Workout Update: Lift More: Day 3

Day 3 of Lift More, instead of being an off day like in Lift 4, is another circuit workout. This time, working back and triceps. The format is the same as day 1. You do two blocks of work, each with three sets. In each block, you do two back exercises followed by two triceps exercises, performing 12 reps of each exercise. The rest time is again minimal. You get just enough time between exercises to transition from one to the other. Then, you get 15 seconds between sets and a minute between blocks. After the two blocks, you have a burnout block in which you do three sets of superman pulldowns followed by triceps dips. Then you finish with a brutal core component and stretching to cool down. So, it is another tough workout. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 2

Day 2 of Lift More is a leg workout. This one specifically works your quads and calves. It is also a HIIT workout, similar to the 50/50 workouts from Lift 4. In this one, you do four blocks of weighted exercises, followed by three rounds of HIIT. In blocks 1 and 3, you do quad-specific exercises, and in blocks 2 and 4, you do calf exercises. Then, in the HIIT portion, you alternate two exercises, performing each for 45 seconds. As with yesterday's workout, you get 15 seconds between exercises, 30 seconds between sets, and one minute between blocks. In the HIIT portion, you get 15 seconds between exercises and 30 seconds between sets. Then there is a core component alternating between two exercises, each for 45 seconds. Finally, you finish with stretching to cool down. It is a tough workout. It is also longer, coming in at 45 minutes. But it is effective.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 1

Lift More is the follow-up program to Joel Freeman's program Lift 4. This one was filmed during the pandemic, so it is set up like some of the other workouts filmed at that time, with a small cast (just two people working out with Joel) and a video wall showing people working out at home.

This workout does require a sturdy weight bench and a selection of dumbbells. The day 1 workout is called Lift Chest and Biceps. It is much like the circuit-style workouts in Lift 4. It has two blocks of quad sets, each consisting of two chest exercises followed by two biceps exercises. The difference is that in this workout, you do three sets of 12 reps instead of three sets of 10 reps. Then you have a burnout block in which you alternate push-ups using the bench with biceps curls. The difference between this program and Lift 4 is that, instead of doing each burnout exercise for 30 seconds, you do them for 45 seconds. Then, you finish with core (alternating two exercises for 45 seconds) and a stretching cooldown. 

As in Lift 4, there is very little rest between sets or blocks. You basically get enough time to transition between exercises, and that's it. It is very challenging, but if you are used to doing Lift 4, it is not all that new, just a little different.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 56

Day 56 was the final day of Lift 4. It was another rest day, so I did the first flexibility and mobility routine from 25-Minute Speed Train. I feel like I made a bit more progress from when I did it last week. I finally got down under 200 lbs in this round of Lift 4. Hopefully, I can get down to about 190 during the 8 weeks of Lift More, which will be the perfect weight to start P90X again. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 55

Day 55 was a rest day, so I did Lift 4's stretching routine. There was nothing major to say about this one. It was about the same as when I did it on Wednesday.

Book Review: Dead Fall (Scot Harvath Series #22)

 

Dead Fall, published in 2023, is the 22nd book in the series of action-adventure/spy novels by Brad Thor set around the character of Scot Harvath. As in many of his prior novels in the series, Thor blends real-world and fictional elements into the storyline. The bulk of the story in this book is set in Ukraine and involves its ongoing war with Russia. In it, Harvath is sent to Ukraine to track down a group of mercenaries who have been ravaging the towns and villages, including killing American aid workers. He is tasked with saving a kidnapped aid worker and taking out the group of mercenaries with little to no help or backup.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 330 pages. It has a similar style and tone as the other novels in the series, so if you have read any of the others, it will read as fast or as slow as those. While the Ukraine storyline is the main one, Thor includes some ancillary storylines that may or may not extend into subsequent novels (including adding more political elements than he has in the past) and introduces some new characters. Ultimately, if you enjoy action-thrillers, spy novels, and/or the other books in the series, you will probably like or love this one. It has a good balance of action and suspense and is absolutely worth reading. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 54

Day 54 was the final regular workout of Lift 4, which was Full Body HIIT. It used the same format as last week; three blocks each with two exercises, one focused on the lower body and one focused on the upper body. In block 1, you do the exercises for 60 seconds; in block 2, for 45 seconds; and in block 3, for 30 seconds. In each block, the rest time between exercises reduces (from 20 seconds in the first block down to 10 seconds in the third block), and there is only 30 seconds of rest between blocks. So, for all intents and purposes, you are constantly moving the entire workout. Then, you have a burnout block doing all six exercises for 30 seconds with no rest between them. And, of course, you finish with core and stretching. This was another tough workout, but I got through it, and I modified less than I did last week. I am going to do the recovery routines for the next two days and then begin Lift More next week.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 53

Day 53 was the final weight workout of Lift 4: shoulders and arms circuit. It was tough, but I reduced the amount of weight I tried using last week by a couple of pounds for each exercise, and I was able to get through it without drop setting. And, on the final set of swimmers, I could actually go up a couple of pounds. So, it was a good workout.

Product Review: Amazon Basics Gel Odor Eliminator (Lavendar)

 

This is a very pleasant-smelling odor-eliminating gel. I have it in my kitchen, which is also open to my living room, and it keeps both rooms smelling nice without being overpowering. If you have it in a smaller space, such as in a locker or a closet, the smell will definitely be more potent. Ultimately, it is worth the price and lasts longer than many other air-freshening products.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 52

Day 52 was the mid-week off day, so I just did the roll-and-recover routine. I had a bunch of knots in my legs, so this one was really helpful. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 51

Day 51 was legs again, and it was brutal again. Not so much because of the lift portion, but the HIIT after the lift, even though all of the HIIT exercises were 30 seconds long, it was tough. Mainly because it included triple bear and catchers' jumps. I could do some unmodified, but was definitely modifying in sets two and three. 

Product Review: KURUI 60Pcs Double Headed Nails

 

This is a 60-piece set of double-headed nails for hanging small frames. They are perfect for hanging small wall art, such as something you would hang in a bathroom or going up a staircase. Basically, they are strong enough that two of them will safely support a frame that is around 8.5"x11" or smaller. They are not strong enough to hold a larger frame like 28x40, 30x40, or the like. They just leave a regular nail hole in the wall, which is perfect if you do not want to damage your walls or have to patch large holes. Ultimately, they are a good value and work well as long as you don't overload them.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 50

Day 50 was the start of week 8 (the final week) of Lift 4. It was again the chest and back circuit workout. This week, I dropped the weight I used for the exercises by a couple of pounds, and that helped a lot. It was still a struggle, but I did not have to drop-set any of the exercises (although I had to take a couple of mid-set breaks). The push-up bonus block was brutal, as I had little to nothing left by the time I got to that point. But, I persevered and got through it.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 49

On day 49, I did the Flexibility and Mobility 1 routine from 25-Minute Speed Train.  I actually made appreciable progress from last week. I could get much deeper into many of the stretches, including ones that I had not been able to get into for quite a while. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 48

Day 48 was a rest day, it was also a busy day, so I just did the roll and recover routine from Lift 4. I definitely had some knots in my legs, so it helped, but it was not the best version of the routine I have done. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 47

Day 47 is the Full Body HIIT workout. It consists of three blocks, each with two moves.  The first block consists of single-leg lunge jumps for 60 seconds (30 seconds per leg), followed by in-and-out push-ups for 45 seconds. The second block has jump squats for 45 seconds and triple-bear for 30 seconds. The final block has double plyo push-ups (triceps and regular) for 30 seconds, followed by square squats for 15 seconds. You do three sets in each block, then you do a burnout block, doing all six exercises for 30 seconds with no breaks. So, it is a quick workout, but it is hard. It is even difficult to get through the core block because you are wiped from the "main" portion of the workout. That said, I was able to do more unmodified exercises in this workout than I have in any of the other workouts in this round of Lift 4, so I am definitely improving. 

I have one more week of Lift 4, then I will move on to Joel's follow-up program, Lift More. I have been waiting to try Lift More since it requires a bench. In my old townhouse, I did not have enough space to assemble and use my weight bench, but my new workout room does, so I will be trying Lift More for the first time.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: American Beauty

 

American Beauty is a 1999 drama written by Sam Mendes and Alan Ball, and directed by Mendes (in his directorial debut). It starred Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Mena Suvari, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, and Chris Cooper. The outstanding supporting cast includes Allison Janney, Peter Gallagher, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Scott Bakula, John Cho, and Amber Smith (the latter two having very brief scenes). In the film, Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a middle-aged guy in a loveless marriage and a dead-end job who goes through a midlife crisis, inspired to quit his job by his new neighbor (and his daughter's new boyfriend), Ricky (played by Bentley). Benning plays his very Type-A wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays his teenage daughter, Jane. Burnham starts lusting after his daughter's friend, Angela, and Cooper plays Ricky's father, Frank. The movie is about the parts of suburban life that people keep hidden behind closed doors, and how the perfect lives people try to project to their neighbors are often not reality.

The blu-ray release is a single-disc release. It carries over some (but not all) of the bonus content from the original DVD release. The bonus features include two versions of the theatrical trailers, a storyboard presentation with commentary by Mendes and the Director of Photography, a behind-the-scenes featurette featuring interviews with the cast and crew, and a commentary track on the film by Mendes and Alan Ball. It does not include the digital screenplay, production notes, the DVD-ROM content, or cast and crew biographies that were included on the DVD. The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is excellent, and the HD format is a definite upgrade from the DVD. 

Ultimately, the movie is wonderful. It won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It is well-written and very well-acted. Some of the story is very cringeworthy, which was the point. All of the main characters are flawed at the very least, deeply so in some cases. It is a unique movie in which even the protagonists are not all that good. It deals with issues such as homophobia, adultery, lust, drug use, abuse (and ignoring abuse), and the like. It does contain a lot of swearing, sexual content, and nudity, so it very much earns its R-rating. And of course, in the last several years, Spacey has become a persona non grata because of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. He was absolutely the star of the movie, and his performance helped carry the film and make it what it was. However, he definitely did not carry the film all by himself, and it would not have been as good as it was without the rest of the cast and crew. So, whatever Spacey did or did not do in his personal life, you can still enjoy the movie. Ultimately, it is a great movie that deserved all the acclaim it received and is absolutely worth watching.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 46

Day 46 was shoulders and arms, which was a circuit workout. I tried to increase the weight I used on some of the exercises, but I found I had to drop set many of the exercises after the first set, especially in blocks 2 and 3. It was a challenging workout and I was not really feeling like working out today, but I got it done. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Aguilera

 

Aguilera, released in 2022, is the ninth studio album by Christina Aguilera. It is also her second Spanish-language album. The album features 14 tracks spanning various Latin music genres, including tango, cumbia, Latin pop, ranchera, and more. It also has a mix of more upbeat dance tracks and slower ballads. All the tracks have very distinctive Latin guitar and drum rhythms. The CD includes a fold-out poster with pictures of Aguilera. The liner contains more photos of Aguilera, lyrics, and production notes for the tracks, and a page detailing how the album came together, along with thank-yous. Ultimately, while it is more of a niche album than most of her prior releases and did not include any smash hits on the US pop chart, it is a good listen.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 45

Day 45 was the mid-week rest day, so I just did the stretching routine. That one does not have as many of the stretches that I can use to gauge my progress, but to the extent that I can figure out how I am progressing, I do think I made some slight improvements over last week.  

Book Review: Star Wars: Master of Evil

 

Master of Evil, by Adam Christopher and published in 2025, is, as of this writing, the newest Star Wars canon novel. The events in the book are set shortly after the events of Revenge of the Sith, when Vader is the little-known mysterious enforcer and right-hand of Emperor Palpatine. Despite what you may think from the title and the cover, Darth Vader is not the main character of the book. The main character is actually a member of the Royal Guard (the red-robed masked characters who guard the Emperor) named Halland Goth. When Vader seeks to track down a force-wielding shaman, who reportedly has the power to raise the dead, Goth is tasked by the Emperor to watch Vader and report back on his actions. Of course, Vader is trying to figure out how to bring Padme back to life, but Goth also has a personal interest in Vader's mission, as he is dying from a terminal illness and believes that Vader holds the key to his survival. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 370 pages. It reads quickly, and if you are a fast reader, you can finish it in a few days (or less, depending on how much time you have to devote to reading). While Vader has a significant presence in the book, very little of it is written from his viewpoint. He is still treated like the mysterious Imperial background character, known more by reputation and rumor than by direct interaction. It would have been nice if the book had been written so we could learn more about what Vader was thinking and feeling. That said, the story does have some tie-ins to the Clone Wars, provides some more information about the Sith master-apprentice dynamic (which to me is a bit contradictory with what has come before, or at least would have made Darth Plagueis nearly impossible to kill), and does give some indication of what Vader was feeling after being encased in the suit (just not enough). Ultimately, it is a good book with a good story; it just wasn't as good as it could have been with some tweaks. I would not call it one of the must-read canon novels, but if you pick and choose which books to read, it is worth reading, but probably not worth reading multiple times.     

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 44

Day 44 was Legs. In the shred weeks, the twist to Leg day is that in the lifting portion, you do triple sets, consisting of three exercises without any breaks between them. Then, instead of the 60-45-30 format for the three HIIT moves in the cardio blocks, you do each move for thirty seconds. So, this is a cross between a circuit workout and a 50/50 workout. Either way, it is tough as hell. I do not sweat a ton in any workout (aside from taekwondo classes), and I was sweating during this one. 

Book Review: What We Saw: The Events of September 11, 2001--In Words, Pictures, and Video

 

What We Saw is a book and DVD combination about the CBS News coverage of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks. The book mainly contains write-ups by reporters who covered the attacks or their aftermath in the days and months that followed. It also includes accounts from a few of the eyewitnesses or survivors. The DVD contains the documentary that aired on CBS around the first anniversary of the attacks. The documentary includes part of the CBS news coverage from that day, as well as reports from the evening news or 60 Minutes following the attacks, reporting on the recovery operation, clean-up, and the effect the attacks and the following days and months had on the survivors and the friends and loved ones of the people who died.

The hardcover version of the book is 140 pages long and contains many pictures, so it can be finished in an hour or so. The documentary is just under two hours long. While the book is not as emotional as some of the books written about 9/11, the documentary is very emotional, especially for those who lived through the events of the day. The book is absolutely worth reading, and the DVD is worth watching.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 43

Day 43 was the start of week 7, which is the first of two "shred weeks". Joel changes up the workout sequencing, so today was chest and back. He indicated that you can use  the same weight as you used in week 5, but I increased the amount of weight I was using for the various exercises. I did have to drop set in the second block, however, when you essentially do 20 reps of presses in a row without stopping. In block 2, you do rotating chest presses followed by decline presses. I used the increased weight for the first set, but had to drop it for sets 2 and 3. Then, there is a push-up and back extension burnout, and then you finish with core and stretching. It was a challenging workout, but good. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Liberation

 

Liberation, released in 2018, is Christina Aguilera's eighth studio album. The album includes 15 tracks. A few of them are very short interludes that run for a minute or less. The album's total runtime is just under 50 minutes. 

Like her prior albums, the songs on this one mix styles and genres. On the whole, the tracks tend to be slower ballads and ballad-like, rather than the more upbeat dance/club tracks (although there are some of those too). While the album did not have a bunch of hit singles, it does have many good-to-great tracks. For me, the best track on the album is "Deserve," which wasn't released as a single.

The CD liner contains pictures of Aguilera, production notes (but no lyrics) for the various tracks, and thank-you messages on the final page. Ultimately, while this album was not a massive hit like her earlier albums, it is one of her best albums, if not her best overall album. It is absolutely worth listening to, and it has several songs worthy of inclusion on a playlist.