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With Matthew in the hospital last week, it was about all I could do to try to keep up with the program. I think I did a fairly good job while doing my best to keep everything else under control.

Monday I had done the Chest and Back routine, but skipped the Ab Ripper.

Tuesday started early at 4:00am. After Matthew's surgery and after his recovery was well underway, I snuck home for a bit to do the Plyometrics workout and take a quick shower before heading back to the hospital and sleeping on the rock hard couch in the freezing Parent's Lounge. I took it a little less easy on Plyometrics because my knees are feeling a lot better these days.

Wednesday I managed to find time to get home for the Shoulders and Arms routine, but skipped the Ab Ripper routine. I should stop making a habit of that. Took a quick shower and headed back to the hospital to sleep on the rock hard couch in the freezing Parent's Lounge. I'm still moving up with weights on these exercises, so I'm not quite at my maximum effort.

So Thursday I went home in the morning for the Ab Ripper routine, took a shower, and went back to the hospital. Thursday night I went home with the intention of doing the Yoga routine, but I got back late and had a few other things to do, and ended up sleeping at home. But on the couch so as to not be too comfortable. I noticed that it was a lot easier to hit more reps on the ab routine without doing it immediately following another hour long workout. I did 317 moves.

I meant to wake up and do the Yoga routine Friday morning, but mornings and me still don't get along very well. The rest of Friday was a blur - I went back to the hospital, helped pack up the room, went over all the discharge paperwork, took Matthew to the car, and had Lisa drop me off at work. I got home, helped put Matthew to bed, managed to wrangle some grub, and practically fell asleep on the couch - but I had to walk the dog, so I did that and collapsed into bed.

Saturday was a nice family day, like nearly every weekend day since Matthew has come into our lives. But I still made time for that pesky Yoga routine in the afternoon. Later in the evening I did the Legs and Back routine, but since that was my second workout for the day, I skipped the Ab Ripper routine. Noticing a pattern? :) 34 pull ups and 26 chin ups.

Now it's Sunday, I've wasted some time creating a nice graph to track my progress with the program, and I haven't done the Ab Ripper routine like I've promised myself I would. And then later I plan to do the Kenpo X routine.

But first things first, I need to let my dinner digest a little more before I attempt the city of hurt that is Ab Ripper X. And then Kenpo X.

I'm sure I won't find anything to get in my way from doing these tonight.

I'm absolutely certain of it.

I think.

8-D

So I was sore, but I lived.

And the next day I did the full plyometrics workout. Slightly modified to be easier on my knees, but not so much that I didn't have a good heart rate going throughout. And my knees felt fine later that night, and the next day, and the next. Of course, by "fine" I mean "still hurting, slightly sore, still feels like they're recovering". But to me, that's great. More on how great my knees are later.

The day after Plyometrics was Shoulders and arms, and Ab Ripper. I'm still taking shoulder specific lifts fairly easy - like anything involving the deltoids or rotators, and I'm aggressively increasing the weights on mid- and high-back exercises - traps, scapula, etc. And I'm also increasing aggressively for my biceps and triceps. So those are all sore. And of course I also had more physical therapy right after work, and the Ab Ripper routine afterwards. I'm increasing the amount of core reps I'm able to do with Ab Ripper, but not very quickly any more - it's hard work, and a tough uphill climb.

The day after that I did the Yoga X routine. Or at least, a half hour of it. I got started too late, and I worked up a really good sweat in that half hour. Lots of isometric exercise of muscles. Next time around I'll definitely do more of the Yoga, but I was feeling pretty beat.

About those knees - I was walking spike and decided to jog half a block on the way back. And I'm still walking fine the day after. Hooray!