4 Reasons why guitarists get wrist & shoulder pain (and how to deal with them)

The article:

http://effortlessguitarplaying.uk/index.php/2016/02/08/4-reasons-why-guitarists-get-wrist-shoulder-pain-and-how-to-deal-with-them/

I've been taking advantage of my medical leave to play guitar pretty much all day, every day.  However as mentioned a few days ago,  I developed some wrist pain.  At present I can play my acoustic guitar for about an hour, then play my Parker Nitefly for the rest of the day without pain, as long as I take breaks at appropriate intervals.  I have no doubt I am guilty, to various degrees, of all four reasons described in the above article.

I enjoy living in the moment when I play guitar so I'm the least guilty of Reason #3.

Because I am required to spend most of my waking hours with my nose generally pointed at the ground, due to the gas bubble inside my eye, I can't really do anything about Reason #1 (poor posture).

Oh well - gotta do what I can do!

Maurice White's Dream Of A Boogie Wonderland Was More Than A Fantasy

Earth Wind and Fire was known for their distinctive album covers.  Some interesting background info  as well as a sampling of cover art can be found here.

I had wondered if there was a connection between their art conception and Sun Ra, who was known for his Afro-futurism.  As it turns, there was.  This excellent tribute article to the late Maurice White mentions it, as well as other great info.

http://www.theshadowleague.com/articles/maurice-white-s-dream-of-a-boogie-wonderland-was-more-than-a-fantasy

Elements Week 4, Day 4

Today's Elements session may have been my longest yet, not including the ones in which I had to practice all the warmups and cool downs in the entire Elements program (those are great but they do take quite a bit of time when you do them all in one session).  Today was the first day in the program in which I got to play with a flow combining all three animal movements.

After the warmups, I had to practice each transition 5x each, which was nice and much-needed.

After the transition practice was 10 minutes of playing with the flow.  I worked up a sweat but avoided doing anything so strenuous as to create dangerous pressure on my operated eye.  I took several breaks from movement to help manage this.

It was an enjoyable session.  One of the suggestions was to explore some previously introduced variations, so my play included the bent-arm Bear, High Frogger, and 180 Monkey.  There were some awkward bits, but nothing painful, and there were bits in which I felt good flow and agility.

Today's Music Discoveries (Sunday)

Nujabes - Flowers

John Hicks - After the Morning (sample used in Flowers)

J Dilla - So Far To Go (well, I haven't been that familiar with this artist)

I actually discovered Nujabes the way a lot of Americans probably did - via the opening theme of Samurai Champloo, which was a very stylishly done anime but I'm not sure where it stands in greatness compared to Cowboy Bebop, Captain Harlock, etc.

GMB's Planche Tutorial

I first became interested in learning how to do a planche after I saw videos of Bboy Junior doing them in the middle of a dance routine.

Here's one video of Bboy Junior showing his skills, including the pushups out of the planche:

GMB has generously released a free tutorial on how to do a planche here - there is no easy way to do it if you're not already ridiculously strong, but at least they give you a roadmap to get there,  free of charge:

https://gmb.io/planche/

A weatherman's solution for defrosting a windshield

Because of my ongoing condition I haven't been able to drive this winter, but filing this away for future reference.

http://tiphero.com/defrost-windshield-in-seconds-with-weathermans-solution/

Today's musical discoveries

An artist who makes house music using a chip from the Sega Mega Drive:
http://www.factmag.com/2016/02/04/dj-sonikku-interview/

A nice electronic dance track made entirely in Gadget on an iPad
https://soundcloud.com/stuart-noble-2/transience

Indian electronic duo Perfecttiming
http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/02/perfectiming-premiere

Modern classical/post-rock/whatsit band Victoire
http://www.victoiremusic.com/listenbuy/

Recording, mixing, mastering, and distributing your music — all from an iPad http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/ben-braden/

The Veldt: Pioneering Black Shoegazers
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/05/the-veldt-chavis-brothers-apollo-heights-shoegazer-soul-music?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

GMB Elements: Week 4, Day 1

Yesterday, I finished Week 3 with the Bear mobility workout without issue.

Today I started Week 4 with the Frogger strength routine.  It was as fun as promised.  I didn't push myself too much on the jumps.

GMB Elements - Full Return

...to Week 3, Day 5.

As part of recovering from yesterday's wrist soreness, I reviewed GMB's articles How to Get Stronger Wrists: Bodyweight Strengthening and Flexibility Exercises and 4 Exercises to Build Unbreakable Wrists.   While I did not decide to follow any of the exercises in either article - exactly, anyway - I was convinced to resume the Elements program, at it incorporates similar exercises in the warmups, and in the featured movements (the three animals) - all of which make you load your hands with varying amounts of your bodyweight.  Elements is probably the best thing I can do to strengthen the wrists and compensate for all-day guitar playing.

I repeated Week 3, Day 5 - where I left off in this program - without any major problems.  I may have mentioned that my surgeon told me that I may walk for exercise.  Today's warmups, Frogger practice, and cool down did not cause any more strain than walking does.  I came close to straining a bit in the lunge stretch when I raised my arm but I quickly pulled myself back from the edge by simply lowering it.

I had a bit better time playing guitar today.  The main issue this time was that my left thumb was sore - in the meat of the palm area.  It may have been because I put a little bit too much pressure on it during the thumb portion of the wrist structure warmup routine. I need to be much lighter than that next time I do this warmup routine.

Hopefully I'll decide by tomorrow morning how I shall spend the day if the thumb is still feeling sore by then.  I'll definitely do Elements, then my usual lazy breakfast routine (eating, sipping 2-4 cups of coffee, web surfing).  Some possibilities are messing around with the MS-20 Mini, the OP-1, or the Bassbot TT-303.  Another is reading this web comic that I recently discovered called Stand Still, Stay Silent.  I could also watch some more Captain Harlock.

On a more positive note, my new monitor speakers arrived.  Due to the recent wrist/thumb issues, I've been practicing only on electric guitar - don't want to take chances playing my acoustic guitar and risk more problems.  I was using my tube amp but it died - tube probably just went bad.  I switched to using my Roland VG-99 amp modeler/multi-effects unit but had to run it through a cheap little speaker that's not particularly loud.  I got tired of the low volume and shopped for a pair of low-cost monitor speakers, finally deciding on Mackie CR3s.  They're exactly what I wanted - relatively small and light (I can't carry anything too heavy due to this eye and the gas bubble) yet loud enough so I can hear the details I need to hear as I practice.

2015 Best Anime That I Saw #1 - Natsume's Book of Friends

This anime is so awesome that I struggle explain its awesomeness in words.  It does not help that I'm not a very good writer in the first place.  I will probably revisit this review and rewrite bits of it multiple times.

This is the anime that had it all for me - some stunning animation sequences, a dream-like style, strong cast of characters, and lots of emotional impact.  The best of any genre tends to be unlike other titles in the genre and this one is no exception - the genre being supernatural fantasy, with a touch of horror (nothing particularly bloody or gross though).  For one thing, it is a shoujo anime - meaning, the target audience is female - yet the main character is a boy.

The emotional punch that this show packs comes from the themes of loneliness, alienation, and loss of loved ones.  The titular character (Natsume Takashi) is an orphan who is so used to moving around so much - due to being misunderstood or no getting along with his host families - that he struggles to accept that the kindly couple who now hosts him might actually love and care about him.  His worst nightmare is the couple discovering his supernatural secret and thus kicking him out of the house as others had done before.  Enhancing the emotional impact is the gorgeous soundtrack.  Some of my favorite pieces from the soundtrack:

Perfectly balancing out the heavy, heart wrenching stuff is the comic relief, mostly provided by Nyanko-sensei, a powerful supernatural being (youkai) who has taken the form of a "good luck cat".  He reminds me of Bender from the Futurama TV show - rude, crude, and loves to drink.

The first season opening sequence gives some idea of how good the animation can be:

The first season end sequence, while not as stunning, does have one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a while.  It also strong hints at Natsume's deepest desire - to be at peace with a family that has wholly accepted him.

Natsume's Book of Friends can be watched here

GMB Elements (Slight Return)

I have not done any of the warmups from the Elements program since I ceased work on that program due to the 2nd eye surgery and recovery from it.  Somehow I have managed to play guitar all day and a fair number of hours into the night, every day, without noticing any issues with my hands or wrists.

Early this morning, I woke up and was unable to immediately return to sleep, so I picked up my electric guitar and quietly started practicing the minor pentatonic 212121 patterns from the Tim Miller course.  By the time I finished practicing these patterns, I noticed some soreness in my wrist, on the side of the thumb.  Perhaps it's because of all the guitar playing I've been doing, with approximately a third of those hours on the acoustic guitar, whose high action and thick gauge - compared to the electric guitar - demands more force in my left hand grip.  Or it could be I just got my wrist into some bad angles.

In any case, I decided to take today off from playing guitar.  Ok, I practiced a couple of things for about 20 minutes but that's it.

The other measure I took to address this new wrist issue was to resume practice of most of the warmups from Elements - the one warmup omitted being the supine hip rotations, as they require me to lie face up on the ground, which is against doctor's orders due to the gas bubble inside the eye.  I am supposed to avoid letting the bubble press against the lens because that might create a cataract.

With all the guitar playing I've done daily, and that I want to continue doing every day, I need to take better care of my hands and wrists.  Element's catalog of warmups addresses them quite thoroughly.  I will also pay more attention to keeping the wrist of the fretting hand straight when playing guitar, typically accomplished by moving the elbow as needed.

Yesterday's musical discoveries

A "lost" Paul McCartney album - really heavy on the synths and adventurous.

"Third collaboration between KEIJI HAINO, one of the most prolific artists of the Japanese experimental / noise scene, and the critically acclaimed ensemble ZEITKRATZER who enthuse with stunning interpretations of STOCKHAUSEN compositions. "

http://karlrecords.bandcamp.com/album/stockhausen-aus-den-sieben-tagen

Lush - Sweetness and Light

1990 interview with the great folklorist Alan Lomax - not exactly music per se, but he made a great impact on music history by the work that he did:  http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132733850/folklorist-alan-lomax-everyone-has-a-story

Six-point plan to running a record label:
http://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/collateral-damage/collateral-damage_britt-brown-six-point-plan-to-running-a-label-in-2016

Long but fascinating article about jazz pianist Vijay Iyer:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/02/01/time-is-a-ghost

Ulrich Schnauss

Recent music discoveries

I'm fortunate to have friends with good taste in music.  One of today's discoveries is Northern Picture Company.

Israel Nash is another (specifically the Silver Season album).

Making Lemonade

There is an American saying: "When life goes you lemons, make lemonade"

My "lemon" was the discovery of two new holes in my retina in early January, which meant I needed a second surgery on my eye and would have to start the recovery process all over again.  The recovery process starts with the removal of the protective eyepatch and receiving 3 different kinds of prescription eyedrops.  Most of the recovery time is waiting for the gas bubble that is put in the eye as part of the surgery to shrink.  It could take as much as two months for the bubble to dissipate completely.  While the bubble is there, I am required to maintain face down position as much as possible during waking hours, so that the bubble can act as a splint on the surgically repaired area.  In this case, "face down" means pointing the nose towards the ground.  This position also helps prevent the bubble from causing a cataract.  As the bubble shrinks, I can gauge if my head is at a sufficient angle by the bubble itself - if it appears as a line across my field of vision, I'm not "face down" enough.

The second surgery fortunately went fine.  This time I did not have a sore throat as a result of the general anesthesia process.  I have basically have a month of medical leave from my job.  Upon learning that a second surgery - and the restart of the recovery process - was imminent, I thought about how I would spend that month.  Between the first and second surgeries, I had spent my time playing a bit of guitar, messing around with iPad music apps, fooling a bit with my OP-1, and watching a lot of streaming TV shows.  I decided to use the time between the 2nd surgery and my return to work to improve my skills as a guitarist, with particular focus on expanding my repertoire - that is, the number of songs I can play on guitar without accompaniment.  This is the one non-electronic instrument I can play while adhering to "face down" position.

Becoming a better guitarist - this is the "lemonade" I am making.

This is what I've been working on as a guitarist:

1. "For All We Know", "Darn That Dream", and "My Funny Valentine" from the book Barry Galbraith Guitar Solos
2.  "We Three Kings" and "Away in a Manger" from the TrueFire course 335 Christmas.
3.  Cello Suite #2 Prelude by J.S. Bach, arranged for viola by Watson Forbes
4. A mix of technical exercises from the Two-Hand Groove Guitar and Creative Arpeggio Design courses.

The tunes in Galbraith book appear in order of difficulty, which made the decision on what tunes to learn first quite easy for me.  Thus, three jazz tunes I'm working on are the three easiest tunes in the book.  There are a bunch of different ways to learn how to play jazz, but the one thing that everybody has to do is learn jazz tunes and be able to play them competently.  Guitarists have to learn both the melody and the chord progression for each tune.  The "chord-melody" approach is how guitarists can work on both the melody and the chords for a tune at the same time, in such a way that the tune can be played on one guitar, without accompaniment and at the same making the listener feel like nothing is missing..  This Galbraith book is well-regarded for its chord-melody arrangements of 13 jazz tunes that just about every pro jazz player is expected to know.  So the primary goal at the moment is to simply memorize and play each tune with good time and no serious mistakes.  The next goal would be to learn why particular harmonies were chosen in the construction of these arrangements.  Galbraith added passing chords here and there, and elected to use chord inversions instead of always using root position chords.  The study of these harmonies should yield ideas for jazzing up pop songs, jazzing up Christmas carols,  as well as of course creating original music.  A lot of jazz improvisations are built off of deep understanding of the harmony as well.

The course 335 Christmas includes 5 Christmas carols, arranged by Larry Carlton in a jazzed up style for solo guitar - again these can be played without accompaniment.  The goal here is to be able to play all 5 tunes by next Christmas.  I've always been caught every Christmas without knowing how to play carols - time I did something about that.

I can't play my viola and maintain "face down" at the same time.  This is one reason I've been playing the guitar so much.  I've wanted to learn Cello Suite #2 on the viola because it sounds kind of dark and gothic compared to the much more popular Cello Suite #1 Prelude.  Thus, I'm reading this piece on the guitar.  The focus is not so much on guitar picking technique as it is on reading standard music notation and seeing how much of this prelude I can get into my head so that when I'm able to play viola again, I have a little better idea of how the music is supposed to sound.

The Two Hand Groove Guitar course features Ben Lacy teaching how to play a bass line and "drum" parts simultaneously, while also adding chords on top of all of that.  My progress in this course has been pretty slow because making my left and right hands do separate things at the same time does not come naturally to me.  I did however get the "Rosanna" drum parts fairly down.  Now I'm working on playing a simple Latin bass line and a basic kick and snare drum part at the same time.  I do want to go somewhere with these concepts eventually, perhaps by the time I reach the end of the course, I may have improved enough on the chord-melody side of guitar playing to effectively incorporate that with this two-hand groove stuff.

Before I had all day to practice guitar playing, every day, I had allocated my guitar practice time increasingly towards learning song arrangements for solo guitar.  To be able to play blazing single-note guitar solos like Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, etc. requires a considerable amount of practice time, and this was time I would rather spend on building a good repertoire of songs.  Playing a complete-sounding arrangement of a song - with at least the melody and harmony at the same time - requires just about as much practice as the virtuosic single-note soloing aspect of guitar playing.  The more parts of a song you want to play simultaneously, the harder it gets.   That all said, I was intrigued when the Creative Arpeggio Design course was released, because Tim Miller stated that he'd figured out a way to play particular types of lines used by particular jazz pianists that have been very difficult to play on guitar.  The method taught in this course is elegant in its simplicity of concept but requires a fair amount of practice because I'm not used to moving my fingers that way.  It does indeed lend itself to unusual sounding lines.  I will try to get these sounds into my head, and later reproduce them by ear on the viola and electric violin, which are the instruments I prefer to use over guitar for single-note soloing, even though they are harder instruments to play.

Tutorial on making ambient music sounds on the OP-1

As an OP-1 owner, I've made various attempts to create ambient music sounds on this wonderful little device.  This video demonstrates some techniques for making those types of sounds that are new to me.

New Yorker article on Goethe

Funny thing is, I've been attending art, film, and music events at a place called the "Goethe Institute" for a few years, yet knew next to nothing about Goethe himself.  Filing for future reference.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/02/01/design-for-living-books-adam-kirsch

Pump Up The Volume: The History of House Music (Complete)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1HpY65cXDA

Track breakdown for "Heroes" by David Bowie

This classic track made a lot of David Bowie fans cry after his passing.  It's like we all discovered anew the emotional impact of this song.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03g18sx?ns_mchannel=social&#38

Random jazz releases to investigate

The Bell - Ches Smith, Craig Taborn and Mat Maineri

The audio clips I've heard sound up my alley.  A review:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-bell-ches-smith-ecm-records-review-by-karl-ackermann.php

The Sevens - Tim Berne

This one is older but the audio clips intrigue me
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-sevens-tim-berne-new-world-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Gig walkthrough with Beardyman

Explanation of how an ambient track was created on iPad

Nice video breakdown of this track https://soundcloud.com/brian-kupferschmid/down-the-rabbit-hole - really useful tips for making ambient music on iPad:  

Random David Bowie stuff

Speculative article about Bowie and the occult:
http://vigilantcitizen.com/musicbusiness/occult-universe-david-bowie-meaning-blackstar/

Track from the Heathen album featuring David Torn, one of my favorite guitarists:

2015: Best Anime I saw - #2 Polar Bear Cafe

As much as I enjoy watching anime, a lot of it follows tried and true formulae, so it's a real treat when one is discovered that is truly unique.  Polar Bear Cafe (aka "Shirokuma Cafe" - "polar bear" is literally translated to "white bear" in Japanese) is one such anime series.  On the surface it's a comedy that may appeal to anyone who remembers Seinfeld or Cheers - a "show about nothing" that most frequently takes place at an establishment where most of the characters sit at a counter and converse.   Without any great conflict, the show relies on the strength of the characters and comedic writing - and it succeeds on all fronts.  This is a show that can savored over and over.

The principal characters:  

Polar Bear/Shirokuma - A gentle, refined, pun-loving bear who possesses many interests and skills/talents, both obvious (entrepreneurship, cooking) and hidden.

Penguin-san ("Mr. Penguin") - An emperor penguin who imagines himself to be the group's voice of reason, with an oversized ego.  He eventually treats Panda-kun as a little brother of sorts.

Panda-kun ("kid Panda") - A lazy, apparently dim-witted teenage giant panda who turns out to be a very caring friend and sometimes even displays surprising insight and wit.  He takes a part-time job at the zoo, working in the panda enclosure alongside coworker Full-Time Panda.

Memorable supporting characters:

Llama-san ("Mr. Llama") - A kindly llama who often wishes he got as much attention as the pandas.  He might also be a bit jealous of his friend Mr. Alpaca's cuter appearance but it's only hinted at.  Just about every character gets his/her own ending theme song - his ("Llama-san's Mambo") is by far the most popular.

Grizzly - Polar Bear's best friend since childhood.  Where Polar Bear is kind and gentle, Grizzly is gruff and short-tempered.  He owns and operates his own bar.  Polar Bear bar tends for him when he hibernates or goes on vacation.

Mr. Handa - The head zookeeper and thus the boss of the animals working at the zoo.

Rintaro - The handsome human florist who turns out to have a somewhat creepy obsession.

Lesser Panda - An adorable red panda who inexplicably looks up to Panda-kun, despite having a greater work ethic and generally being more reliable and responsible, as well as being a better baseball pitcher (he's got a wicked curve ball).

"Wild trio" (Wolf, Tiger, and Lion) - These good friends have been regulars at Grizzly's bar, though family and work responsibilities have reduced the frequency of their hangouts.  Lion is often away on business travel.  Tiger has taken over his family sweets shop.  Wolf is pursuing his dream of eventually opening his own bakery.  All three are fans of the rapper MC 469MA.

Tree Kangaroo - The master coffee bean roaster who seems to work exclusively for the cafe.

Masaki - A young man who is so moved by the quality of the coffee at the cafe that he becomes an apprentice of Tree Kangaroo.

Red Squirrels - Assistants of Tree Kangaroo who sort the bean for him.  They also supervise/discipline Masaki.

Here's Llama-san's catchy theme song - never fails to cheer me up when I start feeling negative emotions do to my current medical condition:

The first opening theme of the series is also pretty catchy:

The 3rd opening theme also puts a smile on my face, because it sounds like a children's song:

2015: Best Anime I Saw - #3 Yowamushi Pedal

This was the year I finally learned how to ride a bicycle.  I found Yowamushi Pedal by going a quick Google on cycling anime.  The main character is the Reluctant Hero archetype who immediately wins fans by being an anime nerd who is shy and completely guileless.  As the story progresses, he encounters characters who represent archetypes well-known to fans of sports anime:

The Icy Cool, Talented Athlete
The Fiery Athlete (who says/does things you wouldn’t dare do yourself)
The Cute Might-Be-Love Interest (romance doesn’t happen in sports anime)
Casualties (characters who are forced to drop out of competition, and when they do, it’s treated like losing a comrade in a war movie).
The Friendly Rival (he clicks with you immediately but it turns out you have to beat him later)

I later learned that this anime was based on a  manga written by a cycling enthusiast.  The attention to detail in bicycle riding/racing technique and equipment becomes apparent.  While the story does not offer many surprises, it is well executed, with some great racing animation sequences, with a very satisfying conclusion.

First episode on Crunchyroll (can be watched for free - paid subscription eliminates the ads)

WHY PORTUGUESE IS THE BEST LANGUAGE FOR MUSIC

True or not, this article has a bunch of great musical examples.

http://tipsypilgrim.com/blog/why-portuguese-is-the-best-language-for-music.html?utm_content=buffer991f0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Elements Week 3, Day 5 - This is where I will pick up when I get back to it

What happened Tuesday was I had a morning appointment with my ophthalmologist - the one who operated on my eye.  He found two new holes in my retina on the left side.  Surgery to repair the new holes is scheduled for early next week.

As mentioned a while back, I was under doctor's orders to avoid any strenuous activity, including strenuous exercise, so that the pressure in my eyeball would not rise to dangerous levels.  While I felt I could perform the exercises in the Elements program without any dangerous strain, I decided to stop the program.  There is still a lot I do not know or understand about the eye, especially the retina, other than a blow to the head can cause retinal detachment.  So while I suspect Elements poses little risk to the retina, I don't want to take any chances at all.

The doctor advised me to keep my head in a sort of tilted nod position, so that the bubble that is already inside the eye will be pressed against the new holes.  The idea is that the pressure of the bubble on the holes might cause them to heal themselves.  I suspect though, this is like the Hail Mary Pass in American football - you take a shot despite low chance of success, just because you can.

Early Ryuichi Sakamoto

Sue's Changes, by Charlie Mingus

No particular reason for posting this - no new celebrity deaths or anything like that, that I know of.   Just good music.

Pierre Boulez passed away Jan. 5

NPR tribute article:
http://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2016/01/06/462176284/french-composer-pierre-boulez-dies-at-90

Anthemes II - composition for solo violin and Max/MSP:

Interview in Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmRZ25Wcjic

Paul Bley listening

Paul Bley passed away on January 3.  I'm embarrassed to admit lack of familiarity with his works, so I'll use this blog entry to gather music with which he was involved that I should be listening to.

This is just one track from Paul Bley and Scorpio.  I'm guessing the others need to be heard as well.

NPR article on Paul Bley Trio, with their version of "Ida Lupino"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92364930

Blindfold test with Paul Bley:
https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/an-uncut-blindfold-test-with-paul-bley-around-2002/

NPR article tribute article - includes a version of "All The Things You Are" which Pat Metheny praised for Bley's solo:
http://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2016/01/05/462061538/paul-bley-influential-jazz-pianist-has-died?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jazz&utm_term=music&utm_content=20160105

Cooking tip from the iPad Musician Facebook group

Baked chicken - nicely cut up, a couple of large tablespoons of Sandwich spread (yes you read that right! wink emoticon ), about 4 large tablespoons of V8 juice (yep - you read that correctly too! grin emoticon ) and a good healthy helping of some of that red curry powder. Mixed together, microwaved. And... Instant Indian (sorta!). 

Very nice anyhow. (We had some Basmati left over - so - served on a bed of Basmati) 

Why for the Brits? Well, because Sandwich spread is harder to come by elsewhere. I have some stock from the British Food Depot now. So, easily to hand. Yum by itself. Amazing instant curry mix ingredient. Odd eh? But, true. Try it! smile emoticon

Elements - Now in Week 3

Today I completed Day 3, Week 3 of Elements.  Week 3 is when we start turning up the heat, as it were, on the 3 "animals" that form the foundation of Elements.  We either start bending our arms to increase the load on the arm, or we start raising our butts higher, to challenge ourselves more.

I have to think more about what I'm going as I'm performing the animal movements, and that's a good thing.

Another change in exercise program

I recently had an emergency operation to repair a retinal detachment.  As a result, I now have a gas bubble in my eye and am under doctors' orders to maintain a face-down head position the majority of my waking hours and avoid any exercise or other activity that would affect the pressure in my head.

Thus, I stopped training on the rings and the parallettes.  I also cut down my consumption of meat and other fattening foods to try to avoid gaining too much body fat as a consequence of reduced exercise.

I don't recall if I ever explained why I got into ring and parallette training in the first place.  I forgot the exact reason(s) but I do recall my interest in exercise on these apparatus developing as part of my growing realization that the reason I started strength training was to improve my athleticism and movement.  Getting bigger muscles was never a priority - I just assumed that if my muscles grew bigger, it was just part of getting stronger.  I later learned, as I read Pavel Tsatsouline's book Power To The People and the writings of other respected trainers that muscle size does not always increase with strength.  I enjoyed lifting weights to get stronger, but ring training appealed to me as a way of increasing strength and learning new movement skills as the same time.  As documented earlier this year, I was sort of forced by a bicycling accident to switch to parallette training for a while, but I also quickly grew to love training on the parallettes as well.

Unfortunately, as explained earlier, I had to give up training on the rings and parallettes.  Fortunately, I found another exercise program which I could start following, which features exercises I can practice without generating enough internal pressure to cause problems with the gas bubble in my eye, and do so while maintaining face-down position the majority of the time.  I don't know if I'll burn enough calories under this new program to prevent unwanted accumulation of body fat, but it's better than not exercising at all, and I'll be exploring a new set of movement skills, which always appeals to me.  It also promises improvements in flexibility and strength.

Perhaps not coincidentally, this program is also offered by GMB and is called Elements.  I completed Day 2 today and am looking forward to Day 3 tomorrow.

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover today that I can practice the unassisted pistol squat without much strain - and thus no dangerous internal pressure.  I practice it "grease the groove" style - one rep on each leg once every 40-120 minutes.  My recollection of this concept as explained in Power To The People was that you practice the chosen skill (in this case the pistol squat) all day, but you do it when you're fresh so you can concentrate on technique, without the distraction of fatigue.  The more you practice this skill mindfully, the better you will get at it - "better" usually translating to less effort to execute the skill and greater work capacity (ability to do more reps of it).

New article from GMB about stretching for stiff/inflexible people

Great tips on stretching for inflexible people:

https://gmb.io/stretching-tips/

Hamstring flexibility (or, lack thereof) are a particular problem for me, so I look forward to trying these at the next opportunity

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 6 Report

Above The Rings

Dips - 8 reps max.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 6 reps max.

Hanging Knee Raises -  7 reps max.

Below The Rings

Pull-ups - 9 reps max.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 6 reps max.

Skin The Cat -  5 reps max.

Supplemental Exercises

Pistol Squats (counterweight-assisted) - 5 reps max.

Tuck Sit To Bent Arm Stand (parallettes) - 2 reps max.

Kind of interesting that despite doing two Above The Rings sessions and one Below The Rings session this week, my performance in the Below The Rings exercises improved while staying the same for the Above The Rings exercises.  I wonder if the pattern will repeat next week, with improvement showing in the Above The Rings exercises, and none in the Below The Rings exercises.

Progress on the Tuck Sit To Bent Arm Stand has been good this week.  At the start of the week, I could barely do one rep, starting from the Bent Arm Stand, with shaky control.  Today, I did two reps per set.  My technique still has room for improvement, particularly the coordination involved in rolling forward, but the progress is encouraging.  For today's Above The Rings session, I attempted to roll forward from the Tuck Sit position into the Tuck Shoulder Stand.  As expected, this movement is still much harder for me on the rings than on the parallettes.  Just attempting the move is much more strenuous than starting in Tuck Sit, then lowering my feet and walking them back.  My guess is that I need to be able to do at least 3 reps of this movement on the parallettes with solid technique before I'll be able to do my first complete rep of the same movement on the rings.  I might need to be able to do as much as 5 reps... or maybe even more.  We'll see.

Today's training

Today was an Above The Rings session - nothing special or otherwise new to report.

I think replacing the Bent Arm Stand hold practice with the Tuck Sit To Bent Arm Stand may be a good idea for me.  My technique is maybe a 4 out of 10 - not great - but I can do one full rep of this move without touching the floor with my feet.  After that one full rep, my form breaks down and touching the floor is inevitable.  So, instead of sets of 1.5 reps, I'll just do singles.

This movement is clearly a good candidate for Grease The Groove practice, which is doable for me on weekends.  If I can develop this skill on just the floor, I can try this at work too.

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 5 Report

Above The Rings

Dips - 8 reps max.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 6 reps max.

Hanging Knee Raises -  7 reps max.

Below The Rings

Pull-ups - 8 reps max.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 5 reps max.

Skin The Cat -  4 reps max.

Supplemental Exercises

Pistol Squats (counterweight-assisted) - 5 reps max.

Tuck Shoulder Stand Holds (parallettes) - 45 sec. max.

Barely perceptible progress within Rings One itself, but I did achieve a significant milestone:  My first fully unassisted Tuck Sit to Bent Arm Stand on the parallettes. I find it easier to start the movement from the Bent Arm Stand rather than the Tuck Sit, because it’s easier to roll back from the Bent Arm Stand into the Tuck Sit, than it is to roll forward in the other direction.  Because I just barely gained the strength to do this movement, I can probably do at most 1.5 reps (start in Bent Arm Stand, do one complete rep back to Bent Arm Stand, roll under control back to Tuck Sit to finish).

Since the purpose of the Tuck Shoulder Stand Hold practice was to build strength towards the Tuck Sit to Bent Arm Stand,  starting next week I will replace that hold with 1-2 sets of this movement after each ring session, with 1.5 reps per set.  The idea is that as I gain skill and strength in this movement, I will get closer to achieving the similar move (Tuck Sit to Tuck Shoulder Stand) on the rings.

Today's training

I didn't have a great Above The Rings session today - just ok.  I think it was because I didn't sleep very well due to my ongoing aches/pains in my hips.  I'm a side-sleeper - it's hard to break that habit.

On the plus side, I tried the Tuck Sit to Tuck Shoulder Stand move on the parallettes and found that I'm closer that I thought to doing the move fully unassisted.  The key seems to be to maintain downward pressure on the parallettes throughout the movement.  I have a tendency to ease up on this pressure as I roll forward from the Tuck Sit towards the Tuck Shoulder Stand.  I can roll back from the Tuck Shoulder Stand to the Tuck Sit without touching the floor with my feet - once in a while anyway.

My "off-day" routine (the weekdays between Rings One sessions) has been this of late:

- Rings One Warmup routine

- 2-3 sets of counterweight-assisted pistol squats (currently 4-5 reps/set - only done if not bicycling to work)

- Tuck Shoulder Stand Holds (parallettes) of at least 20 seconds (1-2 sets).

- Bicycle ride to work (12-14 miles) - if not doing pistol squats.

Based on today's discovery, I will replace the Tuck Shoulder Stand Holds with Tuck Sit To Tuck Shoulder Stands on the parallettes, with "foot walking" assistance as needed.  I will limit myself to 2 sets to try to avoid overtraining.

Seven tips to get your bike ready for winter

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/seven-tips-to-get-your-bike-ready-for-winter-198857?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

I don't plan to follow #5 because we don't get enough days in the year with icy roads to justify the expense of studded tires, but the other tips look useful.

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 4 Report

Above The Rings

Dips - 8 reps max.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 3-5 reps/set.

Hanging Knee Raises -  7 reps max.

Below The Rings

Pull-ups - 8 reps max.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 5 reps max.

Skin The Cat -  4 reps max.

Supplemental Exercises

Pistol Squats (counterweight-assisted) - 4 reps max.

Tuck Shoulder Stand Holds - 20-30 secs.

I've been doing the supplemental exercises after every rings session.  The pistols are being done to test the theory that strengthening the hips and gluteus muscles, along with the legs, will reduce the lingering aches and pains in my hips/low back from that deadlifting accident from several years ago.  The shoulder stand holds are being practiced to improve my skill as well as help develop the strength to do a tuck shoulder stand hold on the rings.  What both versions of the tuck shoulder stand hold (parallettes and rings) have in common is that balance is the key.  Where they seem to differ though is the balance - it seems like the body might be at a different angle on the rings.  The instability of the rings compared to the parallettes continues to pose a problem.  However, I did manage to achieve a tuck shoulder stand hold for 2 seconds on the rings, before I lost my balance.

What I did to achieve the shoulder stand hold on the parallettes was primarily follow the Parallettes One program as instructed.  However, I also started trying to put less and less weight on the supporting foot in the One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold, eventually putting no weight at all on the foot by kicking up a little.  Eventually, I was able to go straight into the full tuck shoulder stand without kicking up.  I'm doing the same thing on the rings now, kicking up a bit and seeing if I can support my body with just my hands on the rings.

I only commuted by bicycle to work once this week, because I was hoping to get home in time to head out to attend the Salsa Cycles demo.  On that day, I did 5 sets of assisted pistol squats.

Tutorial on the Side Crow and Crooks Pose

This tutorial comes courtesy of the PCC folks, specifically Grace Kavadlo.

http://pccblog.dragondoor.com/side-crow-and-crooks-pose/

Three simple exercises for feeling better in the upper back, shoulders, and hips/lower back

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/daily-exercises?cid=SOC_sp_MH

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 3 Report

Above The Rings

Dips - 7 reps max.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 3-5 reps/set.

Hanging Knee Raises -  6 reps max.

Below The Rings

Pull-ups - 8 reps max.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 5 reps max.

Skin The Cat -  4 reps max.

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 2 Report

Above The Rings

Dips - 7 reps max.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 3 reps/set.

Hanging Knee Raises -  6 reps max.

Below The Rings

Pull-ups - 6 reps max.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 5 reps max.

Skin The Cat -  4 reps max.


In addition I have started practicing pistol squats and the Parallette Tuck Shoulder Stand - 1-2 sets each - at the end of each Rings One session.  I also practice them on the in-between days, along with the warmup and cool down routines.

While I still unable to perform a tuck shoulder stand on the rings, I improved my best hold time in the parallette tuck shoulder stand to 30 seconds.  When I first started doing a true tuck shoulder stand on the parallettes, my feet still hovered a few inches above the floor.  I have since learned that by lifting my feet higher, and also raising my hips so that my torso is at a greater angle in relation to the floor,  I get an interesting sensation of my lower body floating up like a balloon.  I guess this has a lot to do with body mechanics and balance points.  Sometimes I feel my lower back working a bit to raise the lower body a little higher off the ground.  I may have the upper body strength to get into the tuck shoulder stand on the parallettes and hold this position for up to 30 seconds, but it seems that my control still isn't good enough to do the same thing on the rings yet.  There's always a few seconds of fiddling around with body positioning, weight distribution, etc. before my hips start to rise into the air almost effortlessly.  I think that "fiddling around time" needs to be reduced to improve my chances of performing this skill on the rings.

Day off

Taking the day off to visit friends.

I have lingering soreness in my triceps, rear delts, and lats.  My pecs were also sore yesterday but they seem to be fine today.  I guess Rings One just works these muscles differently than Parallettes One.

I still follow GMB's instruction to not train under Rings One or Parallettes One on consecutive days.  So I bike to work on the in-between days.  When I get back home on a bike commuting day, I usually do the cool down routine from whatever GMB program I'm working on, then do the hip stretches taught here.  I then do calf stretches then finish with the hamstring stretches from GMB's Focused Flexibility program (mentioned in the linked article).

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: End of Week 1

Taking Friday off, so today concluded Week 1 of Rings One, Level A, Phase 2.  As previously posted, I added the parallette shoulder stand hold to the routine, immediately after the warmup.  The results:

Parallette Shoulder Stand - 2 sets of 5-10 sec. holds.

Pull-ups - 4-6 reps/set.  Sloppy form.  Need to work on pull-up prep move.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 3-4 reps/set.

Skin The Cat -  3 sets of 3-4 reps

This was a "get reacquainted" session.  It was great to do pulling exercises again for the first time in months.  My inverted hang was more stable than expected.

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Start of Week 1

Today I resumed work on this program, after 17 weeks of parallettes training, with an Above The Rings session.  The results:

Dips - 5-6 reps/set.  Looks like my improved pressing strength from the parallettes training carried over here, despite the shaky form due to not  having practiced on the rings in months.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 3 reps/set.  I was disappointed that I was unable to do a tuck shoulder stand on the rings like I can on the parallettes.  I don't know if it's because I'd just achieved that skill a couple of weeks ago or if it's because the rings are a less stable platform for shoulder stands than parallettes.

Hanging Knee Raises -  6 reps/set with 5 sec. hold per rep.  This is one of the exercises recommended for preparing for the L-Sit, in GMB's just-updated L-Sit tutorial.  After this session, it was easy to understand why my progress towards the L-Sit has been so slow - until today, I haven't been really working on the necessary core and hip strength for the L-Sit.  If I can't even do 10 reps of 5-sec. holds in the Hanging Knee Raise, I have little shot of nailing the L-Sit.  For this exercise I had the option of working from either the pull-up position or the top-position hold on the rings - I went with the latter as it fit the theme of the Above The Rings session.  I have just enough stamina in the top position hold to do a max of 6 reps, and I'm sure it will improve as my reps go up.

I then grabbed my parallettes just to see if I could still do a tuck shoulder stand hold, after my discouraging failure to do it on the rings.  It turns out I still could do this hold for at least 5 seconds.  I'll keep practicing this hold on the parallettes regularly, just to keep reminding myself regularly how it feels to hold a tuck shoulder stand.  A certain level of strength is a prerequisite, but I'm finding balance is even more important.  When the balance is right, the load is spread throughout the body structure and multiple muscle groups - the triceps, the chest, the shoulders, the abs, and even the intercostals.  Because this exercise relies a bit more on skill than just brute strength, I'll practice in the mornings of my bike commuting days and whenever I feel fresh in general.  This isn't the type of exercise to be practiced when one is exhausted.

The concept behind frequent practice of an exercise to master it was coined "Grease The Groove" by Pavel Tsatsouline.  A nice explanation can be found here.

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 17 Report

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises 

Plank Push-Ups - 9 reps max

Plank Jump to Dip -  12 reps/set

Battle Rams, Version 2 - 10 reps/max.  Back to the Phase 1 version.

Tuck Hold - 7 sec. hold per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  12 reps max.

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - 10 reps max.

Tuck Shoulder Stand Hold - Initiated each hold from Tuck Hold, walking the feet back, then getting into Tuck Shoulder Stand.  This is the same as the Assisted Tuck Hold to Tuck Shoulder Stand in Rings One, Level A, Phase 2.  I also worked on increasing the angle of my torso in relation to the ground, so that my hips and feet would be higher.  12 sec. max hold.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps.

Assisted Inverted Presses -  12 reps max

Dive Bombers Standard - 10 reps.

I'm satisfied with the progress I've made in 17 weeks of training in Parallettes One, except for the L-Sit, which continues to elude me.  It was very satisfying to achieve a true shoulder stand, as well as improved pressing strength.

That said, I plan to switch back to Rings One next week.  Not being able to do an L-Sit is holding me back from progressing to Phase 2 in Parallettes One - Phase 2 includes two exercises that cannot be done if one cannot do an L-Sit.  By switching back to Rings One, I have a much wider range of exercises on which I can progress while continuing to work on my L-Sit.  I'd also like to work on my pulling strength again.  Rings One trains this more intensely than Parallettes One.

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 16 Report

Before this week of training, I fell off my bike and bruised my knee and my forearm in a couple of places.

On the other hand, I finished this week achieving a long-elusive goal - a real shoulder stand, feet completely off the ground and all.  It took me a while to build the strength to do it, but finding the balance point was also key.  If too much of my weight is forward, I'll do a sloppy cartwheel.  If too much of it is back, my feet will be stuck on the floor.

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises 

Plank Push-Ups - 8 reps max

Plank Jump to Dip -  10 reps/set

Battle Rams, Version 1 - 12 reps/max.  This is actually the Phase 2 version, because of the knee bruise, so I was up on my toes with a straight body, instead of working on my knees. 

Tuck Hold -  5 sec. per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  10 reps max.  

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - 10 reps max.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - Didn't have to do this anymore.  At the end of the week, I finally nailed a tuck shoulder stand on the parallettes.  I didn't quite have my feet as high off the floor as GMB's Ryan Hurst here, but I did get them completely off the floor.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps. 

Assisted Inverted Presses -  10 reps max

Dive Bombers Standard - 10 reps.

As I said in an earlier post:

One advice I have read is to change training programs once in a while.  I am considering switching back to Rings One.  It depends on which skill I achieve first on the parallettes:

a. Unsupported shoulder stand (both feet completely off the ground).  

b. Full L-sit

I achieved a. above first, but now I have bruises on one arm that will probably rub against the ring strap if I were to switch back to Rings One now - the same reason I switched from Rings One to Parallettes One.  Thus, the plan for now is to continue improving my parallette skills at Level B, Phase 1, with the exception of the One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold, which I have already surpassed.  What I plan to do there is work on the transition between the Tuck Sit and the Tuck Shoulder Stand, which is pretty much the move that I was unable to execute on the rings when I was training under Rings One.  If I can perform the movement without my feet touching the floor, I'll just repeat the movement for reps.  If I have to walk my feet on the floor between the Tuck Sit and the Tuck Shoulder Stand, then I'll work on holding the shoulder stand for time (about 10 sec.) then try lowering  out of that into Tuck Sit without the feet touching the floor before taking my rest interval.

Parallettes One - Start of Week 16

Not much progress to report, other than managing a 2-second hold in an unsupported/unassisted shoulder stand.

Week 15 was pretty much a wash as I'd decided to bike to work three days instead of my usual two days a week.

Parallette One, Level B, Phase 1, Workout 2 progress - really good session today.

I tried lifting the supporting foot from the ground while in the One-Legged Shoulder Stand Hold.  At first, I was unable to do so.  Then, I got the foot off the ground, but I must have made some sort of kicking motion to do it, and in doing so, caused my hips to move too far over my head, so that I ended up doing a sort of sloppy cartwheel.  Fortunately, my feet touched the floor first, so that I was unhurt.  I feel like I am very close to achieving a shoulder stand.  My strength is almost there.  I just need to get the balance right.

I performed a maximum of 10 reps per set - my new PR - of the Assisted Inverted Press, which seems to train a lot of the same muscles involved in the shoulder stand.

In the beginning of this video, someone shows both the tuck and straight leg shoulder stand on the parallettes.

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 14 Report

Ok I skipped a couple of weeks but here's my progress as of Week 14 - looks like I regressed a bit compared to Week 11.

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises 

Plank Push-Ups - 7 reps

Plank Jump to Dip -  10 reps/set

Battle Rams (Version 2) - 10 reps/set.

Tuck Hold -  4 sec. tuck hold, followed by 4 sec. per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  10 reps max.  Holding plank between reps decreased total reps.

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - 10 reps max.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 10 sec. hold range per leg.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps.

Assisted Inverted Presses -  8 reps.

Dive Bombers Standard - 10 reps.

One advice I have read is to change training programs once in a while.  I am considering switching back to Rings One.  It depends on which skill I achieve first on the parallettes:

a. Unsupported shoulder stand (both feet completely off the ground).  I will consider this accomplished if I can lift the supporting foot off the floor in the One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold, and maintain this hold for at least 3 sec. with the "supporting foot" off the floor, even if it's just an inch above the floor.

b. Full L-sit

I feel like I am closer to achieving a. above than b.  If I accomplish a. I will switch back to Rings One at Level A, Phase 2, because the inability to do an unsupported shoulder stand was stalling my progress there. 

What to wear under a bike helmet if you get sweaty

Something like this was suggested as a solution, for those days that you sweat so much it pours over your eyes:

http://www.headsweats.com/shorty/

Sergiu Celibidache - Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Claude Debussy) Part 1/3

Just saving this for future reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4et3JyU9ymE&app=desktop

Saving for future reference...

http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 11 Report

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises 

Plank Push-Ups - 6 reps, max of 7

Plank Jump to Dip -  10 reps/set

Battle Rams (Version 2) - New max of 12 reps/set.

Tuck Hold -  5 sec. tuck hold, followed by 3 sec. per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  Around the 9-10 rep range

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - Somewhere in the 8-10 range.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 10 sec. hold range per leg.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps.  Control seems to be getting better though.

Assisted Inverted Presses -  8 reps.

Dive Bombers Standard - 10 reps.

This coming week, I plan to take a day off from work, so instead of the usual MWF schedule, I'll do one day of parallette training and 3 days of bike commuting

Black bike with stickers

I'm fantasizing about getting a road bike, having gotten a taste of cycling on my first, and still current bike.  Realistically, for a first road bike purchase, I should be looking at bikes that would deliver the best value, if I choose to go with a new bike instead of a used one.

It seems like the best price/performance road bikes are black.  I'm not fond of that color on bikes, but I'll go with performance and value over looks.  One way to spice up a black bike is to put stickers on it.  I thought this was beautifully done.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52956555@N06/19639660300/

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 10 Report

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises

Plank Push-Ups - 6 reps, new max of 7

Plank Jump to Dip -  10 reps/set

Battle Rams - 9 reps/set with Version 2.

Tuck Hold -  Started experimenting with 5 sec. tuck hold, followed by 3 sec. per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  Around the 9-10 rep range

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - Somewhere in the 8-10 range.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 10 sec. hold range per leg.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps

Assisted Inverted Presses -  8reps.

Dive Bombers Standard - 9 reps.

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 9 Report

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises

Plank Push-Ups - 6 reps

Plank Jump to Dip -  10 reps/set

Battle Rams - About 8 reps/set with Version 2.

Tuck Hold -  7 sec. range with both knees tucked.  3 sec. per leg when keeping one leg tucked and extending the other as far forward as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds -  Around the 9-10 rep range

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - Somewhere in the 8-10 range.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 5-7 sec. hold range per leg.

Tuck Swings - 12 reps, but varying levels of control.

Assisted Inverted Presses -  7 reps.

Dive Bombers Standard - 9 reps.

Tech Tip: Fenders (for bicycles)

http://www.gravelbike.com/?p=4753

Java functional programming rant: Online Tutorials taking the easy way out

I'm trying to figure out how to replace this bit of Java code:

for(String str: list){
    if(someCondition(str)){
       list2.add(doSomeThing(str));
    }
    else{
        list2.add(doSomethingElse(str));
    }

}

with an equivalent using Java 8's functional programming techniques (lambda expressions, etc.).

Spent a couple of hours searching for online tutorials, but they all seem to take the easy way out when they show how to migrate from "old Java" to "new Java" - the examples they offer include if statement without else, if statement just checking for null, etc. Fortunately, this entry on StackExchange may have what I'm looking for:


Replacing if-else from for loops with streams

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 8 Report

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises

Plank Push-Ups - 6 reps

Plank Jump to Dip - My best is still around 10 reps/set, but once I pushed the reps on the pushups, I had to cut a bit on this one.

Battle Rams - About 8 reps/set with Version 2.

Tuck Hold - I'm more in the 5-7 sec. range now.  Still need to improve stability.

Mt. Climber Holds -  Around the 9-10 rep range

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - Still not keeping close track of the reps.  Somewhere in the 8-10 range.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 5-7 sec. hold range per leg.

Tuck Swings - Same as last week

Assisted Inverted Presses -  6 reps.

Dive Bombers Standard - 9 reps.

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 7 Report

I've been slacking off in posting updates on my progress in this program because it's been slow.  It's not the fault of the program nor its designers at GMB, though.  I never had great pressing strength or core strength to begin with.

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises

Plank Push-Ups - 4 reps

Plank Jump to Dip - Improved to about 10 reps/set.

Battle Rams - I am now doing version 2 of this exercise, in which every rep ends with a pushup.  I got to 12 reps in Version 1 and was doing them easily.

Tuck Hold - I'm more in the 5-7 sec. range now.  Still need to improve stability.

Mt. Climber Holds -  Slight improvement into the 9-10 rep range.

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - I haven't been keeping track of the reps - just paying more more attention to the quality of movement, which is quite subjective.  What I'm looking for is a tight tuck on one end of the swing, and a smoothly controlled transition to top plank position.  This all takes core strength and some shoulder strength.  

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 5-7 sec. hold range per leg.

Tuck Swings - As with Tuck Swing to Top Plank, I'm looking for improved control rather than raw reps.  I can do 12 reps, but they're not always in good form.  It's coming along gradually.

Assisted Inverted Presses - Improved to 6 reps.

Dive Bombers Standard - Improved to 9 reps.

Unusual exercises for improving hamstring flexibility

Here's an article from Z-Health recommending exercises for the back of the neck - to improve hamstring flexibility.  Worth a look I think...

http://zhealtheducation.com/episode-108-improve-hamstring-flexibility/

Another hamstring flexibility routine, this time from Functional Patterns:
http://www.functionalpatterns.com/tight-hamstrings-stretching-routine-for-posterior-chain/

First ever commute by bicycle

Less than ideal start on Huntington Ave heading east - it was trash collection day and the garbage truck made a right turn onto Huntington Ave. in front of me, which was pointless because the truck immediately stopped for its guys to pick up the garbage bins. If the truck was in a hurry to get out of the neighborhood I would have understood. I couldn't pass the truck because there were cars on the left lane. I had to go on the sidewalk to get around the truck. I later submitted a complaint to Fairfax County via the online form.

Met up a with a colleague on the MVT who graciously showed me his route to work after crossing the George Mason/14th St pedestrian bridge.  He gave me a crash course in city cycling techniques: How to take advantage of red lights to get a jump on motorist traffic, how to take advantage of legal lane-splitting, etc.

Aside from the garbage truck and some scary moments riding with car traffic on N. Capitol St, I enjoyed my first commute by bike to work.

Parallettes One Update

I haven't been posting updates on Parallettes One (aka "P1") because there's hardly anything to report.

I'm still pursuing the program and enjoying each session.

I recently bought a large Brita water filtering pitcher.  I was holding the pitcher with one hand instead of two.  I believe this contributed to fatigue on both of my shoulders, which in turn has been limiting my performance on the hardest pressing movements for me in P1 - Plank Pushups and Assisted Inverted Presses.

I have however been making incremental progress in the Plank Jump To Tuck Swing, and Plank Jump to Dip, both of which require a controlled tuck.  Tuck Swing similarly requires good control, because out of control swings could lead to flying off the parallettes.  Tuck Hold is getting a little steadier.

Parallettes One, Level B, Phase 1: Week 1 Report

Late last week, I received my set of wooden parallettes, made by the manufacturer recommended by GMB.  They are very nice indeed.  Thus, I was ready to complete Week 1 of the Parallettes One (aka "P1") program.  As with Rings One (aka "R1"), P1 has beginner (Level A) and intermediate (Level B) levels to choose from, and progression of skills in four Phases.  After watching the Phase 1 training videos at Levels A and B, I decided to train at Level B.  While I did not achieve a great level of pressing strength or core strength with Rings One, I developed enough strength to enter P1 at Level B.

I don't think I ever stated why I got into working out using gymnastic exercises, using an apparatus like rings or parallettes.  Basically, I want to get better at using my body, in addition to improving my strength.  I enjoy the challenge of learning and polishing new movement skills, that require both strength and coordination, which is more fun to me than simply lifting more and more weight or simply doing more and more repetitions of a common bodyweight exercise like the pushup.  Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for anyone who can do a triple-bodyweight bench press or do 100 pushups without rest.  It's just that the quest to do a planche pushup (a pushup in which the feet never touch the ground) is more fun to me, as is going a combination movement like L-Sit to Shoulder Stand.

Another similarity between R1 and P1 is the division of exercises for Phase 1 and Phase 2 into "workout one" and "workout two" routines.  In R1, "workout one" is the "above the rings" day and "workout two" is the "below the rings" day.

One interesting difference compared to R1 is the warmup routine.  Every warmup exercise is done for time (30 or 60 seconds) instead of reps.  This makes the warmup routine a bit longer but since parallette training is more demanding for the shoulders, elbows, etc. it makes sense that this warmup routine focuses more on prepping the shoulders, elbows, and wrists.

Progress on Workout 1 Exercises

Plank Push-Ups - 4 reps

Plank Jump to Dip - 7 reps.  Fun but tricky move - a good squeeze on the core seems to be key.

Battle Ram - 8 reps.  It's actually easier in full pushup position (bottom) than being on the knees - the problem with being on the knees is I have a tendency to use my lower body to push my head forward.

Tuck Hold - 3 sec.  This is actually harder for me than on the rings.  I do notice that when I've practiced this hold on the rings, I couldn't get my knees that much higher than my hips.  P1 asks the trainee to tuck the knees as high as possible.

Mt. Climber Holds - 8 reps.  This does not feel that much different than the R1 version.

Progress on Workout 2 Exercises

Tuck Swing to Top Plank - Forgot to record how many reps I did.  It wasn't many, and my technique wasn't good anyway.  I suspect the technique will get better as my Tuck Hold gets better.

One Leg Shoulder Stand Hold - 4 reps.  Reminds me of half the Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand from R1.

Tuck Swings - Same comment as Tuck Swing to Top Plank.

Assisted Inverted Presses - 4 reps.  While waiting for my parallettes to arrive, I tried this on the floor and was concerned about how my shoulder would take it.  Seems fine on the parallettes vs. the floor, as long as I keep my shoulder packed.

Dive Bombers Standard - 8 reps.  

First ride down to Mt. Vernon Estate

Went on the longest ride I've done yet on a bike today.   I rode 23.65 miles in just over 4 hours, with several breaks to catch my breath, drink water, etc., which is ok for someone who never successfully rode a bike before May 10 (about 3 weeks ago).  Most of the ride was on the popular Mt. Vernon Trail, with the Mt. Vernon Estate being the destination.

I noticed my tailbone/butt area was sore on the way back. I wore my Zoic shorts with the removable liner that has a built-in chamois pad. I can only imagine the soreness would have been worse without the liner. Apparently you're supposed to wear a chamois liner like underwear, though I don't know if it would have made much of a difference. I also did not use DZ Nuts or Butt'r. At any rate, I found I could relieve pressure on my tailbone by putting a little more load on my legs and using the legs to push my butt back on the saddle.  My only goal on this ride was to get to the destination, then return home without any accidents or further injuries.  I wasn't thinking about speed or otherwise "getting a workout".  I did the ride just for the pure joy of pedaling on a bike, while also enjoying the scenery and a breeze in my face.  However, I did get a workout on that climb up to Mt. Vernon Estate.  By the time I approached home, my exhaustion and soreness made even the slightest incline feel like a climbing challenge.  I nearly got into an accident with another cyclist as I was trying to maneuver around a couple of pedestrians in an ill-advised manner (not that recklessly, but still it wasn't smart).

I was glad I practiced for at least two weeks before attempting a ride of this length on a popular bike trail.  This area is thought of as relatively flat, compared to, say, Alaska or Colorado, but there were some tricky twists and turns to the trail, combined with ascents/descents, that I would not have been able to handle without the practice, especially while sharing the trail with other cyclists and pedestrians.

Despite the minor mishaps and it was a fun and beautiful day.  

Transitioning out of Rings One

Because of my cycling accident yesterday, I have a bruise on my forearm that rubs against the ring strap whenever I do a dip or other pushing movement.  I was going to do an Above The Rings session today but the bruise quickly made me switch to a Below The Rings session, as none of those exercises expose the bruise to the strap.

If I hadn't gotten the bruise, I would have been content to keep working on Rings One until I complete the whole program, no matter how long it would have taken.  However, since half the program is not possible, I decided to switch to Parallettes One.  I originally got this program from GMB as part of a package deal with Rings One, but never attempted it because I haven't had parallettes.  I know I could have made my own set any time but, I'm not very good with tools.  I ordered a set.

Until I receive my set, I will practice the Below The Rings exercises 3x a week and practice pushups and pistol squats on the off days.

Biked out of the neighborhood for the first time

Today is a holiday so I thought it was time to try riding my bike to the Mount Vernon Trail, even though I knew I wasn't ready, skill-wise to do the ride without some kind of an accident.

To get to the trail requires that I bike on a street or sidewalk, as there is no dedicated bike lane or bike path.  Because of my fear of cars, I opted to bike on the sidewalk.  I reached the MVT without incident, although I had to dismount several times to let pedestrians pass by, or to get around obstacles that I could not maneuver around on my bike.

After a fun little ride in just a short section of the MVT, I biked back.  My first accident happened on the bike path leaving the MVT towards my neighborhood.  I saw two cyclists coming down the path the other way and overcompensated by riding too far to the right, bruising my arm against the wall.  My next couple of accidents happened while biking on the sidewalk.  The main problems I encountered with sidewalk biking:

• Trash cans and other obstacles require some tricky maneuvering
• You get in the way of pedestrians 
• You may even have to dismount to let pedestrians, dogs, baby strollers, etc. pass by
• You end up dismounting so much you might as well walk instead of ride your bike.

My control of the bike was still not good enough to handle the obstacles so I ended up falling several times. 

Despite the falls, cuts and bruises, it was a fun exploratory ride overall.