Ode to Bacon

Dearest Bacon,

    It is almost Valentine's day and I wanted you to know that I love you. You are an amazing food. I could tell you that I love you because you just look so sexy or maybe that I love how when I'm frying you up I feel like you are giving a round of applause, cheering me on in all that I do. But that's too generic. So instead I'm going to tell you some of the non-traditional reasons I love you!

Choline - Bacon you contain Choline. No, not the chemical that goes in water, but Choline the water-soluble essential nutrient. Do you know what you do for babies? You help fetal brain development. Want to know a 100% real fact I am just now making up? Isaac Newton, Einstein and Hawking's mothers all ate a shit ton of bacon to help create super geniuses.

Bacon cures hangovers - Science has proven that you can cure the hangover I get when overindulging in alcohol. That is amazing and magical. Because you are full of protein, you break down into much needed amino acids. And when all that whiskey (just kidding, whiskey would never be so cruel as to give me a hangover. Let's blame a shitty beer, Budweiser. Wait, kidding again. I won't drink that shit. Vodka.Yeah. FUCK VODKA) vodka depletes my all too precious neurotransmitters, your high levels of amines tops off my levels giving me a clearer head and helping me remember what I may have forgotten from the night before, or to solve morning mysteries, like who peed the bed!

Addictive - You're addictive! I know, that might not sound like something I should be in love with but I am because you are way better for me than a crack addition. Seriously. When craving bacon, I've never thought "I should suck some strangers dick in an alley for money to buy bacon." No, I just go into one of the 69% (Um,awesome percentage!) of food service operators that serve you. That's way easier than sucking a dick. The addictive neurochemical response created by your Umami is second to none. 

You might help me live longer - That's right bacon, despite the metric shit ton of sodium and fat located within your meaty body, you could potentially help me live longer. The science on this isn't the most solid, but you contain a substantial amount of Niacin and when roundworms were fed a ton of niacin, they lived 1/10th longer than the worms that didn't eat all the niacin. Maybe that is why your patron saint, St. Anthony the Abbot is believed to have lived to 105 years old. Like a mother fucking, bacon eating boss.

Oh bacon, how I love thee. I do have to say though, I don't love Canadian Bacon. The problem with Canadian Bacon is it taste like lies. 

Bacon, this Valentine's day, I'm going to put you inside me. 

Love,
Alex

Note: If anyone reading this doesn't like bacon, please never ever read my blog again. I hate you and your stupid face.

Letter to my Dad

****Before you read.  This is going to be an uncharacteristically serious post for me.  If you come here for my hilarious writing, awesome judgement and to just generally be awestruck by my awesomeness, this may not be the post for you.  It's a post that is for me.  I could hand write this and not bother the world with it but 1) that shit would hurt my hand and 2) on the off chance someone, somewhere out there appreciates this it will have been worth posting publicly.  Okay, I've warned you.  If you read this and are disappointed at the end, you're a moron and you deserve your disappointment.  Just saying.****

   Dear Dad,

    It's been just over eight months since you passed.  I've experienced my first Father's Day without you.  I miss you, a lot.  Often times it's the littlest things that make me miss you the most.  For example, a few weeks ago at work in the cafeteria, they were serving beef stew.  It made me miss your beef stew, because to this day, you made the best beef stew.  I've thought about trying to make it, but have been afraid to try making it.  Isn't that silly?  Being afraid of making a dish of food?  But I am afraid because I'll make the beef stew, and it will suck donkey balls in comparison to yours, and then I'll miss you and your beef stew all over again.  Anyway, there are lots of things I want to tell you.  That I've wanted to tell you but couldn't because your gone.  I wish I could say them, but I'm not as good with speaking and finding the right words as I am as writing the right words. 
    Anyway, I'm kind of mad at you for the way I had to find you.  Coming upon a dead body is not something that I ever wanted to experience, much less my father's.  At the same time, I would have been incredibly pissed if someone called me and told me you passed away, so you can't really win here.  It was a shitty situation and I get upset when I think about it.  I see your body then I see the look on Kate's face and I remember the realization of what it all meant.  Damnit that sucked!  I'm also mad at you for leaving me when I was still grieving mom.  We had plans to hang out on the anniversary of her death the day after I found you and I needed that day to hang out and remember mom.  Instead I had to grieve the anniversary of mom's death AND try to wrap my head around your death.  Oh! I also had to deal with Guaranty Bank.  Do you have any idea how shitty of an institution they are?  Why in God's name were you banking with them?  I was literally moments away from stabbing several different employees at Guaranty Bank at different times.  That would have been your fault. I'm mad that you won't get to see any children that Kate and I have.  That they will grow up without a "grumpy grandpa Jim."  We are moving into a new place that needs some work.  I would have loved to bring you over and have you help show me how to do the repairs instead of being left guessing, googling and asking people that aren't you for help.  That's not fair!  I don't want the world to know of my general incompetence.  I've done a fairly decent job convincing the world I'm not an idiot.  Only you and maybe Kate were supposed to know. 
 
    You see dad, there is supposed to be an evolution of the relationship between a parent and a child.  The parent starts out as the teacher, helping to guide and teach the child the basics of language and interaction with people, places and things.  Then, they continue to guide their education while they are in school and act as authorities, establishing rules and setting boundaries which the child must push.  Then after the child becomes an "adult" the relationship slowly but surely starts to turn into more of a friendship.  I didn't get that with you though.  I think that's what I'm most mad about.

     It's not all being mad though, I promise you.  I'm happy you're with mom now.  I know that's what you wanted most of all, I know how much you, how much we, missed her.  You no longer have to miss her but instead get to sit with her and talk like you used to.  Talk about anything and everything, about that stupid show Big Brother you both were so into.  Hell, you get to watch real life Big Brother.  Hopefully I'm one of your favorite characters in real life Big Brother.  I'm happy you aren't in pain anymore.  Every time you cried out in pain, when I saw you close your eyes, grit your teeth, guard whatever part of you was hurting, it hurt me.  And, even in your death you have managed to teach me things.  I've learned a lot about myself, how I react to stress, how I internalize.  How I cope.  You definitely gave me your sense of humor, I used that a lot to cope with the loss of you. What am I saying, used. I should say I USE that a lot to help me cope with the loss of you. You can ask Kate, I definitely inherited your penchant for telling stupid jokes.  I also think mom must have somehow contacted her because she doesn't always react to them even though they are obviously hilarious.
 
    I don't know if you were reading over my shoulder when I read the card that Aunt Kathy gave me after your funeral, but it was really sweet.  I know you two had your differences and didn't always see eye to eye but it seems like she now knows there was a side to you she didn't know before.  She said she saw you were a good man, an amazing man and she got to see it because she saw it in me she said.
 
    Holy shit this is getting heavy even for me.  They're coming out with a Red 2!  While moving I saw the ticket stub that you kept for when you saw Red with Kate and I.  Kate and I will definitely be seeing that in theaters and we'll hold a seat for you.  Seriously, if someone tries to sit in your seat I will punch them in the face.  There we go...that's the dark sense of humor I use to cope.
 
    I don't have anymore right now.  Just know that I love you, I miss you and I do forgive you for leaving me the way you did.  It's selfish of me to be mad and I recognize that, but I am.  I'll get over it and I know it wasn't personal.  Despite being mad though, I can and do forgive you.  I love you pops!

Sincerely and with the greatest love,


Your son.

Transformation Room

     Welcome to the newest installment of the most inconsistent blog of all time!  I swear, eventually I'll get some sort of schedule going and update this thing regularly.  Really not sure if I'll have a direction, but lately it's all been judgements and my ruling on the awesomeness of something.  Well, in line with that,  if you have talked to me at all over the past month or so, you know I've joined a new gym, Transformation Room.  I figured it was about time for a new blog post and this time, I'd talk about the Transformation Room and pass judgement. 

    First, the basics: It is located on the corner of 55th and Vliet.  It's not your Snap Fitness, Planet Fitness, Blast Fitness or any of those other _______ Fitness exercises place.  It's a smaller gym, with the owner also being the trainer.  Her name is Linda, and I'll focus specifically on her later.  You can do either one on one training with Linda or participate in one of her many group classes.  (Note: I have only done group classes, I can't comment on personal training, I can just make an educated guess and as I'm always right my guess will be accurate).  Class sizes are generally 12 people or less, depending on which class you are in.  The demographic of people coming to the class are generally all younger people based on what I've seen, in their 20's and 30's.  Majority of the people in the classes that I've attended are women with there almost always being another guy or two mixed in. Now while there are other people there, once the workout begins you likely will forget about them, once I start talking about the TRX workout, I think it will help explain why.  Linda has a playlist playing in the background while working out so the sounds you hear while working out are Linda, the music, and people generally swearing/muttering under their breath, and if you are working out with me, a few pounds of sweat hitting the floor.  I'm a disgusting human being, but if you know me, that's not news to you.

    There are a lot of classes you can go to at Transformation Room and no two will be exactly the same.  Linda works on changing up the workouts for each class.  I have attended two different classes, TRX and Xtreme Stations.  I have only been to one Xtreme Stations class, so I don't really want to comment on it.  What I will say is it's designed like it sounds.  There are a number of stations that you rotate between and you challenge yourself on each station.  The one time I went, it was very core heavy and I'm fairly certain I heard my abs curse Linda's name in German this morning.  Why they are cursing in German I have no clue, probably because it's an angry language.  But this isn't about that.  The class I do have more experience with is TRX. 
    "Alex, what the hell is TRX?"

    Geez, hold on, I was going to get to it.  It is a method of working out created by a Navy Seal.  I'm guessing the story goes, the Seal was sitting around and thought I want a portable workout that is good, versatile and that if other people do will make them hurt.  That's exactly what it is.  Using straps attached to an anchor point, you can do any number of exercises using your body weight.  What's really great about this is depending on where you stand, you can adjust how much weight you are actually lifting and make the exercising as challenging as you need it to be.  A TRX class will start with a warm-up; you will jog, jump some jacks and do other dynamic movements to get your blood pumping and your body ready.  After that, you will do some stretches and then the fun starts.  As I mentioned, Linda has planned out the workouts and so she will tell you which exercise you are doing and you do that exercise.  Instead of focusing on doing X number of reps, you focus on doing as many as you can with proper form in the allotted time.  Some classes, she will work your upper arms.  Those are what I am now calling T-Rex days.  I call them that because the next day your arms are useless to you.  There are lower body days, or Elevator days.  I say that because days after we work the legs, I take the elevator.  Clever, right?  I know.  I AM AMAZING.  Some days, if you're really unlucky lucky, she will work everything.  I have only had the privelege of participating in one of those days and I learned several valuable lessons that day about working out with Linda and Transformaton Room:

1. Pace yourself - if you go 100mph from the get go you'll be out of gas really fast and the workout won't stop just cause you're pooped.
2. Modify.  The closer to the center my feet were, the more of a challenge it was.  I don't think there was one exercise in which the starting point of my feet and the ending point of my feet were the same.  Sometimes, they felt like they were miles apart.
3. If you pay attention to other people, especially on your first day, you'll be very tempted to cry.  Seriously, there are women who go there that are these tiny little petite things.  But you know what, I can guarantee they can all probably kick my ass because they have been doing TRX for a while and are insane.
4. Their are way more muscles in the body then I realized and I have a nursing degree.  Yeah, and when you first start working out after a hiatus, they will all hurt.  Your body wants you to believe working out is bad, DON'T LISTEN TO IT.  While I still hurt the days following a workout, the pain fades and you do have a feeling of accomplishment so it's a good thing.

    Linda did a really good job of helping to make sure I figured those things out that first day.  She always worked to make sure I was performing the exercise properly so I worked what I was supposed to and also so I didn't injure myself.  During the workouts, she walks through the room and helps correct people to help maximize their workout by ensuring proper form.  She is quick to praise you when you are doing a good job and she won't let you slack.  If she sees you struggling she will offer a way for you to make it easier but still work.  Also, I think she does a great job of fostering a friendly atmosphere.  I'm horrible with names, so asking if I know the names of the people I workout with would be setting me up for failure and so help me god if I'm going to let you do that.  I do however recognize them and feel like they are my brothers and sisters in arms against the workout and that together we can kick the workout's ass and make it through.  Through all the grunting and sweating and hydrating, the people in the class are smiling and laughing, which I take as a good sign. Basically, TRX is an amazing workout and you should all give it a try.  I've been doing it for about a month now and the straps no longer terrify me and with you using your own bodyweight to workout, it doubles as a great incentive to make sure you eat right.  Cause when you are faced with the choice between eating that Triple Whopper, pound of fries and drinking 2 liters of Soda or not, with a TRX workout looming you'll choose not to.  There are definitely ways I can improve my diet still, but I eat more fruit and veggies now and am working to cook at home more just so I might not have to lift quite so much during my next workout.  Also, I know the strength that I'm gaining is functional.  I know I'll get definition and muscles doing the workout, however, more importantly I know my strength will be real world transferrable and will make me one solid SOB. 

    In conclusion, Transformaton Room is an amazing gym.  The group classes are second to none and Linda is incredilby passionate about all that she does, so whether you are doing a group class or one on one training you are going to get an amazing workout.  You will work your body like it's making minimum wage and become better because of it.  I would encourage you if you are interested in giving it a try.  Or if you aren't interested, give it a try because you're wrong for not being interested.  Here is a link to the website for a schedule of their classes and a description of all of them: http://www.transformationroomfit.com/index.html

 I have spoken.

Product Judgement: Insanity (Part 4)

    It's been a while since I updated on my progress with Insanity.  When we last left off, I was going into the eye of the storm.  I had a week of a workout called Core Cardio and Balance.  I really like that workout.  In the beginning it focuses more on the cardio aspect, and then it finishes off with two killer exercises that will leave a burning in your hips and shoulders you didn't think was possible without an actual flame.  After the first month it is a welcome recovery week.  I liked it.  My wife, who did the workout with me a few times actually said, "They should start Insanity out with this!"  I don't think that would be a bad idea, however, Shaun T seems to be a fan of throwing people into the deep end to see if they sink or swim.  Overall though, I was really happy with my progress and how smoothly recovery week went.

    Then month two officially started.  The workouts consist of Max Cardio Conditioning, Max Interval Circuit, Max Interval Plyo, Max Recovery, Cardio Abs and Core Cardio and Balance.  If month one was throwing you into the deep end to see if you could sink or swim, month two is tying your hands and legs together and attaching 50 lb weights to your ankles, spinning you around and throwing you in the middle of the ocean.  Drugs are also probably involved.  I shit you not, I would stand there, staring at the TV saying "How the fuck are you even doing that?"  Also, I swore enough month two week one to make a sailor blush.  I actually was overwhelmed the first day when I had to do the fit test and then the Max Interval Circuit workout in the same day.  I ended up pushing everything back so I could get all my workouts in.  Which, I will take this opportunity to say, is something you may have to do, but if you are serious about wanting results and to get into shape and get healthy, is something you will do.  One of the biggest challenges of Insanity has been making it a priority, because believe me, there are many things I'd rather be doing than sweating all over our living room, swearing at the TV and pushing myself to exhaustion.  However, I make it work, and as you see results and progress, it makes it worth it. 

    Another lesson I learned so far this month, the value of eating right.  I've been good watching how many calories I put into my body thanks to an app on my android, MyFitnessPal.  However, just watching your calories is only one part of fueling your body.  Even eating smaller portions, unhealthy crap food is still, unhealthy crap food.  I had more bar food and junk than I have in a while, thinking to myself, "Calories are calories, I need to have some energy to burn off when I workout."  However, when it came time to working out, I really didn't want to.  I didn't have that excitement or energy ready to be released during the workout.  Frantically I searched for excuses not to work out.  Fortunately I had the willpower to workout, I know though that those workouts weren't everything they could have been.  It wasn't until the Sunday of that first week (normally an off day but as I mentioned earlier I had to push things back to make sure I did everything), when I ate good food all day and then worked out that I noticed the difference.  I felt great after the workout, felt like I could do a second workout and felt like I really kicked ass.  (I wonder how many more times I could say felt?  Probably a lot, I feel it in me bones that I can do it, however, I'll be good and not do it.  And you know what, making that decision felt good.) So yeah, if you really want to fuel your body, be ready to workout and see progress, fruits and vegetables are your friend.  Bar food is not.  Though it does taste delicious from time to time. 

    Well, that's all for today.  I have two more weeks until I can call myself an Insanity graduate.  When I finish those weeks I will give the final report card on my progress, showing the progress I've made on the fit test, number of pounds lost, the number of asses I feel like I can adequately kick before I get completely, and of course, my final judgement on Insanity.  Stay tuned.  Or don't.  Just kidding, definitely stay tuned! 

Product Judgement: Cards Against Humanity

    Bored on a Saturday night?  Or a Monday night?  Or any other night of the week? 

    Well that's your problem.  I'd love to help but I'm too busy playing my newest game, Cards Against Humanity.  As the box says, it's a "Party Game for Horrible People."  That was what really sold it for me, because so rarely do I see a game that is specifically targeted towards horrible people like me.  The biggest question wasn't whether to buy it or not, but is it really horrible enough for me?  

    Before I share if it is horrible enough for me, let me explain how to play.  Have you ever played Apples to Apples?  HAHAHAHAHA, I know, I'm hilarious.  Everyone and their mother has played Apples to Apples.  And if you haven't, well, thanks for ruining that little joke for me you big jerk face.  Are you proud of yourself? 

    I digress.  Cards Against Humanity is played exactly like Apples to Apples.  Each player is dealt out 10 cards to start, and then a person is chosen at random to go first and are given the title Card Czar.  The Card Czar then picks a card from the specified black pile (some cards are white, some cards are black, reads it aloud, and the rest of the players choose a card from their hand they feel best answers/fills in the blank of the card chosen.  Then, the Card Czar (I may use that title as often as possible, I like it, so deal with my repetition) chooses which card he/she thinks is best based on whatever criteria they feel is best.  They give the player they think played the best white card the black card and the title of Card Czar moves to the right and play continues.  Play continues until the deck of black cards is exhausted or a pre-determined number of black cards is achieved by a player or until everyone gets sick of playing, though that last option likely won't happen anytime soon. 

    Now, the important question, is the game horrible enough for me?  Let me give you an example of some cards:
Black Card: During sex, I like to think about ___________.  White Cards: Sarah Palin, Homeless People, Goblins, Shooting a rifle into the air while going balls deep in a hog

Black Card: The CIA now interrogates enemy agents by repeatedly subjecting them to _____________? White Cards: A Big Black Dick, Rush Limbaugh's soft shitty body, a plunger to the face, a bigger blacker Dick.

    Excuse me while I wipe a tear from my eye.  I'm just so happy.  These truly are awful cards for an awful person like me.  And what's best, I chose some of the more appropriate cards!  God Bless this screwed up country of ours.  This game is amazing.  You will laugh, you will cry (mainly from laughing) and you will see just how messed up your friends can be.  It is a wonderful time, and if you aren't at least interested in playing this game once, you are wrong. 

    Judgement:  This game is amazing and you should buy it, along with the two expansion packs for a wonderful time.  Nothing brings people together like inappropriate response to inappropriate questions that help reveal how screwed up you and all of your friends are.  Buy this game or bow your head in shame. 

Product Judgement: Insanity Part 3

    So as I sit here, cooling off and eating almonds like a boss after my Insanity workout, I realize I just completed the last workout of month one.  Seemed like a good time to do a one month summary. 

    There have been no new workouts since my last post.  I rotate between Plyometric Cardio Circuit, Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs, Cardio Recovery and Cardio Power & Resistance.  I have noticed a considerable difference in my ability to get through the workouts.  I still take a lot of breaks and drink a crap ton of water.  I honestly drink my recommended daily amount of water in the course of an hour and a half thanks to Insanity.  Incidentally, I also sweat most of that out on our living room floor each workout.  Then when I'm done, I wring my shirt and watch the sweat come pouring out.  (Sexy right?  I know!  But sorry ladies, I'm taken.)  The biggest challenge has honestly been my motivation.  Despite seeing that I've lost almost 10 lbs, now having to wear a belt with all of my pants and the improvements in just my ability to keep up with the workouts, I've gotten a tad bit bored.  Having done part of  P90X before, I'm used to having quite a variety of workouts.  That is part of what makes completing month one so exciting to me.  Insanity is going to transform and introduce me to a few new workouts now. 

    Looking forward on the workout calendar they provide so that I know what workouts to do and when, I see I have a recovery week next week.  I do a workout called Core Cardio and Balance for a week and generally let my body recover from the craziness it has been subjected to.  A good way to look at it is I will be in the eye of the storm.  It will be calm and quiet, and then month two starts.  Just peaking at month two, I see that each workout is entitled "Max" something or other.  Max?  Max?  WHAT THE HELL HAVE I BEEN DOING IF IT'S NOT MAX?  Just thinking about it, while I am excited about the new workouts and the challenge, I'm also scared.  Scared of just how insane this is all going to be and also scared that I may snap and hunt down Shaun T. and cut him.  I really don't want to do that, but a guy has gotta do what a guy has gotta do. 

    Well that's all I have for now, expect an update in a few weeks, where I'll share my sweat and likely tears (if I have enough water left over for tears) with all of you.  I may also request you, my loyal readers, to help provide me with an alibi.  Keep it real folks!

Product Judgement: Insanity Review Part 2

Howdy folks! 

I know it's been a while since I've updated this.  There are two main reasons for that: One is I don't have an actual computer at home and lest I want to do this blog small time and update via my phone, it won't happen unless I have free time at a real computer.  Secondly, I got sidelined by an injury.  I did the first three days of week one, my schedule got really hectic and crazy, and then when I started back up the next week I found I had a rather nasty shin splint that made doing even the warm-up near impossible.  As in addition to being Catholic, I also worship both Greek and Norse Gods, I called up my homie Zeus and asked him what he thought about my shin split and he assured me that if Hercules had the same injury, well, let's just say his twelve feats would have ended much more quickly and less positively.  Don't worry though folks, I am alive and well and shin splint free now. I still have the occasional flare up of pain in my shin, but I just punch it in the head in the form of ice packs and all is well.  Seriously, stop crying for me.  I mean it.  Now you are just embarrasing yourself.  Geez.  You are all a bunch of cry babies.  WHY DO I LET YOU READ MY AWESOMENESS IF ALL YOU ARE GOING TO DO IS CRY?

Well, now that I've bothered you by calling you names and with my sob story of shin splints that would have made Achilles slice his own tendon to distract from the pain, on to the review!

I am officially on week three.  I re-started week one as I wanted to do the program as close to what was directed as possible.  In the first two weeks I have logged enough air time via all the plyometric jumping moves that I am considering contacting airline companies to see if I can get some frequent flyer miles.  The workouts I've done thus far include: Plyometric Cardio Circuit, Cardio Power and Resistance, Cardio Recovery, Pure Cardio, Cardio Abs, and the Fit Test which I explained in my previous post.  The warm-up for the fit test, which I thought was difficult, was actually just 1/3 of a regular warm-up I do.  The eight moves that I had to do in the fit test are regular exercises I do in these routines and I have covered the floor in my apartment in a pleasant smelling layer of sweat more times than I can count.  Because I don't want to get bogged down in the details of each individual exercise in each of those videos, I'll give general overviews.  If I find out people are interested and/or I get motivated enough to, I'll go into more detail at some point.  For now though you will read the overviews and you will like it!

Plyometric Cardio Circuit:  You jump a lot in this DVD.  Also, you find out Shaun T. is a dirty pirate hooker and lies a lot and leads you to believe it's just one more set or one more exercise.  Towards the end you do punching drills and I regularly imagine that I am punching Shaun T in the face. 
Cardio Power and Resistance: You do a lot of jumping in this DVD as well.  However, you also do various forms of push-ups to work your upper body so it is as sore and hates you as much as your legs do.  Shaun T. is still a dick.
Cardio Recovery: This is a day of no jumping, you do various stretches reminiscent of Yoga.  I tend to sweat a lot because my body enjoys me being gross, but after watching my fellow Insanity do-ers in the video, I see it makes them work-up a pretty good sweat as well in the video.  So while it is definitely a recovery from the other days, you will still work.
Pure Cardio: This was the day I decided Shaun T. is a sadist.  You do the warm-up, get a water break, cause you know, you normally need a water break after a warm-up, then do some stretches to loosen your body up, have another water break, then you do a series of 15 exercises for a minute each with no scheduled water break.  That probably doesn't sound too bad to you, which is fine, that's your opinion.  I encourage you to remember that opinion as you come over and do this workout.  Then tell me you still believe that.  Also, as punishment for you insolence, you will not be allowed to swear at Shaun T. like I do nor will you be allowed to drink by Brita Filtered water.  You get Milwaukee Tap water and you will like it.  The saving grace of this workout is you do see the people in the video taking breaks, being told to go get water and at the end even Shaun T. lays on the ground in utter exhaustion just before a prompt on the screen tells you to never stop moving.  Stupid prompts. 
Cardio Abs: Much to my surprise, this video worked my abs.  I expected it to work my deltoids and/or little toe.  Weird that it works my abs instead.  On it's own, it would be a workout but not insane.  You work your core, especially your obliques.  However, this is done at the end of another workout and when tacked onto the end of Pure Cardio, it's clear the devil is involved in this. 

Yesterday, the start of week three, I did another Fit Test.  I am happy to report that in 7/8 exercises I did better than my original test.  The other exercise I matched, which is all I was hoping for as it's an exercise that involves four jumps but you can only count that as one.  (Reminder Shaun T. is a dirty pirate hooker who lies a lot)  So I have seen progress and combined with healthy eating, I have seen improvements pretty much all across the board, my cardio level, my weight, my energy and my confidence.  Confidence sounds weird, but trust me, you do these work outs and you start to develop a little swagger and confidence that you can handle whatever the world throws at you. 

Well that's all for now.  I'm going to keep at this workout and I will continue to let you know how it goes.  Until next time, remember, I'm clearly awesome and so everything I say is worth reading and listening to.