Past the half-way point! Where am i?

So anyway I'm back after a 3 day hiatus there. The "change of scenery" was a nice break in the pattern even though I had to sleep in my car because my one friend wouldn't stop snoring. Curses.

But we had a blazing bonfire. I learned a ton of cool stuff about bees. Since we camped at my friends farm and they keep 3 huge hives it was really neat. The one apparently has 700 lbs of honey. Crazy! It was really neat to get right next to them and see how they work and communicate it was so cool.

I sadly did not get to do a blazing steel wool trick I wanted to do but playing video games, camping, and burning massive amounts of brush and pallets was fun. And no matter what anyone says that diesel fuel was completely unnecessary my friend Jason and I totally had the fire started even though it was wet from the rain. We rule!

So I wanted to share a few things. One people have really started to notice a difference in how I look now with my clothes on. They are noticing how much more fit and slim I look and that is a huge motivation to keep going. Also I think standing with proper posture (which Patrick e-mailed us about) helps a lot too. Good times.

So I have my updated measurements and a flexing pose that I thought it's time to do so everything can have some hard facts about my progress and how everything is going. Hopefully I can do a nice post tomorrow too about my new pull-up bar. 

So here are the new measurements. Both from last time and over-all.

Weight - 136 lbs (down 5 lbs, down 12 lbs over-all)

Waist - 30.5" (down .25", down 1.5" over-all)
Stomach - 29.75" (down 25", down 3.25" over-all)

Chest - 36" (up .5", down .5" over-all)
Thighs - 19.5" (down .5", up .5" over-all)
Calves - 13.25" (same, down .25" over-all)
Biceps - 12.25" (same, down .25" over-all)
Forearms - 10" (same, down .5" over-all)

I have shrunk! Over-all in everything I have decreased that is so surprising that I was building muscle on places I thought had NO fat (calves, forearms, biceps) man was I wrong! It was everywhere. What proves that is my muscles are bigger but the dimensions and wait still shrunk. Awesome!

So here is pic. Be back later!

Have a great evening world!

Updates going into Week 7! And I'm off for the weekend!

Alright guys I have a ton to post and not a lot of time. it's days like this I'm glad the PCP really gives me the extra boost of energy!

Section 1: Jump-rope

So first off how am I keeping jump-roping interesting? I'll tell you how!

So I wanted to start developing my jumping tricks, I and starting to think how I can start incorporating more Parkour related things. Since many of our exercises are already geared towards that. (aka creep, pistol squats, pull-ups, and floor jumps) So I made a routine I go through to increase the fun! And also increase my stamina, agility, coordination, and balance. So this is what I do.

5 normal jumps

5 on my right leg

5 normal

5 left leg

5 normal

4 normal 1 double (repeat 5 times)

4 normal 1 cross (repeat 5 times)

5  normal

25 running in place at double previous speed

repeat

It's awesome and makes 2 minutes fly! With all the tripping I still do on the cross jumps I can do that whole circuit 2 maybe 3 times. But man am I really pushing myself again!

Section 2: New diet

Breakfast  100g carb 120g veg  2egg  200ml yogurt (up 20g veg, up 50ml yogurt)
Morning Tea 100g fruit (up 20 g fruit)
Lunch  120g carb 100g meat 150g veg 1egg white (up 20g veg)
Afternoon Tea 80g fruit (same)
Dinner 50g carb 80g veg  1egg white (No more smoothies! I'll miss em! This is a very small dinner less calories than the smoothie I'm sure) 
Night Tea  80g fruit  150ml milk (down 80g veg, up 30g fruit, up 150ml milk)
Before  Workout eat 50g carb  (same)

After  Workout 1egg  white (same, down 1 egg white total back to 5 a day!)

Section 3: New work-outs

Just a list. These are broken up day to day in a way of being most effective. And most tortirous on my body! :-)

Jump-rope  3 minutes x 5 sets

Lunge 4 x 18

Floor-jump 4 x 14

Pull-up 4 x 4-6

Rowing 4 x 20

Elevated Triceps Dip 4 x 6-8 (max, I have done them elevated from the beginning)

Ski-jumper 4 x 18

Seated Sit-up 5 x 12

Plank 4 x 60 secs

Chest dip 5 x 5-8 (8-8-6-6-5)

Push-up 4 x 12-14 (max, hopefully)

Standing Ovation (Formerly Chest-fly) 4 x 20 

Thumbs-up Curl 4 x 15

One-arm Curl 4 x 12-17 (max)

Chicken-wing 4 x 15

Side-crunch 4 x 12

V-sit 4 x 14

Section 4: Change of Scenery

So I heard Patrick talk about before that a vacation is a bunk term. That he says instead A change of scenery. I like that better since I have never viewed "vacations" as "vacations" since they are often more stressful, spend resources you don't have, and make you feel like the rest of your year is incomplete and lacking. 

So this weekend I'm going camping. I'll have to pack a ton of food but I'm excited because I'm sure my pyro-side will be happy for 2 days. So enjoy your weekends everyone!

Be back Monday!

PARKOUR HEROS: Jereme Sanders

Hey guys I wanted to finish up with my PK heros. I have this one to feature and a final David Belle post which I'll probably do a week from now or so. Then on to some interesting PCP related equipment that aren't necessary to spend dough on but extremely convenient if you are willing to shell out the cash.

Everything has been going good. These new exercises have reawakened what it feels like to really strain and burn. 

Patrick talked to us about the need for mental focus, something I have always agreed with. But I'm glad he drew my attention back to it because I admit I was starting to rush through and not focus on my exercises. So back to focusing on the muscle to really get a a good "pump." 

Not to mention the sheer power of the brain to increase performance. They have found in studies that those who mentally rehearse 20 free-throws, then shoot 20 free-throws, do extremely better than those who do not rehearse, and do just as well as if not sometimes better than those that do 20 practice shots then 20 that count. Crazy huh?

So anyway, Jereme Sanders. I'll be honest I don't know much about him but I have really enjoyed all of the work he has done making videos on "Unconventional Training Grounds" for Americanparkour.com. (For those who haven't checked it out go now! APK is the best site ever and Mike Toorock who is in charge of that site has done a wonderful job with PK awareness and community. Check it out!) Haha I should be sponsored. I think he has bee practicing for 4 years.

So enjoy the videos below. One is his 2008 sampler of some of his highlights. No I cannot believe the wall run at the end of the video either. Yes the way must be 15 feet high. And yes he takes 2 giant steps up it to climb over. 

Insane.

The second video is one of his "Unconventional Training Grounds" series. Where he has done a great job infusing me with creativity for training. I have often ignored much of the places right around where I live thinking it's not quality PK training areas. BUT Jereme has done a great showing you can do it. Anywhere. And I think the creativity is certainly PCP worthy.

Enjoy! and have a good one.

I'm really really itchy

So I keep breaking out in hives. Like every day. And popping benadryl non stop is doing nothing good for my energy levels. I'm itchy, cranky and so freaking confused as to what's going on. I hope I haven't developed a food allergy. Since I haven't started eating anything new though and haven't changed detergents, body wash, etc I'm thinking maybe I developed an allergy to some kind of food.

I hope it's not eggs.

I eat 6 a day and it would ruin the PCP if it was eggs.

I'm freaking out guys.

Anyway off to finish my workout and go to bed. And be itchy all night.

Night.

Updates for Week 6!

So we have successfully finished 5 weeks and are into our Sixth! Almost half -way done which is unbelievable. Patrick mentioned that around day 40 is really when the last fat starts to go and the muscles we have made starts really standing out. I hope that holds true for me over the next week!

So I have a couple more Parkour Heros to post and some other interesting stuff as well but for today I'm just doing some basic updates. New diet. New work-outs. And how I feel.

Adrian & Emiko were talking about being in a recent PCP valley and I felt the same way for a few days. Rather discouraged etc about not seeing and recent progress but Patrick's e-mail came at the right time about visceral fat holding on to the last and how we will start to see changes soon. Especially because "we have taken the training wheels off" and are really kicking it into high gear. So bring it on changes!

Today however I'm upset because I have a random hive-like rash all over like I had an allergic reaction to something. But I didn't eat anything out of the norm and had no contact with animals I may be allergic too. It's really weird. And itchy.

On a sad note my guinea pig Sketcher of 6 years is dying and doesn't have long to go so that's sad but she lived a long healthy life. 

So without further ado here is some new info!

Patrick asked for us not to share the specifics of our workout routine at this point of the PCP since it's so close to his final product and we all certainly respect that. So I will list the workouts we are doing and my projected ability. But I'm not posting how they are structured day-to-day since when we do the exercises are what's most important right now. (If I post too much Patrick just let me know and I'll take it down)

Workout Plan

Jumprope 6 sets of 2 mins (every day: and it come to about 1500-1800 skips depending on how fast I do them with a 30 sec break in between sets)

Pistol Squat 4 x 3-5 (max, great PK training)

Creep 4 x 12 (max, great PK training)

Pull-up 4 x 3-5 (max, the real deal now!)

Pull-down 4 x 15 (max)

Triceps Dip 3 x 8-10 (max)

Triceps Extension 4 x 15 (max)

V-sit 5 x 10-12 (12-12-10-10-10, or hopefully max)

Side-crunch 4 x 10 (max, finally some oblique work!)

Chest Dip 5 x 4-6 (not sure, never attempted before)

Push-up 4 x 10-12 (max)

Outside Curl 4 x 10-15 (not sure, never attempted before)

One-arm curl 4 x 10-15 (15-15-12-10, the most over-rated muscle is the bicep (since so many people think having them makes them fit) but I can't wait to pump em!)

Forward Shoulder Raise 4 x 16-18 (16-16-16-16, I still despise shoulder work, I am not up to par)

Shoulder-fly 4 x 15-18 (not sure, probably minimum, never attempted before)

Leg-up 4 x 20 (max)

Plank 4 x 50 seconds (max, I love them, "meditation on pain" lol)

So again keep in mind Patrick is not having us do every day but broken up through the week. But that's all I can say.

Diet Plan

Breakfast  100g carb 100g veg 2egg 150ml yogurt (same)

Morning Tea  80g fruit (same)

Lunch  100g carb 100g meat 150g veg 1egg white (down 20g meat, up 1 egg white)

Afternoon Tea 80g fruit (same)

Dinner 1egg white 1apple 1banana 150ml milk 1spoon rice/granola (down 1 egg white)

Night Tea 80g veg  1egg white  50g fruit (up 30g veg, up 50g fruit)

Before Workout  eat 50g carb  

After Workout  eat  1egg white (up 1 egg white)

Notes: I am up to 6 eggs a day now and other than that no significant changes except for the added fruit and veggies at night which will actually be hard to eat because I usually am not hungry after 7 pm anymore at all.

So that's about it. I'm gonna blog about one more Parkour Hero, and also a final David Belle post and where I plan to go with Parkour sometime get a pic up of me training. Also I will blog about the neat pull-up bar I bought and this awesome blender that my mom go me that blends my whole dinner smoothie into a giant mug, no clean up! It's great.

Have a great weekend everyone!

PARKOUR HEROS: The Ladies of Parkour

So I have been chatting with Adrian and Emiko a bit about PK. And not only Adrian is super enthused about PK but Emiko is too. So I thought it would be sweet to post some clips I have found about PK and the women who are really amazing and deserve a ton of respect for what they do.

Females are definitely the minority among traceurs, most likely for general interest and also because women naturally lack a lot of the upper body strength required without, of course, the proper training. They faces some pros and cons though in my opinion.

CONS: Lack a certain level of natural strength and speed. Also girls are generally shorter and have weaker grips. A number of other things can be frustrating, long hair, not wanting to get calloused hands, and I would definitely be less inclined to want to run and jump everywhere if I had boobs.

PROS: I feel women have naturally better balance, dexterity, and flexibility. Also once the proper strength is achieved you can have an easier job of somethings, less shock on joints from a smaller frame/weight, and since most girls are smaller than most guys you can fit under rails and through gaps that we can get into. 

Despite any pros and cons girls that practice are undoubtedly awesome and deserve a ton of respect. Hopefully we will see more in the years to come. Below are 2 videos on of Karen Palmer who talks a lot of what PK means and how it's so awesome, also about training and how the metal achievement is just as great as the physical one. And another of Kat from the Urban Monkeys crew in Mexico.

Enjoy and have a good one I hope the weather is just as beautiful as it is here!

PARKOUR HEROS: Sebastian Foucan

So another featured Parkour Hero.

To give you a little bit of knowledge of Sebastian. He was one of the original advocates and founders of making Parkour into a discipline. He and David Belle used to work very closely together but for various reasons to unimportant to mention here they have parted ways. David is purist and practices Parkour, which is only about movement and fluidity with no waste of energy. Sebastian parted on the philosophy of l'art du natural and turned his focus toward Free-running. Which is Parkour with added flare and moves to make it more visually appealing and some say fun. It is not harder or easier just a different approach. 

You will probably recognize the one scene from 007: Casino Royale. Sebastian did an amazing job with the scene no? He is a versatile Traceur and has done much to spread the knowledge and availability of Parkour/Free-running, hosting many training seminars and opening many academies throughout Europe. (Also for any nay-sayers I'm sure that in parts Sebastian did have a stunt double, it's hollywood they have too, but this is more about being proud the PK is getting acclaim in the entertainment industry) 

The other video is with MAdonna and organizing her on-stage performance with PK. I think that's really cool. Sebastian is everywhere!

And finally a video of why free-running is different than PK. Parkour purists would not focus on something like this but this video is awesome and finally you get to see how Seb is involved in training others but that he is not perfect. Also you get to see his great physique as well and that once the man gets something. He gets it DOWN.

That's all for today have a good one everybody!