Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 38

Day 38 was upper body foam rolling from 645 and the week 5 shoulders workout in Lift 4.

The shoulders workout was a tough interval workout. So, again, we did three blocks of two weighted shoulder exercises and then a 30-second HIIT exercise, back-to-back, without any rest in between the exercises and minimal rest between the sets.  I was able to increase the amount of weight I was using for each exercise in each block for the first set, but in the second and third sets I had to drop the amount of weight I was using down (as most of the cast members were doing). For the shoulder flys in the third block, in the third set, I had to drop the weight entirely for the last few reps. The workout finishes with three sets of two core exercises (weighted drivers and prayer crunches). Ultimately, it was a short workout, but very tough. 

The upper body foam rolling in the morning was okay. I feel that I get more benefit from the lower body foam rolling than I do the upper body foam rolling. I do have knots in my lats and pecs, but not nearly as many as I have in my legs on any given day. But, I still do the upper body routine because I do think it is helpful.

Book Review: To Infinity and Beyond

 

To Infinity and Beyond is (as of its 2023 publication and this writing) the newest book written by the popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The book was co-authored by Lindsey Nyx Walker. The book discusses the history of human exploration, both of the Earth and the Cosmos. In it, Tyson distills the various scientific concepts, which range from Newton's Law of Gravitation and Keppler's Laws of planetary motion to what would be required to actually travel to another solar system and the physics behind the concept of time travel (which Tyson does throw a bit of cold water onto since it is far more complicated than just picking a day and year to travel to), into their basic components. 

The hardcover version of the book has 300 pages of substantive text, and then a few pages of other reading material and an index. It is divided into different topics in which Tyson discusses discoveries made on Earth, the exploration of our solar system, and what exploration of other solar systems would entail (especially what it would take to send a ship with people to even the closest solar system).  The only thing that I did not like about the book is that throughout the text there are pages with side topics inserted that break up the main text. So, you either have to read the side-topic material and stop reading the main text, or you have to jump a couple of pages ahead, finish the main text, and then go back to read the side-topic pages. If that happened only once or twice in the book it would not be a big deal, but it happens a lot and gets a bit irritating after a while. That is what knocks the book down a star for me. Otherwise, the substance of the book is great.

The book has a similar tone and feel to the other books that Tyson has authored, especially in the past few years. Tyson, like Carl Sagan before him, has a gift for explaining the science behind various topics in such a way that you can understand the concepts without ever taking a math or physics class, yet not come off as talking down to anyone. The book has a lot of great information in it and wonderful pictures (both real astrophotography and illustrations). It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 37

For day 37 I did corrective ankles and the two recovery routines from Lift 4.

This was an interesting day because the corrective ankles routine from 645, which I did in the morning, has some foam rolling of the calves and quads, as does the Lift 4 foam rolling routine. I thought that I would not have any knots (at least in my calves and quads) in the evening when I did the Lift 4 foam rolling. I did not really have any in my quads, but I did have knots in both calves. Thankfully, they were pretty easy to get rid of since I had done the foam rolling in the morning.

As for corrective ankles, I do think that this routine is still actively helping me. I sprained my ankles when I was younger and when we do the leans toward the walls in the routine and Amoila talks about keeping your heel on the ground, I absolutely struggle with that.  So, unlike the corrective hips routine, this one absolutely still helps me. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 36

Day 36 was corrective hips from 645 and Back and Biceps from Lift 4. 

The back and biceps workout was another circuit workout which meant you did two blocks of four exercises, alternating back and biceps exercises for three sets. After the second block, there was a burnout round in which you alternate between back extensions for 30 seconds and full bicep curls for 30 seconds, for three sets. Then, you finish with three sets of core exercises. This was definitely a hard workout. I had to drop some of the weight I was using down for several of the exercises on the third (and sometimes the second) sets. 

The corrective hips routine went fine. I am using it now more to keep imbalances from coming back than I am correcting an imbalance I currently have. Plus, it gives me another day of foam rolling my legs which always helps.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 35

Day 35 started Week 5 in Lift 4 and the corrective shoulders routine from 645, which means Week 5's Chest and Triceps workout.

The Chest and Triceps routine was a 50/50 routine so there were three blocks of resistance exercises followed by three blocks of cardio. In the resistance blocks you do one chest exercise followed by one triceps exercise, again trying to increase the weight you used the past two weeks. In the cardio blocks, you again do three exercises (single-leg plyo jumps, dual mountain climbers, and high-knee sprints) for 60 seconds, 45 seconds, and 30 seconds respectively. The dual mountain climbers has two regular mountain climbers followed by two twisted mountain climbers. Then, you finish off with three sets of core, alternating between weighted crunches and windshield wipers.

The lifting portion of the workout went very well. I was able to increase the amount of weight I was using for each exercise and maintain that weight for all three sets in all three blocks. Cardio and core were harder today and I had to modify all the moves, but I got through them. 

Book Review: Path of the Assassin (Scot Harvath Series #2)

 

Path of the Assassin is the second book in the long-running series of novels by Brad Thor set around the character, Scot Harvath. This novel, which was published in 2003, is mostly a reset of the story but does tie into the first book, The Lions of Lucerne, at the beginning. The events of this book are set about a year after those of the prior novel. Harvath is up for a promotion within the Secret Service, but he is also tracking down the remaining conspirators who were involved in the kidnapping of the President from the first novel. During a mission, one of his targets is taken out by a mysterious assassin who has ties to terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East. From there, the storyline involves a cat-and-mouse game between Harvath and the assassin.

The hardcover version of the book is a little under 400 pages. It reads very similar to novels that are in the same genre such as the Red Sparrow novels and the Mitch Rapp novels. It has a very good blend of action and suspense and Thor does set the fictional events of the book within the real world as much as possible (e.g., referencing the 9/11 attacks and the very real unrest in the Middle East and the pissing contests between different US agencies). It is a very good follow-up to the first book and even surpasses the first book in terms of quality. If you liked the first book or are just a fan of the spy novel or international action thriller genres, this is absolutely worth the time to read. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 34

For Day 34 I did upper and lower body foam rolling from 645. 

Normally, I would have done upper body foam rolling yesterday, but because of my schedule I could not do the morning foam rolling, so I just doubled up on them today. Doing the two routines back-to-back amounts to 30 minutes of foam rolling, which, if you have time in your day to do it, would be awesome to do every day, along with a regular workout. But, since many of us are pressed for time as it is, it may not be realistic to do both of these routines each day and do a normal workout that may last 30-60 minutes. But, when I get to the point where I retire, I will probably do these routines every morning and then work out because one thing that has struck me caring for an aging parent who did not work out when she was younger and more able-bodied, I want to be as strong as I can be for as long as I can be.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 33

Day 33 was week 4 Legs in Lift 4. This was a HIIT workout, so no resistance exercises. The format followed the week 2 HIIT workout format. You do 4 exercises (Soccer Runs, Triple Bear, Sumo Hops, and Lunge Jumps) for 60, 45, 30, and 15 seconds respectively for three sets. Then you do two burnout sets doing the same four exercises for 30 seconds each, and then you finish with three sets of core. This workout kind of sucked for me. First, I could not do the corrective workout from 645 in the morning because I had a medical appointment in the morning. Then, I foolishly ate too much in the afternoon so I was very sluggish during the workout. But, I did what I could and will get back to it on Monday.

Product Review: SAMSICHI Bidet Toilet Attachment

 

I have heard for years that people who have bidets love them. A family member suggested I get one for my aging mother who was having trouble cleaning after going to the bathroom, so I was looking for one that was simple to use (which this absolutely is) and relatively inexpensive. 

The bidet attaches to any standard toilet, as long as you have enough space between the toilet and the walls. It is very easy to hook up, and the instructions are very clear. The first toilet I installed it on has a grab bar attachment that also connects between the toilet seat and the base of the toilet. This was able to be installed along with the bar attachment without a problem, and the instructions to hook it up to the water line are very clear. It comes with a nice quality hose and connectors, and I have had no issues with water leaking from any of the attachment points.

This is very simple to operate. There are just four buttons, one to clean the nozzle, one for a rear wash, one for a feminine wash, and an off button. The dial on the side will increase or decrease the intensity of the spray. The only thing to note is that after you push one of the buttons, it does not shut off by itself. It will keep spraying (or cleaning the nozzles) until you push the stop button.  My mom liked it so much and hyped it up enough that I got a second one for myself.  It is absolutely worth the money, and I absolutely recommend it.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 32

Day 32 was corrective hips from 645 and shoulders in Lift 4. 

There is really nothing new to say about the 645 corrective routine. It went fine and did help get some knots out of my legs.

The week 4 shoulders workout is an interval workout. You have three blocks with two resistance exercises and a 30-second HIIT exercise that you do for three sets. You do each exercise back-to-back with no rest. Then you get a 30-second rest before the next set.  And, of course, you finish off with three sets of two core exercises. The HIIT exercises in this workout are all pretty nice. You do speed skaters in the first block, jump squats in the second, and soccer runs in the third. Personally, I much prefer the standing HIIT exercises (even the hard ones) to the easiest plank-based cardio like mountain climbers and triple bear. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 31

Day 31 was the recovery day for Lift 4, so I just did the two recovery workouts. I think the foam rolling routine is a lot easier than it was the first time I did it. Of course, that is because I am foam rolling every day so I have fewer knots and it is easier to break up the ones that I do get. I do wish the Lift 4 foam rolling routine was a little bit longer (about 5 more minutes would be great), but I never really feel like repeating it when it is over.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 30

Day 30 was corrective hips from 645 and the back and biceps workout from Lift 4.

This week's back and biceps workout was a 50/50 workout. The lifting portion of the workout consisted of three blocks of work.  In each block, you do one back exercise and one biceps exercise, with no rest between them. You do three sets and have a 30-second break between each set. The cardio portion is three sets of three exercises that you do for 60 seconds, 45 seconds, and 30 seconds respectively. The 60-second exercise is the hardest of the bunch, square squats, then you do wide mountain climbers for 45 seconds, and jump lunges for 30 seconds. Then you finish with three sets of core, alternating between two exercises that you do for 30 seconds each. 

The Lift 4 workout was tough, but not as tough as yesterday's chest and triceps workout. The hips corrective routine was a bit easier than it was last week, and it felt like I had fewer knots in my muscles now that I have been foam rolling every day for a few weeks.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 29

Day 29 was corrective shoulders from 645 and chest and triceps in Lift 4.

The chest and triceps workout was a circuit workout, doing two quad blocks, alternating two chest-focused exercises with two triceps-focused exercises, with no rest between the exercises and minimal rest between the sets. After you do the two quad blocks, you do a burnout round that has wide push-ups immediately followed by triceps push-ups, which you do for three sets. Then, you finish with three sets of two core exercises. My arms were like spaghetti noodles by the time I was done with the burnout sets (even before that really). Even without a cardio component I was sweating a lot and breathing heavily throughout the workout, so I did get a good cardio workout.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 28

Day 28 was the lower body foam rolling routine from 645. This was another good one and really helped to loosen up my hamstrings and hips as I had quite a few knots in my quads and hamstrings. 

Book Review: Dune: The Battle of Corrin (Dune #3)

 

The Battle of Corrin is the third novel in the Legends of Dune trilogy. The book was written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and published in 2004. The book's events start approximately 60 years after the events of the prior novel, The Machine Crusade, and conclude the war between humans and machines. There are some time jumps in the book that make keeping track of characters a bit tricky.

The hardcover version of the book is long. It is a little over 600 pages and could have easily been split into two smaller books with a bit tighter storylines. In fact, it is separated in the novel into Book I and Book II, but there are really three stories in the book that kind of interweave. The first is the thinking machines deploying multiple weapons to kill off humans, the Titans working against the thinking machines and the humans, and the humans trying to take out both groups of machines while bickering among themselves. I will not go into the fine details to avoid spoiling the plot, but it is not spoiling anything to say that the humans ultimately win. By the end of the book, it is revealed how the three main "Houses" in Dune came about and why the Atreides and Harkonens are rivals in the original Dune novel. 

The book is good, but it seems like it would have been better had it been split into two books. The actual defeat of the various machines is detailed in the last few chapters and felt a little bit rushed to me. Had the book been split into two novels I do not think the authors would have had to jump from storyline to storyline as much and would have made everything a bit easier to follow. That said, it is still worth the time to read to find out how the events that would set up the original Dune novel played out.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 27

For Day 27 I just did the two recovery workouts from Lift 4. There is nothing really new to report about either one of those routines but they did help loosen me up and work out a few knots, especially in my legs.  

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 26

Day 26 was upper body foam rolling in 645 and Legs 50/50 in Lift 4.

The foam rolling routine was helpful in working out soreness, but it did not do much to prepare me for the leg workout later in the day.

The leg workout was tough. This one was a 50/50 workout so we did three supersets of two leg exercises, back to back, doing three sets of each superset. Then you do three rounds of HIIT exercises (soccer runs for 60 seconds, catchers for 45 seconds, and jump lunges for 30 seconds). I had to drop the amount of weight from what I was using on my first set on a couple of the exercises in the lifting portion and had to modify pretty much all of the HIIT (aside from the soccer runs). The core component was just doing side planks, 30 seconds on each side, but they are harder than normal because you are totally exhausted by the end of the workout.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 25

Day 25 was corrective ankles in 645 and Shoulders Intervals in Lift 4.

I found that I really needed the ankle corrective routine today since my left ankle was extremely sore. I absolutely felt much better and had more mobility afterward.

The Lift 4 workout was a tough interval workout. The were three blocks of work, consisting of two shoulder exercises and then a 30-second HIIT exercise. I was able to go up 5lbs on the lifts and the upright rows but had to stay with very light weights for the shoulder flys and the swimmers. The HIIT moves were also tough (single-leg knee lifts, speed skaters, and jump squats). I was definitely exhausted by the time I got to the core component.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 24

Day 24 was just the two recovery workouts in Lift 4. My day was kind of crazy having to deal with another family medical issue, but it was nice to do the foam rolling and stretching after a long day. I had to do the workout late, but I got it done. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 23

Day 23 was corrective hips from 645 and Week 3 Back and Biceps in Lift 4.

The Lift 4 workout was an interval workout, which meant doing two blocks of four exercises, for three sets and then a burnout round, but no cardio component. In block 1, you do pullovers, then top curls, reverse flys, and bottom curls. In block 2, you do wide rows, wide curls, traditional rows, and hammer curls. In the burnout, you do 30 seconds of back extensions followed by 30 seconds of full curls. Then you end with core work, doing weighted crunches followed by bicycles. 

This was a hard workout. For the first block, I was able to increase my weight for each exercise and maintain that weight for the three sets. In the second block, I increased my weights for set 1 and then had to drop some of them down for sets 2 and 3 because I was gassed and could barely do the rows with the weight I started with. In the burnout round a 10 lb dumbbell is all I needed for the curls and even that was tough at the end of the 30 seconds, especially on set 3. So, it helps to have a good selection of weights to use because you may have to adjust on the fly more in this program than you would say in a program like p90x.

The corrective hips routine was helpful. It is hard to know exactly how much this one helps until leg day when doing squats, but I could tell in the squat presses at the end of the routine that I was doing those better than the past couple of weeks. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 22

Day 22 was the corrective shoulders routine from 645 and the first day of week 3 in Lift 4. That means doing week 3 Chest and Triceps.

The Lift 4 workout was another 50/50 workout, doing half resistance work and half cardio for the main portion of the workout and finishing with core work. The resistance portion of the workout consists of three blocks of work in which you do two exercises. The first block has bench presses and chest flys, the second block incorporates triceps by doing rotating bench presses and triceps kickbacks, and the third block is just triceps-focused doing skull crushers and tricep push-ups. You do each block for three sets and there is very little rest between the sets. The cardio portion has three sets of three exercises that you do for 60, 45, and 30 seconds. Unlike in the first two weeks in which you did the hardest move for 30 seconds, this week the 60-second exercise is 180 jump squats (the hardest of the three), the 45-second exercise is soccer runs (the easiest of them), and the 30-second exercise is jump lunges. Of course, there are modifications available for each move. All but one of the cast members doing the unmodified moves had to switch to the modification at some point during the three sets. The two core exercises are a weighted crunch-leg lift combination and side reaches.

The Lift 4 workout was tough. I was able to increase the amount of weight that I used from the first two weeks for each exercise by anywhere from 2.5 to 5 pounds (in each hand), depending on what exercise I was doing. I did modify all of the cardio moves, however. The corrective shoulder routine from 645 has absolutely been helping me and has increased my range of motion in both shoulders. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 20

Day 20 was kind of a shit show of a day for me. I had to take my mom into urgent care and then watch her almost constantly once I got her back home. But, I was able to get in the Lift 4 recovery workouts. I am honestly not sure what time of day I did them, but I got them done and it was a good way to relieve some body stress and work out some of the knots in my muscles.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 21

Day 21 was the lower body foam rolling routine from 645. Today was definitely better than yesterday, as my mom is improving and I was not as hesitant about going to another part of the house to work out. My legs had a bunch of knots in them even after yesterday's foam rolling session, probably because I spent the prior night in a very uncomfortable recliner and did not get much if any, sleep. 

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 19

For Day 19 I did upper-body foam rolling from the 645 corrective routines in the morning, and Week 2 legs in Lift 4. This week the legs workout is a HIIT workout with no resistance exercises.

In the HIIT workout, we do three blocks of work, doing the same 4 exercises in each block. You do high-knee runs for 60 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, Triple Bear for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, catcher jumps for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and jump lunges for 15 seconds.  So, the "easier" moves have a longer duration (which is debatable because the triple bear is hard as hell) and the harder moves have a shorter duration, but the amount of rest you get between moves decreases after each move. After you do the three regular rounds, you do two burnout rounds. In those rounds, you do all four moves with no rest between them for 30 seconds each, then you get a 30-second break. Once you are done with that, you finish out with three rounds of core, alternating between bent windshield wipers and floor-to-ceiling leg lifts. 

The HIIT workout is tough. In the second burnout round everyone in the cast (who are all in great shape) is modifying the moves. So, it is definitely possible that you may need to modify and/or take unscheduled breaks throughout the HIIT portion. I do notice that I am starting to get more flexible because I can get deeper into some of the stretches during the cooldown at the end of the workout.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 18

Day 18 was shoulders in Lift 4 and corrective ankles from 645.

The shoulders workout this week was an interval workout, consisting of three blocks of two shoulder exercises and one HIIT move. Each block is performed for three sets with no rest between the movies, 30 seconds of rest between sets, and one minute of rest between the blocks. Then, you finish with 3.5 sets of core, alternating between rotating leg lifts, which combines a full sit-up with a bicycle, and then you do the rope climbers. You end up doing a fourth set of the rotating leg lifts. 

The Lift 4 workout was hard. I had to drop the amount of weight I was using for a couple of the exercises (one of them I reduced the weight by mistake, but I honestly could not tell because my shoulders were burning at the end). The corrective ankles routine was good. I can tell I am getting a better range of motion in my ankles and lower legs each time I do the workout.