The Strength Test Project: Easy Swimming

Today I got back in the water for the first time in almost two years.  Even though my shoulder hurt to swim, it felt so nice to get back into the water.
Also did some shoulder work and pull ups and pushups.  No handstand work yet, but some great functional stretching.

The Strength Test Project: Starting to Get my Groove Back

Today I had a success story: I was doing full pull ups without pain.  My shoulder isn't 100%, but it's very quickly getting there.  I also did some pushups and worked with my shoulder rehab sequence.  In addition, I also did a nice 20 minute run, with a few speed runs and two 100 meters sprints.  It felt very good to be working hard again.  Tomorrow, I'm going to give the weights a (very gentle) go.
On another note, I'm learning a lot more about my body, such as the tightness I tend to get in my upper trapezius.

The Strength Test Workout: Recovery and Healing

Ok, so I know I haven't been able to work out much.  This is because during filming this weekend for my new web series, I injured my shoulder attempting to execute a move.  Check out the video below and see if you can figure out what happened:

Ow!

In case you didn't figure it out, I hurt my shoulder.  Tweaked the rotator cuff I believe.  Even still, with the injured shoulder, I forged ahead, and did a lot of cool stuff, including this:

Check out my legs!

Afterwards, I started feeling a lot of pain and discomfort, specifically when I raised my shoulder.  A lot of tension as well.  This tells me that my body was trying to protect me.  It did a very good job too, as my injury seems to have almost been healed (famous last words).

But during these past couple of days, I've had some time to reflect on what I've learned as a result of my injuries.  My first significant injury that really affected me was when I was 17, and developed chronic tendonitis in both of my shoulders from swimmers. Tendonitis is when your tendons become enflamed due to overuse or stress.  Now I've had tendonitis from track and cross country, but I asked my doctor "ok, so I'll be ok right?"  His response: "no; you will have this for the rest of your life.  If you don't keep your shoulders strong, it's going to come back."

Something in me clicked.  For the first time, I understood that I wasn't invincible.  I was human, made of flesh and bone, and that I had to take care of myself.  

I started to understand the human body more, started to explore what worked best for my body.  From dance to swimming to yoga and Reiki, I absorbed everything I could find about the human body.  It probably led to me wanting to become a personal trainer and nutritionist.  

But what I learned the most about my body is this: that our bodies are so smart.  Whether you believe in Creationism or Evolution, our bodies are designed to protect us, to keep us alive.  When we receive a cut, our body creates millions of different kinds of cells to make sure that that cut doesn't harm us further.  We have a complex survival system that, when threatened, allows us extra strength to either run away at blinding speed, or fight for those we love.

Our bodies are smart.  That's why I've been able to do the things I can do.  I know ultimately when to push my body, and when to back off.  This week, my shoulder has some inflammation; my right trapezius and neck muscles are tense from making sure my shoulder didn't dislocate; and my lattisimus dorsi is very sore.  

I've altered my shoulder rehab routine, and a friend of mine is going to help supplement my workout routine with circus/gymnastic style workouts, because these guys are insanely strong, flexible, and have fantastic endurance.  

Thanks body for protecting me.

The Strength Test Project Day 5: Strength sans Cardio *Sad Face*

Friday is here!  And I have the longest work day ever!!!
...Actually not really.  But it is long.  As such though, I have a slightly quicker workout to do.  Which means: no cardio, sadly.  Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll get it in this weekend.
Here's the workout I did today.  It's a repeat of Tuesday's, but I decided to throw in front squats as well, which are a very lovely variation on back squats because the bar is on the front side of your body as opposed to...well, the back.  I've adjusted some of the weights, but overall it remains consistent.
Check it out:

• Bench Press (165) and Plyometric Pushup: 3 sets of 5 and 10; 2 sets of 3 and 5
• Barbell Curls (70) and Hang Cleans (135): 3 sets of 5 and 5; 2 sets of 3 and 3
• Weighted Dips (27.5) and Floor Wipers (175): 3 sets of 5
• Dumbbell Curls (35) and Triceps Pulldown (115): 3 sets of 5
• Squats (185): 3 sets of 5
• Knee Tuck Jumps: 2 sets of 30 seconds
• Skater Plyo: 2 sets of 30 seconds

Yes, I did my upper body circuit:

• Chin Ups: 5 sets: 9/8/9/8/9
• Incline Pushups with Handles: 25/25/25/25/25
• Handstand Pushups: 2/2/2/2/2

And I did my abdominal workout too!:

• Hanging Leg Raise x 7, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Hanging Leg Raise x 1, Clockwork Leg Raise x 4, Hanging Leg Raise x 1, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Hanging Leg Raise x 7, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Twisting Knee Raise x 4, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Twisting Knee Raise x 4, Hanging Knee Raise x 5

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm off to New York to work on a new project. Stay tuned!

Strength Test Project Day 4: Spinning and Revisiting my Weights

Ok, so today was another scorcher, although not as hot as it was yesterday.  I decided to do some very easy swimming (which consisted of teaching a 6-year-old that the deep end of a pool isn't scary).
In addition, I did another spinning class!  I'll admit, I may be starting to enjoy this whole spinning thing.    It was an endurance class, so it was about maintaining an aerobic pace (about 65-75% of your maximum effort).
In addition, I did my upper body bodyweight circuit:

• Chin Ups: 5 sets: 9/8/9/8/9
• Incline Pushups with Handles: 25/25/25/25/25
• Handstand Pushups: 2/2/2/2/2

And I did my workout from Monday.  Since I've done it before, I decided to up the weight on a few of the exercises, but for the most part kept everything the same.  New weights are highlighted and italicized.  I also decided to add shrug rolls in addition to the power shrugs.  This sequence meant that I started with power shrugs; then I did forward shoulder rolls with the weights; then I switched directions.  The goal is to always go through the maximum range of motion:

• Handstand Pushups and Repetition Jerks (100 pounds): 3 sets of 5; 2 sets of 3
• Weighted Chin Ups (27.5 pounds) and High Pulls (85 pounds): 3 sets of 5; 2 sets of 3
• Power Shrug/Shrug Rolls (55 pound dumbbells) and Thrusters (35 pounds): 3 sets of 5
• Lat Pulldown (120 pounds) and Single Arm Dumbbell Row (60 pounds): 3 sets of 5
• Deadlift (185 pounds) and Straight Leg Deadlift (115 pounds): 3 sets of 5
• Split Jump: 2 sets of 30 seconds
• Gunther Hops: 2 sets of 30 seconds

After another hot day, I deserve a break.  Nighty-night; got to get my rest and recover.

The Strength Test Project Day 3: Hot Day

Ok, today was a scorcher where I was.  And as Wednesday was my "recovery day" (I use that term loosely), I gave myself a nice and easy 20 minute run in the 95 degree, 95% humidity air.  For someone who doesn't function well in the humidity, this may have not been a smart idea (hooray accelerated metabolisms!).
In addition, I did my upper body bodyweight workout:

• Chin Ups: 5 sets: 9/8/9/8/9
• Incline Pushups with Handles: 25/25/25/25/25
• Handstand Pushups: 2/2/2/2/2

And my abdominal workout:

• Hanging Leg Raise x 7, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Hanging Leg Raise x 1, Clockwork Leg Raise x 4, Hanging Leg Raise x 1, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Hanging Leg Raise x 7, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Twisting Knee Raise x 4, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Twisting Knee Raise x 4, Hanging Knee Raise x 5

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pass out now and hopefully cool off.

The Strength Test Project, Day 2: I Try Spinning

Ok, so here we go with the next installment!  Today I started with a spinning class.  Now let it be said: I do not enjoy classes.  I never have.  But if there's any class that I've tried that I like, it's spinning.  And we did a series of intervals, something called hills and valley; we did 3 sets of 3 minute hard intervals followed by 2 minutes of recovery; then we flip-flopped, doing 3 sets of 2 minute hard intervals followed by 3 minutes of recovery.  All in all, a lot of fun.
After my spinning class, I enjoyed a lovely little workout like this:

• Bench Press (165) and Plyometric Pushup: 3 sets of 5 and 10; 2 sets of 3 and 5
• Barbell Curls (65) and Hang Cleans (135): 3 sets of 5 and 5; 2 sets of 3 and 3
• Weighted Dips (27.5) and Floor Wipers (175): 3 sets of 5
• Dumbbell Curls (35) and Triceps Pulldown (115): 3 sets of 5
• Squats (185): 3 sets of 5
• Knee Tuck Jumps: 2 sets of 30 seconds
• Skater Plyo: 2 sets of 30 seconds

And also, I did my upper body circuit:

• Chin Ups: 5 sets: 9/8/9/8/9
• Incline Pushups with Handles: 25/25/25/25/25
• Handstand Pushups: 2/2/2/2/2

Well, that's all.  Until tomorrow!  I'm off to relax my muscles, and gear up for tomorrow.

New Workout Challenge: The Strength Test Project

Ever been curious as to how people gain muscles for movie roles?  

Me too.

Recently I was on a feature film with a lead role, during which time I looked at my character and decided he needed to be a bit bigger.  Not fatter, but a bit more muscular.  I told the director this and he said "if you can do it, then go for it."  I decided to give it a shot, by gaining 10 pounds of muscle before filming began, and maintain it throughout the shoot.

We started filming in a month.

So I threw myself into my training like never before.  I was putting up weight after weight, pushing myself beyond my self-imposed limits.  So what did I do?

I gained 10 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks.

Now this may not seem like much to many, but for someone who works out as frequently as I do, and as someone who has an accelerated metabolism, putting on weight is quite a task.  I would like to tell y'all how I did it, and especially how I maintained it (I had a shirtless scene about halfway through the shoot), but the truth is that I never wrote it down.

Well, I kind of liked that challenge.  So I thought to myself "what if I try to gain functional, real strength, while at the same time putting a bit of size on myself?"

Welcome to what I'm dubbing "The Strength Test Project."

Note that I'm not calling it "the size project" or something.  I want to put muscle on me that not only looks good on camera, but is muscle that I can use for various races and activities I'm doing this summer, including my first ever Triathlon.  As I tell people: don't train for show, but train for go.  But first, down to the stats, because I have to know what I'm working with in order to gain strength and know where I'm going to begin.  

• Resting Heart Rate: 60 Beats Per Minute
• Weight: 169 lbs 
• Body Fat: 6.3%
• Neck Measurement: 16”
• Shoulders at their widest point (halfway between your nipples and your clavicle): 48”
• Chest (measuring tape right across your nipples and under your arms): 40”
• Waist 3 inches above your bellybutton: 32.5”
• Waist at your belly button: 32”
• Waist 3 inches below your belly button: 35”
• Hips at their widest point: 39”
• Thigh 9 inches above the top of your kneecap: 23”/23.5”
• Thigh 6 inches above the top of your kneecap: 21”/21”
• Thigh 3 inches above the top of your kneecap: 18”/18”
• Calf at its widest point: 16”/15.75”
• Bicep (flexed) measure the widest point: 15”/15”
• Forearm at its widest point: 13”/13” 

Ab Vanity Shot, With Free Action Glasses!

...And Here's a Bicep Flex

So the basic plan is to do four days of hardcore working out, starting with moderate weights to not completely shock my body.  This will also be complimented with a wide variety of cardio, including swimming (shocker I know) and biking (which I'm personally not looking forward to).  Along the way I'm going to be modifying the exercises and intensity of the workouts as needed, so it's going to constantly challenge my body.

The program itself is going to last eight weeks, during which time, if anyone has any questions regarding this, I will be posting a weekly video to highlight my progress, and will hopefully answer any and all questions, comments, concerns, and reasons as to why I'm putting myself through this awful process (or if any questions are asked at all).

Let's get started!  Today I focused mainly on a few compound exercises, followed by complimenting exercises designed to exhaust the body parts.  If anyone wants me to, I can film myself demonstrating the exercises that I'm doing, as I'm trying to keep these postings kind of short...I said kinda didn't I?

Here was the exercise regiment that I did today; a few of these exercises (specifically the high pull and the straight leg deadlift) were brand new to me, so I didn't want to start with very heavy weights.  Most of these exercises I started with moderately heavy weights, to get my body used to the load (didn't want to kill it on the first day, I've got 8 weeks to last!).

Here we go: 

• Main Workout:
• Handstand Pushups and Repetition Jerks (all at 95 pounds): 3 sets of 5; 2 sets of 3
• Weighted Chin Ups (27.5 pounds) and High Pulls (85 pounds): 3 sets of 5; 2 sets of 3
• Power Shrug (55 pound dumbbells) and Thrusters (35 pounds): 3 sets of 5
• Lat Pulldown (100 pounds) and Single Arm Dumbbell Row (55 pounds): 3 sets of 5
• Deadlift (185 pounds) and Straight Leg Deadlift (115 pounds): 3 sets of 5
• Split Jump: 2 sets of 30 seconds
• Gunther Hops: 2 sets of 30 seconds

In addition, I did a little upper body routine, which I will be doing 4-5 days a week, slowly increasing the repetitions as time goes on:

• Chin Ups: 5 sets: 9/8/9/8/9
• Incline Pushups with Handles: 25/25/25/25/25
• Handstand Pushups: 2/2/2/2/2

And of course, I did some abdominal work:

• Hanging Leg Raise x 7, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Hanging Leg Raise x 1, Clockwork Leg Raise x 4, Hanging Leg Raise x 1, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Hanging Leg Raise x 7, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Twisting Knee Raise x 4, Hanging Knee Raise x 5
• Twisting Knee Raise x 4, Hanging Knee Raise x 5

Oh yes, and let's not forget; I ran about 50 minutes today.  Not a fast pace, but a comfortable cruising pace that allowed me to listen to my music and just forget about everything.  

Well, that's all for now; tomorrow I hit day 2, and I have a feeling I'm gonna be sore...

Motivational Monday: Make Your Own Miracles: My Philosophy

Hey there everybody!  After a bit of a creative hiatus to get me back to my roots (which involved me seeing friends and family, including two friends of mine getting married, yay!), I'm back with vigor.
You know, a little over two years ago, I graduated college with a degree in Musical Theatre.  Now to my knowledge no one had graduated with that kind of degree in at least 10 years (it was an individualized major).  A lot of people said that I was nuts, that it couldn't be done.  Yet there I was, doing what people thought was a fool's errand.
When I said I wanted to be a film actor, I had more than a few people say that I had to "go to Los Angeles, be there 3-5 years, and then you may get some parts, but you'll never really make it."  I've barely been at this film thing for 1.5 years, and already I am a union actor (SAG-AFTRA); I have a demo reel and a website; people are contacting me for gigs; and I am on the top of my game.
People told me I'd have to choose, that I'd have to give up some activities as I got older.  Since I've graduated, I've worked on feature films and commercials; done Tough Mudder and Spartan Race; met and embraced a new family in the worlds of film and physical fitness; travelled across the country.  I am surrounded by so many friends and family who want the best for me, I've honestly lost track.
So to all of those people who think that I don't have what it takes, to all of those people who wish to see me fail, let me tell you this: I've done all of this in 1.5 years, and I haven't even begun yet.  If you think I've succeeded now, you ain't seen nothing yet.  Brace yourself, because I'm making my own miracles, each and every day.