Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 17

For Day 17 I just did the two Lift 4 recovery routines. Foam rolling is definitely getting easier since I am basically doing it every day by adding the 645 corrective routines. I still have knots that need to be worked out as I do it, but they are releasing faster than they did the first couple of days (or seem to be anyway).

Product Review: Air Vent Deflector

 

This is a three-pack of magnetic air vent deflectors that hold on any metal vent and direct air horizontally into a room as opposed to straight down (like most ceiling vents) or straight up (like most floor vents). They have a single magnet on each side. There are similar deflectors that have two magnets on each side that definitely hold onto vents better, but I have one of these on both a ceiling and floor vent and they hold on just fine. The ones on the floor vents get bumped with a robotic vacuum and do not get bumped off or moved. The plastic portions can slide apart to accommodate the length of the vent you put it on. The plastic is not extremely heavy, but it is not cheap and flimsy either. I definitely think this is worth the price.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 16

Day 16 was the corrective hips routine from 645 and the Back and Biceps 50/50 workout in Lift 4.

The Lift 4 workout is one that is split between lifting and HIIT. The lifting consists of three blocks, each of which includes three sets. In the first block, you do two back exercises, in the second block you do one back and one biceps exercise, and in the third block you do two biceps exercises. Again, you get very little rest between exercises or sets. Once you finish the lifting exercises you do three rounds of cardio, alternating between three exercises (single-leg plyo jumps, twisted mountain climbers, and 180 jump squats) that you do for 1 minute, 45 seconds, and 30 seconds respectively.

Again, the entire workout has a cardio component since you only get very little rest between the exercises. It is basically a transition to get ready for the next move as opposed to enough time to really catch your breath. It is very challenging and I was definitely modifying during the HIIT portion of the workout. It finishes with the core component that alternates between two moves (side-to-side reaches and plank shoulder taps) that you do for three sets. The hips corrective routine in 645 was very helpful again, and I noticed that during the cooldown for the Lift 4 workout, the hip flexor into hamstring stretches were much easier since I have been doing all the foam rolling from the 645 corrective routines. 

Product Review: COFACE Men's Memory Foam Slip On Slippers

 

These slippers have pros and cons. On the plus side, they are extremely comfortable. The memory foam feels really good on your feet, and they are warm. On the minus side, however, they easily slip off your feet, whether you are barefoot or have socks on. The toe is closed, which was a plus for me since the big reason I got them is to keep from stubbing my toes against my bed frame. However, because the back of the slipper does not go over your heel any significant amount your feet can slide right out of them, especially when going up or down stairs. 

So, I generally wear these in my room when I am walking around the bed or when I am going to the bathroom, but do not wear them when I am otherwise doing stuff around the house, especially if I am going from one level to another. If the back went up over your heel so it was more like a soft slip-on shoe, it would easily be a five-star product. But, because they slide off your feet too easily, that knocks them down a couple of stars for me.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 15

 Day 15 was the corrective shoulders routine from the 645 corrective workouts and Chest and Triceps from Lift 4.

The Lift 4 workout was a circuit workout, doing two blocks of quad sets. That means in each block you do one chest exercise immediately followed by a triceps exercise, immediately followed by another chest exercise, and immediately followed by another triceps exercise. Then, between each round/set of the four exercises you get a 30-second break. So, again, you are getting a cardio workout even without doing HIIT. After you do the two blocks of quad sets you have a burnout round, in which you do wide push-ups for 30 seconds, then get a 15-second break, followed by triceps push-ups for 30 seconds. The goal is to do constant movement for the entire 30 seconds, which of course gets very hard by the third set. After the burnout round you do core, which again alternates two exercises that you do for 30 seconds each for three sets. 

By the time I finished my chest and arms were spent. I was barely getting down in the push-ups and could not do the entire 30 seconds of either of the wide or triceps push-ups. And again, because you get so little rest between exercises or sets, you are still getting a cardio workout even though you are not doing any HIIT exercises. I can say that the corrective workouts from 645 do wonders for my shoulders. My right shoulder still has a smaller range of motion than my left, but it is getting better.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 14

On day 14 I did the two Lift 4 recovery workouts. I think doing the lower body foam rolling from 645 and the Lift 4 foam rolling on consecutive days helps more than foam rolling in the morning and the afternoon of the same day, as it gives the muscles a chance to tighten up and form knots again. On the second day, the knots are easier to roll out but they generally do not come back the same afternoon after I do the rolling routine.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 13

On Day 13 I did the lower body foam rolling from the 645 corrective workouts. Surprisingly, my legs were not all that sore after leg day, but even so, the foam rolling helped as I did have quite a few knots in my quads and hamstrings.

DVD/Movie Review: The Assassin Next Door

 

The Assassin Next Door is a 2009 movie that was filmed and set in Israel. In it, Olga Kurylenko (probably best known in the US for her roles in The Quantum of Solace and Hitman) stars as Galia, a Ukrainian woman being trafficked in Israel by the Russian mob. At the beginning of the movie she tries to escape, and when she is recaptured, she is forced to kill a target of the mob. When she successfully does so, she is moved into an apartment and works (against her will) as an assassin, with the promise of a "last job" after which she will be paid $100,000 and given her passport so she can return home to reunite with her daughter. She discovers that the woman living in the apartment next door (played by Ninet Tayeb) is being abused by her husband and the two strike up a friendship.

The movie is just over an hour and a half long. The version that I have is a Region 2 import that can only be played on a Region 2  or Region free player. So, if you go looking for the DVD, pay attention to the listing, because it will not play on a regular US DVD or Blu-Ray player. The only extra on the version I have is a trailer for the movie that is playable from the main menu, and trailers for other movies that play as the disc loads before the menu screen comes up. 

The movie is a decent low-budget independent film. It is definitely a bit cookie-cutter in terms of the plot, requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, and can be silly at times (e.g., the track-suit-wearing mobsters). That said, both Kurylenko (who I have always felt is underrated as an actress) and Tayeb are very good in their respective roles and it is kind of nice that it is not a typical shoot-em-up action movie where the main character is an established killer from the outset. In the movie, characters speak English, Russian, and Hebrew, so the movie is partly in English (mostly when the two main characters are talking to each other) and is subtitled when characters are speaking Russian or Hebrew (which is most of the time). There is really no sexual content but there is one nude scene about 2/3 of the way through the movie. It is definitely not an award-winning drama or a big-budget action movie, but if you are looking for something different it is worth the time to check out.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 12

For Day 12, I just did the one Lift 4 workout, which was Legs 50/50. So, like the other 50/50 workout, this one had three blocks of resistance moves that alternated between two leg-focused exercises for three sets. Then, once you get through the resistance exercises, you have three rounds of cardio, doing three moves (high-knee running in place, triple bear, and no-jump burpees), that you do for one minute, 45 seconds, and 30 seconds respectively.  Then, you finish the workout with three rounds of core, alternating between two core-focused moves. 

The workout goes by very quickly. Again, you get very little rest between moves, which can make the transitions a bit hard, especially if you have limited space and need to use multiple weights. You are basically doing cardio during the entire workout because you get what amounts to no rest between moves and very little rest between sets. The only real breaks are between the blocks when Joel is demonstrating the moves that will be done in the next block.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 11

Day 11 was the shoulder workout in Lift 4 (which is an interval workout) and the upper-body foam rolling from the 645 corrective routines.

My upper body was still very sore from the first two workouts this week so the foam rolling absolutely helped. The shoulder interval workout was short but challenging. In this workout, we had three blocks. In each block, you do two shoulder exercises, back-to-back with no rest and then do a HIIT move for 30 seconds. You do each block for three sets with 30 seconds of rest between the sets. I again tried to use the same weight I ended with for each exercise during the first round of Lift 4. That worked for some of them, for others it was on the edge of being too heavy, and for one exercise I had to drop the weight down. Once you get through the three blocks, you finish with three sets of two core-focused moves. So, even though the workout is 30 minutes, it packs a lot in, and you are basically doing a cardio workout the entire time.

 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 10

Day 10 was the rest day in Lift 4 (meaning the recovery workouts) and corrective ankles in the 645 corrective routines.

I was super sore from the first two days of Lift 4 and the recovery workouts helped a lot, especially when I was foam rolling my upper body. The ankle corrective routine from 645 did not help with my soreness, but it helps with my overall mobility since I definitely have issues with my heels (especially my left heel) not wanting to stay on the ground as I bend my knees which Amoila mentioned during the routine. 

Book Review: Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi

 

This is the third of the "From a Certain Point of View" books, set around the events of the original trilogy. This book, published in 2023 for the 40th Anniversary of "Return of the Jedi" has 40 short stories set around the events of that movie. As has been the case with the books set around the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, most of the stories in this book are from the perspective of an ancillary character or a minor character who was often in the background of the events shown in the movie. Sometimes, a story will involve one of the more visible ancillary characters (such as Wedge) or characters from other novels (such as Norra Wexley, a main character in the Aftermath series of novels set after Return of the Jedi). Toward the end of the book, there are stories from the perspective of main characters like Obi-Wan, Palpatine, and Anakin.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 560 pages. Even though the overall length of the book is on the longer side of most Star Wars novels, each of the stories is relatively short, so there are a lot of natural stopping points if you are a person who reads for an hour or two before bed. And, it reads fairly quickly. The book's timeline basically follows the movie's events, starting out at Jabba's palace and ending on Endor. There are also some easter eggs such as referring to Revenge of the Jedi, which was the movie's original title before it was changed. I think the book is worth reading for any Star Wars fans, but for those of us who grew up with the original trilogy movies and are more than just casual Star Wars fans, this is a must-read. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 9

 Day 9 was corrective hips from the 645 corrective routines and Back and Biceps in Lift 4.

The back and biceps workout was one of the interval workouts. That means you just do resistance exercises with no HIIT component. The lifting consisted of two quad blocks of four exercises, alternating a back exercise with a biceps-focused exercise. You do each block for three sets and again have very little time between exercises or sets. After you do the quad blocks you have a final block of just two exercises that you do for three sets, back extensions for 30 seconds and bicep curls for 30 seconds. Then, you do the core component which consists of alternating bicycle crunches and low planks, doing each for 30 seconds for three sets.

The Lift 4 workout was tough, especially since my chest and arms were already sore from yesterday's workout. I had to lower the biceps curl weight that I intended to use (down to 12 from 15 lbs) because I knew there was no way I was going to keep good form. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 8

Day 8 was the first day of the "regular" Lift 4 workouts, doing Week 1, Day 1, Chest and Triceps 50/50. This is one of the workouts in the program that is half lifting and half HIIT cardio. For the lifting portion, we do three blocks, alternating one chest-focused exercise and one triceps-focused exercise (each for 10 reps), for three sets. In the first block, you do bench presses and dumbbell skull crushers. In the second block, you do chest flys and tricep presses, and in the third block, you do rotating chest presses and triceps push-ups. In the cardio portion, you do three sets of three moves. The first move, soccer runs, you do for 60 seconds, the second move, mountain climbers is done for 45 seconds, and the third move, catchers, is done for 30 seconds. Basically, the harder the moves get, the less time you have to do them. Then, after you do the three sets of cardio, you finish with the core component, which is alternating rope climbers and bent-knee windshield wipers. 

This workout was tough. I started using the same weight I ended the program on the last time I did it, and I could barely finish the 10 reps on any of the lifting exercises in sets 2 and 3 (and could not finish the 10 push-ups). My arms were like limp noodles by the end of the lifting portion. Cardio was tough too, as I had to modify the mountain climbers and the catchers (and stop a couple of times to catch my breath). Because you get so little time between moves or sets, the entire workout will get your heart rate up, so you have some cardio effect before you even get to the HIIT portion. 

For the corrective routine from 645, I did the shoulders corrective routine again. I definitely felt like it loosened up my shoulders and my chest.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 7

On Day 7 I again did the two recovery workouts from Lift 4. I did feel like I had fewer knots, especially in my quads, as I was doing the lower-body foam rolling. My calves, however, were still extremely tight. Tomorrow will be the start of the regular Lift 4 workouts, starting with the Chest and Triceps week 1 workout. 

Book Review: Enough

 

Enough is a memoir written by Cassidy Hutchinson published in 2023. Hutchinson was a staffer in the White House during the most turbulent part of the 2017-2021 administration, as the assistant to the final chief of staff, or as she was called, "the chief of staff to the chief of staff". 

The book starts by telling her story of growing up in Pennington, NJ, in a low-income, blue-collar family, and her complicated relationship with her father (who, to put it lightly seems like a piece of work who idolized the orange genital wart even before it became president). She then goes into how she became interested in politics and worked her way from an unpaid congressional intern in college to being right next to the levers of power and the shitshow that was the final part of that administration.

Hutchinson is an interesting contradiction. She is one of those people who backs Republicans (and she makes it clear that she still considers herself a Republican) despite being in a group that Republican policies never benefit. Despite that, she has voted against her own interests (as many Republicans do) since she could vote (although I doubt she sees it that way). That said, she seems to be an informed elector as she claims to have researched the party positions before aligning herself with the Republicans. At one point she loved t***p, despite all of the cruelty, stupidity, and recklessness that she saw firsthand. She often thought he was getting a raw deal, and because he never allowed people outside his inner circle to see a human side that she swears he has, he was portrayed unfairly. Which, if true, is his own damn fault. And, she actually thought that t***p had moderate positions, which he did not. I would argue he really did not have any actual policy positions beyond what would benefit him. And that to the extent he had any actual political beliefs, they were tied to what he thought would keep him in power, and so he latched onto the extreme right-wing agenda.

So even though I think Hutchinson was a bit naive when it came to what the Republican party had already become and who t***p was, when nearly everyone else in the administration was circling the wagons and lying, obstructing, and/or obfuscating, about the 2020 election being stolen, she was becoming more and more disgusted by what she saw and heard leading up to and on January 6th. When it became clear that she was going to be called as a witness before the January 6th committee, she tried to find a lawyer who would work pro bono or take her on as a client on a payment plan. When she could not, she begrudgingly agreed to take a "t***p world" lawyer, who basically told her to say "I can't recall" as much as she could during her testimony. She also details how job opportunities were dangled in front of her but were clearly contingent on how she testified when she was subpoenaed by the committee. 

After she initially testified to the committee, she called a Republican member of Congress whom she just refers to as "Sam", who was neither Liz Cheney nor Adam Kinzinger, to talk about her testimony. Sam (who does not seem to be profile in courage if he or she is still in Congress) asked her if she could look herself in the mirror and like the person who was looking back. She decided that she could not, and found a way to get a new lawyer and correct her testimony which led to the live hearing that was witnessed by millions.

While I likely disagree with many of her political views and positions, I absolutely believe that she was the only person in that administration who had any courage (including Mike Pence). Even before her testimony at the hearing, she was butting heads with people in the administration and with some of the dipshits in Congress (like Matt Gaetz) despite being in her early to mid-twenties and not being a Washington power broker. She also makes it clear that, despite what is claimed now, she was in a position to see and hear damn near everything that was going on in the White House, and that everyone, including agent orange, praised her work ethic, intelligence, and loyalty (which was of utmost importance). She is clearly disgusted by what the Republican party has become but hopes that it can be saved and return to the Regan-era party (which was definitely not great for those who were poor and/or marginalized). She describes herself as a moderate Republican and I do get that sense from reading this book. I actually hope that she runs for Congress one day because I think she would be willing to work with the other side, she is not crazy, and she does have integrity. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 350 pages. Unlike many political memoirs, it is not dry at all and it provides a lot of insight into who Hutchinson is as a person. While it is amazing to think that a 25-year-old would have lived enough of a life to write an actual memoir, as opposed to a book that just conveyed "Here is what I saw in the lead up to and after January 6th", Hutchinson absolutely has a compelling life story. The book is very emotional in parts and Hutchinson lays nearly everything out about herself, warts and all. The book clearly reveals her struggle with wanting to be loyal to the administration and to be the proverbial "good soldier" and doing the right thing, especially knowing that it would cost her job opportunities and friends. It is a great book and is absolutely worth reading.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 6

For Day 6, I just did the two recovery workouts from Lift 4. Again, I did the foam rolling routine first and then followed it up with the stretch routine. The foam rolling was much easier than it was early in the week, most likely because of all the 645 foam rolling routines that I did. I definitely felt knots in all of the muscles that we rolled, but fewer of them, and the ones that were there loosened up very quickly. It is a good routine, but could be a little longer, say 15 minutes instead of 9.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 5

Day 5 was a full-body HIIT workout in Before Lift-4 and the lower-body foam rolling routine from the 645 corrective workouts.

The HIIT workout was short (just 20 minutes), but tough. You do two blocks, each with two exercises that you do for three sets with basically no rest between the moves or the sets. In the first block you do sumo jumps (or sumo squats with heel lifts) and then cross mountain climbers, which are like regular mountain climbers/plank runs but you bring your knees toward the opposite elbow as you run. Then, in the second block, you do squat jacks and then triple bear (which is the hardest move in the program). Triple bear is basically holding a beast position (on your hands and knees and then lifting your knees off the ground two inches) and then either hopping or stepping to the side, back to the middle, and the other side, all while trying to keep your knees just two inches off the ground. Then you finish with the core component which is rope climbers into bicycles for three sets. It i again very much like the regular HIIT workouts in the program, just shorter.

The foam rolling routine was another good one. This one is 20 minutes and works your entire lower body starting with your quads and ending with the arches of your feet. Some of the moves you roll (or hold) for one minute, and others for thirty seconds. 

Book Review: The Lions of Lucerne (Scot Harvath Series #1)

 

The Lions of Lucerne, published in 2002, was the start of what has become a prolific series of novels in the spy novel/political thriller genre set around the character Scot Harvath, written by author Brad Thor. It is similar to the Mitch Rapp series in that Harvath is not a spy, but rather he is an ex-navy seal who is now on the presidential Secret Service detail. 

The plot of the novel involves the kidnapping of the fictional President, Rutledge while he is on a ski vacation with his daughter. Harvath is injured in the kidnapping and then sets off to find the President, while on the run from the law when he gets too close to the truth, and the planners and organizers of the kidnapping start going after him.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages, but the pace of the story is good and does not drag out. It does have what seems to be the requisite twists and turns in the story that most novels in the genre do. Some of them are a bit silly, but for the most part, they work and do not detract from the overall story. There are a lot of action sequences in the book with some character setup and development in between them. Overall, the book is very good, but not perfect. The imperfections do not lessen the quality of the overall story for me, but for some, however, they might.  If you are a fan of the genre, it is definitely worth the time to read. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 4

Day 4 was a shoulders and arms intervals workout in before Lift-4 and then I did upper body foam rolling in the 645 corrective routines.

The shoulders and arms workout was quick and hard. There are three blocks and then core work. In each block, you do a lifting exercise (shoulder presses in the first, bicep curls in the second, and tricep kickbacks in the third) immediately followed by a HIIT exercise (catchers--low squats jumping into a plank and then back into a low squat in the first, jump squats in the second, and wide plank runs in the third). You do each combination for three sets, with only about 15 seconds between sets. Then, you finish the workout with two core exercises, prayer squats followed by bent-knee windshield wipers). So again, the workout is a pared-down version (about 10 minutes less) than what the regular workouts are like.

The upper body foam rolling routine is an 11-minute routine that focuses on the lats, pecs, upper and mid back, and traps. There is very little rolling in the workout. You pretty much just find a knot in the particular area you are working on and then sit on it (sometimes moving around a little) until the tissue loosens up. But, It helps loosen up pretty much all of your upper body muscles very well. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 3

Day 3 was the mid-week rest day in Lift-4, so I did the two recovery workouts (foam rolling and stretching) and did the ankles corrective routine in 645.

The 645 routine was about 23 minutes long and worked not only the ankles but worked the calves and hips (basically most of the lower body). There are a couple of alternate moves that Amoila shows that may be easier if you do not have a partner with you to keep you stable or hold the band for you if you cannot cross your legs with the band on. I have also found that using a latex band works better for that particular exercise than a fabric band. Again, he does a good job explaining how each of the moves in the routine will correct imbalances and advises working it into your workout routine often. He suggests every day, but realistically, if you are doing a regular 45-minute workout every day, you may not have time to also do 1-3 20-minute long corrective routines on top of that. But, if you can fit that in, it is a good routine.

Then, I did the two recovery workouts for Lift-4 in the evening. I first did the 10-minute foam rolling routine, which is a full-body routine, but like in the few corrective 645 routines, you are not rolling any one body part very long (about 45 seconds, give or take per body part). Then, I did the 9-minute stretch routine, in which you stretch your legs, hips, back, and chest. I do think that the corrective 645 routines and the recovery workouts in Lift-4 complement each other very well. 

Book Review: Dune: The Machine Crusade (Dune #2)

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior novel, The Butlerian Jihad+++

The Machine Crusade is the second book in the Dune series (if you read the books in chronological order). It is the second book in the Legends of Dune series, which was written by Brian Herbert, who is the son of the author of the original Dune novel and its follow-up novels, Frank Herbert, and Kevin Anderson, and published in 2003 that chronicles the war between humans and machines that is alluded to in the original novel. 

The events in this book start out about 25 years after the events of the first book, The Butlerian Jihad, in which the war between the machines and humans started when the "thinking machine", Erasmus, killed Serena Butler's young son, Manion. We find out that Serena has become almost a recluse and basically a figurehead for the Jihad which is really being spearheaded by Iblis Ginjo. Xavier and Vorian are Primeros (basically generals) in the war, sacrificing a normal life to fight the machines. The war is essentially at a stalemate, with both sides scoring victories but neither able to strike a winning blow. Like the first book, this one alternates between multiple stories, characters, and different worlds. We find out that there is infighting between the machines and between the humans. One of the big storylines in this book is the work being done by the characters Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva to "fold" space and make interstellar travel instant. We also learn the origin of the Fighters of Finaz, who are "led" by Jool Noret, who has been training against a re-programmed machine to learn how to efficiently kill the machines and fights with reckless abandon anytime he can.

The hardcover version of the book is about 700 pages long, and that is with the use of a relatively small font. The book is not what I would call a quick read as there are a lot of characters and the book is constantly shifting from one part of the story to another. I am a fast reader (I can normally read about 150-200 pages in 2-3 hours) and it took me about ten days to get through this one (mostly reading for an hour or two before bed). I am reading the books in chronological order so I have not read the original Dune trilogy that was written by Frank Herbert, and don't know how this compares to those books, but if you a fan of Sci-Fi and liked the first book, then you will probably like this one. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 2

For day 2 it was the Legs 50-50 workout from the "Before Lift-4" workouts and the corrective hips routine in 645.

The Lift 4 workout was, as the title suggests, one that is half lifting and half cardio. The lifting portion of the workout consists of two blocks of work in which you do two leg exercises, back to back. In the first block, you alternate between front-loaded squats and deadlifts. In the second block, you do goblet squats (sumo squats holding one weight in front of you) and calf raises. For the cardio portion, you do three sets of two moves, soccer runs and low squats in which you stay in a squat position then hop to face one side, back to the front, and then to the other side. Then you finish off the workout with three sets of a core-focused move, specifically side planks, holding it for 30 seconds on each side. Again, the workout goes very quickly and you are working cardio the entire time because there is very little rest between sets. This is more similar to what the "regular" Lift 4 workouts are like than yesterday's workout, just a bit shorter.

The corrective hips routine was actually a routine that included work (foam rolling) the hips and the lats, as well as doing some squats with the foam roller between the wall and your back. Amoila does a good job breaking down what every move in the routine helps with or helps to correct, and he stresses that you can foam roll longer than the 30 seconds per move that they are doing.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 1

Today is the start of my "new" workout program. I decided to go back to Lift-4 for my "main" workout and then do the various corrective workouts and foam rolling workouts from 645 that I did not do when I did the original program. For the Lift-4 workouts, I decided to do the Before Lift-4 workouts, which are basically shorter versions of the type of workouts that you will do throughout the program. So, today was the traditional Chest and Back workout in Lift-4 and the Corrective Shoulders routine in 645.

The chest and back workout in Lift-4 consisted of two blocks of two exercises, one chest exercise, and one back exercise that was done for three sets of 10 reps. In the first block, the chest exercise was a bench press and the back exercise was bent over back flys. In the second block, the chest exercise was a chest fly, and the back exercise was bent over rows. Between the sets, you only got 20 seconds of rest for a transition. Then, you did three sets of push-ups, as many as you could do in 30 seconds, without stopping. Then, you finish the workout with two core exercises (sit-ups or crunches and then prone side bends) that you do for 30 seconds each for three sets. There is no HIIT component in this workout, so it is a bit shorter than the regular workouts (just 20 minutes), but because you have almost no rest between the exercises, you do get a cardio workout.

The corrective shoulder routine in 645 requires a foam roller. If you do not have one they are pretty inexpensive these days and not hard to find. During the 15-minute routine, you foam roll your lats and pecs, then you roll your mid back (basically laying across the foam roller and moving your back but not rolling down too high or low, and then there is a move in which you almost do a crunch on the roller. Between the time you are actually using the roller to work out knots, you do a couple of stretches that will help your shoulders. Those involve setting the roller on end, putting your hand on top, and then lowering your chest toward the ground. All in all, it is a very good routine and definitely helps with shoulder mobility.

Product Review: Fabric Resistance Bands

 

This is a set of three fabric resistance loops. I purchased them for use with the 645 Beachbody workout, but they can be used for any workout in which you are doing squats, leg lifts, or the like. The light gray band will provide the lightest resistance, the dark gray band will provide medium resistance, and the black band will provide heavy resistance. Most people, even those who are in relatively good shape will probably start out using the light band for most exercises and then work their way up to the heavier bands.

One big advantage to these over the rubber/latex loops/bands is that they hold their shape a lot better and will not roll or pinch your legs as you move, which can hurt, a lot, especially if you have hairy legs. They are not a total replacement for the rubber loops as there are still some things that those kinds of loops work better (for example, some lateral bound moves such as speed skaters with a band around your ankles), but for many types of exercises, these loops are a much better option.