Day 90: yatto!! otsukare sama!

CONGRATS to fellow PCPers; we did it--day 90 at long last!!

fellow PCPer Don and i met up in Victoria Park for today's last set of exercises. after his recent bout with a nasty cold, as well as 3 days in Munich for Okctoberfest, he came prepared with a new rather industrial looking rope, as well as new ipod portable speakers for the workout:

i really enjoyed Patrick sensei's last workout assignment for us. for day 90's exercises then, i made a combination of the day 13 list, but substituted the rowing with pull-ups and the sit-ups with kung-fu sit-ups. i anticipated getting done quickly, but didn't think it would be all over in 35 mins, and feel THAT "easy."

counting skips was nostalgic, but over before i could barely break a sweat. then, i was able to do 3x5 pull-ups all without any resistance band or other help!  before i could barely do 2 before getting failed out. i also plowed through the ensuing 3 sets of each exercise after that (chest, triceps, etc) and just felt so strong and accomplished!  finally, i was able to actually get my legs above 45degree on the kung-fu situps too, which i had all be given up on earlier. OK, my knees were bent, but still, i got all 3 sets done!  overall, just very satisfying work-out day :)

after taking some pics, got cleaned up and then a couple of friends and i took the train up to Guangzhou. met up with my dad there and enjoyed my first post PCP meal, in style--none other than the food, ingredients and cooking of my family's roots, native Canton!  (and yes, after dinner, i did get giddy-tipsy over 1/8 of a pint of beer and a vodka soda!)

will post final thoughts and a few comparison pics in my last entry soon to follow...
CONGRATS again everyone--well done, great job, cheers

Day 89: Focus on your training, Daniel-san

"Use focus. Your best karate still inside. Now time let out!"

exhausted after today's extra super sets. what a great feeling of failure throughout the body tho~  back in HK so at least the weather was nice and cool, rather perfect for the long workout. also, had the high pull-up bars and chest bars as needed.

still really am not satisfied with how quickly i get to failures on chest dips, but will continue pushing. for those that are interested, as Patrick about MOVING planks, if you want to hit failure faster :)

averaged about 4-5 hours a sleep the past 10 days in Tokyo so ready to hit the sack early, catch up on some slumber and wake up... to DAY 90 !

Day 88 - last day in Tokyo

i had pretty much stayed put in HK during the first 10 weeks of the program. but, the past 10 days since having come to Tokyo have been very challenging. i now totally understand how a relocation or even a trip can be disruptive for PCP.

had to find new places to work out, at odd times, and also fit in new cooking and food prep times, in new places--ARGH!!  not what i wanted for last 10 days of program, but i suppose as far as timing goes, better to have happened at the end. another positive point was to know that even though i didn't stay as true to the diet as i had previously done--i didn't get double skips or 8 mins abs like before--i was still able to stay strong, and still get the exercises done. only thing i really missed was the 8 hours per night of sleep. not sure how to combat that, or if you can get it back really.

another plus was that mental health was stayed strong--rather than feeling sense of guilt for not getting the full PCP commitment i had before, i focused more on the great feeling i got from the workouts, and also just let the slight diet slippages go as they may. perhaps a sign that i am coming out of PCP tunnel vision as we draw to the close.

Day 87: super tired, but good failing...

as Patrick mentioned yesterday during our session:
for true fails, "failing fast is always good"

finally managed to fit in my exercises first thing this AM again--first time i've done so since coming to Tokyo last week.  after abt 1.5 days of what felt like an indian summer, it turned cold quite suddenly today, along with a rather fierce chill wind blowing.

lots of failures and am extremely tired now at day end...  only 3 more to go!  giddy-up!

Day 86: Mr. Miyagi, in da house!

Note: had trouble uploading pics in Tokyo so only now getting to posting properly the blogs I had written from past 3 days.

------
welcome to SUPER SETS!  as you can see from the pic, i had a friend helping me out for today's exhaustive but great, burning exercises:

yes, indeed--none other than Patrick sensei himself!  boy, is it re-charging and motivating doing exercises with someone else. of course, thankfully, PCP teaches us that it's not needed, but still, it was a nice change. P-diddy sensei did the list of exercises together with me, and we held the last rep on each set for 2 seconds longer--what a difference it makes for a strong burn!  also found out i've been doing my standing ovations wrong  this whole time (doh!), by not opening the palms and bringing them together. AND that my jumprope has been way too long, in fact.

but overall, considered it a great opportunity to work directly with the master!  enjoyed most seeing in person  how genuinely caring, enthusiastic and committed he is to getting us to our peak conditions! and was also nice to hear about all the upcoming developments to the program in 2012.  thanks again Patrick for making the time!

ps--also got a chance to meet Patrick's lovely (and 8 months pregnant!) wife, and they showed me a nice, cozy cafe in Yokohama with the best coffee and baristas in town:

Day 85: how abt this for an ab exercise?

finally managed to get in a double session of skips in today, which i hadn't been able to do the past week since getting to Tokyo.

Mr. Miyagi asked us to find some new ab exercises to keep the body from switching to auto-pilot and keep the muscles working hard instead of getting used to the same routine there. i had previously been feeling proud of my 8 min abs mastery until watching the Pac Man's 10 mins here.  my fave are the rotating ones he does, at around the 2:45 mark in the clip.

these ones here are also incredible--i can't believe how still he keeps his body except for the legs! that is def some killer motivation for us~

Day 84: weekly weigh-in

came in at 66kgs today. in Tokyo this week so was unable to use the same scale i had previously been using in HK.  got 2 so went to 2 different friends houses and when i used their scales, got 2 very different readings, both nowhere really near where i was before: first one read 12% and while i was psyched, i knew it couldn't be THAT much of a decrease in 1 week.  next one read 24%!  so unf, can only really report weight accurately.

feeling strong and glad to have a break in the exercises (other than our best friend Mr. Jumprope, of course). had trouble posting pics from my side so will have to get them to flikr next time.

Day 83: and then there was one...

WOW,. can't believe we're only ONE week away from end of training. don't usually work out in the evenings, but did so tonight and surprisingly had a great workout. really felt strong and light.

about 4 weeks ago, i bought a new pair of pants to have at least one thing that would fit OK. those pants were 3 inches down from what i usually wore, pre-PCP. it was probably the first time i'd worn straight leg and SLIM pants ever.

today, the pants were literally falling off my waist when i started walking in them without a belt on. thank goodness for good value shopping at uniqlo, my recent wardrobe savior~

Day 82: man-boobs be gone.

from PCP tunnel vision land (on day 82), i'm proud to announce that one of my PCP goals regarding body physique, has been reached.  not sure when it happened in fact, but <drum roll>.... my boobies are gone.  yes, they've been replaced by a fairly proper, masculine chest finally!  i can happily say that i'm no longer a candidate to shop for Kramer's mansiere called the "BRO", one of the famous Seinfeld-ism creations. 

Day 81: barely surviving

this PC i'm using at friend's house has been totally erratic so not gonna bother trying to write too much, as i've already had to re-start 4 times and have missed MUCH precious sleep time b/c of this.  just barely managing to get my exercises in, with no extra opps to do add'l ropes or abs, can't stay compliant with PCP diet so dunno what to do, and only managing 4 hours of sleep.  not feeling positive or strong going into the last week.

except that, i did a bit of a double take, and just had to check out myself a couple of times while passing a mirror  these past few days. altho there's still a bit of visceral fat around the belly button, i am def starting to see some more ab definition. of course the arms and shoulders feeling strong, and enjoying that veiny, muscular look that i always saw in both my brothers' arms but not mine... until now :)    can def understand what Pat-diddy sensei's suggestion to check out a public gym is all about~

Day 80: t-minus ten!? really?!

can't believe we are now down to the last 10 days. schedule since coming to Tokes has been erratic and crazy, as have my meals, though i've tried to keep close to PCP-compliant.

just barely finished my exercises today. good failures for the most part, but still quite disappointed in my pull-ups and even more so, on my bicycles.

only gonna manage 6 hours of sleep again tonight unf~

Day 79: tokyo temptations

did the exercises this morning in my friend's apartment (where i'm staying). still need to find a place to do pull-ups and kungfu sit-ups tomorrow though, as most playground areas here really are for children and don't have adult-height pull-up bars, like in many HK ones. 

food here offers so much of a nicer selection--like HK it's expensive but the tastes are much more vibrant. had the most delicious red apple today :).  restaurants here are generally much healthier too, but it's still difficult to stay totally PCP compliant when eating out.

ended up at a new pizzeria opened by a friend. at our dinner table were 8 or so people, mostly visiting chefs from northern Cal. as you can imagine, my indulgence got used up, and watching them enjoy their beers was prob the most diff test of willpower yet for me in the 79 days so far!

only have 4.5 to sleep before i gotta wake up, so off to dreamland.

Day 78: off to Tokes...

quickly powered through my exercises today. enjoying the heartier diet, which comes in esp. handy as i'm flying today, back to beloved Tokyo. bit worried about disrupting the routine, but should be able to find a nearby playground for the last 2 weeks of training!  eating healthy of course, will not be a problem there, esp. now that we have carbs back at all 3 meals :)

Day 77: the reward after another Sunday hike

went on another light hike today; afterwards rewarded myself with the some frozen fruit, kebab-style, all natural, all PCP-friendly :)

was difficult watching the rugby semifinals though, surrounded by all the pints of guiness and nice pub food~~  had an even more difficult time with the skipping.  21 mins just got boring, but slogged through it.  


here are the stats for this week; pics also updated (and taken in the sunlight finally :)


weight:      65.6 kgs

body fat:    16.7%   


gotta get some rest before tomorrow's workouts!

Day 76: PCP tunnel vision in a non-PCP world

interesting how PCP, health, exercise, nutrition, diet... these have all DOMINATED most of my experiences and conversations in the past 76 days. the ups and downs, peaks and valleys on a personal level involving PCP help to mould not only more physically fit bodies, but stronger minds, with more opinionated and informed decision-making.

as Pat-diddy has said about physical well-being feeding into mental well-being, such is also true for the fortitude and commitment to our new beliefs and truths, based on our own individual set of data points and experiences.  i really relate to that term he used recently in our videos, about "PCP tunnel vision", how our own standards have become much higher (not than others, but just w/in ourselves). along with this too, has come the realization that we have w/in ourselves the discipline and the focus to make the commitment to reach those standards.

i don't mean to frown upon those who haven't made the commitment, but for those who have said YES to a healthier lifestyle of diet, exercise, it's amazing and somewhat profound how your life changes, if nothing else b/c of the self-confidence and sense of fraternity that builds around the experiences.

anyhow, forgive my ramblings, it's been over 75 days now and maybe i'm starting to get sentimental, in realizing how we'll miss the PCP day-to-days ending soon. or maybe i'm just running out of stuff to say and finding ways to fill the daily blogs :)

anyway, bring on the last 2 weeks--they will most likely be the most difficult of all regarding exercises, but i'm strong, excited and eager to get it on!

Day 75: skipping Fridays.

happy fridays fellow PCPers.

WOW, not long to go. we are at day 75!!!

felt COMPLETELY lethargic this morning when i started my jumps. 8 mins in, still hadn't caught much of a rhythm and was still tripping up quite a bit.  and just when i was thinking to wrap up early and save it for a second set in the afternoon, i found a rhythm. and prob the best skipping set i've had so far! happened to semi-count through it, and think i skipped over 600 times without missing a beat!!

very satisfying feeling, and so like all the exercises these days, tough to get started, but perseverance really pays off and feeling great at the end :)   here's to finishing strong the last 2 weeks!

Day 74: PCP, the gift that keeps on giving...

so, of course besides the better health, improved diet habits and nicer physique, there has already been plenty of ancillary physical benefits that i've noticed from the PCP commitment:

-much better posture--very thankful for this alone!
-much more strength and endurance while hiking
-much more flexibility and core strength in body isolation dance class
-more ease in the pool (and confidence while walking to get in/out of the pool :)
-no more snoring. wasn't a regular nor heavy snorer by any means, but apparently now, i sleep very quietly.

i've been trying to focus during the training on PCP exercise lists only, letting my body rest in between for the most part. but as soon as program finishes, def. looking forward to trying out the other stuff i previously did fairly regularly, including dancing, climbing, surfing and snowboarding.

curious to know how alums have found their physical capabilities expanded in post PCP world, as well as what current PCPers think will be improvements WRT physical activity they're looking forward to, post PCP...

Day 73: finally, the double jumps.

it was drenching rain pretty much the entire day in HK. just when i was about to give up and go to plan B, luckily, the rain abated as it became dark, around 6pm. so i rushed across the street to Victoria Park and just managed to catch a 1 hour window of non-downpour.

pleased to say that i FINALLY got the double jump timing, well sorta. i managed to do 6-7 double jumps each time i tried, including one consecutive set of 2 double jumps. i think i hadn't been jumping high enough to catch the double skips so this time, i tried bending at the waist and leaning my upper half slightly forward and it totally worked!  the only thing is, while i get the 2nd rope rotation timed OK now, i need to slow my hands on the third and fourth rotations, when my feet have switched back to singles. overall, love the fact that i've gotten so much better at "working the rope" with the hands, which is def part of the art of skipping i think.

though i still can't complete the sets, i felt stronger surprisingly today with the pull-ups. but this was offset by pretty poor showing per usual on kung-fu's and on the bicycles.

Day 72: mistaken identity

running late to meet a friend, i rushed thru the exercises today, and right after finishing them, hopped straight out of the apartment and onto a tram. i remembered suddenly that i hadn't taken the time to do any post-exercise stretches. so i proceeded to do some arm and leg stretches, while standing at the back of the tram.

minding my own biz and focusing on the stretches, i suddenly noticed the guy standing nearby in tram, just  staring at me. so i smiled and said in explanation, "just stretching. i just finished some exercises."

"yeah," he replied politely.  and then continued, "you look fit. are you a gym instructor?"

i almost burst out in laughter at that!! i'd gotten plenty of good and interesting compliments since starting PCP, but this was a new one!  anyway, just smiled sheepishly and replied in the negative, saying it was just my old body that needed the stretching!

Day 71: and down the stretch they come.

we are officially now UNDER 20 days left in the program, YAY!!!

diet: so nice to have all you can eat veggies for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!  being able to eat protein for dins too, means we can finally go out with friends for dinners and actually order something again!!   :)    very pleased and def seems like no more worries on PCP about being hungry~

exercises: dunno why, but that add'l 3 mins of skipping def. annoys me a bit--but i guess it gives us more time to find our rhythms in skipping. i liked 5sets x failure on DaVinci's today. felt great to do! almost afraid to look at how much harder the rest of the exercise lists look for the week.

Day 70: weekly #'s

18 mins of skipping today def felt a bit like a drag. still, love the "rest" days each week.

pics have been updated and glad to see the #'s this week:


weight:     66.1 kgs

body fat:  17.0%

good luck with the last 3 weeks, fellow PCPers!!!

Day 69: PCP torture on a Sat night.

fearing i've been too anti-social recently, i decided on a mid-way approach tonight by heading over to join a few friends for a movie night at their place. unf, i got over there later and they'd already started watching. tonight's viewing was the last season of HBO's entourage, but unfortunately, they had already been watching and had only 3 episodes left. i still hadn't caught up yet, so basically, to not ruin the season for myself yet stay polite to their viewing, i just tried my best to sit down, and NOT watch the screen nor listen to the humorous dialogue. i just ate my egg white and apply, and enjoyed some small chat with another person who'd already seen the episodes.


but that wasn't even the hard part. the real test came a few mins later, when the host graciously saw us empty-handed and came back from the pantry with a nice, full bag of SUN CHIPS! perhaps the most difficult sacrifice for me during these past almost 70 days has been giving up potato chips. i LOVE all different kinds of the crisps. esp. after having lived in Japan, where convenience stores here are PACKED with soOOO many interesting different and fun flavors to try (including unagi eel, nori & salt, consomme, wasabi, ume, scallop with butter, takoyaki, etc!!).  but Frito-Lay Sun Chips are def one of my faves. and there was my nightmare torture, being sandwiched between 2 full bowls of sun chips: trying my best NOT to watch the TV screen and even more trying NOT to smell or hear the crunching or the beautiful chips on either side of me, being happily munched by my friends~~


<sigh> i may just be better served staying at home for the next (and final!) 3 weeks ;)

Day 68: pound 'em out Fridays.

-good skipping sessions today, although i still can't do the double skip jumps. if anyone has suggestions, pls do tell!
-still hit failures on the chest dips, and i don't esp. get intense burns so feel like i should be able to do it, but alas, just can't complete the last couple of sets.
-elevated push-ups.... izz nice!  harder than normal ones but do-able, and with a nice slow burn at the end of reps.
-standing ovations: steady as she goes.
-curls: no breaks, all good.  nice, slow and smooth... we like it.
-thumb-up curls, similar to above. amazing how when you slow down the exercises as you do the reps, and focus on the muscles you're working, can make a huge difference in quality.
-leg-ups: def had to push on the last reps
-and finally, the 4x90sec planks... today's surprise!  i was able to get these done, pretty much straight thru and with the minimal 15 secs (give or take) of rest in btn.  the form wasn't pretty towards the end of the 3rd and 4th sets, and i def would not want to hear a recording of some of the primal, aching outbursts of "ERRR!!! AHHH!!!!" that were growled out... but there you have it!

happy Friday's fellow PCPers. and to those in my group, only 3 more anti-social Friday's to go!!

Day 67: is that really me??

ok, have def had more than a few comments from people on how they think i've now lost TOO much weight. i'm not that concerned though. prob more of a function that my old clothes look too big on my current body. while the muffin top is smaller, it still resides and anyway, we're adding more food so i'm thinking we'll end up putting on a kg or 2 back, as we spend the last 3+ weeks building more muscle.

exercises were just slightly easier to complete today, although my legs were really exhausted by the end of the creep reps. also did double ropes and 2 sets of 8-min abs. really noticed that my abs feel stronger while doing the V-situps today, although i also realized how much harder it is to keep the arms fully extended for the entire exercise.

finished the day doing a couple of salsa classes. in the body isolation dance movement class, i prob did a few double-takes on myself, as i am not only noticing a better figure in front of the dance mirrors, but also realizing how much stronger and more flexible this new PCP frame is. the class is all about isolating different parts of the body and key to this is having a strong core. there were some hip moves and chest moves that i honestly could never do, but i seriously am NOT hitting as much failure in this class anymore, thanks to PCP training!

now to hit the sack and let the body build some more muscles--nighty night!

Day 66: add'l things to add to the PCP need-to-get prep list

4 things that i suggest Patrick should add for the "make sure to have for PCP" list he sends to new members, besides resistance bands, jump rope, food scale, etc:

1.  full length mirror: i don't have one but when i was recently shopping for a new clothes, came across myself in the full length mirror in the changing room. my, my how nice it is to see your changing PCP body in a full length mirror :)

2. leather hole puncher: a very useful tool to punch new holes in all your belts, which has been the only thing allowing me to actually keep the pants i have.  they are still too big for me, but at least the tighter belts keep the pants on, until we reach the end of PCP, at which point i'll go do some more serious shopping.

3. a good tailor: luckily, i'm in HK so this is not a problem. but after 90 days, i will def be bringing in my nice suits to see which can still  "saved" by re-altering to fit the new bod.

4. shopping budget and friends that like to shop:  buying new clothes will def be on the post-PCP to-do list.  don't wanna go crazy just yet, as i imagine there are still some changes physically to go, but here's counting down, in 24 days...

Day 65: PCP blogs

i know i've said it before, but THANKS to all the PCP alums and current members for the blogging.  i have found reading the entries to be invaluable in so many ways--it's like your best friend in the program in a way b/c it just helps you out in so many different manners and is reliable all the time: inspiring, encouraging, engaging, humoring, thought-provoking, supporting...

no disrespect for those who choose not to blog or are too busy, but for the ones that do, i am SOOOOO grateful to be able to share in the community. OK, maybe not as engaging as when you ACTUALLY meet up with friends and chat, but in terms of realistic convenience and accessibility, it's been amazing to discover so many benefits of this online community connectivity.

had never blogged before and was initially a bit skeptical, as well as being e-shy in terms of having confidence in my blogging voice.  but it's really been therapeutic and fun--thankfully, not quite to any level of addiction though :)

Day 64: bring on them veggies!!

despite waking up to an upset stomach this AM and still fighting off a possible cold, i feel GREAT after doing today's exercises. towards the end of the list, i just felt very strong and even though i hit fails on several of the routines, it still felt like a strong burn to fail.

having as much as we want veggies now in the morning and lunch def helps, if nothing else just on a psychological level. the add'l protein as well at lunch will go a long way.  i made a quarter pack of pasta the other day and it's still amazing how "far" you can get with one serving these days when you are only having 80 gram servings :)   still, nice to feel a little full from add'l veggies and protein, although i think that already is overdoing it.  trying to learn that fine, subtle place called "no longer hungry" rather than "i'm full" state, something us americanos prob have never been trained to do!

all part of the learning process, i suppose, as we evolve our PCP selves...

Day 63: the dragon's back

went for a hike with a couple of friends today at a trail called the dragon's back, figuring we'd take advantage of the semi-clear/dry weekend in between  2 typhoons to HK (one that left Friday and another heading in Monday).  did my skips after waking up, had a good breakfast and then hiking for a couple of hours.

weigh-in #'s this week went up slightly from last, but i am feeling stronger and more in shape than ever:

weight:     67.9kg

body fat:   18.3%

weekly pics also updated now. looking forward to new diets and a daunting new list of exercises. see you on Monday!

Day 62: slowly working out of the PCP valley

this was def my hardest week on PCP: cheated a couple of times on diet, and hit more fails on the exercises. i had a sore throat hit me since last night and have been hearing that there's a cold bug going around HK.  so will DEF be looking forward to a slight break tomorrow (only 15 mins of ropes).

however, to focus on the positives: focused on Pat-diddy's advise to really keep to the allotted break times btn reps (and not any longer) with the understanding that we may have to fail the next reps has really made the workouts more concentrated and efficient, in both time and body workout.  feel great afterwards and have been finishing w/in an hour.

added another set of jump roping each day and am able to get quite a good rhythm rather quickly, as well as do several kinds of variations on the skipping--although still can't do the double jumps at will.

finally, read 2 blogs entries to point out.
**re-read my friend Bill's blog from his day 64: noticed he was still fighting off the muffin top Buddha belly that i've still got, around this time during his 90 own day run. good to know that others still had similar showings, but still ended up in better than fine shape after the final month. i plan to be right there with my sempai!

**and lastly, you have to check out this final blog from Clive, who just finished day 90 this week. reading all the benefits he's taken in changing his life and health is like the turbo boost i think i'll take with me for the home stretch to cross the finish line myself. what an inspiring result, and CONGRATS CLIVE and again to all in the group that just finished up !!