Shred 2019 (also feat. Ripped in 30 & 6 week 6 pack & No more trouble zones & Kickbox FastFix & YogaInferno & KillerAbs)

[Mountain Goat]

I found that with Yoga Meltdown, L2 was easier for me than L1. While obv the cardio stuff can be objectively easier/harder, I think that for a lot of the yoga stuff whether it's easy or hard is just down to which way you naturally bend and you can't really grade it. There's a few moves that often get called hard that I find easy, and some that are supposed to be just a relaxing cooldown that I just can't do. On my stretchy yoga they ask you to lie with your legs straight in the air for ages at the end to recharge and relax and my whole bloody body is shaking with the effort.

[Texaco Shirley]

That would finish me off too

[Mountain Goat]

I slept like the dead last night and went off as soon as I closed my eyes (unusual for me these days), so I think I now understand why I wasn't feeling it yesterday. I had no idea I was that tired. How do you not know?!

[Texaco Shirley]

I pretty much always feel that tired

[Mountain Goat]

My running shoes have arrived! That's a couple of weeks sooner than they estimated. So I might try a gentle run tonight to see how my calves fare.

[Disco]

Good luck. I wish you pain free calves.

I've done 6W6P today. It felt much easier than the time I did it as a 6 week programme. I felt a lot fitter and pushed it out a lot more than I did previously. I'll do it again tomorrow (level 1), then Thurs & Fri will do the remaining two levels of KB, with L2 6W6P on Saturday.

I think I'll carry this on until the end of the month and then will do a completely new dvd for 4-6 weeks.

[Disco]

I might do the yoga one in March.

[Mountain Goat]

Oh, that's really pleasing, to have that clear sense of progress.

I'm in meetings today that bugger up my schedule so won't get chance to do anything until early evening, so running is most likely, unless Mr G goes for a run, in which case I might stay inside and Rip (I'd rather do the latter if I can, just to give my calves more of a chance).

I think I'll do Yoga Meltdown for a couple of weeks after Ripped, to give me something to look forward to.

[Texaco Shirley]

That’s good to hear Disco, you must be doing something right.

My current plan is L2 of yoga inferno twice more this week and then alternating between L1&2 on non running days. I’m away for half term and should be able to do some running but no Jillian.

Maybe killer abs next. It will be interesting to compare it with 6W6P.

Are you not keen to try the new shoes Goat? My headphones are getting their first outing later.

[Mountain Goat]

Are you going anywhere nice? At half term I mean, as opposed to with your headphones later, when I assume you'll be going up the hill of doom in the dark, which is only nice if you like doom in the dark.

I did try the new shoes and my calves gave me no jip. However it was a horror show of a run. I was only doing Erin but I am just tired, bloated, a bit sore throaty and headachey (not ill, just off colour), lethargic and it was just a slog - same as Ripped was yesterday. When I looked at runkeeper I thought it was because I had apparently done the first kilometer in not much more than 5 minutes, which seemed unlikely but I did have more bounce at the start, but then I looked at the map and the GPS had gone totally mad, and it was nothing of the sort. Of course. Anyway, I showed up, which is enough to make Erin whoop, and I did everything she asked me to, so.

[Texaco Shirley]

Man, Erin’s easily pleased

We are going to Abu Dhabi for half term. It’s not somewhere I’ve ever desperately wanted to go but now I’m quite excited about it despite solo parenting 2 7 hour flights.

We have been running a route without the hill of doom which is nice. There is a long but gentle uphill grind and I’m not sure which is worse but I did manage sub30 tonight so I’ll stick with this for a while. I need to remember to stretch though. I collapsed into the car for a few minutes when we finished and then went and stood in the cold watching A playing football. By the time we drove home I got out of the car and it felt like I’d been stabbed in the calves.

[Disco]

How are all four of your calves, people?! Mine were threatening to cramp in the night but didn't. I was still aware of them though.

How are you feeling today Goat? You seem to have some low level lurg. I hope it doesn't come to anything.

Well done on your sub 30 5, Tex!

I'll do 6W6P shortly. So my wrists held out yesterday! For those side planks fully supported on hand (not elbow) where you bring your lower knee up/ in. That would have near snapped my wrists previously but I kept hearing my yoga lady telling me to spread my weight throughout my hand into every finger pad etc and I did and my wrists have not snapped!!11!

[Texaco Shirley]

Well done on not snapping your wrist There are side plank crunches in yoga inferno which I have been deliberately doing with a supporting bent lower leg. Mostly for balance reasons as you have to stretch your upper arm right out over your head between crunches and it was all a bit much.

I had to go up and down stairs a lot last night due to a stubborn wobbly tooth which actually seemed to loosen my calves. They are a little bit tight but bearable today.

[Disco]

Thanks, and they didn't snap today either during the side planks nor the spider press ups. Those side crunches you're doing sound awkward.

Loose teeth loosen calves. Did it come out?

[Disco]

I am feeling it - exercise - in a nice way all over in lots of areas with pleasant muscle ache but I feel stronger despite my two week hiatus AND my fitbit judge loves me as I've gone an extra two points into the excellent for your age range. I have given up smoking and my fitbit knows.

[Texaco Shirley]

It did come out eventually after a phase of having rotated itself so the wrong side was against the gum iyswim.

Yoga inferno L2 done with 1kg weights. I quite like it. It feels like I’m doing something without all the frantic activity Jillian usually involves. I couldn’t do the last section with weights though. It’s sort of pike crunches and my shoulder will not swing a weight forward like that.

My watch has pushed me up one fitness point (still fair, haven’t made it back to good yet) and down 3 fitness years after last night’s run so I am back in my 30s.

[Disco]

Glad it didn't hang on for too long!

So fitter and younger? Not bad, not bad!

[Texaco Shirley]

True. Still 11 years older than a couple of weeks ago though

[Mountain Goat]

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to work out that it wasn't your tooth that was wobbly, Tex. I thought you both seemed remarkably calm about this. Excellent 5K result, you must be so pleased. And congratulations on not snapping your wrists, Dics.

I didn't do anything yesterday as was on a mad deadline so worked through lunch and the evening up until going out for dinner, so no time. But I did just now: Ripped L2, D2 - better than day one, though I'm still feeling a bit off my game. But circuit 3 is all fine so that will keep me going when all the dynamic planks and crow push ups are distressing me. It's quite nice that circuit 3 is mostly stuff from 1WS, but easier, so I feel like a past master at all that. The dynamic hollow man thing is NOTHING after those ones with Russian twists in them.

The thing I just can't get the hang of is the ab hold to table. My bum is too big to swing it from table through my hands and behind them, it won't fit. I'm sure this is technique/lack of strength really rather than abnormal arse but I can't work it out. I think I need to do some stationary ab holds to get a grip on what I'm supposed to be doing before I start making it dynamic. I'm just swinging about looking puzzled and bashing the floor as it is which isn't helping anyone.

[Texaco Shirley]

I did wonder if I should be more specific about the tooth

I really struggle with the table top to ab hold thing too although fitting my arse through the gap wasn’t the issue* My problem was more that my arms didn’t seem long enough. Someone, probably Disco, had posted about making sure you really curve your back to lift off the floor and that did help quite a lot.


*this isn’t a reflection on relative arse size, I suspect my hands are just set wider.