day 6...losing my callouses

finished up my first week with the turbulence training bodyweight phase I today with workout c. i didn't find this one quite as challenging as workouts a and b, but it definitely did still get my heart pumping. the hardest part was at the end moving from the inverted rows to elevated push ups. i'm beginning to notice a marked improvement in my endurance when it comes to push ups. i haven't tried lately to see how many i can do without stopping (last time i tried it was 30), but the sets of 8 to 10 don't kick my butt nearly as much as they used to, and the variations are becoming somewhat easier. the bodyweight workouts have an incredibly different feel to me from the non-bodyweight tt workouts. when i'm working out with weights i feel the "turbulence" immediately. with the bodyweight exercises, as i mentioned before, it kind of creeps up on me...i don't sweat as much, it takes longer for my heart rate to get up, but the interesting thing is that after the workout, and especially the next day, i feel equally as worked. it's definitely been fun to mix it up a bit and to give the weights a rest. on a side note bodyweight workouts are good for my vanity as the weight lifting callouses on my hands are disappearing.

nutrition was on today as far as food quality (100% clean food!) but i feel like i ate a lot. it was just one of those days where i couldn't get full and i ate. my nutritional approach definitely feels different this time around. i think i am eating more right now than i was in my last challenge (of course i don't know for sure b/c i'm not counting anything) and i'll be interested to see where the numbers come in on monday. my nutrition probably also feels different right now because my meals are even more redundant than usual since i'm trying to use up what i have in the cupboard/freezer before i leave. can't believe that my two years in spain are so close to being over. adventures await me in london in only one week!

day 3...the bodyweight slow burn

stealthy. that's how i would describe bodyweight workouts phase 1. today i tackled workout b and had a very similar experience to monday's workout. after the first circuit i was feeling like it was a pretty easy run but somehow those bodyweight exercises sneak up on you. by the end of the third circuit i was definitely feeling worked...i think i'll call it the bodyweight slow burn. plank on the stability ball was soooo much harder than it looks. it was my first run in with those coupled with a reunion with the stability ball rollouts which i love to hate. the offset push-ups were also new, and i actually really liked them. i am definitely starting to hit my stride. most of the soreness from the other day is gone and i even attempted my first assisted chin-ups with the help of my gym's owner today. he apparently had high expectations of me because it didn't feel like he was helping too much, and it took everything i had to make it to 5 reps (manual calls for 8 so we'll see if i can hit that before the end of four weeks). i even found myself smiling for no reason in the middle of my intervals...um, i think i missed my turbulence training.

nutrition today was spot on. all clean food and i discovered that oatmeal, amaranth, egg whites, cinnamon, and cashew butter with a little stevia is a divine combination. or at least if you have my taste buds...of course i also love plain cottage cheese and canned tuna so i might just be weird.

day 1...the breakthrough begins

off to a good start, with my first bodyweight workout under my belt, but an important lesson learned today. never underestimate the power of craig's bodyweight circuits. i was going around in my head as to weather i should start with phase 1 or phase 2 and by the end of the first circuit i was thinking this is too easy. yeah, that was just me orienting myself and learning the sequence. i definitely began to feel the burn in the next two circuits as i moved through the exercises with no rest between them and finishing off with a solid minute of pushups just about killed me. my arms are pretty much jello so wondering if i'll be able to do any sun salutations with yoga tomorrow...might just have to make it a yin practice. nutrition was pretty much on target today, although i had a slightly unplanned run in with some museli. not too worried about it though, full speed ahead.