout just doesn't seem to get any easier over time.  I didn't take as many breaks as the last few times I did it, so I'm encouraged by that.  All of the pullups are tough on my tennis elbow, so we'll see how the compression straps help (I should know tomorrow).  I took a break in between the workouts and enjoyed my protein shake during the break.  That allowed me to have a bit more energy when I did Ab Ripper (it's a nice thing to do on a Saturday when I have the extra time available).

Day 438 - Run & X2 Yoga

First off, the workout last night definitely did not help me with my elbow.  It hurt a lot this morning.  I decided to do some checking on a medical website to see if I could figure out what portion I had injured and it seems it's called Lateral epicondylitis (more commonly known as Tennis Elbow).  That is very good news because wearing compression bands around the forearm helps with that.  I bought some at CVS and used them during Yoga tonight and they really seemed to help to avoid further injury.

I went for a run today during lunch.  It was pretty windy out, so that slowed me down a bit.  It's no fun running up the steepest part of the hill only the get blasted by 20 mph winds.  In spite of this I was still a respectable 8:33/mile for the 5k run.

Day 437 - X2 Shoulders + Arms & X2 Ab Ripper

My motivation was a bit lacking tonight, but I decided to get the workout in as soon as I got home rather than putting it off.  This is my first time back to this workout in about 6 weeks because of the sore elbow.  Honestly, I could still feel the elbow complaining a bit, so i kept the weight down a bit compared the previous runs through the workout.  I plan to ice the elbow a lot over the next two days and see how it feels by Saturday for Base + Back.  X2 Ab Ripper went well.  I took a break in between the workouts ot ice the elbow and to drink some protein.  The break helped me to bring it harder with Ab Ripper.

Day 436 - Rest Day

I really should have gone for a run today during lunch, but I didn't take my stuff because the weather forecast was calling for rain.  They were way off.  It turned out to be a really nice day.  Oh well, I plan to run on Friday instead.  Tonight I'm actually taking my rest day because I need to take my son to an activity.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to try Shoulders & Arms for the first time in a long time.  I will likely reduce the weight until I feel more confidence with the elbow, but I plan to increase reps, so we'll see how it goes.  I went out to lunch with my brother today and had chicken teriyaki (light on the teriyaki sauce) and a small amount of white rice.  Not too bad for eating out, but it's still leaving me a little light on protein today even with a dinner of chicken breast, broccoli and carrots, so I may need to have a protein bar even though it's not a workout night.

Day 435 - X2 Plyocide

It's been a while since I've done Plyocide and I can definitely tell.  I was sweating up a storm tonight.  I was still able to get through it without adding in any extra breaks, but I could definitely tell that it was harder for me tonight, so it's good that I'm getting back into the groove of doing phase 2 for a while.
Eating is going just okay today.  I had some fajitas at lunch today with Mexican rice and black beans (but no tortillas).  Note to self: Mesa Mexican grill is not a good fit for eating healthy.  That was pretty heavy on the calories, so I'm having to be more careful with dinner to stay within calories.

Day 434 - Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper

It's back to phase 2 this week and I took my time on the workout tonight to make sure that I could get through all of the moves without having to modify because of my elbow.  It worked out pretty well and my arms feel pumped up after that workout.  Ab Ripper was a bit of a struggle tonight, but I still brought it hard, so no doubt I got some good benefit from it after all of the work I did with my arms tonight.  I'm looking forward to doing Plyocide tomorrow night (wow, that's new for me to say that).  Well, it's been a while so I guess it makes sense.  Protein is on track for the day and so is the calorie count.  I went over 2600 yesterday by a bit, so I need to be a bit careful with eating.

Day 433 - Rest Day

I'm enjoying a rest day today.  I'm not doing much of anything except eating well and icing my elbow in prep for hitting the workouts hard tomorrow. 

Day 432 - Trail Run & P.A.P. Upper

I went for a 5K trail run this morning over in Hibernia park.  It was a pretty flat trail, so it was not a huge challenge, but it was a lot more interesting that the normal paved path.  The time seemed to fly by, so I definitely want to do this more often.  I just need to find longer trails since the Hibernia path wasn't long enough to do more than 5K.  I kept with my plan to do P.A.P Upper today.  I toyed with the idea of doing Base + Back, but decided against it since I went for a run this morning and doing this on the same day would be brutal on the legs.  I'm icing down the elbow after the workout since that was a bit of a challenge for it with the hammer press move.

Day 431 - X2 Yoga

Good day today with the Yoga workout.  Eating is also going okay in spite of the fact that we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner.  I indulged a bit with the Ribeye steak, but did okay with the sides by getting a side salad, green beans and the cucumber and tomato salad.  I'm still within my calories for the day and protein is at 180, so not bad.  My elbow is a little tender, but not too bad.  Next week I'll probably do phase 2, but replace Shoulders + Arms with another workout like P.A.P Upper since my elbow needs to be at 100% before I try that one again.  Tomorrow I plan on a trail run in the AM.

Day 430 - Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper

Well, I decided to try a phase 2 workout to see if my elbow would endure it and it came through it pretty well.  It's a bit on the sore side, but nothing like it was the last time I did this and re-injured it.  I enjoyed getting back to phase 2 and the muscle building moves associated with it.  Arms were feeling jacked up after that workout.  Fortunately the reps are not off too much from before after such a long break from phase 2.  The plan for the rest of this week is Yoga tomorrow, A trail run on Saturday (first time trying this) and then PAP Upper on Saturday afternoon.  It feels good to be getting back into a more normal workout routine.

Day 429 - Rest Day (mostly)

I decided to make today my rest day for a number of reasons, but mostly because I like having Wed as a rest day instead of Thurs.  I did some pushups, chin-ups and dumbbell curls to see how the elbow would hold up and it seemed to do okay as long as I was smart about what I was doing.  I'm a little light on protein today, but with not working out much my muscles really don't need as much today.  I found out about another outdoor obstacle course in the Philly area called Spartan.  It's about 5 miles and happens later in the year, so I'm hoping to do that if things go well with the Warrior Dash in May.

Day 428 - P.A.P. Upper

I'm not a military guy, but that doesn't mean I don't have an internal drill sergeant that kicks me in the butt when I'm lacking in motivation.   Tonight I was feeling kind of lazy until I heard that internal voice saying "Get it in gear maggot".  Needless to say, I brought it.  This time around I did all of the moves including the Arnold press to see how the arm holds up.  Little tender, but I think it seems to be hanging in there.  I'm at 200 gram of protein and still well below on calories, so doing well.

Day 427 - P.A.P. Lower

I decided that I wanted to avoid phase 2 for one more week in order to give my elbow the chance to fully recover.  But, I plan to increase my arm activity this week to test things out a bit more.  Tonight I included some weight during the squat cross reach (using 10 lbs) and the elbow seemed to hold up okay.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to do PAP Upper with little modification.  Protein is back up today and eating is on track.

Day 426 - Rest Day

It's Sunday again which means the focus is all bout how I eat (since I don't workout on Sunday).  I went out to breakfast with my Dad and had eggs, home-fries and scrapple.  I ate about half of the home-fries and didn't finish the toast, so breakfast didn't kill the calories for the day.  Lunch helped to make up for the need for protein.  I had turkey breast meat and salad in a flour tortilla and a cup of yogurt.  Here's hoping dinner includes some chicken instead of hamburger, but (as usual) I eat what is put on the table for dinner.

Day 425 - P.A.P. Upper

Veins are really popping today after all of the my working out today.  I started my day with a 5 mile run in 31 degrees. I got through it in 42:46 and it felt really good. The run burned 600 calories, so I plan to up my calorie count to 3000 today instead of 2600.

I got through PAP upper without seriously re-injuring the elbow.  I had to substitute for the hammer press and I lowered the weight to 20 on the row moves,but otherwise it went well.   Bring on the rest day :-)

Day 424 - P.A.P. Lower

It's once again flex Friday which means it's time to show off some muscles.  Arms have not grown much because of my elbow issues, but I am still getting good definition by keeping the fat off and trying to keep things toned.  I didn't need any breaks during second complex, so I'm happy about that.

We went to dinner at Red Robin tonight, but I got the chicken platter that gave me good protein and was low in carbs (oh yeah).  I'm well below on calories today, so need to eat more.