Les Mills COMBAT: Day 16 - Power HIIT 1

Did I ever tell you how much I hate lunges? 

I hate them. They are a despicable exercise dreamed up by some sadistic personal trainer with legs the size of tree trunks. And he never really did any more than two and that was just to demonstrate how they are done. When no one is watching, he secretly only does squats.

Well, while doing the Les Mills COMBAT; Power HIIT 1 for the third time in three weeks, I would like to add my utter disdain for burpees, squats, deadlifts... pretty much any exercise that works the legs in general. If you have seen me in person, then you know this to be true.

For this reason, after I completed today's 30 minute session, I did:

• Leg extensions, 3 sets of 35 reps at 40 lbs.
• Leg curls, 3 sets of 25 reps at 40 lbs.

No longer will I neglect my foundation. If I am to see a significant change in my body, then it will be in my legs. I dream of the day my calves rip through my socks like Hulk Hogan tears through a too small tank top. I have a long way to go.

The extra leg exercises weren't all I did in addition to Power HIIT 1. I also added:

• Exercise ball sit-ups, 3 sets of 25 reps.
• Ab wheel oblique rollouts, 3 sets of 5 reps for each side.

And after a dinner of asparagus, baked chicken breast, and brown rice, I'm feeling really good.

Time to rest this weary body and getting my mind right for tomorrow's session.

If you're ready to grow and want to change your body, check out Les Mills COMBAT or any of the other programs Beachbody has to offer at beachbodycoach.com/philipm78.

Also, follow me at Twitter at @pmelton357.

Let's get in shape, let's have fun, and #letsgetstrong.

Les Mills COMBAT: Days 9 & 10

So, I took a day off from posting yesterday, but I didn't take a day off from Les Mills COMBAT. I still got my work in with Power HIIT 1 yesterday and followed it up with an intense session of COMBAT 45: Power Kata today. 

Power HIIT 1

For the second time around, I prepared for Power HIIT 1. I used my straight barbell bar with 7.5lbs on each side along with my weighted gloves. Although the weight may be light, using it with Power HIIT 1 became challenging very quickly.

It really began to hit me once we started doing the squat to overhead press. My arms felt like they would give out at any moment. I made it through the first two sets, but for the last two, I just went with the gloves and a 2.5 lb plate in each hand. 

This was indeed a difficult session. I hope to see some improvement in my muscle endurance by the next Power HIIT 1 session. I finished, but I can't say that I was truly pleased with my performance. Still, I gave it my all.

COMBAT 45: POWER KATA

The martial arts based sessions, however, are getting easier. Although I stumbled here and there, I was able to keep up with my DVD trainers. The punch combinations come easily. There's still plenty of room for improvement with my kicks. 

Since I felt more comfortable with the Power Kata, I was motivated to push myself hard and maintained my intensity throughout the session. It really showed once the workout ended as you can see in this picture.

During the Power Kata, sweat dripped everywhere. At one point, I just closed my eyes and listened to the trainer's instructions. I'm getting closer to the point where I don't really have to watch the DVD to see how they position themselves. However, if you saw my kicks, you'd know that I do have room to grow.

If you're ready to grow and make a change, check out Les Mills COMBAT or any of the other programs Beachbody has to offer at beachbodycoach.com/philipm78.

Also, follow me at Twitter at @pmelton357.

Let's get in shape, let's have fun, and #letsgetstrong.

Les Mills COMBAT: Day 2 - Power HIIT 1

When did 30 minutes become such a long time?

Thirty minutes was long yesterday with the COMBAT 30: Kick Start and it seemed longer today with the Power HIIT 1.

Once again, I struggled. Still... I finished.

First off, I had to do a bit of improvising since this workout requires weights and I didn't realize that until I started the DVD. So, I quickly grabbed my 7.5-lb plates and jumped right in.

Power HIIT 1 is weight training and cardio at the same time. I worked every bit of my body and finished with a nice coating of sweat. My body isn't too happy right now since we still feel the effects of yesterday's workout.

An intense battle grew between my mind and body throughout the workout. I had to pause the DVD several times to take a few extra breaths and grab a sip of water. All the while, I wanted to call it quits. I kept pushing. When the workout got to the cool down phase, both my mind and body were grateful to reach the end.

Now as I sit here, eating leaves of spinach like I'm at a dinner party thrown by the Golden Child, I'm happy with what I accomplished in 30 minutes. Tomorrow is a new day and brings with it POWER 45: Power Kata. There is more fun to be had and I'm ready for it.

Join me in using the Les Mills COMBAT workout. Go to beachbodycoach.com/philipm78 and order your copy today.

Also, follow me on Twitter at @pmelton357.

 

Let's get in shape, let's have fun, and #letsgetstrong.