Today's workout was tough as usual, but I noticed I'm really not sweating that much anymore. I think it is a combination of (a) the cold; (b) holding back because of my back; and (c) getting used to the routines. I'm thinking I may need to find ways to warm up and sweat more.
I'm wondering what to do re: supplements. Each day is a challenge. The yoga is really helping me through it, but just barely. I'm still mostly unmotivated and generally feel like crap. The first time I realized the supplements were dramatically artificially improving my mood, my response was - I'd rather be on these supplements than on prozac since I get an athletic benefit too and none of the side effects.
In 10 years of supplement usage I never had any prolonged negative side effects, though query whether the one way ratchet of mood elevation and my difficulty of finding joy/motivation once off them is the worst side effect of all.
A lot to think about.
Showing posts with label noxplode. Show all posts
Showing posts with label noxplode. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Day 11 - Ancient Chinese Secret
Who would have thunk it? Today I woke up with the crook in my neck again. Maybe a little better, but on the whole still painful to move around. Honestly was so tired this morning that I'm not sure if I took some tylenol, but to be honest it hasn't been that helpful. Then get this - after my yin yoga practice today, the pain is mostly gone. I don't really understand it, but maybe there is something to this healing art of getting into connective tissue / fascia of the joint that Travis keeps harping on about. I'm not 100% better, but I can now turn my neck most of the way to the left and the right before it starts hurting.
Well that's pretty awesome. I'm also a little sore in the core again, which is doubly awesome because it makes me feel like I'm making progress. I was a little disappointed I wasn't getting sore anymore (guess I'm somewhat masochistic). I was able to get into all the poses a little better today, in part because of increased flexibility (one hopes) and in part because I bought a new ceramic space heater for the living room. The space heater works really really well until it trips the circuit in the room. After this happens twice I decide that third time might be the charm, but only if I use it on low heat. This works. :) Not as nice and toasty, but better than freezing my buns off.
I'm definitely less focused than last week and I realize why (no not Mila Kunis lookalike's low cut top) - my reduced supplement dosage. For years I have used NoXplode not only for its strength and energy enhancing purposes (the primary purpose of the product), but also for its feel good and mental focus functions. This is why the stuff gets so addictive. You feel great, though like any drug that feeling wears off over time and you need increased dosages. You also have great mental focus and intellectual capability. It is actually a form of cheating, but in our competitive world it is hard to keep up without it. Occasionally I still kick myself for not taking my supplements the day of my LSAT. I actually performed about 5 points lower than my testing average as a result. Still not sure why I made the call not to take it, but maybe it was for the best for reasons beyond the scope of this post.
Anyway, that is a very helpful realization because it allows me to be more patient with myself in this transition phase. This is made more poignant by Travis' discussion of the lifespan of professional athletes. Won't give it away, but it really helps put things into perspective. If I want to live a long and happy life, without the anxiety and tension of stimulants, without the aches and pains of using chemical means to push myself harder than I should (mentally and physically), then I need to accept that my performance may not be at its peak level and that's ok. Artificial high performance may benefit my company, my friends, my family or even me in the short run, but in the long run it does damage and can limit the time I have on this Earth with my son and nothing in this limited lifetime is more important than that.
Well that's pretty awesome. I'm also a little sore in the core again, which is doubly awesome because it makes me feel like I'm making progress. I was a little disappointed I wasn't getting sore anymore (guess I'm somewhat masochistic). I was able to get into all the poses a little better today, in part because of increased flexibility (one hopes) and in part because I bought a new ceramic space heater for the living room. The space heater works really really well until it trips the circuit in the room. After this happens twice I decide that third time might be the charm, but only if I use it on low heat. This works. :) Not as nice and toasty, but better than freezing my buns off.
I'm definitely less focused than last week and I realize why (no not Mila Kunis lookalike's low cut top) - my reduced supplement dosage. For years I have used NoXplode not only for its strength and energy enhancing purposes (the primary purpose of the product), but also for its feel good and mental focus functions. This is why the stuff gets so addictive. You feel great, though like any drug that feeling wears off over time and you need increased dosages. You also have great mental focus and intellectual capability. It is actually a form of cheating, but in our competitive world it is hard to keep up without it. Occasionally I still kick myself for not taking my supplements the day of my LSAT. I actually performed about 5 points lower than my testing average as a result. Still not sure why I made the call not to take it, but maybe it was for the best for reasons beyond the scope of this post.
Anyway, that is a very helpful realization because it allows me to be more patient with myself in this transition phase. This is made more poignant by Travis' discussion of the lifespan of professional athletes. Won't give it away, but it really helps put things into perspective. If I want to live a long and happy life, without the anxiety and tension of stimulants, without the aches and pains of using chemical means to push myself harder than I should (mentally and physically), then I need to accept that my performance may not be at its peak level and that's ok. Artificial high performance may benefit my company, my friends, my family or even me in the short run, but in the long run it does damage and can limit the time I have on this Earth with my son and nothing in this limited lifetime is more important than that.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Day 5 - Detox
January 4, 2013
I wake up this morning and take only half a scoop of NoXplode. In case you are wondering what that is, it is my pre-workout igniter. I've been using it on and off (more on) since 2004 so after 10 years of use I can be relatively sure it is not something that will kill me in the short run. In the long run on the other hand...
Image courtesy of www.bodybuilding.com
I buy it from BodyBuilding.com (direct link to product) because they have great prices, great customer service, helpful reviews and are always doing awesome promos with freebies. Ok, enough with the free commercial for them. But seriously, if you do wish to supplement, consider using them or another online vendor. You can save over 50% on retail (read: GNC) prices usually.
OK - back to yoga. Today's workout is called Detox, but I've been fooled enough over the last few days to know this will be anything but easy. Plus yesterday's workout was supposed to be the less athletically intense midweek break, so in the words of Tony Horton - "Get Ready, Cause it's coming"
Cast of characters has changed again. Mila Kunis out, Asian girl back in. Scar chest back in too, but no nipple rings. (They are just accessories??!) We learn his name is Jason when at one point he is feeling "a little spunky". Erm - no comment Travis. Otaku dude is still here, but he looks less Otaku and more French/Eurotrash artsy dude. What a transformation! Can't wait to see what I become in 108 days.
Workout involves a ton of twists, which are difficult, but sooooooo satisfying. Definitely manage to work up a great sweat.
Also I realize that I want to be a yoga instructor when I grow up. Am I drawn to the meditative calm? Nope. The lean chiseled physique? Nope. The ability help guide people through a journey and improve their lives? Nope. What other profession makes it so acceptable for a dude to get so hands on and be thanked for it? I notice this as Travis adjusts the leggy brunette's pose by slowly and delicately pressing her against her bare upper thigh. To be fair he does later adjust one of the men's poses by adjusting his ankles...
Maybe since I'm a well known creeper I'm reading too much into it, but I remember all to well the "interesting positions" that Bryan Kest placed his students in. I mean, I think you can get the gist by looking at the covers for power 2 and power 3.
Bear in mind folks that prior to doing the Ultimate Yogi this was the best yoga I had ever done.
Photos courtesy of the amazon.com listings at here and here respectively. No I don't still have a VHS player, I bought the 3-in-1 DVD set and honestly recommend it highly.
The practice was fantastic, but I'll save details for the next time I do the workout. Last thing I wanted to mention today is that I completely bungled the diets in my earlier postings. It is not each 36 days. Each diet lasts for the 3 days leading up to the sun salutations. Phew. Ok - I'm going to give them a shot!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Day 3 - Strength
January 2, 2014
I woke up this morning definitely feeling groggy. First day back to work means first day waking up at 5:30 again. My body is still sore from the last two days, particularly my core, which is feeling the effects of being pushed to hard in hardcore and then again through the twists in the cardio sequence. Also didn't help to have to shovel feet of snow last night. That's what I get for buying a house only miles from the lake...(oh it's beaauuuutiful here...).
Today's challenge, which I chose to accept was the strength workout. Thankfully my upper body is already plenty strong from years of weights. I can't do more than 3 pull-ups at a time, but boy can I push some heavy weights off my chest in a vertical up and down motion. Talk about functional strength!
The workout is challenging, but not as bad as the first two...this is going to be a cakewalk - wait more twists and inversions? Did I mention that my core is sore? In particular my obliques are failing me. In the midst of my pain, my fear returns. That dude's chest markings look like someone sliced him with a knife 6 times symmetrically (himself)? I bet he's one of those people who everyone goes. "Oh Bob? He's suuuuper nice"
I don't know if it was the fact that I was quarter-asleep (the NoXplode helped with 1/2 and the yoga a 1/4), but I really had trouble focusing and my mind kept wandering. I would love to pretend it was wondering for wholesome reasons, but if you know me and/or have read any previous post you know I was perving again. One of my resolutions this year is to be more honest so hooray for honesty. More honesty - probably didn't help that I completely cheated the common sense food program again by eating way too many buffalo chicken/ketchup flavored potato chips last night (I really need to get the snacks out of my house).
Next up was the Hardcore workout again. You'd think given some crazy sore obliques that I'd just back off for today in true Yogi fashion. Nope, that's not the Mediocre Yogi style. I decide to "push through the pain" Rocky style. In moments like this, I ask myself, what would the Governator do? He would call me a girly man and then ridicule me until I did the workout. So I give it a shot, epically fail (about 20-30% of reps) and clutch my side in pain. I think I really am a girly man.
Timing is perfect, just as I'm finishing up, my nanny comes through the door with her little daughter who starts running around the house screaming "OUR CAR IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! OUR CAR IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO????!!!" I'm not feeling very zen right now, but I do the only thing that makes sense and offer to dig the car out from the snow. Brilliant.
Those of you who are actually bothering to read my ramblings with any semblance of interest may be wondering how this can be given that I shoveled feet of snow last night. Erm...f*cked if I know, but there are feet of snow again. WTF! So out I go, core screaming and shovel the driveway and all the snow that is under and around the car. *Cue Rocky IV training montage music* Job done.
On the plus side I did actually do the 10 minute meditation last evening. New working plan is to do the meditation before bed. There is no rule that says I have to do it after my workout, and actually it was a really nice way to unwind.
I woke up this morning definitely feeling groggy. First day back to work means first day waking up at 5:30 again. My body is still sore from the last two days, particularly my core, which is feeling the effects of being pushed to hard in hardcore and then again through the twists in the cardio sequence. Also didn't help to have to shovel feet of snow last night. That's what I get for buying a house only miles from the lake...(oh it's beaauuuutiful here...).
Today's challenge, which I chose to accept was the strength workout. Thankfully my upper body is already plenty strong from years of weights. I can't do more than 3 pull-ups at a time, but boy can I push some heavy weights off my chest in a vertical up and down motion. Talk about functional strength!
The workout is challenging, but not as bad as the first two...this is going to be a cakewalk - wait more twists and inversions? Did I mention that my core is sore? In particular my obliques are failing me. In the midst of my pain, my fear returns. That dude's chest markings look like someone sliced him with a knife 6 times symmetrically (himself)? I bet he's one of those people who everyone goes. "Oh Bob? He's suuuuper nice"
I don't know if it was the fact that I was quarter-asleep (the NoXplode helped with 1/2 and the yoga a 1/4), but I really had trouble focusing and my mind kept wandering. I would love to pretend it was wondering for wholesome reasons, but if you know me and/or have read any previous post you know I was perving again. One of my resolutions this year is to be more honest so hooray for honesty. More honesty - probably didn't help that I completely cheated the common sense food program again by eating way too many buffalo chicken/ketchup flavored potato chips last night (I really need to get the snacks out of my house).
Next up was the Hardcore workout again. You'd think given some crazy sore obliques that I'd just back off for today in true Yogi fashion. Nope, that's not the Mediocre Yogi style. I decide to "push through the pain" Rocky style. In moments like this, I ask myself, what would the Governator do? He would call me a girly man and then ridicule me until I did the workout. So I give it a shot, epically fail (about 20-30% of reps) and clutch my side in pain. I think I really am a girly man.
Timing is perfect, just as I'm finishing up, my nanny comes through the door with her little daughter who starts running around the house screaming "OUR CAR IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! OUR CAR IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO????!!!" I'm not feeling very zen right now, but I do the only thing that makes sense and offer to dig the car out from the snow. Brilliant.
Those of you who are actually bothering to read my ramblings with any semblance of interest may be wondering how this can be given that I shoveled feet of snow last night. Erm...f*cked if I know, but there are feet of snow again. WTF! So out I go, core screaming and shovel the driveway and all the snow that is under and around the car. *Cue Rocky IV training montage music* Job done.
On the plus side I did actually do the 10 minute meditation last evening. New working plan is to do the meditation before bed. There is no rule that says I have to do it after my workout, and actually it was a really nice way to unwind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)