Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 38

Day 38 was the rest day in Lift 4, so I did the two recovery workouts in the morning and then did the 645 cardio with higher impact exercises in the evening. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 37

Day 37 was the Back and Biceps workout in Lift 4, which was a 50/50 resistance/HIIT workout, so I did a less intense 645 cardio workout in the evening. Again, in the Lift 4 workout, I started using the heavier weight I used last week, but I had to reduce the amount of weight I was using in the second and third sets for a couple of them. Overall, however, both workouts went well.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 36

Day 36 was the start of Week 6 in Lift 4, which meant another Chest and Triceps workout, and then 645 cardio in the evening. The Lift 4 workout was a circuit workout (so no HIIT), which meant that I selected more intense, harder, higher-impact exercises for the evening workout. Both of them went pretty well, but I did have to drop the amount of weight I was using on the second and third sets of a couple of the resistance exercises. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 

+++Warning, I will assume that anyone reading this has seen the movie already, so there will be some spoilerish material in the review, but I will not give away any major surprises+++++

The Force Awakens is the 2015 return to the Star Wars movie universe. It was written by J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan (who also co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), and Michael Arndt, and directed by Abrams. It starred Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Issac, Lupita Nyongo, Domhnall Gleeson, and Andy Serkis (as the new characters in the franchise) and also saw the return of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hammil, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew from the original trilogy cast. Of the legacy characters, Ford has the largest role in the movie, and Hammil has the smallest.

This movie was written clearly to cater to the fans of the original trilogy who were disheartened by Lucas' abandoning anything close to a good script and overuse of CGI in the prequel trilogy. This movie goes back to the roots of Star Wars, blending many practical effects with CGI, putting out a good story, and getting good performances out of the actors. The focus of the story is very much on the new characters, Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, BB-8, and Poe. All the original main characters are in the film to various degrees, with Harrison Ford doing much of the heavy lifting, returning as Han Solo. It is very much meant to mirror A New Hope. The journey of the main character is intentionally paralleling the journey Luke took in the first movie. While I am not one who thinks it is an outright ripoff of Episode IV like some do, the fact that they were going for that tone and certainly had scenes that mirrored a lot of what was going on in that movie and had some of the same lines (some subtle and some very much not) I do get the criticism.

I ultimately give this movie an incomplete grade until this Trilogy is played out. There are three main things I think need to be cleared up in the subsequent movies or canon novels that are coming down the line, and then some other things that would just be nice to know. The first big point is obviously who Rey is. That character is obviously the one the whole new trilogy is going to be based around, so an explanation of who she is is essential. Likewise, Snoke's identity has to be revealed. They are setting up that he is an Emperor-like figure, powerful in the dark side. But it is known that during The Emperor and Vader's time, there were two Sith, a master and an apprentice. So there needs to be an explanation of how Snoke came to be in order to make sense of his seducing of Kylo Ren to the dark side. Then I think there needs to be an explanation of the new force powers we see in the movie. Kylo Ren, who J.J. Abrams made clear leading up to the movie is not a Sith lord and is not fully trained, is using powers that have not been shown in any previous movie (I have not seen The Clone Wars or Rebels cartoons, so I am not sure about what has or has not been in them). Not to mention the skills that the other character was able to learn so quickly.

The things I believe some kind of explanation would be nice are why Finn deserted, for example. He was on his first mission early on in the movie, and his only act of disobedience was to defect. That is not something that seems realistic for a soldier who was bred from childhood to be a Stormtrooper and obey orders. Then things like how Mas came to obtain Luke's old lightsaber, what were the main characters doing in the years after Return of the Jedi, etc. Obviously, some of those things will be told in Episodes VIII and IX and likely fleshed out in the new Cannon novels, but when those points are known, then I think this movie's piece in the larger puzzle can be better evaluated.

I do think that there are certainly imperfect parts to the story. Like Leia basically ignoring Chewbacca at a certain point, not going to find Luke herself when they figure out where he was, basically redoing a trench run to blow up the base, and things like that. With that said, I do think the movie made for a very good return to the Star Wars cinematic universe and gave a boost of nostalgia for those of us who grew up with the original films. I am not one of those who utterly loathed the prequels, but I certainly can be counted among those who think that Lucas took on way too much on his own in making them and lost sight of what made the original movies the classics they are. And I am one who loathes the endless of amount of CGI and tweaks and additions that he put into the original trilogy.

For those who get the actual Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great as you would expect. The extras, of course, vary depending on where you buy it, with the studio doling out retailer-specific extras. To my knowledge, none of them have an audio commentary on the film itself. For the Amazon version, the main extra is an hour-long behind-the-scenes and making-of feature called "The Story Awakens," where the cast and crew talk about the process of creating the movie from pre-production and casting to the end. Then there are several shorter features, all pretty much under 10 min on building BB-8, creating the various creatures, breaking down the fight scene in the forest at the end of the movie, John Williams returning to score the movie, ILM creating the digital effects, deleted scenes and a short feature on the charitable work done by the studio, cast, crew etc around the movie. Good for what is there, but sucks that all the bonus content was again split up like is happening on a lot of the major releases. And a commentary track including the various trailers would have been nice. Thankfully Harrison Ford participated a lot in the extras, which is something given his rumored dislike for the character of Han Solo and the movies overall. He seemed appreciative of being in the movie, respectful to the fans, as well as being honest and sincere with that 10-20 years ago, he probably would not have agreed to come back.

There will ultimately be a lot of subjectivity in liking or disliking this movie. It is not perfect, but realistically, aside from maybe Empire Strikes Back, none of the movies have been all that close to perfect. I think most people in their 40s and 50s who were kids or teenagers when the original films came out and loved those will mostly fall somewhere on the like-to-love spectrum on this movie. If you were a casual fan of any of the movies, then I think you will probably be a casual fan of this. If you are one who loved what Lucas did with the prequels and the special editions, then you may fall somewhere between disappointment and hate. Realistically almost everyone has seen this at least once by now, so you know where you fall. While some whiny "fans" shit on the movie (and the prequel series as a whole), I think this is a good movie that was setting up a good storyline. The one thing I do think that the producers can be ripped for is the decision to have three different directors do each movie and have total control over the storyline of each movie. I think the prequel trilogy would have been much better if at least the same writers wrote all three movies. Since that did not happen, the prequel trilogy became a mess. That said, the movie is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Punisher (2004)

 

The Punisher is a 2004 action movie starring Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Rebecca Romijn, Laura Harding, Ben Foster, and Will Patton. The story is entertaining and well done for what it is. The movie basically involves two revenge stories. In the first, Travolta's character, crime boss Howard Saint, seeks revenge on Frank Castle for the death of his son during an FBI bust of a smuggling operation. The second involves Castle getting revenge on Howard after Howard orders Frank and his family killed when he finds out Frank's identity. Frank survives the attack on his family and takes on the persona of The Punisher. 

The original Blu-Ray release is a very bare-bones, single-disc release. You just get the theatrical edition of the movie without any bonus content. So, if you only get movies on physical media when there is a lot of bonus content, you may just want to look for this on a streaming service.

This was a comic-book-based movie that occurred before they became popular, so the studio did not invest in anything near the amount of production that goes into today's comic-book movies. Hence, this mainly had B-level actors (depending on where you want to put Travolta and Rebecca Romajn on the hierarchy). There is not a ton of action aside from a few sequences, but it is very violent in those sequences. The storyline is as much about Castle forming the plan to take down Saint and his empire as it is about the execution of the plan. The writing and acting are okay. Both are somewhat over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek at times. Thomas Jane plays the emotionally detached Castle very well but does keep a sense of morality and goodness to him, even when he is doing very bad things. Travolta plays a very good bad guy, even though he does overact at times. Ultimately, the movie is something where if you have a couple hours spare time you can have it on in the background and still easily follow what is going on. It is certainly not the best comic-book movie or the best live-action version of The Punisher, but it is worth checking out if you do not expect it to be anything more than it is.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 35

Day 35 was the two Lift 4 recovery workouts in the morning and 645 cardio in the evening. For the evening workout, I did the hardest exercises that I could do for 30 seconds without modifying them. So, I was pretty wiped out by the end and managed to work up a good sweat. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 34

For Day 34, I just did the 645 cardio workout. It was what I would describe as moderately intense, with exercises that were a bit more challenging for me (like Mountain Climbers and the switches from P90X) but not as intense as plyo jacks.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 33

Day 33 was Legs in Lift 4, another 50/50 workout, followed by 645 cardio in the evening. The Legs workout was very challenging, mostly because the HIIT moves were very tough, especially after your legs were burned out. Again, I selected lower-impact cardio exercises for the 645 workout. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 32

Day 32 was shoulders intervals in Lift 4 and the 645 cardio workout. Both of them went fine. Of course, I selected lower-impact exercises in the evening cardio workout since the Lift 4 workout had a HIIT component.  I was able to increase the amount of weight for the various resistance exercises, and again, the microplates really helped. Although, I have discovered that they can fall off the 15 lb dumbbells so when I need to use 17.5 lbs, I do try to use the Bowflex weights. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Martian

 

The Martian is a 2015 Sci-Fi/Adventure movie directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Kristen Wig, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, and Jeff Daniels. The movie is adapted from a book by the same name about an Astronaut named Mark Whitney, played by Matt Damon, who ends up getting stranded on Mars when the rest of his crew leaves believing that he died. The story basically revolves around his efforts to stay alive and communicate with NASA with the equipment that is left behind, and the concurrent plan to rescue him.

The original Blu-Ray release is a single disc with the movie and a decent amount of extras. The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is outstanding, and the movie looks and sounds great in HD format. As for extras, there are probably between an hour and a half to 2 hrs worth. The biggest is a mock documentary telling the story that plays out in the film, mainly from Sean Bean and Jeff Daniel's character's perspectives. But most of the cast is involved. There are also some commercial-like vignettes promoting the Mars missions, including one done with Neil Degrasse Tyson. Then there are some behind-the-scenes and making-of features as well. A decent amount for those who like to go through the bonus material.

Overall, the movie is wonderful. The screenplay was great and the acting is superb on all fronts.  I have not read the book, but apparently, the writers did not change much from the book. For those who are into science or engineering, it is enjoyable because they based things on real science, and although they certainly did take liberties with some things, they kept most of those liberties plausible. And for those who are not very science literate, the film did a good job of not being so technical that everything would only be understandable to scientists and engineers. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Primal Fear

 

Primal Fear is a 1996 movie starring Richard Gere, Edward Norton, and Laura Linney. It also includes a great supporting cast, including John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, and Andre Braugher. The movie was made at a time when Gere's role as a leading man was winding down, and it was Edward Norton's first major role. The movie plays on a variation of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Norton plays Aaron Stamper, a 19-year-old alter boy who is arrested for the murder of an Archbishop. Gere plays Martin Vale, a criminal defense attorney who agrees to represent Stamper.

The original Blu-Ray release is a single disc with just the movie itself and no bonus features. The A/V quality is fine, but it did not get a great HD restoration and transfer, so it is not a huge upgrade from the DVD version. The movie has been released on 4k-UHD which does include some bonus content, so if you don't have the movie on physical media or really love it and don't mind double or triple-dipping, you may want to opt for that version.

The movie is outstanding. It is well-written and very well-acted. Norton was excellent as well and really stole every scene he was in, playing an alter boy arrested and on trial for killing the local bishop. Gere had the smarmy criminal defense lawyer role nailed, balancing an "I don't care if you are guilty or innocent " attitude with really caring for a client he truly believes is not guilty. While it is likely that a lot of people reading this will have seen the film multiple times and know how it plays out, I will not spoil the movie on the off chance that someone out there has not seen the movie. What I can say is there are a lot of real-world parallels to what has played out with the church in real life with sex scandals and allegations of corruption and the movie does have some twists throughout. Some of the twists are predictable, and others are not. While Gere and Norton are certainly the main attractions in the film, the supporting cast are all wonderful. Laura Linney is great as the prosecutor and former flame of Richard Gere's character. It is a great legal drama that is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 31

Day 31 was the rest day in Lift 4, so I did the two recovery workouts in the morning and the 645 cardio routine in the evening. I cannot say that my flexibility has really improved during this round of Lift 4. Ultimately, I want to lose enough weight that doing yoga becomes easy again because that helps the most with my flexibility. But, I have a ways to go before I get there.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 30

Day 30 was the Back and Biceps circuit workout (yay, no HIIT) in Lift 4 and 645 cardio. Again, I was able to use the microplates to gradually increase the weight on some of the exercises, which helped a lot. In the evening, I did the 645 cardio workout with more intense/higher impact exercises like squat jumps and jump-knee switches from P90x.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 29

Day 29 was the start of week 5 in Lift 4, which again meant increasing the weight for the resistance exercises. Today's workout was the Chest and Triceps 50/50 workout. Using the microplates to increase the weight gradually is working out quite well, especially for exercises like the chest flys and triceps kickbacks, where I can maintain proper form if I go up by 2.5 lbs but cannot if I increase by 5 lbs. In the evening, I did the  645 cardio workout again choosing exercises that have less impact since I did HIIT in the Lift 4 workout.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Presitge

 

The Prestige is a 2006 thriller written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan and directed by Christopher Nolan. The movie stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, David Bowie, and Andy Serkis.  It is one of Christopher Nolan's lesser-known and less popular films (despite all the A-List actors in the movie), yet one of his best. It was made between the first two movies in Nolan's Batman trilogy. Nolan is known for working with many of the same actors in his movies, and this one, of course, includes Bale and Caine. The movie is, at its heart, a story of a rivalry between two magicians in the Victorian era (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale). Thrown in is a bit of the Tesla/Edison rivalry, a revenge tale, lost love, and frankly just some general weirdness.

The Blu-ray release is just a single disc with the movie and the extras on it. The A/V quality is outstanding, and it was a reference-quality disc when the movie was released on physical media. The extras include about 20 minutes worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a few scenes that highlight the high-definition aspect of the Blu-ray, and various artwork. What was included is good, but there are not a ton of extras. It is hard to say too much about the movie without giving away too much of the story, but like many of his non-Batman movies, there are some blink-and-you-will-miss-it moments in this one, points where you are wondering exactly what is going on or where the story is going. Unlike Inception, however, which is left kind of open-ended, this story gets pretty well wrapped up by the end. Ultimately, the movie tells a unique story, and probably not everyone's "cup of tea." If, however, you are generally a fan of Nolan and/or the various actors involved then it is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Ant Man

 

Ant-Man is one of the 2015 entries into the MCU slate of movies. It continues the MCU storyline and is set after the events of The Age of Ultron. It even ties back somewhat to the Agent Carter TV series, with Hailey Atwell and John Slattery appearing as aged versions of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark at the beginning of the movie as a setup for the rest of the plot. There are even tie-ins to the next Captain America movie (with a post-credits scene) and, ultimately, to the Avengers Infinity Wars movies (which will include Ant-Man). Without giving too much away, Michael Douglas's character Hank Prym, one of the original S.H.E. I. L.D. agents and inventor of the ant man suit, a technology that allows humans to shrink to the size of an ant, and gain the equivalent of an ant's strength to its size hires burglar Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd to break into his former company and steal a second suit being developed by Prym's one time protege now rival Darren Cross (played by House of Cards' Cory Stoll). Evangeline Lilly plays Hope van Dyne, Prym's daughter, who reluctantly helps Lang train to become Ant-Man.

There are multiple physical media releases of the movie now. The Blu-ray's A/V quality is very good, as has been the case with the other MCU movies, especially the more recent ones. For extras, the single-disc version includes a few short behind-the-scenes and making-of features, about 10 minutes worth of "news" footage that helps flesh out some of the characters' backgrounds, some deleted scenes, and a gag reel. While the extras that were included are good, they are not as extensive as the releases of some of the other movies have received.

I think those who are fans of the Marvel Universe movies and TV shows will enjoy this. The tone of the movie is different enough that if you are having superhero movie fatigue, you can find it enjoyable because it is definitely not like any of the ones that have come before it. While some of it is a bit silly, to be sure (but really, all the superhero movies are to some extent), this movie embraces and even plays on the silliness in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The acting is very good, and the movie does well staying on the fringes of the larger MCU storyline while telling its own story. At its core, the film is a heist movie wrapped up in a superhero movie. It is like Oceans 11 meets The Avengers. It does very well as the origin story for the various stand-alone characters yet blends into the existing Marvel Universe, with the biggest cross-over being the meeting between Ant-Man and Falcon about halfway into the movie. Paul Rudd does a great job of being a hero who is willing to break the rules or the law to do the right thing. He also brings an air of every man (he did not have to get ripped for the movie like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth did for their roles) and brings the smart-ass quality that he is known for from his other work. The movie has a good blend of action and humor (probably more humor than the other MCU movies combined) and is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 28

For day 28, I did both the Lift 4 recovery workouts in the morning and the 645 cardio workout in the evening. In the 645 workout, I chose exercises that were more challenging for me and involved more jumping.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 27

For day 27, I just did the 645 cardio workout in the evening with higher-impact exercises since it was a rest day in Lift 4. 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 26

Day 26 was legs, which was the HIIT-only workout, doing the four exercises in each block for 1 minute, 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds for three regular rounds, and then two bonus rounds in which you do all four exercises for 30 seconds back-to-back without any rest. This was a tough workout, but it was easier than the week 2 version of the workout. Then, I did the 645 cardio workout in the evening with lower-impact exercises. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Modern Family: Season 6

 

The sixth season of Modern Family had 24 episodes that aired during the 2014/2015 TV season. The show itself continues to be very funny, well-acted, and cleverly written. One of the main themes this year is Alex finishing high school and getting ready for and trying to choose a college. The writers and showrunners seem to want to totally overdo the "Alex is a nerd who does not care about her appearance and dresses her like a lumberjack with the most awful glasses they could find" thing. The younger characters, if the show is going to continue on much longer, are going to have to develop beyond what they are to keep the show fresh. And given that Ariel Winter is so very not a flannel-wearing tomboy, allowing her character to move beyond that now is one way the show can do that. While there is some of that with the adult characters, they are definitely more set, and aside from introducing new situations for them to be in (such as Claire and the internet episode) or robot Phil in the season finale, there is not nearly as much room for character development among them as there will be as the younger actors continue to age.

One of the great additions to the cast as recurring characters was Dunphy's new neighbors, the LaFontaine family, played by Steve Zahn and Andrea Anders. Zahn as a distributor of medical marijuana is hilarious, and having them as sometimes friends and sometimes enemies of Claire and Phil on a limited basis is great. The storylines for the rest of the cast really continue to be more of the same. Each of the individual families gets some focus throughout the season, and then there are storylines that involve the entire family. Every so often, there are callbacks to a prior season's episodes and storylines. The Hailey/Andy storyline that was introduced in the 5th season continues this season (especially toward the end), and we get to see that Beth (played by Laura Ashley Samuels) is actually real, and their story leads into kind of a cliffhanger at the end of the season.

The DVD release this season is better than the season 5 release, but it is still horrible that the show (especially as popular as it continues to be, even if there has been a decline in popularity) does not continue to be available on blu ray as it was during the first 4 seasons. There are not a ton of extras, a few behind-the-scenes and making-of features on some of the episodes, including the internet episode (which was almost entirely shot on iPhones, a few deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Good for what is there, but not as much as in prior seasons. There are no commentary tracks on any of the episodes this year, which is a shame because those were entertaining. If the extras are not a huge deal for you, then streaming it will get you the same audio and video quality (or better) as the DVDs will. So, while the DVD release is lackluster the show itself is still funny and worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: iZombie: Season 1

 

iZombie was a very underrated series that aired for five seasons from 2015 to 2019 on The CW. The first season included 13 episodes that aired during the spring and summer of 2015.  The series starred Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, David Anders, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley, and Aly Michalka. The premise of the show is that a medical student, Olivia Moore, played by Rose McIver, is turned into a Zombie during a boat party. She ends up distancing herself from everyone in her life (to keep them safe) and starts working in the police morgue, where she starts to help a new detective, played by Malcolm Goodwin, solve murders. He thinks she is psychic, but she really gets visions of the murder victims by eating their brains. The only person who knows she is really a zombie is her boss at the morgue, played by Rahul Kohli, who is trying to help Liv find a cure for zombieism. It is another series based on a comic book created by the showrunners of Veronica Mars.

The show is a blend of a case-of-the-week procedural and a serial with larger story arcs playing out throughout the season. The serial arcs eventually come together by the end of the season. It does take a couple episodes to find its groove, but it does so relatively quickly and the formula works well. It sets up a larger story with multiple "bad guys," one of which is played by the great David Anders (from Alias and Heroes) and another that reveals itself later in the season and carries into season 2. Liv's ex-fiance, Major, played by Robert Buckley, has an increasing role in the story as the season goes on, and Aly Michalka, who plays Liv's roommate Payton, is the main recurring character of season 1.

The show was originally only released on DVD and then given an MOD Blu-Ray release. The extras are the same on both the DVD and Blu-Ray and are very light. Those include a few deleted scenes and a portion of the 2015 Comic-Con panel discussion. The comic-con thing is about a half hour and provides insight into what the showrunners were going for, like not adhering strictly to the comic and how the actors approached their roles. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that while the show ran for 5 seasons, only the first three seasons were released on physical media. This is due in large part to a licensing issue that affected season four and then Warner Brothers just decided not to release season 5. You may be able to find bootleg DVDs for the last two seasons, but there were no official releases. So, if you are someone who wants a complete collection of TV series on physical media, you may just want to stream the show.

While some who were familiar with the comic book may hate that the show really just uses the comic as the guide and does not follow it to a t may not like the show, I think anyone who is into the more supernatural/superhero genre of shows and movies who does not fall into that category should give it a chance. It is well written and has a talented ensemble cast with actors who were recognizable but not necessarily household names (and others for whom this is really their first big break). Rose McIver does a great job as Liv and has the range as an actress to play a range of characters because she essentially takes on a new personality each week. She owns the role so much that it is hard to imagine anyone else doing as good a job with that role. Whether you stream the show or buy it on physical media, it is definitely worth checking out. The series was a mid-season pickup and, as such, did not get a ton of hype like many of the shows that start out right away in the fall (that was pretty much reserved for The Flash on the CW in 2015). 

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 25

Day 25 was shoulder intervals in Lift 4 in the morning and 645 cardio in the evening. The interval workout went well, and I could do the HIIT moves unmodified. In the evening workout, I again did less intense moves in the 645 workout since I did unmodified higher-impact exercises in Lift 4.

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 24

Day 24 was the off day in Lift 4, so I did the two recovery workouts for my morning workout and the 645 cardio routine with higher-impact, more intense exercises for the evening workout.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 23

Day 23 was the back and biceps Lift 50/50 workout in Lift 4 and, again, the cardio workout from 645. I again managed to use the extra weight from week 3 on the lift portion of the workout, and in the 645 cardio workout, I did less intense HIIT exercises that had less impact.  

Workout Update: 645 Cardio/Lift 4 Day 22

 Day 22 was the start of week 4, which was the chest and triceps circuit workout in Lift 4, and the cardio 15 workout in 645. Both workouts went well, and I was able to maintain the increased amount of weight on all of the exercises from week 3. Since the Lift 4 workout did not have a HIIT component, I did a "harder" version of the cardio workout subbing in exercises from Lift 4 and P90x plyometrics.