Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 19

Day 19 was total body circuit in T25 and Legs 50/50 in Lift 4.

Each workout went okay, but I definitely did not have as much stamina as I did yesterday. I had to modify a lot more of the moves in each workout. I did use lighter weights for the weight portion of the Lift 4 workouts still (although I did bump up the weight I was using for one of the exercises from 20 to 25 lbs). I am looking forward to tomorrow's recovery routines, and hopefully, Sunday's T25 workout will be a bit easier. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: A Time to Kill (Spoilers)

 

+++Warning, the review has spoilers in the third paragraph. If you have not seen the movie and care about being spoiled, skip that paragraph.+++

A Time to Kill is the 1996 movie adaptation of the John Grisham novel of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, and Samuel L. Jackson. The wonderful supporting cast includes Ashley Judd, Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, Kurtwood Smith, Octavia Spencer, Chris Cooper, Charles S. Dutton, and Oliver Platt.

There are a couple things to keep in mind about this movie. One it was only a story. The movie clearly fictionalizes the very real lynchings and attacks of blacks that were common during the Civil Rights era in the South and the corrupt Southern justice system that allowed the people who were doing the lynchings to go free and make a more modern-day story from it. The twist in this movie is that the father of a child who was attacked takes justice into his own hands and subsequently ends up on trial in that same corrupt justice system. 

Anyone who knows history (especially legal history) is aware of the fact that there was jury nullification many times in the South in favor of whites who had murdered blacks (and who had done so for far less compelling reasons than for which Samuel L. Jackson's character commits murder in this story). What is ultimately done in this story is having the jury nullification going the other way, after leading you to think that it could not possibly happen.

The second thing to keep in mind is that the movie is a courtroom drama, so (despite the story being written by a lawyer) the legal elements, especially the courtroom scenes are almost completely wrong. Anyone who has sat through more than one real trial knows that the vast majority of the time nothing dramatic happens. Lawyers are not allowed to ask 5 min long questions to a witness, and then present another 5 min long soliloquy after the witness answers the question. For the most part, trials are usually very dry and boring, with little to no excitement or things like breaking the witness. So pretty much every courtroom drama ever made has little to no authenticity to any of the legal aspects and this is no different.

If you can get past all that however and just focus on the acting and suspend your disbelief, the movie is very good. The suspension of disbelief will be hard for lawyers and law students. I remember when I watched this while in law school I was basically counting everything it got wrong. But now I can watch it without focusing on all that stuff. I think Samuel L. Jackson and Matthew McConaughey had great chemistry and played off each other very well. Sandra Bullock and McConaughey sold the tension between their characters well, and Donald Sutherland did a great job as the old, washed-up, alcoholic attorney who was advising the young upstart. I also thought Kevin Spacy (regardless of what you might think of him now) did a great job as the slimy district attorney.

The A/V transfer of the movie is very good, especially for a pre-DVD era movie that does not have a ton of special effects. The only extra is a trailer for the movie. There are no deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes material, or the like. Ultimately, if you cannot get past how unreal the story is, then do not get the movie because you probably will not like it. If you are good at suspension of disbelief and can just enjoy the story and good acting (both of which are top-notch), then it is well worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 18

 Day 18 was cardio in T25 and Shoulder intervals in Lift 4.

In each workout, I was able to do unmodified HIIT exercises for a longer period of time. In fact, In the Lift 4 workout, I was able to do the HIIT exercises unmodified for all but the last few seconds of the squat jacks in block 3. Although, even though I was jumping in the HIIT exercises, I was doing them slower than the cast members (who are all ultra-fit). Therefore, my cardio strength is getting better even after just a few weeks of the two-a-day workouts.

DVD/TV Series Review: Dark Angel: The Complete Series

 

Dark Angel was a series that aired on FOX from 2000-2002 starring Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly (propelling both of them to relative levels of stardom) and produced by James Cameron. The series is set in the relatively near future in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian Seattle.

 In the first season (which is the better of the two), Jessica Alba's character (Max) was raised as a super soldier in a government program called Manticore. A group of the soldiers escaped as children and scattered. After the US was hit with an electromagnetic pulse that set the country back years, technology was available only to the very rich, and martial law was imposed. Once that happened, it became easier for the Manticore escapees to hide and blend in with the rest of society. During the day Max has a legitimate job as a bike messenger (which allows her to scope out potential targets to rob) and uses her enhanced abilities as a cat burglar by night. She eventually becomes a vigilante working with Michael Weatherly's character Logan to fight corruption and injustice in exchange for finding out about her past and the fate of her "siblings" who escaped with her. Her vigilante actions put her on Manticore's radar and she is hunted by John Savage's character, Colonel Lydecker.

During the second season, the show expanded the storyline to include not only the supersoldiers but human-animal hybrids. The story did get a bit silly during the second season but had some great additions to the cast including Jensen Ackles (playing Alec), Kevin Durand (as Joshua), Ashley Scott (as Asha), and the great character actor Martin Cummins (as the main antagonist of the second season, Ames White).

There were a lot of twists and turns in the story in both seasons, but what I liked about season one is that they stuck to the classified military program and only really expanded the storyline to include cloning. Having all of the supersoldiers have "twins" (sometimes multiple twins) worked very well and allowed for the same actors to play different versions of their characters. In the second season, they expanded the story to have human/animal hybrids and got into secret societies that just got a little weird and took the story on a tangent I don't think they needed to go. Apparently, if the show would have been given a third season the storylines from seasons 1 and 2 would have been merged together.

Each of the DVD sets has six discs, with the episodes and the bonus content spread across the discs.  Each set has quite a few bonus features including commentary tracks on multiple episodes, a gag reel, deleted scenes, and making-of/behind-the-scenes featurettes. 

The show was very well-acted in both seasons and very well-written in the first season. As I said above, the storylines in season 2 get a bit weird, but the actors all did a great job with what they were given.  All the actors, from the main cast to the more ancillary characters, played their characters well. The show was obviously the big breakout role for Alba and she was great as a wise-ass/bad-ass character. And, she was not bad to look at either, even though the show did not focus on the fact that she is smoking hot and rarely put her in skimpy outfits. Jensen Ackles particularly did a great job as Ben/Alec when he was brought on as a series regular in season 2. Ultimately I think it was a show that Fox killed off too soon. Even with the weird tangents that the show went on in season 2, there was still room to tell compelling stories. All in all, it was a very good series with a lot of action, drama, and even some humor. It is definitely not a show that will appeal to everyone's taste, but if you like action stories, especially with a dystopian bent, it is worth your time to watch.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 17

Day 17 was the two recovery routines from Lift 4 in the morning and then Lower Focus from T25 in the evening. 

Foam rolling went well and I feel like my flexibility is improved during the stretch routine. For some reason, my knees were sore during squats and lunges in the evening lower focus workout, so that inhibited that workout a bit, but I did the best I could without overdoing it.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 16

 Day 16 was Speed 1.0 in T25 and Back and Biceps 50/50 in Lift 4.

I was able to do more unmodified cardio exercises in each workout so my stamina is increasing. Again I used the same weight as weeks 1 and 2 in Lift 4, and will likely do so for another week and then increase them in weeks 5-8. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 15

Day 15 was the start of week 3. In T25 it was the total body circuit and in Lift 4 it was chest and triceps circuit.

Each of the workouts went fairly well. I was able to again do more unmodified cardio in the T25 workout and made it through the Lift 4 workout. I kept the amount of weight I was using for the exercises in Lift 4 the same instead of bumping them up as I still want to improve my range of motion throughout the exercise. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Friends: The Complete Series

 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the two biggest comedies on TV were probably Friends and Seinfeld. Friends was aimed at the younger demographic, going for the viewers that were in their mid to late 20s, while Seinfeld was aimed at the demographic about a decade older. Friends premiered in 1994 and was about a group of friends living in New York. The series starred Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. I actually never watched the series consistently when it was on the air. I was a senior in high school the year it began, so I just never really got into it and never appreciated how good it really was.

Friends was one of those shows like ER, where the cast was made up of relative no names (at least at the time), but unlike ER the main cast stayed together for the entire run. I think that allowed the show to keep the same feel and tone throughout the series. The writing was very very good in that they allowed the characters to evolve and grow over the course of 10 years but never lost the core of who they were over that time. They also did a great job of referring to old jokes without (for the most part) making them stale. For the ones that did, it got to the point that they would even poke fun at it (for example "We were on a break"). I also liked how the show relied on more than just sex jokes for the comedy (unlike many of the sitcoms of today). While there were certainly sex jokes throughout the series, the show did not lean on them and there were a lot of smarter jokes in the series too, that presumed the audience was smart enough to be entertained by other material.

The Blu-Ray set is a 21-disc set. The 234 episodes and some of the bonus content are spread across discs 1-20, and disc 21 has additional bonus content. The A/V quality of the set is good, but not outstanding, especially if you are a big A/V wonk. Even though the A/V quality is not perfect, it is a step up from the A/V quality of the DVDs. One big drawback (for some) in this release is that the episodes were only the ones that were broadcast. Apparently, the DVD sets included a lot of extended episodes, but this is just going to give you the show as it was intended to originally be seen. If that is a deal breaker for you, then don't waste the money. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, trailers, "Friends of Friends" featurettes, which give a breakdown of all the guest stars for that particular season, featurettes on the fans, the on-location episodes, gag reels, and more.  The final disc also includes appearances by the cast on The Tonight Show and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the "I'll Be There for You" music video, a couple of series retrospectives, and the original version of the episode "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" which aired shortly after 9/11 and was edited because of a bomb joke. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 14

For day 14 I did lower body foam rolling from 645 followed immediately by the T25 stretch routine. Both of them went well, and I had a bit more mobility in the T25 routine than I did last week.  

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 13

For Day 13 I did the two recovery routines from Lift 4. I did not do upper body foam rolling from 645, mainly due to time constraints. I had to run some errands that went a bit longer than I expected and so by the time I could work out I just wanted to do the two and get to bed. 

DVD/Movie Review: The 40-Year-Old Virgin

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 movie that is one of the "Appatowverse" comedies (written and directed by Judd Apatow) starring Steve Carell (who also co-wrote the movie), Paul Rudd, Catherine Kenner, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, and Seth Rogan. In the movie, Carrell plays a 40-year-old introvert who works at the fictional equivalent of Best Buy and has given up on trying to date or have sex. His coworkers find out he is a virgin and try to get him laid, giving him advice on how to meet and talk to women. 

If you generally do not enjoy Apatow's brand of humor, you will not like this movie. For those that do, you will find yourself laughing a lot. Yes, Carell does a great job in the lead role, but it is really all the supporting characters that really make the movie work as well as it does. The movie does have some raunchy comedy in it, but it is not really over the top. Unlike some of what passes for comedy these days, the movie does have a lot of smart humor in it along with the raunch humor. Although the movie does not take itself too seriously, there is a point to it and it ends up being pretty wholesome. That said, it is definitely not appropriate for very young kids. Chances are, if you enjoyed movies like Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Knocked Up, you will like this one too.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 12

Day 12 was lower-focus in T25 and Legs in Lift 4, which because it is week 2 meant HIIT. So, essentially you are doing two very similar HIIT workouts. The morning T25 workout was definitely easier than the evening Lift 4 workout, but I was able to do more unmodified exercises in each one of them. So hopefully, I will keep progressing. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 11

Day 11 was T25 cardio and Shoulders in Lift 4. 

I really noticed that I could do the unmodified exercises much longer in both workouts today than I was doing last week. I did modify all of the squat jumps in Lift 4, but that is mainly because my left knee was a little sore and I did not want to overdo it, especially since the T25 workouts are high-impact if you do not modify.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 10

Day 10 was the two recovery routines from Lift 4, and the Speed 1.0 workout from T25. Today, I flipped the order so I did the Lift 4 workouts in the morning and the T25 workout in the evening.

In Speed 1.0 you do about 9 HIIT exercises for 1 minute (or 30 seconds on each side where applicable) and then you do a stretch for 30 seconds in between each HIIT exercise. So, essentially, the format is HIIT, stretch, HIIT stretch, etc. So, you are doing an interval workout with the stretching being the recovery portion. Then, once you are in the last 10 minutes, you do all of the HIIT exercises, back to back and then you end with a slower exercise to bring your heart rate down, and then you get the 3-minute cooldown.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Serenity

 

Serenity is the 2005 movie that serves as a finale to the short-lived but awesome (and very much screwed over by FOX) series, Firefly. The movie stars Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Ron Glass, AB, and Summer Glau, reprising their roles from the TV series. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sarah Paulson join the cast for the movie. If you have not seen the series Firefly, you should do so before watching this. When I first saw this in the theater I had not watched the TV series, so it did not make as much sense and the moments that were supposed to have an emotional impact just did not have as much of one since I had not experienced the character development from the show. Most people reading this will likely have already seen the series, but for those who have not, it was originally a show on FOX, that the network totally screwed over by airing episodes out of order and changing when it was aired so it could never gain a foothold. Then it was canceled basically without warning.

The movie basically wraps up the series to show where the story would have ultimately gone had the show not been canceled. The movie begins with River (Glau) breaking out of the facility she was in when she and Simon (Maher) started running from The Alliance, and we ultimately find out what she knew, and what was causing her mental instability. From the outset, River does a lot more than she had in the series up to that point, and Summer Glau does a great job in the movie.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is outstanding, especially if you are watching it on a big screen. There is a ton of bonus content including multiple commentary tracks, one with Whedon, and one with Whedon and the cast members, deleted scenes that can be played with commentary by Whedon, several behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, a visual commentary that can be played while the movie runs, and more. Personally, I will not listen to anything that prominently features Whedon since what an asshole he is, especially to female writers and cast members has come out, but they are there (and he does provide a lot of insight into the story) if you want to listen and/or watch them.

Like pretty much all of Joss Whedon's TV shows and movies, this blends action, comedy, and drama. There are funny moments within tense moments (that are even funnier if you have the background from the series), and the acting and writing are both top-notch. The movie on its own is very good, the movie after having watched the series in the order the series was meant to be seen is awesome. For what it was trying to do (tell the entire story of what could have been spread out over multiple TV seasons in two hours), the movie accomplished that very well. Unfortunately, this and the series are all we are ever likely to have of this story, especially since what has come out about what a jackass Whedon has been behind-the-scenes.  As a result, the series and the movie will forever be relegated to cult classic status, and we will never get the entire story that was intended to be told. But, even so, the movie is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 9

Day 9 was the full-body circuit workout in T25, and Back and Biceps 50/50 in Lift 4.

The T25 workout was still very challenging, but a little easier than it was last week. I was a bit tired for the evening Lift 4 workout, especially during the HIIT portion, but I was able to do the moves unmodified for a bit longer than I had in the other workouts.  

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 8

Day 8 was the Cardio 1.0 workout in T25 and Chest and Triceps in Lift 4.

The cardio workout was a little easier than it was last week, but only a little. I started out each exercise doing the regular versions of the moves and then switched to the modifications when I needed to. Chest and triceps was a circuit workout, and it was tough to get through, especially in the second quad block. I again used lighter weights so I could do the full range of motion and go at a slower pace, but my arms were like cooked noodles by the end.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Alpha Dog

 

Alpha Dog is a 2006 movie starring Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Anton Yelchin, Amanda Seyfried, Shawn Hatsoy, Amber Heard, and Olivia Wilde (in one of her first movie roles), and several other recognizable actors. The movie is a fictionalized version of a true story about the kidnapping that goes sideways and ultimately turns into the murder of a teenager (played in the movie by Anton Yelchin) resulting from a feud over drug money which his brother (played by Ben Foster) was involved in. 

What I think this movie really does is establish the fact that Justin Timberlake has some acting chops. While there are other good actors in the movie, it is not overall what I would consider a standout for the acting performances aside from Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, and Ben Foster. I don't really think that Emile Hirsch worked as a badass leader. He did kind of play him as the guy who hides behind everyone else who did his dirty work, and that part you can buy, but he just did not strike me as a guy that would lead any kind of crew, even the group of morons that followed his character in the movie. The thing you really do get is that none of the parents of the kids (and they were all basically kids) gave a damn about what any of them were doing, and the consequences that followed from it.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, but it did not get the same kind of transfer that the big blockbuster movies get. The extras on the disc include a making-of featurette covering the true story the film was based on and interviews with some of the actors. It is not extensive but does add a little to the story. The movie is well-written and acted. It is definitely not family-friendly as there is a lot of violence, drug use, and some nudity, including a full-frontal shot of Olivia Wilde toward the end. While I do not think it is a must-watch movie, it is worth the time to watch if you like crime dramas. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 7

Day 7 was lower body foam rolling from 645 followed immediately by the T25 stretch workout. The T25 routine has a good mix of stretching exercises, including moves like pigeon, and bridge that are much easier to do after 20 minutes of lower body foam rolling. Shaun T definitely does his "focus" word of the day thing a lot in this workout, but I try to just tune that out and listen for the transitions. The cast in this workout are Scott, Derek, Tonia, and Susan. There are really no modified moves during this workout so Tonia is doing the same thing as everyone else. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 6

For Day 6 I did upper body foam rolling from 645 and then the two recovery routines from Lift 4. All of them went well and I thought I had a bit more range of motion during the Lift 4 stretch routine than I have had the past couple of weeks.

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 5

Day 5 was leg-focused. In T25 it was the lower focus workout and in Lift 4 it was legs. 

The T25 workout does not have as much cardio (although it does have some). There was lots of variation on squats, lunges, and deadlifts. There is also some balance work. Tonia is again modifying and the other cast members today included Scott, Jan (or Jam), and a new guy named Nate, who Shaun pretty much ignores for the entire workout. Then, you get a three-minute cooldown. 

The Lift 4 workout was the Legs 50/50. As in the prior workouts this week, I used lighter weights for the resistance exercises so I could get a better range of motion in my squats and lunges. That worked out exactly as I hoped as I got much deeper into both the squats and lunges during that portion. I still struggle mightily with triple bear but my goal is just to be able to hold that position (without hopping or stepping) the entire time, then once I can do that, start the hops. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 4

Day 4 was ab intervals from T25 and Shoulders from Lift 4.

The ab intervals workout alternates between doing core-focused moves for a few minutes and then doing about a minute of cardio, then going back to more core exercises. The ab exercises range in difficulty level and get progressively harder as the routine goes on. After the workout ends, there is a three-minute cooldown in which you stretch your back, hamstrings, and hip flexors.  

The Lift 4 workout was an interval workout so each block had two resistance exercises and a 30-second HIIT exercise. I was able to do the unmodified versions of the HIIT moves, but I did have to do them slower and pause a couple of times in the second and third sets, especially in the third block. 

Book Review: The Last Patriot (Scot Harvath Series #7)

 

The Last Patriot, published in 2008, is the 7th book in the Scot Harvath series of action-thriller novels written by Brad Thor. This book is set down the line from the events of the prior novel, The First Commandment, with Harvath determined to get out of his role as a quasi-spy/assassin based on what he sees as being kept in the dark, sold out, and then betrayed by President Rutledge. This book starts with Scot and Tracy vacationing in France where they are witness to (and get involved in) an attempted assassination/hit. Their involvement gets Scot pulled back into working for President Rutledge in a storyline that mirrors a National Treasure-like follow-the-clues storyline, all while trying to avoid the assassin.

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short, coming in at just over 330 pages. In the Afterword, Thor lays out the background research he did for the book and goes through what elements of the story were real (or at least based in reality) and what he made up. The book has a good mix of action and suspense and by the end, essentially resets the overall storyline leaving the direction of the series very much open. There is less political intrigue/fighting as in some of the prior novels, but something like that would not have worked in this story anyway.  If you are a fan of the prior novels in the series this one is absolutely worth the time to read. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 3

Day 3 was a bit of a shit show. My back was spasming at 4AM so I was standing up all morning to loosen it up. Thankfully, this was a rest day in Lift 4, so I did the two recovery routines in the morning, which definitely helped my back. 

In the evening I did the total body circuit workout in T25. In this workout, you go through a series of exercises for 20 of the 25 minutes that alternate between a cardio focus (like sprints), chest and shoulder focus (like push-ups and pike-ups), core focus like plank moves, and legs (doing a lot of squats and lunges). Then, you do a burnout in minutes 20-24 doing some of the exercises from earlier in the workout at a little faster pace, and then for the last minute you do body runs, which is basically shuffling your feet forward and back while swinging your arms. Then you get a 3-minute cooldown (if you choose to do it). 

As with the other workouts, this does not have any scheduled breaks, but I did pause a few times to drink water and catch my breath. Tonia again modifies all of the moves. Unfortunately, there are some exercises for which the camera does not show what she is doing until about halfway through the time for that particular exercise. The cast in this workout is mostly the same, Tonia, Derek, and Scott, and they are joined by someone named Jan or maybe Jam. It is hard to tell what Shaun T calls her, and he does not really do formal introductions. Shaun is a bit irritating in this workout, repeating the word "focus" over and over again. He does get a bit "word-of-the-day" with the names of his workout programs in general, but he is a bit over the top in this one. 

Workout Update: T25/Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling- Day 2

Day 2 was Speed 1.0 in T25 and Back and Biceps in Lift 4, which was the non-HIIT circuit workout with two quad blocks, a burnout round, and the three sets of core.

The Speed workout in T25 is one in which you do a series of exercises and then stretch for about 30 seconds, and then you do another series of exercises and then stretch. There is only one burnout portion in which you do most of the exercises that you did earlier in the workout back-to-back without any stretching. The burnout portion lasts about 8 minutes and then you slow down for the last minute. The cast is the same except Susan (another fitness professional) replaces Christina. Tonia is modifying again.

I was able to modify a bit less in today's workout than in yesterday's. Although I definitely had to slow down and modify here and there. As I said a couple of posts ago, my lack of cardio fitness is what is really holding me back, so I am hoping that the two-a-day workouts will get that back close to where it was before.