Workout Update: Power-90 Day 21

 Day 21 was a rest day that I took advantage of. I felt good after the past week and can definitely feel myself improving little-by-little, in all areas. This program is definitely a very good option for beginners or for people who have fallen too far out of shape to jump right into one of the more intense programs. The only real drawback is that, because you are doing the same two workouts, it gets very repetitive. That is one very big upgrade that p90x made, adding the additional workouts so that you are getting a lot more variety each week (and let's face it, by the 60-day mark p90x feels pretty repetitive),  But, the good thing is that once you have done the resistance workouts a couple of times, you can easily do them without watching the DVD, so I just put on a show or movie to have on in the background while I do the workout. You cannot really do that with the cardio workout, but any little bit helps. I'll be back tomorrow with another update.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 20

 Day 21 was cardio and abs. I think this was probably the best day of this workout so far. I was able to keep up with Tony and "the kids" much more and was again able to get through all 100 reps of ab-ripper 100. Also, my flexibility continues to improve during the yoga portion. So, overall, it was a good day and marks almost the halfway point of the 1-2 workouts before I start the 3-4 workouts.

DVD Review: Chicago PD Season 4

 

The fourth season of Chicago PD picks up pretty much right after the events of the season three finale. Voight is being investigated for the murder of his son's killer, and, of course, Erin is caught up in that. As you can imagine, he ends up off the hook, but I will not spoil the particulars. Then, the show pretty much follows its case of the week format. About a third of the way into the season there is a crossover episode with just Chicago Fire, in which the team has to investigate Kelly Severide for a hit and run accident. Then, about 2/3 of the way through the season there is the big crossover that includes Fire, PD, and the new series Chicago Justice. Med did not have an official episode in the crossover, but much of the Fire episode and the PD episode was set at Med, so many of the characters from Med did appear. The episode of Justice was its series premiere (having had the backdoor pilot during the third season of Chicago PD the previous year). The season ends with a slight cliffhanger leaving the fate of one of the main characters up in the air.

This season did see some cast turnover with Brian Gerahety's and Samuel Hunts's characters having been written out, and Jon Seda's character taking a new job as an investigator for the State's Attorney's office (so Seda could transition over to Chicago Justice) about halfway through the season. Also, Marina Squerciati went on maternity leave about 3/4 of the way through the season, so the character of Burgess was allowed to go on furlough following an episode that involved a family member of hers. That paved the way for the addition of a new character, Detective Hailey Upton (played by Tracy Spirdakos), who transfers to Intelligence from Robbery-Homicide. 

For those who get the DVD, there are no real extras like deleted scenes, or behind-the-scenes clips like there were in previous season releases. The crossover episodes of Chicago Fire and Chicago Justice are included, however, so, even if you do not watch the other shows, you can see the entire storyline from the episodes play out. 

Overall, the series was still going strong in its fourth season. The writing and acting was solid, and whatever tension there was on set between actors (which is more than just a rumor) did not bleed over into the finished product). The show also did a good job balancing storylines for the large cast, and while not every character got an equal amount of screen time, none of them seemed like "also-rans". So, if you are a fan of the first three seasons, this one is definitely worth a look.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 19

 Day 20 of Power 90 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. In this one, I was able to increase the amount of weight slightly on a couple of the exercises and was able to hit 15 reps meaning in the next workout on Monday I will be able to up the weight a little. I was also able to increase the range of motion on the pushups a bit more. So, I am definitely progressing. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 18

 Day 18 of Power 90 was the cardio and abs workout (with a bit of yoga mixed in). I was again able to make it through each portion. I am getting a bit more flexibility when it comes to the yoga moves (which is not saying a lot), but I am not having as much of an issue getting from downward dog into runner's lunge, crescent, and warrior as I was before (especially on my left side). I still have to modify during the cardio workout in a couple of spots (the cross hops and slowing down the jumping jacks in round two of that three-move cycle). And, I can do all 100 reps in ab-ripper 100 (but I do have to pause on a couple of moves, and my form is not superb on a couple where they can do moves with straight legs and mine are bent. But, I am improving, which is the name of the game. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day17

 Day 17 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. Nothing much to update with this one. My weight values all stayed the same, although I got close to the 15 rep max on a couple of exercises, so I will probably be able to increase the weights after my next workout on a few of the exercises. I was able to do a couple more chair dips (up to 20) with bent knees. I will post another update tomorrow, and at least one more product review over the weekend. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 16

 Day 16 was cardio and abs (and yoga), again. This time I skipped the stretch at the beginning and used the 4 minutes of yoga as a warmup, as the stretch does not really add much and does not a ton to warm you up. I did a lot better on the yoga than in the prior workouts, and am slowly but surely increasing my cardio stamina. I did have to slow down on the jumping jacks portion and (the jumping jacks into run in place, into run lunges is really the hardest part of the cardio portion for me), and still cannot do the full cross-hops (I do a jump skip), but I am getting closer. And, I was able to get through all 100 reps in ab-ripper, but did have to pause a couple of times. So, I am making progress. I still think I will be on track to switch to the 3-4 workouts after 45 days. I'll be back tomorrow for another update, and should have a new product review up soon.

Workout Update: Power-90 day 15

 Day 15 was the sculpt workout again. I was again able to increase the amount of weight on a couple of the exercises. Thankfully, keeping the weights lower so I max out at 15 reps has kept my elbow from hurting like it was last summer when I had tendonitis. And, even though I am doing high-reps low-weight resistance, I can tell that I am getting a bit stronger overall. Even the push-ups are getting easier, even though I still hate them. 

Workout Update: Power 90 Day 14

 Day 14 was a rest day. I did not end up doing T25 stretch which is my optional workout on a rest day. But, I did some house cleaning and organizing done so I was active. Overall, I feel good after two weeks of the program. It is definitely repetitive, given that you are just doing the same two workouts every other day, but it is doable. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 13

 Day 13 was cardio and abs again. I was better in both, as well as better at the 4 min yoga portion at the beginning. I still have to slow down in a couple spots during the workout and have to modify the cross hops, but overall, my endurance is getting better. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Man of Steel

 

Man of Steel is a much better movie than it gets credit for being. I think it gets shit on by a lot of whiny comic book fans who would frankly never be satisfied with anything that deviates from the story they want to be told. This is, of course, the movie that launched the current version of the DC Cinematic Universe. It tells the origin story of Superman in a much different way than the 1978 film did, but still stayed true to the comic book mythology. Like the 1978 movie, this one starts out on Krypton, showing the planet in its last days, and setting up Zod, played by Michael Shannon, as the villain of the film. It has many of the same elements as the origin story we know, Jor-El (played by Russell Crowe) trying to convince the leadership of Krypton that the planet is doomed, Zod being sent to the phantom zone, and Jor-El and Lara (played by Ayelet Zurer) sending Kal to Earth.

Then the movie jumps to a time when Clark/Kal-El is an adult (played by Henry Cavill), working odd jobs as a drifter until he would be discovered helping someone and then have to move on. His childhood is told in flashbacks as he learns how to deal with powers like x-ray vision and super hearing, and learning to control them with the help of his Earth father and mother, Jonathan and Martha Kent (played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). So, for much of the movie, he is not Superman until Zod comes to Earth and threatens all of humanity. The movie is really about how he becomes Superman, which he fully is by the end of the movie. 

The movie was directed and produced by Zach Snyder (of 300 and Watchman fame) and as a result, has a much grittier feel than the original movies with Christopher Reeve or the Superman Returns reboot with Brandon Routh. This version of Superman is not the "big blue boy scout" but you can see that he has that in him. Lois (played by Amy Adams) is much wiser than any other version of the character and finds out pretty much immediately who Clark is and about his abilities. The rest of the cast is made up of very recognizable actors including Laurence Fishburne, Michael Kelley, Richard Schiff, Christopher Meloni, and Harry Lennix. 

For those who get the blu-ray set, there are three discs, two blu-rays, and one DVD. The first blu-ray disc and the DVD has the movie and about an hour's worth of behind-the-scenes and making-of material. The second Blu-ray disc has the movie with an in-movie mode in which clips from the cast and crew are interspersed throughout the movie explaining how various scenes were shot, how they approached making the movie or a particular scene in the movie, and the like. It adds about 30 additional minutes to the running time of the movie but is entertaining to watch. Then, there is a mockumentary made for the movie about Krypton and Kryptonian technology that was gleaned from the aftermath of the invasion. 

Overall, the movie is very good. Very well written and acted. Yes, it changed the origin story of the character a bit, but as I said above, it still stayed true to the overall mythology. Henry Cavill did a great job in the role, getting absolutely jacked for it, and totally pulled off the superhero look. He, wisely, did not try to mimic Christopher Reeve or any of the other actors that ever played the role. He made it his own and ran with it, as did Amy Adams with her version of Lois. Of course, the movie sets up the larger DC Cinematic Universe that would go on to include characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc., but they really kept this a contained Superman movie. It was very well done and is definitely worth watching.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 

The Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the Harry Potter franchise. It is, by far, the longest up to that point, and overall, the second-longest of the series. So, for those who have only seen the movies, the novel has a lot more content and has a much different pace than the movie adaptation. The main storyline that was removed to make the movie was Hermonie's quest to liberate the house elves that work in Hogwart's kitchen. Also, there is a lot more backstory about the death eaters and about the events revealed at the end of the movie. Also, as I said, the pacing of the events in the book is a lot different than the movie. In the book, there is a lot more time devoted to the quidditch world cup and a pretty hilarious beginning in which the Weasleys come to Privet Drive to fetch Harry. The selection of the champions does not start until about 1/3 of the way into the book, and the tournament takes place with months between the tasks. There are also some things from the book (like how Harry gets the Gillyweed) that are changed from the novels, and things that were dropped altogether from earlier films (like Hermonie's teeth) are resolved in this book. And, there are a lot more to Rita Seeker and Hagrid's story arcs in the book than were shown in the movie. 

The book is a lot darker than the previous three novels. Of course, Rowling wrote them with the intention that the kids reading the books would age with the characters, so this one is more suitable for those in the 13-14-year-old range than those who are 10 years old. While the book is long, about 750 pages, it still reads fairly quickly like the other novels do. If you have good reading comprehension skills and read fairly quickly, you should be able to get through it in a week, give or take, depending on how much time you have to devote to reading. If you can devote a couple of days to it without stopping, you can probably finish it in that amount of time. 

Overall, the book is very good, and while technically a kid's book, can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults. Even those who were adults when the books first were published. The themes about good vs. evil, friendship, loyalty, and heroism are timeless and certainly have wide appeal. If you have only seen the movie and love it, you will probably love the book too, and get a much fuller version of the story. It is definitely worth the read.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 12

 Day 12 was sculpt 1-2. Not much to report out this one except that I can tell that I am getting stronger at push-ups (very slowly). Push-ups, along with pull-ups are probably the resistance exercise I hate the most, especially doing "regular" (i.e., not on your knees) push-ups. But, they are coming along, and hopefully, by the time I get to p90x, I will easily be able to do 20-30 at a time. 

DVD/Workout Review: Yoga For Martial Arts

 

I originally got this DVD after I had taken a month-long beginning yoga class at a studio. I wanted a more inexpensive option to practice yoga, and because I was also in Taekwondo, this stood out to me as a good option. It really stresses moves that work on hamstring, hip, and lower-back flexibility. It is about an hour long, starting with moving asanas and then transitioning to more seated exercises.  There are two people in the video, one doing beginner to intermediate versions of the moves and one that does advanced versions, so if you are a beginner or just not super flexible, it is a good option. The only drawback is that the music can get a bit irritating after a while, but that is (at least for me) a minor issue. So, if you are looking for a good yoga workout on DVD, this is a good option.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day11

 Day 11 was another cardio and ab day. I was a bit tired going through the workout but managed not to take any unscheduled breaks. I am getting better at abs, but I am still very unsteady doing the yoga portion of the workout. Thankfully, it is short, so it is pretty easy to get through, unlike p90x yoga. I'm definitely making progress in the workout and I think will get to the point where I can get through the entire thing without stopping or modifying by the 45-day mark. Tonight is the sculpt workout again, so I will post another update tomorrow morning.

DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 5

 

Chicago Fire is definitely a show that found what works and sticks with it. So, as in past seasons, it is mostly a procedural drama that intertwines several story arcs throughout the season. The two big arcs were Dawson and Casey's quest to adopt Louie, which as you can imagine does not go smoothly, and about 2/3 of the way into the season, a new love interest for Severide that has ties to Chicago Med. Then, of course, there is the "One Chicago" crossover. This season, the shows involved in the crossover were Fire (which was part 1), PD (which was part 2), and the newly minted yet short-lived Chicago Justice. Its premiere episode was part 3 of the crossover. While Chicago Med did not have a full episode during the crossover, a good portion of the first two parts were set in the hospital and many of the characters appeared. The season, yet again, ends on a major cliffhanger that sees many of the characters in life-threatening danger.

For those who get the DVDs, the only bonus features are the crossover episodes with PD and Justice (there are actually a couple of crossover episodes with PD this season). Unlike prior seasons there are no behind-the-scenes shorts for the episodes. So, if you only get the DVD sets when they have extras available, then you may want to just stream this (all the seasons are now available on Peacock, and I believe the episodes of the current/most recent season stream on Hulu) unless you are just getting them because you have the prior seasons on DVD.

Overall, the series is still well-written and as it has always been, well-acted. The cinematography is very good as well, giving a lot of good views of Chicago. The writers do a good job with balancing storylines for the large ensemble cast and make sure to give something for most of the secondary characters. They also pull off a good mix of action and drama with a bit of humor mixed in. It is definitely worth the watch.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 10

 Day 10 was the sculpt workout. There was not much new to report. I was able to increase the weight on a couple of the exercises and held steady on the rest of them. I may start using some very light weights in the lunges and squats exercises at some point just to get some extra resistance on those, since, in Power 90 all the lower body exercises are done without weight (at least in the 1-2 and 3-4 workouts). I'll be back with another update tomorrow.

Workout Update: Power-90 day 9

 Day 9 was the cardio and abs workout again. I was again able to make it through the entire cardio portion without stopping, but I did have to slow down and still have to modify the cross-hops. I also got farther along in the ab-ripper 100 workout. I think I had to stop after 5 or 6 reps on three of the exercises but otherwise was able to struggle through the others. Abs have never been my strong suit, especially when I have a lot of fat around my middle like I do now. But, I am definitely progressing. Tonight will be the sculpt workout again, so I will be back tomorrow morning with another update.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 8

 Day 8 was the start of week 2 of Power-90, which meant sculpt 1-2 again. As I said in prior posts, the workout is not too intense, which is good for getting back in shape. It is also pretty short, a little over a half-hour with the warm-up and cool-down. I am to the point where I could reach 15 reps without too much effort on some of the exercises so I will be increasing the weight on those. And, I am getting better range of motion on my push-ups, but I am still only doing about 12-14 "full" push-ups. So, I definitely have to improve there. I think I will be on a pretty good pace to switch to the 3-4 workouts after 45 days, which at this point is still the plan.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 7

 Day 7 is a rest day in the Power-90 schedule. On my calendared schedule I have Sundays either being a rest day or doing a stretching workout like T25 stretch or p90x stretch. This week I decided to take a rest day and just recharge. I really did not have any soreness after the first week of workouts. I think that is partially due to the fact that I am doing low-weight, high-reps for the sculpt workout, and using a recovery drink after the workouts. Plus, the Power-90 workouts are not that intense, by design. So, I feel good going into week 2 of the program. 

Book Review: Body-Rx

  

Body Rx was a fitness and nutrition program released in 2001, right at the height of Body for Life's popularity, so much so that the creator of Body Rx, Scott Connelly was accused of "ripping off" Body For Life. Which was unfair for a couple of reasons. First, the programs are actually very different, even if there are some common themes (as there are in nearly all fitness and nutrition books), and Bill Phillips (the author of Body for Life) actually worked for Connelly's supplement company, Met-Rx, BEFORE he went out on his own and created EAS. So, the supplement product that Connelly discusses for all of one chapter in the book existed before Myoplex (EAS' meal replacement formula at the time) was ever a thing.

The main focus of the book is nutrition. Connelly has two main points regarding nutrition. First, eat more fiber, and by more, he means eventually eat a LOT of fiber. Second, do as much as you can to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from your diet. He calls it the worst kind of sugar you can consume, explains how it is creating a nation of diabetics, and points out how pervasive it is. He also (rightly) rails against the USDA's food pyramid as it existed at the time, specifically how it was so focused on lumping all fats together as "bad" that it had people eating minuscule amounts of protein and way too many refined carbs (which was also making people fat and contributing to the type-2 diabetes problem in the United States). 

His nutrition plan calls for eating a lot of protein, emphasizing lean protein, and a lot of fiber. The nutrition plan has three phases which gradually increase the amount of protein and fiber you consume. In the third phase of the program, you will be eating 60 grams of fiber and the amount of protein depends on your weight. Of course, if you try to eat 60 grams of fiber right out of the gate you will have horrible pain in your gut, so you have to build that up gradually. He breaks carbs down into three categories green (vegetables and other high-fiber content carbs), yellow (this is where most fruit and grains fall), and red (basically anything with little to no fiber and a lot of sugar, like sweets). There is no limit on the number of green carbs you can eat, but he sets limits on yellow and red carbs. The book is a bit confusing about yellow carbs. It is not clear if the number is a daily target or a limit. Years ago I was on a message board that Connelly would respond on from time to time, and he made clear that the yellow carb number is an UPPER LIMIT, that you do not have to hit daily, but should not go over. The only two numbers that he wanted people to hit every day were the protein and fiber numbers. 

In the workout portion of the program, he emphasizes weight training over cardio. He splits the weight workouts into 4 per week, three upper-body days (Chest & Biceps, Back & Triceps, and Shoulders & Abs), and one lower-body day. There is no built-in cardio (he basically says you can do it if you want to, but do not do the "cardio bunny" thing where you spend hours on the treadmill day after day). He advises mainly using cardio as a way to warm up and that is it. He also has you lifting as heavy as you safely can, emphasizing maxing out on the last reps in the last set. Because of this, the workouts are very hard to do at home (especially on lower body days). 

Overall, the book has some good advice, but is still a bit cookie cutter and may not work for everyone. If you do not want to do the very heavy lifting you probably do not want to eat as much protein as he suggests, because if you are not using it to repair your muscles, you will just pee it out. His advice on fiber and eliminating fructose is spot on. Even if you carb cycle (as I do) eating as much fiber as you can tolerate (utilizing green carbs) will not impact your low-carb days. I think the focus on the different phases, with muscle building in one phase (and preparing you for gaining some fat as well) and fat burning in a different phase (by cutting the amount of yellow and red carbs you are allowed), are good. It is definitely worth trying the program (with appropriate modifications for you) to see how it works. Just make sure you are not overeating yellow carbs. Even if you are allowed 300g of yellow carbs a day, if you are full after eating 150g of yellow carbs and hit your protein and fiber numbers, stop there. You are good. I think that will be the big key to a person's success (or lack thereof) with the program.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 6

 Today was day 6 of Power-90, which meant the cardio 1-2 workout and ab-ripper 100. I can definitely tell that my endurance is increasing still as I did not have to slow down or modify as much as on day 1, and did not have to do that much during the cardio portion of the workout. The yoga was still a bit hard as my flexibility has gone down a lot the last couple of years, and I still have a lot of extra weight on my gut which, along with my lack of flexibility, makes yoga a bit of a pain. As for ab-ripper 100, I still have to stop toward the end of the workout, but I did get farther than I did on Thursday. So, I think after week 1 I am making progress. It is nice to be lifting weights again, even if they are fairly light. But, the hope is that my muscular endurance will be good enough by the end of the 90 days of Power-90 and the 8 weeks of the masters series workouts, that I can lift heavy in p90x without a problem. 

Workout Review: Living Arts/Gaiam - Pilates Mat Based Workouts for Beginners

 

This is a Pilates workout video that was released in the early 2000s. It is a very good core strength/flexibility workout that lasts about 40 minutes, with 10 minutes of instructions on how to breathe when doing the movements, proper form, and the like, then a 20-minute workout, and a 12-minute energy boost portion (which is a bit more cardio-based). The instructor, Ana Caban, does a good job guiding the workout and keeping it moving without making it too challenging for a beginner. If you are doing a program like p90x it is a good workout to do on the rest day, if you want to get some activity but not do something as intense as the regular workouts. Plus, you get to rotate in something different so you do not get bored. It is definitely something that you can get better at over time even if you do not have a strong core or a lot of flexibility to start out with. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 5

 Day 5 of Power-90 was the sculpt workout again. Even by the end of the week I am getting stronger and am almost to the point of bumping up the weight on a couple of the exercises. Overall, I like the workout. It is kept relatively short and, while it is challenging, especially if you are out of shape, it is not overwhelming like jumping into the more advanced workouts can be. 

Nutrition-wise, the carb cycling is going well. Even though I hate doing it, I dropped a couple more pounds this week. At this point, I have enough fat on me that I am more willing to pay attention to the scale weight than I will be as I get closer to my goal body-fat percentage. Thankfully, Friday and Saturday are my higher-carb days so I am not stuck eating a salad for lunch and eggs for dinner. I know I could branch out, but I find it easier to keep things simple on the low-carb days and can more easily keep track of my macros. 

Basically, the way I carb cycle is for two weeks I do low carb Monday-Thursday, higher carb lower fat on Friday and Saturday, then a free day (not necessarily cheat day, but if I am going to eat junk food this is the day that I will do it) on Sunday. Then I switch it up the next two weeks so I do low carb Monday and Tuesday, then Friday and Saturday. Higher Carb Tuesday and Wednesday, then the free day on Sunday. I do keep myself flexible with the free day so if I have some kind of get-together or something like that on a day other than Sunday, I can just switch the free day in, and not worry about if it is a low-carb day, higher-carb day, or whatever. I hate carb cycling, but I have dropped about 12 pounds in the past couple of months, doing it, and doing it gets me the most consistent results, so I endure it. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a surprise hit and award winner back in the early 2000s. It was a surprise hit in America (although not a box-office smash) because it was entirely in Chinese and subtitled in English (which I think worked a lot better than bad overdubbing would have). It starred Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, and newcomer Zhang Ziyi, and was directed by Ang Lee. It is, in part, a love story, in part a quasi-supernatural martial arts movie, in part a revenge story. It centers around a stolen sword of destiny which is protected by Chow Yun Fat's character. He suspects there is more to the thief than meets the eye and tries, along with Yeoh's character to catch the thief.

The movie is set in the present (which is still really ancient China) and then interspersed with flashbacks telling the love story part of the movie. And, there are amazing action sequences interspersed that include a lot of high-flying wirework. It definitely helped that all of the actors playing the main characters has at least some martial arts training and ability.

The movie has been released several times, first, of course, on DVD, then on blu-ray, and it has been released on 4k UHD, although the transfer is apparently not that great in the latter. I have the blu-ray version of the film and it looks wonderful in that format, especially if you have a large screen to watch it on. The cinematography of the movie is top-notch and is right up there in quality with the action sequences.

The blu-ray extras include two commentary tracks on the move, a conversation with Michelle Yeoh, a making-of featurette, a photo gallery, trailers, and some BD-Live features (which can be accessed if your player can access the internet). So, a decent amount of material for people who like to go through the extras. 

Overall, it is a wonderful movie, especially for those who are into martial-arts action films. But, it is so much more than just that, so even if you are not a fan of the old Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movies, which are what most people think of when they hear Chinese martial arts movies, you may still enjoy this one. I definitely recommend it.