Elements: Test Frogger workout and assessment

Yesterday, I attempted the Day 2 workout from Elements, but because of poor time management, I was not able to practice the A-Frame and Bear for the full five minutes each.

Today, I carved out the time for the full Day 3 workout, which focuses on the Frogger.  The workout starts with the warmup/mobility routine.  Next is five minutes of Floating Table Top practice - a significant update from the 2016 version of Elements.  Holy smokes, the direction to tuck in the hips creates an intense contraction of the abs!  Not surprisingly, I was unable to hold the Floating Table Top position for the entire 5 minutes without a break.  Continuously pushing against the floor with the bodyweight slightly forward is no joke, but the killer for me was the abs.  I took breaks alright during those 5 min.... lots of breaks.  Next is the Frogger itself.  In the past, it was my legs that would tire first during Frogger practice.  With the instruction to "jump" as slowly as possible from the Floating Table Top to the squat to begin the next rep of the Frogger, the load was share more evenly with the shoulders and the abs; so much that it was no longer the legs that was tiring out first, but the abs.  I also took lots of breaks.  Finally, the workout ended with the prescribed cool down stretches.  Because of my shoulder issue, I've been having trouble with the Arm Lounge stretch, but the updated Elements instruction now says to keep the elbows bent and bring them together - before pulling the shoulders back and bringing the chest up.  That initial direction to bring the elbows bent and pulled towards each other is making a huge difference for me.

After reviewing the Frogger instruction video, I realize I need to work more on pushing on the floor while performing the Frogger.  I don't really maintain an active push while my feet are in the air, transitioning from the Floating Table Top to the squat.

I also worked in some Front/Back Scale practice during breaks at work, just focusing on the basic versions of each exercise.  I'd been working on these Scales for a couple of days and I already feel a reduction in MCL soreness.