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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.

Progress on cycling - "Just like riding a bike" false for this adult

It's been roughly two weeks since I learned how to ride a bike and bought my bike.

I've been practicing riding my bike almost every day.  I found a nice training area near my house, which includes a park.  I first tried to ride my bike on the grass in the park, but I had to relearn how to balance myself on the bike again.  There is an American saying "Just like riding a bike" which implies that the skill of riding a bike is never forgotten, once learned.  This is not true for me.  Every single day I take my bike out, I have to learn all over again how to balance and how to start pedaling without losing my balance.  However, the time to relearn how to pedal while maintaining balance gets a little shorter with each practice session.

There are multiple skills I need to develop before I will be ready to use my bike for grocery shopping or riding the wonderful bike trails in my ares:

• Descend  hills and other declines under control (proper braking, body positioning, no fear)
• Sharing the road with cars - resisting the urge to duck to the right and thus confuse drivers.
• Turning, especially if I have to bike on a sidewalk.  Curb ramps are often on the corners of sidewalks.
• Bike on sidewalks when the road has aggressive drivers - no swerving.
• Proper signaling.
• Biking on the bike lane without swerving - absolutely necessary to avoid unwanted contact with cars, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.

I'm getting better at using my front brake to control my descent - basically tapping with the front brake lever instead of just holding it down - but I still have to make sure I don't hold down the front brake lever with a death grip.  I've only had one car/van follow me while I'm biking, but I need to resist the urge to pull off the road and let the car/van pass, because that would be "weaving" which would make my behavior unpredictable to the driver.

As for turning, I still need a warmup of at least 10 minutes because I have a tendency to lose control of my balance on turns before my mind and head are warmed up.

The sidewalks in my neighborhood are noticeably narrower than the streets and the narrowness messes with my head.  I continue to struggle to stay within the width of the sidewalk and not swerve off of it.  But today I did a better job than before staying on a sidewalk.  Ideally I shouldn't have to bike on a sidewalk but some streets have traffic with aggressive drivers - I feel safer being on the sidewalk.

Signaling continues to be difficult due to losing balance when I remove a hand from the handlebar to signal.  It's hard enough just to turn my head to see if there's anybody I should be signaling to.

If weather permits, I'm going to try biking to the park where WABA's "how to ride" and "City Cycling" classes are taught.  It'll be a challenge because I'll have to descend a steep hill, then bike on the sidewalk part of the way, then cross a huge intersection with lots of cars around to get to the bike trail leading to that park.

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 9 Report

Progress on the Above The Rings exercises:

Dips - 5 sets of 4-5 reps.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 3 sets of 5-7 reps.

L-Sit Hold -  Max 6 sec. holds per leg, extended as far as possible.

Progress on the Below The Rings exercises:

Pull-ups - Max reps improved to 10.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - 5 sets of 4-7 reps.

Skin The Cat -  3 sets of 3-4 reps

The Rogue wood rings absorbed the sweat from my hands just as I’d hoped, so no additional danger of losing the grip due to accumulated sweat.  They’re the best rings I’ve trained on so far.

Continued practicing pistol squats and hollow body holds on the off days.

Rings One, Level A, Phase 2: Week 8 Report

Progress on the Above The Rings exercises:

Dips - Improved max reps to 5.

Assisted Tuck to Tuck Shoulder Stand - 3 sets of 4-6 reps.

L-Sit Hold -  Max 6 sec. holds per leg, extended as far as possible.

Progress on the Below The Rings exercises:

Pull-ups - Max reps improved to 9.

Inverted Tuck Roll Chin-Up - Max reps at 6.  More sets of 5 reps, out of the 5 total sets.

Skin The Cat -  Max reps improved to 4

I received my new set of Rogue wood rings w/ straps.  They're a little thicker than the plastic rings.   The wood feels really nice.  The real test will be when the temperature rises again.  My first session with the Rogues was with the temperature being more typical of spring, so I didn't have as much sweat to deal with.

Started practicing pistol squats again after giving my sore right hamstring a chance to heal up.  The hamstring seems to be holding up fine.  Also practicing hollow body holds as before.

Bought a bicycle

At WABA's "how to ride" class, the lead instructor congratulated us for succeeding in pedaling around the lot on our learning bikes, which were used bikes that had the seat lowered so that we could push off the ground with our feet.  However, she told us that if we wanted to keep our hard-earned skills, we had to practice on our own.

With that in mind, I decided to buy a bike.  As a beginning cyclist, I knew I wouldn't be a very good judge of prospective bikes when it came to handling or other "feel" related attributes, but I could at least research various types of bikes to assist in my decision.  I decided to get a commuter bike because that's the type of bike that's supposed to be suited for commuting to work and hauling groceries.  A local shop had a Breezer Uptown 8, which supposedly won "best commuter bike" awards 4 years in a row, on sale.  It has the features that seem to be standard now for commuter bikes - a rear rack, fenders to shield the rider from gravel, mud, etc.; kick stand, and wide puncture-resistant tires, as well as nice extras (lights and dyno-hub to power them).

I tried it very briefly in the parking lot next to the shop - couldn't pedal on it because the seat was much higher than the seat height in the "how to ride" class, which threw me off.  But I went ahead and bought it anyway, and had the shop guy show me how to detach the front wheel so I could put the bike inside my car without a bike rack.